MS Project Training

Project Planning Scheduling MS Project

&

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project SHORT DESCRIPTION OF COURSE

• Activity Sequencing and Critical Path Calculations

This course is aimed at project management professionals who are • Resource Planning and Analysis interested in learning how to plan a project. The course is designed • Finalising the Plan, Baselines, Monitoring and Control to precede a project scheduling software course such as Microsoft • Scope Changes, Hints and Tips.

Project, P3, SureTrak or P6 COURSE AIM The aim of this course is to demonstrate: • What a project plan is • Why projects should be planned • Some generic methods of planning projects • Why plans are used to control a project

COURSE INSTRUCTORS The instructors are Senior planning Engineers and involved in Project Management Consultancies with more than 10-5 years service record providing project control services to innumerable projects.

Zabeel uses licensed software for conducting their training.

COURSE DELIVERY

MS PROJECT ( COURSE CONTENT) The course is presented in 6 lecture hrs (one day) using a PowerPoint PART 1 -THE BASICS OF PROJECT SCHEDULING presentation and includes a workshops at the end of each module where the students practice preparing a number of planning docu- Session 1 Overview and Context ments.

• What is a Project

• Recurring Theme 1 - Simplicity, Transparency & No Loss of Control

MODULES INCLUDE:

• Recurring Theme 2 - Effort vs Accuracy - the Asymptotic Curve

• Introduction and Overview of Planning • Planning the Plan

Session 2 Customizing the Microsoft Windows Environment

• Project Breakdown Structures

• Using Windows Explorer

• Activity Definition

• File Name View Options

Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project Session 3 Opening Microsoft Project and Customizing the • The Third Timescale Level User Interface • Verifying the Version Number and the Application of Service Session 6 Outlining a Project Releases/Service Packs

• Help Facilities -- Too Much? -- How To Turn Off • A Tour of the Screen - Names & Definitions • Notice lateral scroll bars at the bottom of both sides of the screen • Menu Bar, Tool Bars, Icons, and the View Bar • Turning Off Personalized Menus • Customizing a Tool Bar -- Adding Some Icons

Session 4 Starting a New Project

• Properties of Summary Tasks • Outline Levels • The "Line Zero" Project Summary Task • Viewing Outline Numbers • WBS Numbers and Outline Numbers -- Differences • Viewing Outline Levels - Preview of Filters

Session 7 Linking Tasks

• Selecting a Project Start Date

• Standard Links (FS) using the Link and Unlink Icons

• Start Date versus End Date Scheduling • Entering Tasks - Observe What Project Does • Adding and Hiding Columns, and a Quick Discussion of Project's Data Base

Session 5 Durations and the Time Scale • Duration Defined

• Summary Tasks and Detail Tasks

•

Elapsed Duration

• The Time Scale -- Various Ways to Manage It

• Selecting Adjoining Tasks with the Shift Key • Selecting Non-Adjoining Tasks with the Control Key - The Order Matters!

• Linking Graphically - Slightly Dangerous • Three Other Types of Links (SS, FF, and the bizarre SF) • Entering Links in the Task Information Box and Other Forms • Power Linking by Typing Directly into the Predecessors or Successors Columns

Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project • Linking Summary Tasks -Controversy & Confusion ("Hidden Hands") Session 10 Milestones • Linking Tasks • Concepts used • The Purpose of Milestones - When Are They Useful?

• Creating a link between tasks

• Removing a link

• Changing a Task relationship

• Types of task relationships

• Overlapping and delaying tasks

• Conflicting Definitions with Other Applications like MPM (not needed) • The Milestones Filter

• Specifying Lead or lag time in Gantt Table

Session 11 Working with Project Tasks Session 8 Adding Lags to Links

• The Deadline Feature

• Lags: Positive, Negative, and Percentage

• More About Notes - Capacity and the Ability to Insert Objects

• Combining Lags with SS and FF Link Types

• Adding Hyperlinks to Tasks, and How they Compare with Notes

• Documenting the Reasons for Lags with Notes

• Recurring Tasks

• Small Negative Lags versus Large Negative Lags

• Splitting Tasks

• An Alternative to Lags

• Moving Tasks Around in a Schedule - Methods & the Level Problem • Moving Columns to New Positions

Session 9 Date Constraints • Constraints Frequently Set in Error - By Typing Dates

• To Autolink or Not To Autolink Inserted or Moved Tasks • Saving Work with Autosave, and Version Control Issues

• Eight Types of Constraints - Purposes of Each Type

• The Language of Tasks: When Verbs, When Nouns

• When Constraints Conflict with Links - a Switch Determines Who Wins

• How Detailed Should Schedules Be?

• What Types of Tasks are OK to Constrain • Documenting the Reasons for Constraints with Notes

• How Logic Flows Through an Unconstrained Schedule

Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project Session 12 The Critical Path

Session 13 Filters

• Understanding The Critical Path

• What is a Filter and Why is it Useful?

• Different Views that Show the Critical Path

• Filters (1) - The Short List in the Menu

• Adding the Critical Path to the Gantt View with a Wizard

• Filters (2) - The Long List in "More Filters"

• Microsoft's Critical Path Options in the Tool Box (Tools-Options-Calculation)

• Filters (3) - The Power of Autofilters, Singly and in Combination

• The Impact of Date Constraints on the Critical Path

• Applying a Highlight Filter

• The Impact of Task Progress on the Critical Path -- The Different Effects of FS and SS Links

• Linking a Filter with a View & the Permanent Highlight Filter Option

• Filters (4) - Total Control - Creating and Saving Custom Filters

• The Impact of Deadlines on the Critical Path - A Departure from the Session 14 Sorting and Grouping Classic Definition of "Critical" • When Would Sorting be Useful • Elapsed Durations, ALAP Tasks, and their Effect on Critical Path • Crashing the critical path (shortening the schedule by changing task relationships, assigning more resources etc)

• Sorting (1) - The Quick Sort -- Several Choices in the Menu

• Identifying the critical path

• Sorting (2) - The Full Sort -- Managing the Two Check Boxes

• Shortening schedule by changing task relationships

• Restoring Original Line Order with the Sort by ID Option

• Shortening schedule by decreasing task relationships

• The "Grouping" Function - a Kind of Group Sorting with Subtotaling

• Shortening schedule by decreasing a resource’s work on a task • Shortening schedule by assigning more resources • Shortening schedule by increasing a resource’s work schedule • Shortening schedule by assigning overtime work

• Problems and Limitations with the Quick Sort

Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project Session 15 Customizing Fields • Changing Field Names - 2 Ways

Session 18 Adding Graphics and Multimedia Objects to the Gantt Area

• The View-Specific Change Technique Double Click Column Header

• Adding a Text Box

• The Durable Change Technique -- Customizing the Field

• Adding Sound and Video Objects

• Adding Clip Art

• Limiting Entries into Optional Fields with Data Validation • Adding a Formula to an Optional Field • Adding "Stoplight" Graphics to an Optional Field • Separate Customization Choices for Summary Tasks

Session 16 Other Views and Display Options

Session 19 Formatting for Printing • Wrapping Text to Handle Long Task Names • What Columns Will Appear in Print -- a Big Problem Resolved • Gantt Bar Appearances - the Bar Styles Dialogue Box • Adding & Removing Text, Dates from Gantt Bars and Milestones

• The Calendar View

• Link Appearances - Suppressing Links in Large Schedules

• The Network Diagram View (Formerly Called "PERT" View)

• The Scaling Option - Get More Space with Percent Scaling Tool

• The Relationship Diagram View

• Building Headers with Variable Inserts

• Splitting the Screen, and Managing the Two Split Halves

• Building Footers with Variable Inserts - a Suggested Standard

• The "Arrange All" Function -- For Managing Multiple Open Projects • Turning the Legend On and Off • The Final Setup Tab: Showing Notes, Blank Pages, Etc.

Session 17 Reports • The Standard Reports

• Last Look at Zooming - Where is the Print Date Range Dialogue Hidden?

• Editing and Customizing Reports

• Extra Polish: Adding Logos to Headers for Special Presentations

• Using the Gantt View instead of Microsoft Project's Reports

• Formatting Options are Stored in Views

Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project Session 20 Exporting Project Images and Data to Other • More about Views - What They Contain and What They Don't Applications PART 2 - WORKING WITH RESOURCES • Exporting Gantt Views to Word & PowerPoint with the Camera Icon Session 22 The Resource Sheet • Exporting with the PrintScreen Key and ALT-PrintScreen • Exporting Data to Excel - the Outline Level Problem • Exporting Data to Access - the Choice of Power Users • Critical Tasks

• The Gantt Chart Wizard

• Format Gantt Bars

• Timescale

• Format tasks in task list

• Group tasks in the task list

• Group tasks or resources by criteria • Filter tasks or resources by criteria

Session 21 The Organizer • Overview of the Organizer: the -2Library Concept • What Project Does When it Looks For a New View or Filter, etc.

• Where Modifications are Saved - the Local Library • What the Global Library is (GLOBAL.MPT), and Why it is Useful • Making Custom Filters, Views, etc. Available to Other Schedules on Your Computer • Sharing Custom Filters, Views, etc. with Friends and Colleagues

• Entering and Naming Resources - Two Ways • Maximum Availability -- What it Means • Showing Availability as a Percentage or Decimal • Human Resources, Fixed Cost Items, and Material Resources • Resource Rates and Costs • Adding Resource Notes

Session 23 Assigning Single Resources to Tasks • Many Ways to Assign Resources • Virtues of the Resource Assignment Icon and Box • Adding a Resource at Less than its Maximum Availability • Filtering on Resources • Look at Project Total Cost as Resources are Added: The Statistics Box

Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project Session 24 Assigning Multiple Resources to Tasks

Session 27 Resource Leveling

• Whiteboard Lecture: The Project Triangle - Relationships Among Scope, Resources, and Time

• Definition and Overview of Leveling

• Creating a Schedule for Each Task Type, With and Without "Effort Driven"

• Look at "Leveling Delay" in the Detail Gantt View

• Watch What Happens When the Second Resource is Added Another Big Problem Clarified

• Task Priority and How it Changes Leveling

• Demonstration of Leveling with a Sample Schedule • Leveling Options: Level Within Slack, and Other Options • Clearing Leveling - Doesn't Always Remove Splits • Discussion: When Leveling Makes No Sense, and When it Might

Session 25 Special Tools for Resource Assignment and Session 28 Working with Calendars Cost Estimating • The "Usage" Views: Resource Usage and Task Usage

• Using Calendars

• Resource Editing and Contours • The Concept of "Assignment" • Creating a New Base Calendar • Setting the Overall Project Calendar in Project-Project Information • Assignment Information Options • Five Cost Schedules • Assigning Resources to Different Base Calendars

Session 26 Managing Resource Workloads • Viewing Resource Workloads and Task Assignments • The Resource Graph - Note Peak Units Problem Versus Total Work • Analyzing Resource Conflicts With Split Screen Views • Whiteboard Notes: The Manager's Knowledge and Options • Replacing a Resource

• Customizing Resource Calendars • Problem: A Day for You Isn't a Day for Me: The Options Tab Controls what a Day of Duration Means • Problem: Assign Work to a Resource when the Resource Isn't Working (First with Fixed Duration, Then with Fixed Units) • Assigning a Calendar to a Task • Resource Availability Dates

Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project 3 - TRACKING PROGRESS Session 29 The Baseline • Definition and Use of a Baseline • Saving a Baseline • Saving Interim Plans • Multiple Baselines Why? When These Are Useful • Clearing a Baseline When and Why

• Still Greater Accuracy - Track the Hours by Resource & Remaining Hours, with the Split Screen

Session 31 Tracking Actual Hours with the Usage Views • Overview of the Actual Hours Method • Working in the Resource Usage and Task Usage Views • Why the Plan Changes to Equal the Actuals

• Comparing the Baseline to Actual Data - Available Views & Reports • How the Plan Reschedules Undone Work - Depends on Task Types • Dangers of the Percentage Icons when Using the Actual Hours Method

Session 30 Tracking Progress with the Percent of Completion Method • Overview of the Percentage Method • Using the Percentage Icons • Inserting the % Completion Column • What is % Work Complete & How Does it Differ from % Complete

Session 32 Earned Value Concepts • The Background for Earned Value • Cost Variance and Schedule Variance • Performance Indexes

• The Earned Value Data Fields in MS Project • Physical % Complete & How it Differs from % Complete & % Work • Companion Tools for Earned Value such as MPM - What Value Do Complete They Add? • Summary Tasks Build Averages as Individual Tasks are Tracked • Does Anyone Use Microsoft Project Alone for Earned Value?

• Percentages Translate to Costs in the Statistics Box and in Reports • Moving Up the Accuracy Curve Add the Actual Start, Actual Finish, and Actual Work Columns

Project Planning & Scheduling MS Project Session 33 Progress Lines and Updating Tools

Session 36 Consolidating Projects

• Adding Progress Lines to a Schedule

• Consolidating the Quick Way with "New Window"

• Using the "Update Tasks" Dialogue Box

• Observe the Simultaneity of the Consolidation and the Individual Project

• Updating an Entire Project to a Status Date

• Consolidating by Inserting Projects

Session 34 Issues and Problems Arising With Tracking

• The Outline Level Issue -- Can't Promote to the Top

• Partially Complete Tasks Preceding Other Partially Complete Tasks • What Happens When a File is Moved or Renamed • Tasks Won't Move Once Started • Task Splitting to Reschedule Unfinished Portions

Session 37 Links Among Projects in a Consolidation • Building Links Across Project Boundaries

PART 4 - WORKING WITH MULTIPLE PROJECTS Session 35 Resource Pooling • Overview of Resource Pooling • Setting Up a Resource Pool as a Separate Project File • Linking into the Pool with Tools-Resources-Share Resources Dialogue Box • The Same Dialogue Box as Seen from the Resource Pool File • Split Screen Views in the Resource Pool - Add the "Project" Column for Clarity

• Note the Information in the Predecessor and Successor Fields • Revisiting the Individual Projects - the Ghost Tasks & Line Numbers • Regenerating Broken Links with the Multiple Project Dialogue Box

Zabeel International Advantage abeel Institute, established in 1988, is a leading Educational and Training Institute for executives in Dubai & is accredited by the Ministry of Education, UAE. We offer training prog- rams to professionals from various industries like Administration, Engineering, Construction, Projects, Accounts & Finance, Management and Languages etc.  Over 25 Years Experience in training Professional Executives

 Achiever of many QUALITY AWARDS for training from 1988 till date

 Qualified and Certified Trainers

 Sophisticated Lab with High end machines & Licensed software

 Certificates attested by the Ministry of Education, UAE

 Vast resource materials for reference & course materials

 Free online support for further assistance  Free follow up orientation seminars, workshops and placement assistance

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