Creating Multiple Versions of the Same Project Schedule Over Time

How to create versioned Gantt charts for a project plan

OnePager Pro allows you to save a snapshot of your project each time you update your Microsoft Project file with recent project information such as actual start and finish dates, new percent complete data, and changes to the critical path. This is great for:

• Weekly team meetings
• Monthly executive reports
• Quarterly client reviews

Creating the first and subsequent snapshots is easy once you have prepared your Microsoft Project file and installed OnePager Pro. Don't have OnePager Pro yet? You can download a 15-day free trial to see how it works.

This article will show you how to create the first snapshot of your project and then how to create subsequent snapshots as you periodically update the status of your project over time. Since OnePager outputs can be used in schedule conversation presentations, you’ll find these snapshots consistent and focused on the relevant issues facing your project.

1. Launch Microsoft Project and open your project plan.
   
   
   
   Note the “Flag20” column in the Microsoft Project screenshot above. This field is used by OnePager to control which task/milestone rows from your Microsoft Project file are input to OnePager Pro. You can use any flag column, but in this example, we use “Flag 20”.
2. Now launch OnePager Pro with the OnePager Pro button on the Microsoft Project tool bar or add-ins tab, and OnePager will provide you with the OnePager Choices Form shown below. You have many options but for this example, we are creating our first Project View and Snapshot so select the buttons shown below:
   
   
   
   Two things: First, when creating a new project view, OnePager Pro asks you to name the project view. Second, OnePager gives you the option to set the snapshot date as shown in the bottom highlighted portion of the OnePager Choices Form. Clicking on the “Create New Project View” button results in the following project view with the snapshot date you selected:
   
   
3. When it comes to the end of the next reporting period for your project, say a month in the future, you can create a second snapshot that shows the status of your project on that date. Simply update your Microsoft Project file as you would normally with the month’s activities and, when finished, hit the OnePager Pro button on the Microsoft Project tool bar to launch OnePager Pro again. OnePager Pro will provide the OnePager Pro Choices Form for you to create your updated project snapshot.
   
   
   
   This time around, you want to Update an existing project view, and specify a new snapshot (status) date one month later. Once you do this, a second snapshot of your project will be created that looks like this:
   
   
   
   If you compare the first snapshot to the second snapshot, you will notice that some of the tasks and milestones have shifted on the page, based on the changes made in Microsoft Project. The blue vertical line (time cursor) will also move from left to right based on the snapshot date you specify.
4. Now continue to follow the step above through the rest of the project’s lifecycle. Each month, in this case, a new snapshot will be created and can be used in your status presentations to the project’s sponsor, team members, and customers. You can create snapshots weekly, monthly, every day, or even every second, and there is no limit to the number of snapshots you can provide your project stakeholders.

When you create a project presentation from Microsoft Project using OnePager Pro, you can be assured that your schedule is based on data in your original project plan. You can easily customize the look and feel of your presentation:

• Group, sort and color-code tasks by any field in Microsoft Project (resources phase, etc.)
• Generate a project legend that makes it easy for your audience to understand your schedule.
• Reposition tasks or milestones anywhere on the page with a drag and drop interface.
• Present important project data like percent complete, baselines, and critical path.
• Change task labels without corrupting your original Microsoft Project file.
• Customize the time axis to show all or part of a project, and to show any time unit (quarters, fiscal years, etc.)
• Refresh your presentation with updated dates and task completion percentages any time your Microsoft Project plan changes.

OnePager Pro also allows you to create multiple presentations from the same Microsoft Project file. For example, if you have one presentation to an executive team, a second presentation to an engineering team, and a third presentation to a customer, you can use different Microsoft Project flag columns to select different portions of your project plan. You can use these flags to create completely separate presentations so that the people to whom you are presenting always see the correct amount of relevant project information--not too much and not too little.

Using OnePager Pro will allow you to create dynamic, informative project presentations with the click of a button, and it eliminates the need to rebuild your presentation by hand every time your project schedule changes.

Get started today by downloading a free trial or attending one of our demonstration webinars.