You can join information from multiple projects into a consolidated project, which can be useful if you’re managing several unrelated projects at one time. Sometimes you need to see information from several projects in relation to one another, particularly when you want to view, organize, or work with project information from all projects as a single unit.
You can consolidate projects temporarily, for example, to print a specific view based on information in the projects. You can sort, group, or filter the tasks or resources of the combined projects. If this is a combination you use frequently, you can make it permanent and save the consolidated file for future use.
What’s the Difference Between a Consolidated Project and a Master Project?
A consolidated project is simply another implementation of the Insert Project feature. The differences are as follows:
The consolidated project is not necessarily structured as a hierarchy, as are the master project and subprojects. With a consolidated project, you might bring all the projects together at the same outline level. With subprojects, some projects might be subordinate to others, and you’re likely to need them to be laid out in a specific sequence.
The projects might be completely unrelated to one another. The consolidated project might simply be a repository for multiple project files.
The consolidation of projects in a single file might be temporary—just long enough for you to review certain information or generate a report.
To combine multiple projects into a single consolidated project file, follow these steps:
On the Standard toolbar, click New.
A new project window appears.
Click Insert, Project.
Select the project files you want to include in the consolidated project.
If the project files are all stored on the same drive and in the same folder, open that location. Use the Shift key to select multiple adjacent project files. Use the Ctrl key to select multiple nonadjacent project files.
Click the Insert button. The projects are inserted into the new file (see Figure 14-7).
If you need to consolidate project files located on other drives or folders, repeat steps 2–4 until all the files you want are consolidated into your new project file.
To keep this file permanently, click File, Save. Select the drive and folder in which you want to store the consolidated file. Enter a name for the consolidated file in the File Name box and then click the Save button.
If you’re just using this file temporarily, you don’t need to save it.
If the project files are already open, you can use the following alternative method to consolidate them:
Make sure that all the project files you want to consolidate are open.
Click Window, New Window.
In the Projects list, click the names of the project files you want to consolidate (see Figure 14-8).
In the View list, click the view in which you want to initially display the consolidated information.
After you click OK, a new project window appears with the multiple project files inserted in alphabetical order and expanded to show all tasks (see Figure 14-9).
Opening Multiple Project Files as a Set
If you always open the same set of project files, you can put those files together in a project workspace. Without creating a master project or consolidating the files into a single project file, you can simply associate the projects together. When you open the workspace file, all projects that are a part of that workspace open at once.
Updating Security Settings to Allow a Workspace to Be Saved
When you save a workspace, it is saved under an older Microsoft Project file format, MPW. However, new default security settings in Project 2007 block the opening or saving of legacy or nondefault file formats.
Therefore, you cannot save a workspace until you have changed your Microsoft Project security. To do this, follow these steps:
Click Tools, Options and then click the Security tab.
Under Legacy Formats, select either the Prompt When Loading Files With Legacy Or Non Default File Format option (medium security) or the Allow Loading Files With Legacy Or Non Default File Formats (low security).
Creating the Project Workspace File
To save a project workspace, follow these steps:
Open all project files you want to be a part of the workspace.
Close any project files you do not want to save in the workspace.
Click File, Save Workspace.
The Save Workspace As dialog box appears.
Select the drive and folder in which you want to save the workspace file and then enter the name for the workspace in the File Name box.
Click the Save button. Workspace files are saved with the .mpw extension.
Now whenever you open the workspace file, all files that are a part of that workspace are opened at the same time.
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