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Navigating Project Web App

 

Applies to: Project Server 2010

Topic Last Modified: 2012-01-06

Summary:  The second article in a series of eight articles about how to use Microsoft Project Web App to work with Microsoft Project Server 2010 data and to perform project management-related tasks.

Applies to:   Project Server 2010 | Project Web App

In this article:

  • Introduction to navigating Project Web App

  • Get oriented

  • Key areas

Introduction to navigating Project Web App

Microsoft Project Web App (PWA) is a web-based application that together with Microsoft Project Professional 2010 enables collaborative planning, task updates, issue tracking, risk tracking, and document sharing among workgroup members, project managers, and other stakeholders. It is important that project managers first understand the options available to both themselves and to PWA users.

When you log on to Microsoft Project Web App, you first see your personalized Project Web App home page. This page provides summary information about items assigned to you, plus links to help you navigate throughout the PWA web site.

The home page provides a Quick Launch that you can use to browse to information such as My Work, Projects, Resources, and others. Access to these system features depends on the security model and the role that you are assigned to. Contact the Project Server administrator if there is a function, such as Project Center, that you should see but do not.

The Project Center provides a convenient way for project managers, team members, and other project stakeholders to view detailed information about individual projects and to view summary information about portfolios of projects. Users who have permission to access the Project Center in Project Web App or Project Professional 2010 can use the Project Center to work with any project or portfolio of projects to which they are assigned. Only projects that are published to the Project Server 2010 database are available in the Project Center.

The following table lists the Project Server 2010 permissions that are required for Project Professional 2010 and Project Web App users to work with the Project Center.

Table 1. Required Permissions

Permission Type Permission Description

Category

Save Project

Enables users to save projects to the Project Server database from Project Professional 2010

Category

Open Project

Enables users to open and edit their project in the project schedule view in Project Web App

Category

Publish Project

Enables the user to publish the project plan

Category

Save Project to Project Server

Enables the user to save the project schedule to the Project Server

Category

View Projects Summary in Project Center

Enables a user to view projects and project data that is stored in Project Center

Category

View Projects Schedule in Project Web App

Determines the list of projects (and corresponding project details) that are available in the Project Center

Global

Log on to Project Server from Project Professional 2010

Enables a user to load the Enterprise Global Template when they connect Project Professional 2010 to Project Server

Global

New Project

Enables a user to add a new project to Project Server by using Project Professional 2010, Project Web App or the Project Server Interface (PSI)

Global

View Approvals

Enables a user to view the Approval center in Project Web App

Global

View Project Center

Enables a user to access the Project Center from Project Web App or Project Professional 2010

Global

View Project Schedule View

Enables a user to access and view project details in the Project Center

Global

Manage Check-Ins

Allows a user to check in projects by using the Check in my projects link in the Project Center

Get oriented

The Project Web App interface has three main areas:

  • Quick Launch

  • Ribbon

  • Content display area

The Quick Launch area

The Quick Launch, on the left side of the window, lists the main views and pages that you can access. You can click these links to browse to different areas of the program. Some pages in Project Web App do not include the Quick Launch. For example, when you work on form, you must complete and save the form or cancel out of it in order to return to the Quick Launch.

The ribbon area

Project Server 2010 uses the ribbon interface, which provides a familiar and consistent navigation experience. The ribbon is the toolbar that you use to perform actions on the project information in the content display area. The ribbon replaces the previous navigation design that consisted of menus and toolbar drop-down lists. This is the same navigation ribbon approach used in all Microsoft Office 2010 applications. There may be multiple tabs on the ribbon, to change between different sets of actions. Each tab contains groups of related buttons that you can use to interact with the page content.

For example, the Project Center enables viewing and actions to the summary level project plan. It uses multiple ribbon tabs, based on the actions that you are taking within the Project Center.

The Projects details tab on the ribbon has multiple parts depending on whether the action involves viewing or modifying project information or the project plan schedule.

The Task tab, under Schedule Tools on the ribbon, enables project managers to edit the project schedule in PWA.

The Options tab, under Schedule Tools on the ribbon, has additional functionality for viewing the project schedule details and linking information to the project site.

The content display area

The content display area contains information about your portfolios, projects, and tasks. This is the main focus of each page, and it is where you enter and review data.

Key areas

Project Web App is highly customizable, so your organization can have a unique starting page. By default, the main page that appears when you open Project Web App is a great starting point. It shows information about tasks, timesheets, approvals, status reports, issues, and risks.

There are other useful places to start in Project Web App, depending on what you intend to do while you are logged on. From a project manager perspective, the following are the key areas.

Create projects and schedule tasks

In Project Web App, you can create projects and schedule tasks in the Project Center. On the Quick Launch, under Projects, click Project Center. On the ribbon, click the Projects tab to access the tools that you can use in the Project Center. Here, you can create new projects by using templates or by importing SharePoint lists. On the Projects tab of the ribbon, click the arrow on the New button. Use the list that is displayed to choose which method you want to use to create a new project.

Once you have created a project, you can use the tools on the Project, Task, and Options tabs of the ribbon to work with the project's tasks.

Work with resources

With a project and its tasks created, the next step is to assign the resources that will complete the tasks. In some organizations, a resource manager may be responsible for assigning resources to tasks, but typically this falls on the project manager's plate. In Project Web App, you can add resources and manage your enterprise resource pool in the Resource Center. On the Quick Launch, under Resources, click Resource Center.

Once the resources that you need for the tasks in your project are added to the Resource Center, you can assign them to tasks by using the Project Center. On the Quick Launch, under Projects, click Project Center. Click the name of your project in the list to open it for viewing, check the project out for editing, and then build your team. Pick resources from your team to assign to tasks in your project

Track time and task progress

Some project managers may find time and task progress tracking very important for monitoring project status. As a project progresses, team members assigned to project tasks report how much time they spend on tasks and how much work is left. As the manager of the project where this data is being reported, it is your responsibility to review and approve or reject this time and task progress as it is reported.

The Approval Center provides a central location for approving both time and task progress. On the Quick Launch, under Projects, click Approval Center. Here, you can review the data that has been reported by team members, and then either approve the data, submitting it to the project, or reject it, with notes to help communicate the reason for the rejection.