Ravi Gaurav Pandey

MICROSOFT PROJECT
An effortless scheduling application for every type of PROJECT

The following tutorial demonstrates the use of MSPROJECT for Project Management which organizes and tracks the required activities. It is intended to be used in getting started with the tool

To use MSPROJECT for Project Management we:

Define the required TASKS Establish the sequence and various DEPENDENCIES Make any required modifications to the CALENDAR Assign RESOURCES to complete the TASKS Once a satisfactory schedule has been developed, it is BASELINED so the MSPROJECT has a history it can employ in displays Finally, as TASKS are worked on, % COMPLETION is entered for each TASK Other functions are available which enable the user to adjust the schedule to optimize the chance for success. These include critical path analysis, resource leveling and many powerful Project Management tools.
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Training Module Preview

This module will provide:

Introduction to the basic navigation of the most commonly used MS Project features

Menus Toolbars Help/questions dialogue box

Introduction to the basic configuration tools that display the most commonly needed data Background material for project planning

This module is constructed as the second of three blocks in a building block approach

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MS Project Rules of the Road

Be prepared before using MS Project Have the required building blocks defined
Identify a clear project goal Identify tasks, resources, requirements, limitations Identify relationships between tasks

Constraints and Dependencies

Identify a defined sequence for tasks

Like any tool, MS Project cannot define the goal of a project, the user must do that
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MS Project Rules of the Road

Create a configuration that makes sense

Data that meets the needs of everyone involved

Workers, managers, stakeholders

Above all-keep it as simple as possible to avoid information overload

Too much information will make it more difficult to communicate the project plan and status

Ravi Gaurav Pandey

MS Project Rules of the Road

Remember Project is a tool designed to help:

Organize the information Visualize the information Manage the information Analyze the information Quantify the possible plan outcomes

Project plans are only as good as the data used to construct them: bad estimates = bad plans It can be labor intensive creating a plan; save the data in 2 places for safety on the hard drive and a disc

Save each time the project is opened

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The Opening Screen

Not Intuitive add tools

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Basic Configuration
Project Guidea step by step tutorial

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Basic Configuration
Click Tasks and a step by step tutorial/guide appears

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Basic Configuration
Next, add toolbars to make navigating easier

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Basic Configuration
format data to meet personal preferences

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Basic Configuration
and add PERT analysis tools

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Basic Configuration
The result is an easier to use toolsettime to explore!

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Basic Configuration
All toolbars have tool tips that appear when the
cursor rolls over it

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Basic Configuration
Typing a question yields a list of topics and answers

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Basic Configuration
Before beginning, take some time to explore the
toolbars Walk through the tutorial Set font preferences or use the program defaults DO NOT BEGIN ENTERING DATA until you are comfortable with the basic layout Create a layout that you are comfortable with

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Exploring the Menus

The Edit Menu

Standard Windows Edit Menu, similar to MS

Excel

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Exploring the Menus

The View Menu

Allows a user to view a wide range of charts,

graphs and tables with the click of a mouse

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Exploring the Menus

The Insert Menu

A Standard Windows Insert menu, similar to both MS Excel and MS Word

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Exploring the Menus

The Format Menu

Allows a user to customize all aspects of the project or use wizards for ease of use

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Exploring the Menus

The Tools Menu

Link tasks, change time, adjust resources level resources when over-tasked (automatically adjust work assignment)

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Exploring the Menus

The Project Menu

Project Specific Tools that are similar to MS Excel

Sort, filter, arrange tasks Detailed project and task information

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Exploring the Menus

The Window Menu

The Standard Microsoft Window Menu

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Exploring the Menus

The Help Menu

Standard Windows Help menu

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Exploring the Menus

Menu Options

Most menu options can also be accessed by

right mouse-clicking in the associated working area

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Exploring the Menus

Key Options to know

On the Tool menu, Options tab is very important Used to set all preferences in one easy to access
place
Fonts, calendars, work display units Scheduling Options Auto-save options Display options Chart and graph options

Go through these tabs to set preferences

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Exploring the Menus

The Options Tabs on the Tools Menu

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Exploring the Menus

Key Options to know

On the PERT Tool bar, PERT Entry Sheet is very

important Used to enter all task information before PERT Analysis

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Exploring the Menus

PERT Entry Sheet

Can Be Customized so the data only has to be

entered once will be reflected in all other areas

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Exploring the Menus

The Task Information Tabs on the Project Menu

On the Project menu, Task Information tab is

very important Used to enter all task information in one easy to access place Can also be accessed by right mouse clicking when in the WBS/Task List Area Go through these tabs to set constraints and dependencies, enter task info, resources, notes
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Exploring the Menus

The Task Information Tabs on the Project Menu

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Terms

Duration
Work Resource

Fixed Duration
Fixed Units Fixed Work

Resource Units
Effort-Driven

Over-allocation
Leveling

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Duration & Work

Duration - The total span of working time or elapsed time required to complete a task. Work - The total effort required to complete a task.

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Resources

Resources are the people, equipment and supplies used to

complete tasks in a project.

Resources that are assigned to tasks but do not create work are known as material resources.

Resource Units indicate how much of a resource's

available time, according to the resource calendar, is being used to work on a particular task. In a project schedule, resource effort is expressed as assignment units or sometimes just as units.

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Scheduling Formula
Duration = Work Resource Units

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Fixed Units

As the task's assigned units remain constant, an increase / decrease in assigned work will result in a corresponding increase / decrease in task duration. Fixed Units is the default task type for new tasks.

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Fixed Work

If assigned work should remain constant, then as a task's duration goes up assigned units will go down (and vice versa). If assigned units are greater than max units, a resource over-allocation will arise.

Duration = Work Resource Units

or Duration = 1 Resource Units
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Fixed Duration

For a constant task duration, as assigned work is increased so will assigned units.
Decrease the units and the work will correspondingly reduce.

Duration = Work Resource Units

If assigned units are greater than max units, a resource over-allocation will arise.
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Effort-Driven

Only comes into play after the initial resource assignments have been made Work stays constant

When resources (manpower) are assigned or removed from a task, Microsoft Project will extend or shorten the duration of the task to accommodate change in resources
This is the default option for new tasks
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Ravi Gaurav Pandey

Over-allocation

Situation when more hours of a resource are allocated than are available Identifying Over-allocated Resources
Special

leveling indicator Resource Usage View over-allocated resources are red

Over-allocation can be resolved by leveling project

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Leveling

Resolving resource conflicts or over-allocations by delaying or splitting certain tasks. During leveling, assignments are rescheduled according to the resource availability profiles, assigned units, and resource calendars, as well as the task's duration and constraints. It is instigated either automatically or (more commonly) by the command level now. Tools | Level Resources . . . (hour by hour)

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Open application MSPROJECT and then list all known tasks and force all MILESTONES to be ZERO Days by clicking on the Duration cell and decrementing it to zero. Note that we have planned ahead by starting to create two summary task rows. Next we will indent subtasks.

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INDENT

Select Tasks1P-Milestone 5P and then click on INDENT to create subtasks.

Repeat for Tasks1D Milestone 5D. The INDENT is the GREEN right facing arrow in upper left of screen. Note display change with INDENTATION.

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Create some initial dependencies by first selecting Task 1P, then while holding down the CNTRL key, select Task 2P and Milestone 1_2P and then click on Link Task, the chain link icon in the tool bar above. Note new arrows in display.

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Repeat for Task 3P, Task 5P and Milestone 5 and click on Link Tasks. Repeat for Task 4P and Task 5P and click on Link Tasks.

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Create more dependencies by first selecting Milestone 1_2P, then while holding down the CNTRL key, select Summary Task for Design and click on Link Tasks. Repeat for Milestone 5P and Summary Task for Design and click on Link Task. Now the Summary Task for Design is dependant upon completion of the two major Milestones under Summary Task for Planning !
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Complete all dependencies under Summary Task for Design. Select Task 1D, then Task 2D, then Task 4D ,then Task 5D and finally Milestone 5D and then click on Link Tasks. Repeat for Task 3D and Task4D.

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Select Tools/Change Work Time then HIGHLIGHT the Column for Saturday and then select Nondefault working time (box) followed by Ravi Gaurav Pandey OK. This makes MON-SAT work days for the schedule. We decided Sunday is a day of rest!!

Resources

We now enter the duration estimates for each subtask in total hours of work required by clicking on the appropriate duration cell and entering the data. Task 1P is set to 10 hours by typing 10h. Note that the schedule now has automatically moved out in time. Next we will add resources (people). Initially we add our staff names Tom, Dick, Harry & Janet by clicking on the resources icon in the toolbar above. As we add resources to each task, its duration will Ravi Gaurav Pandey change.

We have now added our resources a first cut. After that we can now fine tune the schedule longer or shorter as required by modifying the resource levels. Or we can actually adjust the duration directly via the duration cell. Once we are happy with the results we should BASELINE the schedule which means that MSPROJECT will remember what the schedule looks like at this point. We BASELINE by selecting Ravi Gaurav Pandey Tools/Tracking/Save Baseline and select Entire

We now change our View to Tracking Gantt from our original setting of Gant Chart by selecting View/Tracking Gantt. To show the benefit of this chart which employs the established BASELINE, we will change Task 5D from 4 to 24 hours.
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Note how the chart displays the change

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And finally we opened Task 4D and marked it as Pandey Ravi Gaurav 60% complete to demonstrate MSPROJECTs tracking capability. Note display change.

THANK YOU
I hope you have gained sufficient to start working with MS Project.

Ravi Gaurav Pandey