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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
- Sprache: Englisch
Blow past the jargon and get hands-on, practical guidance on managing any project with Microsoft Project
Lean. Agile. Hybrid. It seems that project management these days comes with more confusing buzzwords than ever. But you can make managing your next project simple and straightforward with help from Microsoft Project For Dummies.
This book unpacks Microsoft’s bestselling project management platform and walks you through every important feature, step-by-step, until you’re ready to take on virtually any project, no matter the size. From getting set up for the first time to creating tasks, managing resources and working with time management features, you’ll learn everything you need to know about managing a project in Microsoft’s iconic software.
You’ll also find:
- Totally updated guidance that applies to both the desktop version and Microsoft’s new subscription-based Microsoft Project Online
- Helpful information on integrating Agile practices and techniques into your project
- “Golden rules” that keep a project on-track and on-time
- Ways to effectively manage your resources with Microsoft Project’s built-in functionality
Managing a project, big or small, is no easy task. Luckily, Microsoft Project For Dummies can take a lot of the hassle out of your day-to-day life. Learn how to take advantage of this powerful software today!
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Microsoft® Project For Dummies®
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2022 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021952565
ISBN 978-1-119-85862-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-85863-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-85864-5 (ebk)
Microsoft® Project For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Microsoft Project For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
About This Book
What's Not in This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with Project
Chapter 1: Project Management, MS Project, and You
Project Management Evolution
What’s in a Name: Projects, Project Management, and Project Managers
Introducing Microsoft Project
Getting to Know You
Tell Me What You Want to Do
Chapter 2: Starting the Project
Creating the Project Charter
Introducing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Organizing the Work
Starting the Project
Chapter 3: Becoming a Task Master
Creating Summary Tasks and Subtasks
Moving Tasks Up, Down, and All Around
Now You See It, Now You Don’t: Collapsing and Expanding the Task Outline
Showing Up Again and Again: Recurring Tasks
Setting Milestones
Deleting Tasks and Using Inactive Tasks
Making a Task Note
Chapter 4: The Codependent Nature of Tasks
How Tasks Become Dependent
Setting the Dependency Connection
Chapter 5: Estimating Task Time
You’re in It for the Duration
Estimating Effort and Duration
Controlling Timing with Constraints
Starting and Pausing Tasks
Chapter 6: Check Out This View!
A Project with a View
More Detail about Views
Customizing Views
Part 2: Managing Resources
Chapter 7: Creating Resources
Resources: People, Places, and Things
Becoming Resource-Full
The Birth of a Resource
Managing Resource Availability
Sharing Resources
Chapter 8: Working with Calendars
Mastering Base, Project, Resource, and Task Calendars
Scheduling with Calendar Options and Working Times
Working with Task Calendars and Resource Calendars
Creating a Custom Calendar Template
Sharing Copies of Calendars
Chapter 9: Assigning Resources
Finding the Right Resource
Making a Useful Assignation
Benefitting from a Helpful Planner
Chapter 10: Determining a Project’s Cost
How Do Costs Accrue?
Specifying Cost Information in the Project
Part 3: Before You Baseline
Chapter 11: Fine-Tuning Your Plan
Everything Filters to the Bottom Line
Gathering Information in Groups
Figuring Out What’s Driving the Project
Chapter 12: Negotiating Project Constraints
It’s about Time
Getting What You Want for Less
The Resource Recourse
Rescheduling the Project
Chapter 13: Making the Project Look Good
Looking Good!
Formatting the Gantt Chart
Formatting Network Diagram Boxes
Adjusting the Layout
Modifying Gridlines
Recognizing When a Picture Can Say It All
Creating a Custom Text Field
Chapter 14: It All Begins with a Baseline
All about Baselines
In the Interim
Part 4: Staying on Track
Chapter 15: On the Right Track
Tracking Views
Moving a Task
Update Project: Sweeping Changes
Tracking Materials
Tracking More than One Project
Chapter 16: Project Views: Observing Progress
Seeing Where Tasks Stand
Delving into the Detail
Tracking Progress Using Earned Value Management
Calculating behind the Scenes
Chapter 17: You’re Behind — Now What?
Using Project with Risk and Issue Logs
What-If Scenarios
How Adding People or Time Affects the Project
When All Else Fails
Chapter 18: Spreading the News: Reporting
Generating Standard Reports
Creating New Reports
Fine-Tuning a Report
Spiffing Things Up
Calling the Printer!
Working on the Timeline
Part 5: Working with Sprints Projects
Chapter 19: Setting Up a Sprints Project
Creating a Sprints Project
Enjoying a Whole New View
Adding Information to Tasks
Prioritizing Tasks
Inserting a Sprints Project into a Plan-Driven Project
Chapter 20: Tracking a Sprints Project
Viewing Your Sprints Project Data
Creating Sprints Reports
Chapter 21: Getting Better All the Time
Reviewing the Project
Comparing Versions of a Project
Building on Success
Part 6: The Part of Tens
Chapter 22: Ten Golden Rules of Project Management
Roll with It
Put Your Ducks in a Row
Expect the Unexpected
Don’t Put Off until Tomorrow …
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Document It
Keep the Team in the Loop
Measure Success
Maintain a Flexible Strategy
Learn from Your Mistakes
Chapter 23: Ten Cool Shortcuts in Project
Task Information
Resource Information
Frequently Used Functions
Subtasks
Quick Selections
Fill Down
Navigation
Hours to Years
Timeline Shortcuts
Quick Undo
Glossary
Index
About the Author
Advertisement Page
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 1
TABLE 1-1 Project Variables
Chapter 5
TABLE 5-1 Limiting Behaviors
TABLE 5-2 Task Constraints
Chapter 13
TABLE 13-1 Layout Options
Chapter 17
TABLE 17-1 Filters That Isolate Problems
Chapter 19
TABLE 19-1 Sprints Project Views
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1-1: Waterfall approach.
FIGURE 1-2: What you see when you open Project.
FIGURE 1-3: Project templates.
FIGURE 1-4: A blank project.
FIGURE 1-5: Backstage view with the Navigation pane.
FIGURE 1-6: The Task Ribbon tab.
FIGURE 1-7: The Resource Ribbon tab.
FIGURE 1-8: The Report Ribbon tab.
FIGURE 1-9: The Project Ribbon tab.
FIGURE 1-10: The View Ribbon tab.
FIGURE 1-11: The Help Ribbon tab.
FIGURE 1-12: The Format Ribbon tab.
FIGURE 1-13: Customizing the Quick Access toolbar.
FIGURE 1-14: The Timeline.
FIGURE 1-15: The status bar.
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2-1: The Desert Rose Security project charter.
FIGURE 2-2: High-level WBS.
FIGURE 2-3: The result of choosing the File ⇒ Info command.
FIGURE 2-4: The Project Information dialog box.
FIGURE 2-5: Desert Rose Security WBS.
FIGURE 2-6: The Task Information dialog box.
FIGURE 2-7: Manually and automatically scheduled tasks.
FIGURE 2-8: Changing the task mode from the Ribbon.
FIGURE 2-9: Inserting a link to another project.
FIGURE 2-10: Linking a file.
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3-1: Summary tasks and subtasks.
FIGURE 3-2: The project summary task.
FIGURE 3-3: Outline options.
FIGURE 3-4: Level 2 outline.
FIGURE 3-5: The Recurring Task Information dialog box.
FIGURE 3-6: Inserting a milestone.
FIGURE 3-7: Marking a task as inactive.
FIGURE 3-8: Creating a task note.
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: Dependencies.
FIGURE 4-2: The start-to-start relationship.
FIGURE 4-3: The finish-to-finish relationship.
FIGURE 4-4: Leads and lags between tasks.
FIGURE 4-5: Linking and unlinking tasks.
FIGURE 4-6: Setting dependency relationships.
FIGURE 4-7: Setting dependency relationships with a drop-down list.
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5-1: Setting the task type.
FIGURE 5-2: Setting the duration.
FIGURE 5-3: Setting a constraint.
FIGURE 5-4: Setting a deadline.
FIGURE 5-5: Setting a start or end date.
FIGURE 5-6: Planning Wizard box.
FIGURE 5-7: Splitting a task.
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: View choices.
FIGURE 6-2: Available views in Project.
FIGURE 6-3: Multiple panes of information.
FIGURE 6-4: Gantt Chart view.
FIGURE 6-5: Resource Sheet view.
FIGURE 6-6: Team Planner view.
FIGURE 6-7: Timeline view.
FIGURE 6-8: Network Diagram view.
FIGURE 6-9: Calendar view.
FIGURE 6-10: The Timescale dialog box.
FIGURE 6-11: New columns to insert.
FIGURE 6-12: The Box Styles dialog box in Network Diagram view.
FIGURE 6-13: Modifying the Network Diagram layout.
FIGURE 6-14: The modified Network Diagram view.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: The Effort Driven check box.
FIGURE 7-2: The Resource Information dialog box.
FIGURE 7-3: Generic consolidated resource.
FIGURE 7-4: Time periods and units of availability.
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: Define typical work times.
FIGURE 8-2: The standard calendar with default working times.
FIGURE 8-3: Modifying the default calendar.
FIGURE 8-4: Changing the task calendar.
FIGURE 8-5: The Details dialog box.
FIGURE 8-6: Changing working time on a resource calendar.
FIGURE 8-7: Creating a new calendar.
FIGURE 8-8: Copying a calendar to other projects.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: Using the Find feature.
FIGURE 9-2: Resource list.
FIGURE 9-3: The Assign Resources dialog box.
FIGURE 9-4: Work Contour options.
FIGURE 9-5: Team Planner view.
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10-1: Cost accrual options in the Resource Information dialog box.
FIGURE 10-2: Cost information in the Task Information dialog box.
FIGURE 10-3: The Cost table.
FIGURE 10-4: Resource costs.
FIGURE 10-5: Setting rates in the Resource Information dialog box.
Chapter 11
FIGURE 11-1: Entering filter parameters.
FIGURE 11-2: Using check boxes with AutoFilter.
FIGURE 11-3: The Filter drop-down list.
FIGURE 11-4: The More Filters dialog box.
FIGURE 11-5: The Filter Definition dialog box.
FIGURE 11-6: The Group drop-down list.
FIGURE 11-7: The More Groups dialog box.
FIGURE 11-8: Tasks grouped by milestones.
FIGURE 11-9: The Group Definition dialog box.
FIGURE 11-10: The Define Group Interval dialog box.
FIGURE 11-11: The Task Inspector pane.
FIGURE 11-12: Tasks with icons.
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12-1: Adding contingency in the schedule.
FIGURE 12-2: Resource Usage view.
FIGURE 12-3: Resource Graph view.
FIGURE 12-4: The Resource Leveling dialog box.
FIGURE 12-5: The Level Resources dialog box.
FIGURE 12-6: The Move Project dialog box.
Chapter 13
FIGURE 13-1: The Bar Styles dialog box.
FIGURE 13-2: The Show For Tasks drop-down list.
FIGURE 13-3: Add text to taskbars.
FIGURE 13-4: Gantt chart styles.
FIGURE 13-5: Customizing critical tasks in the Text Styles dialog box.
FIGURE 13-6: The Format Box dialog box.
FIGURE 13-7: The Layout dialog box in Gantt Chart view.
FIGURE 13-8: The Layout dialog box in Network Diagram view.
FIGURE 13-9: The Gridlines dialog box.
FIGURE 13-10: Drawing tools with basic shapes.
FIGURE 13-11: Custom field types.
FIGURE 13-12: Setting values for the field.
FIGURE 13-13: The Value list from the Invoicing Status field.
Chapter 14
FIGURE 14-1: Setting baselines and interim plans.
FIGURE 14-2: Multiple baseline options.
FIGURE 14-3: Clearing the baseline.
FIGURE 14-4: Copy settings from any saved baseline to an interim plan.
FIGURE 14-5: The Clear Baseline dialog box.
Chapter 15
FIGURE 15-1: The Task sheet with the Tracking table.
FIGURE 15-2: The tracking buttons.
FIGURE 15-3: Tracking table with the Mark on Track button.
FIGURE 15-4: Task Usage view.
FIGURE 15-5: Resource Usage view.
FIGURE 15-6: Assigning overtime.
FIGURE 15-7: Gantt chart with Tracking table.
FIGURE 15-8: The Move dialog box.
FIGURE 15-9: Moving a task.
FIGURE 15-10: Using the Update Project feature.
FIGURE 15-11: Tracking materials.
FIGURE 15-12: The Insert Project dialog box.
Chapter 16
FIGURE 16-1: Taskbars indicating activity status.
FIGURE 16-2: Progress lines, seemingly run amok.
FIGURE 16-3: The Progress Lines dialog box.
FIGURE 16-4: Progress line styles.
FIGURE 16-5: Tracking Gantt view.
FIGURE 16-6: Cost table.
FIGURE 16-7: Variance table.
FIGURE 16-8: Earned Value table.
FIGURE 16-9: Two settings to calculate earned value.
FIGURE 16-10: Selecting multiple critical paths.
Chapter 17
FIGURE 17-1: Adding more columns.
FIGURE 17-2: Choosing criteria for sorting.
FIGURE 17-3: Gantt Chart view filtered for the critical path.
FIGURE 17-4: Network Diagram view of the critical path.
FIGURE 17-5: Resource Leveling dialog box.
FIGURE 17-6: Task Inspector pane.
FIGURE 17-7: Modifying task dependencies.
FIGURE 17-8: Modifying a resource cost.
Chapter 18
FIGURE 18-1: The Report tab.
FIGURE 18-2: Project Overview report.
FIGURE 18-3: Burndown report.
FIGURE 18-4: Building a custom report.
FIGURE 18-5: The Visual Reports dialog box.
FIGURE 18-6: Changing the report layout and format.
FIGURE 18-7: Customizing with shapes and text boxes.
FIGURE 18-8: Inserting graphics.
FIGURE 18-9: Inserting pictures in headers and footers.
FIGURE 18-10: Page setup.
FIGURE 18-11: Legend for the Desert Rose project.
FIGURE 18-12: The View tab.
FIGURE 18-13: Backstage Print view.
FIGURE 18-14: Print settings.
FIGURE 18-15: The Timeline Format contextual tab.
FIGURE 18-16: The Timeline with summary tasks and milestones.
FIGURE 18-17: Adding tasks to the Timeline.
Chapter 19
FIGURE 19-1: Creating a new Sprints Project.
FIGURE 19-2: The Sprints tab on the Ribbon.
FIGURE 19-3: The Manage Sprints dialog box.
FIGURE 19-4: The Sprint Planning sheet.
FIGURE 19-5: The Sprint Planning Board.
FIGURE 19-6: Sprint and Task views.
FIGURE 19-7: Task Board view.
FIGURE 19-8: The Task Board Format contextual tab.
FIGURE 19-9: The Customize Task Board Cards dialog box.
FIGURE 19-10: Customized cards.
FIGURE 19-11: Prioritizing tasks.
FIGURE 19-12: A Sprints Project inserted into a plan-driven project.
Chapter 20
FIGURE 20-1: Filtered for remaining tasks.
FIGURE 20-2: Tasks grouped by priority.
FIGURE 20-3: Tasks sorted by sprint and then board status.
FIGURE 20-4: Task Status report.
FIGURE 20-5: The Report Design contextual tab.
FIGURE 20-6: The Current Sprint report.
Chapter 21
FIGURE 21-1: The Variance table.
FIGURE 21-2: The Compare Project Versions dialog box.
FIGURE 21-3: Comparing projects.
FIGURE 21-4: Saving a file as a template.
FIGURE 21-5: The Save As Template dialog box.
FIGURE 21-6: The Organizer dialog box.
Chapter 23
FIGURE 23-1: The Task Information dialog box.
FIGURE 23-2: The Resource Information dialog box.
FIGURE 23-3: Contextual menu.
FIGURE 23-4: Adding tasks to the Timeline.
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
Glossary
Index
About the Author
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Introduction
Project management has evolved from a discipline that began with index cards and yarn to one that now uses sophisticated analysis techniques, projections, reporting, and time and resource tracking. Project management software offers functionality that makes planning and tracking the complex projects we undertake a little more manageable.
About This Book
Microsoft Project is one of the most popular project management software applications. It offers a tremendous amount of functionality to users. However, as with most software, mastering it can seem like a daunting process.
It helps to understand how Project’s features relate to what you do every day as a project manager. In Microsoft Project For Dummies, my goal is to help you explore Project Professional (an on-premises or desktop version) and Project Online (a cloud-based version). This book provides information on relevant project management concepts while also offering step-by-step instructions to build and track a Project schedule.
Here are some broad topics that this book explores. You can:
Start out in Microsoft Project by entering tasks and dependencies and estimating durations
View your project as a Gantt chart, Task Board, network diagram, and other views
Work with resources, calendars, and costs
Negotiate constraints, fine-tune the schedule, and set a baseline
Gather data, analyze progress, take corrective actions, and report project status
Set up and track a Sprints Project with backlogs, Task Boards, and specialized reports
Throughout this book, I offer advice on how to make all these features and procedures mesh with what you already know as a project manager.
Finally, Microsoft Office runs on Windows 10 and 11 (as of this printing), and not Windows 7 or 8.1, so you’ll need to have Windows 10 or 11 in order to run Microsoft Project. This book is written as if you’re using the “on-premises” or “desktop client ” version of Microsoft Project. If you are using a cloud-based solution, this book assumes the “Project Plan 3” subscription plan. For more information on features for various online subscriptions, you can visit www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/project/compare-microsoft-project-management-software.
What's Not in This Book
Microsoft has a lightweight project application called Project for the Web. Project for the Web is appropriate for smaller projects or for people who aren’t project managers but who manage projects as part of their job. It is not sufficient for large or complex projects. It is built on the Microsoft Power Platform rather than SharePoint, so the features, functions, and interface are very different. This book does not cover any information about Project for the Web. If you want more information, you find it here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/project.
Because this book assumes desktop client software, I don’t spend time on anything associated with enterprise versions or server features. The good news is, regardless of whether you’re running the desktop client or subscription version of the software, this book is packed full of useful information for getting to know Microsoft Project.
Foolish Assumptions
I’ve made some assumptions about you, gentle reader. I figure that you’re computer-literate and that you know how to use the mouse, the keyboard, and the Ribbon. I assume that you know how to use most common Windows functions (such as the Clipboard), as well as many basic software functions, such as selecting text and dragging and dropping items with the mouse.
I also assume that you have experience in managing projects. Whether you manage very large projects that are several years long or you have been a team lead on a project, the information in this book is more accessible if you have a background in project management.
I do not assume that you’ve used Project or any other project management software. If you’re new to Project, you’ll find what you need to get up to speed, including information on how Project works, finding your way around the Project interface, and building your first Project schedule. If you’ve used an earlier version of Project, you’ll find out about the current version of Microsoft Project and the features it provides.
Icons Used in This Book
One picture is worth … well, you know. That’s why For Dummies books use icons to provide visual clues to what’s going on. Essentially, icons call your attention to bits of special information that may well make your life easier. The following icons are used in this book.
The Remember icon signals either a pertinent fact that relates to what you’re reading at the time (but is also mentioned elsewhere in the book) or a reiteration of a particularly important piece of information that’s, well, worth repeating.
Tips are the advice columns of computer books: They offer sage advice, a bit more information about topics under discussion that may be of interest, or ways to do things a bit more efficiently.
Warning icons spell trouble with a capital T: When you see a warning, read it. If you’re not careful, you might do something at this point that could cause disaster.
Beyond the Book
In addition to what you’re reading right now, this product also comes with a free access-anywhere Cheat Sheet that includes tips on creating your project schedule, shortcut keys, and helpful websites to hone your expertise. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type Microsoft Project For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.
Where to Go from Here
Take what you’ve learned in the project management school of hard knocks and jump into the world of Microsoft Project. When you do, you’ll be rewarded with a wealth of tools and information that help you manage your projects much more efficiently.
Your first step might be to read the table of contents and find the sections of this book that you need — or simply turn to Chapter 1 and start reading.
Part 1
Getting Started with Project
IN THIS PART …
Get familiar with the Ribbon and its tabs in Project.
See how to open a new project, enter tasks, and organize a project.
Become skilled in working with summary tasks, milestones, and notes.
Identify and arrange task dependencies to create a network diagram.
Develop duration estimates for tasks.
Customize Project views to meet your needs.
Chapter 1
Project Management, MS Project, and You
IN THIS CHAPTER
Describing different approaches to managing a project
Comparing the project manager and Scrum master roles
Benefitting from Project
Exploring the software interface
Finding help in Project
Welcome to the world of computerized project management with Microsoft Project. If you’ve never used project management software, you’re entering a brave new world.
Everything you used to do with handwritten to-do lists, sticky notes, word processors, and spreadsheets magically comes together in Project. However, this transition doesn’t come in a moment, and you need a basic understanding of what project management software can do to get you up to speed. If you’ve used previous versions of Project, the overview in this chapter can refresh your memory and ease you into a few of the new Project features.
Even if you’re a seasoned project manager, this chapter provides the foundation for how to work with Project.
Project Management Evolution
The profession of project management has evolved significantly in the past 20 years. As a profession project management is more respected and more in demand than ever. Organizations depend on project managers to drive change and deliver value. There is widespread recognition that project management skills aren’t just for professional full-time project managers; they can be used by anyone who manages projects as part of their job, even if they aren’t in a project management role.
With the rapid growth of technology and technology-driven projects, the way we manage projects has evolved. When Microsoft Project was first released in 1984, projects were plan-driven, meaning that we tried to plan out everything that would happen, in detail, up front. Then we would execute based on that plan. That approach works when you can define the project scope and requirements up front, such as engineering or construction projects. We call this a waterfall approach because the completion of one phase leading to the start of another looks like a waterfall, as shown in Figure 1-1.
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FIGURE 1-1: Waterfall approach.
As the pace of technological growth accelerated, the waterfall approach was no longer effective for technology development projects. By the time you had planned and executed a two-year technology project, the technology had changed, and the end result was already out of date. Therefore, a new approach to managing technology projects evolved.
In early 2001 an approach called Agile project management was created. Agile is a mindset that is documented in the Agile Manifesto. It starts with four values:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
Note there is less emphasis on following a plan, and change is expected. This is very different than managing construction projects where following the plan is paramount. There are also 12 principles that are documented in the Manifesto. You can find the Agile Manifesto here: https://agilemanifesto.org.
Over time project practitioners have recognized that the type of project you are managing determines the project management practices you should employ. For scope that is stable and can be well-defined up front, a waterfall approach is appropriate. For scope that is not well defined or can evolve based on feedback and market changes, an agile approach (also known as an adaptive approach) is appropriate. To make things more interesting, there are many projects with some deliverables that can be well defined and other deliverables that can’t — for these projects a hybrid approach that incorporates aspects of waterfall and adaptive approaches is best.
As project management practices have evolved, so has Microsoft Project. This version of Project allows you to set up Gantt charts that are resource loaded to manage well-defined scope and Task Boards to manage evolving scope, all in one glorious piece of software. To keep things simple, I use Parts 1 through 4 to talk about how set up and manage a Waterfall Project and I use Part 5 to show you how to set up and lead an Agile Project. For those of you who work on hybrid projects, you can use both waterfall and Agile functionalities.
Project does use the term Agile. Projects with evolving scope that use adaptive approaches are called Sprints Projects.
What’s in a Name: Projects, Project Management, and Project Managers
In this book, a project is defined as a unique venture undertaken to produce distinct deliverables, products, or outcomes. In the context of a project, a deliverable is an individual component or item that meets the requirements of the project, such as a design document or a prototype.
Project management is the practice of organizing and managing project variables to meet the project outcomes and mission. Some of the variables we work with are listed in Table 1-1.
TABLE 1-1 Project Variables
Variable
Description
Scope
The work needed to produce the deliverables, products, or outcomes for the project.
Time
The duration required to complete the project work.
Cost
The funds required to complete the project.
Resources
The people, equipment, material, supplies, and facilities needed to accomplish the project.
Change
Product change refers to the features and functions of a product. Project change refers to changes in schedule, cost, or resources.
Risk
Uncertainty associated with the scope, time, cost, resources, stakeholders, or environment that can threaten the completion of any aspect of the project.
Stakeholder
A person who can affect, or who is affected by, the project, either positively or negatively.
Environment
The location, culture, or organization in which the project occurs.
Project managers and Scrum masters
Projects that use waterfall approaches generally have a project manager who creates the master plan for a project and ensures that it is implemented successfully. A project manager uses technical, business, and leadership skills to manage the completion of tasks and keep the schedule on track. Project teams can be small, mid-size, or very large.
A truly professional project manager may have a degree in project management or a professional certification. For example, if you see the initials PMP beside a name, that person has been certified as a Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute, the leading global organization establishing project management standards and credentials.
A Scrum master is usually found on projects that use Agile approaches. A Scrum master assists the team in following Agile processes and delivering the work. Teams are optimized at 6 to 10 members.
We look at the roles of project managers and Scrum masters in the following sections.
The role of the project manager
The project manager is the person who ensures that aspects of the project are integrated and assumes hands-on responsibility for successes as well as failures.
The project manager manages these essential pieces of a project:
Leadership:
Documents the project vision in a charter. Facilitates negotiations, problem-solving, and decision-making activities.
Scope:
Defines and organizes all work to be done in order to meet the project objectives and create deliverables.
Quality:
Identifies, manages, and controls requirements. Establishes a process for quality management and control and ensures it is sufficient and followed.
Schedule:
Develops the schedule, by working with Project, including the tasks, relationships, duration, and timing involved to achieve the project objectives.
Resources:
Assigns resources and tracks their activities on the project as well as resolves resource conflicts and build consensus. Working with resources also involves managing physical resources such as materials and equipment.
Cost:
Estimates project costs and applies those estimates across the schedule to create a time-phased budget.
Stakeholder Engagement:
Notifies appropriate
stakeholders
(everyone who has a legitimate stake in its success) of the project status. Facilitates communication with internal and external stakeholders.
Uncertainty:
Establishes a system to identify, analyze, respond to, and track project risks and issues. Guides the team in working with uncertainty, ambiguity, complexity, and volatility.
Managing a project requires overseeing all its variables to ensure that the project goals are accomplished on time, within the limits of the budget, and using the assigned resources while also addressing risks, managing change, and satisfying stakeholders.
The role of the Scrum master
A Scrum master is a servant leader. Servant leaders are focused on supporting their teams, rather than directing them. They educate and support team members in maintaining alignment with Agile practices.
A Scrum master engages in these activities and behaviors:
Leadership:
Practices servant leadership. Motivates the team. Provides coaching and mentoring to team members as needed.
Scope:
Works with the product owner to communicate the priorities in the project backlog.
Schedule:
Facilitates sprint planning, demonstrations, and daily stand-up (or scrum) meetings.
Resources:
Protects the team from outside interference. Removes barriers or impediments so team members can accomplish work.
Process:
Helps the team and other stakeholders understand and follow agile processes. Works with the team to improve team dynamics and the processes used to create and deliver value.
Risk:
Reduces uncertainty by experimenting with different solutions, building prototypes, and providing demonstrations to relevant stakeholders throughout the project.
A product owner determines the vision and scope for the project, makes decisions about the product, and establishes priorities. Where necessary, they interact with external stakeholders to understand needs and then communicate those needs to the team.
You can see that project managers and Scrum masters both use their skills and knowledge to accomplish the project work. The approach is different with the project manager providing more direct oversight and accountability for the outcomes, whereas the Scrum master operates as a supportive role for team members, empowering and enabling them to accomplish the work.
In a hybrid project you may see a project manager for the overall project with a Scrum master working on software development aspects of the project. You might also see the project manager adapting more of the servant leadership behaviors while still maintaining overall accountability for the project. Ultimately, the best approach is one that works in your environment.
Regardless of the approach, having software to help organize and structure the work makes managing the project and leading the team less daunting. That’s where Project can help.
Introducing Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project is a scheduling tool that helps you organize, manage, and control the variables identified in the preceding section. In this book, I show you how to use Project to organize and manage your work, create realistic schedules, and optimize your use of resources.
Take a moment to look at some of the wonderful ways in which Project can help you organize, manage, and control your project:
Use built-in templates to get a head start on your project.
Project
templates
are prebuilt plans for a typical business project, such as commercial construction, an engineering project, a new product rollout, software development, or an office move.
Organize your project by phase, deliverable, geography, or any other method.
The outline format allows you to progressively elaborate the information in greater granularity depending on how detailed you want your plan to be.
Determine costs by your chosen method.
Examples are time period, resource type, deliverable, or cost type.
Organize resources by resource type.
Level your resources to avoid overallocation, or determine the impact on the duration of a task based on a change in resources.
Calculate costs and timing based on your input.
You can quickly calculate what-if scenarios to solve resource conflicts, maintain costs within your budget, or meet a deliverable deadline.
Use views and reports with the click of a button.
A wealth of information is now available to you — and those you report to. You no longer have to manually build a report on total costs to date to meet a last-minute request from your boss.
Set up a Sprints Project.
Run a project with a backlog, a Task Board, sprints, and other adaptive practices.
Manage complex algorithms
(that you couldn’t even begin to figure out on your own) to complete such tasks as leveling resource assignments to solve resource conflicts, filtering tasks by various criteria, modeling what-if scenarios, and calculating the dollar value of work performed to date.
No matter how cool the tool, you have to take the time to enter meaningful data. Great software doesn’t ensure great outcomes; it only makes them easier to achieve.
Getting to Know You
The file you create in Project is a schedule model. It’s a model because it models what you think will happen given what you know at the time. However, for ease of reference, I just refer to it as a schedule. The schedule has a plethora of data about various aspects of your project as well as graphical representations of that information.
Some people refer to the project schedule as the project plan. In reality, the project plan contains the project schedule — plus information such as the budget, work breakdown structure, project life cycle, risk management plan, and many other ingredients necessary to effectively manage a project.
When you first open Project, you see several options for starting a new project, as shown in Figure 1-2.
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FIGURE 1-2: What you see when you open Project.
You can open a blank project, create a new project from an existing project, or create a new project by importing information from Microsoft Excel or SharePoint. You can also take advantage of premade templates for common project types, such as these examples:
Residential construction
Software development
New product launch
Merger or acquisition evaluation
If you don’t see the template you need, you can click More Templates and, as you can see in Figure 1-3, a whole host of options appears. You can also search for online templates by entering keywords in the Search box.
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FIGURE 1-3: Project templates.
For purposes of this discussion, I assume that you’re starting with a new, blank project.
When you open a new project, you see the Quick Access toolbar, a few Ribbon tabs, the Ribbon, the Timeline, a pane with a sheet and a chart, and the status bar, as shown in Figure 1-4.
In Figure 1-4, you see Gantt Chart view. (I discuss views in Chapter 6.) For now, here’s an overview of the major elements in Project (refer to Figure 1-4):
Quick Access toolbar:
The Quick Access toolbar, above and to the left of the Ribbon, is onscreen at all times and in all views.
Ribbon tabs:
The Ribbon tabs organize commands based on a particular type of activity. For example, if you’re working with resources, you’ll likely find the command or setting you want on the Resource tab.
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FIGURE 1-4: A blank project.
Ribbon:
The Ribbon provides easy access to the most commonly used tools and commands. When you change tabs, the available tools on the Ribbon change.
Group:
A
group
is a set of related commands or choices on the Ribbon. For example, to update the percent complete for a task, first find the formatting information you need in the Schedule group on the Task tab of the Ribbon.
Timeline:
The Timeline provides an overview of the entire project — a graphical view of the project from start to finish. You have the option of showing the Timeline or hiding it.
Sheet:
Similar to a spreadsheet, the sheet displays the data in the project. The default fields change depending on the Ribbon tab you’re working in. You can customize the columns and fields in the sheet to meet your needs.
Chart:
The chart is a graphical depiction of the information on the sheet. Depending on the view or Ribbon tab that’s displayed, you might also see a bar chart depicting the duration of a task or a resource histogram showing resource usage.
Status bar:
The status bar, at the bottom of the Project window, has information on views and zoom level on the right, and information on how newly entered tasks are scheduled on the left.
Navigating Ribbon tabs and the Ribbon
Each of the Ribbon tabs in Project shows different options on the Ribbon. In this section, I provide an overview of each Ribbon tab and of the Ribbon and the Quick Access toolbar. I elaborate on various functions and commands on the Ribbon in later chapters.
Each Ribbon tab has a different group of controls or functions. You can navigate from one tab to another by clicking on the tab name.
The first tab on the left is the File Ribbon tab. After you click this tab, you see the Backstage view with the Navigation pane down the left side, as shown in Figure 1-5.
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FIGURE 1-5: Backstage view with the Navigation pane.
The File tab puts you into Backstage view, where you find choices for working with files and changing options. For example, you can create a new project, open an existing project, save your current project, or print your current project. From Backstage view, you can also share, export, or close your current project. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can click Options and customize the Ribbon and the Quick Access toolbar.
The Task Ribbon tab is where you spend a lot of your time in Project. As you can see in Figure 1-6, on the far left side of the Task Ribbon tab is the View group. The default view is Gantt Chart view. It shows the task information and the chart that displays a bar chart representing the duration of each task.
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FIGURE 1-6: The Task Ribbon tab.
In addition to Gantt Chart, you can choose these views:
Calendar
Network Diagram
Resource Sheet
Resource Usage
Resource Form
Resource Graph
Task Usage
Task Board
Task Form
Task Sheet
Team Planner
Timeline
Tracking Gantt
You may recognize some of the groups of commands on the Task Ribbon tab. For example, the Clipboard and Font groups are standard in many Windows applications. Other groups, such as Schedule and Tasks, are specific to a particular view — in this case, Gantt Chart view. Look for the Gantt Chart Tools above the Format tab when you see the Task Ribbon tab in Gantt Chart view. In other views, you see different tools above the Format tab.
The Resource Ribbon tab, shown in Figure 1-7, helps you organize resources, such as assigning and leveling resources across tasks. In Project, resources include people, equipment, material, locations, and supplies. You can assign costs and calendars to resources. (I talk more about resources in Chapter 7.)
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FIGURE 1-7: The Resource Ribbon tab.
The Report Ribbon tab, shown in Figure 1-8, is where you can create reports on resources, costs, or progress, or put them all together in a dashboard report. You can create a report that compares your current status to previous versions of your project. I tell you all about reports, including how to customize and export your reports, in Chapter 18.
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FIGURE 1-8: The Report Ribbon tab.
On the Project Ribbon tab, shown in Figure 1-9, you find commands to help you manage your project as a whole, rather than by task or resource. For example, you can enter or change the project start and finish dates and the baseline. If you need to change working time or add a subproject, this is the place to do it. You can also manage sprints from this Ribbon tab.
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FIGURE 1-9: The Project Ribbon tab.
The View Ribbon tab, shown in Figure 1-10, lets you see some standard views. Examples are Task views, such as Gantt Chart, Task Usage, and Task Board. You can also check out Resource views, such as Resource Sheet or Team Planner. You can use the View Ribbon tab to look at information sorted by date or a specific period. This tab also lets you see the entire project, show or hide the Timeline, and set the timescale you see.
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FIGURE 1-10: The View Ribbon tab.
The Help Ribbon tab, shown in Figure 1-11, lets you open a Help pane, provide feedback, and access training. It has a pane that highlights what’s new. The Help function in the Help Ribbon tab opens a pane on the right side of the window. You can enter keywords and you will get several explanations with hyperlinks. Find the topic that reflects what you are looking for and click the link. Information in the Help pane often comes with a graphic and step-by-step instructions you can follow.
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FIGURE 1-11: The Help Ribbon tab.
The Format Ribbon tab, shown in Figure 1-12, has commands that help you present your schedule, such as text styles, Gantt chart styles, and column settings. This image also shows a pushpin on the far right of the Ribbon. This pins the Ribbon to your display, keeping it open and visible. If your Ribbon is closed, click on any tab and look in the lower-right corner of the Ribbon to see the pushpin. Click on the pushpin to keep your Ribbon open.
The upward-facing arrow (^) on the far-right side of a Ribbon (as shown in Figure 1-10) hides the Ribbon. This gives you more real estate on your screen.
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FIGURE 1-12: The Format Ribbon tab.
Displaying more tools
The Quick Access toolbar, which appears onscreen at all times, initially contains the Save, Undo, and Redo buttons. You can customize the Quick Access toolbar by clicking the down arrow at the right end of the toolbar and clicking the option you want to hide or display. Figure 1-13 shows the list of commands you can choose from.
If you don’t see the option you want, click More Commands near the bottom of the menu to display the Quick Access Toolbar category in the Project Options dialog box. This shows you a full list of commands you can add.
The nifty Timeline tool shows the entire scaled time span of the project. To show the Timeline, go to the View Ribbon tab (shown in Figure 1-10), locate the Split View group, and then click the check box that says Timeline. You can add tasks or milestones to the Timeline. You can also copy the Timeline and paste it into reports or other presentations. To hide the Timeline, uncheck the Timeline box. You can also work with the Timeline by right-clicking to insert tasks, copy the Timeline, change the font, or view detailed information. Figure 1-14 shows the Timeline with summary tasks and milestones.
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FIGURE 1-13: Customizing the Quick Access toolbar.
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FIGURE 1-14: The Timeline.
The status bar, shown in Figure 1-15, sits at the bottom of the project, to indicate whether your tasks are manually or automatically scheduled. (Read more on this topic in Chapter 2.) The status bar also lets you move quickly to some of the most popular views, such as Gantt, Task Usage, Team Planner, Resource Sheet, and Reports. You can also adjust the time scale from a high-level, time scaled view to a detailed time-scaled view with the View slider, on the far-right end of the status bar. I talk more about views in Chapter 6.
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FIGURE 1-15: The status bar.
Tell Me What You Want to Do
In previous versions of Microsoft Office, there was a Help function. That went away for a while, but now it is back as a Ribbon tab. Both the Help button on the Help Ribbon tab and the Tell Me What You Want to Do feature, found next to the Format tab, can provide assistance.
The Tell Me What You Want to Do feature will actually do what you ask it to, such as insert a milestone or highlight critical tasks.
Chapter 2
Starting the Project
IN THIS CHAPTER
Chartering a project
Creating the project’s work breakdown structure (WBS)
Entering project information into Project
Entering the WBS into Project
Entering tasks into Project
Inserting subprojects and hyperlinks
Congratulations — you’re the proud project manager of a new project! Before you do anything, you need to understand the scope of the project. You must clearly specify what’s in and out of scope, milestones, the budget, and completion criteria.
Planning a project isn’t as easy as opening a file in Project and entering all the activities you have to complete. Before you can begin to plan, you need to understand the purpose of the project and the high-level information about the project such as project’s objectives and the intended outcomes.
Therefore, before you enter the first task into Project, you create the project charter (described a little later in this chapter) to initiate the project and develop the work breakdown structure (WBS) to organize project deliverables. Then you can start organizing the project and entering tasks into Project.
This chapter describes how to move from imagining a concept to planning a project so you know how to enter and work with tasks and how to save the new project.
Creating the Project Charter
Having a high-level understanding of a project is critical to project success. The project charter is a document that formally authorizes or recognizes a project; it contains high-level information about the project. The project charter is frequently developed by the project manager, with the project sponsor. The charter functions as an agreement about the purpose and objectives of the project.
In project management parlance, the person who champions (and funds) a project is the project sponsor. Although the project manager may work for the project sponsor, the project often also has a customer — outside the project manager’s own company or within it — for whom the end product is produced.
Common elements of a project charter are:
Purpose
Description
Objectives
Criteria for completion
Summary milestone schedule
Summary budget
Other names for the charter are project-initiating document and statement of work.
The high-level information in the charter provides background information to help you plan the project approach and organize the work logically. Using the information from the charter, you can start to define the project’s major deliverables and its life cycle — and your approach to accomplishing all the project work.
Throughout this book, I use a project to demonstrate key concepts in Project. The project is part of a larger program to build a community called Desert Rose. It is a gated community that will have four neighborhoods and community spaces and activities. Our project is the Security for the Desert Rose community. The project charter for the Security sample project is shown in Figure 2-1.
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FIGURE 2-1: The Desert Rose Security project charter.
Introducing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
If you have a small project, you may be able to start entering tasks into Project and organize them on the fly. But for any project with more than 50 tasks, consider how to structure and organize the work before you open Project. One best practice is to create the work breakdown structure, or WBS — a hierarchically organized representation of all the project work.
The concept of project work includes work that’s necessary to create the product and work that’s necessary to manage the project, such as attending meetings, managing risk, and creating documentation.
Generally, you approach the WBS from the top down. In other words, you evaluate the entire project and then break it into large chunks, and then break the larger chunks into smaller chunks, and so on, until you have a defined deliverable. That’s where the WBS stops and project tasks begin.
The breaking of WBS deliverables into smaller chunks is known as decomposition.
The WBS houses all deliverables for the project and product scope. It doesn’t include the tasks. Those are strictly for the schedule. Another way of thinking about the WBS is that it’s composed of nouns, whereas the schedule is composed of actionable verbs. For example, the Perimeter Fencing might be the lowest-level deliverable you would show on the WBS. Then define these tasks for the schedule using the “verb-noun” naming convention:
Identify fencing requirements.
Develop request for quote.
Receive quotes.
Select vendor.
Develop contract.
Sign contract.
Oversee fence installation.
Organizing the Work
Frequently, the most challenging aspect of creating a WBS is figuring out how to organize it. You have several options. For example, if you have multiple locations for a hardware deployment, you can arrange it by geography.
