Types of Imports for Microsoft Project (MSP) files

Answer

There is one type of export from RPM to MSP and three types of imports from MSP to RPM.

Export (RPM to MSP):

An export can be performed by highlighting your project in RPM and right clicking on your mouse to get the pop-up context menu. From the context menu go down about 1/2 way and find the "Import/Export" selection. Choose "Export" and the system will export your schedule data to MSP (Note: MSP should be closed on your desktop when you perform the export as the action will open MSP to display the exported project schedule once the export sequence is completed).

You can perform this export function whenever you choose. Once you make changes in the schedule with MSP you need to import the changes from MSP (see #1 in Import description below) back into RPM. If changes to the schedule are made in MSP, then schedule changes should not be performed in RPM (more on this later).

Import (MSP to RPM):

1. This type of import into RPM from MSP is performed as part of an export/import sequence (the export sequence was described above). In this case the schedule has been exported from RPM into MSP, the schedule has then been updated using MSP and now the changes are being imported back into RPM. In order to perform this action choose "Import" from the context menu for your project. Since you previously exported into MSP, RPM will "remember" the schedule project name and location on your computer and the system will import your schedule data from MSP back into RPM (Note: MSP should be closed on your desktop after having saved the schedule data on your computer. The import will not proceed to completion if MSP is still open on your computer).
   
   Schedule changes can be performed in either RPM or MSP but should not be interchanged. In other words schedule changes can be done in either application but they should not be intermixed. The two applications act differently in rounding results, dealing with precedence of operations and other minor elements that if confined to one application or the other will remain consistent but if intermixed, especially on extremely large projects, may result in inconsistent results.
   
2. A "cold" import can be performed into RPM from MSP. In this type of import, only a Project "Header" (For example a project that has been created in RPM but does not contain any lower level schedule elements) is present in the RPM Work Management view. The MSP file to be imported does not have any Actuals recorded in it. To perform this import choose "Import" from the RPM context menu for your project. You will need to specify the location of the schedule file on your computer in order for the import to proceed. As with the other imports, MSP should be closed on your desktop as the import will not proceed to completion with MSP open on your computer. Once a "cold" import has occurred, Actuals should thereafter be maintained using RPM. The use of MSP for schedule manipulation would then occur as a result of exporting from RPM into MSP and importing back as described in Export #1 and Import #1 outlined previously.
   
3. A "mature " import can be performed into RPM from MSP. The only difference in this type of import from the "cold" import is that the MSP data to be imported has Actuals recorded within the MSP file. To perform this import you would follow the same steps outlined in Import #2. Once a "mature" import has occurred, all Actuals should thereafter be maintained using RPM. As with Import #2, the use of MSP for schedule manipulation can then occur as a result of exporting the schedule from RPM into MSP and importing the data back to RPM as previously described in Export #1 and Import #1.
   
   It is important to note that once a cold or mature import is undertaken, team members need to start using RPM to track progress such as percent complete (Duration-based projects) or recording of actual hours worked (Work or Effort-based projects).
   
   Note: weekly imports from MSP into RPM is not supported as described above.