• Understand the importance of configuring Microsoft Project and using network schedules to manage the critical path
• Create a resource pool for managing staff and material resources
• Input task dependencies to create project schedules
• Gain immediate results that you can apply daily
• Network with others to collaborate on real-world challenges/solutions

Introduction to MS Project

Get started using MS Project by understanding how MS Project works, its capabilities and the differences in each version of the software.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the MS Project interface (including differences between the standard, professional and online editions)
• Level the playing field: Setting the scheduling standards
• Leverage work, units and duration (how they really work)
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of the version that you have

Working With Calendars

Understanding calendars is key to using MS Project well. You learn options for calendars, how to create and assign them and their impact on the schedule.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes:

• Understand how the calendars impact the schedule
• Understand the impact of the default calendar options
• Create and assign base/organizational calendars
• Create and manage project calendars
• Create and manage resource calendars
• Understand where to use task calendars and the impact on the schedule
• Use nonstandard work calendars (shift/nonstandard working days)

Setting Up the Resources

All projects require resources. MS Project can help you plan and leverage your resources when you know how to set project priorities and standards, and assign work, duration and units.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes:

• Set the project properties
• Leverage the project summary (connecting the base calendar to the schedule)
• Use the resource sheet, deciding what information is important to know about project resources
• Set the resource standards (work/material/cost resources)
• Use the part-time assignment function and the impact on work, duration and units
• Assign skills (generic) resources to the schedule
• Use resource rates to estimate costs

Work Breakdown Structures and Estimating

By creating and maintaining a work breakdown structure, you will be able to leverage the estimating capabilities of MS Project and customize fields to meet your needs.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes:

• Create and maintain a work breakdown structure
• Customize an outline field for tracking the location of the work
• Leverage the estimating capabilities of MS Project
• Create and use custom fields to calculate Level of Confidence estimates
• Create and use custom fields for 3 Point (PERT) estimates
• Use the work, units and duration fields for estimating

Scheduling Techniques, Part 1

Learn scheduling best practices and how to apply them to your work breakdown structure. You will be able to customize your views and share your schedule with stakeholders.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes:

• Discuss optimal (best) practices for scheduling
• Use the work breakdown structure
• Manage the order of execution
  • Finish to start
  • Start to start
  • Finish to finish
  • Lead and lag
• Create and maintain task dependencies
• Write a custom function to
  • Locate missing predecessors
  • Locate missing successors
• Share the schedule with project stakeholders

Scheduling Techniques, Part 2

Explore how to publish the schedule and choose the best communication format. You will be able to customize the schedule for presentations to audiences with varying needs.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes:

• Publish the schedule
• Communicate formats
  • Gantt format
  • Timeline
• Plan and troubleshoot format
  • Tracking Gantt
  • Network diagrams
• Use milestones and the deadline date
• Customize the schedule for presentation to different audiences

Updating and Reconciling the Schedule

Learn to update and reconcile your schedule to performance and actual progress.  Customize communication with team members in the ways that best fit your projects.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes:

• Reconcile individual progress on tasks
• Reconcile performance to date
• Update actual progress to date
• Develop a custom view for communicating with team members
  • Determine what to communicate
  • Create a custom table with just what the team needs to see
  • Create a custom filter to focus on the work cycle
  • Create a custom group to communicate the scheduled work

Project Management Foundations or equivalent, and familiarity with Microsoft Office