P3 & Access

Hi, there.
Check this thread:
http://www.planningplanet.com/forum/forum_post.asp?fid=1&Cat=2&Top=64.

Yes. Definitely wirth investigating if your programme is very repetitive in nature. If you were to use Access to replicate your data in such cases, you could knock together a several thousand activity resourced programme in minutes.

Hi Keith,

The trick is to use database(.DBF) files. Then you can use either Access or Excel to create the activity files. You can also create relationship (logic) and resource files. You need to export some activities from P3 into the .dbf format. The fields you need to export is activity ID, activity description, original duration, calender, and activity codes, when creating activity files. This will give you a template with the correct field headings. Don’t use lotus or asci, formats as P3 does not like them when importing. For relationship files you need to export the successor relationships. Also if using access access prefers .dbf files and excel is very user friendly with them.
Have a look a the concatenate function in excel, this will help you to create your files even quiker.

Hope this helps.

Yes. Definitely wirth investigating if your programme is very repetitive in nature. If you were to use Access to replicate your data in such cases, you could knock together a several thousand activity resourced programme in minutes.

When re-using historical projects, you still need be diligent in reviewing and revising the plan. The use of static templates (or historical projects) can lead to what I call "Cut & Paste Syndrome" (CPS). CPS inevitably leads to errors such as including the wrong (old) steps, forgetting necessary new steps and overlooking schedule logic and/or manhour estimates that are not customized to the current situation. eTaskMaker solves these problems.

Bernard Ertl
eTaskMaker Project Planning Software

Hi Bernard,

I am not talking about using old projects as templates, merely using the P3 field headings, so that you can create a new activity file in excel or access, without the tedious typing and copying in P3. The other benefit of this is that you can have more specific activity descriptions.

By the way Bernard, as a moderator, I believe "you" especially are overstepping the mark by using the forum to market your product, whatever it may in be.

Hi Philip,

Sorry I misunderstood your initial post. I’m not intimate with the use of P3 & Access for building project data, so your post seemed to be championing the use of Access to re-use old project data.

I believe that I have been diligent in abiding by the forum rules. I make every effort to set a proper example. If any member disagrees with the actions of a moderator, I encourage them to PM the moderator or the PP team to air their grievance in accordance with rule #7.

Bernard Ertl
eTaskMaker Project Planning Software

Bernard,

Accepted. I am not championing anything, I was merely answering the original post. I actually prefer excel when building activity data files.

Regards

Philip

Hi Su De,

If you want to create a "cookie cutter" program, you can use MS access to create the bulk of your activities. You need to set up your ID structure correctly, so that you can create your description from it.

Don’t even try it if you are not an expert with database queries.

Rather do it it MS-Excel.

If it is a repetitive process eg. houses, high-rise, pipeline, highway etc. consider the line of balance method.

Regards,

Erik