Microsoft® PPrroojjeecctt 22000033 Student Edition Complete
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CustomGuide Computer Courseware © 2004 by CustomGuide, Inc. 1502 Nicollet Avenue South, Suite 1; Minneapolis, MN 55403 This material is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by CustomGuide, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of CustomGuide, Inc. We make a sincere effort to ensure the accuracy of the material described herein; however, CustomGuide makes no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the quality, correctness, reliability, accuracy, or freedom from error of this document or the products it describes. Data used in examples and sample data files are intended to be fictional. Any resemblance to real persons or companies is entirely coincidental. The names of software products referred to in this manual are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. CustomGuide is a registered trademark of CustomGuide, Inc. Table of Contents
Introduction ...... 7 Chapter One: The Fundamentals...... 11 Lesson 1-1: Plan the Project ...... 12 Lesson 1-2: Understanding Project Management ...... 14 Lesson 1-3: What’s New in the Microsoft Project 2003 Database?...... 16 Lesson 1-4: Understanding the Project 2003 Screen ...... 18 Lesson 1-5: Creating a New File ...... 20 Lesson 1-6: Using Project Templates ...... 22 Lesson 1-7: Entering Project Information ...... 24 Lesson 1-8: Set the Working Time Calendar ...... 26 Lesson 1-9: Create a New Calendar ...... 28 Lesson 1-10: Correcting Spelling and Using Undo or Redo...... 30 Lesson 1-11: Adjust the Timescale ...... 32 Lesson 1-12: Saving the Project File ...... 34 Lesson 1-13: Saving a Baseline Plan...... 36 Lesson 1-14: Saving an Interim Plan...... 38 Lesson 1-15: Using the Project Guide ...... 40 Lesson 1-16: Getting Help...... 42 Chapter One Review...... 44 Chapter Two: Enter and Schedule the Task List ...... 49 Lesson 2-1: Enter a Task...... 50 Lesson 2-2: Enter Task Durations...... 52 Lesson 2-3: Creating a Milestone...... 54 Lesson 2-4: Copying, Moving, Inserting, and Deleting a Task...... 56 Lesson 2-5: Creating Recurring Tasks...... 58 Lesson 2-6: Organize the Task List...... 60 Lesson 2-7: Using Task Information and Task Notes ...... 62 Lesson 2-8: Linking and Unlinking Tasks ...... 64 Lesson 2-9: Splitting Tasks...... 66 Lesson 2-10: Overlap or Delay Tasks...... 68 Lesson 2-11: Define Task Type...... 70 Lesson 2-12: Effort-driven and Material-driven Scheduling ...... 72 Lesson 2-13: Setting Task Deadlines and Constraints ...... 74 Lesson 2-14: Assigning a Task Calendar ...... 76 Lesson 2-15: Task Indicators ...... 77 Chapter Two Review ...... 78 Chapter Three: Enter and Assign Resources and Costs...... 83 Lesson 3-1: Creating a Resource List...... 84 Lesson 3-2: Entering Resource Availability ...... 86 4 Microsoft Project 2003
Lesson 3-3: Grouping Resources ...... 88 Lesson 3-4: Changing Resource Schedules ...... 90 Lesson 3-5: Assigning Work Resources...... 92 Lesson 3-6: Assigning Material Resources...... 94 Lesson 3-7: Entering Costs ...... 96 Lesson 3-8: Entering Fixed Costs ...... 98 Lesson 3-9: View Costs...... 99 Chapter Three Review ...... 100 Chapter Four: Viewing the Project Database...... 103 Lesson 4-1: Using Common Views...... 104 Lesson 4-2: Using More Views...... 106 Lesson 4-3: Using Split Views...... 108 Lesson 4-4: Using Tables...... 110 Lesson 4-5: Viewing Sorted Information...... 112 Lesson 4-6: Viewing Grouped Tasks ...... 114 Lesson 4-7: Viewing Grouped Resources ...... 116 Lesson 4-8: Viewing Task Filters...... 118 Lesson 4-9: Viewing Resource Filters ...... 120 Lesson 4-10: Using AutoFilters ...... 122 Lesson 4-11: Viewing the Project’s Critical Path...... 124 Lesson 4-12: Viewing Task or Resource Details...... 126 Lesson 4-13: Printing a View...... 127 Chapter Four Review ...... 128 Chapter Five: Update and View Project Progress ...... 131 Lesson 5-1: Updating Tasks...... 132 Lesson 5-2: Updating Resources...... 134 Lesson 5-3: Updating Costs ...... 136 Lesson 5-4: Checking Duration Variance...... 138 Lesson 5-5: Checking Work Variance...... 139 Lesson 5-6: Checking Cost Variance ...... 140 Lesson 5-7: Viewing Project Statistics...... 141 Lesson 5-8: Checking Earned Value ...... 142 Lesson 5-9: Identify and Fix Project Trouble Spots...... 144 Chapter Six: Balancing Project Progress ...... 151 Lesson 6-1: Identifying Resource Overallocation...... 152 Lesson 6-2: Balancing Resources Automatically...... 154 Lesson 6-3: Balancing Resources Manually ...... 156 Lesson 6-4: Reassigning Work to Another Resource...... 158 Lesson 6-5: Scheduling Resource Overtime ...... 160 Chapter Seven: Working with Reports ...... 167 Lesson 7-1: Choosing a Report...... 168 Lesson 7-2: Using Report Details ...... 170 Lesson 7-3: Defining Report Contents...... 172 Lesson 7-4: Sorting a Report ...... 174 Lesson 7-5: Adding Page Elements to a Report...... 176 Lesson 7-6: Saving a Project as a Web Page...... 178 Chapter Seven Review...... 180 Chapter Eight: Working with Multiple Projects ...... 183 Lesson 8-1: Consolidating Projects...... 184 Lesson 8-2: Consolidating Projects in a New Window...... 186 Lesson 8-3: Creating Links Between Projects ...... 188 Lesson 8-4: Sharing a Resource Pool...... 190
2004 CustomGuide, Inc. Introduction 5
Lesson 8-5: Viewing Multiple Project Critical Paths...... 192 Lesson 8-6: Viewing Inserted Project Statistics...... 194 Lesson 8-7: Saving a Workspace ...... 196 Lesson 8-8: Adding Columns to Consolidated Projects...... 198 Lesson 8-9: Saving Consolidated Project Baselines...... 200 Chapter Eight Review...... 202 Chapter Nine: Customizing the Project...... 207 Lesson 9-1: Changing Bar Styles...... 208 Lesson 9-2: Creating Custom Groups...... 210 Lesson 9-3: Creating Custom Filters ...... 212 Lesson 9-4: Creating Custom Tables ...... 214 Lesson 9-5: Creating Custom Forms ...... 216 Lesson 9-6: Creating a Custom Report...... 218 Lesson 9-7: Creating a Custom View ...... 220 Lesson 9-8: Using the Organizer ...... 222 Lesson 9-9: Add Hyperlinks to Tasks and Resources ...... 224 Chapter Nine Review...... 226 Index...... 230
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Introduction
Welcome to CustomGuide: Microsoft Project 2003. CustomGuide courseware allows instructors to create and print manuals that contain the specific lessons that best meet their students’ needs. In other words, this book was designed and printed just for you. Unlike most other computer-training courseware, each CustomGuide manual is uniquely designed to be three books in one: • Step-by-step instructions make this manual great for use in an instructor-led class or as a self-paced tutorial. • Detailed descriptions, illustrated diagrams, informative tables, and an index make this manual suitable as a reference guide when you want to learn more about a topic or process. • The handy Quick Reference box, found on the last page of each lesson, is great for when you need to know how to do something quickly. CustomGuide manuals are designed both for users who want to learn the basics of the software and those who want to learn more advanced features. Here’s how a CustomGuide manual is organized:
Chapters Each manual is divided into several chapters. Aren’t sure if you’re ready for a chapter? Look at the prerequisites that appear at the beginning of each chapter. They will tell you what you should know before you start the chapter.
Lessons Each chapter contains several lessons on related topics. Each lesson explains a new skill or topic and contains a step-by-step exercise to give you hands-on-experience.
Chapter Reviews A review is included at the end of each chapter to help you absorb and retain all that you have learned. This review contains a brief recap of everything covered in the chapter’s lessons, a quiz to assess how much you’ve learned (and which lessons you might want to look over again), and a homework assignment where you can put your new skills into practice. If you’re having problems with a homework exercise, you can always refer back to the lessons in the chapter to get help.
8 Microsoft Project 2003
How to Use the Lessons Every topic is presented on two facing pages, so that you can concentrate on the lesson without having to worry about turning the page. Since this is a hands-on course, each lesson contains an exercise with step-by-step instructions for you to follow. To make learning easier, every exercise follows certain conventions: • Anything you’re supposed to click, drag, or press appears like this. • Anything you’re supposed to type appears like this. • This book never assumes you know where (or what) something is. The first time you’re told to click something, a picture of what you’re supposed to click appears either in the margin next to the step or in the illustrations at the beginning of the lesson.
Illustrations show what your screen should look like as you 24 Microsoft Excel 2000 follow the lesson. They also 24 Microsoft Excel 2000 describe controls, dialog boxes, and processes. LessonLesson 4-2: 4-2: Formatting Formatting Values Values
Figure 4-3 TheFigure Numbers tab 4-3 of the FormatThe CellsNumbers dialog tab box. of the Preview of the Format Cells dialog box. selectedPreview number of the Figure 4-4 Select a number category formatselected number TheFigure Expense Report 4-4 Select a number category format worksheetThe Expense values Reportbefore beingworksheet formatted. values before Select a number being formatted. Figure 4-5 formatSelect a number format TheFigure Expense Report 4-5 worksheetThe Expense values Reportafter being formatted.worksheet values after being formatted. An easy-to-understand Figure 4-3 introduction explains the task or Figure 4-3 topic covered in the lesson and what you’ll be doing in the exercise.
Figure 4-4 Figure 4-5 Figure 4-4 Figure 4-5
In this lesson, you will learn how to apply number formats. Applying number formatting changes You can also format howIn valuesthis lesson, are displayed—it you will learn doesn’t how to change apply thenumber actual formats. information Applying in any number way. Excelformatting is oftenchanges Tips and traps appear in the valuesYou bycan using also formatthe smarthow enough values toare apply displayed—it some number doesn’t formatting change theautomatically. actual information For example, in any if way. you Exceluse a dollaris often Formattingvalues by toolbarusing the signsmart to indicate enough currency to apply (suchsome asnumber $548.67), formatting Excel willautomatically. automatically For apply example, the currency if you use number a dollar or Formattingby selecting toolbar formatsign forto indicate you. currency (such as $548.67), Excel will automatically apply the currency number margin. format for you. Formator by →selectingCells The Formatting toolbar has five buttons (Currency, Percent, Comma, Increase Decimal, and fromFormat the menu → Cells and DecreaseThe Formatting Decimal) toolbar you can has use five to quickly buttons apply(Currency, common Percent, number Comma, formats. Increase If none Decimal, of these andbuttons clicking the from the menu and hasDecrease what you’re Decimal) looking you for, can you use need to quickly to use theapply Format common Cells number dialog boxformats. by selecting If none ofFo thesermat →buttons Numberclicking tab. the Cellshas from what the you’re menu looking and clicking for, you the need Number to use tab. the Formatting Format Cells numbers dialog withbox bythe selecting Format Cells Format → Icons and pictures appear in the Number tab. dialogCells box from isn’t the as menu fast asand using clicking the toolbar, the Number but it tab.gives Formatting you more numbersprecision with and theformatting Format options.Cells margin, showing you what to We’lldialog use boxboth isn’t methods as fast in as this using lesson. the toolbar, but it gives you more precision and formatting options. We’ll use both methods in this lesson. click or look for. 1. Select the cell range D5:D17 and click the Comma Style button on Comma Style 1.theSelect Formatting the cell toolbar. range D5:D17 and click the Comma Style button on Commabutton Style Excelthe adds Formatting a hundreds separatortoolbar. (the comma) and two decimal places to the selected cell button range.Excel adds a hundreds separator (the comma) and two decimal places to the selected cell Clear step-by-step instructions range. guide you through the exercise. Anything you need to click appears like this.
2004 CustomGuide, Inc. Introduction 9
• When you see a keyboard instruction like “press
Formatting a Worksheet 25 Formatting a Worksheet 25
2. Click cell A4 and type Annual Sales. 2. ClickThe numberscell A4 in and this columntype Annual should be formattedSales. as currency. Anything you need to type The numbers in this column should be formatted as currency. 3. Press
Your Organization’s Name Here
Chapter One: The Fundamentals
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites • A computer with • Plan the project and understand project management Windows 95, 98, or NT • See what is new in Microsoft Project 2003 and Project 2003 installed • Understand the Project 2003 screen • An understanding of • Create a new project file and use Project 2003 templates basic computer functions (how to use • Enter project information and set the Working Time Calendar the mouse and keyboard) • Create a New Calendar • Correct Spelling and use Undo or Redo • Adjust the timescale • Save a project file, a baseline plan, and an interim plan • Learn how to use Help Chapter Task: Learn the basic functions of Microsoft Project 2003, and learn how to begin a project file
Welcome to your first lesson on Microsoft Project 2003! Project 2003 is a high-powered project management tool that you can use to control and track any kind of project once it has been planned. With Project 2003, you can see every detail of your project simultaneously so you can follow its progress. For years, people have been completing projects, like mailing Christmas cards or building a ten-ton steel bridge, without the aid of software. So why use project management software? The answer is simple; your project will be completed as painlessly and problem-free as possible. Project 2003 can be a bit intimidating at first, with its big, blank default screen (the Gantt chart), and its many buttons and views. But don’t worry; this chapter will familiarize you with the elements and functions of Project 2003. Also, if you’ve already used more basic Microsoft applications, such as Word, you’ll already know how to perform many simple Project 2003 tasks. With that in mind, this chapter is your introduction to Microsoft Project 2003 and the world of project management. And so, without further ado, turn the page and let’s get started!
12 Microsoft Project 2003
Lesson 1-1: Plan the Project
Figure 1-1 Steps in planning a project
Figure 1-1
Perhaps the most difficult process in Project 2003 is the first step: planning the project. Planning requires constant research and editing. In fact, you may find that the planning stage of a project doesn’t really end until you’re finished with the project. So how can you prepare yourself, and what can you do to make this process pain-free? The illustration above shows a common progression of steps to take when planning a project, depending on the type of project you are tackling, and appears in further detail in the table below. These steps are merely guidelines for planning a project and will change depending on the type of project you are doing.
Table 1-1: Planning Steps Step Description Define a project Initiate the project: Clearly identify the purpose and goals of the project; estimate when key resources will be available to work on the project; make backup plans for key project components; and identify the project’s constraints and limitations, such as the schedule, resources, budget, and scope of the project. Start a project file: Create the project’s file and set the project’s properties, such as working time (i.e., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Define project deliverables: Define the actual product or service that meets the project’s objectives.
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Step Description Plan project Define phases and create a task list: Enter the tasks required to complete the activities project, define the project’s phases, and add any supporting information to the task. Show the project’s organization: Structure the tasks into their respective phases as well as a hierarchy of summary tasks and subtasks. Organize the project into a master project and subproject files: Complete a large project (master project) by completing smaller projects (subprojects). Estimate task durations: Estimate how long a task will take to complete, considering non-working time. Fine-tune durations with the task calendar. Set task dependencies and constraints: Identify and link tasks that affect the progress of another task. Create interrelationships with projects: Identify tasks in the master project that are dependent upon tasks in subprojects. Plan for and Estimate resource needs: Compile a list of all the resources you will need and gather change duration as necessary. Also get input from others involved in the project. resources Enter resource information and set working times: Update information about the resources, and set the hours they will work. Share resources among projects: Sharing resources can help make managing a project’s progress easier. Assign resources to tasks: Assign resources to specific tasks, and the amount of time they are expected to work on the task. Plan project Estimate costs: Research previous projects to estimate how much a task will cost. costs Define and share cost information: Prepare a budget, establish a baseline plan, and share the information with the parties involved. Prepare to manage costs: Set a fiscal year for the project, plan how to track and manage costs, and track the cash flow plan. Plan for quality Plan for quality: Define quality standards and determine how quality affects the and risks overall scope of the project. Identify and plan for risks: Research reliable resources, identify risks, and create a plan of action to handle risk events should they occur. Plan security Set up methods for communicating project information: Decide and establish a and procedure for how you want to share project information with everyone involved. communication Protect project information: Depending on the communication resource you use, set passwords, specify security settings, etc. Optimize a Optimize the project plan to meet the finish date, plan for resources, and complete project plan the project within its budget constraints. Distribute a Depending on how you share and communicate the project’s information, distribute project plan the project’s plan online or in printed format.
Remember, you have to do the planning of a project. Microsoft Project 2003 can only help you record and keep track of all the tasks, resources, and costs within it.
Your Organization’s Name Here 14 Microsoft Project 2003
Lesson 1-2: Understanding Project Management
Figure 1-2 The Project Triangle
Cost – This includes the people Time – This is the most and the equipment that do the common project restraint. Know work, the materials they use, the deadline for your project. and anything else that requires time or money.
Scope – This includes the quality, functions, and features of your product or service and the work Figure 1-2 required to deliver your product or service.
We all basically know what a project is, but here is a clear definition: A project is a temporary series of actions undertaken to create a unique product or service. A project can be anything from building a fleet of helicopters, to planning a wedding, to writing a sushi cookbook. All projects have three things in common: (1) they have a start and end date, (2) they are an effort made by people and equipment, and (3) they create a product or service. You’ve probably already completed or are working on many projects as we speak. That means you already have experience with project management. Project management is the process of planning, organizing, and managing tasks and resources to accomplish an objective, usually within constraints of time, resources, or cost. Project ? management has been a recognized profession since the 1950s but has been practiced since the Stone Ages. Without project management, we would still be wearing animal hides and rubbing sticks together to make fire. ? Adjusting one of the An easy way to visualize the elements of project management is by using the Project Triangle, Project Triangle as shown in Figure 1-2. The Project Triangle views project management in terms of time, elements affects the cost, and scope. Time is the amount of time it will take you to complete your project. Cost is other two. the amount of money and time you will spend on the project. Scope is the quality, functions, and features of your product or service. To see what happens to project management when one side of the Project Triangle changes, see Table 1-2: If/Then in the Project Triangle.
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Table 1-2: If/Then in the Project Triangle If Then If the project scope …then you may need more resources or additional time to do the increases… extra work. …Then either you get a loan from the bank, or you postpone your Example: If you decide you honeymoon until next year so you can save more money. want to honeymoon in Jamaica instead of your original plan—Bismarck, North Dakota… If the time (duration) of your …then you may need to increase cost (budget) in order to hire project schedule decreases… more resources to get done in time. If you can’t increase the cost, you may need to reduce the scope, because it will be hard to get things done in less time. Example: If you need to move …Then either you hire another seamstress to help sew the orange your wedding date ahead two chiffon bridesmaids’ dresses in time, or you agree to purchase months because your bride-to- cheaper, factory-made bridesmaids’ dresses off the rack. be has been offered a NASA space travel job… The cost (budget) of your …you may need more time because you can’t pay for as many project decreases… resources. If you can’t increase the time, you may need to reduce the scope, because fewer resources can’t finish all of your planned work in the time you have scheduled. Example: If your husband-to- …Then either you move the wedding date back another year so be lost a finger in the garbage you can work and earn more money, or you cancel the ice disposal, and the medical sculptures in the dessert buffet. costs cut into your wedding savings…
The key to product management is keeping careful records and tracking your project. Microsoft Project 2003 will do that for you, so you can foresee any problems before they arise Quick Reference and adjust to changes accordingly. Project 2003 stores the details of your project in its The Characteristics of a database and then uses that information to calculate your project’s costs, schedule, and other Project Are: essentials. • It has a start and end date • It is an effort made by people and equipment • It creates a product or service The Project Triangle Includes: • Time • Cost • Scope
Your Organization’s Name Here 16 Microsoft Project 2003
Lesson 1-3: What’s New in the Microsoft Project 2003 Database?
Figure 1-3 Importing tasks from Outlook into Project is new feature in Project 2003.
Figure 1-3
Before we start talking about new features, it helps if you actually understand what Project 2003 is—a database. In its simplest form, a database is a collection of information that is organized into a list. Here is what a good database does: • Stores Information A database stores lists of information that are related to a particular subject or purpose. A database stores personal information, such as a list of aunt Mildred’s sushi recipes; or business information, such as a list of hundreds of thousands of resources. A database also makes it easy to add, update, organize, and delete information. • Finds Information You can easily and instantly locate information stored in a database. For example, you can find all the recipes in your cookbook with the word “rice” in them, or all your contractors located in the 58251 Zip Code. A database is a • Analyzes Information collection of You can perform calculations on information in a database. For example, you could information that is calculate what percent of your total equipment comes from the state of Texas. You can organized into a list. also present information in a professional-looking printed report. • Manages Information Databases make it easy to work with and manage huge amounts of information. For example, you can change the due date for hundreds of tasks from 5/1/02 to 5/20/02 with a few keystrokes. • Shares Information Most database programs (including Microsoft Project 2003) allow more than one user to view and work with the same information at once. Such databases are called multi-user databases.
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Now that you know what a database is, here are some of the major additions to Project 2003:
Table 1-3: What’s New in Project 2003? Feature Definition New Scheduling Set task priorities, enter estimated task durations, and set calendars for tasks Attributes New in 2000 Network Diagram The Network Diagram view replaces the PERT Chart from previous versions. View You can use outlining symbols to hide or display the subtasks of a task in Network Diagram View, group tasks and display graphical indicators. New in 2000 Custom Outline You can now define custom outline codes (besides defining custom WBS Code Definition codes). Unlike WBS codes, custom outline codes are completely user-defined and aren’t part of the outline structure of your project. They can, however, be New in 2000 applied to tasks and resources. Project-Based Now you can base a project on a template, because Project 2003 comes with Templates new pre-made templates for projects such as building a house or developing software. New in 2000 Project Guide This Project is a wizard-like feature that appears in the left pane to help you build a new project, manage tasks and resources, specify and change working New in 2003 time, track your project, and report project information. Smart Tags These context-sensitive tags offer advice for alternative actions as you delete task or resource names and change resource assignments; start and finish New in 2003 dates; and work, units, or durations. Task Panes The Task Pane appears on the left side of the screen and lets you quickly perform searches, open or start a new document, view the contents of the New in 2003 clipboard, or even access language translation and template services. Integrated with Easily import data from Microsoft Excel and export data back to Excel, as well Quick Reference other programs as other supported file types. A database does these New in 2003 Project managers can use the new Excel Task List template to start their task things: lists. They can then import this Excel file into Microsoft Project smoothly, without having to map any fields. • Stores Information Finds Information Easily import a task list from Microsoft Outlook into Microsoft Project. • • Analyzes Information Improved New features in Project 2003 make it easier to access, manage and use collaboration collaborative projects, such as the new Collaboration menu. • Manages Information features • Shares Information New in 2003
Don’t worry if you don’t understand these features; the above table is a lot of tech-speak! What’s important is that you learn how to use the program. That said, let’s get going…
Your Organization’s Name Here 18 Microsoft Project 2003
Lesson 1-4: Understanding the Project 2003 Screen
Figure 1-4 Title bar Menu bar Tool bars Entry bar Timescale The Project 2003 screen
Project Guide toolbar
Task pane
Status bar Task entry table Bar Scroll bars chart Figure 1-4
You might find the Project 2003 program screen a bit confusing and overwhelming the first time you see it. What are all of those buttons, icons, menus, and lines for? This lesson will help you become familiar with the Project program screen. There are no step-by-step instructions in this lesson—all you have to do is look at Figure 1-4 to see what everything you’re looking at means. Relax! This lesson is only meant to help you get acquainted with the Project screen—you don’t have to memorize anything. The default screen for Project is the Gantt 1. Open Microsoft Project 2003. Chart View. The default view, Gantt Chart View, appears on your screen as shown in Figure 1-4. 2. Find the screen elements from Table 1-4: The Project 2003 screen. Familiarize yourself with the parts of the Project 2003 screen.
Table 1-4: The Project 2003 screen Element Description Bar chart Displays task information in a chart. Entry bar Shows the contents of any cell you select in the Task Entry table.
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Element Description Menu bar Shows the names of the available command menus. Scroll bars Help you navigate through tables and charts in the current view by scrolling. Status bar Displays the status of certain keys on the keyboard, as well as information about the current command or operation. Task entry table Displays the tasks you enter for your project. Different views display variations of Task Entry tables, and some views don’t have a Task Entry table. Timescale Displays time in different formats across the tops of some chart views. Title bar Shows the name of the file you’re using. The Title bar appears at the top of all windows. Toolbars Toolbars are shortcuts—they contain buttons for the most commonly used commands. Project Guide Guides you through the correct procedures for building and maintaining a Toolbar project.
Don’t worry if you find some of these objects confusing at first—they will make more sense after you’ve actually used them. One more important note about the Project program screen: Just as there are several different types of database objects in Microsoft Project, there are also many different program screens, something that makes Project quite different from most Microsoft programs. The default screen for Project is called the Gantt Chart view, which includes a Gantt table on the left side of the window and a Gantt bar chart on the right. You will view more of the different screens as we continue this chapter’s tour of Microsoft Project.
Your Organization’s Name Here 20 Microsoft Project 2003
Lesson 1-5: Creating a New File
Figure 1-5 The Project Templates tab of the New dialog box
Figure 1-5
Once you have your project all planned out, you can begin entering it in a new file. Project automatically opens to a new file, but it’s not very convenient to have to re-open the program if you want to start a new file, so this lesson shows you all you need to know about opening a new file. After opening the file there are a few things you should do before starting to enter tasks, but they are not discussed in this lesson. For now, concentrate on creating a new Blank Project file.
1. Select File → New from the menu. The New Project Task Pane appears. Here you can open a blank project, choose a project template, or open an existing project. 2. Click the Blank Project link. The new Project file appears on the screen, along with the Project Guide. Just follow the steps in the guide to begin creating the project. Table 1-5: Starting a Project File is a suggestion of steps to take when starting a new project file. Not all of them are necessary, depending on the size and scope of your New button project. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to do some of these things; just keep Other Ways to Open a following along in the manual, and you’ll learn eventually. New Blank Project File: • Click the New button. Table 1-5: Starting a Project File Or… • Press
2004 CustomGuide, Inc. Chapter One: The Fundamentals 21
Enter project Optional: File properties, such as the project title or the company name, can properties help you and others in the organization identify and locate your file in the future. Link or store project- Optional: After you have created a file, you can attach your project’s related documents in planning-related documents to it so they are easy to access. Project Set the working time You may need to change the working days and hours for your project for the project calendar. In Microsoft Project, the default working time is Monday through calendar Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. (allotting an hour for lunch). You can change working hours for all working days, specific days (such as every Thursday), or certain dates such as holidays or vacation days.
One of the more difficult aspects of Project is understanding the terminology of items in the program. Refer to the table below for a brief list of common terms that will help you understand the different parts of a project.
Table 1-6: Project Terms and Definitions Term Definition Task An activity that has a beginning and an end. Projects are made up of tasks. Resource The people, equipment, and material used to complete tasks in a project.
Working Time Hours designated in a resource or project calendar during which work can occur. Calendar The scheduling mechanism that determines working time for resources and tasks. Microsoft Project uses four types of calendars: • Base calendar • Project calendar • Resource calendar • Task Calendar Project and task calendars are base calendars that have been identified to schedule a project or task. Baseline A snapshot of your schedule at the time you save the baseline Cost The total cost for a task, resource, or assignment. A baseline cost is referred to as the project’s budget. Report A format in which you can print the status of the project that is appropriate for Quick Reference the intended audience. To Create a New File: Assignment A specific resource assigned to a specific task. 1. Select File → New from the menu. 2. Click Blank Project in the task pane. Or… • Click the New button. Or… • Press
Your Organization’s Name Here 22 Microsoft Project 2003
Lesson 1-6: Using Project Templates
Figure 1-6 The Project Templates tab of the New dialog box Figure 1-7 The New Product template
Figure 1-6
Figure 1-7
If you have a good plan set up for the project, and want to save a lot of time setting up a the tasks, durations, and other aspects of the project, use a template. A template is a file that is already set up for a particular type of project. For example, a New Product template has many of the tasks that are required to develop a new product, and estimates for how long each task would take. Then, if you need to add or delete a task, or change a task duration, you can easily modify the information in the template to reflect your own plans for the project. In this lesson, you will learn how to open a template.
1. Select File → New from the menu. The New Project Task Pane appears.
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2. Click the General Templates link in the task pane. The Templates dialog box appears. 3. Make sure the Project Templates tab is selected. All the templates that come with Project appear, as shown in Figure 1-6. These templates are a good reference if you’re not sure how to organize your project, because they include the typical tasks and resources needed to complete a project. You can always modify the file to add, delete, or edit the project’s tasks later. 4. Scroll down and select the New Product file and click OK. The template file appears on the screen with the Project Guide, as shown in Figure 1-7. Now that you know how to open a template, you won’t need it anymore. 5. Close the file without saving changes.
Table 1-7: Standard Project Templates Template Description Commercial This template is designed to organize the construction if large-scale buildings, such Construction as hotels, hospitals, and airports. Engineering Before a building is constructed, the purpose, payment, and plans for the building must be decided. Many of the standard decisions required to produce an engineering design are arranged and linked in a standard way in this template. Home Move The template is designed to focus on the required steps to move your home from one location to another successfully. Infrastructure This template identifies the steps required to implement a new software Deployment infrastructure in a business. Microsoft The template is designed to focus on the required steps and processes to Office XP successfully initiate, design, and deploy a new software deployment. Corporate Deployment Microsoft The template is designed to focus on the required steps and processes to Windows XP successfully initiate, design, and deploy a new software deployment. Deployment MSF The template is intended to assist in applying the process model in practical Application situations; however it does not take the place of the course itself. Development Quick Reference New Business This template is designed to organize steps in the process of developing an To Open a Template File: entrepreneurial opportunity into a new business. 1. Select File → New from New Product This template is designed to provide the framework for developing a new product. the menu. Office Move The template is designed to focus on the required steps to move your office from 2. Click the General one location to another successfully. Templates link in the task pane. Project Office The template is designed to focus on the required steps and processes to successfully initiate, monitor, and establish an enterprise project office. 3. Make sure the Project Templates tab is selected. Residential This template is designed to organize the construction of small-scale buildings, 4. Select the template you Construction such as single-family homes, or a group of apartment units. want to use, and click OK. Software The objective of this template is to identify the steps required for software Development development.
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Lesson 1-7: Entering Project Information
Figure 1-8 The Project Information dialog box
Figure 1-8 The project will be scheduled from the Start Date, so the Finish date is shaded.
You have probably noticed that when a new file is opened in Project, a dialog box appears on the screen. It’s a good idea to input as much information as you know in this dialog box before entering any tasks. It doesn’t take long to fill out, but the information is very important because Project uses it to schedule the project.
1. Select Project → Project Information from the menu. The Project Information dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 1-8. The most important piece of information to enter is the start or end date. First you have to decide if you want to plan your project from the start date, or the end date. • Start Date: If you plan it from the start date you specify, Project will assign the tasks to begin As Soon As Possible (ASAP), so the project doesn’t have to be drawn out longer than necessary. • End Date: If you plan the project from the end date you specify, Project will assign the tasks to begin As Late As Possible (ALAP) so the project will be completed on the appointed date. In either case, Project automatically calculates the date you don’t define, depending on the task and duration information you enter in the project. If you are using the 2. Make sure Project Start Date appears in the Schedule from drop-down Project Guide, you list. define the Project This is the default setting of Project Information. Now you must enter the start date for Start Date in the first the project. If you had chosen Project End Date, you would enter the projected end date step. of the project. 3. Choose the current date as your project’s start date. The current date is the default entry for the start date, but you can enter a different date if necessary. Now go on to the bottom half of the dialog box. 4. Choose a Standard calendar option and click OK. The Standard option is the default option, and the most common calendar option. Refer to the table below for a description of the other calendar options available.
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The rest of the items in the dialog box will rarely require your attention, but refer to Table 1-8: Project Information dialog box so that you know what they’re for.
Table 1-8: Project Information dialog box Option Description Start date Enter the project’s Start date. This date is automatically calculated if Project Finish Date is selected in the Schedule from box. If you enter a project start date, the default constraint for tasks is As Soon As Possible (ASAP). Finish date Enter the project’s Finish date. This date is automatically calculated if Project Start Date is selected in the Schedule from box. If you enter a project finish date, the default constraint for tasks is As Late As Possible (ALAP). Schedule from Specifies how Microsoft Project schedules the project, from a Project Start Date or a Project Finish Date. Current date Specifies the current date. Status date Microsoft Project uses the status date to perform earned value calculations, identify the complete-through date in the Update Project dialog box, and place progress lines. If you set the status date to NA, Microsoft Project uses the current date as the status date. Calendar There are three types of calendars you can use: Standard Standard work day and work week of Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., with 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M. for a non-working lunch break. 24 hours Working time is scheduled non-stop from Sunday through Saturday, 12:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Night Shift Working time is scheduled Monday night through Saturday morning, 11:00 P.M. to 8:00 A.M., with 3:00 A.M. to 4:00 A.M. for a non-working lunch break. Priority Indicates how readily tasks in the current project are delayed when resources are Quick Reference leveled across multiple projects. Type or select a number between 0 and 1,000, with the higher number indicating a higher priority task. Microsoft Project takes into To Enter Project account project-level priorities before task-level priorities when leveling. Information: 1. Select Project → Project Information from the menu. 2. Enter the project’s information.
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Lesson 1-8: Set the Working Time Calendar
The default Figure 1-9 working times depend on the The Change Working calendar type Time dialog box Select the Click the column working time Figure 1-10 heading button to option you want select all the to use In the updated Change days in the Working Time dialog box column. Enter changes calendar, select the days to the working for which you want to time here change working time.
Figure 1-9
The legend identifies what the different markings indicate on the calendar The new working hours for the selected day
Figure 1-10
You have already chosen the kind of calendar you want to use in the Project Information dialog box (Standard), but you can further change the working hours for the calendar. Currently, the Standard calendar defaults are Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., with an hour off for lunch. There may come a time when you need to change the working time for a day, week, month, or the entire project. This lesson will show you how to change the working hours. For this project, you will be planning a wedding. Since most wedding services and shops don’t open until 10 A.M., change the project’s working hours to 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Press and hold the
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2. Click the M column heading for Monday. Press the Shift key and click the F column heading for Friday. All the weekdays, Monday through Friday, are selected on the calendar as shown in Figure 1-10. In the From: text box, type . In the To: text box, type . 3. 10:00 AM 7:00 PM Love Since this is such a big wedding, you might have to work on Saturdays as well.
4. In the calendar, click on the last S column heading for Saturday. 4. Groomsmen’s Gift The weekdays are unselected, and the Saturday column is selected. Notice that the column headings for the weekdays are underlined, and that the date boxes are shaded. According to the Legend on the left side of the dialog box, this indicates that the shaded date’s working hours have been changed, and that all the days of the week for the column heading have been changed. You want to check in with the families about the work done for each week, so change the working time for Saturday. 5. Select the Nondefault working time option, and clear the From: and To: text boxes. Enter 1:00 PM in the From: text box, and 4:00 PM in the To: text box. Your Saturday working hours are changed for the duration of the project. What if you want to change the working hours for just one day? 6. Select the third Friday and Saturday of the month. You have to attend a family reunion this weekend, so take the weekend off. 7. Select the Non-working time option. The working times are cleared, indicating that it is a non-working day. 8. Click OK. Quick Reference The Change Working Time dialog box is closed, and your working hours calendar is ready to go! To Change Working Time in Your Project Calendar: NOTE: It is important to understand that if you change the working times to less than eight hours a day, the Gantt Chart bars will not match up with the tasks 1. Select Tools → Change durations. For example, the default start and working time for a day is 8 AM Working Time from the to 5 PM, but you have set the calendar for one hour of work each day. menu. Therefore, if you estimate that a task will take one day to complete, but are 2. Click the column heading only working one hour a day, Project will still assume that it will take eight of the day(s) you want to hours, so it will take eight days to finish the task. To fix this, however, you change. can change the calendar’s default options. Or… Select the specific date(s). 3. Click the Nondefault time option. Or… Click the Non-working time option. 4. Change the times to the hours you want to work in the From: and To: text boxes. 5. Click OK.
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Lesson 1-9: Create a New Calendar
Figure 1-11 The Create New Base Calendar Figure 1-12 Figure 1-11 The Change Working Time dialog box
Figure 1-12
There are times when a task or resource will have different working times than the rest of the project. For these instances, designate a new calendar for the task. Create a new Sewing calendar for a task in this lesson.
1. Select Tools → Change Working Time from the menu. The Change Working Time dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 1-12. There are three types of calendars available in Project: Standard, 24 Hours, and Night Shift. These are called base calendars. The working times in these calendars are not what you want, so create an entirely new calendar. 2. Click the New button in the dialog box. The Create New Base Calendar dialog box appears. 3. Type Sewing in the Name text box. When you want to assign the new calendar to the task, this is the name you will look for. Notice that there are two options to choose from in the dialog box. • Create a new base calendar: Select this option if you want to create an entirely new calendar. • Make a copy of: Instead of creating an entirely new calendar, copy an existing base calendar and change the working time to make a new calendar.
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4. Click the Make a copy of option. Select Standard from the drop-down list. Your calendar will be based on the schedule for the Standard calendar. 5. Click OK. The Change Working Time dialog box appears once again, but this time you are going to change the working time for the Sewing calendar. Notice that Sewing appears in the name text box of the dialog box. 6. Click the Tuesday column in the calendar. Press the
Quick Reference To Create a New Calendar: 1. Select Tools → Change Working Time from the menu. 2. Click the New button in the dialog box. 3. Enter a name for the new calendar and choose to create a new calendar, or copy an existing one. 4. Click OK. 5. Change the working hours and days for the new calendar and click OK.
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Lesson 1-10: Correcting Spelling and Using Undo or Redo
Figure 1-13 Undo/Redo button The Project file Spelling button Figure 1-14 The Spelling dialog box Figure 1-15 The Spelling tab of the Options dialog box
Figure 1-13
Figure 1-14
Figure 1-15
No matter how excellent you are with English and computers, you will probably need to use Spelling button the Spelling and Undo or Redo features at some point during your project. This lesson teaches you how to use these features. Other Ways to Use Spelling: You might have noticed this a long time ago, but the word “Announcements” is misspelled in • Select Tools → the first task. Use the spelling feature to change it. Spelling from the menu. 1. If necessary, navigate to your practice folder and open Lesson 1. • Press
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3. Select Announcements from the Suggestions list and click Change. 3. or The misspelled word is replaced with the correct spelling. Spelling automatically goes on to the next word it doesn’t recognize in the file, “cermony”. Undo or Redo button Select from the Suggestions list and click . 4. Ceremony Change Other Ways to Use Undo The misspelled word is corrected. Project will continue to check all the field entries in or Redo: the project, but since you know how Spelling works go ahead and close the Spelling • Select Edit → Undo or dialog box. Redo from the menu. NOTE: If Spelling brings up a word you don’t want to change, click Ignore, or click • Press
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Lesson 1-11: Adjust the Timescale
Figure 1-16 The timescale header in Gantt Chart view
Figure 1-17 Timescale header The Gantt Chart’s timescale header Figure 1-18 The Timescale dialog box Figure 1-16 Major scale: Weeks
Minor scale: Days
Figure 1-17
A preview of the timescale units appears in the dialog box.
Figure 1-18
You can format your project’s timescale to customize how you view information over a period of time. The timescale is the time grid area in the Gantt Chart and in other views where task bars and non-working time is displayed. Figure 1-16 shows the timescale header. The timescale header consists of the major scale (upper portion) and minor scale (lower portion). Change the timescale so that you can see the wedding project over a longer amount of time, and give the non-working time areas a new color.
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1. Select Format → Timescale from the menu. Other Ways to Adjust The Middle Tier tab of the Timescale dialog box appears. There are three basic settings the Timescale’s Time for the timescale: Period: • Select View → Zoom One Tier (Middle): Displays the timescale by week. from the menu.
Two Tiers (Middle, Bottom): Displays the timescale by week and Other Ways to Open the day. This is the default setting. Timescale Dialog Box: Three Tiers (Top, Middle, Bottom): Displays the timescale by • Double-click inside the month, week, and day. timescale header. Or… If a tier is going to be displayed in the timescale, you can format the tick lines, or units Right-click the shown in the tier in the top half of its designated tab. Let’s try viewing the project with timescale header and three tiers. select Timescale from 2. Click the Show list arrow and select Three Tiers (Top, Middle, the shortcut menu. Bottom) from the list. Notice that a preview appears in a window at the bottom of the dialog box. Leave the rest of the formatting options as defaults for now. Click the “Non-working Time” tab in the dialog box. 3. Click the Non-working time tab. Click the Color list arrow and select Lime from the drop-down list. All the non-working time will appear in a lime color, as shown in the preview area of the dialog box. Now change the pattern of the non-working time. 4. Select Pattern and select vertical stripes from the drop-down list. Look at your changes in the preview window at the bottom of the dialog box. Quick Reference 5. Click OK. To Open the Timescale You return to the Gantt Chart view. Notice that the chart side of the view has been Dialog Box: condensed from weeks to months, so you can see much more of your project. Now let’s • Select Format → see if we can see those lime stripes. Timescale from the 6. Click the Zoom In button on the Standard toolbar until you can see the menu. lime striped non-working time. Or… • Double-click inside the timescale header. Or… • Right-click the timescale header and select Timescale from the shortcut menu. To Adjust the Timescale’s Time Period: 1. Click the Show list arrow and select One, Two, or Three Tiers from the list. 2. Format the tiers in the tabs. Or… • Select View → Zoom from the menu.
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Lesson 1-12: Saving the Project File
Figure 1-19 Specifies where to The Save As dialog box save the document (in which drive and Figure 1-20 folder) The Office Assistant, asks if you would like to save a baseline for the project file
Specify the file name here
Figure 1-19
Check this box to ignore the Planning Wizard until you have entered all information in the project.
Figure 1-20
Saving a file in Project is very similar to saving a file in most Microsoft programs. This lesson will show you how saving a project file is different.
1. Select File → Save As from the menu to save your project. The Save As dialog box opens. Here, specify the location where you want to save the file and give the file a name. 2. Type Diplomatic Wedding in the File name text box. Navigate to your practice folder and click Save. The Office Assistant may appear, asking if you want to save a project baseline, as shown in Figure 1-20. NOTE: If the Planning Wizard has been turned off in your program, or if the file already has saved a baseline, the Office Assistant won’t appear.
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A baseline is a snapshot of what the project looks like right now, and is used to track project progress. You are not yet ready to create a baseline, however. Typically project baselines are not saved until all the project’s information is entered in the file, and is as fine-tuned as possible. 3. If necessary, select Save My Wedding without a baseline from the Other Ways to Save a Office Assistant. Project File: The file is saved without a baseline. • Click the Save button on the Standard toolbar. You might want to check the “Don’t tell me about this again” option in the Office Assistant box. Otherwise, the Planning Wizard will pop up every time you save the Or… project, until you save a baseline. • Press .
Quick Reference To Save a Project File: 1. Select File → Save As from the menu. Or… Click the Save button on the Standard toolbar. Or… Press . 2. Type the file name in the File name text box. 3. Click Save. 4. Choose to save with or without a baseline if necessary.
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Lesson 1-13: Saving a Baseline Plan
Figure 1-21 The Save Baseline dialog box Click Entire project to save all the information in the project.
Click Selected tasks to save the information for selected tasks in a baseline or interim plan.
Figure 1-21
When you have entered your best estimates for the majority of tasks, resources, and costs into your project and you’re ready to start working, you should save a baseline for your project. A baseline is a snapshot of your project’s status before work on the project begins, and is saved within the project file. For example, when you save a baseline, Microsoft Project copies the information from the Start and Finish fields into the Baseline Start and Baseline Finish fields. It is the primary reference point against which you measure changes in your project. You can modify baseline data to accommodate changes in the project such as combining, adding, and deleting tasks. You can also remove all the data from a baseline, by clearing the baseline, if, for instance, the project is over and you want to use the project plan as a template for a future project. What information is included in the baseline plan? • Creates a baseline for your project. The baseline plan includes information regarding the following: • Tasks (start and finish dates, duration, work, cost, timephased work, and timephased cost) Save a BASELINE plan • Resources (work, cost, timephased work, and timephased cost) before you begin • Assignments (start and finish dates, work, cost, timephased work, and timephased cost) tracking and updating progress. That way you • Baseline plan information is stored in the Baseline Start, Baseline Finish, Baseline Work, will have something to Baseline Duration, and Baseline Cost fields. refer to when tracking Once you start working on your project, you can use the baseline information as a reference progress changes. point to compare actual work with your baseline and see the progress that you make. For example, you want to keep track of a task’s cost. The baseline estimate is $50, but the actual cost is $60, a variance of $10. Now that you know this information, you can adjust other parts of your project to meet cost constraints.
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Note, however, that you can only view the variances of those items for which you've entered baseline estimates. For example, if you didn't enter resource costs before you saved a baseline, you will not be able to view resource-cost variances. One more thing; always save a baseline wisely. There may be times when a project is so small that you don’t need to compare progress, or you won’t have enough time to check project variance. Also, if you haven’t entered enough information in the file to create a project baseline, simply choose to save without a baseline until more information is ready to go. Other Ways to Save a 1. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu. Baseline: The Save Baseline dialog box appears. You can either choose to save your baseline as • If you have made an entire project, or just add selected tasks you may have entered to a baseline you significant changes to saved earlier. We haven’t saved a baseline yet, so save the entire project. your project and you haven’t started working NOTE: You can only have one project baseline at a time, so save wisely. Make sure the majority of your tasks and resources have been entered into your project. You on your tasks, select can save up to ten Interim plans as you work to compare levels of progress— Project → Save from more on those in another lesson. the menu. The Save Baseline dialog box Click the Save Baseline and Entire Project options as shown in Figure 2. should pop up. If it 1-21 and click OK. doesn’t, go to step 2. That’s it—you have saved a baseline for your project. Now, as work is completed and tasks are updated, you can compare your work with the baseline to see how far along you are, and to see how close your planning estimates were. That’s all there is to saving a baseline plan. The trick is to actually use the baseline information to track how your project is progressing, which you will learn more about as the project develops.
Quick Reference To Save a Baseline Plan: 1. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu. 2. Click the Save Baseline and Entire Project options, and click OK. To Clear a Baseline Plan: 1. Select Tools → Tracking → Clear Baseline from the menu. 2. Select the baseline you want to clear, select Entire Project or Selected Tasks, and click OK.
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Lesson 1-14: Saving an Interim Plan
Figure 1-22 Saving an interim plan in the Save Baseline dialog box
Figure 1-22
While a baseline plan records how the complete project looks before any progress is recorded, an interim plan is a snapshot of your project as it progresses. You can then compare interim plan data to baseline plan data to assess task progress. Interim plans are not nearly as detailed as baseline plans. A baseline saves 20 pieces of information, compared to an interim plan that saves only two pieces of information; the start and finish date of a task. You can save up to ten interim plans at a time. Although you generally only save an interim plan after beginning task work, save an interim plan right now just for practice.
1. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu. You are going to save an interim plan, so… 2. Click the Save interim plan option. Notice that the Copy and Into boxes are no longer shaded. When saving an interim plan you must specify the information you want to save in the Copy field, and specify where you want to save that information in the Into field. Copy: Specifies the fields you want to use to create the interim plan. For example, if you want to create an interim plan using the information in your baseline plan, select Baseline Start/Finish. Save an INTERIM plan Into: Specifies the fields that you want to use to store the interim plan; in other words, after you begin the plan name. progress. Now select the name of the current plan and select a name for the new interim plan. 3. Click the Copy list arrow. Notice that there are ten options from which to choose; one for each plan you can save. 4. Select Start/Finish from the Copy drop-down list. The information in the Start and Finish fields will be recorded in the interim plan.
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Now choose where you want to store this information. 5. Select Start1/Finish1 from the Into list. The interim plan information will be stored under this plan name. You can either choose “Entire project” to save an interim plan for the whole project, or you can choose “Select tasks” to save a portion of the project. Choose to save the entire project. 6. Click the Entire project bullet and click OK. You’re all done—way to go! After saving an interim plan, you can view the plan's start and finish dates by inserting its fields into a task sheet view. For example, if you've saved three interim plans, you can view the dates saved in the third plan by inserting the Start3 and Finish3 fields into the Task Sheet view.
Quick Reference To Save an Interim Plan: 1. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu. 2. Click the Save interim plan bullet. 3. In the Copy textbox, click the name of the current interim plan. 4. In the Into textbox, click a name for the next interim plan or specify a new name. 5. Click the Entire project bullet and click OK. Or… Click Selected Tasks to save a portion of the schedule.
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Lesson 1-15: Using the Project Guide
Figure 1-23 A new project file with the Project Guide features Project Guide toolbar
Project Guide side panel
Figure 1-23
A new feature in Project 2003, and probably the most helpful feature for beginners, is the Project Guide. The Project Guide is like an advanced wizard that guides you through each step in creating a project, such as entering tasks and resources, recording progress, and reporting project status. The Guide appears whenever you create a new project file, but you can turn the Project Guide off once you are more familiar with how to build a project. There are two ways to view the Project Guide: • Project Guide toolbar: This toolbar provides access to instructions and wizards in each of four basic project elements: Tasks, Resources, Track, and Report. • Side pane: The side panel contains a list of tasks for each basic project element and provides the necessary instructions and wizards to help you accomplish those tasks. In this lesson, we will explore the Project Guide.
1. If necessary, click the New button on the Standard toolbar. A blank project file appears with the Project Guide toolbar and side panels. Notice that the side panel displays the steps for tasks. Let’s try going through the first step in the Tasks category. To view or hide the 2. Click the Define the project link in the side pane. Project Guide toolbar, The Project Guide brings us to the first step in defining the project. select View → Toolbars → Project Guide from Notice that there are arrows at the bottom of the guide to progress between steps in the wizard. If you were actually creating a project you would just follow the arrows. the menu. Let’s explore the other ways to use the Project Guide.
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3. Click the Track button on the Project Guide toolbar. To Turn Off the Project A dialog box appears, asking if you want to quit the wizard that is in progress. Guide: 4. Click Yes. • Select Tools → Options from the The dialog box closes and the steps for tracking the project appear in the side pane. menu. Click the If you know the exact step you want help with from the Project Guide you can quickly Interface tab and access it by using the Next Steps and Related Activities drop-down list. uncheck the Display 5. Click the Next Steps and Related Activities button. Project Guide A list of all the steps available in the Project Guide appear in the drop-down list. checkbox. 6. Select Specify people and equipment for the project from the list. The options for entering resources appears in the side pane. Also, notice that the view changes from Gantt Chart to Simple Resource Sheet. The Project Guide recognizes the action being performed and changes the view to accommodate the steps; in this case, entering resources. If the side pane is taking up too much room, you can close the side pane and just work from the Project Guide toolbar. Click the Show/Hide Project Guide button on the Project Guide 7. Quick Reference toolbar. The side pane disappears. One of the great advantages with the Project Guide is that To View the Project Guide even if you know how to create a project, you can refer to the Project Guide to view Toolbar: different methods or options available to perform a step. Refer to Table 1-9: Project • Select View → Toolbars Guide Steps for a listing of the steps that the Project Guide covers. → Project Guide from the menu. Table 1-9: Project Guide Steps To Use the Project Guide: Tasks 1. Click the category Define the project Link to or attach more task information button you want to work on in the Project Guide Define general working times Add columns of custom information toolbar. List the tasks in the project Set deadlines and constrain tasks 2. Click the link to the step Organize tasks into phases Add documents to the project you want to complete in the project. Schedule tasks Publish project information to the Web 3. Follow the Project Guide’s Resources instructions to complete Specify people and equipment for the project Link to or attach more resource information the project. Define working times for resources Add columns of custom information Or… Assign people and equipment to tasks Publish project information to the Web • Click the Next Steps and Track Related Activities button on the Project Save a baseline plan to compare with later Prepare to track the progress of your project Guide toolbar and select versions the step you want to Incorporate progress information into the project Check the progress of the project complete. Make changes to the project Track issues associated with this project To Turn Off the Project Guide: Request text-based status reports Publish project information to the Web Report • Select Tools → Options from the menu. Click the Select a view or report Change the content or order of information in a Interface tab and view uncheck the Display Change the look or content of the Gantt Chart See the status of multiple project in Project Center Project Guide checkbox. Compare progress against baseline work See the project’s critical tasks See how resources’ time is allocated See project costs
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Lesson 1-16: Getting Help
Figure 1-24 The Clippit Office Assistant Figure 1-25 A Tutorial window from Project 2003 Figure 1-26 Figure 1-24 Figure 1-25 Project 2003 Help Contents and Index
Figure 1-26
If you’ve worked with other Microsoft programs, you’ve probably encountered the Microsoft Office Assistant (that cute little know-it-all paperclip or another animated character). The Office Assistant is a Help tool. Fortunately, there are many Help tools you can access in Project 2003 if you have a question or problem. You can receive help from the Office Assistant, Help Contents and Index, Help tutorials, or the “What’s This?” button.
1. Select Help → Microsoft Project Help from the menu. The Office Assistant appears. The Office Assistant is an interactive guide that answers your questions while you are using the Project interface or in the middle of a procedure. Other Ways to Show the 2. In the Office Assistant’s dialog box, type How do I save a project? Microsoft Office and click Search. Assistant: The Office Assistant suggests a list of possible subtopics for you to consider. Each of Press < F1 >. • the subtopics links you to a specific procedure related to saving a project file. Click on Or… one. • Press the Help 3. Click Save a project file. button. You are taken to the Project Help screen with links that will take you to procedures and information relating to your question.
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4. Close the Help screen. Now open the Help Contents and Index. 5. Select Help → Contents and Index from the menu. What’s This? button Again, the Help screen pops up. Click the Maximize button in the upper-right corner of the Help screen so that the Help screen expands. 6. Click on the Contents, Answer Wizard, and Index tabs. This tool is simply a few tabs full of Project 2003 contents, indexes, and search What’s This? functionality. Here is a closer look at each of the tabs: pointer • Contents: This tab shows folders that contain information on the steps in creating a project. A folder with a by it contains information that is hidden. A folder with a by it contains information that is displayed. Click on these buttons to show or hide information. • Answer Wizard: The Answer Wizard is kind of like the Office Assistant. Type a question in the upper pane and click search, then a list of topics appears in the lower pane. If you click on any of these topics, you will be led to a Help tool with an answer. • Index: Indexes don’t get much more detailed than this. Either type in a keyword Quick Reference in the upper pane or choose a keyword from the scrolling list, and click Search. To Show the Microsoft The lower pane will display a list of topics that will lead you to a variety of Office Assistant: indexes or Help tools with answers. • Press
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Chapter One Review
Lesson Summary
Plan the Project • Before entering information in a project file, you must have a clear idea of the scope and purpose of the project.
Understanding Project Management • A Project is: a temporary series of actions undertaken to create a unique product or service • All Projects: 1. Have a start and end date 2. Are efforts made by people or equipment 3. Create a product or service • Project Management is: the process of planning, organizing, and managing tasks and resources to accomplish an objective, usually within constraints of time • The Project Triangle Includes: Time, Cost, and Scope • A Database is: a collection of information that is organized into a list • A Database Does These Things: 1. Stores information 2. Finds information 3. Analyzes and prints information 4. Manages information 5. Shares information
What’s New in the Microsoft Project 2003 Database? • Be able to identify the main components of the Project program screen.
Understanding the Project Screen • Be able to identify the main components of the Project program screen.
Creating a New File • Select File → New from the menu and click Blank Project in the task pane. Or, click the New button, or press
Using Project Templates • To Open a Template File: Select File → New from the menu and click the General Templates link in the task pane. Click the Project Templates tab in the Templates dialog box, select the template you want to use, and click OK.
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Entering Project Information • Enter the information when the file is newly created, or select Project → Project Information from the menu and change the project’s information.
Set the Working Time Calendar • Select Tools → Change Working Time from the menu. Click the column heading of the day(s) you want to change, or select the specific date(s). Click the Nondefault time option, or the Non- working time option. Change the times to the hours you want to work in the From: and To: text boxes, and click OK.
Create a New Calendar • Select Tools → Change Working Time from the menu. Click the New button in the dialog box and enter a name for the new calendar and choose to create a new calendar, or copy an existing one. Click OK and change the working hours and days for the new calendar and click OK.
Correcting Spelling and Using Undo or Redo • To Use Spelling: Click the Spelling button on the toolbar, or select Tools → Spelling from the menu, or Press
Adjust the Timescale • To Open the Timescale Dialog Box: Select Format → Timescale from the menu, or double-click inside the timescale header, or right-click the timescale header and select Timescale from the shortcut menu. • To Adjust the Timescale’s Time Period: Click the Show list arrow and select One, Two, or Three Tiers from the list and format the tiers in the tabs. Or, select View → Zoom from the menu.
Saving the Project File • To Save a Project File: Select File → Save As from the menu, or click the Save button on the Standard toolbar, or press . Then type the file name in the File name text box, click Save, and save without a baseline, if necessary.
Saving a Baseline Plan • To Save a Baseline Plan: Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu, click the Save Baseline and Entire Project options, and click OK. • To Clear a Baseline Plan: Select Tools → Tracking → Clear Baseline from the menu, click the Save Baseline and Entire Project options, and click OK.
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Saving an Interim Plan • To Save an Interim Plan: Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu and click the Save interim plan bullet. In the Copy textbox, click the name of the current interim plan. In the Into textbox, click a name for the next interim plan or specify a new name. Click the Entire project bullet and click OK, or click Selected Tasks to save a portion of the schedule. • To Clear a Baseline Plan: Select Tools → Tracking → Clear Baseline from the menu, click the Save Baseline and Entire Project options, and click OK.
Using the Project Guide
• To View the Project Guide Toolbar: Select View → Toolbars → Project Guide from the menu. • To Use the Project Guide: Click the category button you want to work on in the Project Guide toolbar. Click the link to the step you want to complete in the project and follow the Project Guide’s instructions to complete the project. Or, click the Next Steps and Related Activities button on the Project Guide toolbar and select the step you want to complete. • To Turn Off the Project Guide: Select Tools → Options from the menu. Click the Interface tab and uncheck the Display Project Guide checkbox.
Getting Help • To Show the Microsoft Office Assistant: Select Help → Microsoft Project Help from the menu, or press
Quiz
1. What is NOT a component of the project triangle? A. Effort B. Time C. Scope D. Cost
2. The default view for Project 2003 is: A. Resource Sheet view B. Inter view C. Gantt Chart view D. There is no default view for Project 2003
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3. You can change the project calendar to reflect the days and hours for everyone on your project. (True or False?)
4. Which of these is NOT a way to open a new project file? A. Select File → New from the menu. B. Press the New button. C. Press
5. How can you access the Microsoft Assistant if you need help? (Select all that apply.) A. Press
6. Saving a baseline plan is an unimportant step in project management. (True or False?)
7. You can change views in Project 2003 by: (Select all that apply.) A. Selecting a new view from the View bar. B. Hiding your toolbars. C. Going to the View menu and select a new view. D. Pressing
8. Most databases have the ability to share information. (True or False?)
9. Which of the following is NOT a category in the Project Guide? A. Reports B. Track C. Tasks D. Collaborate
Homework
1. Start Microsoft Project 2003. 2. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 1 database. 3. Spellcheck this database using the spelling button. 4. Select Tools → Options from the menu and click the General tab. Enter “Don Quixote” in the User Name text box, and click OK. 5. Switch to Resource Sheet view and then back to Gantt Chart view. 6. Select the first task, “Open a Lemonade Stand,” and change it to “Open a Slim-Fast Stand.” Then use the Undo feature to undo what you just wrote.
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7. Make the Microsoft Assistant appear, and then make it go away. 8. Close the Homework 1 database.
Quiz Answers
1. A. Effort is not a component of the project triangle. 2. C. Gantt Chart view is the default view in Project 2003. 3. True. Do this by adjusting the working time. 4. D. This procedure will only insert a new task in the task list. 5. A and C. Pressing
2004 CustomGuide, Inc.
Chapter Two: Enter and Schedule the Task List
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites • Understand project • Enter Tasks and Task Durations management • Create a Milestone and Recurring Tasks • Know the basic elements of Project • Learn how to insert, delete, copy, and move tasks 2003 • Organize the Task List • Set Task Deadlines and Constraints • Use Task Information • Link, Unlink and Split Tasks • Define Task Type • Overlap or Delay Tasks • Assign a Task Calendar Chapter Task: Create a project, enter tasks, and devise a schedule
Diving into a blank database can be very intimidating at first. But don’t worry; all you have to do is enter information into your project database, and Microsoft Project 2003 calculates and creates a working schedule based on information you provide.
You can begin planning your project after you have defined your project goals and considered the major phases of your project. For example, say you’re planning a wedding. Your major goals are to decide on a date, book wedding services (caterer/DJ/photographer), choose your wedding party and attire, plan a honeymoon, invite guests, and get married. The major phases of your wedding planning might be divided into the months before the wedding, the week before the wedding, the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding day. In this chapter, we are going to organize a list of tasks to be completed, along with each task’s duration. Then, we’re going to add people, equipment, and materials, and their costs to our plan. The lessons in this chapter guide you through creating your project plan.
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Lesson 2-1: Enter a Task
Figure 2-1 Entering tasks in the Task Sheet view
Figure 2-1 If you don’t enter a Project enters as much duration for the task, information as it can in a task, Project automatically according to the information it estimates that the task already has about the project. will take one day.
Crack your knuckles and get ready—it’s time to enter tasks into your project! Tasks are really the basis of every project because Project builds the project schedule on the information you enter in tasks. You should already have an idea of what you need to do to accomplish your project’s goals. Start with large chunks of work and then break them down into smaller tasks. A task represents an amount of work with a clear outcome, and it should be small enough for you to track its progress regularly.
1. Navigate to your practice folder, and open Lesson 2A. Save the file as Task List. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. The default Gantt Chart view is an easy view in which to enter tasks. 2. Place your insertion point in the Task Name field. When entering a task, try to pick a name that clearly identifies the task. 3. Type Engagement, and press
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Your Task List should look like Figure 2-1. Notice that though you haven’t entered anything more than the task name, Project has entered more information for the task based on the information it already has about the project. After entering all the project’s tasks in the task list, go on to the next lesson and learn how to enter task durations.
Quick Reference To Enter a Task: • Type the task’s name in the Task Name field, and press
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Lesson 2-2: Enter Task Durations
Figure 2-2 The project updated with task durations in Gantt Chart view
Figure 2-2 The chart area of the view reflects the task durations.
Entering the duration of a task is probably the hardest part about entering tasks, because it’s often difficult to tell how long something is going to take. Therefore, to do a good job of estimating the duration of a task, research the tasks of similar projects that have already been completed. Once entered, Project uses durations to calculate the amount of work to be done on the task, and the project as a whole. You will enter the durations of the tasks that have already been entered in the database.
1. Place your insertion point in the task #2 Duration field. Notice that there is a question mark (?) after the number in the duration. This indicates that the number is an estimate, which is what Project automatically enters in the task field until you assign a more definite duration. Give yourself two days to plan and have the engagement party. 2. Type 2 days and press
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• Refer to the entire project: Generally, if you have a longer project, you will have longer tasks, and if you have a shorter project, you will have shorter tasks. Finish giving the other tasks in the project a duration. 3. Enter the following durations for their corresponding tasks:
Send engagement announcements 4 days
Quick Reference To Enter a Duration: • Enter a duration in the Duration field.
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Lesson 2-3: Creating a Milestone
Figure 2-3 A milestone in the project Figure 2-4 The Task Information dialog box
Figure 2-3 Enter a duration of 0 A Milestone Marker appears (zero) days to turn a as a single spot on the chart task into a milestone. instead of a task bar.
Check this box to turn any task into a milestone. Figure 2-4
A milestone is a task that marks a significant event in your project. Though milestones don’t require any work, they are valuable additions to any project. Whether it is the beginning or end of a task, milestones are goals that keep you on the right track in your project’s progression.
1. Navigate to the Engagement task #1 Duration field. This task is a significant marking point at the start of the project. There are two ways to change a task into a milestone: enter a duration of 0 (zero) days in the duration field, or mark the task as a milestone in the Task Information dialog box.
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2. Type 0 days, and press
Quick Reference To Create a Milestone: 1. Enter a duration of 0 (zero) days for a task. Or… 1. Click the Task Information button. Or… Right-click the task and select Task Information. 2. Click the Advanced tab. 3. Check the Mark task as Milestone checkbox, and click OK.
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Lesson 2-4: Copying, Moving, Inserting, and Deleting a Task
Figure 2-5 It’s easy to move a task in Gantt Chart view. Figure 2-6 The project in Gantt Chart view after the task has Click the been moved. Task ID number to select the entire task row.
Figure 2-5 The gray moving line appears to show where the task is being moved.
Figure 2-6
Chances are you will have to copy, insert, delete, and move tasks at some point in your planning. If you’ve ever typed text in a program before and had to edit it, the steps in this lesson will be a breeze.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 2B, and save the file as Task List. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. First, copy a task in the list. 2. Click on the task #3 ID button, the number to left of the task name. Notice that all the fields in the row are selected. 3. Select Edit → Copy Task from the menu. The “Send engagement announcements” task has been copied and placed on the clipboard. Now enter it above the “Engagement party” task.
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4. Select the Engagement party task name. Select Edit → Paste from the Other Ways to Insert a menu. New Task: The “Send engagement announcements” task has been entered above the “Engagement • Right-click the number party” task. You now have two “Send engagement announcements” tasks. to the left of a task, and Now move the copied “Send engagement announcements” task to the bottom of the choose New Task. list. Or… 5. Click on the task #2 ID button, the number to left of the task name so • Press the Insert key. the entire row is selected. You are ready to move the task. 6. Click the selected task, and drag and drop the task to the end of the list. A gray line should appear across the task list when you begin to move the task, as shown in Figure 2-5. You don’t really need two “Send engagement announcements” Quick Reference tasks, so go ahead and delete the last one. To Copy a Task: Click on the task #5 ID button, and select Edit → Delete Task from the 7. • Select Edit → Copy menu. Task from the menu, or The task is deleted from the task list. • Right-click the selected What if you need to insert a task? This is also easily done in Project. task and select Copy 8. Click on the task #1 ID button, and select Insert → New Task from the Task from the shortcut menu. menu, or A new blank task is entered in the project. • Select the task and press 9. In the new blank task field, type Announcements and press
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Lesson 2-5: Creating Recurring Tasks
Figure 2-7 The Recurring Task Information dialog box
Figure 2-8 A recurring task and its subtasks
Figure 2-7
A recurring task has subtasks underneath it for all recurrences.
Figure 2-8
Recurring tasks are tasks that repeat regularly, such as weekly visits to the Swedish masseuse because you are SO stressed out from planning weddings! A recurring task can take place daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. You can specify the duration of each occurrence, when it will occur, and for how long or how many times it should occur.
1. Go to the end of the task list. Select Insert → Recurring Task from the menu. The Recurring Task Information dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 2-7. You would like to schedule three recurring appointments for mambo classes so the couple will finally learn how to dance for the wedding. First, name the task. 2. Type Mambo Mania class in the Task Name box. Now enter the duration of the recurring tasks.
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3. Type 1 day in the Duration box. Now specify how often you want the task to recur. 4. Select the Weekly option and check Tuesday for the day of the week. This recurring task will occur on Tuesday each week. Now define when the recurring tasks should begin, and how long they will last. 5. Type 9/12/00 in the Start text box, select the End after option and type 3 in the occurrences box. The first instance of the recurring task will occur on 9/12/00, and will continue for three weeks. Compare the dialog box to Figure 2-7. 6. Click OK to close the Recurring Task Information dialog box. The Recurring Task Information dialog box closes. Another dialog box appears, telling you that these tasks will occur during non-working time. 7. Click Yes in the Microsoft Project dialog box. The dialog box closes, and Project reschedules the new task to accommodate nonworking time. 8. Click the show subtasks button (plus sign) on the Mambo classes task. The subtasks appear under the “Mambo Mania class” task, as shown in Figure 2-8. Notice that your new recurring task, “Mambo Mania class,” appears with three tasks below it. These are all the recurrences of the task. 9. Click the hide subtasks button (minus sign) on the Mambo Mania class task. The subtasks are hidden. 10. Close the file without saving changes.
Quick Reference To Create a Recurring Task: 1. Select Insert → Recurring Task from the menu. 2. Enter information into the Recurring Task dialog box, and click OK.
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Lesson 2-6: Organize the Task List
Figure 2-9 The Task List with Summary tasks and Subtasks in Gantt Chart view
Summary tasks appear in bold.
Figure 2-9 The length of a summary task depends on the length of its subtasks.
The more tasks you have in a project, the more confusing things can become. Therefore, you should organize your tasks into phases, or groups of related tasks. In Project, phases are grouped by summary tasks. Tasks underneath the summary tasks are called subtasks. Project calculates the duration of your summary tasks based on the details in your subtasks. If you change information in your subtasks, the duration of your summary task will change. Other Ways to Insert a New Task: 1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 2C. Save the file as Right-click the number to Task List. the left of a task, and If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. choose New Task. Insert the summary task names into the list. 2. Select Announcements, and select Insert → New Task from the menu. A new row appears. 3. Type Diplomatic Wedding - 800 guests in the Task Name field Enter another new task. 4. Select task 8 Reception sites and caterer, and select Insert → New Task from the menu. Type Hire services in the new field. Now you need to make the new tasks into summary tasks.
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5. Select task 2 then press and hold down the
Task 1, “Diplomatic Wedding - 800 guests,” becomes a summary task, and tasks 2 through 16 become subtasks. Indent button You can also create summary tasks within summary tasks. 7. Under the Announcements task, select tasks 3 through 7. The level of a task’s These are all subtasks of the “Announcements” summary task. indentation tells you whether it is a 8. Click the Indent button on the Formatting toolbar. summary task or a Task 2 becomes a summary task, and tasks 3 through 7 become subtasks. subtask. There is one more summary task to deal with. 9. Under the Hire Services task, select tasks 9 through 16 and click the Indent button on the Formatting toolbar. Your Task Sheet should look similar to Figure 2-9. Notice that the summary task bars appear as in black, and extend as far as the longest subtask. Structuring your tasks into phases is easy, isn’t it? If you want to hide the subtasks under a summary task, click the “hide subtasks” button next to the summary task or on the Formatting toolbar. If you want to show the subtasks again, click the “show subtasks” button next to the summary task or on the Formatting toolbar.
Quick Reference To Create a Summary Task: 1. Either insert a new task to be used as a summary task, or use one you already entered. 2. Under your summary task, select the tasks you want to use as subtasks. 3. On the Formatting toolbar, click the Indent button. To View a Level of a Phase: • Click the Show button on the Formatting toolbar.
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Lesson 2-7: Using Task Information and Task Notes
Figure 2-10 The General tab of the Task Information dialog box Figure 2-11 The Notes tab of the Task Information dialog box
Figure 2-10
Figure 2-11
Other Ways to Change So far you have been working with tasks on a surface level. This lesson is going to dig deeper Task Information: as you explore the Task Information dialog box and enter Task Notes. • Right-click the task and select Task 1. Select the Send save the date announcements task #6 and click the Information. Task Information button. Or… The Task Information dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 2-10. • Select the task and Change the duration for this task. select Project → Task 2. In the Duration text box, delete 0d and type 3 days. Click OK. Information from the Terrific! You have just changed a task’s information. Notice that the change has also menu. been made to the task in Gantt Chart view. NOTE: You can also edit multiple tasks, although most project managers choose not to. To edit multiple tasks, select the group of tasks you want to edit and click the Task Information button. Make edits in the Multiple Task Information dialog box. You can also enter notes for a task.
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3. Go to the end of the task list and type Find wedding gown to enter a new task. When you add a note Now enter a note for the type of wedding gown you want to find. to a task, the notes Click on the task you just typed, and click the button on the 4. Task Notes indicator appears in Standard toolbar. the Indicators field. The Task Information dialog box appears with the Notes tab in front, as shown in Figure 2-11. Enter text and an illustration. 5. In the large text box, type MUST have puffy sleeves, and then click the Insert Object button in the dialog box. Insert Object The Insert Object dialog box appears. button 6. Click the Create from File bullet, click the Browse button and navigate to your practice folder, select dream dress.bmp, and click OK, OK. You just inserted a picture into the Notes tab, as shown in Figure 2-11. 7. Take a look at your dress picture in the Notes tab and click OK. Refer to the table below for more information on what the Task Information dialog box Other Ways to Enter a can do. Task Note: • Right-click the task and select Task Notes. Table 2-1: Task Information dialog box Or… Tab Description • Click on the Notes General Use this tab to enter, review, or change basic information about the selected tab in the Task task. For example, change task durations, track task progress, and enter a start Information dialog box. or finish date. Predecessors Use this tab to enter, review, or change predecessor information about the selected task. Enter a predecessor for the current task and select the predecessor type, and enter lag time or lead time. Resources Use this tab to enter, review, or change resource assignments and assignment units for the selected task. Advanced Use this tab to enter, review, or change supplemental task information. For example, enter a deadline for the task, change a task constraint, specify the Quick Reference task calendar, or mark the task as effort-driven, or as a milestone. To Use Task Information: Notes Use this tab to enter or review notes for a selected task. For example, add new • Select the task, click the notes about a task, revise or add to existing notes, format the font and Task Information alignment of notes, or insert objects into a note. button, and make edits in the dialog box. Custom Fields Use this dialog box to view and assign values to task custom fields and outline codes. To Enter a Note for a Task: • Select a task and click the Task Notes button from the Standard toolbar. Or… • Right-click the task and select Task Notes. Or… • Click on the Notes tab in the Task Information dialog box.
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Lesson 2-8: Linking and Unlinking Tasks
1. Select two tasks in Figure 2-12 the order you want The process for linking them linked, tasks then click the Link Tasks button. Figure 2-13 The Task Dependency dialog box
Linking arrows appear, indicating that the two tasks are linked.
Figure 2-12
Figure 2-13
Linking tasks allows you to put things in order. For instance, you can’t sew turquoise sequins onto your wedding dress until you have a wedding dress to sew on. Likewise, you can’t send a deposit to the caterer until you hire a caterer. The task whose start or finish date depends on another task is called the successor. The task that the successor is dependent on is the predecessor. For example, “Book a caterer” would be a predecessor, while “Send caterer a deposit” is the successor. When tasks are linked, changes to the predecessor’s dates affect the successor’s dates. To select nonadjacent In this lesson, make a link so that the “Draft contract and notice to proceed with wedding tasks, hold down the plans” task is a predecessor, and “Hire services” is a successor.
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3. Click the Link Tasks button. The two tasks are now linked by an arrow, as shown in Figure 2-12. Notice that the bar for the “Hire services” task moves to the end of the “Draft contract and notice to proceed with wedding plans” task. This indicates that the “Hire services” task won’t Link Tasks button begin until the “Draft contract and notice to proceed with wedding plans” task is finished. You can change the way the tasks are linked. 4. Double-click the line between the tasks that you just linked. The Task Dependency dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 2-13. We’ll leave our tasks linked according to Finish-to-start (FS). That means the second (successor) task will start when the first (predecessor) task has finished. For more information on types of links, see Table 2-2: Types of Links. 5. Don’t make any changes to the task link, and click OK. Now just for practice, try unlinking these tasks. 6. Hold down the
Table 2-2: Types of Links Link Type Description Finish-to-start (FS) The successor task will begin when the predecessor task ends. This is the default setting. Quick Reference Start-to-start (SS) Both the predecessor and successor tasks begin at the same time. The start To Link Tasks: date of the predecessor task determines the start date for the successor task. 1. Press
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Lesson 2-9: Splitting Tasks
Figure 2-14 A task being split Figure 2-15 The split task
Figure 2-14 The status window tells The dividing tool you the date the split task is going to begin.
Figure 2-15 The split task shows the duration of the interruption.
You can split a task if you have to interrupt it and complete it on a later date. A task can be Split Task button split as many times as necessary. 1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 2D and save the file as Task List. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. Uh-oh. The search for the perfect puffy-sleeved wedding gown is going to have to go on hold for two weeks when the bride goes on a campaign tour with her father across Wyoming. Split the task to account for the time. 2. Select the Find wedding gown task #30 Now split that task.
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3. Click the Split Task button on the Standard toolbar. An instruction window pops up, and the cursor turns into a dividing tool. 4. Place the dividing tool at 5/12/00. The instruction window shows the date when you are going to begin the interruption. 5. Click and drag the task bar until the instruction window says the task will start 5/15/00. Notice that a dotted line separates the two parts of the task. The first part of the task ends at 5/12/00, where you began the interruption, and the second part of the task begins at 5/15/00, where you ended the interruption. It is also easy to adjust the length of a split. 6. Grab the second half of the split bar and drag it to the right until the instruction window says the task will start 5/17/00. Let go of the bar. The split is now a four days long. Notice that the duration of the task has not changed; it is still one month. The You can remove a split scheduling of work on the task has changed, which has also made the finish date by dragging one part change. of the split bar so it touches another part of the split bar. The parts will just bond together.
Quick Reference To Split a Task: 1. Select the task and click the Split button. 2. Use the dividing tool to choose a splitting spot in the task’s Gantt bar, and then click it. To Remove a Split: • Drag the split portions until they touch.
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Lesson 2-10: Overlap or Delay Tasks
Figure 2-16 The Predecessors tab in the Task Information dialog box Figure 2-17 Linked tasks with lead time Figure 2-18 Linked tasks with lag time
Figure 2-16
Figure 2-17
Figure 2-18
After you link tasks, you can also overlap or delay them. Overlapping linked tasks means that you want the successor (second) task to begin before the predecessor (first) task ends. Therefore, you give the successor task lead time. Delaying a task means that there will be some time between the predecessor task ending, and the successor task beginning. Therefore, you give the successor task lag time. Sound confusing? Look at it in terms of our wedding: You want to start planning the wedding colors before you decide on bridesmaid dresses so you can coordinate the available options. You’d better overlap those two linked tasks.
1. Click the Sew bridesmaid dresses task #38, because it’s the one you want to add lead time to. Click the Task Information button. The Task Information dialog box appears. Task Information 2. Click the Predecessors tab. button The task that “Sew bridesmaid dresses” is linked to appears in the Task Name column. Now enter the lead time information.
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3. In the Lag column, type –3 days. You can also enter lead This means the “Sew bridesmaid dresses” task will start three days before the “Choose or lag time in wedding colors” task has ended. percentages. NOTE: When you are entering lead time for a task, always put a minus sign (-) in front of the amount of lead time. Otherwise, Project 2003 will think you are entering lag time. 4. Click OK. Notice on the Gantt Chart that the “Sew bridesmaid dresses” task now has lead time on the “Choose wedding colors” task. Next you need to order your wedding invitations early, so they have plenty of time to Other Ways to Add Lead be made and mailed. However, you want to wait until closer to the wedding to send or Lag Time to a Task: them out. Thus, you should probably add lag time to the “Send out invitations” task. • Double-click the link line 5. Click the Send out invitations task #47. Then click the Task on the Gantt Chart and Information button. then type in the amount of lead or lag time in the The Task Information dialog box appears. Lag box of the Task 6. Click the Predecessors tab. Dependency dialog The task that “Send out invitations” is linked to appears in the Task Name column. box. (Remember to put Now enter the lag time information. a minus sign before 7. In the Lag column, type 4 weeks. lead time.) This means the “Send out invitations” task will start four weeks after the “Address invitations” task has ended. 8. Click OK. Notice on the Gantt Chart that the “Send out invitations” task now has lag time behind the “Address invitations” task. Excellent. You have changed task relationships. Quick Reference To Enter Lead or Lag Time: 1. Click on a successor task, and click the Task Information button. 2. Click the Predecessors tab and enter a lead or lag time in the Lag box. Or… • Double-click the link line on the Gantt Chart and then type in the amount of lead or lag time in the Lag box of the Task Dependency dialog box. *Remember to put a minus sign before lead time.
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Lesson 2-11: Define Task Type
Figure 2-19 The Advanced tab of the Task Information dialog box
Click the Task type list arrow to define a different task type.
Figure 2-19
Defining task types helps Project know how you want your project to be scheduled. For any task, you can choose which piece of the equation Microsoft Project calculates by setting the task type. When you define the task type, you are giving a value to a part of this equation: duration = work/assignment units. Project uses this formula to determine the duration of each task. Change the task type for some of the project’s tasks in this lesson.
1. Select task 51 Write programs. This is a task that is dependent on the amount of work performed. Change the task to “Fixed Work”. 2. Click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar. The Task Information dialog box appears. 3. Click the Advanced tab in the dialog box. The Advanced tab appears, as shown in Figure 2-19. 4. Click the Task type list arrow. A list of the three task type options appears. Refer to Table 2-3: Task Types for more information on task types. 5. Select Fixed Work from the drop-down list and click OK. Since the task is defined by the amount of work that is performed on it, Project will schedule the task’s duration and units from this information. Notice the Effort driven task check box to the right of the task type box. This option specifies that Microsoft Project keeps the total task work at its current value. The duration of a task shortens or lengthens as resources are added or removed from a task while the amount of effort necessary to complete a task remains unchanged. Since there isn’t any work yet assigned to the task, don’t check this box. 6. Close the file without saving changes. The table below describes how each task type works differently.
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Table 2-3: Task Types Type Description Fixed Duration If a task has a fixed duration, the duration will not change. • If you revise units, Project recalculates work. • If you revise duration in a fixed-duration task, Project recalculates work. • If you revise the amount of work, Project recalculates the units. Fixed Units This is the default task type. If a task has fixed units, the number of assignment units will not change. • If you revise units in a fixed-unit task, Project recalculates duration. • If you revise duration, Project recalculates work. • If you revise the amount of work, Project recalculates duration. Fixed Work If a task has fixed work, the amount of work will remain constant. Because fixed-work tasks are effort-driven, the Effort driven check box is automatically selected for fixed-work tasks. • If you revise units, Project recalculates duration. • If you revise duration, Project recalculates units. • If you revise the amount of work in a fixed-work task, Project recalculates duration.
Quick Reference To Define Task Type: 1. Select the task. 2. Click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar. 3. Click the Task type list arrow to select the type you want to assign to the task.
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Lesson 2-12: Effort-driven and Material-driven Scheduling
Figure 2-20 Uncheck the Effort driven check box in the Task Information dialog box to get rid of Effort driven scheduling.
Check this option to use effort driven scheduling for the task.
Figure 2-20
You can assign as many material resources as you want to a task, but you have to be mindful of scheduling multiple work resources. Project’s Effort driven scheduling feature plays a major role in assigning multiple work resources to a task. If you assign only one work resource to work full-time on a task, the amount of task work and the duration will be the same. However, the amount of task work will be different from the duration if you assign more than one work resource to work on a task, or if a work resource is only working part- time. Confused? Take a look at this Effort driven scheduling formula: Duration x Units = Work Now consider this scenario: The duration for a task is one week. We have set up our project calendar so that a week equals 40 hours of work, so the one-week task duration is 40 hours. Let’s say you want to assign two work resources—Sue and Sallie—to complete this task. Assuming they will each be giving 100% of their time to your task, the total units will be 200% (Sallie @ 100% + Sue @ 100%). Here is the formula: 40 hours task duration x 200% resource units = 80 hours of work You can see how many Thus, with two work resources, 80 hours of work will be completed in a one-week duration. hours are in your Because this is double the work completion that you had originally planned for, Project’s calendar’s work week Effort driven scheduling feature shortens the task duration from one week to half of a week. If by selecting Tools → you don’t mind your task duration being shorter, then you’re good to go; assign multiple work Options from the resources to tasks wherever you want. But if you don’t want the duration for a task shortened, menu, and click the then you have to shut Effort driven scheduling off when you enter more than one work Calendar tab. resource for a task.
Assign Resources button
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1. If necessary, navigate to your practice folder and open Lesson 2E, and save the file as Tuxes. If you don’t know where your practice folder is, ask your instructor. Grandma Jeanette is helping pick out tuxes, but the best man should help out so nobody ends up with something baby blue and ruffled. You have to assign a second resource to the task “Find groomsmen’s tuxes,” but you don’t want to change the duration of the task. You’d better turn off Effort driven scheduling before you assign a second resource to this task. 2. Select the task Find groomsmen’s tuxes (#15), click the Task Information button and select the Advanced tab. Do you see the Effort driven check box? It’s in the lower-right quarter of the Task You can turn off Information dialog box. Effort driven 3. Click the Effort driven check box so that it is no longer selected, then scheduling for every click OK. new task that you create. Select Tools → This task’s Effort driven scheduling is now turned off. When you assign another Options from the resource to this task, the duration of the task will not change. menu, click the The concept behind Effort driven scheduling and multiple resources can be a bit confusing; Schedule tab, and good thing it’s easy to turn off and on! uncheck the New tasks are effort driven check box.
Quick Reference To Turn Off Effort Driven Scheduling for a Single Task: • Select a task, click the Task Information button, select the Advanced tab, and uncheck the Effort driven check box. To Turn Off Effort Driven Scheduling for All New Tasks: • Select Tools → Options from the menu, click the Schedule tab, and uncheck the New tasks are effort driven check box.
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Lesson 2-13: Setting Task Deadlines and Constraints
Figure 2-21 The Advanced tab in the Task Information dialog box
Figure 2-21
Deadlines are very helpful in project management. Not only are they a project goal to shoot for, but they also help Project indicate whether a task has been completed on schedule. It’s important to understand that setting a deadline doesn’t affect how tasks are scheduled, but you can adjust a task schedule to meet a deadline, if you want. Task constraints are also helpful in scheduling tasks. They help specify when a task should begin or end. There are different types of constraints as well: flexible, moderate, and inflexible. Each type of constraint is used differently.
1. Select Develop budget estimate task 17 and click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar. The Task Information dialog box appears. 2. Click the Advanced tab. Now you can enter the deadline date for this task. 3. In the Deadline box, select May 31, 2000, and click OK. A small green deadline arrow appears on chart bar line for the task “Develop budget estimate”. Now add a constraint to a task. 4. Select Plan honeymoon task 55, click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar, and click the Advanced tab. The Advanced tab of the Task Information dialog box appears. Let’s add a constraint to make sure the honeymoon planning is done the day before the wedding. 5. Click the Constraint type list arrow and select Finish No Later Than from the drop-down list. Now enter the date that the task must finish no later than.
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6. Type 12/15/00 in the Constraint date box. This is a moderate constraint, which means the task could be finished before the constraint date. It absolutely must be finished on the constraint date, however. 7. Click OK. The dialog box closes. An icon appears next It’s usually best just to let Project do the scheduling for tasks using the duration and to a task, warning you dependency information. Inappropriate use of constraints could cause the project to that it is not on lengthen. For example, if you set an inflexible constraint for the beginning of a task, schedule to meet the and its predecessor ends early, the second task cannot take advantage of the extra time. deadline.
Table 2-4: Task Constraints Constraint Description As Late As This flexible constraint schedules the latest possible start and finish dates for the Possible task. This is the default constraint for new tasks for a project scheduled from the finish date. As Soon As This flexible constraint schedules the earliest possible start and finish dates for the Possible task. No additional date restrictions are put on the task. This is the default constraint for new tasks for a project scheduled from the start date. Finish No This moderate constraint indicates the earliest possible date that this task can be Earlier Than completed, and cannot finish any time before the specified date. For projects scheduled from the start date, this constraint is applied when you type a finish date for a task. Finish No Later This moderate constraint indicates the latest possible date that this task can be Than completed, and the task can be finished on or before the specified date. For projects scheduled from the finish date, this constraint is applied when you type a finish date for a task. Quick Reference Must Finish On This inflexible constraint indicates the exact date on which a task must finish. Other scheduling parameters such as task dependencies, lead or lag time, resource To Enter a Task Deadline: leveling, and delay become secondary to this requirement. 1. Click the task you want to add a deadline to, and Must Start On This inflexible constraint indicates the exact date on which a task must begin. Other click the Task scheduling parameters such as task dependencies, lead or lag time, resource Information button. leveling, and delay become secondary to this requirement. 2. Click the Advanced tab Start No Earlier This moderate constraint indicates the earliest possible date that this task can and enter a deadline into Than begin. It cannot start any time before the specified date. For projects scheduled the Deadline box. from the start date, this constraint is applied when you type a start date for a task or To Enter a Task drag a Gantt bar. Constraint: Start No Later This moderate constraint indicates the latest possible date that this task can begin. 1. Click the task you want to Than It can start on or before the specified date. For projects scheduled from the finish add a constraint to, and date, this constraint is applied when you type a start date for a task. click the Task Information button. 2. Click the Advanced tab. 3. Choose the constraint you want to use, and enter the Constraint date, if necessary.
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Lesson 2-14: Assigning a Task Calendar
Figure 2-22 The Advanced tab of the Task Information dialog box
Figure 2-22
At some point, you will probably want to use a different calendar for a task than the base calendars available in Project. This lesson will show you how to assign a different calendar to a task.
1. Select Task 38 Sew bridesmaid dresses in the task list. Apply the night shift calendar to this task. 2. Click the Task Information button and click the Advanced tab in the dialog box. The Advanced tab appears. 3. Click the Calendar list arrow and select Night Shift from the drop-down list. The task will now use the Night Shift schedule to schedule the working time for the Quick Reference task. Notice that the “Schedule ignores resource calendars” option is available when the task To Assign a Calendar to a is assigned a schedule. Click this option to ensure that Project only uses the task Task: calendar to schedule the task. This option is only available if a task calendar is 1. Select the task and click specified in the Calendar box. the Task Information Click OK. button on the Standard 4. toolbar. The task changes to reflect the new schedule. 2. Click the Advanced tab. 5. Close the file without saving changes. 3. Click the Calendar list arrow and select a calendar from the drop- down list.
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Lesson 2-15: Task Indicators
L Instructor Notes You may have noticed that there is a column between the Task ID, and the Task Name. This column is designated for a task indicator. A task indicator helps identify the task, and tells the Est. Time: 1 to 2 minutes user if there is any additional information about the task. Req. File: None Req. Lessons: None Table 2-5: Task Indicators Start File: None Icon Description Notes: Use this lesson as a reference. The task has a note attached to it. The task is linked to a hyperlink.
The task has an inflexible constraint: • Finish No Later Than (for projects scheduled from the start date). • Must Start On (for all projects).
The task has a moderately flexible constraint: • Finish No Earlier Than (for projects scheduled from the start date). • Finish No Later Than (for projects scheduled from the finish date). • Start No Earlier Than (for projects scheduled from the start date). • Start No Later Than (for projects scheduled from the finish date).
The task has not been scheduled or completed within the constraint's time frame. or
The task is a recurring task. The task is complete. The task is an inserted project.
The task is an inserted project that is read only.
This project has already been inserted into this project or another master project.
The task has a calendar applied to it. Quick Reference Task indicators are helpful The task has non-intersecting task and resource calendars. when understanding how the project is scheduled, and when adjusting the project’s schedule.
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Chapter Two Review
Lesson Summary
Enter a Task • Type the task’s name in the Task Name field, and press
Enter Task Durations • Enter a duration in the Duration field.
Create a Milestone • Enter a duration of 0 (zero) days for a task. Or, click the Task Information button and select the Advanced tab, check the Mark task as Milestone checkbox, and click OK.
Copying, Moving, Inserting, and Deleting Tasks • To Copy a Task: Select Edit → Copy Task from the menu, or right-click the selected task and select Copy Task from the shortcut menu, or select the task and press
• To Move a Task: Select the task and then click it once more so the pointer turns from a to a , and drag the task to a new location. • To Delete a Task: Select Edit → Delete Task from the menu, or select the task and push the Delete key, or right-click the task and select Delete from the shortcut menu. • To Insert a Task: Click the task you want your new task to appear on top of, go to the Insert menu, and choose New Task, or right-click the number to the left of a task, and choose New Task, or push the Insert key.
To Create a Recurring Task • To Create a Recurring Task: Select Insert → Recurring Task from the menu, enter information into the Recurring Task dialog box, and click OK.
Organize the Task List • To Create a Summary Task: Either insert a new task to be used as a summary task, or use one you already entered. Select the tasks you want to use as subtasks under your summary task, and click the Indent button on the Formatting toolbar.
Using Task Information and Task Notes • To Use Task Information: Select the task, click the Task Information button, and make edits in the dialog box.
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• To Enter a Note for a Task: Select a task and click the Task Notes button from the Standard toolbar, or right-click the task and select Task Notes, or click on the Notes tab in the Task Information dialog box.
Linking and Unlinking Tasks • To Link Tasks: Press
Splitting Tasks • To Split a Task: Select the task and click the Split button, then use the dividing tool to choose a splitting spot in the task’s Gantt bar, and click it. • To Remove a Split: Drag the split portions together until they touch.
Overlap or Delay Tasks • To Enter Lead or Lag Time: Click on a successor task, click the Task Information button, click the Predecessors tab and enter a lead or lag time in the Lag box. (Lead time must be entered with a minus sign.) Or, double-click the link line on the Gantt Chart and then type in the amount of lead or lag time in the Lag box of the Task Dependency dialog box.
Define Task Type • To Define Task Type: Select the task, click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar, and click the Task type list arrow to select the type you want to assign to the task.
Effort-driven and Material-driven Scheduling • To Turn Off Effort Driven Scheduling for a Single Task: Select a task, click the Task Information button, select the Advanced tab, and uncheck the Effort driven check box. • To Turn Off Effort Driven Scheduling for All New Tasks: Select Tools → Options from the menu, click the Schedule tab, and uncheck the New tasks are effort driven check box. Adding Deadlines • To Enter a Task Deadline: Click the task you want to add a deadline to and click the Task Information button, or click the Advanced tab and enter a deadline into the Deadline box. • To Change the Deadline Date: Drag the deadline arrow on the Gantt Chart to a different date.
Setting Task Deadlines and Constraints • To Enter a Task Deadline: Click the task you want to add a deadline to, and click the Task Information button, click the Advanced tab, and enter a deadline into the Deadline box. • To Enter a Task Constraint: Click the task you want to add a constraint to, click the Task Information button, and click the Advanced tab. Choose the constraint you want to use, and enter the Constraint date, if necessary.
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Assigning a Task Calendar • To Assign a Calendar to a Task: Select the task and click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar, click the Advanced tab, click the Calendar list arrow and select a calendar from the drop-down list.
Quiz
1. Which of these is NOT a task type? A. Fixed Duration B. Fixed Units C. Fixed Work D. Fixed Budget.
2. When you click a linked task it jumps to the task to which it is linked. (True or False?)
3. How do you show if a task’s duration is estimated? A. Highlight the duration’s cell in yellow. B. Give the task three possible durations. C. Type a question mark after the duration. D. Don’t enter a duration for the task at all.
4. Which of these is a correct way to delete a task? A. Dab white-out on your computer screen over the task B. Right-click the task and select Delete from the menu C. Don’t look at the task (out of sight, out of mind) D. Paste another task over the one you want to delete
5. The task that organizes subtasks into a phase is called the: A. Summary task B. Phase Level task C. Tisk task D. Microsoft Assistant task
6. A recurring task is a task that repeats irregularly. (True or False?)
7. What is a milestone? A. The last task you need to complete for your project to be finished B. A task that signifies a major event in your project C. A task that is behind schedule D. Road markers that Fred, Barney, Betty, and Wilma used
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8. Why would you want to split a task? A. So the task will take twice as long to complete. B. So you can interrupt it and finish it on a later date. C. So you can assign more than one resource to the task. D. So you can make like a banana and split.
Homework
1. Start Microsoft Project. 2. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 2 database. 3. Go to task #23, “Go International,” and make it a summary task. The three tasks below it will be its subtasks. 4. Enter a new task above task #12. Name the new task “Make tablecloth from bedsheets.” 5. Enter a duration of 3 days for your new task. 6. Delete task #15, “Dress up in a lemon costume.” 7. Select Tools → Change Working Time and make Monday, January 28, 2003 a nonworking day. 8. Insert a recurring task above task #23. Name the task “Mail “Lemon Leader” newsletter,” have it occur monthly on every 1st Friday, have it start on February 7, 2003, ending after 5 occurrences.
9. Edit task #20, “Hire a CEO,” so that it says “Hire a rich CEO.” 10. Make task #6, “Make a pretty sign,” into a milestone. 11. Unlink tasks #3 and #4. 12. Give task #5, “Build stand,” a deadline of February 14. 13. Split task #15, “Hang signs around town.” 14. Close Homework 2 without saving changes.
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Quiz Answers
1. D. Fixed budget is not a task type. 2. False. In Project 2003, linked tasks are tasks which depend on each other for scheduling reasons. 3. C. Put a question mark after a task’s duration if you are estimating the duration. 4. B. To delete a task, right-click the task and select Delete from the menu. 5. A. The Summary task organizes subtasks into a phase. 6. False. A recurring task repeats regularly, not irregularly. 7. B. A Milestone is a task that signifies a major event towards the completion of your project. 8. B. Splitting a task allows you to interrupt the task and finish it on a later date.
2004 CustomGuide, Inc.
Chapter Three: Enter and Assign Resources and Costs
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites • Have a project in which • Create a Resource List you have already • Group Resources entered tasks • Understand project • Change Resource Schedules and Enter Resource Availability management • Assign Work and Material Resources • Enter Resource Costs and Fixed Costs • View Costs Chapter Task: Enter resources and costs into a project.
Tasks cannot be completed without resources. Resources are the people, material, and equipment needed to complete a project. When you assign a resource to a task, Project 2003 looks at the resource’s cost and availability. Cost refers to how much money a resource will require. Availability establishes when a resource can work on a task, and for how long. Project does a terrific job of managing the resources assigned to tasks. Assigning resources to tasks helps to keep things organized in the project. For example, you don’t want to schedule accidentally a task to be done when a resource isn’t available, or forget to find someone to complete a certain task. Setting up resources is well worth the time if you have deadlines or money constraints for your project. If you don't enter resource information, Project calculates your schedule using only task duration and dependencies.
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Lesson 3-1: Creating a Resource List
Figure 3-1 The Resource Sheet view
Figure 3-1
The resource sheet is a list of resources for your project. You can assign a resource to a task without entering the resource in the resource sheet, but that’s not recommended. Instead, enter all of your resources in the resource sheet before you assign them to tasks so you have organized resource records. Resource sheets consist of two types of resources—work resources and material resources. Work resources are the people and equipment that complete project tasks. Material resources are the goods needed by the work resources to complete tasks. For example, say that orange chiffon bridesmaid dresses are going to be hand-made for the wedding. The work resource would be a seamstress or tailor, and the material resources would be fabric, thread, orange sequins, etc. Other Ways to Open the Enter some resources in the resource sheet for the wedding project. Resource Sheet: • Select View → 1. Navigate to your practice folder and open Lesson 3A. Save the file as Resource Sheet from Resource List. the menu. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu. The blank Resource Sheet appears. Go ahead and start filling it up. 3. Type Mrs. Fru Fru in the first line of the Resource Name column and press
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Orange sequins In case you need to insert a resource in the middle of a list, insert a new resource like If you choose not to you would a new task in the task list. Notice that Project automatically assigns an add resources into the initial to each resource when it is entered. This information is used in baseline and resource sheet before interim plans, used to track the progress of the project. you assign them to The next step is to designate the resource type. There are two types to choose from: tasks, select Tools → work and material. Options from the menu General 5. Go to the orange sequins Type cell. Click the list arrow in the cell. and click the 5. Tab. Check the The default resource type is Work. The list arrow doesn’t appear until the cell is “Automatically add selected. All the other resources you’ve entered are work resources. Orange sequins are new resources” option, a material resource, however. and Project will then 6. Select Material from the drop-down list and press
Quick Reference To Create a Resource Sheet: • Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu, enter the resources and fill in the respective fields.
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Lesson 3-2: Entering Resource Availability
Figure 3-2 The Resource Information dialog box
Figure 3-2
Most resources in a project will not be needed for the duration of the entire project. Therefore, you can enter resource availability; the dates when the resource will be needed. In other words, it’s like entering the start and finish dates for the resource.
1. Select resource 3 Fatman Buns n’ Rolls. The bakery resource will only be needed to make the cake, which is close to the end of the project. Whenever you are entering the resource’s availability, you must also consider the resource’s maximum unit availability. In this case, the bakery will progressively increase the amount of work on the cake as the resource nears its end date. Enter the resource’s availability accordingly. 2. Click the Resource Information button on the Standard toolbar. Resource The Resource Information dialog box appears. The Resource Availability area is at the Information bottom of the dialog box. button 3. Select the Available From cell in the Resource Availability table. It takes about two weeks to bake and decorate a wedding cake, so enter the date two weeks before the project end date. 4. Type 12/1/00 in the Available From cell, and type 12/8/00 in the Available To cell. The resource will be available starting on 12/1/00 and ending on 12/8/00. Notice that there is also a column for units in the table. The bakery has to work on another cake at this time, so it will only be 50% available to work on the cake. 5. Click on the Units field and enter 50% in the cell. The bakery resource will work at 50% for this week. The second week’s availability will be different, however.
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6. Select the second cell in the Available From field and enter 12/11/00. Type NA in the Available To field. By leaving the Available To cell as “NA”, Project assumes the resource will be finished at the Project’s end date. The bakery will work on baking the cake during these dates, but at a different percent of units available. There aren’t any other projects going on that week, so they can work full force on the wedding cake. 7. Enter 100% in the Units cell and press
Quick Reference To Enter Resource Availability: 1. Select the resource. 2. Click the Resource Information button on the Standard toolbar. 3. Enter the Available To and Available From dates in the Resource Availability table. 4. Enter the Maximum Units available in the Units field.
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Lesson 3-3: Grouping Resources
Figure 3-3 Type the group in which you want to The Resource Sheet include the resource. before being sorted into groups Figure 3-4 The Resource Sheet sorted by groups
Figure 3-3
The resource is grouped with the other resources in the group.
Figure 3-4
Although you can’t assign a group of resources to a single task, it is helpful to organize resources into logical groups for organizational purposes. Just enter a group name for the resource, and you can easily sort resources by using resource groups.
1. Navigate to your practice folder and open Lesson 3B. Save the file as Resource List. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu. Grouping allows you to view how resources are related, similar to outlining the task list. In fact, it may be a good idea to group resources by the summary tasks in which they are used. Assign the first resource to a group. Notice that other resources have already been given groups. Resource Sheet 3. Click in the Group field for the first resource, Harry (bestman). button Harry is going to pick up the tuxes for everyone on the wedding day.
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4. Type Ceremony attire in the Group field and press
Quick Reference To Group Resources: 1. Make sure you are in Resource Sheet view. 2. Enter group names in the resources’ group fields. 3. Select Project → Group by: → Resource Group from the menu to group the resources.
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Lesson 3-4: Changing Resource Schedules
Figure 3-5
The Working Time tab of If necessary, assign a the Resource Information new calendar to the dialog box. resource here.
Figure 3-5
You should have already defined a project calendar for your project. Thus, your working time and non-working time are set. But did you know you can change the calendar for just one resource? Changing a single resource’s calendar comes in handy when you have a resource that works different hours than your other resources, or when a resource takes a vacation. One of your resources, Grandma Jeanette, is going to Las Vegas for a week in May. You’d better change her resource calendar so you don’t accidentally schedule her to help you pick out tuxes during the time that she’s away. Change Grandma Jeanette’s resource calendar.
1. Click on the Grandma Jeanette resource in the family help group. Now open this resource’s calendar. 2. Select Project → Resource Information from the menu. The Resource Information dialog box appears. 3. Select the Working Time tab, and scroll through the calendar window until you come to May 2000. You are ready to change the calendar. 4. Select May 15th then press and hold down the
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6. Click OK. If you try to assign a resource to a task during the resource’s non-working time, the An alternative to task will be moved or extended to the next available working time for the resource. changing the working time schedule would be Whew! Now Grandma Jeanette can be a high roller for a week before you need her assistance to create a new with tuxes. calendar and assign it to the resource.
Quick Reference To Change a Resource Schedule: 1. Select the task and click the Resource Information button on the Standard toolbar. Or… Select Project → Resource Information from the menu. 2. Click the Working Time tab. 3. Edit the working time for the resource in the dialog box. Or… Click the Calendar list arrow and select a calendar from the drop- down list.
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Lesson 3-5: Assigning Work Resources
Figure 3-6 Click this button for more options on The Assign Resources how to display the dialog box with a work resources in the resource assignment dialog box. A checkmark appears Figure 3-7 next to resources that have already been The Gantt Chart with assigned to tasks. assigned resources
Figure 3-6
Resources that have been assigned to tasks appear in the Gantt Chart behind the task bar.
Figure 3-7
If you want a task done, you must assign a resource to do it. After you assign resources to tasks, you can change the assignments at any time. In this lesson, we’re going to deal with work resources. You really want to complete all of your wedding project tasks, so you’d better start assigning resources to the tasks.
1. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. This is a good view in which to assign resources to tasks. Now assign resources to task 46, “Address invitations.”
Assign Resources button
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2. Click task # 46 Address invitations and then click the Assign Resources button on the Standard toolbar. The Assign Resources dialog box appears. All you have to do is select the resource you want to use for the task. Assign Cal’s Calligraphy to perform this task. 3. Select the Cal’s Calligraphy resource from the Assign Resources dialog box. Click the Assign button. A checkmark and 100% appears next to the “Cal’s Calligraphy” resource as shown in Figure 3-6. NOTE: “100%” automatically appears next to a resource when you assign it to a task. Did you know you can This means that 100% of a resource’s time will be devoted to the task on the replace one resource days the task covers. In other words, the resource will be working full-time. with another? Just You can lower the percentage if you want that resource to work on more than select the task whose one task in a given day, or if you just want them to work part-time. resource you want to replace and press the Click the Close button. 4. Assign Resources The resource has been assigned to the “Address invitations” task. To view the resource button. Then, in the assignment, scroll to the right until you see the end of the task bar for the “Create guest Assign Resources list” task. The name of the resource should be listed after the task bar, as shown in dialog box, select the Figure 3-7. assigned resource, NOTE: If you accidentally assign a resource to too many tasks, the overallocated click the Replace resource will be shown in red in resource views. You will learn more about button, select a new balancing overallocated resources in another lesson. resource(s), and click Don’t assign multiple work resources to a task just yet; multiple work resource assignments OK. are slightly different than single work resource assignments. For more information about assigning multiple work resources to a task, see the chapter on Effort driven scheduling and multiple work resources. Quick Reference To Assign Work Resources: 1. Select a task and click the Assign Resources button on the Standard toolbar. 2. Select the work resource. 3. Click the Assign button. To Replace One Resource with Another: • Select the task whose resource you want to replace, click the Assign Resources button, select the assigned resource, click Replace, select a new resource, and click Assign.
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Lesson 3-6: Assigning Material Resources
Figure 3-8 The Assign Resources dialog box with material resource assignments Figure 3-9 Resources that are assigned to a task appear Enter the units needed of the material resource. at the end of the task’s bar.
Figure 3-8
Material resources for the task.
Figure 3-9
It’s good to assign material resources to tasks so you can see how much material you are using, and at what cost. For example, the wedding will be on a fish farm in South Dakota, so you’re keeping with the wedding theme by having fish nets all over the place in the reception hall and gummi worms with fish hooks through them as favors at the reception. Project will keep track of how many bags of gummi worms you use, what the total costs of the fish nets are, etc. In this lesson, assign the material resources needed to sew the bridesmaid dresses.
1. Select task 38, Sew bridesmaid dresses, and click the Assign Resources button. The Assign Resources dialog box appears.
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2. In the list of resources, select Orange chiffon fabric and click the Assign button. You have assigned the “Orange chiffon fabric” resource to the task, but you must also enter how many yards of the orange chiffon fabric you need. 3. In the Units field next to “Orange chiffon fabric,” type 25 yards, and press Enter. Now assign the “orange sequins” material resource to the same task. 4. In the list of resources, select orange sequins and click the Assign button. Enter the number of 1oz. bags of sequins you need. 5. In the Units field next to “orange sequins,” type 5 and press Enter. You have just assigned two material resources to the “Sew bridesmaids dresses” task. There should be checkmarks next to the material resources you assigned, as shown in Figure 3-8. 6. Click the Close button. The Assign Resources dialog box closes and the names of the material resources you just assigned appear at the end of the “Sew bridesmaid dresses” task bar, as shown in Figure 3-9. 7. Close the file without saving your changes.
Quick Reference To Assign Material Resources: 1. Select a task. 2. Click the Assign Resources button. 3. Select the material resources for your task. 4. Enter how many units of each resource you need. 5. Click the Assign button. 6. Click Close.
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Lesson 3-7: Entering Costs
Accrue At field Figure 3-10 Cost per Use field Cost fields in the Overtime Rate field Resource Sheet Standard Rate field
Figure 3-10
If you want a project done right, you have to budget wisely. However, the majority of us are not accountants or bookkeepers. Thankfully, Project 2003 lets you enter resource costs and then calculates amount totals for you. There are three different types of costs in a project: rate- based, per use and fixed. You will learn how to use rate-based and per use costs in this lesson.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 3C. Save the file as Resource List. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu. Enter a rate-based cost for a work resource. 3. Go to resource 6, All-80’s DJ Team and click in the Std. Rate field. This is where you enter the pay rate for the awesome “All-80’s DJ Team” resource. See Table 3-1: Cost Entry Fields for a description of Std. Rate and the other fields in which you can enter costs. The resource works at the rate of $150/hour, so enter the rate in the field. 4. Type 150/hr and press
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6. Type 30 in the Cost/Use field and press
Table 3-1: Cost Entry Fields Field Description Std. Rate Use this field to enter a standard hourly, weekly, etc. pay rate for a resource. Ovt. Rate Use this field to enter an overtime pay rate for a resource. Cost/Use Use this field for resources that charge a cost per use, such as visits to a racquetball court or dance lessons. Quick Reference Table 3-2: Resource Accruing Options To Enter Resource Costs: Option What it does 1. Make sure you are in Start The accrual for tasks with assigned resources begins right away, as soon as the Resource Sheet view. project starts. 2. Enter amounts in the Std. Rate field, the Ovt. Rate Prorated The accrual of tasks is distributed over the length of the project, as tasks field, or the Cost/Use happen. This is the default method of accrual. field. End The accrual does not happen until the project is near completion. 3. Choose when you’d like to start accruing the resource cost in the Accrue At field.
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Lesson 3-8: Entering Fixed Costs
Figure 3-11 The project in Gantt Chart view, showing the Cost table.
Figure 3-11 A Fixed Cost is the cost of a task, no matter what the duration or amount of work involved is.
Fixed costs are different from rate-based or per use costs. Fixed costs don’t change if the duration or amount of work needed to complete a task change. Assign a fixed cost to a resource in this lesson.
1. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. The project appears in Gantt Chart view. 2. Select View → Table → Cost from the menu. The view displays all the cost fields available in the view. Quick Reference 3. Select task 25 Book cake bakery. To Enter a Fixed Cost: The bakery is making the wedding cake at a fixed cost of $2,000. Assign this fixed cost 1. Select View → Gantt to the task. Chart from the menu. 4. Go to the Fixed Cost field and type 2,000. Press
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Lesson 3-9: View Costs
Figure 3-12 The Cost table of the Resource sheet Figure 3-13 The grouped Cost table
Figure 3-12
Other Ways to View Costs: • Select View menu→ Task Usage → Format Figure 3-13 menu → Details → Cost. Are you beginning to lose track of your numerous wedding expenses? Are you over or under your project budget? Or do you just want to see an overview of your task and resource costs? If you answered yes to any of these questions, take advantage of Project’s cost view abilities. Quick Reference To View Costs of Tasks or Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu. 1. Resources: Specify that you want to look at costs. • Select View → Table → NOTE: If you wanted to see your task costs, you would select View → More Views Cost from the menu. → Task Sheet from the menu. Or… 2. Select View → Table → Cost from the menu. • Select View → Task The costs are listed for you, as shown in Figure 3-12. Usage → Format menu You can also see how much a group of resources is going to cost. → Details → Cost. 3. Select Project → Group by: → Resource Group from the menu. The resources and their costs are grouped and you can see the overall cost of the group in the yellow group heading row. 4. Close the file without saving your changes.
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Chapter Three Review
Lesson Summary
Creating a Resource Sheet • To Create a Resource Sheet: Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu and then enter resources and fill in the respective fields. • To Open a Resource Sheet: Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu.
Entering Resource Availability • To Enter Resource Availability: Select the resource you want to enter varying availability for, and then click the Resource Information button. Click on the General tab, enter your resource’s availability information in the rows in the Resource Availability box, and then click OK.
Grouping Resources • To Group Resources: Make sure you are in Resource Sheet view, enter group names in the resources’ group fields, and select Project → Group by: → Resource Group from the menu to group the resources.
Changing Resource Schedules • To Change a Resource Schedule: Select the task and click the Resource Information button on the Standard toolbar, and click the Advanced tab. Click the Calendar list arrow and select a calendar from the drop-down list.
Assigning Work Resources • To Assign Work Resources: Select a task and click the Assign Resources button, then select your work resources and click Assign. • To Replace One Resource with Another: Select the task whose resource you want to replace, click the Assign Resources button, select the assigned resource, click Replace, select a new resource, and click Assign.
Assigning Material Resources • Select a task and click the Assign Resources button. Select the material resources for your task and enter the number of units of each resource you need. Click the Assign button and click Close.
Entering Costs • To Enter Resource Costs: Make sure you are in Resource Sheet view and enter amounts in the Std. Rate field, the Ovt. Rate field, or the Cost/Use field. Then, choose when you’d like to start accruing the resource cost in the Accrue At field.
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Entering Fixed Costs • Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. Select View → Table → Cost from the menu. Select the task for which you want to enter a fixed cost. Type the cost in the Fixed Cost field.
Viewing Costs • To View Costs of Tasks or Resources: In Resource Sheet or Task Sheet view, select View → Table → Cost from the menu. To see the cost of a resource group, select Project → Group By → Resource Group from the menu. Or, select View menu → Task Usage → Format menu → Details → Cost from the menu.
Quiz
1. What are the two types of resources? A. Work and Cost. B. Work and Written. C. Work and Material. D. Oil and Coal.
2. You can’t change the working calendar for just one single resource. (True or False?)
3. Which of these is NOT a cost entry field? A. Mrs. Rate B. Std. Rate C. Ovt. Rate D. Cost/Use
4. A Fixed Cost is: A. A cost which has been changed to meet budget guidelines. B. A cost which has been assigned to an overallocated resource. C. A cost which has been spayed or neutered. D. A cost that has been assigned to a task that will not change with duration, work, or material.
5. Overallocated resources appear in what color? A. Black B. Red C. Burnt Sienna D. Yellow
6. You can’t assign more than one resource to a task. (True or False?)
7. Which of these is NOT a type of project cost? A. Actual B. Current C. Quanto D. Baseline
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Homework
1. Start Microsoft Project 2003. 2. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 3 database. 3. Go to Resource Sheet view, and add a work resource named “Mom” who works for $0.50 an hour. Enter “employees” in the Group field for this resource.
4. Group the resources by Resource Group. 5. Select resource #1, go to Project → Resource Information → Working Time tab, and change the resource’s working schedule so that it is only working from 8:00am to 12:00pm on January 31, 2003. 6. Give resource #8, “pitcher,” a cost/use rate of $0.75. 7. Switch back to Gantt Chart view. Select task #20 and assign the work resource “Bill Gates” to it. 8. Select task #13 and assign the material resources “Grade A Sunkist Lemons (10 lbs.)” and “Crystal Refined Sugar (2.5 5 lb. bags)” to the task. 9. Go to Resource Usage view and then go back to Gantt Chart view. 10. Close Homework 3 without saving changes.
Quiz Answers
1. C. The two types of resources are work and material. 2. False. You can change a single resource’s working calendar. 3. A. Mrs. Rate is not a cost entry field. 4. D. A fixed cost does not change, even if the amount of work, materials or duration change to finish the task. 5. B. Overallocated resources appear in red. 6. False. You can assign more than one resource to a task. 7. C. Quanto is not a type of project cost. The types of project costs are Current, Baseline, Actual, and Remaining.
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Chapter Four: Viewing the Project Database
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites • Have a project in which • Use Common Views, More Views, and Split Views you have entered tasks, • Use Tables and Filters resources, and costs • Know the basic • View Sorted and Grouped Information elements of the Project • View the Project’s Critical Path 2003 screen • View Task or Resource Details • Print a View Chapter Task: View your project from many angles and learn to organize the information you view.
One of Project’s best attributes is that it lets you view project information from dozens of different angles. This chapter is pretty cut-and-dry; it shows you some common ways to view various aspects of the project’s information, such as resource overallocation, the critical path, and task or resource details. This chapter also shows you different ways to organize information with filters, groups, and fields.
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Lesson 4-1: Using Common Views
Figure 4-1 Chart or Three basic types of views Graph
Sheet
Form
Figure 4-1
So, you’ve been using Project for a while now, but still haven’t used all the views available. If you’ve been following along, you’ve learned that for performing specific tasks certain views are better than others. For example, Resource Sheet view is better for inserting resources than Network Diagram view. The default view for Project is the Gantt Chart view, which is the view you will probably use most often. There are many other views in Project and most of them can be broken down into three basic types of views: chart or graph, sheet, and form. Each view focuses on either tasks or resources. Task views display information about tasks in a project. Resource views display information about resources in a project. These different views allow you to work with your project’s data more easily, depending on what you want to do. This lesson will show you how to switch views, and help you understand the best use for different views. Other Ways to Switch Views: 1. Open the Lesson 4 project file in the practice folder. • Press
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3. Select View → Resource Usage from the menu. The Gantt Chart is Resource Usage view shows each resource and the tasks they are assigned to and the named after Henry amount of scheduled work put into each task. You can also view the resources that are Gantt, a consulting overallocated and determine how much time each resource has available for additional engineer from the work assignments. Let’s try viewing a graphic view. early 1900s. Gantt 4. Select View → Calendar from the menu. wrote a controversial paper for his time that If you want to see tasks laid out in a month’s time, use Calendar view. Calendar view is claimed workers were probably the easiest way to view task schedules, and it is easy to print and hand out to resources so they can see the project schedule without having to learn to use Project. human beings, not machines, and should Go back to the default view, Gantt Chart. be led, not driven. 5. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. But what do all the rest of the views do? To find a description of what each of these common views does, refer to Table 4-1: Project 2003 Common Views.
Table 4-1: Project 2003 Common Views1 View Type Description Graphic/ Displays tasks and durations in a monthly calendar. Use this task Task view to see tasks scheduled in a specific week or range of weeks. Calendar Chart/ Displays a list of tasks with bar chart information. Use this task view Task to enter and schedule tasks. Gantt Chart Graphic/ Displays a sequence or logic diagram that shows tasks and Task dependencies. Use this view to create and adjust a schedule in a Network Diagram flow chart format. Sheet/ Displays a list of tasks showing assigned resources under each Task task. Use this view to see which resources are assigned to which Task Usage tasks. Chart/ Displays a list of tasks in a table, with a baseline schedule and Quick Reference Task scheduled Gantt bars for each task. Use this view to compare the Tracking Gantt baseline and actual schedules. To Change Views: • Select the View menu Graphic/ Displays a graph showing your resources and their costs, and select a new view. Resource allocations, etc. over time. Use this view to see information about Resource Graph your resources over a specific period of time. Or… • Press
Sheet/ Displays assigned tasks grouped under each resource. Use this Resource view to show work or cost information for each resource. Resource Usage
1. Microsoft Project 2003 Help files, © 1999, Microsoft Corporation.
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Lesson 4-2: Using More Views
Figure 4-2 The More Views dialog box
Figure 4-2
Most of the time you will be able to see the information you need in one of the common views. When you need to be more specific about the information you view, however, try using one of the views available in the More Views dialog box.
1. Select View → More Views from the menu. The More Views dialog box appears with more views to choose from, as shown in Figure 4-2. 2. Scroll down the list, select Task Sheet, and click Apply. The project is shown in Task Sheet view, which is basically a full view of the left half of Gantt Chart view. 3. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. Refer to the table below to see a description of each view.
Table 4-2: More Views1 View Type Description and Use Chart/ Task A list of summary tasks and their subtasks. Use this view with the Rollup_Formatting macro to see all tasks concisely labeled Bar Rollup on summary task bars. Graphic/ This view is basically the same as Network Diagram view, Task except the boxes are larger, which allows you to display more Descriptive Network information about tasks. Diagram Chart/ Task A list of tasks and related information, and a chart showing slack and slippage. Use this task view to check how far a task Detail Gantt can slip without affecting other tasks. Chart/ Task A list of tasks, information about task delays and slack, and a bar chart showing the before and after effects of leveling. Use Leveling Gantt this task view to check the amount of task delay.
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View Type Description and Use Chart/ Task A list of summary tasks containing labels for all subtasks. Use this view with the Rollup_Formatting macro to see all tasks Milestone Date concisely labeled with milestone marks and dates on summary Rollup task bars. Chart/ Task A list of summary tasks containing labels for all subtasks. Use this view with the Rollup_Formatting macro to see all tasks Milestone Rollup concisely labeled with milestone marks on summary task bars. Chart/ Task A Gantt Chart showing the first three baselines saved for the project, each in a different color. Multiple Baselines Gantt Graphic/ A network diagram showing the predecessors and successors Task of one task. In a large project, use this task view to focus on the Relationship task dependencies of a specific task. Diagram Sheet & A combination view with the Resource Usage view in the top Chart/ pane and the Leveling Gantt view in the bottom pane. Use this Resource Allocation Resource resource view to resolve resource overallocations. Form/ A form for entering and editing information about a specific Resource resource. Resource Form Form/ A form for entering and editing the resource name and other Resource resource information. Resource Name Form Form/ Task A form for reviewing and editing detailed tracking and scheduling information about a specific task. Task Details Form Graphic & A combination view with the Gantt Chart view in the top pane Quick Reference
Form/ Task and the Task Form view in the bottom pane. Use this task view To Use More Views: Task Entry to add, edit, and review detailed information about the task. 1. Select View → More Form/ Task A form for entering and editing information about a specific task. Views from the menu.
2. Select a view in the dialog Task Form box. Form/ Task A form for entering and editing the task name and other task 3. Click Apply.
information. Task Name Form Sheet/ Task A list of tasks and related information. Use this task view to enter and schedule tasks in a spreadsheet-like format. Task Sheet
1. Microsoft Office 2003 Help files, © 1999, Microsoft Corporation.
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Lesson 4-3: Using Split Views
Figure 4-3 A split view with Gantt Chart view on top and the Task Form View on the bottom Figure 4-4 A split view with Gantt Chart view on top and Tracking Gantt view on the bottom
Figure 4-3
Figure 4-4
You may find that a single view does not display all the information you want to see. In these instances you will want to use a split view. A split view displays two views of the project in the same window. For example, you could display Gantt Chart view in the top half of the window and Task Form view on the bottom to view detailed information about a selected task. This lesson will show you how to use a split view.
1. Click on task 3 Engagement. Select Window → Split from the menu. The window splits in two, and more information about the selected task in the top half of the window is shown in the bottom.
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Notice that the bottom view isn’t a view you’ve seen before. This is Form View, which is the default view when a window is split. It displays more information on the selected task or resource in the top view. Right-click the Form View to see different information about the selected resource or task. Refer to Table 4-3: Form View options for more information on Form views. 2. Click in the bottom pane of the window. To display a different view in the pane, you must first select it. 3. Select View → Tracking Gantt from the menu. The Tracking Gantt view is displayed for the task selected in the top view. 4. Scroll down the task list in the Gantt Chart top panel and select task 10 Reception sites and catering. The Tracking Gantt view in the bottom pane displays the task and the amount of work performed on the task. As you begin tracking and making changes to your project, you will find splitting views to be more useful. 5. Select Window → Remove Split from the menu.
Table 4-3: Form View options Option Description Resources & Displays all the resources contributing to the task and their predecessors Predecessors Resources & Displays all the resources contributing to the task and their successors Successors Predecessors & Displays the predecessors and successors of resources contributing to the task Successors Resource Displays the schedule of the resource contributing to the task Schedule Resource Work Displays the amount of work assigned and performed by the resource assigned to the task Resource Cost Displays the cost of the resource assigned to the task Quick Reference Notes Displays any task notes for the task To Split a View: Objects Displays any objects linked to the task 1. Select Window → Split from the menu. 2. Click in the bottom pane and select the view you want to display.
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Lesson 4-4: Using Tables
Figure 4-5 Accessing the Table menu Figure 4-6 The available The project in Gantt Chart tables depend Work table view on what view the project is in.
Figure 4-6 Figure 4-5
Tables are great because they allow you to view only the fields that you want to view. A table is a group of data, organized into rows and columns. Just as there are two main types of views, there are two main types of tables: Task tables can be applied to task views, and resource tables can be applied to resource views.
1. Make sure you are in Gantt Chart view. Select View → Table → Work from the menu. Notice that the second column, “Duration”, changes to “Work”. Scroll to the right in the sheet and view the other fields available in the Work table. Tables are fairly easy to figure out. Each table is named by the information it focuses on. For example, this table focuses on how much work is done in the project. The different fields in each table are easier to see in a spreadsheet view. Go back to the original table. 2. Select View → Table → Entry from the menu. You are back to your original table in Gantt Chart view. The table below lists all the tables from the common views in the Views menu.
Table 4-4: Common View Tables Table Type Description Cost Task Displays cost information about tasks, including baseline cost, variance, Resource actual cost, and remaining cost. Entry Task Displays task name and duration, start and finish dates, predecessors, and Resource resources. Hyperlink Task Displays the URL and UNC links assigned to tasks, leading to Web sites Resource and intranet files. Schedule Task Displays scheduling information, including start and finish dates, late start and finish dates, free slack, and total slack.
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Table Type Description Summary Task Displays basic project information, including task duration, start and finish Resource dates, percent complete, cost, and work. Tracking Task Displays actual information, including actual start date, actual finish date, percent complete, actual duration, remaining duration, actual cost, and actual work. Usage Task Displays project tasks and shows their work, duration, and start and finish Resource dates. Variance Task Displays the schedule variance in a project, including start and finish dates, baseline and finish dates, and start and finish variances. Work Task Displays work information, including planned work, work variance, actual Resource work, and remaining work.
Table 4-5: More Tables Table Type Description Baseline Task Displays baseline dates, work, and costs. Constraint Task Displays task constraints, including constraint type and constraint date. Dates Delay Task Displays information for leveling resources, including delay, duration, scheduled start and finish dates, successors, and resource names. Earned Value Task Compares work and cost information for tasks, including the budgeted Resource cost of planned work and scheduled work. Entry – Resource Displays basic information about material resources, including material Material label, initials, group, standard rate, cost per use, accrue at, and code. Resources Entry – Work Resource Displays basic information about human resources, including each Resources person's initials, group, maximum units, standard rate, overtime rate, cost per use, accrue at, base calendar, and code. Export Task Used to save a file in MPD format or some other Microsoft Project- Resource compatible file format.
PA Expected Task Used with Project's other PERT analysis features to evaluate the Quick Reference Case expected duration, start date, and finish date of tasks. To View a Table: PA Optimistic Task Used with Project's other PERT analysis features to evaluate the best- Case case duration, start date, and finish date of tasks. 1. Select View → Table from the menu, and select PA PERT Task Used with Project's other PERT analysis features to evaluate the the table you want to Entry probable duration, start date, and finish date of tasks. view. PA Task Used with Project's other PERT analysis features to evaluate the worst- Pessimistic case duration, start date, and finish date of tasks. Case Rollup Table Task Used with the Bar Rollup view, the Milestone Date Rollup view, and the Milestone Rollup view to optimize the display of rolled up tasks. You can best take advantage of this table and its associated views after you have run the Rollup_Formatting macro.
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Lesson 4-5: Viewing Sorted Information
Figure 4-7 The sorted project
The task list is sorted by finish date: tasks that finish last appear first in the list.
Figure 4-7
Tasks and resources appear in ID order by default in Project. However, you can change this by sorting them; sorting lets you rearrange the order in which tasks and resources appear.
1. If necessary, navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 4. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. If necessary, select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. You are now in Gantt Chart view. 3. Select Project → Sort → by Finish Date from the menu. The project tasks that were started first appear at the top of the list, as shown in Figure 4-7. There are a few different ways to sort tasks. Refer to Table 4-6: Task Sort Types to view all the different ways you can sort tasks. Now return to the default sort type: by ID. 4. Select Project → Sort → by ID from the menu. The project is displayed so that the task IDs are in descending order.
Table 4-6: Task Sort Types Sort Type Description By Start Date Tasks started first appear at the top of the list, and the tasks that start last appear at the bottom of the list.
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Sort Type Description By Finish Date Tasks started last appear at the top of the list, and the tasks that start first appear at the bottom of the list. By Priority Tasks that are highest priority appear at the top of the list. By Cost Tasks that cost the most appear at the top of the list. By ID Tasks with the lowest ID number (starting from 1) appear at the top of the list. This is the default sort type.
Sorting resources isn’t much different from sorting tasks. The only difference is that there are different sorting types you can use. Refer to the following table, Table 4-7: Resource Sort Types, for information on the resource sorting options.
Table 4-7: Resource Sort Types Sort Type Description By Cost The most expensive resources appear at the top of the list. By Name The resources appear in descending alphabetical order. By ID Resources with the lowest ID number (starting from 1) appear at the top of the list. This is the default sort type.
Quick Reference To View Sorted Information: • Select Project → Sort, and then choose a sorting option. To Cancel a Sort: • Select Project → Sort → by ID to return to the default sort.
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Lesson 4-6: Viewing Grouped Tasks
Figure 4-8 Task grouping under the Project menu Figure 4-9 Results of a critical task grouping
Figure 4-8
Figure 4-9
We’ve touched upon filtering tasks and resources in previous lessons, but this lesson will concentrate solely on grouping. Grouping is handy for organizing so you can focus on a variety of project angles. Like filters in the previous two lessons, tasks and resources can be grouped. This lesson reviews grouping by tasks, and the following lesson reviews grouping by resources. You can group the project by task or resource, but for this lesson group by task.
1. If necessary, select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. The project displays the tasks in the project. 2. Select Project → Group by Critical from the menu. The tasks on the Gantt Chart are now grouped by tasks that are critical, and tasks that are not critical. The group headings are highlighted in yellow. Since the tasks are grouped under the heading, you can collapse a group so the rest of the list is easier to see.
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Who knew there were so many ways to group the project’s tasks? Only one way to group tasks will be used in this lesson, but you can refer to Table 4-8: Task Group Types to see a description of all the different ways to group tasks. 3. Click the minus button in the yellow Critical: No heading. The tasks that are not critical are collapsed so that the critical tasks are easier to see, as shown in Figure 4-9. Now go back to the default Gantt Chart task order. 4. Select Project → Group by → No Group from the menu. You are now back to your default view.
Table 4-8: Task Group Types Group Type Description No Group Select this option to ungroup the tasks. Complete and Select this option to group the tasks into complete and incomplete categories. Incomplete Tasks Constraint Type Select this option to group the tasks by their time constraints. For example, group by tasks that need to be done as soon as possible. Critical Select this option to group the tasks into critical and non-critical groups. Duration Select this option to group the tasks by the amount of time they will take to complete. Duration then Select this option to group the tasks two ways. First, Project groups the tasks by Priority the amount of time they will take to complete. Then, Project groups the tasks under each duration heading by its priority. Milestones Select this option to group the tasks into milestone and non-milestone groups. Priority Select this option to group the tasks by their priority level. Quick Reference Priority Keeping Select this option to group the tasks two ways. First, Project groups the tasks by Outline Structure their outline heading. Then, Project groups the tasks under each outline head To View Grouped by its priority. Information: Team Status Select this option to group the tasks into pending and non-pending categories. 1. Select Project → Group Pending by: from the menu. 2. Choose a grouping option More Groups Select this option to view more grouping options. from the menu. Customize Group Select this option to customize your own grouping option. To Cancel a Grouping: By • Select Project → Group by: → No Group to return to the default setting.
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Lesson 4-7: Viewing Grouped Resources
Figure 4-10 Resource grouping under the Project menu Figure 4-11 The Standard rate group
Figure 4-10
Figure 4-11
Once again, this lesson will concentrate on grouping, but with resources this time. Grouping is handy for organizing information into significant groups so you can focus on a variety of project angles. For this lesson, group by resource.
1. Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu. All the resources in the project are displayed 2. Select Project → Group by → Standard Rate from the menu. The resources in the Resources Sheet are now grouped by how much they cost, as shown in Figure 4-11. The group headings are highlighted in yellow. Since the tasks are grouped under each heading, you can collapse a group so the rest of the list is easier to see. Who knew there were so many ways to group the project’s resources? Only one way to group tasks will be used in this lesson, but you can refer Table 4-9: Resource Group Types to see a description of all the different ways to group resources. 3. Click the minus button in the yellow Standard Rate: $0.0 heading. The resources that don’t cost anything are collapsed so that the resources that do cost something are easier to see.
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Now ungroup the resources. 4. Select Project → Group by → No Group from the menu. You are back to viewing all the resources.
Table 4-9: Resource Group Types Group Type Description Complete and Select this option to group the resources by the percent of work each resource Incomplete has completed. Resources Resource Group Select this option to group the resources by what they are used for in the project. Response Pending Select this option to group the resources by need of a response. Standard Rate Select this option to group the resources by cost. Work vs. Material Select this option to group the resources by whether they are a work or material Resources resource. More Groups Select this option to view more grouping options. Customize Group Select this option to customize your own grouping option. By
Quick Reference To View Grouped Resources: 1. Select Project → Group by, from the menu. 2. Choose a grouping option from the menu. To Cancel a Grouping: 1. Select Project → Group by: → No Group from the menu to return to the default setting.
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Lesson 4-8: Viewing Task Filters
Figure 4-12 Task filter options under the Project menu. Figure 4-13 The Data Range specification dialog boxes Figure 4-14 Figure 4-13 Results of the Data Range filter Figure 4-12
Figure 4-14
Applying a filter to a view can let you focus on specific information. When you use a filter, it will show or emphasize tasks that only meet the filter criteria. There are two different ways you can filter a project: by its resources, and by its tasks. In this lesson, we will explore how to filter using tasks.
1. Make sure the project is in Gantt Chart view. Gantt view is the default view and it displays all of the project’s tasks. 2. Select Project → Filtered for: from the menu. A list of all the different types of filters you can choose from appears, as shown in Figure 4-12. Refer to Table 4-10: Task Filters for a description of all the options available. There are two basic types of filters you can use: • Interactive filter: Displays a dialog box for entering filter criteria each time you apply the filter. Interactive filters are followed by an ellipses in the menu.
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• Highlighting filter: Displays all tasks or resources and highlights the tasks or resources that match the filter criteria. Try using an interactive filter to define a date range filter. 3. Select Date Range from the Filter menu. The Date Range dialog box appears, asking you to specify the beginning of your date range. 4. Type May 13, 00 in the dialog box, and click OK. Any task that starts or finishes after May 13, 2000 will appear in the date range. Another dialog box appears, asking you to specify the end of your date range. 5. Type June 20, 00 in the dialog box, and click OK. Any task that starts or finishes before June 20, 2000 will appear in the date range. Look in the Task Name column. All the tasks that start or end between May 13, 2003 and June 20, 2003 appear in the column, as shown in Figure 4-14. Now use a highlight filter to turn the filter off. 6. Select Project → Filter for: → All Tasks from the menu. You are back to the default view with no filters.
Table 4-10: Task Filters Filter Option Filter Type Description All Tasks Highlight Select this option to turn off a filter. Completed Tasks Highlight Select this option to view tasks that have been completed. Critical Highlight Select this option to view critical tasks. Date Range Interactive Displays tasks that start or finish after the date range you specify. Incomplete Tasks Highlight Select this option to view tasks that are incomplete. Milestones Highlight Select this option to view milestones. Milestones are tasks with no time frame, but are used to mark significant events in the project. Summary Tasks Highlight Select this option to collapse the smaller tasks, so only the main task headings of the project appear. Task Range Interactive Displays tasks between the ID range you specify. Quick Reference Tasks with Estimated Highlight Select this option to display tasks that do not have a To View Filtered Durations defined duration. Information: • Select Project → Using Resource Interactive Select this option to display all the tasks assigned to Filtered for from the a specific resource. menu and then choose More Filters Highlight/Interactive Select this option to select from a list of more the filter type you want to advanced filters, or, create your own filter. use. AutoFilter Highlight/Interactive Select this option to filter the list using criteria from To Turn a Filter Off: each column heading. • Select Project → Filtered for: → All Tasks from the menu.
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Lesson 4-9: Viewing Resource Filters
\ Figure 4-15 Resource filter options under the Project menu Figure 4-16 The Resource Range dialog box Figure 4-16 Figure 4-17 Results of the Resource Figure 4-15 Range filter
Figure 4-17
Filters are useful views that allow you to focus on specific information in a project. When you use a filter, it will show or emphasize tasks that only meet the filter criteria. In this lesson, you will explore the second way to use filters; resource filters.
1. If necessary, navigate to your practice folder and open Lesson 4. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu. The project displays all the resources involved in the project. 3. Select Project → Filtered for: from the menu. A list of all the different types of filters you can choose from appear, as shown in Figure 4-12. As you can see, some of the options are similar to filtering with tasks, but many are different as well. Refer to Table 4-11: Resource Filters for a description of all the options available. Once again, there are two basic types of filters you can use:
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• Interactive filter: Displays a dialog box for entering filter criteria each time you apply the filter. Interactive filters are followed by an ellipses in the menu. • Highlighting filter: Displays all tasks or resources and highlights the tasks or resources that match the filter criteria. Use another interactive filter in this lesson. 4. Select Resource Range from the Filter menu. The Resource Range dialog box appears. Specify the range you want to view in the dialog box. 5. Type 2 in the first text box, press
Table 4-11: Resource Filters Filter Option Filter Type Description All Resources Highlight Select this option to turn off a filter. Cost Overbudget Highlight Select this option to view material resources that cost more than the budgeted amount. Group Interactive Displays all the resources under the group you specify. Overallocated Highlight Select this option to view resources that are Resources overallocated. Resource Range Interactive Displays all the resources in the ID range you specify. Resources- Highlight Select this option to display all the material resources in Quick Reference Material the project. To View Filtered Resources-Work Highlight Select this option to display all the work resources in the Information: project. • Select Project → Work Overbudget Highlight Select this option to view work resources that are Filtered for from the overworked. menu and then choose the filter type you want to More Filters Highlight/Interactive Select this option to select from a list of more advanced use. filters, or, create your own filter. To Turn a Filter Off: AutoFilter Highlight/Interactive Select this option to filter the list using criteria from each • Select Project → column heading. Filtered for: → All Resources from the menu.
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Lesson 4-10: Using AutoFilters
Figure 4-18 Click the column heading drop-down list and select the criteria you want to Click the list arrow of use to filter the list. the group by which you want to filter the project. Figure 4-19 Then select specific criteria to filter from the The AutoFilter using Type list. and Group criteria
Figure 4-18 The groups that have been used to filter the list appear in blue.
Figure 4-19
If you finished the previous lesson, you already know how to use the interactive and highlight filters. Now try using the AutoFilter option, which is both an interactive and a highlighting filter.
1. Make sure the project is in Resource Sheet view. You can use AutoFilter using tasks or resources. We’ll use resources for this lesson, however. 2. Select Project → Filtered for: → AutoFilter from the menu. All the Resources remain on the screen, but look at the top row that contains all the column headings. Drop-down list arrows appear on the right side of the cells. These drop-down lists include each entry in the column.
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3. Click the Resource Name list arrow. A list of all the resource names drops down. Other columns don’t have as many entries. 4. Click outside the Resource Name list to close it. Click the Type list arrow. Only four entries appear: Work, Materials, All and Custom. 5. Select Material from the drop-down list. Only the material resources appear in the project window. Notice that the Type heading appears in blue, indicating that is has been used as filter criteria. AutoFilters are useful because they are easy to use, especially if you are searching for specific information, but aren’t sure what the criteria is. For example, you can filter the material list you just created so it is even more specific. 6. Click the Group list arrow. Select Reception from the drop-down list. Now the project is filtered so that the only resources shown are materials that will be used at the reception. Pretty cool, eh? Now return off the filter. 7. Select Project → Filtered for: → AutoFilter from the menu. The filters you specified are turned off, and all the resources are shown once again.
Quick Reference To Use the AutoFilter: 1. Select Project → Filtered For: → AutoFilter from the menu. 2. Click the drop-down list button of the category by which you want to filter the project. 3. Select the criteria by which you want to filter the project from the list.
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Lesson 4-11: Viewing the Project’s Critical Path
Figure 4-20 Viewing the critical path Slack time (green)
Noncritical tasks (blue)
Critical tasks (red)
Figure 4-20
In a project schedule, some tasks affect the overall project length more than others do. These tasks, called critical tasks, must be completed on time so that the project sticks to its schedule. If a task has no slack time, it is a critical task. If a task has some slack time, it is not a critical task. The critical path is the series of critical and noncritical tasks that will push a project’s schedule further back if the tasks are not completed. If you want to shorten the duration of a project, you have to shorten the critical path. Over the life of a project, the critical path will change from time to time. Take a look at the storybook wedding project’s critical path.
1. If necessary, navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 4. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select View → More Views from the menu. The More Views dialog box appears. 3. Select Detail Gantt and click Apply. You are now in Detail Gantt view. Scroll through your project. Critical tasks have red task bars, and noncritical tasks have blue task bars. Notice that this project doesn’t have many critical tasks. Also, notice that many tasks have slack time on them, signified by green lines. This means that they have until the end of the green line to be completed without affecting the project’s finish date. NOTE: If you want to change the appearance of your critical path, click the Gantt
Chart Wizard button on the Formatting toolbar. Gantt Chart Wizard button Now filter the critical path for only critical tasks. 4. Select Project → Filtered for: → Critical from the menu. Only critical tasks remain. Now view the entire project on the screen.
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5. Select View → Zoom from the menu. Click Entire Project, and click OK, as shown in Figure 4-20. Now you can see critical tasks over the entire range of your project. Return to the Gantt Chart view. 6. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. That’s it! Now make sure that you and your resources complete those critical tasks by viewing your project’s status.
Quick Reference To View the Critical Path: • Select View → More Views, select Detail Gantt, and click Apply. To View Only Critical Tasks: • Select Project → Filtered for: → Critical from the menu.
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Lesson 4-12: Viewing Task or Resource Details
Figure 4-21 The Project screen split between Gantt Chart view and Task Entry view
Figure 4-21 Click the Previous Click the Next button button to view the to view the next next entry’s entry’s information. information.
Other Ways to View the Because Project is so powerful, it’s easy to lose track of who is assigned to what task and the Task Form: amount of time the task will take. It can sometimes be hard to find information for a task and • Select a task and select its resources when you need it quickly. Window → Split from the menu. Select a task from the wedding project and view its details. 1. Select task 38 Sew bridesmaid dresses. You are going to view the details for this task. Quick Reference 2. Select View → More Views from the menu. The More Views dialog box appears. To View Details for a Task or Resource: 3. Select Task Entry and click Apply. 1. Select a task or resource. The Task Form appears in the lower pane of the Project window, as shown in Figure 4-21. In the Task Entry half of the window, notice that you can see task details such as 2. Select View → More assigned resources, start and finish dates, predecessors, etc. for the task. Views from the menu. Right-click the Task Entry half of the window. Select Hide Form View 3. Select Task or Resource 4. from the right-click shortcut menu. Entry and click Apply. The Task Entry disappears, and the Gantt Chart appears in the entire window. Or…
• Select Window → Split from the menu. The Task Form will appear below the Gantt Chart, with details about the task and its resources.
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Lesson 4-13: Printing a View
Figure 4-22
The Print dialog box
Figure 4-22
When you want to print exactly what’s on your screen, print a view. Total graphical For multiple page views information will print in all printable views. However, in views that contain tables, only the (which have page visible table columns will print along with the graphical information. You can print any view breaks), all the left- except for form views and the Relationship Diagram view. hand pages will print before the right-hand Before you print a project view, you should have completed any formatting you want to pages. appear on your view, used spellchecker, inserted page breaks, and previewed the view. Harry, the best man, is very excited to get his very own copy of the Gantt Chart. Print him a copy; he’s thinking about framing it and hanging it on his wall. “I reckon it looks kinda like that there fancy abstractor art,” he says.
1. Open the view you want to print. Quick Reference In this case, we are going to print the Gantt Chart, so you don’t have to open a view. To Print a View: 2. Select File → Print from the menu. 1. Open the view you want The Print dialog box appears. to print. 3. Choose your print options. 2. Select File → Print from You can select which printer to print from, how many copies you want to print, which the menu. pages you want to print, and what dates of your project you want to print. Also, you 3. Choose your print can click the Properties button to choose advanced printing options. Then, print. options. 4. When you are ready to print, click OK. 4. When you are ready to The project view prints. print, click OK. It’s a good idea to print preview and make sure you’re getting what you want before printing. 5. Close the file without saving changes.
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Chapter Four Review
Lesson Summary
Using Common Views • Go to the View menu and select a new view, or press
Using More Views • Select View → More Views from the menu. Select a view from the More Views dialog box and click Apply.
Using Split Views • Select Window → Split from the menu. Click in the bottom pane and select the view you want to display.
Using Tables • Select View → Table from the menu, and select the table you want to view.
Viewing Sorted Information • To View Sorted Information: Select Project → Sort, and then choose a sorting option. • To Cancel a Sort: Select Project → Sort → by ID to return to the default sort.
Viewing Grouped Tasks • To View Grouped Tasks: Select Project → Group by, from the menu and choose a grouping option from the menu. • To Cancel a Grouping: Select Project → Group by: → No Group to return to the default setting.
Viewing Grouped Resources • To View Grouped Resources: Select Project → Group by, from the menu and choose a grouping option from the menu. • To Cancel a Grouping: Select Project → Group by: → No Group to return to the default setting.
Viewing Task Filters • To View Filtered Information: Select Project → Filtered for from the menu and then choose the filter type you want to use. • To Turn a Filter Off: Select Project → Filtered for: → All Tasks from the menu.
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Viewing Resource Filters • To View Filtered Information: Select Project → Filtered for from the menu and then choose the filter type you want to use. • To Turn a Filter Off: Select Project → Filtered for: → All Tasks from the menu.
Using AutoFilters • To Use the AutoFilter: Select Project → Filtered For: → AutoFilter from the menu. Click the drop-down list button of the category by which you want to filter the project and select the criteria by which you want to filter the project from the list.
Viewing the Project’s Critical Path • To View the Critical Path: Select View → More Views, select Detail Gantt, and click Apply. • To View Only Critical Tasks: Select Project → Filtered for: → Critical from the menu.
Viewing Task or Resource Details • To View Details for a Task or Resource: Select a task or resource and select View → More Views from the menu. Select Task or Resource Entry and click Apply, or select Window → Split from the menu. The Task Form will appear below the Gantt Chart, with details about the task and its resources.
Printing a View • To Print a View: Open the view you want to print and select File → Print from the menu. Choose your print options. When you are ready to print, click OK.
Quiz
1. Tasks that affect the overall project length more than other tasks do are called what? A. Subtasks B. Major Tasks C. Critical tasks D. All tasks affect the project equally
2. You can view the entire length of your project on one screen. (True or False?)
3. Which of these is NOT a way in which to view information? A. Filtering B. Sifting C. Grouping D. Sorting
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4. You can’t view different fields in a view. (True or False?)
5. What view is easy to print out by the month? A. Vay Vee Vie Vo View B. Gantt Chart view C. Resource Sheet view D. Calendar view
Homework
1. Start Microsoft Project 2003. 2. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 4 database. 3. View this project’s critical path, and then go back to the default view. 4. Use zoom to view your entire project. 5. Make the project window split so that the Gantt Chart is in the upper half of the window and the Task Form is in the bottom half of the window.
6. Filter the Gantt Chart for summary tasks. 7. Sort the Gantt Chart for finish date. 8. Switch to Calendar view. 9. Close Homework 4 without saving changes.
Quiz Answers
1. C. Critical tasks affect the project more than other tasks do. 2. True. Yes, the length of your project can be condensed into one screen. 3. B. There is no such thing as sifting information in Project. 4. False. You can change fields in a view by going to View → Table, and choosing a table option. 5. D. Calendar view is the easiest view to print out by the month.
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Chapter Five: Update and View Project Progress
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites • Have a project in which • Update Tasks, Resources, and Costs you have entered tasks, • Check Duration, Work and Cost Variance resources, and costs • Understand project • View Project Statistics management • Check Earned Value • Identify and Fix Project Trouble Spots Chapter Task: Track your project’s work, resources, and costs in order to see project progress.
When you’re done customizing and entering tasks, resources, and costs into your project, you can you sit back and ignore your project for a few weeks, right? Wrong! Even though Project calculates your task durations, budget, etc. for you, you still need to track the progress of your project. You’ll need to update your tasks, make sure resources aren’t working too slow or too fast, and monitor a variety of other things. Also, tracking allows you to look up specific information, like how much you spent on resources on a particular day, etc. If you keep your project information up to date, you can always see the most recent status of your project, which allows you to catch problems before they get out of hand. This chapter shows you many ways to track your project. Let’s start entering progress and tracking your project information!
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Lesson 5-1: Updating Tasks
Figure 5-1 An updated task in Gantt Chart view Figure 5-2 The Update Tasks dialog box A black line through a task bar shows that the task is partially complete. Figure 5-1
Figure 5-2
As you are in the process of completing tasks, you should enter their progress so Project can recalculate your schedule. There are four main parts of tasks that you should update: (1) Percent complete (2) Date (3) Duration and (4) Time period. This lesson teaches you how to update each of these parts of a task. Update Tasks button 1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 5A. Save the file as . Other Ways to Open the Wedding Progress Update Tasks dialog If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. box: Type the percentage of the task that is complete to indicate the actual progress of the • Select View → task. Then, Project calculates the task's actual and remaining duration using this Toolbars → Tracking number. If you enter a percentage for summary tasks, the progress is distributed to its from the menu, and subtasks. click the Update Tasks 2. Select task 55 Plan Honeymoon, and select Tools → Tracking → button from the Update Tasks from the menu. Tracking toolbar. The Update Tasks dialog box for this task appears. Enter a completion percentage for the task 55. An actual duration is 3. Type 30% in the % Complete text box. the amount of duration It’s important to monitor tasks that finish early or late, because they can make work already done, significant changes to your schedule. Tasks that finish early allow resources to be while a remaining reassigned to work on other tasks. Tasks that finish late throw off the schedules for the duration is the amount tasks after them. If you can, enter actual start and finish dates for your tasks on a of duration work left. regular basis to keep your schedule up to date.
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4. In the Start text box, type 5/8/00, because you started this task five days later than you had scheduled. Click OK. The Update Tasks dialog box closes and you return to the Gantt Chart. Notice two things: the “Plan Honeymoon” task has been marked 30 percent complete by a black line in its task bar, and the task bar has been moved to show a starting date of 5/8/00. If you have a task that you know will take more or less time to finish than you had originally planned, you should enter either an actual or a remaining duration for that Quick Reference task. Keeping up on your tasks’ durations allows your project’s schedule to run much To Open the Update Task smoother and allot time for delays or problems. dialog box: 5. Select View → Toolbars → Tracking from the menu. 1. Select the task you want The Tracking toolbar is a good tool to use when updating the progress in the project. to update. 6. Select task 49, Ask attendants to be in wedding, and click the Update 2. Select Tools → Tracking Tasks button on the Tracking toolbar. → Update Tasks from The Update Tasks dialog box appears. Enter a remaining duration for this task. the menu. 7. In the Remaining dur text box, type 3 weeks. Click OK. Or… The duration for task 49 changes from 2 weeks to 3 weeks. 1. Select View → Toolbars Next, change the actual duration for the “Find a Wedding Dress” task. → Tracking from the 8. Select task 30 Find wedding gown, and click the Update Tasks button. menu. The Update Tasks dialog box appears. You have just finished two weeks of work, so 2. Select the task you want update this task. to update, and click the 9. In the Actual dur text box, type 2 weeks. Click OK. Update Tasks button on the Tracking toolbar. Task 30 is now 50% complete, because two weeks of work out of the one-month duration has been completed. To Update Task Now, what if you want to update a task’s work for just one day? You’re in luck; Percentages: changing a task’s work time period in a timephased field lets you update task work for 1. Update the task a particular day or week. completion percentage in 10. Select View → Task Usage from the menu. the Update Tasks dialog box. You are in Task Usage view, and want to look at actual work for a task. 11. Select Format → Details → Actual Work from the menu. To Update Tasks with Dates: Now enter new actual work for the “Fit bridesmaid dresses” task. 1. In the Start textbox, type 12. Scroll down to task 42, Fit bridesmaid dresses, and click the Go To a new starting date. Selected Task button on the Standard toolbar. The insertion point jumps to the dates for the selected task. Now enter the new actual To Update Tasks with work already performed for the task. Durations: 1. Enter a Remaining dur In the Actual work field, under Tuesday, 7/18/00, type 5 hours and press 13. or an Actual dur for the Enter. task. The actual work for task 42, “Fit bridesmaid dresses” has been updated. To Update Tasks with Time NOTE: When you enter actual work, the remaining work (if there is any) is divided Periods: equally among the assigned resources, depending on their schedules. 1. Select View → Task Usage from the menu. 2. Select Format → Details → Actual Work from the menu. 3. In the Actual work field for a task, type a time period value.
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Lesson 5-2: Updating Resources
Figure 5-3 The project in Task Usage view in the Work table
Figure 5-3 The daily Actual Work fields update when the total Actual work is entered.
By updating the actual work that a resource has completed, you can track the progress of your schedule through your resources. When you update a resource’s actual work, Project 2003 calculates remaining work by subtracting the actual work from the total work the resource is scheduled to complete. This lesson will show you how to update actual work for individual resources.
1. If necessary, select View → Task Usage from the menu. Then select View → Table → Work from the menu. You are in the Work table in Task Usage view. Update actual work for Cal’s Calligraphy. 2. Under task 46, Address invitations select the Cal’s Calligraphy resource. Now look at Cal’s Calligraphy Actual Work field, which says 30h. Cal worked another five hours, so record the resource’s work. Actual work is the 3. Click the Actual field for Cal’s Calligraphy. Type 35 in the field and press amount of work that
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7. Select resource 25 Grandma Jeanette from the resource list and click the Go To Selected Task button on the Standard toolbar. Look at the Act. W fields for resource 25. Grandma Jeannette has worked extra hard on Thursday, so update her actual work. 8. In the Thursday 6/15/00 resource 25 Act. W field for Make wedding favors, type 9 hrs and press
Quick Reference To Update Resources with Actual Work: 1. Select View → Task Usage from the menu. 2. Select View → Table → Work from the menu. 3. Find the resource you want to update underneath its assigned task, and enter the new actual work value into its Actual field. To Update Resources with Time Periods: 1. Select View → Resource Usage from the menu. 2. Select View → Table → Work from the menu. 3. Select Format → Details from the menu and make sure Actual Work is selected. 4. Find the Act. W field for the time period where you want to change work time. 5. Enter the new work value in the Act. W field.
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Lesson 5-3: Updating Costs
Summary task The Act. Cost field, where Figure 5-4 Resource assigned you manually update costs Subtask to a subtask A section of the Task Usage view Figure 5-5 An adjusted timescale in Task Usage view
Figure 5-4
In this view, the timescale has been adjusted to show weeks.
Before you update costs manually, turn off automatic Figure 5-5 updating.
Even though Project automatically updates costs as tasks progress, there are times when you might want to update your costs manually. For instance, your project might fall behind schedule and throw your cost updating off, or you might need to enter a cost change very quickly. Also, tracking actual costs by time period in timephased fields in Project keeps your project up to date because you can update information for a single day, or for many days, depending on how the timeline is formatted. This lesson will show you how to update costs using both methods.
1. Select View → Task Usage from the menu. Select Tools → Options from the menu and click the Calculation tab. First, turn off the automatic updating option. 2. Uncheck the Actual costs are always calculated by Microsoft Project checkbox, and click OK. Now go to Task Usage view and change the table. You can enter cost values for days, weeks, or months.
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3. Select View → Table → Tracking from the menu. Look at the Act. Cost field for the “Mrs. Fru Fru” resource under task #18, “Research services.” Although you are paying your wedding planner, Mrs. Fru Fru, an hourly rate, you plan to give her a $50 bonus. Enter the $50 addition for Mrs. Fru Fru in the actual cost field. NOTE: When you update a cost manually, always make the changes in an Act. Cost field. Also, you can only make changes for subtask costs; you can’t update summary task costs. 4. In the Act. Cost field for Mrs. Fru Fru under task #18, type $50 and press
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Lesson 5-4: Checking Duration Variance
Figure 5-6 Drag the sidebar in Gantt Variance table view to see more table fields.
A variance between the baseline and actual information appears in the Finish Variance field.
Figure 5-6
Variance is the difference between baseline information and actual information in a field. Project lists variance as positive or negative. Negative variance indicates that tasks are ahead of schedule, and positive variance indicates that tasks are behind schedule. Negative or positive variance in resource assignments can be good or bad. For instance, although it’s nice when resources finish a task ahead of time, it may indicate that your resources have not been allocated properly.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 5B and save the file as Wedding Progress. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. Quick Reference 2. Select View → More Views from the menu. Select Task Sheet from the To Check Duration dialog box, and click Apply. Variance: Now you can see more task fields on one screen. 1. Select View → Table → 3. Select View → Table → Variance from the menu. Variance from the menu. You are now in a Task Variance table view. 2. Scan the Start and Compare Start and Baseline Start fields. Baseline Start fields for Look at the Start and Baseline Start fields for task #9, Research differing values, which 4. Services. indicate variance. The Start and Baseline Start fields have different dates in them, indicating that there is 3. Then, look at the Start variance. Var. and Finish Var. fields to see amounts of 5. Look at the Start Var. and Finish Var. fields for task #18. variance calculated for There is a negative variance of -0.75 in the Start Var. field, which means the task the start and finish of your started ahead of schedule. However, there is a positive variance of two days in the schedule. Finish Var. field, which means the task is two days behind. Oops!
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Lesson 5-5: Checking Work Variance
Figure 5-7 You can check Work Variance in Resource Sheet view.
A variance between the baseline and actual information appears in the variance field. Figure 5-7
You can check how much total work a resource is accomplishing by looking at the variance between a resource’s baseline work and actual work. This is especially helpful if you schedule tasks based on the availability of resources. If you're managing resource assignments in your project, you need to make sure resources complete task work in the time scheduled. Since you've saved a baseline for your project, you can check the resource task work variance information.
1. Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu. You are now in Resource Sheet view. Change the table to view work. Select View → Table → Work from the menu. 2. Quick Reference Compare the values in the Work, Baseline, and Actual fields. The values in the Variance field show the difference between the current work scheduled and the To Check Resource Work originally planned amount of work saved in the baseline. Variance: 3. Scroll down to resource 7, Mrs. Fru Fru, and compare her Work and 1. Select View → Baseline fields. Resource Sheet from the menu. The Work and Baseline fields have different amounts of work in them. That means there is variance. The work variance is a positive sixteen hours, meaning that Mrs. Fru 2. Select View → Table → Fru has sixteen more hours of work than originally planned. Also notice that the Work from the menu. information for Mrs. Fru Fru is in red. This indicates that it is a problematic variance, 3. Check the Variance field and that you will have to adjust the resource. A later chapter will teach you how to do to view variance in the that. resource work.
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Lesson 5-6: Checking Cost Variance
Figure 5-8 A section of the Task Sheet Cost table
Figure 5-8 The variance between the total cost and the baseline cost
By checking cost variance, you can see if there are any tasks that cost more than you budgeted. You can catch cost overruns before they become serious and adjust your schedule or budget accordingly. Project calculates the cost of each resource’s work, the total cost for each task and resource, and the total project cost, so checking variance lets you view a lot of information.
1. Select View → More Views from the menu. Select Task Sheet from the dialog box and click Apply. Now you can see more task fields on one screen. 2. Select View → Table → Cost from the menu. Good—now compare the values in the Total Cost and Baseline fields. Is there any variance (difference) between the fields? 3. Look at the Total Cost and Baseline fields for task 9, Research Quick Reference Services. To Check Cost Variance: There is a variance of $600 between these fields. You will learn to deal with variance in 1. Select View → Task a later lesson. You’re done for now. Sheet from the menu. NOTE: One more thing—if you want to see cost variance information for the 2. Select View → Table → project rolled up into one task, display the project summary task. Go to Cost from the menu. Tools → Options → View tab. Under options, check the Project summary 3. Check the Variance field task check box, and click OK. to view variance in the cost.
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Lesson 5-7: Viewing Project Statistics
Figure 5-9 The Project Information dialog box Figure 5-10 The Project Statistics dialog box Figure 5-9
Figure 5-10
As you work on the project you will probably want a quick compilation of the project’s statistics, such as the duration, work progress, or cost.
1. Select Project → Project Information from the menu. The Project Information dialog box appears. 2. Click the Statistics button. The Project Statistics dialog box appears with the costs of your wedding planning project thus far, as shown in Figure 5-9. Notice there are four types of costs in the Cost column. For descriptions of these costs, see Table 5-1: Project Statistics. Quick Reference 3. Click the Close button and close the project file without saving changes. To View Entire Project NOTE: Compare your current cost and remaining cost to see if you have enough Costs: money to finish your project as work progresses. Compare the actual cost and baseline cost to see how your project’s budget is progressing. 1. Select Project → Project Information from the menu. Table 5-1: Project Statistics 2. Click the Statistics Current The cost as it is right now. button. Baseline The project cost at the last time a baseline was saved for the project. Actual The cost that has been added up to date. For example, if a resource’s pay rate is $10 an hour and it works five hours, the actual cost would be $50. Remaining The estimated cost that has yet to be added up.
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Lesson 5-8: Checking Earned Value
Figure 5-11 The project in Task Sheet view and the Earned Value table.
Figure 5-11
Earned value indicates how much of your budget should have been spent based on your baseline budget and the amount of work done so far. The Earned Value table allows you to compare your expected progress with the actual progress you have accomplished. It compares your tasks’ baseline schedules with actual schedules in terms of cost. The Earned Value table also helps you predict whether tasks will finish under or over budget based on cost calculation while tasks are in progress. For example, if a task is 25% complete and the actual cost of the task calculated to date is $100, you can see if $100 is more than, less than, or equal to 25% of the baseline cost that you budgeted for.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 5C. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select View → More Views from the menu, select Task Sheet from the dialog box and click Apply. The project appears in Task Sheet view. 3. Select View → Table → More Tables from the menu. The More Tables dialog box appears. You can also view cost 4. Select Earned Value from the list and click Apply. variances and earned The Earned Value table is applied to your view. The values are calculated based on the value for your entire actual work and costs up through and including the current date. Also, if you hold your project by displaying pointer over the field headers, a link will appear that will lead you to more information the project summary about the fields. task. Select Tools → NOTE: Project calculates earned value through the current date, but if you want to Options from the menu, change the calculation date, go to Project → Project Information. Then, in click the View tab, the Status date box, type the date you want and click OK. check the Project summary task checkbox, and click OK.
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Table 5-2: Field Headers in the Earned Value Table File Description BCWS Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled. This field contains the timephased baseline total costs up to the current date. BCWP Budgeted Cost of Work Performed. This field contains earned value—the total value of the timephased percent complete multiplied by the timephased baseline cost. The total in this field is calculated up to the current date. ACWP Actual Cost of Work Performed. This field contains costs acquired for work already done on a task, up to the current date. SV Earned Value Schedule Variance. This field contains the difference in cost between the current progress and the baseline plan up to the current date. CV Earned Value Cost Variance. This field contains the difference between how much money you should have spent to complete the current level of work on a task and how much it has really cost to complete the current level of work on a task up to the current date. EAC Estimate at Completion. This field contains the total scheduled, or planned, cost for a task, based on costs already acquired for work performed by all resources assigned to a task, added to the costs planned for the rest of the assignment work. BAC Budget at Completion (Baseline Cost). This field contains the total originally planned cost for tasks. VAC Variance at Completion. This field contains the difference between the baseline cost (BAC) and the total cost (EAC) for a task.
Quick Reference To Check Earned Value: 1. Select View → Table → More Tables from the menu. 2. Select Earned Value from the list and click Apply. 3. Check the fields for various values, especially BCWP (Budgeted Cost of Work Performance/ Earned Value), SV (Earned Value Schedule Variance), and CV (Earned Value Cost Variance).
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Lesson 5-9: Identify and Fix Project Trouble Spots
Figure 5-12 The blue bar shows currently scheduled start and finish dates. The black bar shows original, or baseline start and finish dates. The black and blue task bars appear in the Compare these dates so you can see the difference between your original plan and the current schedule. If a Gantt bar is red, then the task is critical. That means that if the task is not completed Tracking Gantt view exactly on time, the project’s end date will be affected. Figure 5-13 Figure 5-12 Trouble spots in the Tracking Gantt view
Figure 5-13 These tasks are trouble spots; their top and bottom halves are not lined up.
It is helpful to use the You have put a lot of work into planning this wedding. Wouldn’t it be horrid if your resources Tracking Gantt after didn’t finish their tasks (like sending out invitations)? Use Tracking Gantt view to check your you have begun to project’s task bars; it shows the current schedule on top of the baseline schedule for each task. update progress in The Tracking Gantt will help you find trouble spots in your schedule. your project. 1. Select View → Tracking Gantt from the menu. You are in Tracking Gantt view. Notice how current schedule work (blue) and original schedule work (black) are paired for each task, as shown in Figure 5-12. If part of the task bar is red, that means the task is critical, and the project’s end date depends on that task being completed on time. View the variances (start and finish dates) for the tasks. 2. Select View → Table → Variance from the menu. Your entry table on the left side of the Project screen turns into a variance table. Notice the start and finish dates for all of the tasks. Now find your project’s trouble spot(s). A trouble spot is a place where the top and bottom colored halves of a task bar don’t line up perfectly. Sometimes when you fix a trouble spot, fewer tasks are critical. Look for a task with a crooked task bar.
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3. Scroll over in your Tracking Gantt until you get to about February 17 on your timescale. Look at task 33 Create a Guest List. Its top and bottom halves don’t match up, and it is throwing off the rest of the tasks behind it. Change the constraint that is assigned to this task so that it won’t be a trouble spot anymore. 4. Select task 33 Create a Guest List, click the Task Information button, choose the Advanced tab, change the Constraint type to Start No Later Than, and click OK. Task Information button The “Create a Guest List” task is no longer a trouble spot! Good thing the Tracking Gantt pointed it out to you. Also, notice that many of the other tasks are no longer critical tasks; that means you can be a bit more flexible with getting them done. You’re all done with this lesson. 5. Close the file without saving changes.
Quick Reference To Fix Project Trouble Spots: 1. Select View → Tracking Gantt from the menu. 2. Select View → Table → Variance from the menu. 3. Change the constraint type to resolve the trouble spot.
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Chapter Five Review
Lesson Summary
Updating Tasks • To Open the Update Task Dialog Box: Select the task you want to update and select Tools → Tracking → Update Tasks from the menu. Or, select View → Toolbars → Tracking from the menu, select the task you want to update, and click the Update Tasks button on the Tracking toolbar. • To Update Task Percentages: Update the task completion percentage in the Update Tasks dialog box. • To Update Tasks with Dates: In the Start textbox, type a new starting date. • To Update Tasks with Durations: Enter a Remaining dur or an Actual dur for the task. • To Update Tasks with Time Periods: Open Task Usage view and select Format → Details → Actual Work from the menu. In the Actual work field for a task, type a time period value. • Remember that if you enter an actual finish date for a task, make sure the task is 100% complete. • An actual duration is how much duration work you already have done, while a remaining duration is how much duration work you have left.
Updating Resources • Actual work is the amount of work you have already done. • To Update Resources with Actual Work: Open Task Usage view, then select View → Table → Work from the menu. Find the resource you want to update underneath its assigned task, and enter the new actual work value into its Actual field. • To Update Resources with Time Periods: Open Resource Usage view and select View → Table → Work from the menu. Then, go to Format → Details, and make sure Actual Work is selected. Find the Act. W field for the time period where you want to change work time and enter the new work value in the Act. W field.
Updating Costs • To Turn off Automatic Cost Updating: Before you update costs manually, you need to turn off automatic updating. Select Tools → Options from the menu and click the Calculation tab, and uncheck the Actual cost are always calculated by Microsoft Project checkbox, and click OK. • To Update Costs Manually: Open Task Usage view and select View → Table → Tracking from the menu. Scroll to the right in the spreadsheet and enter updated costs in the Act. Cost fields for tasks. • To Update Costs with Time Periods: Open Task Usage view and select View → Table → Cost from the menu. Then, select Format → Details and make sure the Cost and Act. Cost options are selected. Select View → Zoom from the menu and select the timescale option you want, then under your chosen date(s), enter a new cost in the Cost field for a specific task.
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Checking Duration Variance • To Check Duration Variance: Select View → Table → Variance from the menu. Scan the Start and Baseline Start fields for differing values, which indicate variance. Then, look at the Start Var. and Finish Var. fields to see amounts of variance calculated for the start and finish of your schedule.
Checking Work Variance • To Check Work Variance: Select View → Table → Work from the menu and then drag the divider bar to the right edge of the Project 2003 window. Scan the Work, Baseline, and Actual fields for different values, which indicates variance. Then, look at the Variance field; it shows the difference between the current work scheduled and the original baseline work.
Checking Cost Variance • To Check Cost Variance: Select View → Table → Cost from the menu. Check the Variance field to view variance in the cost.
Viewing Project Statistics • To Check Project Statistics: Select Project → Project Information from the menu, and click the Statistics button.
Checking Earned Value • To Check Earned Value: Select View → Table → More Tables from the menu, select Earned Value from the list and click Apply. Check the fields for various values, especially BCWP (Budgeted Cost of Work Performance/ Earned Value), SV (Earned Value Schedule Variance), and CV (Earned Value Cost Variance).
Identify and Fix Project Trouble Spots • To Fix Project Trouble Spots: Open the Tracking Gantt view. Select View → Table → Variance from the menu and change the constraint type to resolve the trouble spot.
Quiz
1. Under which menu will you find “Update Tasks”? A. Edit B. Tools C. McDonalds D. Format
2. When you update a task, a ______appears in the task’s bar. A. black bar B. dotted line C. split D. percentage number
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3. A ______appears next to a task if there is a scheduling conflict. A. warning indicator B. black checkmark C. pink arrow D. calendar icon
4. Actual work is the amount of work that still needs to be completed. (True or False?)
5. Project displays variance as ______. A. scrambled or sunny-side-up B. dangerous or safe C. daily or weekly D. positive or negative
6. What do you do if you want to see all of the available table fields for a view? A. Give your screen a good kung-fu kick. B. Open a table toolbar. C. Switch to Table Usage view. D. Drag the sidebar to the right of your screen.
7. In the Earned Value table, BAC stands for ______. A. Battery Acid Concoction B. Budget At Completion C. Baseline At Completion D. Bats Are for Cracking
8. Before you update a cost manually or by time period, you must first turn on Project’s automatic cost updating option. (True or False?)
9. ______indicates how much of your budget should have been spent based on your baseline budget and the amount of work done so far. A. The summary task B. Resource cost variance C. Earned value D. Wall Street
10. If you enter an actual finish date for a task, make sure the task ______. A. has not yet been started B. is really easy C. is 100% complete D. has multiple assigned resources
Homework
1. Start Microsoft Project 2003. 2. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 7 database. 3. Update task 5, “Build stand,” with 30% completion.
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4. Give tasks #8, “Buy lemons,” and #9, “Buy sugar,” a new actual start date of January 30, 2003. Allow the scheduling conflict, since this will not actually change the start date of any other tasks.
5. Give task #12, “Make tablecloth from bedsheet,” a remaining duration of 3 days. 6. Open the Variance table in Gantt Chart view and make it bigger, then find the summary task with negative variance. 7. Now change the table from Variance to Work and find which task has work variance. 8. Go to Task Usage view, and then open the Work table. Make the Table bigger. Now, enter a new actual work value of 3 hours for “Snoogie” under task #12, “Make tablecloth from bedsheet.” 9. Go to Resource Usage view, and then select Format → Details from the menu and make sure Work and Act. Work are selected. Scroll over to Tuesday, February 5th. Give the Bill Gates resource an actual work update of 12h for the “Build stand” task on Feb. 5th. 10. Shut off the “Actual costs are always calculated by Microsoft Project” option in the Calculation tab of the Options dialog box. Open Task Usage view. Make the table a Tracking table. For task #5, “Build stand,” give the Bill Gates resource an Actual Cost of $5.00. 11. Go to Gantt Chart view, and then open the Earned Value table. (Hint- Look under “More Tables.”) What is the total estimated actual cost of your project thus far? (Hint- Look at the estimated actual cost field for your project’s summary task.)
Quiz Answers
1. B. You will find “Update Tasks” under Tools → Tracking. 2. A. When you update a task, a black bar appears in the task’s bar, signifying the percent of completion. 3. A. A warning indicator appears next to a task if there is a scheduling conflict. 4. False. Actual work is the amount of work that has already been completed. 5. D. Project displays variance as positive or negative. 6. D. Drag the sidebar to the right of your screen to see all available fields in a view. 7. B. In the Earned Value table, BAC stands for Budget At Completion. 8. False. Before you update a cost manually or by time period, you must first turn off Project’s automatic cost updating option. 9. C. Earned value indicates how much of your budget should have been spent based on your baseline budget and the amount of work done so far.
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10. C. If you enter an actual finish date for a task, make sure the task is 100% complete.
2004 CustomGuide, Inc.
Chapter Six: Balancing Project Progress
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites • Have a project in • Identify Resource Overallocation which you have entered • Balance Resources Automatically or Manually tasks, resources, and costs • Schedule Resource Overtime • Understand project • Reassign Resource Work management Chapter Task: Balance your project’s tracked progress in the event of schedule problems.
You may notice a few problems as you track the progress of your project; no project is perfect. For example, your project might not be calculated to finish until after your scheduled finish date. In this case, you may need to schedule some overtime work for your resources. Or you may have some resources that are overallocated. In this case, you may need to assign work to other resources.
Most of the lessons in this chapter deal with adjusting resource work in order to balance a project’s tracked progress because resources are the easiest project element to amend. Oftentimes, problems that seem too large to handle can be easily fixed with a bit of careful resource work or cost balancing. You may have touched on some of the content in these lessons already, but use this chapter as a guide to balance your progress when problems arise in your project plan.
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Lesson 6-1: Identifying Resource Overallocation
Figure 6-1 In Resource Graph view, overallocated resources appear in red. Figure 6-2 In Resource Sheet view, overallocated resources appear in red.
Figure 6-1
Figure 6-2
To change resource A project can be quickly thrown off-balance if you have resource overallocation. A resource allocation monitoring, overallocation arises when the number of units or hours assigned to a resource are greater than select Tools → the maximum number of hours available during that time period. For example, if you assigned Resource Leveling from Ms. Fru Fru, the Wedding Planner, to three tasks at the same time at 100%, she would be an the menu. overallocated resource. It’s better to recognize overallocated resources early in the project rather than after deadlines have been missed. You can view overallocated resources in Resource Sheet view, Resource Usage view, Resource Allocation view, and Resource Graph view.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 6A, and save the file as Balancing. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor.
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2. Select View → Resource Graph from the menu. You are in Resource Graph view. Use the horizontal scroll bar to see different time periods. Use the vertical scroll bar to scroll through the graph for each resource. Overallocated resources will appear in red. 3. Scroll down slowly until you find the Grandma Jeanette resource. Grandma Jeanette is an overallocated resource. Try another way to view overallocated resources. 4. Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu. The Resource Sheet appears, and overallocated resources appear in red. You can fix resource overallocation by using automatic leveling, by manually delaying resource work, by assigning resource work to other resources, or by scheduling resource overtime. Go on to the next lessons to learn how to balance overallocated resources.
Quick Reference To View Resource Overallocation: 1. View the project in a resource view. 2. Find resources highlighted in red. * You can view overallocation in most resource views. Overallocated resources are always highlighted in red.
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Lesson 6-2: Balancing Resources Automatically
Figure 6-3 The Resource Leveling dialog box
Figure 6-3
Your resources can become overallocated when they are assigned to more work than they can finish in their scheduled working hours. Overallocated resources make your project unbalanced. Leveling is allowing Project to split and delay tasks in order to get rid of resource overallocation. Note that allowing Project to level your project may change the start and finish dates for overallocated tasks’ successors. Generally, Project will only level noncritical tasks (tasks with slack) to avoid affecting other tasks’ schedules. This lesson shows you how to identify the details of overallocated resources and fix the overallocation problem with leveling, thus balancing your project. Mrs. FruFru the wedding planner is overallocated. Let’s lighten her load.
1. Select View → Resource Usage from the menu. You are now in Research Usage view. Notice that tasks are listed under their corresponding resources. If a resource does not yet have a task assigned to it, then there won’t be any tasks listed underneath it. Now view the overallocated resources. 2. Select Project → Filtered for → Overallocated Resources from the menu. The table is now filtered. The overallocated resources, Grandma Jeanette and Mrs. FruFru the Wedding Planner, are shown and highlighted in red, as shown in Figure 6-3. Notice that for Grandma Jeanette, the work hours in December 15th through December 21st are also red. This means Grandma Jeanette has been overallocated for these days. Level the two resources’ workload so they are not overallocated. NOTE: “Leveling” a resource means that you allow Project to delay and split tasks so that their resources will no longer be overallocated. Some people prefer this method of fixing overallocation, and others prefer to fix overallocation manually.
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3. Click the Mrs. Fru Fru ID number 23 to select the entire resource. For now, we’re just going to balance this resource. Save the other overallocated resource for another lesson. 4. Select Tools → Level Resources from the menu. The Resource Leveling dialog box appears. Choose your leveling options. You can choose to level certain detailed parts of your project, or your entire project. 5. Select the Automatic option and the Level entire project option. These options indicate that the selected task will be leveled automatically, for the duration of the entire project. 6. Click the Level Now button. The Resource Leveling dialog box closes and the Level Now dialog box appears. We just want to level the overallocated resource that we selected in step 3. 7. Select the Selected Resources option and click OK. Mrs. Fru Fru is no longer highlighted in red. That’s how you know it is no longer overallocated.
Quick Reference To Level Your Resources Automatically: 1. Select View → Resource Usage from the menu. 2. Select Project → Filtered For → Overallocated Resources from the menu. 3. Select Tools → Level Resources from the menu. 4. Click the Automatic bullet and the Level Entire Project bullet, then click the Level Now button. 5. Click the Selected Resources option or the Entire Pool option and click OK.
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Lesson 6-3: Balancing Resources Manually
Figure 6-4 Resource Allocation view
Figure 6-4 The Leveling Delay field
When you have overallocated resources, you can choose to have Project level them (delay and split their assigned tasks), or you can choose to manually delay tasks assigned to overallocated resources. Delaying a task means that you are postponing it until your assigned resource has time to work on it. You should note that delaying a task also delays the start dates of the task’s successors and can affect the finish date of your project. To avoid this, delay noncritical tasks (tasks with slack) first, and only delay them up to the amount of slack that is available for each task. This lesson teaches you how to delay a task manually so your project will be balanced. You have scheduled one of your resources, Grandma Jeanette, to do too many tasks at once. Therefore, she is overallocated. Be nice to the old lady and delay some of her tasks.
1. Select View → More Views from the menu. The More Views dialog box appears. 2. Select Resource Allocation from the Views list and click Apply. Your screen splits; Resource Allocation view is a split-screen view with a timephased view on the top and a type of tracking bar chart on the bottom. Notice that task slack (the amount of time tasks can be delayed) is shown by dark green lines in the bottom screen. Next show the “Leveling Delay” field in the bottom screen. 3. Drag the sidebar to the right in Resource Allocation view so that the Leveling Delay field shows in the bottom screen table, as shown in Figure 6-4. Now, find an overallocated resource.
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4. In the top half of the window, scroll down until you see the resource 16 Grandma Jeanette. “Grandma Jeanette” and her working hours are highlighted in red. That means the resource is overallocated. 5. Select the overallocated resource, Grandma Jeanette. The bottom screen displays tasks that Grandma Jeanette is assigned to. It looks like Grandma Jeanette has two tasks scheduled at the same time. They are “Find a wedding dress” and “Find tuxes.” The “Find a wedding dress” task can’t be delayed because it doesn’t have slack. However, the “Find tuxes” task has slack, so it can be delayed. 6. In the Leveling Delay field for the Find tuxes task, type 7 days and press Enter. Great! Notice that because you manually added delay time to this resource’s task, the resource is no longer overallocated. NOTE: Never enter more lag (delay) time than you have slack time, or else your schedule will be thrown off. 7. Close the project file without saving changes.
Quick Reference To Manually Delay Resource Work: 1. Select View → More Views, select Resource Allocation, and click Apply. 2. Drag the sidebar to the right in Resource Allocation view so that the Leveling Delay field shows in the bottom screen table. 3. In the top screen, select an overallocated resource (or any sort of resource you want to delay). 4. In the Leveling Delay field for one of the resource’s tasks, type a delay period. 5. Press Enter.
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Lesson 6-4: Reassigning Work to Another Resource
Figure 6-5 The Actual Work field for this resource A resource from Resource The Overallocation field for this resource Usage view ID number A resource in Resource Usage view Figure 6-6 Figure 6-5 The Assign Resources dialog box, where you can reassign resources to tasks
Figure 6-6
Sometimes, it is impossible to resolve overallocation for a resource that is just packed with tasks to complete. When this happens, it is better to reassign the task to a different resource with more time than trying to squeeze delays and overtime into an overallocated resource. Balancing task work keeps your project on track. Your resource Grandma Jeanette is feeling run down and has too many tasks to complete in time for the wedding. To help Grandma Jeanette out, reassign one of her tasks to another resource.
1. Navigate to your practice files, open Lesson 6B and save the file as Assign Resources Balancing. button If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. Other Ways: Select View → Resource Usage from the menu. • Select Tools → 2. Resources → Assign You are now in Resource Usage view. Make overallocation detail rows available for all Resources from the of your resources. menu. 3. Select Format → Details → Overallocation from the menu. An Overallocation row now shows for each task. Find the Grandma Jeanette resource. 4. Scroll down to resource 16, Grandma Jeanette. We can tell that Grandma Jeanette is overallocated because she and her work hours are highlighted in red. Look at her tasks. Reassign the “Find a wedding dress” task, because it seems to be the longest task. But first, we need to go back to the Gantt Chart. 5. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. Reassign the “Find a wedding dress” task.
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6. Go to task 7, Find a wedding dress, and click its ID number to select the whole task. Now we need to reach into the pool of resources. 7. Click the Assign Resources button on the Standard toolbar. The Assign Resources dialog box opens. Reassign the resources for “Find a wedding dress” task so Grandma Jeanette is no longer overallocated. 8. In the dialog box, scroll to the Grandma Jeanette resource, select it, and click Remove. (If you get an Actual Values message, click Yes.) Great—now reassign a resource to the “Find a wedding dress” task. NOTE: When you reassign a resource to a task, you may lose your updated information for that task. For example, if the task is 30% done before you reassign a new resource to it, you will have to enter 30% again after reassignment. 9. In the dialog box, scroll to the Crazy Ernie (the recluse neighbor) resource, select it, and click Assign.
Crazy Ernie, the recluse neighbor, is now assigned to the “Find a wedding dress” task, Quick Reference and Grandma Jeanette is no longer overallocated. (If you want to check these details, To Reassign Work to go back to Resource Usage view.) Sure, Crazy Ernie is a bit weird—he owns a warthog Another Resource: and wears a cooking sieve for a hat—but he would probably feel honored to help pick 1. Select View → out a wedding dress. Resource Usage from 10. Click the Close button to close the Assign Resources dialog box. the menu. Now Grandma Jeanette has less to do. Have fun with Crazy Ernie! 2. Select Format → Details → Overallocation from the menu. 3. Look at your overallocated resources. Choose an overallocated resource, and then choose a task that is assigned to the overallocated resource. 4. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. 5. Click the overallocated resource’s task ID field so the whole task is selected. 6. Click the Assign Resources button on the Standard toolbar. 7. Scroll to the overallocated resource assigned to the task. 8. Click the Remove button. 9. Choose a different resource to assign to the task and click the Assign button.
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Lesson 6-5: Scheduling Resource Overtime
Figure 6-7 You can choose what fields to view in the bottom Task Entry screen.
Figure 6-7 To view certain fields in …right-click and choose this view… the field you want to view from the list.
If you have a resource that is overallocated but the task assigned to it has to be done by a certain date, you can assign overtime to the resource. (If, of course, the resource agrees to working overtime.) This would allow the resource to finish the task on time, without being marked as overallocated. When your resources finish their tasks on time without being overallocated, your project is balanced and has fewer glitches. You are going to need about fifty more wedding favors for your South Dakota fish farm wedding than you had originally planned. How are you going to get fifty more gummi worm- on-fishhook table favors made in the time you have scheduled? Erin, the Maid of Honor, will probably be okay with working some overtime in order to get the favors done.
1. Select View → More Views from the menu. The More Views dialog box appears. 2. Select Task Entry view and click Apply. Your window splits between a Gantt Chart screen and a Task Entry screen. Now, show the Work fields next to your resource names in the bottom screen. 3. Right-click in the gray area of the bottom Task Entry screen and choose Resource Work from the drop-down list. Work fields appear to the right of your resource names in the bottom Task Entry screen. Enter overtime for your resource, Erin (maid of honor). 4. In the top screen of your split window, scroll down until you get to task 36, Make wedding favors. Select this task. Now enter an overtime value.
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5. In the bottom Task Entry screen, select the Erin (maid of honor) resource and enter 2 hours in this resource’s Ovt. Rate field. Press Enter. You are done! Erin should be able to finish those fifty gummi worm favors in two hours of overtime work. Your guests are going to lover those clever, fishing-themed treats! 6. Close the file without saving changes.
Quick Reference To Schedule Resource Overtime: 1. Select Views → More Views from the menu, select Task Entry view, and click Apply. 2. Right-click in the gray area of the bottom Task Entry screen and choose Resource Work from the drop-down list. 3. Select a task in the top screen of your split window. 4. In the bottom screen, go to one of the task’s resources and enter an overtime value in the Ovt. Rate field. 5. Press the
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Chapter Six Review
Lesson Summary
Identifying Resource Overallocation • To View Resource Overallocation: View the project in a resource view. Find resources highlighted in red. • You can view overallocation in most resource views. Overallocated resources are always highlighted in red.
Balancing Resources Automatically • To Automatically Level Your Resources: Select View → Resource Usage from the menu, then select Project → Filtered For → Overallocated Resources from the menu. Select your overallocated resources, select Tools → Level Resources from the menu and click the Automatic bullet and the Level Entire Project bullet, then click the Level Now button. Click the Selected Resources bullet and click OK. • “Leveling” a resource means that you allow Project to delay or split tasks so that their resources will no longer be overallocated. Some people prefer this method of fixing overallocation, and others prefer to fix overallocation manually. • Allowing Project to level your tasks may change the start and finish dates for overallocated tasks’ successors. Generally, Project will only level noncritical tasks (tasks with slack) to avoid affecting other tasks’ schedules.
Balancing Resources Manually • To Manually Delay Resource Work: Select View → More Views from the menu, select Resource Allocation, and click Apply. Drag the sidebar to the right in Resource Allocation view so that the Leveling Delay field shows in the bottom screen table. In the top screen, select an overallocated resource (or any sort of resource you want to delay), then in the Leveling Delay field for one of the resource’s tasks, type a delay period and press Enter. • “Delaying” a task means that you are postponing it until your assigned resource has time to work on it so the resource will not be overallocated. Some people prefer this method of fixing overallocation, and others prefer to let Project fix it automatically. • Delaying a task also delays the start dates of the task’s successors and can affect the finish date of your project. To avoid this, delay noncritical tasks (tasks with slack) first, and only delay them up to the amount of slack that is available for each task.
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Reassigning Work to Another Resource • To Reassign Work to Another Resource: Select View → Resource Usage from the menu, and select Format → Details → Overallocation from the menu. Look at your overallocated resources. Choose an overallocated resource, and then choose a task that is assigned to it. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. Remember that task you just chose that was assigned to that overallocated resource? Click the task’s ID field so the whole task is selected. With the task still selected, click the Assign Resources button on the Standard toolbar. In the dialog box, scroll to the overallocated resource assigned to the task and click the Remove button. Choose a different, free resource to assign to the task and click the Assign button. • When you reassign a resource to a task, you may lose your update information for that task. For example, if the task is 30% done before you reassign a new resource to it, you will have to enter 30% again after reassignment.
Scheduling Resource Overtime • Verify that a resource is able to work overtime before you schedule it. • To Schedule Resource Overtime: Select Views → More Views from the menu, select Task Entry view, and click Apply. Right-click in the gray area of the bottom Task Entry screen and choose Resource Work from the drop-down list, then select a task in the top screen of your split window. In the bottom screen, go to one of the task’s resources and enter an overtime value in the Ovt. Rate field, then press Enter.
Quiz
1. Overallocated resources appear in which color: A. Black B. Red C. Blue D. Chartreuse
2. Automatic leveling allows Project to ____ and ____ tasks in order to get rid of resource overallocation. A. track and balance B. cut and paste C. split and delay D. reschedule and reassign
3. Generally, Project will only level ______tasks (tasks with slack) to avoid affecting other tasks’ schedules. A. unimportant B. noncritical C. superfluous D. underassigned
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4. When manually delaying a task, never enter more lag (delay) time than you have slack time. (True or False?)
5. What field should you enter resource overtime into? A. The Ovt. Rate field B. The Ovt. Value field C. The Assigned Ovt. field D. The Work Ovt. field
6. When it is impossible to resolve an overallocated resource, you can _____ the overallocated resource’s work. A. just conveniently forget to do B. throw out C. reassign E. restructure
7. When you reassign a resource to a task, you will not lose your updated information for that task. (True or False?)
8. You will probably need to balance your tracked progress, because no project is _____. A. made with 100% fruit juice B. dry-clean only C. the cheesiest D. perfect
Homework
1. Start Microsoft Project 2003. 2. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 8 database. 3. Identify the overallocated resource. 4. Fix the overallocated resource using automatic leveling. (If you get a dialog box that says the overallocated task can’t be leveled, push the Stop button and continue.) 5. Manually delay task #23, “Build a chain of stands,” five days. 6. For task #5, “Build stand,” give the Bill Gates resource an overtime rate of five hours. (Note that the duration of task #5 will change.) 7. Reassign task #11, “Borrow spoon from grandma,” from your “Mom” resource to “The Worm (little sister)” resource.
Quiz Answers
1. B. Overallocated resources appear in red. 2. C. Automatic leveling allows Project to split and delay tasks in order to get rid of resource overallocation.
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3. B. Generally, Project will only level noncritical tasks (tasks with slack) to avoid affecting other tasks’ schedules. 4. True. If you enter more lag (delay) time than you have slack time, your schedule will be unbalanced. 5. A. Enter a resource’s overtime into the Ovt. Rate field. 6. C. When it is impossible to resolve an overallocated resource, you can reassign the overallocated resource’s work. 7. False. When you reassign a resource to a task, you will lose your updated information for that task. You will need to re-enter updated information, such as how much of the task has been completed. 8. D. You will probably need to balance your tracked progress, because no project is perfect.
Your Organization’s Name Here
Chapter Seven: Working with Reports
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites • Have a project in • Choose a Report which you have entered • Use Report Details tasks, resources, and costs • Define Report Contents • Understand project • Sort a Report management • Add Page Elements to a Report • Save a Project as a Web Page Chapter Task: Use a report to communicate project status
The other people working on your project can better understand the project by seeing printed information. Thus, it is a good idea to print reports containing your project information for other people to see. You can format, customize, define, and sort specific information in reports so they are tailored to certain people. Also, it’s handy to print reports so you can review your project information without getting eyestrain from your computer screen. This chapter teaches you how to organize and print a report.
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Lesson 7-1: Choosing a Report
Figure 7-1 Choose the type The Reports dialog box of report you want to use in the Figure 7-2 dialog box. The reports grouped in the Cost category
Figure 7-1
Figure 7-2
You’ve decided you want to print project information in the form of a report, but how do you know which report to want to use? Project comes with 22 predefined reports you can print. This lesson teaches you how to choose what type of a report to print, based on what information you want collected.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 7A and save the file as Reports. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. First, preview the list of Project’s 22 standard reports. 2. Select View → Reports from the menu. The Reports dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 7-1. The Reports dialog box presents you with five different report category buttons, plus a button for creating your own custom report. The five report categories are Overview reports, Current Activities Reports, Costs reports, Assignments reports, and Workload reports. See the information below to decide which report category you want to open based on which reports it contains.
Table 7-1: Report Types Category Reports Description Overview Project Summary Shows project-level information about dates, durations, costs, task status, and resource status. Top-Level Tasks Displays the scheduled start/finish dates, % complete, cost, and remaining work for summary tasks.
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Category Reports Description Critical Tasks Displays the planned duration, start/finish dates, resources, predecessors, and successors of critical tasks. Milestones Displays the planned duration, start/finish dates, and predecessors for each milestone and zero-duration task . Working Days Shows information from the project calendar. Current Unstarted Tasks Sorts by date the duration, predecessor, and resource Activities information for each task that has not been started. Tasks Starting Begins with two active filters; enter a date range for use in Soon determining which tasks are starting soon. Tasks In Progress Lists duration, start and planned finish dates, a resource information for tasks that have started but aren’t complete. Completed Tasks Lists actual information for tasks that are 100% complete. Should Have Shows variance information for tasks that should have started Started Tasks by a certain date but haven’t been started/updated. Slipping Tasks Shows tasks that are rescheduled from their originally planned baseline dates. Costs Cash Flow Displays weekly costs by task. Budget Lists tasks with cost and cost variance information. Overbudget Tasks Shows information for tasks exceeding their baseline (originally planned) budget amounts. Overbudget Shows information for resources whose cost is predicted to Resources exceed the baseline (originally planned) cost. Earned Value Displays task progress in terms of dollars earned. Assignments Who Does What Lists each resource with task assignments and information. Quick Reference Who Does What Lists each resource with task assignments and information on a When daily basis. To Choose a Report Type: 1. Select View → Reports To-Do List Shows the assignments of a specific resource on a week basis. from the menu. Overallocated Lists overallocated resources and their assigned task 2. Select a report category Resources information. button and click Select. Workload Task Usage Shows each task with resources and assignment information. 3. Click a report button and click Select. Resource Usage Shows each resource with task assignments. The Budget report under the “Costs” category seems to be the report we want to print, since it meets our criteria of having task, cost, and cost variance information. So, go find it. 3. Click on the Costs button and click Select. The Cost Reports dialog box appears. 4. Click on the Budget report and click Select. The Budget report opens. Click the Print button if you want to print the report. 5. Click Close, Close to close the Budget report and the Reports dialog box.
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Lesson 7-2: Using Report Details
Figure 7-3 The Details tab of the Task You can choose to customize many Report dialog box reports with these details. In some Figure 7-4 reports, you can only customize text. A preview of a Project report
Figure 7-3
Figure 7-4
You can’t customize details in all of Project’s standard reports; in some reports, the only thing you can customize is text. Also, the details that you can customize vary between reports. Some customizable details in different reports are: showing gridlines, showing cost totals, repeating the first table column on every report page, etc. You would like to print a report about the tasks in your project that are “slipping,” or in other words, the tasks that have been rescheduled from their original baseline date. But you don’t want just any ordinary Slipping Tasks report; you want a Slipping Tasks report with these added details: gridlines, borders, totals, and assignment work.
1. Select View → Reports from the menu. The Reports dialog box appears. The Slipping Tasks report is in the Current Activities category.
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2. Click the Current Activities report category button and click the Select button. The Current Activities Reports dialog box appears. Notice the Slipping Tasks report. 3. Click the Slipping Tasks report button and click the Edit button so you can customize the report’s details. The Task Report dialog box appears. You want to customize with details, so… 4. Click on the Details tab. This is where you can choose what details you want to customize your report with. 5. Check the Work, Border around details, Gridlines between details, and Show totals check boxes. You’ve chosen your details, so you are ready to preview your report and take a look at the details you’ve added. 6. Click OK. Now you are back to the Current Activities Reports dialog box. 7. Make sure the Slipping Tasks report is selected and click the Select button to preview your printed report. Your Slipping Tasks report appears in Print Preview. Notice that it contains the details—gridlines, borders, work assignments, and totals—you added earlier. 8. Click Close, Close to close the Report preview and the Reports dialog box. Quick Reference To Use Report Details: 1. Select View → Reports from the menu. 2. Select a report category button and then click Select. 3. Select a report and click Edit. 4. If the report is customizable, the Task Reports dialog box will appear. (Not all reports are customizable.) 5. Click on the Details tab. 6. Check the details that you want to appear in your report. 7. Click OK. 8. Click the Select button to preview your printed report.
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Lesson 7-3: Defining Report Contents
Figure 7-5 You can choose to define The Definition tab of the many reports with these Crosstab Report box choices. In some reports, the Definition tab will look a bit different, with Figure 7-6 different choices. In other A preview of a Project reports, you can only customize text. report
Figure 7-5
Figure 7-6
Different reports can be defined in very different ways. Some ways in which you can define report contents are: by choosing your row heading, adjusting a date range, choosing a new table to display, etc.
1. Select View → Reports from the menu. The Reports dialog box appears. The Task Usage report is in the Workload category. 2. Select the Workload report category button and click the Select button. The Workload Reports dialog box appears. Notice the Task Usage report.
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3. Select the Task Usage report button and click the Edit button so you can customize the report’s details. The Crosstab Report dialog box appears. You want to define report contents, so… 4. Click on the Definition tab. This is where you can choose what details you want to customize your report with. Let’s choose to highlight tasks that have not been completed in your report. Let’s also define them with actual work. 5. Click the Filter list arrow and select Incomplete Tasks from the drop- down list. Check the Highlight check box. Incomplete tasks will be shown in the report. 6. Select Actual Work from the Work drop-down box. That’s the only defining we’ll do for now. 7. Click OK. You are returned to the Workload Reports dialog box. Now you can preview the Task Usage report to see how you’ve defined it. 8. Make sure the Task Usage report button is selected, then click the Select button. Your Task Usage report appears in Print Preview. Notice that all of the incomplete tasks have been highlighted, and actual work appears in the chart cells. 9. Close the report preview and all dialog boxes.
Quick Reference To Define Report Contents: 1. Select View → Reports from the menu. 2. Select a report category button and then click Select. 3. Select a report and click Edit. 4. If the report is definable, the Task Reports dialog box will appear. (Not all reports are definable.) 5. Click on the Definition tab. 6. Define your report with the options in the Definition tab. 7. Click OK. 8. Click the Select button to preview your printed report.
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Lesson 7-4: Sorting a Report
Figure 7-7
The Sort tab of the Task You can choose to sort a Report dialog box variety of reports in many different ways. However, in Figure 7-8 some reports, you cannot sort information. A preview of a Project report
Figure 7-7
Figure 7-8
Sorting a report allows you to put your report information in a certain order. You can’t sort all of Project’s standard reports, but many reports have a variety of ways they can be sorted. Some of the different ways you can sort reports are by task ID, duration, resource initials, etc.
1. Select View → Reports from the menu. The Reports dialog box appears. The Critical Tasks report is in the Overview category. 2. Select the Overview report category button and click the Select button. The Overview Reports dialog box appears. Notice the Critical Tasks report. 3. Select the Critical Tasks report button and click the Edit button so you can customize the report’s details. The Task Report dialog box appears. You want to sort report contents, so…
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4. Click on the Sort tab. This is where you can choose how you want to sort your report. Let’s sort the report by ID in ascending order, then by % Complete in ascending order, then by Actual Duration in descending order. 5. Click the Sort by list arrow and select ID from the drop-down list. Click the Ascending bullet. The report will be sorted by ID in ascending order. 6. Click the first Then by list arrow and select % Complete from the drop- down list. Click the Ascending bullet. After sorting by ID, the report will sort by the task’s completion percentage in ascending order. 7. Click the second Then by list arrow and select Actual Duration from the drop-down list. Click the Descending bullet. Since you have chosen your sorting options, you are ready to preview your report to see the sort. 8. Click OK. You are back to the Task Report dialog box. Preview the report. 9. Make sure the Critical Tasks report button is selected, then click Select. The sorted Critical Tasks report is shown in Print Preview. 10. Close the report preview and all dialog boxes. Quick Reference To Sort a Report: 1. Select View → Reports from the menu. 2. Select a report category button and then click Select. 3. Select a report and click Edit. 4. If the report is sortable, the Task Reports dialog box will appear. (Not all reports are sortable.) 5. Click on the Sort tab. 6. Sort your report with the options in the Sort tab. 7. Click OK. 8. Click the Select button to preview your printed report.
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Lesson 7-5: Adding Page Elements to a Report
Figure 7-9 The Page Setup dialog box
Figure 7-9
You may want to add a page element—such as a header, footer, margin, or border—to your report. Page elements allow you to put your name, the project finish date, a design, and more on each page of your report. This lesson won’t lead you through the exact steps of adding all the possible page elements to your report, because that would take forever. Instead, this lesson will give you a quick description and procedure for each page element. Let’s add page elements to an Earned Value report.
1. Select View → Reports from the menu. 2. Select the Costs category button and click the Select button. The Costs Reports dialog box appears. Notice the Earned Value report. 3. Select the Earned Value report button and click Select. The Earned Value Report appears in Print Preview. Now, choose to add page elements to your report. 4. At the top of Print Preview, click the Page Setup button. The Page Setup dialog box appears. Notice that it has various tabs for creating page elements. Practice adding page elements with the Page Setup dialog box. 5. Click Cancel to close the dialog box, and close the report preview.
Table 7-2: Page Setup Tabs Tab Instructions Page This tab doesn’t allow you to add page elements, but it does allow you to change the scope of your page. The options in this tab are self-explanatory.
Margins Using this tab, you can adjust any margin setting using the up and down arrow buttons, and you can choose whether or not you want a border on your pages.
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Tab Instructions Header This tab allows you to add text or a picture at the top of your printed pages. You can align text in a header to the left, center, or right of the top by clicking on the corresponding tab. In the General drop-down list, you can choose what sort of text you would like in the header and then click Add to have it automatically entered into the header. In the Project field drop-down list, you can choose what project information you would like in the header and then click Add to have it automatically entered into the header. Lastly, you can add things like the date or a picture using the buttons in the Header tab.
Footer This tab allows you to add text or a picture at the bottom of your printed pages. You can align text in a footer to the left, center, or right of the bottom by clicking on the corresponding tab. In the General drop-down list, you can choose what sort of text you would like in the footer and then click Add to have it automatically entered into the footer. In the Project field drop-down list, you can choose what project information you would like in the footer and then click Add to have it automatically entered into the footer. Lastly, you can add things like the date or a picture using the buttons in the Footer tab.
Legend This tab is only accessible when you add page elements to printed views.
View This tab is only accessible when you add page elements to printed views
Quick Reference To Add Page Elements to a Report: 1. Select View → Reports from the menu. 2. Select a report category button and then click Select. 3. Select a report and click Select. 4. In Print Preview, click the Page Setup button. 5. In the Page Setup dialog box, use the various tabs to add page elements to your report.
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Lesson 7-6: Saving a Project as a Web Page
Figure 7-10 The Export Wizard dialog box Figure 7-11 The Export Wizard Task Mapping dialog box
Figure 7-10
Figure 7-11
You can save your project as a web page so that you can share your project information over the Internet or even a company’s intranet. That way, the people involved with your project can view your project information from anywhere in the world!
Select File → Save As Web Page from the menu. If you don’t see the 1. “Save As Web Page” The Save As dialog box opens. option in the File menu 2. Click the Save button. right away, click the The Export Wizard appears. The wizard asks you questions about what you want to do, arrow buttons in the automatically maps the fields in the Project, and then allows you to verify the results. menu. NOTE: A map simply identifies which information to include in a Web page.
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3. Click Next. If you have used this feature before, you can choose to use your pre-made settings. For now though, let’s create a new map. 4. Select the New Map options and click Next. Now decide the field(s) you want to export. 5. Check the Tasks checkbox. Notice the other options in the HTML section. You can export to a template or include an image in the page. Let’s just go on to the next step in the Wizard for now. 6. Click Next. You have already chosen that you want to focus on tasks in this Web page. The information will be exported in a table format so first, give the table a name. 7. Type Wedding Costs in the Destination HTML table title text box. Now decide which task fields you want to include. 8. Click the (Click here to map a field) cell. A list arrow appears. Select the first field you want to include. 9. Click the list arrow and select Actual Cost. Add another field. 10. Click in the cell below. Click the list arrow and select Actual Overtime Cost. The dialog box should look similar to Figure 7-11. Let’s go ahead and see if this actually works. 11. Click Next. We’re at the end of the wizard. If you like, you could click the Save Map button to save the settings you’ve just created. 12. Click Finish. Your project information is saved as a Web page. The next step to publishing the Quick Reference project on the Web involves having a Web site and a server, and some Web building To Save a Project as a expertise. Web Page: 13. Close the file without saving changes. 1. Select File → Save As Web Page from the menu. 2. Click the Save button. 3. Follow the Export Wizard and enter the required information. 4. Click Finish.
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Chapter Seven Review
Lesson Summary
Choosing a Report • To Choose a Report Type: Select View → Reports from the menu, select a report category button and click Select, then click a report button and click Select. • The five report categories are: Overview, Current Activities, Costs, Assignments, and Workload.
Using Report Details • To Use Report Details: Select View → Reports from the menu, select a report category button, click Select, then select a report and click Edit. If the report is customizable, the Task Reports dialog box will appear. Click on the Details tab, click OK, and then click the Select button to preview your printed report.
Defining Report Contents • To Define Report Contents: Select View → Reports from the menu, select a report category button, click Select, then select a report and click Edit. If the report is definable, the Task Reports dialog box will appear. Click on the Definition tab, define your report with the options in the Definition tab, and click OK. Click the Select button to preview your printed report.
Sorting a Report • To Sort a Report: Select View → Reports from the menu, select a report category button, click Select, then select a report and click Edit. If the report is sortable, the Task Reports dialog box will appear. Click on the Sort tab, sort your options, and click OK. Click the Select button to preview your printed report.
Adding Page Elements to a Report • To Add Page Elements to a Report: Select View → Reports from the menu, select report category button, click Select, then select a report and click Select. In Print Preview, click the Page Setup button. In the Page Setup dialog box, use the various tabs to add page elements to your report. • The Page Setup tabs are: Page, Margins, Header, Footer, Legend, View. Depending on what report or view you are adding page elements to, not all of these tabs will be accessible.
Saving a Project as a Web Page: • To Save a Project as a Web Page: Select File → Save As Web Page from the menu and click the Save button. Follow the Export Wizard and enter the required information and click Finish when you’re done.
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Quiz
1. Which of these is NOT a report category? A. Work Activities B. Costs C. Assignments D. Overview
2. The Custom button in the Reports dialog box doesn’t contain predefined reports. (True or False?)
3. In some Project predefined reports, ______is the only thing you can modify. A. text B. content C. workload D. Print Preview
4. To open the Reports dialog box, go to ______→ ______. A. Format → Reports B. View → Reports C. Edit → Reports D. Project → Reports
5. You can choose to sort report information in ______or ______order. A. totalitarian or democratic B. ascending or descending C. alphabetical or numerical D. cost variation or work variation
6. Project offers you 22 ______to work with. A. report categories B. report formats C. predefined reports D. practice reports
7. Which of these Page Setup tabs is not accessible when you add page elements to a report? A. Legend B. Footers C. Margins D. Page
8. You can make changes to a report in Print Preview. (True or False?)
Homework
1. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 7 project file.
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2. Select View → Reports from the menu to open the Reports dialog box and identify the five report category buttons. What does the sixth button do? 3. Format the text for the Cash Flow report so that all of the text is purple. The Cash Flow report is located in the Costs report category. 4. Define the Resource Usage report so that the time period is in days instead of weeks. The Resource Usage report is in the Workload report category. 5. Sort the Who Does What report so that it is sorted by ID, then by Baseline Finish, both in descending order. The Who Does What report is in the Assignment report category.
6. Add the baseline finish date to the footer in the Tasks in Progress report. The Tasks in Progress report is in the Current Activities report category. 7. View the Cash Flow report in Print Preview. Use the Zoom, One Page, Multiple Pages, and Navigational Arrow buttons. 8. Print the Cash Flow report and close the homework file.
Quiz Answers
1. A. Work Activities is not a report category; the five report categories are: Overview, Current Activities, Costs, Assignments, and Workload. 2. True. The Custom button in the Reports dialog box does not contain predefined reports because it is used to create new, custom reports. 3. A. In some Project predefined reports, text is the only thing you can modify. 4. B. To open the Reports dialog box, go to View → Reports. 5. B. You can choose to sort report information in ascending or descending order. 6. C. Project offers you 22 predefined reports to work with. 7. A. The Legend and View tabs are not accessible when you add page elements to a report. 8. False. You can’t make changes to a report in Print Preview.
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Chapter Eight: Working with Multiple Projects
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites • Understand project • Consolidate a Project management • Consolidate Projects in a New Window • Know how to perform basic Project functions • Create a Link Between Projects • Share a Resource Pool • View Multiple Project Critical Paths • View Inserted Project Statistics • Save a Workspace • Add Columns to Consolidated Projects • Save Consolidated Project Baselines Chapter Task: View and share information between multiple project files.
Single projects are the basis for project management, but sometimes it is necessary to work with multiple projects so one can see across-project data. A manager may need to see total individual workloads and schedules for resources for multiple project assignments. Also, looking at current multiple project resource needs can help project managers plan for future long-term resource planning. Fortunately, Project provides the capability to observe and manage multiple open project files. This chapter will show you how to do something as simple as viewing multiple open files, and it will show you advanced management techniques like consolidating project files and creating a shared resource pool.
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Lesson 8-1: Consolidating Projects
Figure 8-1 Click the arrow on the Insert button to see your insert options. Figure 8-2 The Consolidated Project icon
Check this option if you want the source subproject file to update its inserted version. Figure 8-1
The Summary task of the inserted project appears in the Gantt Chart view.
Figure 8-2
When you insert a subproject into a master project, you create a consolidated project file. The ability to insert one project file into another project file allows you to piece together information to create an overall project plan. To consolidate projects, you must either insert a subproject into a master project or create a new consolidated project window. In this lesson, we will insert a subproject into a master project. However, many Project users have problems with task information in their subprojects when they consolidate through insertion. Therefore, you might want to go on to the next lesson and learn to create a consolidated project by making a new consolidated project window.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 8A. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. Insert a subproject into Lesson 8A to create a consolidated project file. First, you have to select the task you want the inserted subproject to appear before.
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NOTE: You must be in Gantt Chart view to insert subprojects. 2. Select task 32 Invitations in the project. This is quite a complex process, so insert a subproject to keep this complex task on track. 3. Select Insert → Project from the menu. The Insert Project dialog box appears. Select a project to insert. NOTE: After you insert projects, you can still access each of the projects separately. 4. Navigate to your practice files and select the Subproject file, then click the Insert button list arrow. You are given two insert options, as shown in Figure 8-1. • Insert: Allows you to perform actions on the project’s tasks. • Insert Read-Only: Allows you to view the inserted project, but you cannot perform actions on the tasks. 5. Select the Insert option from the Insert button drop-down list. Your subproject, “Bridal Basics,” has been inserted into your master project. It is indicated by an icon (see Figure 8-2) in the indicator column. 6. Close the files without saving changes. Consolidating projects in this manner can be problematic. A more secure way is to consolidate projects by consolidating in a new project window. This is covered in the next lesson.
Quick Reference To Consolidate Projects: 1. Open a project you would like to insert other projects into. 2. Select a task above which you would like to insert a subproject. 3. Select Insert → Project from the menu. 4. Select a project insert. 5. Click the arrow on the Insert button and choose whether or not to insert the subproject(s) as read- only.
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Lesson 8-2: Consolidating Projects in a New Window
Figure 8-3 The New Window dialog box Figure 8-4 The consolidated project in a new window and new file Figure 8-3
When projects are consolidated, they renumber the task list.
Figure 8-4
When you merge projects together, you create a consolidated project file. The ability to A consolidated project consolidate files allows you to piece together information to create an overall project plan, or can be made of up to combine various projects into a master project plan. 1,000 combined files. There are two ways to consolidate projects: create a new consolidated project window, or insert one project into another. In this lesson, we will create a new consolidated project window, the more trustworthy method of the two.
1. Navigate to your practice folder and open Lesson 8A and Subproject. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select Window → New Window from the menu. The New Window dialog box appears. This is where you select the projects that you want to consolidate in a new window, and how you want to view them.
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3. Select Lesson 8A and Subproject, select Gantt Chart from the View Press the Shift or drop-down list, and click OK. Control key to select Your new consolidated project window appears. Scroll down the window to see where multiple files. the two projects were consolidated. NOTE: Each project that is consolidated in your new window is marked by a consolidated project icon in the indicator column. 4. Close the new consolidated window without saving changes. Go on to the next lesson to link projects.
Quick Reference To Consolidate Projects in a New Window: 1. Open the projects that you would like to consolidate. 2. Select Window → New Window from the menu. 3. Select the project names you want to consolidate, select a view, and click OK.
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Lesson 8-3: Creating Links Between Projects
Figure 8-5 The Task Information dialog box Figure 8-6 Tasks linked between two projects
Figure 8-5
Tasks linked from another project appear as ghost tasks.
Figure 8-6
If you want to connect projects but do not want to completely consolidate them, you connect them with task links. When you create cross-project links, keep in mind that the scheduling dates for predecessor tasks will impact the scheduling dates for successor tasks. Connect two wedding planning projects with links.
1. Make sure the Lesson 8A and Subproject projects are open in Gantt Chart view. Select Window → Arrange All from the menu. The projects align horizontally in your Project window. Link a task from the Subproject file to a predecessor task in Lesson 8A.
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2. Select task 6 Buy groom’s ring in the Subproject file. Link this task to task 15, “Find tuxes” in the Lesson 8A file. 3. Click the Task Information button. The Task Information dialog box opens. 4. Click the Predecessors tab. Now create the link by typing the project name and ID number of the external predecessor task. 5. In the ID field, type Lesson 8A\15 and press Enter. You have entered an external predecessor task link (the project name, backslash, ID number of the predecessor task), into the Predecessors tab, as shown in Figure 8-5. 6. Click the OK button to complete the link. The Task Information dialog box closes. Take a close look at the Lesson 8A and Subproject files. In Lesson 8A, the successor task from Subproject, “Buy groom’s ring” is shown in light gray. In Subproject, the predecessor task from Lesson 8A, “Find tuxes” is shown in light gray. The newly linked, light gray tasks are called ghost tasks. You cannot update or make changes to ghost tasks; they can only be modified in their original projects. NOTE: Double-clicking a ghost task will open the external file to which it belongs. 7. Close Lesson 8A and Subproject without saving changes. Quick Reference To Create Links Between Projects: 1. Open two project files. 2. Select Window → Arrange All from the menu. 3. Select the task that you want to be the successor to a task in another project, and click the Task Information button. 4. Click the Predecessors tab. 5. Type the project name that contains your desired predecessor task, backslash, and the ID number of the predecessor task in the ID field. For example: Wedding\8. 6. Click the OK button. The linked tasks appear as ghost tasks (light gray tasks) in the projects they are linked to.
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Lesson 8-4: Sharing a Resource Pool
Figure 8-7 The Share Resources dialog box Figure 8-8 The Resource Sheets update to reflect the shared resources. Figure 8-7
Figure 8-8
A resource pool is a collection of resources that allows you to share resources among multiple projects. A resource pool allows you to schedule resources' work across projects, identify conflicts between assignments in different projects, and see how a resource's time is used in multiple projects. Each project that uses resources from the resource pool is called a sharing file. The best way to create a resource pool is to create a new project file for the resource information to make it easy to manage resource information and task assignments between sharing files and the resource pool.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open the Resource Pool and Subproject files. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. We will be sharing the resources of the Resource Pool with the Subproject file. 2. Select Window → Arrange All from the menu. Your lessons are arranged top-to-bottom in the window.
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3. View each file in Resource Sheet view. Notice that the resources available in the Subproject file are not the same as those in the Resource Pool file. 4. Select Window → Subproject from the menu. Share the Resource Pool’s resources with the Subproject file. 5. Select Tools → Resource Sharing → Share Resources from the menu. The Share Resources dialog box appears. 6. Select the Use Resources option. Click the From list arrow, and select Resource Pool. The Subproject file will use resources from the selected file, Resource Pool. The difference between the last two options in the dialog box is important. • Sharer takes precedence: Allows the sharing file to overwrite information in the resource pool and other sharing files. • Pool takes precedence: Allows the resource pool file to overwrite information in the sharing file. 7. Select the Sharer takes precedence option and click OK to close the Share Resources dialog box. Notice that the Resource Sheet in the Subproject file has the resources from the Resource Pool, in addition to its original resources. Also, the resources from the Subproject file have been added to the Resource Pool file. 8. Close the files without saving changes. Quick Reference To Create a Resource Pool for Multiple Projects: 1. Open the resource pool you want to share, and the file in which you want to share the resource pool’s resources. 2. Select Window → Arrange All from the menu. 3. View the files in Resource Sheet view. 4. Select the file with which you want to share the resource pool’s resources. 5. Select Tools → Resource Sharing → Share Resources from the menu. 6. Select the Use Resources option. 7. Click the From: list arrow and select the resource pool, and click OK.
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Lesson 8-5: Viewing Multiple Project Critical Paths
Figure 8-9 The Calculation tab of the Options dialog box Figure 8-10 The consolidated project in Detail Gantt view Check this box to calculate inserted multiple project critical paths in a consolidated project like summary tasks.
Check this box to calculate multiple critical paths.
Figure 8-9
Figure 8-10
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As you probably learned in the earlier stages of managing a Project file, it is important to monitor the critical path for a project. Likewise, it is important to keep an eye on multiple critical paths in a consolidated project so you will be able to tell if adjustments you make to the project plans will affect the critical paths. This lesson will teach you how to view multiple critical paths and then view the overall critical path across projects.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 8B. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select Tools → Options from the menu. The Options dialog box appears. 3. Click the Calculation tab. Next, choose to calculate multiple critical paths. 4. Check the Calculate multiple critical paths check box and click OK. Now view the multiple critical paths. 5. Select View → More Views from the menu. The More Views dialog box appears. Find the Detail Gantt view. 6. Select the Detail Gantt view and click Apply. Now you should be able to see the multiple critical paths. 7. Click the Go To Selected Task button on the Standard toolbar. Scroll down and to the right to see the critical paths of all the projects in this consolidated project. The other projects are marked by a consolidated project icon. Quick Reference View the critical paths for all of the projects. To View Multiple Project Next, let’s view an overall critical path across all of the projects in your consolidated Critical Paths: project. 1. Open a consolidated 8. Select Tools → Options from the menu. Click the Calculation tab. project file. Choose to calculate the inserted projects in the consolidated project as summary tasks. 2. Select Tools → Options 9. Check the Inserted projects are calculated like summary tasks from the menu. checkbox and click OK. 3. Click the Calculation tab. Notice that the shorter inserted projects’ critical paths are now extended according to 4. Check Calculate the finish date for the longest inserted project. Thus, the multiple projects’ critical paths multiple critical paths are calculated as if they were one big project. and click OK. 5. Select Views → More Views from the menu. 6. Select Detail Gantt view and click Apply. To View an Overall Cross- project Critical Path: 1. Open a consolidated project file. 2. Select Tools → Options from the menu and click the Calculation tab. 3. Check Inserted projects are calculated like summary tasks and click OK.
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Lesson 8-6: Viewing Inserted Project Statistics
Figure 8-11 The Advanced tab of the Inserted Project Information dialog box Figure 8-12 The Project Statistics dialog box Click the Project Info button to access the Project Information dialog box for the subproject.
Figure 8-11
Figure 8-12
Viewing information for a subproject that you inserted into a master project is simple. The Lesson 8B file is a master project that has two subprojects, “Bridal Basics,” and “Groom Duties” inserted into it. View information about this subproject by first selecting the subproject’s summary task.
1. Select summary task 13, Bridal Basics. Now view the subproject information. 2. Click the Task Information button. The Inserted Project Information dialog box appears. 3. Click the Advanced tab. This tab shows you where the source file of your inserted project is. NOTE: You can make some changes in this tab. Uncheck the “Link to Project” checkbox to break the link between the inserted subproject and its source file; they will not update each other when changes are made in either one. Also, you can check the “Read only” checkbox to make the inserted subproject read-only in the master project; you won’t be able to perform any actions on it or update it.
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4. Click the Project Info button in the Inserted Project Information dialog box. The Project Information dialog box appears. 5. Click the Statistics button in the Project Information dialog box. You have successfully viewed your inserted subproject information. 6. Close the subproject dialog boxes, and close the project file.
Quick Reference To View Inserted Information: 1. Open a project file that has had a subproject inserted into it. 2. Select the summary task for the inserted project. 3. Click the Task Information button. 4. Click the Advanced tab. 5. To see additional information, click the Project Info button and then the Statistics button.
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Lesson 8-7: Saving a Workspace
Figure 8-13 The Save Workspace As dialog box Figure 8-14 The Workspace with all the files arranged in the window
Figure 8-13
Figure 8-14
A workspace is the area where your multiple projects reside when you are working with them. If you save a workspace, Project will record which files you are working on and will open those same files when you open the workspace file again. That way you don’t have to spend time opening files one by one when you want to work with them. First, you need to open your wedding-related files.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lessons 8A, 8B, and Subproject. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. Save your workspace with your multiple files in it. 2. Select File → Save Workspace from the menu. The Save Workspace As dialog box appears.
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3. Make sure you are saving this workspace in your practice folder. In the Filename textbox, type Wedding Files and then click Save. A dialog box appears asking if you want to save changes to a project file. 4. Click Yes to All in the dialog box. All the project files are saved to the workspace. Now view your workspace. First, close your files. 5. Close Lessons 8A, 8B, and Subproject without saving changes. Next, re-open your workspace. 6. Click the Open button on the Standard toolbar. The Open dialog box appears. Make sure that you can view all types of files. 7. In the Files of type drop-down list, choose All Files. Now find the saved workspace. 8. Select the Wedding Files workspace file and click Open. The three project files that make up your saved workspace appear on your screen. View Workspace icon them all at once. 9. Select Window → Arrange All from the menu. You can see all of the wedding files that are saved with your workspace. Thus, you’re finished with this lesson. 10. Close all of your open practice files without saving changes.
Quick Reference To Save a Workspace: 1. Open the project files that you want to appear in your workspace. 2. Select File → Save Workspace, and remember where you saved your workspace 3. Close all open files. 4. Navigate to the place where you saved your workspace and then open your workspace. 5. All of the open project files that were saved in your workspace should open.
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Lesson 8-8: Adding Columns to Consolidated Projects
Figure 8-15 The Column Definition dialog box Figure 8-16 The new Project column inserted the project Figure 8-15
Figure 8-16
Adding a column to a consolidated project file is a handy thing to do if you want to view subproject information. For instance, you can add a “Subproject” column to a resource table in a consolidated file that will show the subproject where each source originated.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 8C. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. Lesson 8C is a consolidated project file. The Subproject icons show where subprojects have been inserted. Scroll down to see them, and then get ready to add a new column to Lesson 8C. 2. Select the Duration column heading to add the new column in front of it. Insert the new column. 3. Select Insert → Column from the menu. The Column Definition dialog box appears.
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4. In the Field name drop-down list, select Project. The column will display information about the project in the field. 5. Type Project in the Title textbox, and click OK. The “Project” column appears in the Task List. Scroll down to see where the tasks come from.
Quick Reference To Add Columns to a Consolidated Project: 1. Open a consolidated project file. 2. Select a column heading in the Task Entry table that you want to insert a new column in front of. 3. Select Insert → Column from the menu. 4. Select a field name, type in a title, and click OK.
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Lesson 8-9: Saving Consolidated Project Baselines
Figure 8-17 To save a baseline for selected tasks, first you must select the desired tasks. Figure 8-18 The Save Baseline dialog box
Figure 8-17
Figure 8-18
You can save a baseline for an entire consolidated project or for selected tasks. Saving a baseline is helpful because it allows you to track changes and updates in tasks and assignments; you can compare current project information to baseline information. First, save a baseline for selected subproject tasks. Find the “Groom Duties” subproject.
1. Scroll down until you see the Groom Duties subproject. Select the subproject’s tasks.
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2. Select tasks 1 through 10 in the Groom Duties subproject, as shown in Figure 8-17. Good. Now save a baseline for these tasks. 3. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu. The Save Baseline dialog box appears. Choose to save just the selected tasks, not the entire consolidated project. 4. Select the Save baseline option, select the Selected tasks option and click OK. You have saved a baseline for the selected tasks in the “Groom Duties” subproject. Now save an overall baseline for the entire consolidated project. But first, view the Gantt Variance table to get an idea of which project tasks already have baseline dates. 5. Select View → Table: → Variance from the menu. Scroll to the right to view the Baseline Start and Baseline Finish column s. Notice that the “master” project tasks have baseline dates, but the subproject tasks don’t have baseline dates. (Unless, of course, you’ve saved a baseline for them, as you have for the “Groom Duties” subproject.) Reapply the default task entry table. 6. Select View → Table: → Entry from the menu. Save an overall baseline for the entire consolidated project. 7. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu. The Save Baseline dialog box appears. Choose to save a baseline for the entire project. 8. Make sure the Save baseline and Entire project options are selected and click OK. Quick Reference You have saved an overall baseline for a consolidated file. To Save a Baseline for Selected Tasks in a Consolidated Project: 1. Select the tasks that you want to save a baseline for.
2. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu. 3. Select the Save baseline option, then click the Selected tasks option and click OK.
To Save an Overall Baseline for a Consolidated Project: 1. Select View → Table → Entry from the menu. 2. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu. 3. Select the Save baseline option, click the Entire project option and click OK.
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Chapter Eight Review
Lesson Summary
Consolidating Projects • Open a project you would like to insert other projects into. Select a task above which you would like to insert a subproject. Select Insert → Project from the menu and select a project insert. Click the arrow on the Insert button and choose whether or not to insert the subproject(s) as read-only.
Consolidating Projects in a New Window • To Consolidate Projects in a New Window: Open the projects that you would like to consolidate. Select Window → New Window from the menu. Select the project names you want to consolidate, select a view, and click OK.
Creating Links Between Projects • Open two project files, select Window → Arrange All from the menu and select the task that you want to be the successor in one project, and click the Task Information button. Click on the Predecessors tab and in the ID field, type the other project name that contains your desired predecessor task, backslash, and the ID number of the predecessor task. (For example: Wedding\8.) Click the OK button. The linked tasks appear as ghost tasks (light gray tasks) in the projects they are linked to.
Sharing a Resource Pool • Open the resource pool you want to share, and the file in which you want to share the pool’s resources. Select Window → Arrange All from the menu and view the files in Resource Sheet view. Select the file with which you want to share the pool’s resources. Select Tools → Resource Sharing → Share Resources from the menu. Select the Use Resources option and click the From: list arrow and select the resource pool, and click OK.
Viewing Multiple Project Critical Paths • You must create a consolidated project before you can view multiple critical paths. • To View Multiple Project Critical Paths: Open a consolidated project file, then select Tools → Options from the menu and click the Calculation tab. Check Calculate multiple critical paths and click OK. Select Views → More Views from the menu then select Detail Gantt view and click Apply. • To View an Overall Critical Path: Open a consolidated project file, then select Tools → Options and click the Calculation tab. Check Inserted projects are calculated like summary tasks and click OK. Select Views → More Views from the menu then select Detail Gantt view and click Apply.
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Viewing Inserted Project Statistics • Open a project file that has had a subproject inserted into it, then select the summary task for the inserted project. Click the Task Information button and click the Advanced tab. To see additional information, click the Project Info button and then the Statistics button.
Saving a Workspace • Open the project files that you want to appear in your workspace, then select File → Save Workspace from the menu and remember where you saved your workspace. Close all open files, then navigate to the place where you saved your workspace and open your workspace. All of the open project files that were saved in your workspace should open.
Adding Columns to a Consolidated Project • Open a consolidated project file, then select a column heading in the Task Entry table that you want to insert a new column in front of. Select Insert → Column from the menu. Select a field name, type in a title, and click OK.
Saving Baselines for Consolidated Projects • To Save a Baseline for Selected Tasks in a Consolidated Project: Make sure you are in Gantt Chart view, then select the tasks that you want to save a baseline for. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu. Make sure the Save baseline radio button is selected, then click the Selected tasks radio button and click OK. • To Save an Overall Baseline for a Consolidated Project: Make sure you are in Gantt Chart view, then go to View → Table: → Entry. Select Tools → Tracking → Save Baseline from the menu make sure the Save baseline radio button is selected, then click the Entire project option and click OK.
Quiz
1. To organize open project files on your screen, select Window → _____. A. Order All B. View All C. Organize All D. Arrange All
2. Light-gray tasks that are linked across projects are called _____ tasks. A. ghost B. phantom C. ghoul D. spooky
3. Where do your open project files reside when you are working on them? A. a laborspace B. a workspace C. outerspace D. a projectspace
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4. A resource pool project file has tasks in it. (True or False?)
5. A project that is inserted into a master project is called a what? A. Consolidated file B. Subproject C. Resource pool D. Potted flower
6. After you insert projects into a consolidated file, you can still access each of the projects separately. (True or False?)
7. In which tab of the Options dialog box can you change multiple critical path options? A. Tab key B. General tab C. Calculation tab D. Edit tab
8. How might you resize a project table? A. Maximize or minimize your Project screen. B. Will it to be bigger or smaller with telekinesis. C. Grab the divider bar and drag it left or right. D. Scoot your chair closer to or further from your computer.
Homework
1. Start Microsoft Project 2003. 2. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 8A database and the Homework 8B database. 3. Arrange the two projects you have open on your screen. (Hint: Go to the Window menu.) 4. Link task #13, “Sell lemon bars at stand,” in Homework 8B to a predecessor task, task #15, “Dye the dog lemon yellow,” in Homework 8A. 5. Create a resource pool between Homework 8A and Homework 8B. (Remember to make sure you don’t have any resource duplicates with different names, and to check the start and finish dates of each Homework project.) 6. Save a workspace named “Lemonade.” 7. Create a new consolidated project window for Homework 8A and Homework 8B to save them as one project. 8. Add a new column to the Task Entry table in the new “Lemonade” consolidated project’s Gantt Chart. Have the column show a “Project” field and title the column “From.”
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9. View all of the multiple critical paths in your new “Lemonade” consolidated project. 10. Save an overall project baseline for your new “Lemonade” consolidated project.
Quiz Answers
1. D. To organize open project files on your screen, select Window → Arrange All. 2. A. Light-gray tasks that are linked across projects are called ghost tasks. 3. B. Your open project files reside in a workspace when you are working on them. 4. False. A resource pool project file only has resources in it. 5. B. A project that is inserted into a master project is called a subproject. 6. True. After you insert projects into a consolidated file, you can still access each of the projects separately. 7. C. You will probably need to balance your tracked progress, because no project is perfect. 8. C. To resize a project table, grab the divider bar and drag it left or right.
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Chapter Nine: Customizing the Project
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites • Have a project in which • Change Bar Styles you have entered tasks, • Create Custom Groups, Tables, Forms, Reports, and Views costs, and resources • Know the basic • Use the Organizer elements of the Project • Add Hyperlinks to Tasks and Resources 2000 screen Chapter Task: Customize your project
You might think that you need to be a computer expert to customize Project 2000 elements, but you’re wrong. The user-friendly lessons in this chapter help you create and customize menus, filters and forms with ease. It’s good to know how to customize elements, even if you think you’ll be using Project’s default elements most of the time. A person involved with your project may want to see very specific information, or might want to enter information into a precise project area. Being able to customize elements allows you to get extremely detailed with organizing or finding information in your project. Through customizing your project elements, you can tailor your project to fit your specific needs.
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Lesson 9-1: Changing Bar Styles
Figure 9-1 The Bar Styles dialog box Figure 9-2 Select the chart The changed task bar element you styles want to change in this area.
Apply styles to a chart element in this area.
Figure 9-1
Figure 9-2
You are becoming tired of looking at your blue/black/red Gantt Chart every day; your Gantt Chart needs some serious style changes. Thankfully, the makers of Project took mercy on your To format your whole style-sensitive feelings and created the Bar Styles dialog box. Let’s give your Gantt Chart bars Gantt Chart, click the some personality. Gantt Chart Wizard button. 1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 9A. Save the file as Custom Project. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. Open the Bar Styles dialog box and put your good taste to use. 2. Select Format → Bar Styles from the menu. The Bar Styles dialog box appears. 3. Under the Name column, click Task. Designate the task bars to be fuschia-colored and patterned with vertical stripes.
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4. In the Bars tab, select Fuschia in the Color text box and vertical stripes in the Pattern text box, and then click OK. Your task bars are now fuschia-striped. Note that there are a number of other options you can change in the Bar Styles dialog box.
Quick Reference To Open the Bar Styles dialog box: • Select Format → Bar Styles from the menu. To Change Bar Styles: • Open the Bar Styles dialog box and customize your bars.
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Lesson 9-2: Creating Custom Groups
Check this option to Figure 9-3 display the new group in the Group By menu. The More Groups dialog box Figure 9-4 The Group Definition dialog box Figure 9-5 The grouped project Figure 9-3
Figure 9-4
Figure 9-5
Project has groups you can use to group your information, but you still may want to create your own groups. You should already know how to group information before you begin this lesson. While you’ve been working on the wedding project, you’ve had a bit of trouble with a couple of your tasks. For instance, Seamstress Bob wouldn’t sew your dresses until he had horsehair thread shipped in from Turkey. And ordering the cake has been a major pain because the baker
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can’t find fishing pole-shaped tiers, which you must have. Make a group for tasks that are hard to work with.
1. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. The project appears in Gantt Chart view. 2. Select Project → Group by: → More Groups from the menu. The More Groups dialog box appears. Create a new group. 3. Click the New button in the More Groups dialog box. The Group Definition dialog box appears. Name the group. 4. Type Hard to Work With in the Name field. Now enter a grouping definition. 5. Select the Text 1 field from the Group By drop-down list. Project will search for and group by the information in this field. 6. Select Descending from the Order drop-down list. Now format the group’s font. 7. Click the Font button. Select the Albertus MT font style and click OK. You are back at the Group Definition dialog box. You are ready to include your new group in the More Groups dialog box. 8. Click OK to close the Group Definition dialog box. You are back to the More Groups dialog box. Your new group, “Hard to Work With” appears in the More Groups dialog box. Apply your new group to your project. 9. Click Apply. The project appears grouped by the “Hard to Work With” group, as shown in Figure 9-5. 10. Select Project → Group by: → No Group from the menu. The project is no longer grouped in the Hard to Work With group. Quick Reference To Create a Custom Group: 1. Select Project → Group by → More Groups from the menu. 2. Click the New button in the More Groups dialog box. 3. Type the group name in the Name field. 4. Select a field to group by in the Group By drop- down list. 5. Choose the type of field to filter (task or resource) and Ascending or Descending order. 6. Click OK.
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Lesson 9-3: Creating Custom Filters
Figure 9-6 The More Filters dialog box Figure 9-7 The Filter Definition dialog box
Figure 9-8 Figure 9-6 The project using the Hard Figure 9-7 to Work With filter
Figure 9-8
You may want to create your own filters if standard filters don’t provide what you need. For example, you may want to filter a screen only for tasks with costs over $500 in the month of February, but Project doesn’t offer that filter. Thus, you will need to create your own filter. In this lesson, you are going to learn how to create your own custom filters.
1. Select Project → Filtered for: → More filters from the menu. The More Filters dialog box appears. 2. Click the New button in the More Filters dialog box. The Filter Definition dialog box appears. Name the new filter. 3. Type Hard to Work With in the Name field. Now set the criteria for the Hard to Work With filter. 4. Click the Field Name list arrow and select Text 1 from the drop-down list. The filter will look at the criteria in this field.
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5. Click the Test list arrow and select contains from the drop-down list. The filter will test the information in the Text 1 field for each task to see if it contains the value specified. 6. Click the Value(s) list arrow and type Yes. Press
Table 9-1: Filter Tests Test Description equals Displays tasks or resources with field contents that exactly match the value. does not equal Displays tasks or resources with field contents that do not exactly match the value. is greater than Displays tasks or resources with field contents that are greater than the value. is greater than or Displays tasks or resources with field contents that are greater than or equal to equal to the value. is less than Displays tasks or resources with field contents that are less than the value. Quick Reference is less than or Displays tasks or resources with field contents that are less than or equal to the To Create a Custom Filter: equal to value. 1. Select Project → Filtered for → More is within Displays tasks or resources with field contents that fall within the range filters from the menu. specified by the two values. 2. Click the New button in is not within Displays tasks or resources with field contents that fall outside of the range the More Filters dialog specified by the two values. box. contains Displays tasks or resources with field contents that contain the value. 3. Type the filter name in the Name field. does not contain Displays tasks or resources with field contents that do not contain the value. 4. Select the field to filter by in the Field Name drop- contains exactly Displays tasks or resources with field contents that contain a task or resource down list. that exactly matches the value. This is different from the equals test because 5. Select the criteria by the contains exactly test can operate on fields such as Resource Names or which you want to test Predecessors, which can list multiple values at once. from the Test drop-down list.
6. Enter the value you want
to filter in the Value(s) field.
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Lesson 9-4: Creating Custom Tables
Figure 9-9 The More Tables dialog box Figure 9-10 The Table Definition dialog box Figure 9-9 Figure 9-11 The project in the new Task Costs/Durations Figure 9-10 table
Figure 9-11
When you are in a view, you can choose how to view task and resource information by using various tables. You should already know how to change tables in a view—that is a basic move in Project. But you probably don’t know how to create a custom table yet, which is what this lesson will teach you to do. Create a custom table that shows task ID, costs and durations together.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 9B. Save the file as Custom Project. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select View → Table: → More tables from the menu. The More Tables dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 9-9. Create a new table.
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3. Click the New button in the More Tables dialog box. The Table Definition dialog box appears. Give your new table a name. 4. Type Task Costs/Durations in the Name field Now define the table criteria. 5. Click in the first row in the Field Name field and type ID. Press
You are done defining the task ID field. Now define the fields for the task name, task duration, and task cost. 11. Enter the following information in the Table Definition dialog box. Field Name Align Data Width Title Align Title Header Name Left 25 Task Name Left Yes Cost Right 12 Total Cost Center Yes Duration Right 12 Duration Center Yes The table you create will use all this criteria to organize the information. 12. Click OK. The Table Definition dialog box closes and you are back to the More Tables dialog Quick Reference box. Notice that your new table, “Task Costs/Durations” is listed in the More Tables To Create a Custom Table: dialog box. 1. Select View → Table → 13. Select Task Costs/Durations in the More Tables dialog box and click More Tables from the Apply. menu. Awesome! Your new table is applied to the Gantt Chart! Drag the divider bar between 2. Click the New button in the table and the chart to the right so you can see all of the table fields. the More Tables dialog 14. Select View → Table: → Entry from the menu. box. The project is returned to the original view. 3. Give the table a name. 4. Enter field names, alignments, width, header wrapping, and titles. 5. Click OK. 6. Select your new table in the More Tables dialog box and click Apply.
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Lesson 9-5: Creating Custom Forms
Figure 9-12 The Item Information dialog box for text Figure 9-13 Creating a custom form in the Custom Form Editor Figure 9-12 Figure 9-14 The Updates dialog box of the selected task 22
Figure 9-13
Figure 9-14
For people who don’t know how to use Project, forms are the easiest place to enter project information. They especially come in handy when you need information entered quickly. Create a custom form so Project is easier to use.
1. Select Tools → Customize → Forms from the menu. The Customize Forms dialog box appears. We are going to create a Task form in this lesson. 2. Click the Task bullet and click the New button. The Define Custom Form dialog box opens. Define your new custom form. 3. Type Updates in the Name textbox and click OK. You are now in the Custom Form Editor. Enter text into it.
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4. Select Item → Text from the menu. A text field appears in the skeleton of your “Updates” form. Enter a field name in the text field. 5. Double-click the text field to view the Item Information dialog box. Type Task Name in the Item Information dialog box and click OK. Now add a text field to the form. 6. Select Item → Fields from the menu. Click the Field list arrow and select Name from the drop-down list. Click OK. The Name textbox appears underneath the Task Name field. Move the Name textbox so it sits to the right of the Task Name field. 7. Click and drag the Name textbox so it sits to the right of the Task Name field, as shown in Figure 9-13. Enter a field for cost. 8. Select Item → Fields from the menu. Click the Field list arrow and select Cost from the drop-down list. Click OK. A Cost field textbox appears in the form. Enter a group box on the form named “Notes”. 9. Select Item → Group Box from the menu. A Group box appears on your form. Name and format it. 10. Double-click the Group box. Type Notes in the Item Information dialog box and click OK. Now resize and place the group box. 11. Click and drag the Group box below the Cost field. Then grab the right side of the Notes box and drag it so it covers the length of the form, as shown in Figure 9-13. Quick Reference Now enter a field in the Notes box. To Create a Custom Form: 12. Select Item → Fields from the menu. Click the Field list arrow and select Notes from the drop-down list. Click OK. 1. Select Tools → Customize → Forms A new Notes field appears on your form. Move and resize it. from the menu. 13. Drag the new Notes field inside of the Notes box, and resize it as shown 2. Click the New button in in Figure 9-13. the Forms dialog box. Finally, you’re done adding items to your form. 3. Give your new form a 14. Select File → Save from the menu. Then select File → Exit from the name, a keystroke menu to close the Custom Form Editor. (optional), and press OK. You are back to the Customize Form dialog box. 4. Select the Item menu Your new custom form, “Updating” is in the Customize Form dialog box list. Try out and insert the text, group your new form on a task. boxes, buttons, or fields you would like on your Click to close the dialog box. Select task 22 . 15. Cancel Book DJ for Dance form. This is the task you want to update. Go ahead and retrieve the Updates form you just 5. Format the items you created. added to the form. Select Tools → Customize → Forms from the menu. 16. 6. Select File → Save from The Forms dialog box appears. the menu. 17. Select Updates from the list in the Forms dialog box and click Apply. 7. Select File → Exit from The form you created appears on the screen with the information for the tasks’ the menu. specified fields. Now, update the cost of this task. 18. Type $500 in the Cost field and click OK. The task is updated, and your custom form is a great success.
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Lesson 9-6: Creating a Custom Report
Figure 9-15 Press the New button in the Custom Reports dialog box to create a new report. Figure 9-16 Modify your new, customized report in a Figure 9-15 definition box.
Figure 9-17 Figure 9-16 Preview the custom report
Figure 9-17
Although Project offers you 22 predefined standard reports to work with, you may find that none of them fit your needs. Thus you can edit—define, sort, or choose details for—an existing report, or you can create your own custom report. Create a new custom report in this lesson.
1. Select View → Reports from the menu. The Reports dialog box appears. Choose to create a custom report. 2. Select the Custom report category button and click the Select button. The Custom Reports dialog box appears. We don’t want to choose any of the existing reports in the list because we want to make a new report.
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3. Click the New button in the Custom Reports dialog box. The Define New Report dialog box appears. We want to create a calendar report. 4. Select Monthly Calendar from the list and click OK. The Monthly Calendar Report Definition dialog box appears. Format the report for Mrs. Fru Fru. 5. Type Mrs. Fru Fru in the Name textbox. The customized report will be identified by this name 6. Click the Filter list arrow and select Incomplete Tasks from the drop- down list. The report will include incomplete tasks in the project. 7. Click the Calendar list arrow and select Mrs. FruFru the Wedding Planner from the drop-down list. The report will use the information from this resource’s calendar. 8. Check the ID checkbox in the Label tasks with section. You are done choosing custom report formatting options and ready to preview your new report. 9. Click OK. You return to the Custom Reports dialog box. Preview your new report. 10. Select Mrs. FruFru from the Reports list. Click the Preview button. Terrific! You can see the custom report you just made! 11. Close all dialog boxes and project files.
Quick Reference To Create a Custom Report: 1. Select View → Reports from the menu. 2. Select a report category button and then click Select. 3. Click the New button. 4. Select a type of report to create and click OK. 5. Choose your custom report formatting options and click OK. 6. Select your new report name from the list and click Preview to preview it.
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Lesson 9-7: Creating a Custom View
Figure 9-18 The View Definition dialog box Figure 9-19 The project in the new Work Resource view
Figure 9-18
Figure 9-19
Though Project has many different views, you can still create a custom view for your wedding planning project. For example, you might want to create a view that is automatically filtered and grouped for certain information without having to go to menus to filter and group. You can create a view from scratch, modify a copy of an existing view, or directly modify a view. Do not directly modify a view; instead, make a copy of a view before you make modifications.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lesson 9C. If you don’t know where your practice files are, ask your instructor. 2. Select View → More Views from the menu. The More Views dialog box appears.
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3. Click the New button in the dialog box. The Define New View dialog box appears. Create a single view. 4. Select the Single view option and click OK. The View Definition dialog box appears. Define your new custom view. 5. Make these entries/selections in the View Definition dialog box, as shown in Figure 9-18.
Name: Work Resources Screen: Resource Sheet Table: Entry Group: Resource Group Filter: Resources – Work 6. Click OK. The View Definition dialog box closes, and your new custom view, “Work Resources,” appears in the More Views dialog box. Apply it to your project. 7. Select Work Resources view and click Apply. Your new custom view is applied to your project, as shown in Figure 9-19. The information is filtered for work resources and grouped by work group just like you wanted it to be. 8. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu. The project appears in Gantt Chart view.
Quick Reference To Create a Custom View: 1. Select Views → More Views from the menu. 2. Click the New button. 3. Make sure the Single View bullet is selected and click OK. 4. Enter a name, screen, table, group, and filter. 5. Select your new view and click Apply.
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Lesson 9-8: Using the Organizer
Figure 9-20 The Tables tab in the Organizer dialog box Figure 9-21 You can copy tables between files in the Organizer dialog box
Figure 9-20
Figure 9-21
In order to complete this lesson, you should have already created some custom groups, tables, forms, and filters. This is because this lesson is about sharing your custom tables, forms, and filters with other projects. Without the organizer, the custom elements you created would only be available in the project in which you created them. You already have the wedding project your table will be copied from open, Lesson 9C. Now open the lemonade stand project that the table will be copied to using the Organizer.
1. Navigate to your practice files and open Lemonade Stand. Now look at the tables available in this Lemonade Stand Project. 2. Select View → Table: from the menu. Notice that there is no table named “Task Costs/Durations.” That is because the “Task Cost/Durations” table is one you custom created in the wedding project; no new custom tables have been created in the lemonade stand project. Go to the wedding project and get the “Task Costs/Durations”.
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3. Select Window → Lesson 9C from the menu. Lesson 9C, the wedding project, appears in front of the Lemonade Stand project. Now open the organizer. 4. Click on Tools → Organizer, and click on the Tables tab. The dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 9-20. It displays the elements available in the global project template, and in the wedding project, Lesson 9C. NOTE: If you want to transfer a filter, group, or other item, choose a different tab. Now begin the table transfer from Lesson 9C to the Lemonade Stand project. 5. Click the left-side Global.MPT Tables available in list arrow and select Lemonade Stand from the drop-down list. The dialog box displays the tables available in the Lemonade Stand project and the Lesson 9C wedding project. 6. Select Tasks Costs/Durations from the Lesson 9C list in the dialog box. Transfer it to the Lemonade Stand project. 7. Click the Copy button in the dialog box. The Task Costs/Durations custom table is transferred to Lemonade Stand. 8. Click the Close button to close the Organizer dialog box. Your custom “Task Costs/Durations” table has been copied from the wedding project to the lemonade stand project. Now check to see if the table has actually been copied into the Lemonade Stand project. Quick Reference 9. View the Lemonade Stand project. Select View → Table → Tasks Costs/Durations from the menu. To Use the Organizer: The Lemonade Stand project is shown in the Tasks Costs/Durations table copied from 1. Open the project you Lesson 9C. want to import an item to, and open the project you Now close the Lemonade Stand project without saving changes. 10. want to import an item from. 2. Select Tools → Organizer from the menu. 3. Click on the tab for the item you want to import (ex. Tables tab, Forms tab, etc.). 4. In the right-hand list of items under the project you are importing from, select an item to import to the other project. 5. Click the Copy button to import the item to the other project. 6. Click Close to close the Organizer dialog box.
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Lesson 9-9: Add Hyperlinks to Tasks and Resources
Figure 9-22
The Insert Hyperlink Click to link to a Web dialog box page or Internet file.
Click to link to a place in the project file.
Click to link to a new document you will go back to and change.
Click to create a link to an email message.
Figure 9-22
Task and Resource hyperlinks allow users to access existing files or Web pages, link to other tasks and resources, open other documents, or send e-mail. In other words, hyperlinks help you to increase your Project functionality.
1. Select View → Resource Sheet from the menu. View the project in the hyperlink table. 2. Select View → Table → Hyperlink from the menu. Notice the hyperlink and address columns. Add a hyperlink. 3. Select resource 17, All-80’s DJ Team and select Insert → Hyperlink from the menu. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box appears. 4. Type The 80s Server in the Text to display textbox. Whatever you type in the “Text to display” textbox will appear in the “Hyperlink” table column. Enter a destination for the hyperlink. 5. Type http://www.80s.com in the Type the file or Web page name textbox. Whatever you enter in the “Type the file or Web page name” textbox will appear in the “Address” table column. 6. Click OK. The hyperlink has been inserted! Next, view your Gantt Chart and add a file hyperlink to your “Order Cake” task. Connect the task to a file that holds a picture of your dream wedding cake. 7. Select View → Gantt Chart from the menu, then select View → Table → Hyperlink from the menu. You can now see the Hyperlink table. Add a file hyperlink.
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8. Select task 25, Order cake and click the Insert Hyperlink button on the Standard toolbar. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box appears. Enter a name for the hyperlink in the “Text to display” textbox, and then browse for the file you want to link to. 9. Type Dream Cake in the Text to display textbox. Find the cake file in your practice files. 10. Navigate to your practice files and select the Cake.doc file. Click OK. Cake.doc now appears in the “Type the file or Web page name” textbox. 11. Click OK to close the Insert Hyperlink dialog box and add the link. The hyperlink is added. That’s the basic procedure for adding hyperlinks to tasks or resources in a project. 12. Close the Lesson 9C file.
Quick Reference Before You Add a Hyperlink: • Choose your appropriate view (Gantt Chart, Resource Sheet, etc.) and select View → Table → Hyperlink from the menu. To Add a Hyperlink to a Task or Resource: 1. Select the task or resource and select Insert → Hyperlink from the menu. 2. Enter text in the Text to Display textbox. 3. Select the type of hyperlink you want to insert, and enter the address or file name of the hyperlink’s destination. 4. Click OK.
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Chapter Nine Review
Lesson Summary
Changing Bar Styles • To Open the Bar Styles dialog box: Select Format → Bar Styles from the menu. • To Change Bar Styles: Open the Bar Styles dialog box and customize your bars.
Creating Custom Groups • Select Project → Group by → More Groups from the menu. Click the New button in the More Groups dialog box and type the group name in the Name field. Select a field to group by in the Group By drop-down list, choose Ascending or Descending order, and click OK.
Creating Custom Filters • Select Project → Filtered for → More filters from the menu. Click the New button in the More Filters dialog box and type the filter name in the Name field. Select the field to filter by in the Field Name drop-down list. Select the criteria by which you want to test from the Test drop-down list. Enter the value you want to filter in the Value(s) field.
Creating Custom Tables • Select View → Table → More Tables from the menu and click on the New button. Give the table a name. Enter field names, alignments, width, and titles and then click OK. Select your new table in the More Tables dialog box and click Apply.
Creating Custom Forms • Select Tools → Customize → Forms from the menu, and click the New button. Give your new form a name and, if you want, a keystroke shortcut, and press OK. Select the Item menu and select the text, group boxes, buttons, or fields you would like on your forms and then format them. Select File → Save from the menu to save your form and select File → Exit to close the Custom Form Editor.
Creating Custom Reports • Select View → Reports from the menu. Select a report category button and then click Select. Click the New button. Select a type of report to create and click OK. Choose your custom report formatting options and click OK. Select your new report name from the list and click Preview to preview it.
Creating Custom Views • Select Views → More Views and click the New button. Make sure the Single View bullet is selected and click OK. Enter a name, screen, table, group, and filter, and click OK. Select your new view and click Apply.
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Using the Organizer • Open the project you want to import an item to, and open the project you want to import an item from. Select Tools → Organizer from the menu. Click on the tab for the item you want to import (ex: Tables tab, Forms tab, etc.). In the left Tables Available In textbox drop-down list, choose the project you want to import an item to. In the right-hand list of items under the project you are importing from, select an item to import to the other project. Click the Copy button to import the item to the other project. Click Close to close the Organizer dialog box.
Adding Hyperlinks to Tasks and Resources • Before you Add a Hyperlink: Choose your appropriate view (Gantt Chart, Resource Sheet, etc.) and select View → Table → Hyperlink from the menu. • To Add a Hyperlink to a Task or Resource: Select the task or resource and select Insert → Hyperlink from the menu. Enter text in the Text to Display textbox. Select the type of hyperlink you want to insert and enter the address or file name of the hyperlink’s destination and click OK.
Quiz
1. You can change the look of your Gantt bars in the ______. A. Group Definition dialog box B. Barber shop C. Formatting menu D. Bar Styles dialog box
2. Which of these can you NOT create in Project? A. Filters B. Floaters C. Forms D. Tables
3. The Organizer allows you to share custom tables, forms, and filters with other projects. (True or False?)
4. Which of these is NOT a way to customize a view? A. Create a view from scratch B. Modify a copy of an existing view C. Erase a Project default view D. Directly modify a view
5. Menus are saved in what file? A. ProjectTemplate.mpt B. Global.mpt C. MENUS.mpt D. Kermit_the_frog.mpt
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6. Macros are a series of ______and ______. A. noodles, cheese B. functions, linking properties C. linking properties, commands D. commands, functions
7. How many types of hyperlinks can you add to tasks or resources? A. Four B. Ten C. Twelve D. Fifty
Homework
1. Start Microsoft Project 2003. 2. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 9 database. 3. Select Format → Bar Styles from the menu to open the Bar Styles dialog box, then make your task bars green with a solid (no dots or stripes) pattern. 4. Use the Organizer to copy a custom form called “LemonLaws” from the Homework 9 project file to the Wedding Preparation project file. Make sure that the Homework 9 project file is still open, then open the Wedding Preparation project file. Go to Format → Organizer → Forms tab.
In the left “Forms Available In” textbox, select Homework 5 from the drop-down list. Then copy the “LemonLaws” form from Homework 5 to Wedding Preparation. Go back to the Gantt Chart. 5. Select View → More Views from the menu and create a new single view with these properties: Name: Detailed Incomplete Tasks Screen: Gantt Chart Table: Schedule Group: No Group Filter: Incomplete Tasks
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Choose to show your new view, and then apply it to your screen. Go back to your default Gantt Chart. 6. Add a Web address hyperlink to any task in the Gantt Chart.
Quiz Answers
1. D. Format your task bars in the Bar Styles dialog box. 2. B. There is no such thing as a “floater” in Project. 3. True. The Organizer allows you to share elements between projects. 4. C. Erasing a Project default view does not allow you to customize. 5. B. Menus are always saved in the Global.mpt file. 6. D. Macros are a series of commands and functions. 7. A. You can add four types of hyperlinks to task or resources: Web address, E-mail, File, and Current document.
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Index
A H Assign help reassign ...... 158 contents and index ...... 42 Office Assistant...... 42 C tutorials ...... 42 Consolidate ...... 184 What's This ...... 42 master project...... 184 hyperlinks ...... 224 new window...... 186 L subproject...... 184 Cost Leveling earned value ...... 142 automatically...... 154 update...... 136 manually ...... 156 critical path Linking multiple projects ...... 193 projects...... 188 Custom O bar style...... 208 filters...... 212 Office Assistant...... 42 forms...... 216 organizer ...... 222 groups ...... 210 Overallocation...... 152 reports ...... 218 balancing...... 154, 156 tables...... 214 reassign work...... 158 views...... 220 Overtime ...... 160 D P database...... 16 Print ...... 127 project E management...... 14 Earned Value...... 142 Project insert ...... 184 F Project Information Filter...... 118 multiple project statistics ...... 194 Autofilter...... 122 statistics ...... 141 resources ...... 120 Project Statistics...... 141 tasks ...... 119 Project Triangle, description ...... 14 G R Group resources ...... 116 Reports...... 167 tasks ...... 114 contents...... 172 details...... 170
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page elements ...... 176 critical...... 124 page setup ...... 176 update ...... 132 sort...... 174 trouble spots ...... 144 types...... 168 U Resource balancing overallocation...... 154, 156 Update details...... 126 cost ...... 136 overallocation ...... 152 resources...... 134 update ...... 134 tasks...... 132 Resource pool sharing ...... 190 V Variance S cost ...... 140 Saving duration...... 138 Baseline plan ...... 200 Variation web page...... 178 work...... 139 Scheduling Views overtime...... 160 common views...... 105 Sort ...... 112 critical path...... 124 resources...... 113 form views...... 109 tasks...... 112 more views ...... 106 spellchecker ...... 31 split views...... 108 T W Tables...... 110 Web page ...... 178 Task workspace...... 196 details...... 126 Tasks
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