Integrating IBM Rational ClearQuest and Microsoft Project - the key to successful planning

It's no secret that the success of the project depends on effective planning and operational details of the project. The market is a lot of different systems, which enable the planning assessment Boot with the resources to track and measure the progress of tasks. But none of the existing system does not provide the full amount of the required capabilities. The best way out of this situation - you choose two systems that would ensure diverse and neperesekayuschiesya possible, and combine them.

Why MS Project?

Everyone knows that this tool is one of the best of its kind and provides all the necessary planning work for artists needs:

Simple and graphic interface to perform planning tasks. Microsoft is in all of its applications provides user-friendly interface for all your applications. A simple method of entering data and a variety of planned, configurable presentation to display entered data;

Evaluation download resources. Scheduling tasks using information about downloading artists, computation critical path in carrying out tasks, the alignment targets for busy artists.

Why ClearQuest?

IBM Rational ClearQuest patented itself as a convenient, flexible and adaptable by any process tool.

The required number of attributes to describe the task. The tool allows you to define any number of low-level attributes in describing the challenges that may be defined and changed during the task, and may be useful to have a singer, but not required for the project manager;

Assessing the current state of the task. Challenges ClearQuest have their life cycle, which may be specific to each organization. Project Manager information on the status of tasks helps to obtain a realistic assessment of the status of the project as a whole;

The history of the task. Upon completion of a project or task project manager should review the process and result of their implementation to assess the effectiveness of the performers, their competence, to correct the current work, taking into account this analysis in the planning of future projects.

Integration

Integration - the merger of properties of two different systems. In our case - it is the integration of IBM Rational ClearQuest and Microsoft Project. The circuit diagram is depicted in the figure below.

The circuit works with the integration:

Project Manager performs planning in MS Project and maintains the plan;

Through the integration of the module are scheduled timing system transported in ClearQuest with the appointment at the end of perpetrators;

After receiving the new job, performers are beginning to work in the ClearQuest change the status of tasks;

All changes to the actual timing module moved to the integration plan MS Project;

Based on data from the system ClearQuest, project manager performs correction plan if necessary.

Figure 1. Scheme integration of Microsoft and IBM Rational

Potential integration

The integration brings together two different systems of IBM Rational ClearQuest and Microsoft Project and use as a whole and with each role in the process of using its tool:

Project Manager - Plans and monitors the progress of the tasks directly from MS Project;

Artist - receives and carries out its tasks, reports on the tasks only in the ClearQuest.

Integration provides the following improvements in planning targets for the artists:

Planning «front». Integration enables the planning targets for the perpetrators of MS Project and did not register them in the ClearQuest. At any time integration could register the necessary number of tasks in the ClearQuest;

Pereplanirovanie. Often when projects meet the situation where there is a need to shift the scheduled dates for a certain period of time. Disadvantage of ClearQuest in this case is that necessary to cause a form of each task to edit and update the planning time. The integration also allows using one operation to update the planning time from any number of tasks;

Preserving hierarchies. The module allows you to record the integration challenges in ClearQuest with preservation of hierarchy, which was created in MS Project.

Imports of resources. The integration allows the use of one source of artists ClearQuest. Once in the system ClearQuest recorded a new singer, it automatically appears in MS Project;

The use of additional fields. Integration enables any number of additional field goals ClearQuest, which should be able to see or configure the planning tasks in MS Project;

Access to ClearQuest forms of MS Project. Module integration allows access to forms of tasks ClearQuest directly from the plan MS Project. This enables the project manager if necessary to see all the information about the problem (the attributes of tasks, progress reports), or changes in the problem directly in the ClearQuest of MS Project;

Import tasks in the plan MS Project. Module integration at any time allows «restore» stored in the ClearQuest pool tasks in the plan MS Project through import.

Benefits

Integration with its use provides several advantages in the planning tasks and monitor the performance of tasks:

Save time in planning tasks. Using MS Project as a planning tool, a project manager can build the necessary number of tasks and to keep in ClearQuest, did not hesitate when the need to fill entry of data into ClearQuest, because module integration is doing for him;

Save time when pereplanirovanii tasks. Using integration does not need to go in and change the ClearQuest planning time for each task separately. The integration allows automatic from MS Project to comply with the offset target dates and keep them in ClearQuest;

Using a tool to project manager. Project manager for planning and evaluation of tasks using only MS Project, which allows him at any time to obtain all the necessary information from ClearQuest.

The main functions of integration

Integration implemented as a plug for MS Project Professional and its use is to run MS Project, after installing the module integration. After running in the annex appears menu «Integration ClearQuest» (see Figure 2), which provides access to all of the module integratsii.Mozhno had three main functions of integration:

Figure 2. Integration with MS Project

Imports - the process of forming the new challenges of MS Project of the entity ClearQuest based on the query, which is determined by the user. Import also can not all tasks, but only those who project manager deems necessary (sm.Risunok 3);

Figure 3. The choice of targets for imports

Update - in this operation all the attributes of tasks (name, artist, etc.) for each task in terms of sets of attributes her request ClearQuest. In the process, treated only with the task completed field office (see Figure 4), which are automatically module integration and provide ID records ClearQuest, its status and ownership of challenges to the management changes;

Figure 4. Conservation targets in calendar terms

<!--[ if! supportLists] -> <!--[ endif] -> Saving - in the process of conservation (see Figure 5) all tasks are stored in the system ClearQuest:

<!--[ if! supportLists] -> o <!--[ endif] -> If the problem exists, then all the attributes ClearQuest record establishes equal importance to its tasks in the plan. However, it might be a situation in which a box is not available for editing in this state - in this case, the value of this field problem in terms of value is set to record ClearQuest;

<!--[ if! supportLists] -> o <!--[ endif] -> If the problem does not exist, it creates a new record in change management.

Figure 5. The process of conservation goals

Module integration also lets you view records ClearQuest, which were imported or saved in MS Project. Open essence choose menu item «open CQ» and the active cell in terms of interest should be on target. Form viewing record ClearQuest can also edit or modify the open nature of her condition.

Figure 6. Viewing task ClearQuest of MS Project

Conclusion

In a large abundance of systems and methodologies are often difficult to find something, one that would effectively carry out planning and receive feedback from the tasks assigned. With the integration of the two systems use IBM Rational ClearQuest and Microsoft Project Manager is one tool that provides everything necessary for effective planning and monitoring tasks. Using the module integration, project manager saves time in performing the tasks of planning, because he has no need to carry out planning in one system and transfer planning time for artists to another system. Using tracking actual timing and conditions of tasks, project manager can quickly make changes in the tasks to reduce risks in carrying out the project as a whole.