SharePoint (and Project Server) Shenanigans

I am a Project Server and SharePoint consultant but my main focus currently is around Project Server. I have been working with Project Server for nearly five years since 2007 for a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in the UK, I have also been awared with the Microsoft Community Contributor Award 2011. I am also a certified Prince2 Practitioner. This article has been cross posted from pwmather.wordpress.com (original article)

I recently worked solely on a Project Online deployment from start to finish and wanted to share my thoughts and experiences with you. Just to be clear, this isn’t the first Project Online deployment I have worked on, I have been involved in many with CPS but this one I have seen through from the beginning to the end.

Overall the Project Online experience is very smooth and efficient. It was the perfect solution for this particular client I have just finished working for. They weren’t sure exactly what they needed or how long they were going to use the system for as another area of the business was already planning Project Server internally but these guys needed something now. Project Online was the perfect choice, no hardware needed, no internal IT involvement, no capital costs.

When working with Project Online, treat this as the separate product it is. Remember it is not Project Server online, it is Project Online. whilst these two products are similar they are different. Many of the features are very similar but you will also find some features not available in one or the other.

One of the key areas I would say you need ensure you fully understand, certainly if you have been working with Project Server for many years like myself, is the reporting side of things. Whilst the typical end user reporting in Project Online is very simple to use, you are limited by ODATA and don’t have the flexibility of the Reporting database access that we have all got used to. Remember, Project Online is a different product to Project Server 2013 on-premise, so don’t think of Project Online reporting as a limitation compared to Project Server on-premise.

For quick and simple deployments, for me, Project Online is the answer. The key advantages to consider with Project Online that can help form any business case needed are:

• The farm is maintained by Microsoft
• The farm is regularly patched with updates by Microsoft
• The system scalability is all handle by Microsoft
• The system continuity / back up is handled by Microsoft
• Any system issues are raised directly to Microsoft for resolution
• Project Online can be up and running within about 30 minutes
• No hardware required
• No capital costs

These aren’t all the advantages, just the key points i could think of at the time of writing.

Speak to your Gold PPM partner today for a free trial – you won’t be disappointed.