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WorkEngine June 2010 v3.2.1 Upgrade Instructions (Onsite Only)

Christina Williams — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:29:59 GMT

June 2010 Cumulative Update (v3.2.1)

Announcement

EPM Live is now WorkEngine! Although EPM Live continues as the company name, our SharePoint Project and Work Management solution has been re-branded as WorkEngine. You may see documentation and other changes reflecting our new brand, WorkEngine.

The instructions and information in this article apply to customers who have EPM Live (now re-branded as WorkEngine) installed and hosted on their own SharePoint environment (Onsite customers).

Upgrade Instructions

Your WorkEngine system will be down while performing the steps below, therefore we recommend that you perform these steps during a scheduled maintenance time frame or after hours. While following the instructions below, the download file will replace your existing WorkEngine solution files with the new WorkEngine solution files. This process will simply update the EPM Live features (code) within your SharePoint environment and will have no effect on any custom features you have developed. However, if your system is experiencing technical issues related to EPM Live after you have upgraded to the v3.2.1 Cumulative Update (CU), please contact the Support Help Desk at support@epmlive.com.

Only customers who have purchased EPM Live Software Maintenance are entitled to this upgrade. If you have purchased EPM Live Software Maintenance, follow the link below for the version 3.2.1 software download. You will be prompted for your Email Address and order number.

Software download link: http://www.epmlive.com/downloadepmlive.aspx.

Enter the Account Owner's email address when prompted.
Note: If you do not have the required (account owner's) email or order # and feel you are eligible for the Cumulative Update, please contact the Support Help Desk at support@epmlive.com.

Click Request to the left of EPM Live WorkEngine Server CU for version 3.2.1. You will receive an email with the following important data:

Order #: xxxxx
Product: EPM Live WorkEngine Server CU 3.2.1
Download: [the download.zip file]
Password: xxxxxxxxxx

Click the download link in the email to download the .zip file.

Upgrade Prerequisites

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SP2 or MOSS SP2 (SP2 is not required but strongly recommended).
Browse to the Application Management tab within your SharePoint Central Administration. Under the EPM Live Administration section, click on the Solution File Versions link. Verify that the solutions are of major version 3.2 or later. If you are upgrading from a previous version, please upgrade to 3.2 first and then install this June CU.
The reporting within EPM Live is much more powerful when using SSRS 2008 instead of 2005. SSRS 2008 requires .NET framework 3.5 but can be installed alongside SSRS 2005. You may want to think about installing SSRS 2008. Also, as of this version (3.2), EPM Live recommends configuring SSRS in Integrated Mode due to additional reporting options. EPM Live best practices for installing SSRS in Integrated Mode.
Upgrade the Reporting Services data extension to the 2008 version. http://kb.epmlive.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50238.aspx. This prerequisite has existing since version 3.0, so you may have performed this step already.
Before you upgrade, please be sure to read the upgrade release notes.
Copy the upgrade files to the web server where Central Administration is installed.
IMPORTANT PREREQUISITE: Restart IIS and the SharePoint Timer Service on all Web Front End Servers. This will help ensure smooth solution retractions and deployments.

Upgrade Solution Files

1. From Central Administration, retract and remove the following solution files:

- epmlivecore.wsp
- epmlivewebparts.wsp
- epmliveworkplanner.wsp
- epmlivesync.wsp
- epmlivereportsadmin.wsp

2.  Once all solutions have been removed, run JuneCU.bat. Enter the password from the email when prompted. The batch file will re-add the v3.2.1 solution files that you removed in step 1.

3.  Once all new solutions have been added, deploy each solution to the appropriate web applications:

- epmlivecore.wsp gets deployed to both Central Administration and SharePoint
- epmlivewebparts.wsp gets deployed to SharePoint
- epmliveworkplanner.wsp gets deployed globally
- epmlivesync.wsp gets deployed globally
- epmlivereportsadmin.wsp gets deployed globally

4. Reset IIS

Upgrade existing Reporting Databases

1.  If you have any reporting databases as a result of the 3.2 Release Candidate functionality, they need to be upgraded.  Execute the epmlivereporting321.sql statement against ALL reporting databases.
Important Note: Keep in mind that you may not have any reporting databases. If not, skip this step.

Upgrade EPM Live Database

1.  Execute the epmlive321.sql statement against your EPMLive database.

Update Timer Service

1.  From within the Windows Services Administration console on the server where the Timer Service for 3.2 was installed, stop the Work Center Timer Service.

2. Replace the TimerService.exe located at C:\Program Files (x86)\EPM Live\WorkCenter Server\timerservice (by default) with the updated TimerService.exe included in the upgrade file.

3. From within the Windows Services Administration console, start the Work Center Timer Service.

Additional Configuration Tasks

1. Click on the Manage Web application features link within the SharePoint Web Application Management section of the Central Administration Application Management tab.

2. Activate the EPM Live Charting feature.

3. From the Central Administration Server, double click the copyappbincontent.bat file included in the upgrade file. This will enable breadcrumbs within some custom EPM Live pages.

All About Permissions

cgarrett — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:45:13 GMT

The EPM Live Knowledge Base website contains a great deal of documentation and videos specific to configuration and customization of SharePoint permissions from the top site collection level all the way down to sub-sites, lists, document libraries, etc.. Listed below are links to such documentation and videos.

- EPM Live User Guide v3.2: http://kb.epmlive.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50604.aspx
- EPM Live v3.2 Configuration and Administration Guide: http://kb.epmlive.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50486.aspx
- Individual Permissions (video): http://kb.epmlive.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50585.aspx?Keywords=permissions
- Group Permissions (video): http://kb.epmlive.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50586.aspx?Keywords=permissions
- Add Users to the Site (video): http://kb.epmlive.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50582.aspx?Keywords=permissions
- Create a Custom Group (video): http://kb.epmlive.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50583.aspx?Keywords=permissions
- EPM Live Administration Training (videos): http://kb.epmlive.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50445.aspx?Keywords=permissions
- Manage Permissions (website): http://nirma.org/_layouts/help.aspx?lcid=1033&cid0=MS%2EWSS%2Emanifest&tid=MS%2EWSS%2EHA10021564

EPM Live SSRS Reports - Available for Customization

Christina Williams — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:40:19 GMT

Preliminary Setup
Preliminary Information for Site Collection - How to set up your site collection for the Reporting Solution:
CLICK HERE for the EPM Live Configuration and Administration Guide.

Summary
The attached .zip file contains the SSRS Reports that are available in EPM Live. Using the EPM Live Reporting Solution to connect to the SQL Server, you (as an administrator on your site collection) may make changes to these reports to fit your business needs. The basic process is to upload the report files to your site collection, edit the reports in Report Builder 2.0, save the reports, and access them within EPM Live.

We recommend that you only upload the reports that you will be customizing. For any reports that will not be customized, use the out-of-the-box SSRS reports.

Download Report Files
Please download the report (.rdl) files by clicking on the Download Now button. To access the files, you must have a valid EPM Live account in order to download. Please enter your epm\username when prompted. If you do not have an EPM Live account, please send an email to support@epmlive.com to request an account.

Upload Report Files to your Site Collection
The report files are to be uploaded to the Report Library at the top level of the site collection. Save each report into the epmlivetl and epmlive folders (or the appropriate sub-folder if applicable). Although not required, you may create sub-folders in your Report Library to match those from EPM Live out-of-the-box, which organizes the reports within the sub-folders at the top level, and without the sub-folders at the workspace level.
Folder: epmlivetl (required)
    Sub-Folder: Issue (optional)
    Sub-Folder: Project (optional)
    Sub-Folder: Resource (optional)
    Sub-Folder: Risk (optional)
Folder: epmlive (required)
    Sub-Folder: Issue (optional)
    Sub-Folder: Project (optional)
    Sub-Folder: Resource (optional)
    Sub-Folder: Risk (optional)

Edit Report Properties
After each report is uploaded to the report library, edit each report's properties with the following:

Content Type: Select Report Builder Report.
Name: Report Name will automatically fill in when uploading report.
Title: Copy & paste the Report Name into the Report Title field.

EPM Live out-of-the-box (in Native Mode) shows the SQL reports in the Reporting Services Web Part, which looks directly to the SQL Server for the reports. If you will be continuing to use the original out-of-the-box reports from the Reporting Services Web Part along with the updated customized reports for your site collection, it is recommended to rename the updated reports for distinction and clarification. This will help reduce confusion over the reports.

Edit Reports in Report Builder2.0
When a report is opened to be edited in Report Builder, you may receive a warning message about inadequate permissions. The original report was created from a different Data Source that you cannot access, hence the message. The Data Source has to be changed to match the Data Source in your EPM Live Report Library in order to pull your site collection's metadata.

To open the report:
- Open Report Library, and navigate to the appropriate folder where the report is that you will be customizing.
- Hover over the report name and click the downward arrow to the right of the report name for the context menu.
- Select Edit in Report Builder. Report Builder will launch, but the report itself will not open.
- Open the report.
To change the Data Source:
- Right-Click on the reporting database name.
- Select Data Source Properties.
- If the correct Data Source does not show in the window, click Browse to select the accurate Data Source for your site collection.
Edit the report as desired.
- See additional information from Microsoft regarding how to work with reports in Report Builder 2.0.
- You may be prompted to enter credentials to edit the Queries for the Data Sets. Enter the same Credentials that were use to set up the Data Source in the Report Library.

Save the Reports
After the report has been changed, save the report to both the epmlivetl and epmlive folders (into the specific sub-folders if applicable). The reports already have settings that automatically filter data based on whether they are opened from the top level site of your site collection or a sub-site (workspace) in your site collection. Therefore, the same report may be saved to both the epmlivetl and epmlive folders.

View the Reports in EPM Live
Users logged into EPM Live will not access the reports from the Report Library directly. When you upload the report files into the Report Library, users may access the reports from the Reports Center Web Part. Add the Reports Center Web Part to your site. Configure the web part as instructed in the Configuration and Administration Guide.

EPM Live out-of-the-box (in Native Mode) shows the SQL reports in the Reporting Services Web Part, which looks directly to the SQL Server for the reports. If you will be continuing to use the original out-of-the-box reports from the Reporting Services Web Part along with the updated customized reports for your site collection, it is recommended to rename the updated reports for distinction and clarification. This will help reduce confusion over the reports.

EPM Live Online Upgrade Notice

Christina Williams — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:23:58 GMT

The following email went out to all online (EPM Live Hosted) customers and users on July 26, 2010 with important information about the upcoming WorkEngine v3.2.2 Cumulative Update. If you believe you should have received the email, but did not, please contact support@epmlive.com.

CLICK HERE for the Release Notes article referenced in the email announcement.

WorkEngine v3.2.2 Cumulative Update Release Notes

Jeremy Boatman — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:39:50 GMT

Overview

This article describes the updates to WorkEngine included in the version 3.2.2 Cumulative Update. Please note, this is for WorkEngine for SharePoint 2007. This is not upgrade information for WorkEngine 4.0 for SharePoint 2010. There will be additional release information when WorkEngine 4.0 for SharePoint 2010 is released.

For Online (EPM Live-hosted) customers, the 3.2.2 cumulative update is scheduled for Thursday, July 29, 2010, beginning at 8:00 PM US Pacific.
For Onsite (Client-hosted) customers, the 3.2.2 cumulative update (for those who have purchased Annual Maintenance) will be available the first week of August 2010.

New Functionality and Fixes Included in Version 3.2.2 Cumulative Update

Title	Description	Type
Project Schedule Templates in Work Planner	When creating a new Project based off a Work Planner schedule template, the project name accurately updates from "Template" to the newly created project name.	Fix
Enable Workspace Creation Feature	The functionality to create a Workspace from an approved Request item now includes creating the approved project into an existing project workspace in addition to creating the approved project into a new workspace.	Fix
Resource Planner	The transition between views in the Work Planner has been corrected.	Fix
SSRS Reports	An update to the Timesheet Details SSRS Report. The report now breaks down the time by work type.	Fix
Timesheets	Timesheet functionality has been improved to accurately display time entry when the Timesheet Periods are longer than 1 week.	Fix
Template Update	In the standard Project Workspace Template, the Work Lists now allow for both People and Groups. This allows for Generic Resources to be more easily assigned to work using the out-of-the-box configuration of the site.	Fix
Web Part Update	The Project Summary Web Part on the Reports Page of the Project Workspace now accurately calculates the Status Indicator Flags.	Fix
Notifications	The WorkEngine Notifications settings have been adjusted to accurately notify the Assigned To Resource.	Fix

Project Publisher 2010 v4.0 Release

Christina Williams — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:13:30 GMT

Project Publisher 2010 v4.0 has the following capabilities

Use with Microsoft Project 2010 Standard or Professional
Compatible with SharePoint 2007 (WSS 3.0 and MOSS)
Compatible with SharePoint 2010 (Foundation and SharePoint Server)

Important Information
User Guide: CLICK HERE to access the Project Publisher User Guide.
Purchase Project Publisher: To purchase Project Publisher or begin your FREE 30 day trial, CLICK HERE to visit the Project Publisher website. You will also find the download for Project Publisher for Microsoft Project 2007 on the Project Publisher website.

Download & Install

Click the following link to download Project Publisher 2010: http://www.projectpublisher.com/downloadpublisher.aspx.
Select Download Now.

When prompted, select to Open or Save the Projectpublisher.zip file.

If Save is chosen, select where locally on your machine to save the .zip file. Select Open.

The Projectpublisher.zip file downloads. Based on the running operating system on your local machine, select the appropriate file.

If running a 32 bit system, select the x86 file.
If running a 64 but sytem, select the x64 file.

Select the setup.exe file.
Read and Accept the Project Publisher 2010 Setup Agreement.

The files will download.

The Project Publisher Setup Wizard will launch. Select Next.

Select Everyone. Select Next.

Select Next to start the installation.

Select Close.

Open Microsoft Project 2010. The Project Publisher ribbon menu will now show on the toolbar when Microsoft Project opens.

Activate
The steps to activate Project Publisher 2010 vary based on the type of customer. Please follow these next instructions accordingly.

Project Publisher Only customers who have already purchased Project Publisher - when prompted, enter your company name and License Key (see the Project Publisher User Guide for more detailed steps). If you were previously using Project Publisher 2007, your account may need their Project Publisher License Key reset. Please contact support@epmlive.com to request a key reset.
Online WorkEngine customers (EPM Live hosted) do NOT need to activate Project Publisher.
Onsite WorkEngine customers (client hosted) - when prompted, enter your company name and License Key (see the Project Publisher User Guide for more detailed steps). If you were previously using Project Publisher 2007, your account may need their Project Publisher License Key reset. Please contact support@epmlive.com to request a key reset.
Project Publisher Free Trial customers do NOT need to activate. When prompted for a key, select Skip Activation. You will be able to skip activation during your free 30 day trial.

Important Information
User Guide: CLICK HERE to access the Project Publisher User Guide.
Purchase Project Publisher: To purchase Project Publisher or begin your FREE 30 day trial, CLICK HERE to visit the Project Publisher website.

Everyone Wins With EPM Live and WorkEngine, Visit our Booth at WPC!

mwilson — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:34:15 GMT

How would you like to reach New Markets and Grow Revenue? Visit the WorkEngine booth (#338) at the upcoming WPC Conference in Washington D.C., July 11-15, 2010 to learn more about how other Microsoft Partners like you have leveraged our Award Winning Work Management Solution built for SharePoint.

WIN A TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS!

Plus, visiting the booth each day will qualify you for a chance to win a FLIP HP Video (1 awarded each day) and a Grand Prize trip for 2 to the World Famous Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas!

Not sure WorkEngine is right for you or your customers? Visit our booth to learn more or you can:

Visit us online at www.workengine.com
Join our upcoming webinar on Work Management Solutions for Everyone, click here to register now
Sign up for a free trial to create your very own WorkEngine environment, click her to try now
Click here to view a quick overview video of WorkEngine and it's capabilities or
Click here to view a full overview and demo of the WorkEngine solution

See you there!

Matt

Project Publisher 2010 v4.0.1 Release Notes

Christina Williams — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:29:58 GMT

Project Publisher 2010 is available and has been updated to 4.0.1.

Project Publisher 2010 capabilities & functions

Use with Microsoft Project 2010 Standard or Professional
Compatible with SharePoint 2007 (WSS 3.0 and MOSS)
Compatible with SharePoint 2010 (Foundation and SharePoint Server)

WorkEngine v3.2.1 Cumulative Update Release Notes

Christina Williams — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:33:54 GMT

Overview

This article describes the updates to WorkEngine included in the version 3.2.1 Cumulative Update.

For Online (EPM Live-hosted) customers, the 3.2.1 cumulative update is scheduled for Friday 07/02/10, beginning at 8:00 PM US Pacific.
For Onsite (Client-hosted) customers, the 3.2.1 cumulative update (for those who have purchased Annual Maintenance) will be available beginning Tuesday 07/06/10.

Announcement

EPM Live is now WorkEngine! Although EPM Live continues as the company name, our SharePoint Project and Work Management solution has been rebranded as WorkEngine. You may see documentation and other changes reflecting our new brand, WorkEngine.

New Functionality and Fixes Included in Version 3.2.1 Cumulative Update

Title	Description	Type
Reporting Solution	The WorkEngine Reporting Solution is now available as an official Release to Market, no longer a "Release Candidate." The EPM Live Reporting Solution provides a live link between EPM Live and SQL Server. SharePoint lists are mapped dynamically to SQL Server tables to facilitate SQL Reporting on SharePoint data. Once a list is mapped, any items that are added, updated or deleted are immediately reflected in the corresponding SQL table. Additionally, you can schedule "snapshots" of your lists to be copied over to a snapshot table in SQL Server for historical/trending reporting and analysis. Once Lists are set up to be mapped, SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 (or other Reporting tools) can be used to build reports. This simplifies the process for building custom reports, which will now be nearly limitless.	New Feature
Agile Planner	The WorkEngine Agile Planner has been enhanced for new Drag and Drop capabilities.	New Feature
Reporting Solution - Customize WorkEngine's Out-of-the-Box reports	Almost all* of the WorkEngine SSRS reports that are available out-of-the-box may now be customized (*all reports except for the Timesheets Reports). Using the WorkEngine Reporting Solution to connect to the SQL Server, the Site Collection Administrator may make changes to these reports to meet business needs and reporting requirements.	New Feature
Enable Workspace Creation Site URL	When a list item is approved, and a new project workspace is created, the site URL for the new Project correctly shows.	Fix
Admin Synchronization - Sync Status	The Last Sync Date & Time, Sync Status and Sync Results information now remains accurately on the Admin Synchronization.	Fix
Admin Synchronization - Workspace Templates	When a Workspace Template is saved on the Admin Synchronization page, the Save Status flag now accurately changes to green if it was saved after the most recent synchronization of lists.	Fix
Agile Planner	Additional fixes to the Agile Planner have been made to make the tool more efficient and functioning correctly.	Fix
WorkEngine Queue	The WorkEngine Timer Service Queue no longer gets stuck at 0%.	Fix
Roll Up Lists	The Cross Site Roll Up now functions when performance is turned on.	Fix
Roll Up Lists	When deleting an item from the Roll Up, the item correctly deletes, and the user is redirected back correctly.	Fix
Resource Planner	Adjustments have been made to the Resource Planner, to ensure that resource allocation is accurately displayed and tracked, whether for named resources or generic resources.	Fix

WorkEngine v3.2.1 Site & Template Upgrade Instructions

Christina Williams — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:33:23 GMT

The EPM Live (now re-branded as WorkEngine) upgrade to the version 3.2.1 Cumulative Update has been released (as of July 2, 2010 for online customers and July 6, 2010 for onsite customers).

There are no upgrade instructions for updating the EPM Live site collection (top level) or workspace (lower level) templates.
There are specific instructions for onsite customers only to upgrade to the v3.2.1 Cumulative Update. CLICK HERE to navigate to the Onsite Upgrade Instructions.

To see the new features and fixes included in the v3.2.1 Cumulative Update, CLICK HERE for the Release Notes.

Build Project and Work Plans using EPM Live

cgarrett — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:02:35 GMT

In this short video you will learn how easy it is to build and manage project and work plans using SharePoint and EPM Live's Work Planner

Click HERE to view in new window.

EPM Live Online Upgrade Notice

Christina Williams — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:26:33 GMT

The following email went out to all online (EPM Live Hosted) customers and users on June 30, 2010 with important information about the upcoming v3.2.1 Cumulative Update. If you believe you should have received the email, but did not, please contact support@epmlive.com.

CLICK HERE for the WorkEngine v3.2.1 Release Notes.

Project Publisher User Guide

cgarrett — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:56:36 GMT

Overview
The Project Publisher User Guide gives information about how to successfully use the Project Publisher tool.

EPM Live's Project Publisher is a Microsoft Office Project add-in that connects Microsoft Office Project and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 (WSS) or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS) to make working together on projects easier. By publishing Microsoft Project .mpp files to Microsoft SharePoint, all team members can access and update their own tasks and key project information. Build new schedules or use an existing Microsoft Office Project plan, publish to your Microsoft SharePoint Workspace and share critical tasks, milestones, schedules and project information.

The purpose of this document is to provide the Project Publisher user with the tools to get the most out of Project Publisher. It is highly recommended that the user review this guide, particularly the features and configurations, prior to using Project Publisher. This will allow for a thorough understanding of not only how to use Project Publisher, but just as importantly, how the tool interacts with Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Project.

Download User Guide
Please download the Guide by clicking on the Download Now button.

Purchase Project Publisher
To purchase Project Publisher, CLICK HERE to visit the Project Publisher website.

How to Use Manually Scheduled Tasks in Microsoft Project 2010

sophia.king — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:45:34 GMT

As you may have heard by now, Microsoft Project 2010 has introduced manually scheduled tasks. For experienced Microsoft Project users who have ever found yourself scratching your head trying to figure out why your schedule insists on behaving in a manner that was not approved by its owner (we've all been there), or for those of you who are new to the scheduling world and need a little flexibility in your scheduling to get your feet wet, this feature will come as a great treat!

When setting up a project schedule you will want to set the Task Mode to either Manually Scheduled or Auto Scheduled. If you choose not to specify an option Microsoft Project 2010 will automatically create all tasks for your project in the Manually Scheduled mode. You will also be able to change the setting at the task level by clicking on the task, clicking on Task Mode and then manually changing the setting for that specific task.

If the Task Mode Column is visible in your project schedule you will be able to view via a specialized indicator which Task Mode each task is in. If a task is in the Manually Scheduled Task Mode, you will be able specify your own values for Duration, Start and Finish. You will also be allowed to enter other textual data in those fields such as "approx. 1 week" or "TBD". You can also choose to leave the fields blank until you have the appropriate information available.

If you choose to link Manually Scheduled tasks to other tasks in your schedule, Microsoft Project has multiple scenarios for determining how the task will be scheduled. If you enter a valid Duration date into your Manually Scheduled task it will leverage the Duration date you entered and update the Start and Finish date accordingly. If you don't enter a valid Duration date the system will default to a Duration of 1 day and then calculate the Start and Finish date from there.

So as you can probably see there are many different scenarios that apply to the Manually Scheduled Task Mode. Many of which I did not cover above but I will continue to supply tips and tricks to help you familiarize yourself with Microsoft Project 2010. There is defintiely a lot of functionality to look forward to!

To find out more information on how EPM Live's WorkEngine application works with Microsoft Project 2010, please click here!

Project Publisher Error: "The underlying connection was closed"

cgarrett — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:26:03 GMT

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Symptoms

You receive the following error when publishing:

Error Connecting: The underlying connection was closed: An unexpected error occurred on a receive.

Cause

This is typically caused by internal network connectivity issues.

Workaround/Resolution

Email EPM Live Support at support@epmlive.com to discuss additional possible resolutions.

Additional Information

None

Status

None

WorkEngine Overview and Demo

hchampoux — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:22:27 GMT

EPM Live's WorkEngine provides easy to use Microsoft SharePoint Project and Work Management solutions for everyone in an organization, from teams that want to work within individual workgroups, to organizations that want to utilize enterprise tools.

WorkEngine has evolved the Microsoft SharePoint Server stack to a more comprehensive and integrated Enterprise Project and Work Management system. Building on the familiar Microsoft tools that many people already know, the EPM Live WorkEngine solution includes web parts, Microsoft Project add-ins, SharePoint features, SharePoint applications, and industry best practices & process templates designed to work together to help you address your Enterprise Project and Work Management needs.

WorkEngine goes beyond project tasks and expands to all other work in your organization including application management, operations, support and IT Services.

WorkEngine brings robust capabilities such as portfolio management, resource management, cost management, work and task management, collaboration and time management and extends the same value-driven concepts to all areas of your business all within one centralized platform making WorkEgnine the most flexible project and work management solution on the market.

Join EPM Live's Solution Specialists in this 1 hour demonstration of WorkEngine and all of its powerful capabilities. Find out first hand how WorkEngine can help you turn your SharePoint environment into a comprehensive Project and Work Management solution that maximizes your business value and drives optimal performance.

EPM Live - Agile Application Demo Guide

Christina Williams — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:56:40 GMT

Use this step-by-step online guide to help you walk through the EPM Live Agile online demo environment.

The EPM Live Agile Application provides full support for the most common Agile SCRUM methodology, and can be configured or customized to provide support for other company-specific iterative methods. EPM Live's Agile Application provides support for all common SCRUM processes as shown below including product planning, backlog management, release management, iteration management, iteration tracking, and test case management

For additional information regarding our Demo Site, please contact your Solution Specialist. If you have not yet been in contact with one of our Solution Specialists, please contact info@epmlive.com.

EPM Live - Project Portfolio Management Demo Guide

Christina Williams — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:50:14 GMT

Use this step-by-step online guide to help you walk through the EPM Live (Project Portfolio Management) PPM online demo environment.

The EPM Live Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Solution illustrates how an organization can leverage EPM Live to manage all types of projects through the entire life cycle of the projects. From this site, you can view the overall health of your portfolio, group projects together for cross-project or cross-department reporting purposes, view resource allocation and capture status. Drill down into a project workspace to experience the role of a Project Manager within our PPM solution.

For additional information regarding our Demo Site, please contact your Solution Specialist. If you have not yet been in contact with one of our Solution Specialists, please contact info@epmlive.com.

EPM Live - PMO Demo Guide

Christina Williams — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:48:38 GMT

Use this step-by-step online guide to help you walk through the EPM Live PMO online demo environment.

The EPM Live PMO Solution illustrates how a program management office can leverage EPM Live to manage all types of projects. From this site, you can view the overall health of your portfolio, group projects together for cross-project or cross-department reporting purposes, view resource allocation and capture status. Drill down into a project workspace to experience the role of a Project Manager within our PMO solution.

For additional information regarding our Demo Site, please contact your Solution Specialist. If you have not yet been in contact with one of our Solution Specialists, please contact info@epmlive.com.

Error Message: "Cannot connect to the server at this time."

Christina Williams — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:28:36 GMT

Symptoms
When trying to Export to a Microsoft Office program, or trying to update a Microsoft Office document from SharePoint, the error messages may appear: "Cannot connect to the server at this time. Changes to your data cannot be saved." or "You are currently working offline. Check your network connection and then click get updates."

Cause
When you use a stand alone SharePoint server (for example in a virtual machine like Microsoft VPC or VMware), not all of the features work. The reason for this behavior is that the office objects that connect Microsoft Office to SharePoint are checking the network status and they see that you do not have a network (since you are on a standalone server).

Resolution
To resolve this error message, you need to stop the network sensing mechanism. Do the following on the stand alone environment where you are receiving the error message.

Close all office applications and Internet Explorer windows.
Open the Run Program: On the Start Menu, select Run.
In the text box type "net stop sens" and click Enter.

The SharePoint to Office integration should now integrate smoothly.

EPM Live Announces New SharePoint "Construction Project Management" Application Template

sophia.king — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:11:47 GMT

Solution Overview:

EPM Live has extended its SharePoint Project and Work Management application portfolio by adding SharePoint Construction Project Management to its offerings. As an industry leader and a long time implementer of project and work management solutions, EPM Live combines it's many years of field consulting expertise with its Construction Project Management approach to bring powerful SharePoint solutions to market.

EPM Live's SharePoint Construction Project Management application is based on disciplined construction project management approach to include frequent communication and adaption. It can be used by small groups or larger organizations in an enterprise. A few of the application features are listed below:

Solution Features:

My Work
My Timesheet
Contract Center
Project Center
Task Center
Punchlist Center
RFIs Center
Job Costing Center
Submittals Center
Change Orders Center
Photo Center
Document Center
Report Center

Solution Highlight:

Custom Fields in Microsoft Project 2007

cgarrett — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:23:07 GMT

Microsoft Office Project 2007 provides several custom fields that you can define to meet your organization's needs. You can customize a field, and then insert it into your project. If you don't need an entirely new custom field, you can also simply rename existing fields to customize them.

This article covers the following:

Customize a field
Import a custom field
Insert a custom field
Rename a field

1. Customize a field

On the Tools menu in Microsoft Project 2007, point to Customize, and then click Fields.
Click Task if you want the field to be available in task views or click Resource if you want the field to be available in resource. Select the type of field you are customizing from the Type list.
Click Rename to permanently rename the field in this project. Type the new name in the dialog box that appears, and then click OK.
Under Custom Attributes, choose how you want the data in the field to be entered.
- If you want the custom field to use a list — for example, to create a list of different cost centers in your organization — click Lookup. In the dialog box that appears, enter each list item in the Value column, choose whether you want one of the list items to appear by default, and then click Close.
- If you want the custom field to be populated using a formula, click Formula. In the dialog box that appears, use the Field and Function boxes to build a formula, and then click OK.
Under Calculation for task and group summary rows, choose how you want the values in your custom field to roll up. That is, how the values are summarized at the task and group summary levels for this custom field.

Note Outline code and text fields do not roll up. Also, the Use formula option is only available if you have defined a formula for the field, under Custom Attributes.

Under Calculation for assignment rows, choose how you want the values in the custom field to be distributed.
- Click None if the contents of this custom field are not to be distributed across assignments.
- Click Roll down unless manually entered if the contents of this custom field are to be distributed across assignments, for example, in the Task Usage view or Resource Usage view. In this case, data is divided among the assignments unless data is manually entered into an assignment row.
Under Values to display, choose how you want the data in the custom field to be displayed.
- Click Data to display the actual data in the field contents in all views in which the field appears.
- Click Graphical Indicators to specify the criteria and associated indicator images to be displayed in the field in place of data.

Click here to watch a video

Note; If you are updating the fields in Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 with the new custom field that displays an indicator, you may need to refresh [that is “change” ] information in the column once to see the new indicator in a view in Microsoft Office Project Web AccessProject Web Access.

Once the field is customized, you can insert it in the appropriate task or resource views in your project.

2. Import a custom field

If another project or template has a custom field that you would find useful in your project, you can import it to save you the time it would take to create an identical new custom field.

On the Tools menu, point to Customize, and then click Fields.
Click Import Field.
Select the project that contains the field you are importing from the Project list.
In the Field type area, select Task, Resource, or Project.
Select the name of the field you are importing from the Field list.
Click OK, and the field's name, value list, formula, and graphical indicators are imported to your project. You can modify these values as appropriate, and then insert the field in your project's views.

3. Insert a custom field

Once you have customized a field, the next step is to insert it in a view.

Click the column header for the column that you want to appear to the right of the custom field.
On the Insert menu, click Column.
Click the name of the custom field in the Field name list. If you permanently renamed the field when you customized it, it will be listed under its new name.
If you do not want to use the permanent name of your custom field, type a new name in the Title box.
Select how you want the column aligned, using the Align title and Align data lists.
Type a width for the column in the Width box. You can also adjust column width in the view itself, by dragging the edge of the column to make it wider or narrower.
If you want the column header text to wrap to multiple lines if the column is too narrow to display it on one line, select the Header Text Wrapping check box. Clear this check box if you want the header to only be displayed on one line.
Click OK to insert the column in the displayed view.

4. Rename a field

If a field in your project captures the right data, but a different title would more accurately describe what's being captured, you can simply rename the field. Renaming the field involves first hiding the column, and then showing it again with the new field name.

Make a note of the current name of the field that you are renaming.
Right-click the column header for the field you are renaming, and then click Hide column. The column will disappear from the current view, but the data that the column contained is still safely stored in the database.
Click the column header for the column that you want to appear to the right of the field you're renaming.
On the Insert menu, click Column.
Click the original name of the field, which you noted previously, in the Field name list.
Type the new name for the field in the Title box.
Click OK to rename the field.

Note: The new name will be used for the current view only. If you have this field displayed in multiple views, you may want to rename the field using these steps in the other views, as well.

Download/Install and Activate Project Publisher

cgarrett — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:19:06 GMT

Follow the instructions listed below or click here to watch a training video.
For a list of all Project Publisher related articles (product features, training, how-to, etc.) click here
For help troubleshooting Project Publisher installation/activation issues click here

Installing Project Publisher:

1. Click on the following link to start the installation wizard: http://www.projectpublisher.com/downloads/publishersetup.msi
2. Click Run to download Project Publisher

3. If presented with an Internet Explorer-Security Warning, click Run to run the software

4. Select the folder you want Project Publisher installed to and then select the Everyone radio button and then the Next button

5. When installation complete, click the Close button

Activating Project Publisher:

1. Launch Microsoft Office Project and locate the new Project Publisher menu item on the toolbar and select Help -> Activate from the dropdown list

2. Activation:
- If you have purchased Project Publisher, please follow instructions 2.a. below
- If you are using Project Publisher on a trial basis only, please follow instructions 2.b. below

   2.a. Project Publisher purchases: When the Activation screen appears, enter your company name and serial number/key exactly as listed on your Project Publisher order (refer to the email sent to you by EPM Live confirming your Project Publisher order). DO NOT copy and paste in the company name or serial number/key, type them both in directly in the designated fields.

   2.b. Trial users only: When the Activation screen appears, click on the Skip Activation button. DO NOT enter any data in the Company or Serial Number fields.

3. If you are behind a Proxy server you will need to setup your Proxy settings in Project Publisher by clicking on the Project Publisher menu item and then select Help -> Proxy Settings from the drop down list

4. Enter the required data and click Save

EPM Live's SharePoint 2010 Timesheet and Attendance Solution

sophia.king — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:04:14 GMT

EPM Live, a global leader in SharePoint Business Productivity Management Applications, has released a SharePoint Timesheets & Attendance solution.
EPM Live's SharePoint Timesheets is the latest in EPM Live’s line of Microsoft SharePoint Business Productivity Solutions.

EPM Live SharePoint Timesheets Benefits:

Apply timesheet tracking to any work item using Microsoft SharePoint
Capture multiple time categories for every timesheet item (Regular, Overtime, Billable, Non-Billable, etc..)
Combine work progress and time reporting in one view to remove redundancy
Capture time-phased data to build your own reports
Built-in notification capabilities to effectively streamline communication

EPM Live SharePoint Timesheets Features:

Capture Hours by Timephase on any Work Item using Microsoft SharePoint
Resources can easily status timesheets within an intuitive online editable grid. Capture both work and non-work time. Utilize built-in reports to view time per resource and time period. Leverage Excel-based reports to create custom pivot tables allowing you to customize your reporting needs.

Update Progress (% Complete) and Time in a Single View
In addition to capturing actual time spent on all work items, resources can also update % complete within a single web-based view.

Capture Multiple Time Categories
Users manage and account for varying time categories in accordance with corporate and work structures.

Streamline Timesheet Submission, Approvals and Communication

Assign approvers per user. Approvers can easily approve, reject, add notes or send emails directly through the timesheet view.

Integrate with other Applications
EPM Live SharePoint Timesheets easily integrates with LOB applications: Microsoft Office Project Standard and Professional 2007, Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, QuickBooks, and Microsoft Dynamics GP. Publish actual hours to other LOB systems. Track time against work items in other workforce systems.

5 Benefits of Agile

hchampoux — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:50:18 GMT

Google uses it. Microsoft uses it. It’s considered the best methodology for web 2.0 tools like Twitter and Facebook. You guessed it; we’re talking about the agile methodology (aka agile mantra, agile development lifecycle etc.). Industry veterans say that it’s the best suited methodology for running ‘fast and efficient’ projects. Is it true? Or is it more hype than reality? Does it break the rules of conventional software development? Does it compromise on quality for speed? Is it just another project management fad? Many people wonder who really benefits from agile and how. In this article, I walk you through the two most important aspects of Agile – the beneficiaries of Agile and how Agile benefits them.

Who benefits from Agile?

Each development methodology suffers from one limitation or the other. On one hand, there are methodologies like Pair Programming which makes life simpler for developers but on the other hand, it makes it difficult to justify the cost from a managerial perspective. On the other hand, there are other methodologies like the conventional Spiral model which are customer friendly but rather unforgiving for development and QA teams.

The best thing about Agile is that it preserves the interests of all stakeholders in a project, be it the client, project manager, development team or testing team. Agile promotes transparency and visibility, both of which are crucial aspects for the success of any project.

Customers benefit from Agile as it ensures high customer satisfaction courtesy frequent releases.
Managers benefit from Agile as it makes life easier for them. No overheads, minimal documentation, no useless meetings and clear & crisp communication with all stakeholders.
Development team benefits from Agile as it shortens the learning curve and development time for iterations.
Testing team benefits from Agile as they get ‘Early Access’ to the software to test.
All stakeholders have a better visibility of the project and ‘right expectations’ from each other.

How they benefit from Agile?

Agile is proven to work well for all sizes of organizations, be it few employees to large technology giants employing a workforce of more than 100,000 people. So, how do individuals and organizations benefit from Agile?

1. Faster ROI

The trick to achieving faster ROI is simple. Build a functional product across iterations, get it out to market early with limited features, continue adding features and then launch the fully functional version. Agile is the perfect methodology to gain the ‘first mover’ advantage.

Development starts early
A functional ‘ready to market’ product after few iterations
First Mover Advantage

2. Lower Risk

Agile ranks very highly on risk mitigation scale. Since iterations are short, the market risk is reduced. A beta version released early in an agile project is a great way to tap the potential market for a product. Feedback from prospect customers can help evolve the product and lowers risk of the product failing to match client expectations. Agile even recommends early cancellations for projects which have high chances of failure.

Client gets early access to product during the life cycle
Greater flexibility for accommodating Change Requests
Early Cancellations hurt less

3. Lower Defect Density

Since the testing is frequent and starts early in the project, most bugs are caught during the test iterations. Agile’s ‘test driven development’ approach ensures a high quality product with minimal bugs. There’s no better way to measure a project’s progress than having a working version at the end of all iterations.

Showstopper/ Critical bugs are caught early in the project
Stories are considered incomplete till they have critical zero defects
Test Automation nets higher productivity for testing team

4. More Transparency & Better Visibility

Agile manta promotes greater transparency amongst stakeholders in the interest of the project. Each stakeholder has a better visibility even when the product is shaping up. Agile preserves mutual interests of the stakeholders from a project perspective rather than catering to individual interests.

Agile imparts better visibility and a greater sense of ownership to all stakeholders
Encourages Close coordination and build mutual trust amongst stakeholders
Brings all stakeholders on the ‘same page’ in terms of project progress and expectations

5. No Frills Approach

The best part about Agile is that it’s a completely ‘No Frills’ approach to software development. There are no useless daily meetings, no irrelevant documentation and fewer paper artifacts. Agile teams self organize themselves so that information is timely communicated to all stakeholders.

Higher Productivity for all stakeholders
Face to Face Communication works much better than lengthy documents
If it doesn’t add any value, don’t do it!

Comparison with Other Methodologies

Critics love to point out how Agile is an ‘undisciplined’ methodology as compared to conventional methods like Waterfall Model. However, the truth is that Agile is a highly disciplined approach sans the overheads of conventional methodologies.

Agile often draws comparisons with the Waterfall model, which works in a highly structured ‘stage wise’ manner. Waterfall model is a nightmare from a project maintenance perspective if the requirements are ambiguous or misinterpreted and require changes during the course of the project. In comparison, Agile is far more accommodating to Change Requests at any time during the project.

Agile is often confused with another lesser known methodology called ‘Cowboy Coding’. As the name suggests, Cowboy Coding promotes a ‘Do it your way’ approach for all stakeholders in a project. There’ no accountability and little control over the project. In contrast, Agile promotes a sense of accountability in all stakeholders and ensures that the project is closely monitored and controlled through out the lifecycle.

Wrap Up

Like other mantras, Agile has its fair share of fan following as well as critics. Managing geographically diverse cross cultural teams is considered one of the biggest challenges for agile methodology. Many old school managers criticize Agile for doing away with too much to provide little value.

Project Management does not follow the ‘one size fits all’ rule so it would be inappropriate to believe that agile methodology is the perfect solution for all projects. The key is to understand the real benefits of Agile and how it can benefit you and your organization.

To learn more about EPM Live's Agile WorkEngine, please visit WorkEngine.com.