Team Use - PSP Data and Earned Value

This approach can take your team a long way toward using high-maturity techniques to track project progress.

To correctly use this technique, it is helpful to understand the rollup process used by this approach. In this approach, each team member will run their own personal instance of the dashboard, which they use to capture and track their own personal metrics. In addition, a team instance of the dashboard is run. This team instance aggregates team data, calculates rolled-up metrics, and displays charts and reports of team project data.

To simplify ongoing communication, this approach uses a shared network directory (labeled "Team Data Directory" in the diagram above). Individuals configure their personal dashboard instances to periodically export metrics data. Each individual's data is saved into a different file in this network folder. Meanwhile, the team dashboard instance is configured to import data from this same directory. The resulting imported data is then rolled up using existing mechanisms already present in the Process Dashboard.

To use this approach, follow the steps below.

Create Team Data Directory

Most teams have a folder on a shared network drive where project documents are stored. Create a subdirectory specifically for dashboard metrics data. The main requirement is that all team members should have the ability to save files to this directory. In a Windows environment, each team member will most likely want to map the network drive so the folder is accessible via a simple filename.

Depending on your organizational culture, you may also wish to tighten permissions to prevent non-team members from viewing the data.

Create Team Dashboard Instance

The word "instance" may be confusing to some. By "instance," we mean a running dashboard program window, with its own data storage area that differs from other "instances."

You can run the Team Dashboard instance just about anywhere. Practically speaking, it is probably easiest to run it on the project manager's computer or team leader's computer. If you have access to a shared network computer, you might decide to run it there instead; however, you may occasionally need to interact with the graphical user interface for the team dashboard instance, so you should not run it on an inaccessible computer locked in a server room.

Creating a team dashboard instance is fairly simple:

  1. Install the Process Dashboard on the computer in question if it is not there already.
  2. If you are running the team dashboard on the project manager's computer or the team leader's computer, then it will be common for them to have a personal dashboard instance as well. This isn't a problem. To create a second instance:
    1. Make a copy of the shortcut you use to run the dashboard. Rename the shortcut with a name like "Team Dashboard."
    2. Right click on your new shortcut and choose "Properties."
    3. In the window that appears, change the "Start in:" field to name a different directory. (By default, it will typically read "C:\pspdata".) Create a new directory on your hard drive (for example "C:\teamdata" - but anything is fine) and enter its name in the "Start in" field.
    4. Put your cursor at the end of the "Target" field, and append a space, followed by the double quote character ("), followed by the words Team Dashboard, followed by another double quote character. This will cause the words "Team Dashboard" to be displayed in the title bar of the Team Dashboard instance.
    5. Click OK
    6. Try launching the dashboard using your new shortcut. The new shortcut should launch a dashboard instance that is completely independent from your original dashboard instance, and which displays "Team Dashboard" in its title bar.
  3. Next, we'll configure the team dashboard to import data from the "Team Data Directory." From the Team Dashboard window, choose "Tools → Import". The Data Import Wizard will appear. Select "Import Project Metrics" and click Next. On the next screen:
    1. Click the Browse button, and select the "Team Data Directory."
    2. For the data prefix, choose a string like "/Imported/Team Project Name"
    3. Make certain to choose the option to "Import the data for future dashboard sessions, as well."
    4. Click the Next button. If there are any metrics files present in the "Team Data Directory," they will be imported immediately. In the future, the dashboard will scan the contents of that directory every 10 minutes or so to see if any files have been created or updated, and will automatically import any new data it finds.

Configure Individual Dashboard Instances

Next, you should set up the Dashboard instances for each team member. Have each team member follow these steps:
  1. Install the Process Dashboard on the individual's computer if it is not there already.
  2. Run the dashboard, and open the Hierarchy Editor. Somewhere in your dashboard hierarchy, create a "Node" (using the "Edit Add Node" menu) to represent the work you will perform for this project. Save the changes by selecting "File Save" from the Hierarchy Editor window. Close the Hierarchy Editor.
          (Later, when you begin planning your personal work for this project, you should create nodes and PSP templates representing project tasks. These should be placed hierarchically underneath this project node to ensure that their metrics are included in the team rollup.)
  3. From the menu on the main dashboard window, choose Task and Schedule. Create a new schedule to represent your project. In the task list for this new schedule, add the node you created in step 2 above. (For additional help on creating this earned value schedule, see the Using the Task & Schedule Tool help topic.) Save the schedule. Close the Task & Schedule window.
  4. From the menu on the main dashboard window, choose "Tools → Export". The Data Export Wizard will appear. Select "Export Project Metrics" and click Next. On the next screen:
    1. Click the Browse button to select a file where data will be exported. Choose a filename that includes your name or initials, and place the file in the "Team Data Directory."
    2. In the hierarchy tree, select the node you created in step 2 above.
    3. Make certain to choose the option to "Export the data for future dashboard sessions, as well."
    4. Click the Next button. The dashboard will export metrics data to the file you selected. In the future, the dashboard will automatically export your most recent data each time it shuts down (or each night around midnight if you leave the dashboard running continually).

Create Team Rollups

Once all team members have configured their dashboards as described above, data should be available to the team dashboard. You'll want to create two different types of team rollup: a rolled up earned value schedule, and rolled up project metrics.

Creating the Rolled-up Earned Value Schedule

  1. Open the Team Dashboard instance and select "Task & Schedule" from its File menu. If it displays a window giving you an option to open an existing schedule, click "New."
  2. When you see a dialog entitled "Create New Schedule," enter a name for your team project schedule and select "Create EV Roll-up" from the drop-down list. Click OK to create the new rollup schedule.
  3. The window that appears should give you an opportunity to add schedules to the rollup; add each individual's schedule in turn. (If some individual's schedule does not appear in the list, then they have not correctly configured their personal dashboard as described above.) Save the team rollup schedule.
  4. You can view an HTML report of the team rollup schedule by clicking the "Report" button.

Creating Rolled-up PSP Metrics

  1. Open the Team Dashboard instance and select "Hierarchy Editor" from its File menu.
  2. Highlight a node in the hierarchy editor like "Project" and select the "Edit Add Template Rollup PSP Data" menu option. A new node will be created; give it a name appropriate for your project. Save and close the Hierarchy Editor.
  3. Use the Hierarchy Menus to navigate to the node you just created. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Script Button. Choose the "Analyze Rollup Data" option. An analysis web page for the project will be displayed. This web page rolls up data from PSP tasks in the project. (If people use a non-PSP process to perform their work, that data will not be rolled up into this analysis.)
  4. By default, the analysis web page will include data from all the completed PSP tasks imported into the team dashboard instance. You can change the criteria by selecting the "Edit Data Rollup Filter" option on the Script Button's drop-down menu. By editing the values on the rollup filter form, you can instruct the rollup to include If you choose to import metrics for more than one project into a single team dashboard instance, you can constrain this rollup to include data for only a single team project by entering the data import prefix (which you selected in step 3b of the "Create Team Dashboard Instance" steps above) into the field labelled "Only rollup projects whose path starts with."
          If you find yourself editing the filter frequently to see different data views, you can instead repeat step 2 above to create any number of distinct rollups. Then provide different filter criteria for each rollup.