Manage projects with MS Project

Introduction

• Review the objectives of the MS Project course.
• Course organisation and distribution of working materials.
• Defining a project and how to manage it.
• The project manager's role and responsibilities.
• Overview of the development of project management.

Module 1: introduction to MS Project

The MS Project user interface:

• overall programme layout;
• context menu, ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar.

Setting up a new project:

• create a new project and define project-wide settings;
• configure the project through Backstage.

Module 2: develop the project step by step

Getting started:

• enter the project plan;
• use automatic and manual scheduling;
• manage the project, task and resource calendars.

Creating tasks:

• create project tasks and assign durations;
• create individual, summary (WBS code) and recurring tasks;
• display the project timeline (milestones);
• represent data graphically using a Gantt chart.

Practical exercise:

• Enter the project tasks.

Tasks and dependencies:

• review the theory of task links;
• dependency types and their impact on task execution;
• total and free float for a task.

Practical exercise:

• Create task dependencies.

Configuring individual project tasks:

• apply inflexible, semi-flexible or flexible task constraints;
• set a deadline for task execution;
• split a task for later completion;
• apply a delay to task execution.

The impact of project tasks:

• use the Gantt chart: critical tasks and the critical path;
• generate the task network;
• understand the impact of scheduling on the project finish date;
• manage task scheduling conflicts.

Practical exercise:

• Optimise the task network by adjusting task dependencies to minimise their impact on project duration.

Module 3: manage project resources

Working with resources in MS Project:

• review the theory of resource constraints in a project;
• maximum capacity of Work resources;
• availability of Work resources;
• Material and Cost resources.

Practical exercise:

• Create Work, Material and Cost resources.

Resource calendars:

• understand calendar hierarchies in MS Project;
• define task and resource calendars;
• manage calendar days and working days;
• clone a calendar.

Practical exercise:

• Create Work and Material resource calendars.

Module 4: assign resources

Allocating resources:

• assign a Work resource (the relationship between duration and work);
• assign Material and Cost resources.

Practical exercise:

• Assign the different resource types to tasks.

Analysing resource assignments:

• document resource usage with notes;
• check Work resources after adding or removing an assignment;
• check resource assignments using the Task Inspector.

Managing resource assignments:

• manage assignments with the Task Form (effort-driven scheduling);
• manage overallocations through the Task Usage view.

Module 5: scheduling in MS Project

Resource levelling:

• control project costs through Work resource usage;
• level resources across the entire project;
• level resources individually by reassigning each overallocated resource;
• manage the Task Usage table.

Managing scheduling:

• define Fixed Units, Fixed Duration and Fixed Work;
• understand the MS Project scheduling formula;
• configure calculation settings.

Practical exercise:

• Level Work resources.

Impact on the schedule:

• the impact of Fixed Units tasks;
• the impact of Fixed Work tasks;
• the impact of Fixed Duration tasks.

Recalculating the schedule under different scenarios:

• modify a Fixed Units task;
• modify a Fixed Work task;
• modify a Fixed Duration task.

Practical exercise:

• Change a task type and analyse the impact on the schedule.

Module 6: project planning and tracking

Planning the project:

• check the duration, cost and work in the project plan;
• set Baseline 0.

Project control tools:

• distinguish current, planned, actual and remaining work;
• understand the status date: progress curve and progress calculated by MS Project;
• understand earned value: percentage complete and physical percentage complete;
• use Gantt chart tools.

Updating tasks:

• update partial or full task completion;
• set a second baseline;
• compare successive schedules and measure variances;
• visualise project progress.

Practical exercise:

• Use Gantt charts to analyse schedule variances.

Calculating project costs:

• Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS);
• Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP);
• Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP);
• Schedule Variance (SV) and Cost Variance (CV);
• Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Cost Performance Index (CPI).

Practical exercise:

• Add an elapsed-time progress percentage column.

Module 7: reporting

Reporting tools:

• basic filtering and grouping;
• timeline view: prepare the timescale;
• the different MS Project views.

The MS Project database:

• task tables;
• resource tables;
• create a custom table;
• import a table from another project.

Generating project reports:

• create a project progress report;
• create a project cost report;
• create a report on work in progress and remaining work;
• create a custom report.

Practical exercise:

• Create a custom graphical report using the integrated MS Excel module.

Module 8: streamline the project (a holistic approach)

Comparing the project with other versions:

• customise the project using the MS Project Organizer;
• import filters and views created in other projects;
• save the project as a template for future projects.

Fundamentals of project management with MS Project for industry:

• understand the requirements and constraints of the proposed project;
• choose appropriate project-wide settings for the specific project;
• select suitable task types for a particular project;
• balance project scope, time and cost constraints.

Conclusion

• Review outstanding questions and hold a Q&A session.
• Course evaluation.