Managing Projects using Microsoft Project 2010 Desktop

Resource Tab

Project Tab

View Tab

Format Tab

File Tab (Backstage) Task Tab

Exploring the Project 2010 Views

What is a View?

Task Views

Resource Views

Combining Views

Understand the success factors for your project schedule.

Understand the Project 2010 ribbon.

Understand Project 2010 views.

This module explains how to initialize a project schedule prior to performing any work on your schedule. Lessons presented in this module will review how calendars work in Project and how to create and configure calendars. You will review the difference between duration and work/effort and understanding how they drive your project scheduling. You will also learn how to create project schedules from various methods.

Creating and Configuring Calendars

How Calendars work in Project 2010

Creating a Base Calendar

Setting Working Hours and Days

Setting Calendar Options

Setting Non-Working Hours and Days

Setting Calendar Options

Saving the Base Calendar to the Global Template

Configuring Schedule/Display Options

Understanding Duration vs. Work / Effort

What is Effort Driven Scheduling?

Understanding Task Types

Setting Schedule Options

Setting Display and General Options

Creating and Saving a Project Schedule

Creating a New Project Schedule

Adding Project Information

Creating a Schedule from an Excel Workbook

Creating a Schedule from a SharePoint Task List

Importance of Naming Standards

Saving the Schedule

Setting Read-Only and Password Attributes

Save and Send Options

Create a Schedule from an Excel Workbook

Add Project Information

Save Project Schedule with Read-Only and Password Attributes

Create a new project schedule.

Add project information.

Create a schedule from an Excel workbook.

Create a schedule from a SharePoint task List.

Understand the importance of naming standards.

Set read-only and password attributes.

Save the schedule.

Understand Save and Send options.

This module describes working with a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Lessons presented in this module will review what a WBS is and why it is important. You will then create the WBS by entering tasks and estimating task lengths. You will also learn to set milestones and applying milestone filters.

Overview of the WBS

What is a WBS?

Task categories

Best Practices

Creating the Work Breakdown Structure

Entering Tasks

Working with Task Information

Outlining Tasks into a Hierarchy

Displaying Outline Numbers & WBS

Customizing WBS Codes

Estimating Task Lengths

Overview of Estimating

Entering Estimates

Entering Milestones

How to Set a Milestone

Apply Milestone Filters

Best Practices

Add New Tasks

Outline Tasks into Phases

Display the WBS Column

Add Durations to Tasks

Create Milestones and Test Milestone Filter

Understand what a Work Breakdown Structure is.

Best practices of creating a WBS.

Entering tasks and creating a hierarchy.

Overview of estimating task lengths.

Understand what a milestone is and how it may be used.

This module describes how to task relationships work in a project schedule. Lessons presented in this module will explain the difference between automatic and manual scheduling and when to use them. You will work with task dependencies, understanding predecessors and how they work. You will also know the difference between leads and lags and when to use them.

Automatic vs. Manual Scheduling

Scheduling Overview

Manual vs. Automatic Scheduling

When to Use Manual Scheduling

Setting Scheduling Options

Adjusting Tasks in Manual Mode

Working with Dependencies

Task Dependency Types

Creating Dependencies

Viewing Dependencies

Best Practices for Using Dependencies

Understanding Leads and Lags

What is Lead Time?

What is Lag Time?

Best Practices

Change Task Scheduling from Automatic to Manual

Add Text to Fields

Viewing Successors

Creating Finish-to-Start Task Dependencies

Creating Dependencies between Phases

Editing Existing Dependencies

Add Lag Time

Add Lead Time

Understand scheduling.

Know the features of manual and automatic scheduling.

Know when to use manual and automatic scheduling.

Set scheduling options.

This module describes how to work with advanced task information. Lessons presented in this module will explain task constraints and what actions create constraints automatically. You will learn about task deadlines, task form views. You will also learn how to split tasks and how to use the Task Inspector to examine your tasks to make suggestions.

Working with Task Constraints

What are Constraints?

Constraint Types

Actions that Create Automatic Constraints

Advanced Task Management

Task Deadlines

Using the Task Inspector

Using Task Form Views

Adding Notes to Tasks

Applying a Calendar to a Task

Splitting Tasks

Working with Timescale

Add Start—No-Earlier Than Constraint (SNET)

Add Finish-No-Later Than Constraint (FNLT)

Add Total Slack Column

Add a Task Deadline

Remove Summary Task Constraint

Add a Calendar to a Task

Add a Note to a Task

Use the Task Inspector

Working with Timescale

Work with task constraints.

Understand advanced task management techniques.

This module describes how to create resources in your project schedule. Lessons presented in this module will explain the different resource types and how to create them. You will also learn how to assign material, cost and budget resources to the project schedule.

Resource Types

Work Resources

Cost Resources

Material Resources

Budget Resources

Creating Work and Material Resources

Creating a Work Resource

Resource Information – General

Resource Information – Costs

Resource Information – Notes and Custom Fields

Inserting Resources

Creating a Material Resource

Assigning Material, Cost and Budget Resources

Assign a Cost Resource

Assign a Material Resource

Assign a Budget Resource

Create a Work Resource

Modify a Resource Calendar

Create a Generic Resource

Create a Material Resource

Create a Cost Resource

Create a Budget Cost Resource

Create a Budget Work Resource

Bulk Import Resources

Assign a Cost Resource

Assign a Material Resource

Assign Budget Resources

Understand resource types.

Create resources: work, cost, budget and material.

Assign cost, budget and material resources.

This module describes how to assign and level work resources against a project schedule. Lessons presented in this module will explain what an assignment is and how create various assignments. You will learn about factors that affect assignments and how to view resource assignments. You will also learn how to view and resolve resource allocations using manual and automatic resource leveling.

Overview of Assignments

What is an Assignment

Assignment Formula

How to Create Assignments

Creating Fixed Unit Assignments

Creating Fixed Duration Assignments

Creating Fixed Work Tasks

Factors that Affect Assignments

Percentage Complete

Assignment Units and Peak Units Values

Resource Calendar

Delaying an Assignment

Rules for Creating Assignments

Best Practices

Resolving Resource Overallocations

Understanding Overallocations

Views to Identify Overallocations

Leveling Resources – Project Manager

Leveling Resources – Microsoft Project

Creating Fixed Unit Assignments

Creating Fixed Duration Assignments

Creating Fixed Work Assignments

Assigning Resources Using Percentage

Adding Additional Resources

Assigning Resources with Variable Units

Add Vacation Time

Delaying an Assignment

Working with Resource Usage View

Working with Task Usage View

Working with Team Planner View

Assign Resources to Tasks

Identify Overallocations using the Resource Sheet

Identify Overallocations using Resource Usage

Modify the Predecessor of a Task

Reviewing Changes

Using Automatic Leveling

Understand task types and effort-driven concepts.

Understand what is an assignment.

Understand the scheduling formula.

Create fixed units assignments.

Create fixed duration assignments.

Create fixed work assignments.

This module describes how to review and finalize the project schedule. Lessons presented in this module will explain what are groups and filters and how to use them. You will learn the Critical Path Method and how to format and view the critical path of a project schedule. You will also learn about project baselines and how to set and update a baseline.

Working with Groups and Filters

What are Groups?

How to Use Groups

What are Filters?

How to Use Filters

How to Use Highlights

How to Use AutoFilter

Understanding the Critical Path Method

What is a Critical Path?

Formatting Views to Display Critical Path

Setting Slack Tolerance

Shortening the Critical Path

Setting a Project Baseline

What is a Baseline

Fields Used in Setting a Baseline

Setting the Baseline

Updating a Baseline

Views Using Baseline Data

Appendix

Appendix A – Default Groups

Appendix B – Default Filters

Formatting Views to Display Critical Path

Setting Slack Tolerance

Shortening the Critical Path

Migrating Settings by using Windows Easy Transfer

Configuring a Reference Image of Windows 7

Configuring a Reference Image

Setting the Baseline

Viewing the Tracking Gantt

Adding Baseline Data to Usage and Resource Views

Filter and group schedule data.

Understand and exam the critical path.

Set the schedule baseline.

This module describes how to track and update a project schedule. Lessons presented in this module will explain tracking and how to use the various tracking methods. You will learn how to update milestones, material and cost resources. You will also learn about project status and how to update the project status.

Overview of Tracking Projects

What is Tracking?

Tracking Methods

Options that Affect Tracking

Best Practices of Tracking

Tracking Projects

Preparing a Task to be Tracked

Using Percent Complete

Using Task Level Tracking – Task Duration

Using Task Level Tracking – Task Work

Using Resource Level Tracking – Task Details

Using Resource Level Tracking – Resource Usage

Updating Milestones, Material and Cost Resources

Updating Milestones

Updating Material Resources

Updating Cost Resources

Updating Project Status

Overview of the Tracking Cycle

Setting a Status Date

Rescheduling Incomplete Work

Getting the Project Back on Track

Preparing Tasks to be Updated

Track Using Percent Complete

Using Task Level Tracking – Task Duration

Using Task Level Tracking – Task Work

Using Resource Level Tracking – Task Details

Using Resource Level Tracking – Resource Details

Update Milestones using the Tracking Gantt

Update Material Resources using the Task Details Form

Update Cost Resource using the Task Details Form

Entering a Status Date

Rescheduling Incomplete Work

Understand tracking and tracking methods.

Enter tracking data for work resources.

Update costs, materials and milestone tasks.

Reschedule incomplete work.

This module describes managing multiple projects and resource pools. Lessons presented in this module will explain what a resource pool is and how to create and share them with other users. You will learn about linking multiple projects and analyzing the effects of changing values in one project. You will also learn about master projects, how to create them and how to insert sub-projects.

Linking Multiple Projects

 Overview of Multiple Projects

 Cross-Linking Projects

 Analyzing the Effects of Changing Values

Working with Master and Sub-Projects

 Overview of Master Projects

 Creating a Master Project and Inserting Sub-Projects

 Leveling Resources Across Projects

Working with Resource Pools

 What is a Resource Pool?

 Creating a Resource Pool

 How to Share Resources across Multiple Projects

 Viewing Resource Usage in the Resource Pool

Appendix A – Customizing Project 2010 Features

Customizing the User Interface

 Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

 Customizing the Ribbon

 Exporting/Importing the Customization Files

Customizing Formats and Styles

 Overview on Custom Formats and Styles

 Customizing Gantt Views

 Customizing Timeline Views

Working with the Organizer

 What is an Object and Available Objects

 Define Settings in Organizer

 Using the Organizer to Share Objects

Creating Custom Objects

 Creating a Custom Field

 Creating a Custom Filter

 Creating a Custom Group

 Creating a Custom Table

 Creating a Custom View

Appendix B – Communicating Project Information

Defining Print Settings

 Print Settings

 Define Page Setup

 Working with Copy Picture to Office Wizard

Working with Project Reports

 Selecting Project Reports

 Editing Project Reports

 Creating Custom Project Reports

Working with Visual Reports

 Overview of Visual Reports

 Anatomy of a Pivot Table

 Viewing Visual Reports

 Creating Visual Report Templates

Collaborating Project Information

 Export Project Table to Excel

 Publish a Project to a SharePoint List

 Import a SharePoint List into Project

Create a Cross Project Link

Insert a Sub-Project into a Master Project

Create a Resource Pool

Add Resources to the Resource Pool

Share the Resource Pool

Link multiple projects.

Work with resource pools.

Create master projects.