Microsoft Project Tutorial for Chapters 4 & 5

This Tutorial explains how to:

• Build a MSP Project Network • Build a Probabilistic MSP Network• Use the Calendar Tool and Options• Manipulate The Gant Chart* Click on above link to skip to that Section

*clicking on the light bulb will take you directly to the software tutorial for that lesson

*clicking on Home will take you directly back to the first slide

Building A Project Network in MSP

• Launch Microsoft Project• Click on “New” • Refer to Table 5-2 in Text (p.149)

Table 5-2

Activity Duration Predecessors a 5 -b 4 -c 3 ad 4 ae 6 af 4 b, c g 5 dh 6 d, e i 6 fj 4 g, h

A Sample Problem for Finding the Critical Path and Critical Time

Building A Project Network in MSP

If a specific start date is given, we can enter it into MSP as well

• Click on Project, then Project Information

• Then select the start date that is given:

Building A Project Network in MSPTransfer information from action plan to Gantt Sheet

• Under the View option, make sure the “View Bar” option is checked

• Then select the Gantt Chart box:

Building A Project Network in MSPThe MSP entry table looks similar to the action plan template

* Be sure to save your New project both when you start it, and periodically as you make progress

Building A Project Network in MSP

Plug the information from Table 5-2 into the Gantt Table

• The software automatically numbers each activity that is entered• Predecessors are indicated by task ID #’s rather than their names

Table 5-2A Sample Problem for Finding the

Critical Path and Critical Time

Activity Duration Predecessors

a 5 -

b 4 -

c 3 a

d 4 a

e 6 a

f 4 b, c

g 5 d

h 6 d, e

i 6 f

j 4 g, h

Building A Project Network in MSP

The Task’s dates are adjusted accordingly

Notice that the Gantt Chart is also constructing

automatically

Building A Project Network in MSP

To simplify things, add Start & Finish as milestones to make the network easier to understand

• Highlight the first task by clicking on the task # (1)

• Go to Insert, New Task.

• We now can add the Start Milestone to the top of the

action plan• Notice that the existing list of predecessors has updated

accordingly

Building A Project Network in MSP

To simplify things, add Start & Finish as milestones to make the network easier to understand

• In MSP, Milestones have a duration of 0

• Task A & B will now have Start as a predecessor

• The last two activities, I & J, are predecessor's to Finish

Building A Project Network in MSP

Once the action plan data is entered, MSP will automatically draw an AON PERT/CMP network

To View:• click on the Network Diagram box on the view bar

To change the size of the viewed network screen:• Click on View, Zoom & adjust

accordingly

Building A Project Network in MSP

Once the action plan data is entered, MSP will automatically draw an AON PERT/CMP network

• To see the entire network, choose “Entire Project”

Your Network Should look similar:

Building A Project Network in MSP

We can get rid of the crossing by simply dragging the nodes to their desired location.

• First, Right-Click on white background of Network Diagram• Select “Layout” option

• Choose “Allow manual box positioning” and press ok

Building A Project Network in MSP

We can get rid of the crossing by simply dragging the nodes to their desired location.

Now MSP will allow us to grab and relocate the Nodes

Click and Drag the C Node down to the bottom of the network and re-arrange as necceasy

Building A Project Network in MSP

Before

After

Building A Project Network in MSP

MSP can show us the Free & Total Slack in our Project

• Go to View, then to More Views…• Choose “Detailed Gantt,” and click apply• Go to View, Table: and choose Schedule

1st

2nd

3rd

Building A Project Network in MSP

MSP can show us the Free & Total Slack in our Project

In the chart portion of the view, slack appears as thin bars to the right of tasks, with slack values adjoining the regular Gantt bars. The tasks in red are those which are critical.

Building A Project Network in MSP

MSP can filter our Tasks to help Identify the Critical Path

• Go to Project • Select Filtered For:• Choose Critical

Building A Project Network in MSP

MSP can filter our Tasks to help Identify the Critical Path

Now MPS will only display the tasks that are along the Critical Path, to display all tasks again, simply re-filter for all tasks

Building A Project Network in MSP

Summary Tasks can also be used to help organize a project:

Using information from Table 3-5, a template for an LAN Installation project, we create our MSP action Plan on the Gantt

Table

Building A Project Network in MSP

Summary Tasks can also be used to help organize a project:

• In this Particular example, our Summary tasks are Phases I-IV

• Select all the tasks under Phase I• Select the Indent option to indent all the

Tasks under Phase I• All the selected tasks will now appear under

the summary task for Phase I • Do the same for Phases II-IV

Building A Project Network in MSP

Your Gantt table will display summary tasks, making the project more organized and the Gantt Chart more legible.

Building A Probabilistic Network in MSP

To enter in the figures for the three-time duration estimates in Table 5-6:

• Go to “View”• Choose “Toolbars”• Check PERT Analysis

The PERT Analysis toolbar will appear:

Building A Probabilistic Network in MSP

To enter in the figures for the three-time duration estimates in Table 5-6:

To eliminate future problems, lets set the duration periods to a consistent value, in this case we will use weeks, since it is used

most frequently. So entries with days must be converted to weeks. (5 day work week) i.e. 4 days = 4/5= .8 wks

Building A Probabilistic Network in MSP

• Go to Tools • Select Options

• Click on Schedule Tab• Select Weeks in the Duration

is Entered in: dropdown• Click ok

* The schedule tab is where you modify the default settings for entering tasks.

Building A Probabilistic Network in MSP

To enter in the figures for the three-time duration estimates in Table 5-6:

• Enter in action plan from Table 5-6 into Gantt Table

• Include Task Name & predecessors.

• Ignore Duration for now, these will be calculated

• Ignore Resource Names, we will learn this in a later lesson

• notice Duration is now in weeks… 1day/5days= .2wks

Building A Probabilistic Network in MSP

To enter in the figures for the three-time duration estimates in Table 5-6:

Once the action plan has been built, select the PERT Entry Sheet:

The PERT Entry Sheet should

appear:

Building A Probabilistic Network in MSP

To enter in the figures for the three-time duration estimates in Table 5-6:

Now Enter in the Values from Table 5-6• Optimistic = a • Expected (normal) = m• Pessimistic = b

Remember to convert a, m, & b durations from days to weeks when necessary

i.e. 2 days= .4 wks, or, 6 days = 1.2 wks

Building A Probabilistic Network in MSPOnce the information from the 3X-duration table is entered into the

Pert Entry Form:

• Select “Calculate PERT” from the PERT Toolbar

• Click Yes ( you may want to save the pre-existing project before doing this, as it will overwrite any previous entries in duration).

Building A Probabilistic Network in MSPAfter running the PERT Calculator, the est. Duration (Te) is available:

*The estimated duration will also be visible in the Original Gantt View as well

Creating a Project CalendarMSP defaults to a Standard, or base, calendar because it serves at

the basis for scheduling calculations

This Standard Calendar assumes:• Eight hour work day • 5 work days in a week (40 hours)

To View the Project Calendar:• Simply click on the Calendar button on the view bar

* Calendars can be created for Project Wide, Task, or Resource specific. (For this lesson, we will focus on Project Wide)

Creating a Project CalendarThe Calendar will display your project from the start date

specified

Creating a Project CalendarThe Calendar’s display period options are easily modified

To quickly change the schedules display period:• Click on the buttons at the upper left side

of the calendar• The calendar can display one month or one

week at a time, or..• Click Custom to choose a specific period of

time

Creating a Project CalendarThe Calendar’s structure is also modifiable

To modify the Calendar’s structure:• Go to Format• Choose “Timescale…”

Here we can modify:• Monthly, daily, & weekly

titles• Display all days/work days• Date boxes, shading, and

more

Creating a Project CalendarCreating a project specific calendar

To create a project specific calendar:• Go to Tools• Select Change Working Time

In the Change Working Time Dialogue Box:• Select Create New Calendar

*Make sure you are making changes for correct Calendar

Creating a Project CalendarCreating a project specific calendar

Create New Base Calendar Box:• Name your Project Calendar• Make a copy of the Standard

Calendar to keep its formatting, exceptions can be added.

• Click OK

The Change Working Time box will now allow you to format it

accordingly

Creating a Project CalendarModifying Project Calendar

Adding a Vacation Day: (hypothetical)• Click on the day you wish to make

an exception• On the Exception tab, Input the

Name, Start and end of the exception

• Click OK

Creating a Project CalendarModifying Project Calendar

Notice the Details button in the Change Working Time Box

Here you can:• Set non-working or working

times for exceptions• Set a Recurrence Pattern for

exceptions• Set Range of Recurrences

for exceptions

Creating a Project CalendarModifying Project Calendar

You can also Modify the schedule for the work week: (hypothetical, get off @ 1 on Fridays)

• Choose the Work Weeks Tab (in the same Change Working Time box)

• Enter the Name, Start date, and End date (in this ex., Early Fridays will apply for the length of the project)

Creating a Project CalendarModifying Project Calendar

• Click on Details • Select the day (Friday) • Choose Set day to these specific

working times (for ex.=8 a.m. 1 pm)• Click OK

*In Work Weeks you can:• Use default times for

certain days • Set certain days to non

working time • Set days to specific work

times

Creating a Project CalendarSet modified calendar to project

To apply project calendar to entire project:• Go to Project• Select Project Information

In the Project Information box:• Click on the Calendar dropdown• Select the new Calendar• Press OK

Creating a Project CalendarIn The Calendar View you can now see Project has been

applied to the modified (test) calendar.

*Notice that May 5th is no longer scheduled

Creating a Project Calendar

The Gantt Table (action plan) has also been updated automatically (go to Gantt View):

Manipulating the Gantt ChartThe Gantt Chart can be manipulated to display a variety of

information Refer to Table 5-4

Manipulating the Gantt ChartTo Create WBS Codes

• Highlight All tasks• Go to Project• Go to WBS• Choose Define Code

In the WBS Code Def. box:• Select a Project Code Prefix (in

this case none)• Select Sequence (in this case

Numbers Ordered)• Check both options at bottom• Click OK

Manipulating the Gantt ChartDisplay WBS Codes (MSP will not do this automatically)

• Highlight the Task Name column• Right click on header (Task Name)• Choose Insert Column

• Under Field Name, Choose WBS• Click Best Fit• Select Ok

Manipulating the Gantt ChartThe WBS codes have now been assigned to the Tasks

Manipulating the Gantt ChartThe Gantt Chart Wizard is used to format the Gantt Chart’s

display options

The Gantt Chart Wizard can be accessed by:• Going to Format• or Right-clicking on the Gantt Table• Selecting Gantt Chart Wizard

Manipulating the Gantt ChartThe Gantt Chart Wizard is used to format the Gantt Chart’s

display optionsThe Gantt Chart Wizard display will appear, here you can change the Gantt Chart to Display:

• Standard, Critical, and Baseline paths• Resources, Dates, both or neither• Option to link dependent tasks • Customize Gant Chart • Customize Task Information

Manipulating the Gantt ChartModify the Gantt Chart to Display Task Names (Figure 5-23)

In The Gantt Chart Wizard• Click Next to begin customization• For this example, Choose Standard

and click Next• Choose Custom Task Information

and click Next • On the “Left” drop down menu

select Name and then Click next through options

• For this example, select No when asked to link dependent tasks

• Click Format It and Exit Wizard

Manipulating the Gantt ChartModify the Gantt Chart’s display period

Like the Project Calendar, The Gantt Table’s display Period can be modified:

• Right Click on the Date Tier• Select Timescale…

In the Timescale Box:• Select Months in the “Units”

dropdown• Select One tier in the “Show”

dropdown• Click OK

Manipulating the Gantt ChartThe Gantt Chart should resemble Figure 5-23, with task

names to the left of the Gantt bars

Manipulating the Gantt Chart

Both the Gantt Table and the Gantt Chart Wizard can be manipulated to display a variety of information including:

• Critical paths• Path Connections• Slack• EST, LST, EFT, and LFT• Expected Durations• Milestones• Resources Requirements• Progress and More

A Project Manager can explore the display options in MSP to create a Gantt Table and Chart suitable to a particular project