Determine the number and types of users

  • Article

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Topic Last Modified: 2016-11-14

In this article:

  • Number of users

  • Types of users

The number and types of users in your organization who use Project Server features have a direct effect on the scalability and performance needs of your organization.

Number of users

When you determine the number of Project Server users that your organization needs to support, also consider the maximum number of concurrent users. This is especially critical if your organization plans to support the time tracking scenario.

It is helpful to categorize users to determine the different types of them that you need to support, as well as how many of each type. For example, project managers who use Project Professional create the greatest load on the system; viewers create the smallest amount of load.

Types of users

The Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution provides tools for different types of users that perform different job functions. The types of users that you need to support, and the percentage of each compared to the total number, affects the configuration decisions that you make during your planning process. Each user type places a load on the system. The most common user types are:

  • Project managers

  • Resource managers

  • Team members

  • Viewers

  • Administrators

Project managers

Project managers are responsible for overseeing and completing projects, sometimes coordinating with other project managers and resource managers in the organization. Project managers use Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 to:

  • Create and publish projects to the Project Server database.

  • Modify projects based on feedback.

  • Assign team members to project tasks.

  • Track progress by incorporating task updates from team members.

  • Determine target and actual project timelines and costs.

  • Generate reports.

Project managers also use Microsoft Office Project Web Access to view progress online and monitor project-related risks and issues, especially when working remotely.

Resource managers

Resource managers are responsible for managing resources and defining skills based on capabilities. They work with project managers and other resource managers to ensure that qualified resources are assigned to tasks in projects. Resource managers use Project Web Access to:

  • View workload and availability by project over time.

  • View workload and availability by resource over time.

  • Add team members to project teams.

  • Post issues and upload documents.

  • Use Portfolio Modeler to determine resource availability.

  • Modify resource skills and other codes.

Team members

Team members are resources who are assigned to tasks in projects. A team member typically works on multiple projects at any given time and is responsible for completing tasks according to a schedule. Team members can use both Project Web Access and Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 or 2003. The Microsoft Office Project Add-in for Outlook enables team members to integrate Project Server data with Outlook. The Outlook Add-in can be downloaded from Project Web Access. Team members use Project Web Access to:

  • Meet deadlines by identifying current and upcoming tasks to prioritize daily work.

  • Report time spent working on tasks by entering progress in timesheets.

  • Delegate and add tasks.

  • Record and respond to project-related issues and risks.

  • Link issues to tasks.

  • Submit status reports.

  • Work collaboratively with other team members on project-related documents.

Team members use Outlook to:

  • Receive e-mail notifications of new tasks, issues, and assignments.

  • Import project tasks to their Outlook calendars.

  • Report on assigned tasks.

Viewers

A viewer is a user who uses Project Web Access to view status or reporting on a project or multiple projects. For example, an executive can oversee several different projects that are managed by different project managers to gain an overall perspective on schedule and budget. Viewers use Project Web Access to:

  • View project and resource reports in Portfolio Analyzer.

  • Submit issues to project and resource managers.

Administrators

Administrators deploy and manage Office Project Server 2007 and related applications. These users manage access to the server and the server database. Project Web Access provides access to the Project Server administrative tools. Administrative tools are also provided with Microsoft Windows Server and SQL Server. Administrators use Project Professional to:

  • Define project and resource reporting codes.

  • Upload enterprise templates.

Administrators use Project Web Access to:

  • Define timesheet views.

  • Lock reporting periods and actuals in timesheets.

  • Create standardized reports for Portfolio Analyzer views.

  • Add team members to, and delete team members from, the Enterprise Resource Pool.

Worksheet action

User and user types worksheet (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=73259)

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See the full list of available books at Downloadable content for Project Server 2007.