It is important to understand that Project 2003 was designed with flexibility in mind, and it can be configured to adapt and respond to a wide range of requirements. The Project 2003 repository makes it possible to view project and resource data in many different ways to satisfy users' specific interests and responsibilities. All Project Web Access (PWA) views, including Portfolio Analyzer Views, are customizable by the deploying organization, and they are specific to each of them. NOTE Because of the large number of individual variations of project management methodologies, specific views, administrative settings, and entry tables cannot be recommended for a specific sector. These settings are particular to each deploying organization. Most administrative settings are, just as the views, specific to each organization, and they cannot be tied to a specific sector or industry. Notwithstanding that settings are specific to each organization, when customizing PWA a few recommendations are valid for most organizations, and these are presented in the following sections. Managed Time Periods Versus Nonmanaged Time PeriodsThis setting applies to organizations that need to "lock down" accounting periods for cost synchronization with an account system and/or need to analyze accurately the Earned Value performance. If the organization does not require strict accounting interfaces for the EPM system, the Managed Time Periods option is not necessary. Tracking SettingsTime reporting and tracking are paramount for capturing the actual effort input for each project and provide a more objective estimation of the project progress. Project 2003 can be configured to track work performed by resources in three ways:
Locking Down DefaultsIt is recommended to use Force Project Managers to Use the Progress Reporting Method Specified Above for All Projects because this provides consistency and coherence in use of Project 2003 throughout the enterprise. Use Allow Project Managers to Change the Default Method for Reporting Progress If a Different Method Is Appropriate for a Specific Project only if the deploying organization has a high level of maturity of project management and there is a solid project management knowledge base within the company. Project Web Access and Portfolio Analyzer ViewsTime reporting and tracking, actual work, and resource availability are just a few example areas where PWA views can easily be customized. This enables the organization to report on various attributes for projects and resources in a consistent manner. Lack of this information may drive late identification of projects' needs and requirements and force decisions that are not always fact-based. The following views are the most common ones that we recommend:
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