When you install Project Server 2003, only one Project Server user account is stored within the Project Server database: the default Project Server Administrator account. All other user accounts must be added to the Project Server database.

Before you can properly create and maintain the Enterprise Resource Pool for your organization, you must carefully define and document your Enterprise Resource Outline Codes and create them in the Enterprise Global Template. In addition, for large organizations, the process of initially populating the Enterprise Resource Pool is just as important as the process of keeping the Enterprise Resource Pool accurate and up-to-date. Tracking significant changes to the resource information that is stored and managed in the Enterprise Resource Pool can be a full-time activity.

Before you create your Enterprise Resource Pool for Project Server 2003, you must determine your starting point. The process of adding resources to the Enterprise Resource Pool varies according to whether you are:

• Starting with new projects   Minimal preparation is necessary for this scenario. The process is simplified if you can centralize all required resource information in a single document. You can use Microsoft Office Excel 2003 to gather this information. You can then import the resulting spreadsheet into Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003 and save it to the Project Server database.
• Migrating active projects   In this scenario, multiple projects are currently managed with Microsoft Project 98, Microsoft Project 2000, or Microsoft Project 2002, and projects are usually saved to a database. Each project might use a different resource name, rate schedule, or calendar for the same resource. To simplify the migration of these projects to Project Server 2003, it can be helpful to standardize the use of resources in your organization and to ensure that all projects use a consistent definition of resources.
• Creating the Enterprise Resource Pool   In this scenario, you are creating the Enterprise Resource Pool in Project Professional 2003. Using Project Professional, connect to Project Server 2003 and check out the Enterprise Resource Pool. Enter the resources and save the Enterprise Resource Pool.

You can add resources to the Project Server 2003 Enterprise Resource Pool in one of the following ways:

• Import Resources from Project Professional   You can create a project in Project Professional and import the data to the Project Server database by using the Import Resources Wizard. These users are automatically added to the Team Member security category in Project Web Access. After you finish importing users, log on to Project Web Access and assign users to additional security categories as needed.
  • Pros   This method is the easiest to work with because you can use a single file in Project Professional to import all known resources by using a single process. You can begin preparing for this process even before Project Server 2003 is properly set up and configured for your organization.
  • Cons   All entries become members of the Team Members security category by default. You need to add users to other security categories. In addition, you need to create all custom Enterprise Resource Outline Codes in the file.
• Check out the Enterprise Resource Pool   You can check out the Enterprise Resource Pool in Project Professional and create the resources directly. You need to assign resources to a security category in Project Web Access for any user that is not supposed to belong to the Team Member security category.
  • Pros   This is the fastest way to create enterprise resources.
  • Cons   Only a limited number of users can add users in the checked-out Enterprise Resource Pool. All entries become members of the Team Member security category.
• Add users in Project Web Access   Anyone who has permission to log on to Project Web Access and access the Admin page can add users in the Manage users and groups section.
  • Pros   Users can be added as Project Server users (user name and password) or as Microsoft Windows authenticated users. Users can be assigned to the correct groups and categories when they are added. This is the easiest way to add users who will not belong to the Enterprise Resource Pool.
  • Cons   Users added directly in Project Web Access do not belong to the Enterprise Resource Pool until they are added. You can only add a single user account at a time. It is possible to add user accounts in Project Web Access, but not add them to the Enterprise Resource Pool.
• Use Active Directory directory service to manage the Enterprise Resource Pool   Project Server 2003 supports the synchronization of a security group in Active Directory with the Enterprise Resource Pool. (You can manage Active Directory synchronization from Project Web Access.)
  • Pros   This method is easy to set up and manage from Project Server 2003.
  • Cons   The success of this method depends on a well-managed Active Directory security group policy. The Enterprise Resource Pool is directly connected to all changes in the synchronized Active Directory group.
• Upgrade to Project Server 2003 from Microsoft Project Server 2002   If you are upgrading from Microsoft Project Server 2002 to Project Server 2003, you can upgrade your Enterprise Resource Pool.
  • Pros   The architecture for the Enterprise Resource Pool in Project Server 2003 and Microsoft Project Server 2002 is almost identical.

     Note   With the addition of Enterprise Resource Multi-Value Outline Codes (Enterprise Resource Outline Codes 20-29), you might need to move any outline codes that share the same position in your Microsoft Project Server 2002 Enterprise Resource Pool.

Considerations for Skill-Based Resource Information

Consider how you plan to use resources and what types of skills you want to associate with resources. You can assign skills that are identified in the Enterprise Global Template to enterprise resources. Skills are Enterprise Resource Outline Codes (including single- and multi-value skill codes) that are assigned the Use to match generic resources property. You can define up to 29 total skill codes, 10 of which (Enterprise Resource Outline Codes 20-29) also define multi-value skill codes. Each resource can be assigned up to 255 total skill values. Enterprise Resource Outline Code 30 is used to define RBS.

Each multi-value skill code has a single value primary/principal skill code field. For example, an enterprise resource can have a primary/principal skill code field of IT.Development.C#. This resource can also have IT.Development.ASP, IT.Development.VB, and IT.Development.XML skill code fields.

It is important to consider carefully whether you want to use single-value skill codes before you create them in the Enterprise Global Template, because this limits you to selecting only one skill for skill-based filtering. For example, if a consulting organization creates a single-value skill code to reflect a resource’s industry specialization, then they cannot select a resource who has more than one skill when using skill-based filtering of the Enterprise Resource Pool.

When you use multi-value skill codes, you can create skill codes that enable the selection of multiple skills during skill-based filtering of the Enterprise Resource Pool. For example, if a consulting organization creates a multi-value skill code to reflect application programming skills, then they can select a resource that has both Microsoft Visual Basic and Microsoft Visual C# programming skills.

 Note   You can always select a single value w hen you are working with multi-value skill codes.