Getting started: Team members (Project Server 2010)

 

Applies to: Project Server 2010

Topic Last Modified: 2011-04-13

In Microsoft Project Web App, team members are the people who actually do the work on projects and tasks.

Are you a team member? If so, welcome to Project Web App! You use this tool to update progress, enter time spent on tasks, and view project schedules, issues, and risks.

In this article:

  • What is PWA_2nd_CurrentVer?

  • Where do you start?

  • How to get help

What is Project Web App?

Project Web App is one part of an end-to-end enterprise project management solution. This solution includes a client program, Microsoft Project Professional, and a server, Microsoft Project Server. Project Web App is part of Project Server. It is a robust Web application that is used to do everything from analyzing portfolios and managing demands, to entering time in a timesheet and updating task status.

Get oriented

The Project Web App interface is made up of three main areas: the Quick Launch, the Ribbon, and the content display area.

The Quick Launch lists the main views and pages that you are able to access. You can click these links to navigate to different areas of the program. Some pages in Project Web App do not include the Quick Launch. For example, when you fill out a form, you must complete and save the form, or cancel out of it, in order to see the Quick Launch.

The Ribbon is the toolbar that you use to perform actions on what is currently in the content display area. There may be multiple tabs on the Ribbon, to change between different sets of actions. Each tab contains groups of related buttons that you can use to interact with the page content.

The content display area contains information about your portfolios, projects, and tasks. This is the main focus of each page, and it is where you enter and review data.

Where do you start?

Project Web App is highly customizable, so your organization can have a unique starting page for you to use. By default, the main page that appears when you open Project Web App is a great starting point. It shows any new tasks that have been assigned to you, information about your timesheets, notifications about status reports, and issue and risk assignments.

There are other useful places to start in Project Web App, depending on what you intend to do while you are logged on. The following sections provide details about some common scenarios.

Fill out a timesheet

There are two starting points for entering actual work on a timesheet.

  • To fill out your current timesheet, on the Quick Launch, under My Work, click Timesheet. This takes you to your current timesheet, where you can enter time against tasks, or log vacation, sick time, or other administrative work items.

  • If you need to create a new timesheet for a period other than the current one, on the Quick Launch, under Settings, click Manage Timesheets. This takes you to a list of timesheets that you can create.

These pointers should get you started with the process of filling out your timesheet, but it is likely that you have more questions. For example, you may need to add tasks to your timesheet, set up vacation time, or submit your timesheet to your manager.

Enter task progress

In Project Web App, you can enter your progress on a task separately from the time that you have spent on the task. For example, let's say you have a task that was estimated to take 10 days to complete. You have spent five days working on the task, so you enter that time on your timesheet, but you feel ahead of the game, as though you have completed about 75 percent of the work. You can communicate that progress to your manager by using the Tasks page.

Review project information

While a team member's primary interest is typically at the task level, there may be times when you would like to review project-level information, such as the overall project schedule, issues, or risks.

To view the project schedule, on the Quick Launch, under Projects, click Project Center. You can use this page to view the overall project schedule.

To view issues and risks assigned to you, on the Quick Launch, under My Work, click Issues and Risks. On this page, you can review your assigned issues and risks, including whether they are active, postponed, or closed.

How to get help

If you run into trouble while using Project Web App, use the following workflow to try to find a solution.

  1. Web resources   Try to find an answer to your question on Office.com or the Project Server 2010 TechCenteron TechNet. If you are not able to find what you need there, you might also try the Project 2010 Solution Center.

  2. Project manager   Talk with the project manager for the project where you are encountering issues.

  3. Site administrator   If the issues are not project-specific, you should contact your organization's Project Server site administrator. If you are not sure who this is, one of your organization's project managers can help point you in the right direction.