Professional Documents
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Beginning
Microsoft
Project
• List each task necessary to complete a project in the order they should be performed.
• Assign start and finish dates to tasks or let the program set them for you by you specifying
the duration of the task.
• Display the tasks graphically over a time line to get an overall view of the project.
• Assign workers, contractors, and other resources to tasks and print their schedules.
• Compute the hours and cost necessary to complete a task or the entire project.
• Monitor a project’s progress and compare it to your original estimate.
• Analyze such items as cost, hours, slack time, resource allocation, etc. using tables and
graphs.
The picture below shows one of the many views available in Project. This view displays the
name of the task on the left and is duration graphically on the right.
Throughout this handout, we are going to use an exercise where we will remodel a bathroom.
This will involve: scheduling tasks, purchasing materials, renting equipment, scheduling
workers, paying fees, assigning costs to tasks, and specifying the sequence that the tasks
should be performed in.
The next page give you an overview of the steps we will go through in creating our or any
project.
2. Enter tasks:
• In chronological order, enter the tasks necessary to complete the project.
• Set the task’s duration.
• When appropriate, set a task’s Start / Finish date.
6. Analyze/Reevaluate/Adjust Project
Schedule From:
• Project Start Date – tasks are scheduled from the Start Date forward. The finish date depends on the
time it takes to complete the tasks. Use this when you know when you wish to start but the finish date
is not as crucial.
• Project Finish Date – tasks are scheduled from the Project Finish Date backwards. The Start Date
depends on the time it takes to complete the tasks. Use this when the project must be completed by a
particular date.
Current Date:
Set to the current date.
Calendar:
Determines which days per week are working days and which hours per day are working hours. You
can create/modify the calendar under: Tools – Change Working Time.
• Enter the tasks needed to complete the project including the start/finish dates and duration.
• Specify which tasks need to be sequential and which may occur simultaneously.
• Assign resources to tasks.
Task Name: Start: Enter Column Width: Predecessors: If Split: Click &
Type the the start date Click & drag you have specified drag the line to
name of the only when you groove to that one task must change the
task here. know exactly change column follow another proportion
when this task width. (linking), the between the
will begin. predecessor to the table and the
Otherwise, let current task will be Gantt chart.
Entry Project adjust it listed in this column.
Table based on the
flow of tasks.
• Enter tasks in the order they will occur. This is true whether you set are working from a
start date forward or a finish date backwards. If the tasks occur simultaneously, you should
(but don’t have to) list the tasks above/below one another.
• Enter a duration for each task.
• Let Project assign the start/finish dates for the tasks based on their duration. You can
worry about specific Start & Finish dates later.
Outlining
Simply listing one task after the other in chronological order is fine for small projects, but if you
have a large project, you might wish to consider breaking the project up onto logical phases
using outlining. Outlining give you the added advantage of:
Moving a Task
1. Click on the row number of the task to be move and then release the mouse.
2. Click and drag the row number up or down to move the task.
Deleting a Task
Pressing the DELETE key in a row will delete the entire row.
Editing a Task
1. Click on the task to be edited.
2. Click in the Formula Bar near the top of the screen to edit the task.
3. Press ENTER on the keyboard when editing is complete.
Inserting a Task
1. Click on the row below where the task will be inserted.
2. On the keyboard, press the Insert key. (or from the menu, click on: Insert – Insert Task.
Undoing
Project is able to undo the last action performed.
1. From the toolbar, click on the UNDO icon:
1. If you are not viewing the Gantt Chart & Entry Table, do the following:
a. From the menu, click on: VIEW – GANTT CHART
b. From the menu, click on: VIEW – TABLE “_____” – ENTRY
NOTE:
Ignore the Duration, Start, & Finish dates for now. We are ignoring the duration for these two
tasks because there are “Phase Names”, not actual tasks. There durations will be calculated
automatically based on the tasks within them.
Note on Outlining
Because rows 3-4 are indented one level
beneath “Design Phase”, there total
duration will be tallied at “Design
Phase’s” duration. Further, because
“Design Phase” is indented one level
beneath “Begin Project”, it and all other
items at the same level of indention will
be tallied at “Begin Project’s” duration. In
other words, when complete, the phase
names will contain all the subtotals for the
tasks beneath them and “Begin Project”
will contain a grand total.
1. Click in row 6.
2. From the toolbar, click on the Outdent icon:
3. Highlight rows 8-11.
4. From the toolbar, click on the Indent icon:
5. Highlight rows 13-15.
6. From the toolbar, click on the Indent icon:
Demolition Phase
1. Type the Task Names and Durations as shown for rows 16-19.
2. Highlight rows 16-19.
3. From the toolbar, click Outdent twice.
4. Highlight rows 17-19.
5. From the toolbar, click Indent once.
Task entry and outlining is now complete. Your screen should look like the picture shown.
Note that you will probably have different dates.
Basic Steps:
There are two ways to create links:
• You can highlight the tasks to be linked using the table and then click the link button.
• You can click and drag from one task bar on the Gantt chart to another.
The Duration for Design Although your dates will The blue arrows indicate
Phase now displays the be different, the Start that the tasks are linked.
subtotal for all of its dates now reflect the The staggered boxes
tasks. new sequence. indicate when the task will
occur.
Purchasing Phase
1. Highlight rows 8-11.
2. Click on the LINK button on the toolbar:
3. Highlight rows 13-15.
4. Click on the LINK button on the toolbar:
• Control click each Phase name (rows 2, 6, 16, & 20) and then click the LINK icon.
• Highlight the end of one phase and the beginning of the next and click the LINK icons.
Both methods are primarily the same except that the first method produces a black line that
runs through all of the tasks. We will use the second method.
Dissolving Links
There are several methods of breaking the link between two tasks:
• Using the graph, double click the arrows joining the tasks and select “DELETE”.
• Using the table, highlight the cells the tasks are in and click on the “Unlink Tasks” icon.
Going to a Task
To view a task on the Gantt Chart that is not currently visible in the Gantt Chart window, follow
these steps:
1. On the Entry Table, click on a task.
2. From the toolbar, click on the “Goto Selected Task” icon:
Note that although the total duration for the project has not changed, the project now stretches
over a longer period. This is because there are less working hours per week.
Predecessor: a task that must start or finish before another task can begin.
Successor: a task that depends upon the start or finish status of the previous task.
Lead Time: The task that follows (the successor) starts before the proceeding task (the
predecessor) is complete. For example, you can grout one wall of tile even
though you have not tiled the entire room.
Lag Time: The task which follows (the successor) starts well after the proceeding task (the
predecessor) is complete. For example, you must wait for the paint to dry
before you can hang pictures.
The elongated
arrow indicates
lead time in the
Gantt Chart.
NOTE:
You can also access the “Task Information” window by:
• Double clicking the blue arrow between two tasks on the Gantt Chart or
• Double clicking the name of a task on the “Entry Table”.
Resource List - Expenses that vary according to hours or times used (labor, equipment rental,
use fees) should be entered into the resource list.
Cost Table - Fixed expenses (materials cost, permit fees) should be entered into the Cost
Table.
Initials: Max Units: Ovt. Rate: The Accrue At: Accruement has Code: You can
(Opt) These Maximum number rate charged when an effect only when interim use this for
can be of units of this the resource is reports are generated. anything. The
made to resource that are works overtime most common
show up on available. For hours. There are 3 options: use if to place
the Gantt example, .5 • START: The full cost of accounting
chart rather indicates that the the task is accrued at the codes so you
than the resource is to work beginning of the task can group task
resource no more than ½ a whether the task has cost information
name. day on any task. been completed or not. for exporting
Enter 1 if the • END: The cost of the into other
resource is task is accrued when a applications.
available full time. task is 100% complete.
2.5 would indicate • PRORATED: The cost
that you have two of the task is accrued as
full time workers the project proceeds.
and one ½ time.
• You will have zeroes where the picture has blanks. This was done for clarity.
• Utilities On/Off – we are charged each time utilities are turned on or off.
• At “Base Calendar”, double click an item to select the base calendar to use. Note that
some resources are not available on weekends and nights and have been assigned to the
“Standard” calendar. Once assigned to a task, the tasks on the Gantt chart will
automatically adjust their dates to reflect this constraint.
Name: Displays all the names entered into the Resource Sheet. Double click a
resource name to view or edit it.
Project Duration
The most common problem when evaluating a project it that it is too long. Fortunately, there
are several methods of shorting the duration of a project. First, it is important to understand
that by default, task duration is “Resource Driven”. This means the duration originally
assigned to a task can change depending upon the resource assigned to it. The following
example illustrates this relationship.
A window similar to the picture to the right appears. Overallocated resources are in red.
6. Click on the name of the resource that is overallocated.
7. From the toolbar, click on the “Goto Overallocation” icon:
You can now tell which resources that are overallocated and the specific tasks they are
assigned to. At this point the resource allocation can be changed.
Reassigning Resources
1. Click on the name of the task whose resource is to be reassigned.
2. On the “Resource Management” toolbar, click on the “Resource Assignment” icon:
3. In the “Resource Assignment” window, click the overallocated resource.
4. In the “Resource Assignment” window, click on the REPLACE button.
5. In the “Replace Resource” window, click the resource that will replace the overallocated
resource.
6. Click on OK, then click on CLOSE.
To see the reassignment on the Gantt chart, click on the name of the resource you reassigned
the task to in the “Resource Name” column.
A window similar to the one below will open. Note that your figures will not be the same as
those shown here.
Fixed Costs: These costs will only be present if they were typed here by the user.
Total Cost: This is a combination of Fixed costs and the cost of resources.
Baseline: This contains the expected costs prior to beginning the project.
Variance: This is the Baseline cost subtracted from the Total Cost.
Actual: The cost of the project at its current point of completion.
Remaining: The costs that are still to incur at the project’s current state of completion.
Creating a Baseline
A baseline is a snapshot of you project before actual work begins and changes are made to
the schedule. You can then compare the actual project to the baseline. The baseline includes
task start and finish dates, resources, and costs.
Reschedule Work:
If the highlighted
task’s start date is
Update Resources:
before the “Current
Percent Complete: Updates the timesheet,
Date” (File - Project
Marks the selected then opens the Resource
Info.), then the
Project Statistics: task(s) at the Update Options dialog
task(s) start date will
Displays the percent completed box, which you use to
be rescheduled to
project’s summary for the button select the resource work
start on the “Current
informtion. chosen. you want to update.
Date”.
Reports
There are numerous reports available in Project, the can be viewed and printed. To access
them:
1. From the menu, click on: VIEW – REPORTS
2. Click a category and then click on SELECT
3. Click a report and then click SELECT
4. To Print, click on the PRINT button or to Close, click on the CLOSE button.
Costs - Budget