Microsoft Project For Dummies

Cynthia Snyder Dionisio is a project anagement consultant with a passion for curriculum design and online training. Author of Microsoft Project 2019 For Dummies, she’s helped thousands of employees find success in their project management careers.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1What’s Not in This Book 2Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond the Book 3Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Getting Started with Project 5Chapter 1: Project Management, MS Project, and You 7Project Management Evolution 8What’s in a Name: Projects, Project Management, and Project Managers 9Project managers and Scrum masters 10The role of the project manager 11The role of the Scrum master 12Introducing Microsoft Project 13Getting to Know You 14Navigating Ribbon tabs and the Ribbon 17Displaying more tools 20Tell Me What You Want to Do 22Chapter 2: Starting the Project 23Creating the Project Charter 24Introducing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) 26Organizing the Work 27Starting the Project 28Entering project information 29Entering the WBS 31Indenting and outdenting (a.k.a promoting and demoting) 32Entering tasks 33Weighing manual scheduling versus automatic scheduling 35Inserting one project into another 37Inserting hyperlinks 38Chapter 3: Becoming a Task Master 41Creating Summary Tasks and Subtasks 41How many levels can you go? 43The project summary task 43Moving Tasks Up, Down, and All Around 45Moving tasks with the drag-and-drop method 45Moving tasks with the cut-and-paste method 46Now You See It, Now You Don’t: Collapsing and Expanding the Task Outline 47Showing Up Again and Again: Recurring Tasks 48Setting Milestones 50Deleting Tasks and Using Inactive Tasks 51Making a Task Note 52Chapter 4: The Codependent Nature of Tasks 55How Tasks Become Dependent 56Dependent tasks: Which comes first? 56Dependency types 57Allowing for Murphy’s Law: Lag and lead time 59Setting the Dependency Connection 60Adding the dependency link 60Words to the wise 62Understanding that things change: Deleting dependencies 64Chapter 5: Estimating Task Time 67You’re in It for the Duration 68Tasks come in all flavors: Identifying task types 68Effort-driven tasks: 1 + 1 = ½ 71Estimating Effort and Duration 72Estimating techniques 72Setting the task duration 74Controlling Timing with Constraints 76Understanding how constraints work 76Establishing constraints 76Setting a deadline 78Starting and Pausing Tasks 79Entering the task’s start date 80Taking a break: Splitting tasks 81Chapter 6: Check Out This View! 83A Project with a View 83Navigating tabs and views 84Scrolling around 86Reaching a specific spot in your plan 87More Detail about Views 88Home base: Gantt Chart view 88Resourceful views: Resource Sheet and Team Planner 89Getting your timing down with the Timeline 90Going with the flow: Network Diagram view 91Calling up Calendar view 91Customizing Views 92Working with view panes 93Modifying Network Diagram view 98Resetting the view 100Part 2: Managing Resources 103Chapter 7: Creating Resources 105Resources: People, Places, and Things 105Becoming Resource-Full 106Understanding resources 106Resource types: Work, material, and cost 107How resources affect task timing 108Estimating resource requirements 109The Birth of a Resource 110Creating one resource at a time 110Identifying resources before you know their names 112Many hands make light work 113Managing Resource Availability 113Estimating and setting availability 114When a resource comes and goes 115Sharing Resources 116Skimming from resource pools 116Importing resources from Outlook 119Chapter 8: Working with Calendars 121Mastering Base, Project, Resource, and Task Calendars 122Setting the base calendar for a project 122Understanding the four calendar types 122How calendars work 123How one calendar relates to another 123Scheduling with Calendar Options and Working Times 124Setting calendar options 125Setting exceptions to working times 126Working with Task Calendars and Resource Calendars 128Setting resource calendars 129Making a change to a resource’s calendar 130Creating a Custom Calendar Template 132Sharing Copies of Calendars 134Chapter 9: Assigning Resources 137Finding the Right Resource 137Needed: One good resource willing to work 138Custom fields: It’s a skill 139Making a Useful Assignation 140Determining material and cost-resource units 140Making assignments 141Shaping the contour that’s right for you 145Benefitting from a Helpful Planner 147Chapter 10: Determining a Project’s Cost 149How Do Costs Accrue? 150Adding up the costs 150When will these costs hit the bottom line? 151Specifying Cost Information in the Project 152You can’t avoid fixed costs 153Entering hourly, overtime, and cost-per-use rates 154Assigning material resources 156Part 3: Before You Baseline 159Chapter 11: Fine-Tuning Your Plan 161Everything Filters to the Bottom Line 161Setting predesigned filters 162Putting AutoFilter to work 163Creating do-it-yourself filters 166Gathering Information in Groups 167Applying predefined groups 169Devising your own groups 169Figuring Out What’s Driving the Project 171Inspecting tasks 172Handling task warnings, suggestions, and problems 173Chapter 12: Negotiating Project Constraints 175It’s about Time 176Applying contingency reserve 176Completing a task in less time 177Getting What You Want for Less 180The Resource Recourse 181Checking resource availability 181Deleting or modifying a resource assignment 183Beating overallocations with quick-and-dirty rescheduling 184Finding help 184Leveling resources 185Rescheduling the Project 188Chapter 13: Making the Project Look Good 189Looking Good! 190Formatting the Gantt Chart 190Formatting taskbars 190Zeroing in on critical issues 194Restyling the Gantt chart 194Formatting Network Diagram Boxes 195Adjusting the Layout 197Modifying Gridlines 199Recognizing When a Picture Can Say It All 201Creating a Custom Text Field 202Chapter 14: It All Begins with a Baseline 207All about Baselines 208Saving a baseline 208Saving more than one baseline 210Clearing and resetting a baseline 211In the Interim 212Saving an interim plan 213Clearing and resetting an interim plan 214Part 4: Staying on Track 217Chapter 15: On the Right Track 219Tracking Views 220Setting the status date 220Tracking status with the Task sheet 221Using the Tracking table 221Tracking buttons 222Determining the percent complete 223Tracking status with Task Usage view 224Tracking status with Resource Usage view 224Uh-oh — you’re in overtime 225Specifying remaining durations for auto-scheduled tasks 226Entering fixed-cost updates 227Moving a Task 228Update Project: Sweeping Changes 230Tracking Materials 232Tracking More than One Project 233Chapter 16: Project Views: Observing Progress 235Seeing Where Tasks Stand 236Baseline versus actual progress 236Lines of progress 236Delving into the Detail 240Tracking Progress Using Earned Value Management 242Viewing the Earned Value table 244Earned value options 244Calculating behind the Scenes 246An abundance of critical paths 246Chapter 17: You’re Behind — Now What? 249Using Project with Risk and Issue Logs 249Documenting issues 250Printing interim plans and baselines 250What-If Scenarios 251Sorting tasks 252Filtering 253Examining the critical path 254Using resource leveling (again) 255Determining which factors are driving the timing of a task 256How Adding People or Time Affects the Project 257Hurrying up and making modifications 257Throwing resources at the problem 258Shifting dependencies and task timing 259When All Else Fails 261Taking the time you need 261Finding ways to cut corners 262Chapter 18: Spreading the News: Reporting 265Generating Standard Reports 266What’s available on the Report tab 266Dashboard reports 267Creating New Reports 268Gaining a new perspective on data with visual reports 270Creating a visual report 270Fine-Tuning a Report 271Dragging, dropping, and sizing 272Looking good! 273Spiffing Things Up 274Calling the Printer! 276Working with Page Setup 277Getting a preview 279Finalizing your print options 280Working on the Timeline 281Adding tasks to the Timeline 281Customizing the Timeline 283Copying the Timeline 283Part 5: Working with Sprints Projects 285Chapter 19: Setting Up a Sprints Project 287Creating a Sprints Project 287Enjoying a Whole New View 290The Task Board and Task Board sheet 291The Sprint Planning Board and Sprint Planning sheet 292The Current Sprint Board and Current Sprint sheet 293The Backlog Board and the Backlog sheet 293Adding Information to Tasks 294Prioritizing Tasks 296Inserting a Sprints Project into a Plan-Driven Project 296Chapter 20: Tracking a Sprints Project 299Viewing Your Sprints Project Data 299Using filters to focus 300Using tables to arrange data 300Being a groupie 302Sorting tasks 302Creating Sprints Reports 303Chapter 21: Getting Better All the Time 307Reviewing the Project 308Learning from your mistakes 308Fine-tuning communication 309Comparing Versions of a Project 310Building on Success 312Creating a template 312Mastering the Organizer 314Part 6: The Part of Tens 317Chapter 22: Ten Golden Rules of Project Management 319Roll with It 319Put Your Ducks in a Row 320Expect the Unexpected 321Don’t Put Off until Tomorrow 322Delegate, Delegate, Delegate 322Document It 323Keep the Team in the Loop 323Measure Success 324Maintain a Flexible Strategy 325Learn from Your Mistakes 325Chapter 23: Ten Cool Shortcuts in Project 327Task Information 327Resource Information 328Frequently Used Functions 329Subtasks 330Quick Selections 330Fill Down 331Navigation 331Hours to Years 331Timeline Shortcuts 331Quick Undo 332Glossary 333Index 341