Code your Microsoft Project file for quick presentation-ready charts

Question:

My Microsoft Project schedule is just unwieldy, about 10,000 tasks. I would like to be able to pick certain tasks that are in Microsoft Project and show ONLY those tasks and group them together in about 5 groups.

Part of the problem is that the tasks aren't together in Microsoft Project. Is there any way to get these related tasks to appear in a group on my presentation chart?

Answer:

One of the choices on the Project to Milestones wizard is Import a Microsoft Project schedule you have coded. Coding your schedule is similar to flagging a schedule, except you have control over the placement of the task on the presentation schedule.

Step 1 - Choose a code field

Coding is done using one of Microsoft Project's text fields (Text 1 - Text 30). For purposes of this example, let's choose to use Text 29 as our "code field".

Step 2 - Decide how many groups you would like to have on your presentation schedule

How many "swim lanes" (or groups) would you like to have on your presentation schedule? While you can have up to 15 color coded swim lanes, 5 or 6 is usually the right number of a one page presentation schedule.

Step 3 - Decide on a code system and code your Microsoft Project schedule

A code system can be something simple like "Row1, Row2, Row3 ..." or something more specific like T3PA, T3PB, T3PC....

Once you have decided how to code your schedule go ahead and enter the codes in the Text field you chose in Step 1. For example, if you use the simple code system above, enter Row1 for all of the tasks which you would like grouped together on the first row, enter Row2 for tasks you want grouped together on the second row of your presentation chart ... and so on!

Step 4 - Import your schedule

In Milestones, choose Create Report from Project on the Connections tab to start the Project to Milestones Wizard.
Choose Import a Microsoft Project schedule you have coded.
On the next screen, pick Coded Presentation Timeline.
For Code Field choose Text29.
For Field Length, if using Row1, Row2, choose 4 (no spaces).
Press the Set Code Names and Colors Button to set up colors.
Under For this code list your codes (Row1, Row2, ... for example).
Enter a title and select a color for each grouping.