Presented By

Steve Gladstone

steve.gladstone@spg-solutions.com

Presentation Roadmap What is Microsoft Project (MSP)?

Setting Up The Project Plan Set Project Start/End Dates

Define Tasks And Dependencies

Assign Resources and Costs

“Baseline” The Plan

Verify The Project Plan Is Viable Identify Resource Over-Allocations

“Level” Project, If Necessary

Execute And Manage The Plan Periodically Update Plan With Actual Work Done

Compare Actual Against Baseline Plan

Re-Plan and Re-Baseline, If Required

Use The Plan To Balance And Communicate Scope, Time, And Resource Issues

Wrap-Up: Review And Q&A

Please Complete & Submit Feedback Forms

What Is Microsoft Project? Microsoft Project (or MSP)

Project management software program developed and sold by Microsoft which is designed to assist project managers in developing plans, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing budgets and analyzing workloads.

Microsoft Project Server

Microsoft extends the capabilities of Microsoft Project with Project Server and Web Access. Microsoft Project Server stores project information in a central database, protected from unauthorized access and corruption. A Project Administrator can control security defining users and access rights.

The Project Center supports reports across an organization at the project level. Managers can drill down into project details.

The project manager needs to communicate project plans and to distribute task assignments to team members. The assignment of tasks can be distributed to team member home pages in Web Access. They need to communicate status and changes to keep the project manager up to date. Project Server supports electronic communication over the web via Web Access.

Resource workloads can be analyzed by project and by resource with the Resource Center, allowing organizations to forecast future resource requirements and make more efficient use of resources.

The view definition is easier to understand and more robust with Web Access than with Microsoft Project. Views can be protected to assist standardization. Project Server stores custom calendars, views, tables, filters, and fields, in an Enterprise Global area where users have access to the latest version every time they restart Microsoft Project.

Setting Up The Project Plan Set Up Project Start Date, Calendars, etc.

-> Project --> Project Information

Setting Up The Project Plan Use Gantt Chart View to Define Project Tasks

There are four major types of tasks: Summary tasks - contain subtasks and their related properties Subtasks - are smaller tasks that are a part of a summary task Recurring tasks - are tasks that occur at regular intervals Milestones - are tasks that are set to zero duration and are like interim goals in the project

Setting Up The Project Plan Use Gantt Chart View to Define Tasks Dependencies

The Four Task Dependency Types

Setting Up The Project Plan Use Resource Sheet View to Define Resources and Resource Costs

Setting Up The Project Plan Baseline the Project Plan for Later Comparison

-> Tools --> Tracking ---> Set Baseline

You Can Clear or Re-Baseline

Verify The Project Plan Is Viable Use Resource Sheet, Task Usage, and Resource Graph Views to Identify

Resource Over-Allocations

You Can Mitigate Resource Over-Allocations By “Leveling” -> Tools --> Level Resources

Generally, Expands Schedule So That Resources Are Not Over-Allocated

Leveling Is Not Always Effective In Practice

Execute And Manage The Plan Track Tasks As They Progress

Simplest method is By “% Complete” on Gantt Chart View

Alternatively, Use Tracking Gantt View

Execute And Manage The Plan Use Project Statistics To Track Project Progress

Compare Actual Project versus Baseline Project

View Realized Task Durations, Work, and Costs

Periodically Communicate Progress and Issues To Project Team and Management

Use Microsoft Project to Balance the Golden Triangle (Scope, Time, and Cost)

Always Remember: MS Project is NOT Project Management

Wrap-Up: Review And Q&A What is Microsoft Project (MSP)?

Setting Up The Project Plan Set Project Start/End Dates

Define Tasks And Dependencies

Assign Resources and Costs

“Baseline” The Plan

Verify The Project Plan Is Viable Identify Resource Over-Allocations

“Level” Project, If Necessary

Execute And Manage The Plan Periodically Update Plan With Actual Work Done

Compare Actual Against Baseline Plan

Re-Plan and Re-Baseline, If Required

Use The Plan To Balance And Communicate Scope, Time, And Resource Issues

Wrap-Up: Review And Q&A

Please Complete & Submit Feedback Forms