Once you've turned your Microsoft Project file (or files) into a QuickBase application, you can continue to work in both programs at once. Download updates from QuickBase to your local Project file or work in your Project file and upload changes to QuickBase.
Note: Only applications created using the QuickBase Project Synchronization tool are on speaking terms with Microsoft Project. Before you can follow the steps below, you must turn your Microsoft Project Plan into a QuickBase application.
To synchronize between QuickBase and Project:
Open the QuickBaseProject.mpp file in Microsoft Project.
You downloaded this file when you turned your Project file into a QuickBase application. Can't find it? Right-click this link and select Save Target As or Save link as from the menu that appears.
Open the Project file that you want to synchronize with QuickBase.
This file lives on your computer's hard-drive or local server.
Make QuickBaseProject.mpp the active file in Project.
From the Project menu, select Window > QuickBaseProject.mpp to display the file on your screen.
Press Ctrl+Q.
A QuickBase Authentication prompt appears.
Type in your QuickBase Username and Password and click Sign in.
From the Pick an .mpp file dropdown, select the file you want to synch with QuickBase.
Within the Connect to section, select the an existing QuickBase Application radio button.
If this is your first time synchronizing, you must set synchronization options (see next section, below).
Copy data.
Tell QuickBase which way to move the data by clicking one of these two buttons:
Export to QuickBase. If you want to upload changes from your local Project file to your QuickBase application, click this button.
Import from QuickBase. Click this button if you want to copy data that users have entered in the QuickBase application down into your local Project file.
QuickBase copies data and displays a notice with a rundown of exactly what it's done. Click OK.
If your QuickBase application consists of multiple Project files, repeat the steps above for each Project that you want to synchronize.
When you open the QuickBase Project.mpp file, press Ctrl+Q and enter your QuickBase username and password, QuickBase displays the Synchronization dialog box. The first time you did this, you were creating a QuickBase application out of your Project file and QuickBase copied over all the fields it could. If you plan to synchronize (copy data between the two applications regularly) QuickBase needs some additional information, so the program knows what to copy.
To set synchronization options:
Tell QuickBase how you track progress in QuickBase.
If staffers will update their time in QuickBase and you'll copy the updates back down to Microsoft Project, tell QuickBase what field you'll use to track progress. Within the Synchronization dialog box, click the Choose a Progress Tracking Method button. The dialog box that displays offers the following options:
Percent complete. If your staff members will manually fill out the Task table's Percent Complete field in QuickBase to notify you of their progress, select this radio button.
Actual Duration. Select this option if you want colleagues to enter time in the Task table's Actual Duration field in QuickBase.
Actual Duration & Remaining Duration. Choose this item if your colleagues will fill out both the Actual Duration and Remaining Duration fields in your QuickBase application's Tasks table.
Percent Work Complete. If your staff members will manually fill out the Assignment table's Percent Work Complete field in QuickBase to notify you of their progress, select this radio button.
Actual Work. Select this option if workers will enter time in the Assignment table's Actual Work field in QuickBase.
Actual Work & Remaining Work. Choose this item if your colleagues will fill out both the Actual Work and Remaining Work fields in your QuickBase application's Assignments table.
When you've made your selection, click OK.
Note: Your QuickBase application is automatically set to track staff progress using the Percent Work Complete field. There are other fields available (like those listed above) for this purpose. However, these alternate fields are marked as Read only on the Assignment table's View/Add/Edit form and on the Task table's View Task form. If you want to use any of these fields instead, make them available (in other words, turn off the read only setting), by editing the form.
Tell QuickBase which fields to synchronize and which direction the data will move.
If you plan to copy data from QuickBase back into your Microsoft Project plan, you need to tell QuickBase what fields you want the sync tool to copy. Within the Synchronization dialog box, click the Configure Additional Fields to Import from QuickBase button. The QuickBase Project Field Mapping dialog box opens. Here, you'll tell QuickBase which fields are important to you and if you want their values entered in QuickBase and copied to Project, or vice-versa. The dialog box feature three tabs (Tasks, Assignments and Resources) which represent tables in your QuickBase application. Each tab features a pane on the left and a pane on the right.
If you want to work in Microsoft Project and copy data up to QuickBase, you don't need to do anything. Leave all fields listed in the pane on the right.
If you want to work in QuickBase and copy data to Microsoft Project, move the relevant fields into the pane on the left. These are the fields that will change in QuickBase. For example, maybe you post your Project Plan in QuickBase to let colleagues enter the Finish Date and Notes for their assigned tasks. If those are the only fields that you want to import back into project, select each field and click the left arrow button to move it over to the pane on the left side of the dialog box.
When you've made your selections, click OK.