Microsoft Project Version 2002 Inside Out (Inside Out (Microsoft))

Chapter 22

This chapter is intended for project team members, resource managers, interested executives, and other stakeholders who will be using the Microsoft Project Web Access interface to review and exchange project information. If you're interested in the project manager or project system administrator roles and uses of Microsoft Project Server and Web Access, see Chapter 21, "Managing Your Team Using Microsoft Project Web Access."

Team members, resource managers, team leads, stakeholders, and executives can use Microsoft Project Web Access to view and manage information from the Microsoft Project plan, which is disseminated by the project manager. Each role brings with it a different focus and group of priorities for information access, and Microsoft Project Web Access provides a broad range of data to aid each user. Microsoft Project Web Access can also be customized to further focus the view of information available.

Certain features of Microsoft Project Web Access are more useful to some user roles than to others. A note at the beginning of each section in this chapter identifies the roles that might benefit the most from the information in that section.

In Microsoft Project 2002, Microsoft Project Web Access is the next generation of Microsoft Project Central, which you might have used with Microsoft Project 2000.

Project Management Practices: Implementing Your Communication Plan

An essential ingredient of good project planning is the development of a comprehensive communication plan that describes the planned channels, intentions, and audiences for communicating project information. The many facets of communicating information that Microsoft Project Web Access provides make it a primary asset to project communications.

The type of information that is shared, the frequency and scope of the information, the formats, the senders and receivers, and even the types of responses can all be clearly defined for the Microsoft Project Web Access team, including stakeholders and executives. Other methods of sending information might become obsolete because the information can be transmitted more efficiently using Microsoft Project Web Access.

Furthermore, the connections between Microsoft Project Web Access and other communications channels, such as SharePoint Team Services and Microsoft Outlook e-mail and online calendars, can expand the range and capability of your project's communication processes.