MS Project Guide Basics Only

7/31/2019 MS Project Guide Basics Only

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Microsoft Project 101:

How to Build a Project Plan


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Overview

After this course you will understand and be ableto:

Set up a project document using best practices

Enter task details Enter durations against tasks

Link tasks

Assign resources

Baseline the plan

Manage the project plan and track progress


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Project Setup Best Practices

Iterative Saves and Versions

Project information dialog box

Project defaults (check them before starting a

new project)

Project calendar adjustments (holidays, etc..)

Task Sheet View for initial task entry

Add columns


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Project Defaults


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Project Calendars


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Views and Columns

Task Sheet view

Add or hide a columns as necessary

Suggested columns:

Task Name % Complete

Duration

Work

Start Finish

Resources


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Exercise 1

Setting project defaults


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Tasks

Project Summary Task

Summary Tasks

Sub-tasks Task Types

Fixed Units

Fixed Work Fixed Duration (recommended)

Effort driven


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Project Summary Task

The project summary task has uniquecharacteristics:

ID = 0

Unique ID = 0

Outline Level = 0

Summary Yes

Only project summary tasks can becreated at Outline Level 0.


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Summary Tasks


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Subtasks


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Task Types

Fixed units tasks where the resources are a fixedvalue & changes to the amount of work or the durationdo not affect the resources

Fixed work tasks where the amount of work is a fixed

value & changes to the duration or the number ofresources do not affect the work.

Fixed duration (recommended) tasks where theduration is a fixed value & changes to the work or theresources don't affect the duration.

Effort Driven the duration of a task shortens orlengthens as resources are added or removed from atask while the effort (work) remains the same.


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Task Types


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Exercise 2

Entering tasks


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Task Information

Task Information Form

Milestone tasks

Durations Constraints

Dependencies (predecessors)


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Task Information


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Milestones


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Task Duration

When entering task durations, enter theamount of time expected to complete thetask

Duration abbreviations M = Minutes

H = Hours

D = Days W = Weeks

M = Months


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Task Constraints

Field dependencies

Constraint types As late as possible

As soon as possible Finish no earlier than

Finish no later than

Must finish on

Must start on Start no earlier than

Start no later than


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Task Dependencies

Predecessors

Finish to Start (FS default)

Start to Finish (SF)

Start to Start (SS)

Finish to Finish (FF rarely used)


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Exercise 3

Setting constraints, durations andpredecessors


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Resources

Resource types

Entering resources

Assigning resources to a task Understanding work


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Resource Types

Work (people)

Material (expenditures)

Rates (hourly rate or cost of hardware)


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Entering Resources

Best done after tasks are entered andlinked

Assign names and work effort for eachindividual

Duration is the length of time the task willtake to complete, entered in days

Work is the amount of effort needed tocomplete the task, entered in hours


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Exercise 4

Entering Resources


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Tracking

Base lining the project

Entering actual information


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Base lining the Project

Purpose of base lining

How to do it

Tools, Tracking, Save Baseline

Remember to baseline the ENTIRE project!


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Entering Actuals

Task sheet view

Enter actual start date

Break links as needed

Enter actual duration

Enter actual time commitments

Set task completion at 100% Sequence is VERY important


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Views, Tables & Filters

Views

Task Views

Gantt Chart

Tracking Gantt Chart

Custom Views

Tables

Filters and Groups


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Task Sheet

Task Sheet

Used for reporting

Basis for most custom forms


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Gantt Chart View


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Tracking Gantt


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Tables

A table is the actual spreadsheetpresentation of the rows and columns

It stores which fields you see and how thecolumns are ordered


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Filters & Groups

Filters - a way to select a subset of tasksto be shown in a view.

Groups - a way to organize rows based on

field content. Filters and groups can be used together to

order the data or they can be used

independently. Filters and groups can be created usingone or more conditions


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Exercise 6

Views


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Summary

Tip of the iceberg (much more capability).

MS Project is a tool that aids planning, itwont plan for you.

Need to invest in mastering the tool.

MS Project training guides located athttp://www.k-state.edu/InfoTech/epm/training/index.html

Iterative saves
http://www.k-state.edu/InfoTech/epm/training/index.htmlhttp://www.k-state.edu/InfoTech/epm/training/index.htmlhttp://www.k-state.edu/InfoTech/epm/training/index.htmlhttp://www.k-state.edu/InfoTech/epm/training/index.html


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Contact Information

Peer support call if you need help

Chuck Gould532- 4923

[email protected]

Lloyd Walker532- 2616

[email protected]

Ashley Wondra532-4761

[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]?subject=MS%20Project%20101mailto:[email protected]?subject=MS%20Project%20101mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Documents

MS Project Guide Basics Only