Topic: Import MS Excel data into MS Project Tips & Troubleshooting

Transcription

1 Tpic: Imprt MS Excel data int MS Prject Tips & Trubleshting by Ellen Lehnert, MS Prject MVP, PMP, MCT, MCP April, 2014 There are several things yu shuld be aware f regarding the imprt functin t avid having prblems. There are ptin settings and frmatting in the Excel file that can inhibit the imprt functin frm wrking crrectly. When the imprt desn t wrk yu will nt see an errr message; yu will just ntice that the imprt did nt bring the data int the prject file. Belw are a few tips yu shuld be aware which apply t the MS Prject 2010 & 2013 Imprt Wizard: Optins: Set the Legacy settings: File Optins Trust Center Trust Center Settings Legacy Frmats select the 3 rd ptin see belw The Excel file cntents: The Imprt Wizard will default t imprting frm Sheet1. If yur data is n anther sheet, yu will need t adjust the imprt map t be aware f where the data is lcated. Anther ptin is t rename the tabs s the data is lcated n Sheet1. In Excel datasheet names and clumn header names must be ne wrd withut special characters. Spaces will nt wrk in the name frmat. If yu wuld like t use a special character in the names use underlines. Ie: Task_Name Data is imprted t 3 distinct data areas: Task, Assignment r Resurces. Imprts will nt update mre than ne data area. Excel datasheets will need t be divided int these areas f data. Cpyright LehnertCS, LLC, All rights reserved.

2 The MS Prject file: Create any custmized fields befre starting the imprt prcess. Make sure the custmized fields are f the same data type as the fields that will be imprted frm Excel. Ie: Text int Text, Date int Date When pssible, create the custmized field names t match the names in the Excel file. Optinal but helpful. The Imprt Wizard: Befre yu start the Imprt Wizard what yu shuld knw: Be aware f which Excel file fields will be mapped t which MS Prject file fields befre starting the Imprt Wizard. Nt all fields in the Excel field are required t be imprted. When an imprt map is created yu will have the pprtunity t pick which fields yu will imprt. Make sure yu knw which Excel file tab names will be imprted int which data areas within MS Prject. Ie: Task_data, Resurce_data Be aware if yur imprt file has clumn headers Blank lines in the Excel file will be imprted as blank lines in the prject file Start and Finish dates when imprted int the Start and Finish fields in MS Prject will create Start N Earlier Than cnstraints fr the tasks. If yu will be using a previusly created Imprt map, the map must reside in the Glbal.mpt n the machine yu are wrking n. If the map is nt lcated within the Glbal.mpt file, the Imprt Wizard will nt display the map as a selectin chice. By default, Imprt Maps when created are added t the Glbal.mpt. If yu want the map t stay with the file, use the Organizer t cpy the map int the glbal fr the file. Cpyright LehnertCS, LLC, All rights reserved.

3 Running the Imprt Wizard: Open the MS Prject file yu wuld like t imprt the data int r create a blank file. File Open Files f type Excel wrkbk Lcate the file and click n it, Click n Open, the Imprt Wizard will start If yu have previusly created a map yu can use the existing map. If this is a new imprt select New Map. Select if the imprt will be bringing the data in a new file, append t the existing pen file r merge the data with existing data. If yu select As a New Prject a new file will be pened using default ptin settings and default blank prject file. If yu select Append the data t the active prject the imprted data will be placed at the end f the current pen file If yu select Merge the data int the active prject a merge key must be cntained in the MS Prject file, in the imprted Excel data and in the imprt map. The merge key is ne field and must be specified at the time the imprt map is created. Cpyright LehnertCS, LLC, All rights reserved.

4 Select data types: Select if the data will be directed tward Task, Resurces and/r Assignment data One, tw r all 3 may be selected Select if the imprted file has clumn headers. If there is clumn headers in the Excel file this infrmatin will be used t match field names frm the imprt file t field names in the MS Prject file. The header rw will nt be cnsidered valid cntent data and will nt be imprted. If the imprted data des nt cntain headers, clumn psitining will be matched with the fields n the imprt map. Select the surce wrksheet default is Nne r Sheet1 (r ther available name) If the sheet is recgnized (ie: crrect sheet name frmat n spaces, n special characters), the data fields will appear with preview at the bttm f the view fr the mapped fields The left side f the view will have the fields in the imprted Excel file. Select field values n the right side f the view t map the Excel values t the MS Prject fields n the right. t save the new map OR click Finish t start the imprt. Cpyright LehnertCS, LLC, All rights reserved.

5 If yu selected t Next, click n Save Map and yu will be asked t assign the new map a name. Click Save t save the map Click Finish t start the imprt. After the Imprt is cmpleted: All tasks will be imprted at Outline level 1 Data might have been imprted t clumns that are nt being shwn n the currently viewed table. Insert imprted clumns int any table t view the imprted data. Watch fr errr messages that ccur during the imprt. They might be indicating scheduling issues with sme f the imprted tasks which might need attentin. Cpyright LehnertCS, LLC, All rights reserved.