Folks:

I'm hoping to develop a dynamic application to roll up individual ticket-based (work order based) data up into project and program reports.  Specifically: I'd like my many software developers to track their time in a dynamic app, and have their time and progress display in the over-arching project tasks.

Have any of you ever built such a thing? How did you connect the app to the task work and progress fields?

Paul,

Start with the Helpdesk Dynamic App I posted and let's work from there.  Load it and let me know what it doesn't do that you need 

http://elounge.eproject.com/files/12/dynamic_apps/entry112.aspx

Definitley I have seen cusotmers do this.  Most customers use the embedded eProject time sheets but for those that don't requrie this, you could use a Dynamic App to capture trouble ticket time or other time. Dynamic Apps live in a workspace. So if you want to track time by each worskpace (project/program) your team will enter it there. Through ad hoc reports, you will be able to report against this data. To combine this with other project or program data, you may need the power of Advanced Reporting Engine (crystal reports)

In next quarter's release (PPM6), dyamnic apps get a major improvement. You will be able to have cross workspace dyamic app views to aggregate all entries and build custom views (group, filter, pick display columns) against that on your central dashboard. Also, dashboard views will allow you to combine different data elements such as project task time, dyanmic app time, expenses, etc all on one onscreeen dashbaord report. Thus, you will be able to see all your data in one spot onscreen without having to even go to reports.

You may want to contact services about assistance with your current dynamic app needs. More information about about PPM6 will be coming in April or May.

Thanx, Christian and John.

I have indeed installed the XML timesheet app on my demo of eProject. 

How do I now connect it to specific project tasks?

Paul,

When you are in your tasklist, click on "Link to an existing item" on the right side of the screen.  Navigate to the dynamic app entry and click on "Complete Link" to complete the link.  You can do this between any application you have. 

John:

is this "linking" a cross-reference only? Or can I actually have the data values pass from the dynamic app into a field in the project task?

Great question.  Linking allows you to point to another item (task, discussion, issue, etc.).  You can also use a cross reference field to pick up the value in some cases.  It is a little more complicated, but it works great. 

One customer wanted to track requirements --> Use Cases --> Test cases.  I created a Dynamic App to track requirements and another to track Use Cases and Test Cases.  Since I wanted to make sure all of my UCs and TCs pointed back to my requirements, I used a Cross-Reference field to fill in the value of the Requirement in the Dynamic App. 

In some cases, I use Custom Aggregated Fields to aggregate all the valued from a column in a Dynamic Application and summarize it (or other function) on the project home screen.  If you can white board the process you are trying to manage and the fields you are creating, you can provide some VERY slick solutions. 

John,

Is the DA you created for tracking requirements --> Use Cases --> Test cases avaiable to public. If yes, where I can download it? Thanks!

Lisa