Project 2010 Bible

Chapter 20. Preparing to Use Project Server

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Understanding Project Server and Project Web App

• Assessing requirements

• Designing the system

• Outlining an implementation strategy

• Avoiding traps

You'll be tempted, but please don't skip this chapter. I know it sounds like double-talk when talking about project management software, but planning the implementation of Project Server (a project) is the single most important action that you can take to ensure a successful venture.

Implementing Project Server isn't only about hardware configurations and installing software. It's about planning for the needs of your organization so you can configure Project Server correctly. It's about assessing where your organization is today and where it plans to go. It's about identifying the players, their needs, and their roles in the process. It's about figuring out what needs to be done, who has the skills and availability to do it, when it needs to be done, and what else depends on it getting done.

In this chapter, you review the process to follow so your organization can accept the changes that using Project Server will bring — and make those changes as successfully and painlessly as possible.

Understanding Project Server and Project Web

The concept behind Project Server is that all the projects that your organization manages affect each other in some way, if only because they share resources, and the need for collaboration on projects is greater than it has ever been.

As the number of projects ...