# Working with Many Projects in One Project File

Managing a few independent projects is straightforward: you just create a separate project file for each one. But if you work frequently with a number of related projects, you can manage them more easily by consolidating them. When you consolidate projects, you insert them into a single project file, so you can view all the separate inserted projects in the same window. In the Gantt Chart view, each project is represented as a summary task. You can show the project task alone or expand it and show the other tasks that make up the project.

Consider consolidating projects in these situations:

You can insert up to 1,000 projects in a consolidated project file.

- You have a large, complex project that you need to break down into smaller, more manageable projects, but you still want to maintain the scheduling relationship between the inserted projects.
- The inserted projects of a larger project get updated frequently and you want the changes to be reflected automatically in the larger project.
- You’re managing several projects that share the same resources.
- You’re tracking several separate but related projects.
- You want to create reports that include information from several projects.

The source file for an inserted project remains a separate file. By default, this source file is linked to the consolidated file. Any changes you make to the source file appear automatically in the corresponding inserted project of the consolidated file, and vice versa. That way, both the source file and the inserted project are updated when you update either one. Note, however, that format changes are not transmitted between source and consolidated project files.

Microsoft Project provides two ways to consolidate several projects. Choose the way that best meets your needs:

- Customize as you consolidate your projects. This method lets you specify the order and location of the inserted projects within the consolidated project, as well as other factors.
- Consolidate open projects quickly. With this method, available only for projects that are already open in separate windows, Microsoft Project determines the order in which the inserted projects appear in the consolidated project file and automatically links them to their source files.

©1996-1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.