Install the Outlook Add-In for Project Server 2007

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Topic Last Modified: 2011-02-25

This article describes how to install and configure the Microsoft Office Outlook Add-In for Project Web Access users for use with Project Server 2007.

Note

Information on using the Outlook Add-in will be delivered in Operations content at a later date.

Outlook integration with Project Server 2007 overview

In Project Server 2003, a feature was re-introduced allowing team members to track progress for assignments within Outlook calendar and reminders. It provided an alternative for users who worked primarily in Outlook instead of Project Web Access to enter and update their hours back to the Project Manager.

While progress is still reported for assignments based on the selected tracking method, in Project Server 2007, the Outlook Integration has been enhanced with the following:

  • A choice to integrate with Outlook Tasks or Calendars.

  • Entering timesheet utilization for assignments using the following fields: Billable, Non-Billable, Overtime, and Overtime Non-Billable.

Along with the Project Web Access Task Center and Timesheet, Outlook Integration presents another method for team members to report progress and record utilization for their assignments. By importing assignments from Project Server and entering hours from Outlook, it simplifies how users track their time.

Prerequisites

The following prerequisites are required in order to install the Outlook Add-In for Project Server 2007:

  • A valid Project Web Access account.

  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or 2007.

    Warning

    The Project 2007 add-in for Outlook is not supported for use with Microsoft Outlook 2010.

  • The Microsoft Office 2007 Project Web Access Add-in for Outlook.

Installing the Outlook Add-In

  1. Open Project Web Access, and in Quicklaunch in the My Work section, click My Tasks.

  2. On the My Tasks page, in the Actions menu, click Set Up Outlook Sync.

  3. In the Synchronize your Tasks with Outlook page, click Download Now.

  4. In the File Download - Security Warning dialog asking if you want to run or save this file, click Run to install the Outlook Add-in now.

  5. In the File Download - Security Warning dialog asking to confirm your choice, click Run to continue.

  6. In the Welcome screen, click Install to begin the installation.

    Note

    It is highly recommended that you close all instances of Microsoft Outlook on the computer to which you are installing the Outlook Add-In.

  7. When installation completes successfully, a dialog stating that the Outlook Add-In has installed successfully displays. Click OK.

  8. When installation is complete, the following will be added to the Outlook menu options:

  • In the Tools menu, selecting Project Web Access will list the following options:

    • Import New Assignment - Will connect to Project Server and will attempt to import any new assignment to Outlook.

    • Update Project Web Access - Will connect to Project Server and will attempt to update Project Web Access with changes you have made in Outlook.

    • Project Web Access Home Page - Will open the Project Web Access home page. The location of the Project Web Access home page is configured in the Project Web Access properties page.

    • Help - Will display the Integrating Outlook with Project Web Access help.

Configuring the Outlook Add-In

For Project Server 2007, configuration of the Outlook Add-in is done in the Project Web Access properties page that is added in Outlook.

To access the Project Web Access properties page:

  1. Open Outlook.

  2. In the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Project Web Access tab.

  3. The Project Web Access Properties page will allow you to configure the following options:

  • Integrate with

  • Assignment Import

  • Assignment options

  • Advanced options

Integrating Outlook with Project Web Access

The Integrate with section of the Project Web Access properties page gives you the option to integrate Outlook with Project Web Access in two ways:

  • Outlook tasks - Tracks your Project assignments as tasks in the Tasks folder.

  • Outlook calendars - Tracks your Project tasks as appointments on your Calendar.

Integrating with Outlook Tasks

Selecting Outlook Tasks in the Integrate with section of the Project Web Access properties page will place the imported assignments alongside tasks originally created in Outlook.

The benefits of working in Outlook tasks are:

  • Seeing a list of assignments per day, week or month.

  • Keeping track of multiple assignments.

  • Use the flag feature to indicate as task as complete or as a reminder to work on it on a specific date.

  • Report progress and utilization.

Integrating with Outlook calendars

Selecting Outlook Calendar in the Integrate with section of the Project Web Access properties page will place imported assignments in the Outlook calendar, where users will be able to report progress and utilization.

The benefits of working in Outlook calendars are:

  • Allows users to view assignments with other appointments for the day, week, or month.

  • Ability to see the specific times where there are no other appointments scheduled, the user can set aside the open timeslot in the schedule to concentrate on the assignment

  • reminders can be configured to notify when they are starting or overdue

  • Report progress and utilization.

Open Outlook. In the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Project Web Access tab.

To configure the Integrate with option:

  1. Open Outlook.

  2. In the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Project Web Access tab.

  3. In the Project Web Access properties page, go to the Integrate with section and select either:

    • Outlook Tasks

    • Outlook Calendar

  4. Click OK.

Assignment Import

The Assignment Import section allows you to determine how Assignments in Project Web Access will be imported to Outlook. This includes determining the criterion for an import, allowing users to administer the Date Range, and determining how assignments will come in (manually or automatically).

Date Range

The Date Range setting allows users to specify the date range for the assignments that will be imported to Outlook from Project Web Access. The following options are available:

  • Project Web Access date range - When this option is selected, all of the assignment for the user will be imported to Outlook

  • Next (number) (days, weeks, months) - When this option is selected, all assignments for the user that are due in the specified period (for example, Next 2 days) will be imported to Outlook.

Import from Project Web Access to Outlook

You can use this setting to import assignments from Project Web Access to Outlook manually (default option), or to occur at regular intervals.

  • Manually Only - Select this option if you do not want to automatically import assignments on a regular interval and will only do this manually. To manually import assignments, click the Import Assignments toolbar button or in Outlook go to the Tools menu, select Project Web Access, and click Import Assignments.

  • Every (number) (hours, days, weeks, months) starting at (date) (time) - Select this option if you want to import assignments upon a regular interval starting at a specific date/time. After Every, specify the number of hours, days, weeks, or months in the corresponding boxes, and then enter when you want the next update to occur.

Show confirmation dialog box before importing

The Show confirmation dialog box before importing option will automatically display the Import Assignment from Project Web Access confirmation screen whenever the Import New Assignment button is clicked. This screen lists which assignments will be added to Outlook. Clicking OK will complete the operation.

The Show Confirmation dialog box before importing option is enabled by default.

Assignment Update

After the user enters progress and utilization for an imported assignment in Outlook, this information will need to be updated to the Project Web Access Task Center and Timesheet. There are two methods to update the hours entered manually:

In the Outlook assignment detail, clicking on Save to Project Web Access will update the individual assignment.

On the Outlook toolbar, clicking on Update to Project Server will update all assignments where change is detected.

Configuring the process to automatically update for all utilization is configured in the Assignment Update section.

Update from Outlook to Project Web Access

You can use this setting to send Project Web Access your assignment updates you have made to Outlook. This can be configured to occur manually (default option), or at regular intervals.

  • Manually Only - Select this option if you do not want to automatically send you Outlook assignment updates to Project Web Access and will only do this manually. To manually update from Outlook to Project Web Access, click the Update Project Web Access toolbar button or in Outlook go to the Tools menu, select Project Web Access, and click Update Project Web Access.

  • Every (number) (hours, days, weeks, months) starting at (date) (time) - Select this option if you want to send your Outlook assignment updates to Project Web Access on a regular interval starting at a specific date/time. After Every, specify the number of hours, days, weeks, or months in the corresponding boxes, and then enter when you want the next update to occur.

Show confirmation dialog before updating

The Show confirmation dialog before updating option will automatically display a list of assignment updates in Outlook sent to Project Web Access when an update to Project Web Access is executed. This option in enabled by default.

Advanced Options

The Advanced Options section allows you to configure Project Web Access login information as well as how project assignments will display status and send reminders in Outlook.

Project Web Access Login

The Project Web Access Login section allows you to set your Project Web Access URL and login information by clicking the Enter login information… button.

In the Enter Login Information screen, the following options are available:

  • Project Web Access URL - Enter the URL to your Project Web Access home page. After entering the URL, you can verify if you can connect to the page by clicking the Test Connection button (assuming you have permission to access the page with your account information).

  • When connecting - You can specify whether to use a Windows Account (default option) or to user a forms-authenticated account. If you are using a forms authenticated account, you will need to enter your password for this account.

    Note

    Project Server accounts are no longer valid in Project Server 2007. For more information on Project Server 2007 authentication methods, see Configuring Project Server 2007 Authentication <will enter link to doc later>.

Assignment Import

The Assignment Import section of the Advanced Options section allows you to configure the following:

  • Show availability for project assignment appointment as – By setting the this options, when users schedule meetings the time allotted for the assignment will display with one of the selected status:

    • Free

    • Tentative

    • Busy

    • Out of Office

  • When importing from Project Web Access to Outlook – This section governs how reminders are displayed for assignments in Outlook. There are three options to select from:

    • Follow Outlook's default settings for reminders

    • Never create reminders

    • Always create reminders - This setting also allows you to set the time period prior to the assignment in which you will receive a reminder.