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Microsoft Project basics
(PDF, 18 page, 1.9MB) |
Project management software is arguably one of the most difficult to learn, not only because you need to study how to use the software, but because you also need to know a little about project management theory. |
Project management
(PDF, 6 pages, 330KB) |
While this session cannot replace more formal project management theory you do need to be introduced to some aspects of the theoretical side of project management, especially as it applies to Microsoft Project. |
Creating a new project
(PDF, 12 pages, 1MB) |
The first step in using Microsoft Project to manage the project you are working on is to create a new project file and set up some of the operational parameters. If it hasn’t been done already you’ll need to update Project’s definition of a work day. |
Creating tasks
(PDF, 16 pages, 1KB) |
A project normally consists of tasks. Tasks are defined as activities required to complete your project. Tasks are entered in Microsoft Project into rows and columns much the same as data is entered into a spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel. |
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Scheduling
(PDF, 16 pages, 1.1MB)
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Tasks in a project are usually dependent on one another and happen in a specific order. Quite often, one task cannot begin until a previous task has been completed. |
Resourcing a project
(PDF, 10 pages, 680KB) |
Resources are the people, equipment, facilities, costs and materials required to complete the tasks of your project. Microsoft Project requires you to create a resource sheet which lists the resources required to perform the tasks of your project. |
Resourcing concepts
(PDF, 14 pages, 900KB) |
Project’s primary purpose in life is to act as a scheduling tool. You enter a few tasks and assign a few resources to those tasks and a schedule is created for you, which outlines appropriate start and end dates for the entire project and its tasks. |
Assigning resources
(PDF, 14 pages, 890KB) |
Once you have entered tasks and resources into a project you can assign them to the tasks. There are a number of benefits to assigning resources, particularly clarifying responsibility, knowing how long it will take to complete and cost. |
Resource levelling
(PDF, 12 pages, 920KB) |
Ideally you will always have sufficient resources to complete the tasks in your project. However, there will be times when there are not enough resources for the work you’ve scheduled. This is known as over-allocation. |
Assigning materials
(PDF, 14 pages, 575KB) |
Project has three types of resources: work, costs, and materials. Work resources are used for assigning labour and equipment, costs for special costs such as travel, and materials for assigning and tracking materials that are consumed during the project. |
Costs
(PDF, 8 pages, 950KB) |
Money is one of the primary elements of a project that must be kept under strict control. Microsoft Project can assist you in planning, forecasting and tracking costs associated with a project. |
Constraints and deadlines
(PDF, 8 pages, 600KB) |
Constraints allow you to place restrictions on the way Microsoft Project calculates task start and finish dates. This may be necessary when you need to take into account external factors such as resource availability. |
Project tracking
(PDF, 8 pages, 665KB) |
Once you have entered your tasks and resources and created a project schedule you are ready to start tracking the progress of your project. |
Printing
(PDF, 6 pages, 790KB) |
In Microsoft Project you can either create and print a report, or print the current view. The easiest method is to print the current view. |
Learner Files
(ZIP, 3.7MB) |
If you want to try out the exercises in the learning guides above you'll need to unzip these files into your My Documents area on your desktop. |