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Course Length:
2 Days
Course Description:
This two-day course is designed for individuals who will use Microsoft Project 2007 as a tool to assist them in managing projects. The topics in this course cover the critical skills necessary to create and modify a project plan file that contains tasks, resources, and resource assignments. Students will then build upon these skills and work with a project plan once it has entered the project implementation phase.
Who Should Attend:
Students who have an understanding of project management concepts, are responsible for creating and modifying project plans, and need a tool to manage those project plans will benefit from this course. Those who intend to pursue certification as a Microsoft Office User Specialist for Microsoft Project 2003 will also benefit.
Benefits of Attendance:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
  • Build a project plan and fine-tune the details.
  • Schedule tasks, assign resources, and manage dependencies.
  • Monitor progress and costs—and keep your project on track.
  • Format Gantt charts and other views to communicate project data.
  • Explore enterprise project management systems.
Prerequisites:
Students enrolling in this class should have an understanding of project management concepts and knowledge of a Windows operating system, either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. A basic knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel is helpful but not required.
Course Outline:
  • Getting Started with Project
    1. Managing Your Projects with Project
    2. Starting Project Standard
    3. Starting Project Professional
    4. Exploring Views
    5. Exploring Reports
    6. Creating a New Project Plan
    7. Setting Nonworking Days
    8. Entering Project Properties
    9. Key Points
  • Creating a Task List
    1. Entering Tasks
    2. Estimating Durations
    3. Entering a Milestone
    4. Organizing Tasks into Phases
    5. Linking Tasks
    6. Documenting Tasks
    7. Checking the Plan's Duration
    8. Key Points
  • Setting Up Resources
    1. Setting Up People Resources
    2. Setting Up Equipment Resources
    3. Setting Up Material Resources
    4. Setting Up Cost Resources
    5. Entering Resource Pay Rates
    6. Adjusting Working Time for Individual Resources
    7. Documenting Resources
    8. Key Points
  • Assigning Resources to Tasks
    1. Assigning Work Resources to Tasks
    2. Assigning Additional Resources to a Task
    3. Assigning Material Resources to Tasks
    4. Assigning Cost Resources to Tasks
    5. Key Points
  • Formatting and Printing Your Plan
    1. Creating a Custom Gantt Chart View
    2. Drawing on a Gantt Chart
    3. Formatting Text in a View
    4. Formatting and Printing Reports
    5. Key Points
  • Tracking Progress on Tasks
    1. Saving a Project Baseline
    2. Tracking a Project as Scheduled
    3. Entering a Task's Completion Percentage
    4. Entering Actual Values for Tasks
    5. Key Points
  • Fine-Tuning Task Details
    1. Adjusting Task Relationships
    2. Setting Task Constraints
    3. Viewing the Project's Critical Path
    4. Interrupting Work on a Task
    5. Adjusting Working Time for Individual Tasks
    6. Changing Task Types
    7. Entering Deadline Dates
    8. Entering Fixed Costs
    9. Setting Up a Recurring Task
    10. Key Points
  • Fine-Tuning Resource and Assignment Details
    1. Entering Multiple Pay Rates for a Resource
    2. Setting Up Pay Rates to Apply at Different Times
    3. Setting Up Resource Availability to Apply at Different Times
    4. Delaying the Start of Assignments
    5. Applying Contours to Assignments
    6. Applying Different Cost Rates to Assignments
    7. Entering Material Resource Consumption Rates
    8. Key Points
  • Fine-Tuning the Project Plan
    1. Examining Resource Allocations over Time
    2. Manually Resolving Resource Overallocations
    3. Leveling Overallocated Resources
    4. Examining Project Costs
    5. Checking the Project's Finish Date
    6. Key Points
  • Organizing and Formatting Project Details
    1. Sorting Project Details
    2. Grouping Project Details
    3. Filtering Project Details
    4. Customizing Tables
    5. Customizing Views
    6. Key Points
  • Printing Project Information
    1. Printing Your Project Plan
    2. Printing Views
    3. Printing Reports
    4. Key Points
  • Sharing Project Information with Other Programs
    1. Copying and Pasting with Project
    2. Opening Other File Formats in Project
    3. Saving to Other File Formats from Project
    4. Generating a Project Summary Report for Word, PowerPoint, or Visio
    5. Generating Visual Reports with Excel and Visio
    6. Key Points
  • Tracking Progress on Tasks and Assignments
    1. Updating a Baseline
    2. Tracking Actual and Remaining Values for Tasks and Assignments
    3. Tracking Timephased Actual Work for Tasks and Assignments
    4. Rescheduling Incomplete Work
    5. Key Points
  • Viewing and Reporting Project Status
    1. Identifying Tasks that Have Slipped
    2. Examining Task Costs
    3. Examining Resource Costs
    4. Reporting Project Cost Variance with a Stoplight View
    5. Key Points
  • Getting Your Project Back on Track
    1. Troubleshooting Time and Schedule Problems
    2. Troubleshooting Cost and Resource Problems
    3. Troubleshooting Scope-of-Work Problems
    4. Key Points
  • Applying Advanced Formatting
    1. Formatting a Gantt Chart View
    2. Formatting the Network Diagram View
    3. Formatting the Calendar View
    4. Key Points
  • Customizing Project
    1. Sharing Custom Views and Other Elements Between Project Plans
    2. Recording Macros
    3. Editing Macros
    4. Customizing a Toolbar
    5. Key Points
  • Measuring Performance with Earned Value Analysis
    1. Viewing Earned Value Schedule Indicators
    2. Viewing Earned Value Cost Indicators
    3. Generating an Earned Value Visual Report
    4. Key Points
  • Consolidating Projects and Resources
    1. Creating a Resource Pool
    2. Viewing Assignment Details in a Resource Pool
    3. Updating Assignments in a Sharer Plan
    4. Updating a Resource's Information in a Resource Pool
    5. Updating All Plans' Working Times in a Resource Pool
    6. Linking New Project Plans to a Resource Pool
    7. Opening a Sharer Plan and Updating a Resource Pool
    8. Consolidating Project Plans
    9. Creating Dependencies Between Projects
    10. Key Points
  • Planning Work with Project Server
    1. Understanding the Key Pieces of Enterprise Project Management
    2. Building a New Plan from an Enterprise Template
    3. Staffing an Enterprise Project with Resources
    4. Publishing a Plan to Project Server
    5. Key Points
  • Tracking Work with Project Server
    1. Reporting Actual Work Through Project Web Access
    2. Reporting Actual Work Through Outlook
    3. Handling Actuals from Resources
    4. Keeping Stakeholders Informed
    5. Key Points
  • Managing Risks, Issues, and Documents with Project Server
    1. Managing Risks
    2. Managing Issues
    3. Managing Documents
    4. Key Points
  • Appendix A. A Short Course in Project Management
    1. Understanding What Defines a Project
    2. The Project Triangle: Viewing Projects in Terms of Time, Cost, and Scope
    3. Time, Cost, and Scope: Managing Project Constraints
    4. Managing Your Projects with Project
  • Appendix B. What’s Next?"Appendix B. What's Next?
    1. Joining a Project Learning Community
    2. Joining a Project Management Learning Community
    3. Final Words