Update a Milestones schedule

from multiple Microsoft Project schedules

Usually one Milestones Professional schedule is updated with the dates from a single Microsoft Project schedule. However, you may want to create a presentation schedule which contains dates from several projects you are tracking with Microsoft Project. Of course, you would like to update the presentation schedule when the dates on the Microsoft Project schedules change. Is this possible? YES!

A feature in Milestones Professional 2010 makes it easy to create a list of Microsoft Project schedules which will refresh a single Milestones Professional schedule. Once the list is created it is saved with the Milestones Professional schedule you will be able to do a single refresh and update the presentation schedule from ALL of the Microsoft Project schedules.

This article assumes you are familiar with the refresh process. See Refresh a Previously Imported Project for basic information about the refresh process.

STEP 1: Set up your Microsoft Project schedules

When updating from multiple Microsoft Project schedules, you will need some form of unique ID. Since the standard "UniqueID" field will not work (duplicated across projects), a text field or WBS field is recommended.

If you are using a Text field, you will need to create a Unique ID system for the Text fields.

For example, if you are using Text12 as your unique ID field, you need to make sure Text12 is an unused field in all of your Microsoft Project schedules. Once you identify a Unique ID field, you should fill it for the tasks which you will represent on your Milestones schedule. You only need to enter something for the tasks you plan to show on the presentation schedule.

It is recommended that you come up with a "system" for the tags you add to your Microsoft Project schedule. An easy way to autofill a Project schedule is to use a function which concatenates the name of the project (or a short name) with the UniqueID.

For example, the Text1 field on this schedule was created using the following simple formula:

"File1-"+cstr(UniqueID)

When you tag your Milestones schedule and want to reference the task with UniqueID 5 in File1, you would tag the symbol with File1-5,start (if you want to refresh with the start date)

Here is a typical Milestones presentation schedule. For additional information on manually tagging a presentation chart, see:

Build a "Free Form" Presentation Chart - Update it with Microsoft Project Dates

STEP2: (in Milestones)

Create the list of Microsoft Project schedules


1	On the File tab, choose Master Schedule.
2	Check Master Schedule List is for Microsoft Project Refresh Only.
3	Choose Add Schedule (or Add Project Server Schedule) once for each Microsoft Project schedule which refreshes this Milestones Professional schedule. Click OK when finished.
4	Save the Milestones Professional schedule.

STEP 3: Refresh the Presentation schedule from Multiple Microsoft Project schedules

1	On the File tab, choose Refresh from MPP/MPD File... under the icon Refresh Previously Imported Project

2	Since the file list is saved with the file, you won't be prompted to select the file with which to refresh. Instead the Milestones Project Refresh options dialog box is displayed. Be sure to select the field (Text 1...Text 30) with which you will be refreshing this schedule.
3	Make any other selections and press the Refresh button.

Also See: