July 2024 – Between updates to interface performance to improvements on data procedures, bigger and better seems to be the theme of our IPM updates for 2024. While all clients benefit from these updates, those maintaining large datasets are most impacted by spending less time waiting for their data to process. This theme continues with the our latested 10.9.02 update to the system for the year: allowing for multiple MS Project files to be associated with a single data instance.

With large scale programs, it’s not unheard of to need multiple schedules to manage all the scope at the detail level required for objective progress. By using a simple custom tagging in MS Project and an IPM system generated ‘adder’ to the schedule UIDs, we can stack these schedules within a data instance to utilize the different features of the system. This includes taking status, maintaining task list/QBD, updating EACs, as well as the analysis and compliance features. As there could be small variations in timing among the different schedules, we’ve allowed for schedules to be independently uploaded to data instances, as well as exports such as Baseline to MSP and Status to MSP to be limited to a specific schedule.

In keeping with the existing data instance methodology and coordination of the scheduler(s), this will help all the schedules stay on the same cadence in support of any Earned Value processes that may be required by the program each month.