© 2008 Sterling Commerce. Confidential and Proprietary.

How to Get Along with ProjectUsing Microsoft Project so that it actually works for you, not against you.

© 2008 Sterling Commerce. Confidential and Proprietary.

Agenda

The Formula

Friends don’t let friends …

Spaghetti Code

Soft Coding vs. Hard Coding

The Great Divide: Actuals

Advanced Stuff: P&L

The Formula

Work = Duration * Units

Note:• Work and Duration need to be in the same unit of measure (for

calculation, but not for display)

• 100% = 1 unit

Examples:• 40 hours = 5 days * 100%

40 hours = (5 * 8h) * 1

• 20 hours = 5 days * 50%20 hours = (5 * 8h) * .5

The Formula

The original task:• 40 hours = 5 days * 100%

I need to assign a different resource, but the new resource is only available half-time:• 40 hours = 10 days * 50%

The resource will need to work overtime in order to complete the task on time.• 48 hours = 5 days * 120%

I need it done faster, so I will assign a more senior resource who will do the same job in less time:• 32 hours = 4 days * 100%

The Formula

Principle: 1 part stays the same and 2 parts change.• The one that stays the same is said to be “fixed”.

• You change one of the non-fixed parts.

• And Project will automatically change the third part.

You can change the fixed part, but if you know what you are doing, you probably wouldn’t.

The Formula

The original task:• 40 hours = 5 days * 100%

I need to assign a different resource, but the new resource is only available half-time:• 40 hours = 10 days * 50%

The resource will need to work overtime in order to complete the task on time.• 48 hours = 5 days * 120%

I need it done faster, so I will assign a more senior resource who will do the same job in less time:• 32 hours = 4 days * 100%

Fixed Work – change units

Fixed Duration – change units

Fixed Units – change work

One Little Twist

The original task:• 8 hours = 1 day * 100%

I need to add a second resource to this task, but it will still take the same amount of calendar time.• 16 hours = 1 day * 100% + 100% Fixed Duration / Not Effort Driven

Fixed Duration / Effort Driven• 8 hours = 1 day * 50% + 50%

Effort Driven:• It only has an effect when you are adding or removing resources.

• It makes Work “Fixed” in addition to whatever else the task type has made “Fixed”.

Friends don’t let friends …

Assign resources to summary tasks

Friends don’t let friends …

Assign resources to summary tasks• If you need a summary task, always create a new task specifically

for the job.

• Give summary tasks noun-like names (e.g., Help File)

• Give detail tasks verb-like names (e.g., Create help file)

Spaghetti Code

Non-spaghetti Code

Writing non-spaghetti code

Never link to or from a summary task.• Use start and complete milestones instead.

Try to link from top to bottom, like a waterfall.• If you see links running uphill, try restructuring.

Don’t use redundant links. • If C must follow A and B, and B must follow A, then just say that C

follows B.

Keep the number of predecessors and successors as small as possible.• If 20 tasks must finish before the 21st can begin, try breaking the

20 tasks into smaller groups.

Soft Coding vs. Hard Coding

Soft Coding: • You enter the tasks, duration and dependencies.

• Project will predict the dates when the key milestones will be reached.

Hard Coding:• You enter the tasks, duration, dependencies, and dates.

• Project will draw a pretty picture of your plan.

The Benefits of Soft Coding

When bad things happen to your project, the critical milestone may slip – but that’s a good thing. It is an early warning system that you must do something if you want to hit the milestone on time.

If you have dates that you must hit, put a deadline on the milestone and monitor it whenever you update the project.

The Great Divide: Actuals

Percent Complete

Works great if the project goes exactly as planned.

When a task is marked as 100% complete, it started when it was supposed to start, it finished when it was supposed to finish, and it took exactly as many hours as we thought it would – whether it really did or not.

Actual and Remaining at Task Level

Use one resource per task.

Before entering the first actuals, enter the actual start date.

The actual start and actual work can be compared to the planned start and planned work.

The finish date and the hours worked per day may not be accurate.

You may have to calculate remaining work if your resources report progress as percent complete.• 40 hour task that now has 36 actual hours and is 75% complete

• Should have 13 hours remaining: (36/.75) – 36

• New total work should be 48 hours

The Usage Views

Task Usage or Resource Usage

Can use multiple resources per task.

Actual work is entered in the time-phased grid on the right.

Remaining work is entered in the pane on the left.

Advanced Stuff: P&L

Progressing the schedule:Moving unfinished work from the past to the future

Leveling the schedule:Delaying some tasks to avoid over-allocation

Progressing the Schedule

Leveling the Schedule

© 2008 Sterling Commerce. Confidential and Proprietary.

Review

The Formula

Friends don’t let friends …

Spaghetti Code

Soft Coding vs. Hard Coding

The Great Divide: Actuals

Advanced Stuff: P&L

© 2008 Sterling Commerce. Confidential and Proprietary.

Contact Info

ken_frei@stercomm.com