Microsoft Project 2003Level 1

Deanna Reynolds

Instructor

Class Outline

Creating a Project Plan File

Creating a Work Breakdown Structure

Creating and Assigning Resources

Finalizing the Project Plan

Lesson One:Creating a Project Plan File

Create a project plan file

Create and assign a project calendar

Add tasks to the project plan file

Display a project summary task

Add a recurring task

Enter duration estimates for tasks

Create a Project Plan File

The true challenge of managing projects involves making decisions on how and whether to make trade-offs between Time, Cost, and Quality.

These three components are the keys to successful project management.

Microsoft Project can help you to monitor these components to ensure your projects come in on time, within budget and at an agreed upon level of quality.

However, Microsoft Project is simply a tool – not the actual project manager.

Create a Project Plan File

As a new user, you want to make sure you can clearly identify which project management activities can and cannot be performed using Microsoft Project before you actually create your project plan file.

After reading the following statements, determine whether or not they can be performed using Microsoft Project software.

True or False?

Microsoft Project can:

Identify the project stakeholders.

FalseFalse

True or False?

Microsoft Project can:

Create a detailed list of project tasks.

TrueTrue

True or False?

Microsoft Project can:

Get the project team to sign off on the final budget for the project.

FalseFalse

True or False?

Microsoft Project can:

Generate project summary report information.

TrueTrue

The Microsoft Project Environment

ProjectGuide

Toolbar

Active Pane Indicator

Divide Bar

TimescaleEntry Bar

Standard Toolbar Field Heading Formatting Toolbar

TaskPane

View Area

Gantt ChartTable

The Microsoft Project Environment

By default, the Gantt Chart is displayed when you launch Project.

You can completely customize your Project views. Within each view, you can choose to display various tables.

Tables control what task or resource information is presented in a sheet view.

With tables, you can control the columns, or fields, that appear in the table.

The Task Entry table is the default display. Here you can see: Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Resource Names

The Microsoft Project Environment

To apply a different table within a view, simply choose View: Table: Entry, then, select the desired table from the list.

You can also change the timescale displayed on the Gantt Chart by choose Format: Timescale.

For a quick timescale adjustment, just click the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons on the Standard toolbar.

Contains timescale legends for graphically presented tasks or resources.

TimescaleTimescale

Provides common functions and is displayed on the left side of the screen.

Task PaneTask Pane

Used to enter and edit information in columns.

Entry BarEntry Bar

Where project data is displayed.

View AreaView Area

A vertical bar that separates the table and chart portions of a view.

Divide BarDivide Bar

What is the default view in Project?

Gantt ChartGantt Chart

What table is applied to the default view?

Entry TableEntry Table

Using the Project Guide

The Project Guide is a toolbar that provides a quick way of accomplishing common Project tasks.

In the File Properties dialog box (File: Properties), you can store general, summary, statistical, contents and custom information about a project.

Most projects schedule from the start date. Occasionally, you may have a need to schedule from the project end date. If this is the case, choose Project: Project Information. Choose Schedule from Project Finish Date and enter your finish date.

Create & Assign a Project Calendar

A project calendar is necessary to ensure tasks don’t get scheduled to be worked at midnight or on company holidays.

Project will automatically schedule tasks to begin on the next available day in the project plan unless you determine otherwise.

By setting a project calendar, you can have more control over the flow of task completion in your project.

There are three base calendars in Project: Standard (M-F, 8a -5p) 24-Hours (No Non-Working Time) Night Shift (M-Sat, 11p – 8a)

Using these base calendars, you can define working times for: Project Calendar (Default working and non-working times for a project) Resource Calendar (Default working and non-working times for an individual resource) Task Calendar (Applied to an individual task when the project calendar won’t suffice)

Create & Assign a Project Calendar

Optional Settings The Options Dialog Box allows you to enter, review, or

change preferences that control Project’s general operation and appearance. To open this box, choose Tools: Options.

Project Information Dialog Box The Project Information Dialog Box contains the project’s

start & finish dates, what date the project is going to be scheduled from, the current date, the status date, and what type of calendaring system your project is based on.

You can access the Project Information Dialog Box by choosing Project: Project Information.

Add Tasks In order for Project to calculate a schedule, you must enter tasks.

Through a succession of tasks, Project in able to: Calculate the Project Schedule Assign Project Resources Determine Project Costs

All tasks contain: Task Name Duration (the estimated time between the start of a task and its finish)

Project estimates each new task at one day indicated with 1 Day? The ? Indicates the duration is only a estimate.

You could enter up to one million tasks in Project (but, I wouldn’t recommend it).

Generally, you’ll enter tasks in Gantt Chart View. Then, simply click in the Task Name field and type the task name. Press enter when finished.

Add a Project Summary Task A project summary tasks can be used for quick project analysis, such as determining

the total duration of a project.

Schedule and cost information from subtasks are accumulated at the summary task level.

The start date of a summary task is determined by the earliest start date of any of its subtasks.

A project summary task is the highest level of work in a project that represents the project goal or project objective.

All other project tasks are represented as subtasks beneath the project summary task.

To display a project summary task: Choose Tools: Options Select the View tab Check “Show Project Summary Task”

Add a Recurring Task

Some tasks, such as project status meetings, can occur multiple times throughout a project’s life cycle.

Project allows you to designate recurring events so that you don’t have to enter them as separate tasks multiple times.

Once entered, a recurring task appears as a summary task with the multiple subtasks that represent each occurrence.

If a task does not occur at regular intervals, then you will need to enter the task multiple times.

Duration, Work & Units A task’s duration (as you know), is the amount of time

between the start of a task and the finish.

By default, Project enters a “1 day?1 day?” estimate in each task’s Duration field.

It’s best to avoid setting task durations by entering task start and finish dates. Instead, enter duration estimates for tasks which allows Project to schedule the task start and finish dates.

Task Duration Codes: Minutes displays as m, min, minute Hours displays as h, hr, hour Days displays as d, dy, day Weeks displays as w, wk, week

Duration, Work & Units

If you don’t know the task’s duration, you can always estimate it using the following formula.

E = [O + P + (4 * M)]/6

Estimated Duration

The Most Optimistic Time

The Most Probable Time

The Most Pessimistic Time

Duration, Work & Units

Work defines what will be accomplished once resources are assigned to a task.

Assignment work is the amount of person-hours needed to complete each resource’s assignments.

The total work for a task is the sum of the work for all its assignments.

The formula for calculating work is:

Work = Duration * Units

Duration, Work & Units

Units represent the percentage of a resource’s time assigned to a task.

The default percentage is 100%.

However, if a resource is going to work only half-time on a task, you can set that resource’s assignment units to 50%.

Project milestones are simply tasks with zero (0) durations.

Duration, Work & Units A milestone acts as a reference point marking a major project event.

Milestones can mark: Beginning of your project End of your project End of a major phase

You can mark any task as a milestone by: Double-click the task to open the Task Information dialog box Select the Advanced tab Check “Mark Task as Milestone” Click OK

Lesson One Review:Can You …

Create a project plan file?

Create and assign a project calendar?

Add tasks to the project plan file?

Display a project summary task?

Add a recurring task?

Enter duration estimates for tasks?

Lesson Two:Creating a Work Breakdown Structure

Promote and demote tasks

Link tasks

Identify deliverables within the project plan file by using notes

Apply a constraint to a task

Set a task deadline

Outline Tasks Because you may have several tasks related to one another, it’s a good

idea to organize them into manageable chunks.

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchy of tasks in a project represented by alphanumeric codes that identify each task’s unique place in the structure.

The WBS can be drawn as a graphic, like an organization chart or as a simple outline as shown on page 39.

Project uses the Outline method to organize and group tasks.

Outlining allows you to organize the tasks in your plan into summary tasks and subtasks.

You can use the Indent (Demote) and Outdent (Promote) buttons on the Formatting toolbar to organize your tasks into an outline form.

Outline Tasks Once your tasks have been promoted and demoted to your satisfaction,

you can choose how much or how little of your WBS that you’d like to view by collapsing or expanding the outline.

The duration and other details, such as costs, that are associated with summary tasks still represent the sum of the subtasks when a group of tasks has been collapsed.

You can include outline numbers to your task hierarchy by: Choose Tools: Options View tab Check “Show Outline Number”

Link Dependent Tasks

The tasks that make up a project are all related.

A task relationship, or a dependency, occurs when the starting time of one tasks is dependent on whether another task is starting or is completed.

The terms predecessor and successor describe how tasks relate to each other. Predecessor – the task that comes before the current

task Successor – the task that comes after the current task

Project gives you four different ways in which tasks can be related.

Task Relationships Finish-to-Start (default)

Task B cannot start until Task A finishes

Start-to-Start Task B cannot start until Task A starts

Finish-to-Finish Task B cannot finish until Task A finishes

Start-to-Finish Task B cannot finish until Task A starts

Lag & Lead Time With these relationships, you can make tasks overlap or cause a delay

between tasks.

Lead time – the overlap between dependent tasks. Lead time is entered as a negative number.

Lag time – the delay between any two dependent tasks that adds waiting time after a task is completed. Lag time is entered as a positive number.

Identify Deliverables

You may want to add notes to record specifications, customer requirement, quality measures, or any general information related to a task.

Additionally, you can attach related documents, such as Word or Excel files.

Notes Notes can be helpful for remembering important task

information, such as deliverables.

Constrain Tasks Constraints are conditions or limitations places on the start or finish date of

a task.

By default, all tasks are scheduled with a start “As Soon As Possible” constraint.

Task constraints affect how the project schedule is calculated.

Constraints should be used only when absolutely necessary as they limit Project’s flexibility for scheduling your project.

To control the schedule and to minimize the number of constraints you set, use task relationships as they allow for greater project flexibility.

Most constraints schedule tasks in related to fixed dates. However, two constraints (As Soon As Possible and As Late As Possible) are more flexible as they do not have dates associated with them.

Constrain Tasks If placing a constraint on a task causes a conflict with another task constraint or

relationship, Project can display a warning message.

If you want Project to note the conflict, without considering it when creating the project schedule:

Tools: Options Schedule tab Uncheck “Task Will Always Honor Their Constraint Dates”

Setting Task Deadlines Task Deadlines are a good alternative to setting constraints. A deadline is a target date indicating when you want a task to be completed Unlike a constraint, a deadline usually does not affect scheduling.

Page 58

Lesson Two Review:Can You …

Promote and demote tasks?

Link tasks?

Identify deliverables within the project plan file by using notes?

Apply a constraint to a task?

Set a task deadline?

Lesson Three:Creating and Assigning Resources

Enter resources and associated costs into the project plan file

Create a resource calendar

Assign resources to tasks

Add additional resources to a task

Resolve resource conflicts

Resources Resources are the people, equipment and material used to complete tasks.

Resources can be one of two types: Work Resource – people or equipment Material Resource – supplies or other consumable items

Once your tasks are entered, you’ll need to determine who will perform the work to accomplish those tasks.

Before you can assign resources to your tasks, you’ll need to enter the resource information into the Resource sheet.

Choose View: Resource Sheet

Once your resources have been entered, you can change their order by sorting by Cost, Name, ID or custom criteria you set.

Resource Calendar Occasionally, you’ll have resources that don’t work the hours

specified on the project calendar.

If you neglect to create a different calendar for this resource, your schedule will be incorrect.

Resource Information Dialog Box The enter, review or change detailed information about a selected

resource double-click the resource name

Assign Resources To identify who is responsible fro completing the tasks in your project plan,

you need to assign resources to those tasks.

By assigning resources, you allow Project to accurately schedule tasks using the resource calendars and assignment units information.

Additionally, Project can help in accounting for resource time and costs if you assign resources to your tasks and the appropriate cost information is included in the Resource Sheet.

You can assign resources whether by using the Assign Resources Dialog Box (Assign Resources button on the Standard toolbar) or by entering the resource information directly in the Entry table.

Assign Additional Resources Using task types enables you to make one of the following three variables unchangeable in

scheduling calculations. Duration Work Units

Since the duration of each task is determined by the formula Duration = Work/Assignment Units, you can choose which piece of the equation Project calculates by setting the task type.

Three task types Fixed Unit – Default Task Type. By assigning additional resources, the task’s duration is

reduced. Fixed Duration – Changes to work or resources does not impact the task’s duration. Fixed Work – Changes to task’s duration or assigned resources does not impact the work.

By default, all tasks are marked “effort-driven” which means that when you assign or remove resources, Project lengthens or shortens the duration for task based on the number of resources assigned to it. This setting can be changed in the Task Information dialog box.

Resolve Resource Conflicts Overallocation can occur when resources are scheduled to work more

hours then they are available.

This occurs because they are either assigned to too many tasks or because more resource units are assigned to a single task than exists in the resource list.

You can view resource overallocation in the following views: Resource Sheet Resource Graph Resource Usage Resource Allocation

You can use the Resource Management toolbar to help manage resource allocation.

Leveling Once you have identified any overallocated resources in a project plan, you will

need to determine how you want to resolve them.

Leveling is the process of delaying or splitting tasks to resolve conflicts.

Tasks are either split or delayed until the resources assigned are no longer overloaded.

As a result, leveling can extend the project’s finish date.

Leveling does not change resource assignments nor does it add any additional resources.

By reviewing the slack (amount of time a task can slip before it affects another task’s dates or the project finish date), task priority, task dependencies, task constraints and scheduling dates, Project levels overallocated resources.

Lesson Three Review:Can You …

Enter resources and associated costs into the project plan file?

Create a resource calendar?

Assign resources to tasks?

Add additional resources to a task?

Resolve resource conflicts?

Lesson Four:Finalizing the Project Plan

Display the project plan’s critical path

Shorten the project duration

Save the project baseline

View project summary information

View the Critical Path

The critical path is a series of tasks that must finish on schedule if the project is to finish on time.

Tasks on the critical path are called critical tasks and they do not have slack time.

To avoid delaying the project, it is important to pay attention to and manage the critical path.

By default, the critical path is not displayed. If you want to see the critical path, you’ll need to use the Gantt Chart Wizard.

Shorten the Project Duration As project manager, you will have to make decisions that may include:

assigning additional resources to tasks on the critical path Dividing tasks Removing Project Requirements to shorten the total project duration

Slack Free slack – the amount of time a task can slip before it delays another

task Total slack – the amount of time a task can slip before is delays the

project finish date

On the Detail Gantt view, slack is represented by a thin green bar.

Set a Baseline

The purpose of a baseline is to give you a point of comparison between the original project file and the current schedule to determine how closely the project is following the original plan.

A baseline essentially creates a benchmark for future reference.

A baseline helps you calculate variances between variables like task duration, start and finish dates, or costs.

You can view the project statistics, after you set the baseline plan, in the Project Information Dialog Box.

Display Project Summary Information

One way to print information in Project is to use reports.

Lesson Four Review:Can You …

Display the project plan’s critical path?

Shorten the project duration?

Save the project baseline?

View project summary information?