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About Microsoft Project Integration

While working on a project, you may want to exchange information between your Siebel application and Microsoft Project. Information can flow from Microsoft Project to your Siebel application, and from your Siebel application to Microsoft Project. You can repeat the information exchange as many times as necessary during a project.

In Microsoft Project, project managers can define relationships among project tasks, and can see how the overall schedule is affected by progress or delays on individual tasks and by availability of specific resources.

In your Siebel application, project team members can record hours worked, project-related expenses, and progress on their assigned project tasks. Project managers can see cumulative totals for time and money spent on particular projects and can monitor progress on project tasks. Business rules within your Siebel application prevent deletion of project tasks that have billable costs. Business rules can also be used to create projects automatically, when sales opportunities reach a designated stage.

Typically, a project is created in Microsoft Project, and project data is imported into the Siebel application for resource assignment or time and expense tracking. Project data can be exported from the Siebel application to Microsoft Project after resource assignments have been made, after various project tasks have been completed, and after time and expense entries have been collected. The updated information allows Microsoft Project to display how decisions and progress affect the overall project schedule.

NOTE:  Before you use the procedures in this chapter with the Siebel Web Client, be sure that your Siebel Document Server is set up and Microsoft Project is installed. You do not need the Siebel Document Server if you are using the Siebel Mobile Web Client. For information about setting up the Siebel Document Server, see Applications Administration Guide.