microsoft project tutorial eng

7/26/2019 Microsoft Project Tutorial ENG

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Microsoft Project: The Basics

If you're new to project management or Microsoft Project, you may have questions about

creating and managing a project. This tutorial provides information about basic projectmanagement and Microsoft Project concepts, and then leads you through lessons where you'lllearn how to create a plan, trac its progress, and communicate the results.

!ach lesson for creating your plan, tracing progress, and communicating results contains a setof step"by"step directions with simple navigation to lead you through the process. #lic a lessonunder The $asics or follow the lin below to get acquainted with project management andMicrosoft Project. To start building your project right away, clic #reate a plan on the menu atthe left.

What is project management?Project management is the process of planning, organi%ing, and managing tass and resources toaccomplish a defined objective, usually within constraints on time, resources, or cost. & project

plan can be simple, for eample, a list of tass and their start and finish dates written on anotepad. (r it can be comple, for eample, thousands of tass and resources and a project

budget of millions of dollars.

Most projects share common activities, including breaing the project into easily manageabletass, scheduling the tass, communicating with the team, and tracing the tass as wor

progresses. &nd all projects consist of three major phases)* $uild the plan+ Trac and manage the project #lose the project

The more successful these phases are, the greater your chance of a successful project.

The project triangle

If only you could foresee your project's future.... In a way you can, if you understand three

factors that shape every project) Time) The time to complete the project reflected in your project schedule.

Money) The project budget, based on the cost of the resources) the people, equipment,

and materials required to do the tass.

-cope) The goals and tass of the project and the wor required to complete them.

This trio of time, money, and scope is the project triangle. &djusting one of these elementsaffects the other two. hile all three elements are important, typically one will have the mostinfluence on your project.

The relationship between these elements differs in every project and determines the inds ofproblems you'll encounter and the solutions you can implement. /nowing where you'reconstrained or fleible maes it easier to plan and manage your project.


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The Microsoft Project database

&s project manager, you have a lot to do. 0ow does Microsoft Project help1 2irst, it stores thedetails about your project in its database. &nd it uses that information to calculate and maintain

the project's schedule, costs, and other elements, creating a project plan. The more informationyou provide, the more accurate the plan.

3ie a spreadsheet, Microsoft Project displays results of its calculations immediately. $ut theproject plan isn't done until you enter critical information about all tass. (nly then do you seewhen your project will end or the dates when tass are scheduled.Microsoft Project eeps the information you enter and the information it calculates in fields,which contain specific types of information, such as tas names or durations. In MicrosoftProject, each field usually appears in a column.

Today, you're focused on deadlines. Tomorrow, costs. The project database contains a lot ofinformation, but at any given time, you only need a portion of it. To get to information, use thesetools)

4iews present a subset of project information in a format that's easy to interpret. 2or

eample, the 5antt #hart displays basic tas information in columns and a bar graph.

Tables define the columns displayed.

2ilters focus on specific tass or resources.

3ie T4 channels, each view presents a different ind of information. Tables and filters fine"tunethe information. 6ust as switching channels doesn't delete them, changing views, tables, or filtersmay hide information, but it doesn't delete it. It's still in the database and is still updated.

How Microsoft Project schedules

0ow does Microsoft Project schedule a tas's start and finish1 It taes into account many factors,including tas dependencies, constraints, and interruptions, such as holidays or vacation days.Most importantly, Microsoft Project schedules each tas using the formuladuration=work/resource effort, where)

7uration is the actual amount of time that passes before the tas is done.

or is the effort required over a period of time to do the tas.

8esource effort is the amount of effort resources are assigned to the tas and their

allocation.

2or eample, if)

Three painters wor two days on a tas, with an effort of 9 hours per day, the wor for

each resource is *: hours) ;+ days < 9 hours=.

The total effort of the resources is +> hours per day) ; painters < 9 hours=.

The total wor for the tas is >9 hours) ;+ days < 9 hours < painters=.

The duration is + days) >9 hours ? ; painters < 9 hours=.

@nderstanding this formula is important to understanding how changes you mae to tass affect

the project schedule.


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Putting it together

&fter you've created the tas list and provided schedule information, your plan is built. Aou cansee a full model of your project, including its finish date and the start and finish dates for every

tas. hat's net1 8eview critical paths for potential problems. & critical path is a series of lined tass that

must be done on time for the project to finish on time. If any tas on a critical path isdelayed, it can end up delaying the project's finish date.

!valuate and optimi%e the plan until you're satisfied. $efore you start your project and

periodically during the project, you'll need to evaluate and adjust the project plan.#onsider scope, resources, and schedule.

@pdate Microsoft Project about the progress of tass. In return, it'll show you an updated

project plan. Aou can update the plan yourself, or your team can, with Microsoft Project

#entral or electronic mail. &fter the plan is updated, review it to see the effect of changes.Is the project over budget1 Is a team member now scheduled to wor overtime1 Is your

project going to end late1

#lose the project. !valuate the lessons learned and best practices.

Getting Help

This tutorial will help you get started, but you'll find additional components of 0elp by clicingthe 0ome button or by using the 0elp menu.

The Project Map. #lic through the phases of a project to learn about all steps of projectmanagement, including project management concepts and practices, as well as how to useMicrosoft Project.

hat's Bew. -ee hat's Bew to learn about new features in Microsoft Project +CCC.

Duic Preview. 5et an overview of the ey parts of Microsoft Project +CCC.

The (ffice &ssistant. The (ffice &ssistant can answer your specific questions, leading

you to the 0elp topics that best answer your questions.

8eference. #lic the 0ome button, and then clic the 8eference section for descriptions

of all available views, tables, and filtersE all fieldsE and project management concepts.

#ontents and Inde. #hoose #ontents and Inde from the 0elp menu to view an inde ofall 0elp topics.

Create a project planhen you have defined project goals and thought out the major phases of your project, it's timeto begin creating your plan.

2irst, enter and organi%e the list of tass to be completed, along with each tas's duration. Bet,add people, equipment, and materials and their costs to your plan. Then assign these resources to

tass. ith this information, Microsoft Project creates a schedule. Aou can verify the scheduleand adjust it as necessary.


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The lessons in this section guide you through creating your project plan.

esson: How do !ou set up a project?

The first steps in creating a schedule are starting a new file, designating a project start or finishdate, and entering general project information.hen you've completed this lesson, you will have a Microsoft Project file containing the projectname and other ey information, the project's start or finish date, and the project calendar.

Create a new projecthen you start a new project in Microsoft Project, you can enter your project's start or finishdate, but not both. It's recommended that you enter only your project's start date and letMicrosoft Project calculate the finish date after you have entered and scheduled tass.

If your project must be finished by a certain date, enter only the project's finish date. !ven if youinitially schedule from the project finish date, it's best to schedule from the project start date afterwor begins on the project.

* #lic Bew .The Bew button may be temporarily hidden. It may not appear because there is not enoughroom to display all the buttons. #lic More $uttons , and then clic Bew .

+ In the Project Information dialog bo, type or select a start date or a finish date for yourproject, and then clic (/.

#lic -ave.

> In the 2ile name bo, type a name for your project, and then clic -ave.

Tip Aou can change your project information at any time by clicing Project Information on theProject menu.

"nter #e! project information!ach project has a unique set of ingredients) the tass involved, the people who do them, and the

project goal. To help remember and communicate important details, enter information about theproject and refer to it when necessary.

* (n the 2ile menu, clic Properties, and then clic the -ummary tab.

+ !nter any information you'd lie about your project, such as the people who will manage itand maintain the project file, the project goal, any nown limitations that may mae itdifficult to reach that goal, and other general project notes.

#lic (/.Tip To loo for a menu command that doesn't appear, clic the arrows at the bottom of the menu.

The menu epands to show more commands. Aou can also epand a menu by double"clicing it.


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$et up the project calendarAou can change the project calendar to reflect the woring days and hours for everyone on your

project. The calendar defaults are Monday through 2riday, 9)CC &.M. to F)CC P.M., with an houroff for lunch.

Aou can specify nonworing times, such as weeends and evenings, as well as special days off,such as holidays.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic 5antt #hart.

+ (n the Tools menu, clic #hange oring Time.

-elect a date on the calendar.

To change one day of the wee for the entire calendar, for eample, to have 2ridays

end at >)CC P.M., clic the abbreviation for that day at the top of the calendar. To change all woring days, for eample, to begin woring days Tuesday through

2riday at G)CC &.M., clic the abbreviation ;such as T for Tuesday= for the firstworing day of the wee. 0old down -0I2T, and then clic the abbreviation for thelast woring day of the wee ;such as 2 for 2riday=.

> #lic Bonworing time for days off, or Bondefault woring time to change the hourswored.

F If you cliced Bondefault woring time in step , type the times you want wor to start inthe 2rom boes, and the times you want wor to end in the To boes.

: #lic (/.

esson:

How do !ou enter and organi%e a tas# list?2irst, list the steps needed to accomplish your project's goals. -tart with the large chuns of worand then brea down each chun into tass with single deliverables. &dd milestones. 2inally,gather and enter duration estimates.&fter you enter tas information, create an outline to help you see the project's structure.hen you've completed this lesson, you will have a tas list organi%ed into summary anddetailed tass.This lesson has fi&e procedures'


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"nter tas#s and their durations& typical project is a series of related tass. & tas represents an amount of wor with a cleardeliverableE it should be short enough to trac its progress regularly. Tass should generally be

between one day and two wees long.

!nter tass in the order they will occur. Then estimate how long it will tae to complete eachtas, and enter your estimate as the duration. Microsoft Project uses durations to calculate theamount of wor to be done on the tas.

Bote 7on't enter dates in the -tart and 2inish fields for each tas. Microsoft Project calculatesthe start and finish dates based on how the tass are related, information you'll enter in the netlesson.


+ In the Tas Bame field, type a tas name, and then press T&$.Microsoft Project enters an estimated duration of one day for the tas followed by a questionmar.

In the 7uration field, type the amount of time each tas will tae in months, wees, days,hours, or minutes, not counting nonworing time. Aou can use the following abbreviations)months H mowees H wdays H dhours H hminutes H m

Bote To show an estimated duration, type a question mar after the duration.

> Press !BT!8.Tip Aou can also add a note about a tas. In the Tas Bame field, select the tas, and then clicTas Botes . Type your information in the Botes bo, and then clic (/.

Bote The toolbar button you want may be temporarily hidden. It may not appear because there isnot enough room to display all the buttons. #lic More $uttons , and then clic Tas Botes .

Create a milestone

& milestone is a tas you use to identify significant events in your schedule, such as thecompletion of a major phase. hen you enter a duration of %ero days for a tas, MicrosoftProject displays the milestone symbol on the 5antt #hart at the start of that day.

* In the 7uration field, clic the duration of the tas you want to mae a milestone, and thentype Cd.

+ Press !BT!8.Bote &lthough a tas with a duration of C is automatically mared as a milestone, you can maeany tas a milestone. To mar a tas as a milestone, clic the tas in the Tas Bame field. #licTas Information , clic the &dvanced tab, and then select the Mar tas as milestone chec bo.

Tip To see all milestones, clic Milestones in the 2ilter list. To see the entire project again, clic&ll Tass in the 2ilter list.


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Create a recurring tas#8ecurring tass are tass that repeat regularly, such as weely meetings. & recurring tas can

tae place daily, weely, monthly, or yearly. Aou can specify the duration of each occurrence,when it will occur, and for how long or how many times it should occur.

* In the Tas Bame field, clic the row below where you want the recurring tas to appear.

+ (n the Insert menu, clic 8ecurring Tas.

In the Tas Bame bo, type the tas name.

> In the 7uration bo, type or select the duration of a single occurrence of the tas.

F @nder 8ecurrence pattern, clic 7aily, eely, Monthly, or Aearly.

: To the right of 7aily, eely, Monthly, or Aearly, specify the tas frequency.

@nder 8ange of recurrence, type a start date in the -tart bo and then select !nd after or !ndby.

If you selected !nd after, type the number of occurrences for the tas.

If you selected !nd by, type the date you want the recurring tas to end.

9 #lic (/.

Tip To view all instances of a recurring tas, clic the plus sign net to the main recurring tas.

$tructure tas#s into a logical outline(utlining helps organi%e your tass into more manageable chuns. Aou can indent related tassunder a more general tas, creating a hierarchy. The general tass are called summary tassE theindented tass below the summary tas are subtass. & summary tas's start and finish dates aredetermined by the start and finish dates of its earliest and latest subtass.To organi%e your outline, use outline buttons)

Indent (utdent-how -ubtass 0ide -ubtass-how &ll -ubtass


+ #lic the first tas you want to mae into a subtas.

(n the Insert menu, clic Bew Tas.

> In the inserted row, type the name of the new summary tas in the Tas Bame field.

F In the Tas Bame field, select the tass you want to mae into subtass.

: #lic Indent to indent these tass.


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Tip Aou can indent or outdent a tas quicly with the mouse. -elect the tas, and then positionthe pointer over the first letter of the tas name. hen the pointer changes to a two"way arrow,drag right to indent the tas or drag left to outdent the tas.

"dit a tas# list&s you create a tas list, you will probably want to brea large tass into smaller tass andrearrange tass. Aou may want to copy, delete, or move tass in your project.Aou can also easily rearrange project phases in an outlined schedule. hen you move or delete asummary tas, the subtass associated are moved or deleted as well.

* In the I7 field ;the leftmost field=, select the tas you want to copy, move, or delete.

To select a row, clic the tas I7 number.

To select a group of adjacent rows, hold down -0I2T, and then clic the first and last

I7 numbers of the group.

To select several nonadjacent rows, hold down #T83, and then clic the tas I7numbers.

+ #opy, move, or delete the tas.

To copy the tas, clic #opy.

To move the tas, clic #ut.

To delete the tas, press 7!3!T!.

To move the selection you cut or repeat the selection you copied, select the rows where youwant to paste it.

$e sure to select entire rows.

> #lic Paste .If there is information in the destination row, the new rows will be inserted above thedestination row.

Bote The toolbar button you want may be temporarily hidden. It may not appear because there isnot enough room to display all the buttons. #lic More $uttons , and then clic the button youwant.

Tip To add a new tas between eisting tass, clic a tas I7 number and then press the IB-!8Tey. Tass renumber automatically after you insert a new tas.

esson: When will tas#s start and finish?

&fter you create and outline your tas list, it's time to address how the tass relate to each otherand to specific dates. There are many types of tas relationships, such as lins that show one tasstarting as another finishes. These lins are called tas dependencies. Microsoft Projectautomatically determines the start and finish dates for tass that have dependencies to other

tass.


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The advantage of dependencies or JlinedJ tass is that whenever a tas changes, lined tassare automatically rescheduled. Aou can refine tas schedules using constraints, overlap or delaytass, and split tass when wor stops temporarily.hen you've completed this lesson, you will have a schedule for your project.This lesson has fi&e procedures'

"stablish relationships between tas#sTo establish relationships between tass, use tas dependencies. 2irst, select the related tass,lin them, and then change the dependency type, if necessary. The tas whose start or finishdepends on another tas is the successor. The tas that the successor is dependent on is the

predecessor. 2or eample, if you lin J0ang clocJ to JPaint wall,J then J0ang clocJ is thesuccessor and JPaint wallJ is the predecessor.&fter the tass are lined, changes to the predecessor's dates affect the successor's dates.

Microsoft Project creates a finish"to"start tas dependency by default. $ecause a finish"to"startdependency does not wor in every situation, you can change the tas lin to start"to"start,finish"to"finish, or start"to"finish to model your project realistically.


+ In the Tas Bame field, select two or more tass to lin in the order you want them lined.To select adjacent tass, hold down -0I2T, and then clic the first and last tas you want tolin.To select nonadjacent tass, hold down #T83, and then clic the tass you want to lin, inorder.

#lic 3in Tass .

> To change the tas lin, double"clic the lin line between the tass you want to change.The Tas 7ependency dialog bo appears. If the $ar -tyles dialog bo appears, you didn'tclic precisely on the tas lin and need to close this dialog bo and clic on the tas linagain.

F In the Type bo, select the tas lin you want, and then clic (/.Bote To unlin tass, select the tass you want to unlin in the Tas Bame field, and then clic@nlin Tass . The tass are rescheduled based on eisting lins to other tass, or constraints.

(&erlap tas#s or add lag time between them&fter you've sequenced tass by lining them, you can overlap or delay them as well. InMicrosoft Project, delay tass by adding lag time to the predecessor tas, and overlap tass byentering lead time. Aou can also enter lead or lag time as a percentage of the tas.

* In the Tas Bame field, clic the tas you want to add lead or lag time to ;it must havepredecessors=, and then clic Tas Information .

+ #lic the Predecessors tab.


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In the 3ag column, type the lead time or lag time you want, as a duration or as a percentageof the predecessor tas duration.

Type lead time as a negative number ;for eample, K+d for two days lead time= or as

a percentage.

Type lag time as a positive number or as a percentage.

> #lic (/.

Tip To quicly add lead or lag time to a successor tas, double"clic the lin line on the 5antt#hart, and then type the amount of lead or lag time in the 3ag bo of the Tas 7ependencydialog bo.

$et a specific start or finish date for a tas#Aou can schedule your tass most effectively by entering tas durations, creating dependencies

between tass, and then letting Microsoft Project calculate the start and finish dates for you.0owever, you can set a specific start or finish date for a tas if necessary.Tas constraints that tie tass to specific dates are called infleible constraintsE the mostinfleible constraints are specific start or finish dates. $ecause Microsoft Project taesconstraints into account when calculating your schedule, use these infleible constraints onlywhen tass must start or finish on a specific date.

* In the Tas Bame field, clic the tas you want to set a start or finish date for, and then clicTas Information .

+ #lic the &dvanced tab.

In the #onstraint type bo, clic a constraint type.

> Type or select a date in the #onstraint date bo, and then clic (/.Bote If you select a start date for a tas in the -tart field of the 5antt #hart, or if you drag a5antt bar to change the start date, Microsoft Project sets a -tart Bo !arlier Than ;-B!T=constraint based on the new start date. If you select a finish date for a tas, Microsoft Projectautomatically assigns a 2inish Bo !arlier Than ;2B!T= constraint.

)dd a deadline to a tas#hen you set a deadline for a tas, Microsoft Project displays an indicator if the tas isscheduled to finish after the deadline.-etting a deadline doesn't affect how tass are scheduled. It's just a way to have MicrosoftProject inform you that a tas will finish past its deadline. Aou then have the option of adjustingthe schedule to meet that deadline.


+ In the Tas Bame field, clic the tas that you want to set a deadline for.

#lic Tas Information and then clic the &dvanced tab.

> @nder #onstrain tas, type or select the deadline date in the 7eadline bo, and then clic


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(/.Tip Aou can drag the deadline symbol on the 5antt #hart to change the deadline date.

$plit a tas# into segmentsAou can split a tas if wor on the tas is interrupted and then resumes later in the schedule. Thisis useful, for eample, when you need to temporarily stop wor on a tas to wor on anothertas. Aou can split a tas as many times as necessary.

Bote that splitting a tas into parts is not the same as entering a recurring tas, a tas that occursat regular intervals, such as a staff meeting.


+ #lic -plit Tas .

(n the tas's 5antt bar, clic the date where you want the split to occur and drag the secondpart of the bar to the date that you want wor to begin again.

Tip Aou can remove the split by dragging a portion of a split tas so that it touches anotherportion.

esson: How do !ou assign resources?Aou should assign resources to tass when you want to)

Trac the amount of wor done by people and equipment assigned to tass or monitor

materials used.

0ave more fleibility in scheduling tass.

Monitor resources with too little or too much wor assigned.

/eep trac of resource costs.

If you don't enter resource information, Microsoft Project calculates your schedule using only

tas duration and dependencies.hen you've completed this lesson, you will have added people, equipment, and materials toyour project and assigned them to tass.This lesson has five procedures.

Create a resource listAou can use the 8esource -heet in Microsoft Project to create a list of the people, equipment,and material resources that mae up your team and carry out the project tass. Aour resource listwill consist of wor resources or material resources. or resources are people or equipmentE

material resources are consumable materials or supplies, such as concrete, wood, or nails.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic 8esource -heet.


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+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic !ntry.

In the 8esource Bame field, type a resource name.

> To designate resource groups, in the 5roup field for the resource name, type the name of the

group.

F In the Type field, specify the resource type)

2or a wor resource ;people or equipment=, set the resource type to or.

2or a material resource ;consumed throughout the project= set the resource type to

Material.

: 2or each wor resource ;people or equipment=, type the number of resource units availablefor this resource in the Ma. @nits field, as a percentage. 2or eample, type CCL to indicatethree full"time units of a particular resource.

2or each material resource ;supplies consumed throughout the project=, in the Material 3abelfield, type a measurement unit for the material resource, such as ton.

Botes

8esource groups can be used for sorting, filtering, or grouping tass by resources

belonging to a particular group. Aou can use groups to indicate the department a humanresource belongs to or to specify accounting codes for billing purposes.

Aou cannot assign resource groups to tass. If you want to specify consolidated

resources, such as J#arpentersJ or J!ditorsJ or J!ngineers,J enter that as the resourcename, and then assign the consolidated resource name to tass.

Tip &s you wor in the 5antt #hart or other tas views, you can enter additional resource names.To assign additional resources, clic &ssign 8esources , and then type a resource name in the

Bame field. Aou can also clic &ddress and select a resource from your e"mail address boo.

Change the wor# schedule for a resourceThe woring hours and days off defined in the project calendar are the default woring hours anddays off for each resource. hen an individual resource wors a different schedule entirely, or

when you need to account for vacations or equipment downtime, you can modify an individualresource calendar.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic 8esource -heet, and then select the resource whose schedule youwant to change.

+ (n the Project menu, clic 8esource Information, and then clic the oring Time tab.

(n the calendar, select the days you want to change.To change a day of the wee for the entire calendar, clic the abbreviation for the day at thetop of the calendar.

> #lic @se default, Bonworing time, or Bondefault woring time.hen you clic @se default, the selected days return to the Microsoft Project -tandard


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calendar default, which is Monday through 2riday, 9)CC &.M. to *+)CC P.M., and *)CC P.M. toF)CC P.M.

F If you cliced Bondefault woring time in step >, type the times that you want wor to startin the 2rom boes and the times that you want wor to end in the To boes.

: #lic (/.

Tip If a group of resources has the same special woring hours and days off, you can create anew base calendar for them. (n the Tools menu, clic #hange oring Time. #lic Bew, andtype a name for the new base calendar. #lic #reate new base calendar to begin with a defaultcalendar.

(r to base the new calendar on an eisting calendar, clic Mae a copy of, and then clic thecalendar name of the eisting calendar in the #alendar bo. #lic (/, and then modify the daysand hours on the calendar. (n the 4iew menu, clic 8esource -heet, and select the new base

calendar in the $ase #alendar field for each resource that you want to assign the calendar to.

)ssign resources to tas#shen you assign a resource to a tas, you create an assignment. Aou can assign any resource toany tas and change assignments at any time.Aou can assign more than one resource to a tas and specify whether a resource wors full"timeor part"time on a tas. If the wor assigned to a resource eceeds the daily full"time allotmentindicated in the resource's woring times calendar, Microsoft Project displays the name of theoverallocated resource in red in resource views.


+ In the Tas Bame field, clic the tas to which you want to assign a resource, and then clic&ssign 8esources .

In the Bame field, clic the resource you want to assign to the tas.

> To assign a resource part"time, type or select a percentage less than *CC in the @nits columnto represent the percentage of woring time you want the resource to spend on the tas.

To assign several different resources, hold down #T83 and clic the names of the

resources.

To assign more than one of the same resource ;such as two carpenters=, type or select

a percentage greater than *CC in the @nits column. If necessary, type the name of anew resource in the Bame column.

F #lic &ssign.& chec mar to the left of the Bame column indicates that the resource is assigned to theselected tas.

: #lic #lose.

Tip Aou can replace one resource with another. -elect the tas whose resource you want toreplace. In the &ssign 8esources dialog bo, select the assigned resource and clic 8eplace.-elect one or more resources to assign, and then clic (/.


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*i+ the duration of a tas#&s you assign more resources to a tas, Microsoft Project automatically decreases the duration ofthe tas. 2or eample, a tas with a one"day duration and one assigned resource has 9 hours ofwor. ith effort"driven scheduling, if you assign a second resource, the tas still has 9 hours of

wor, but its duration is reduced to half a day.If you want to change the amount of wor on the tas instead, you can turn off effort"drivenscheduling and assign another resource. The tas will then have *: hours of wor and still have aone"day duration.


+ In the Tas Bame field, select the tass for which you want to turn off effort"drivenscheduling.

#lic Tas Information , and then clic the &dvanced tab.

> #lear the !ffort driven chec bo, and then clic (/.Bow when you assign an additional resource, the tas's duration will not change.

Tip Aou can turn off effort"driven scheduling for all new tass you create. !isting tass will notbe affected. (n the Tools menu, clic (ptions, clic the -chedule tab, and then clear the Bewtass are effort driven chec bo.

Chec# and edit resource assignmentsThe 8esource @sage view shows project resources with their assigned tass grouped underneaththem. @sing the 8esource @sage view, you can find out how many hours each resource isscheduled to wor on specific tass and see which resources are overallocated. Aou can alsodetermine how much time each resource has available for additional wor assignments.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic 8esource @sage.To see different information about resource assignments, such as wor and cost, point toTable on the 4iew menu, and then clic the table you want to see in the 8esource @sageview.

+ In the 8esource Bame column, review the resource assignments.

To reassign a tas from one person to another, select the entire row, position the pointer overthe I7 field ;the leftmost column=, and then drag the tas to its new location.

Botes

Aou can change the timescale to another scale, such as wees, if that is more appropriate

for your project. (n the 2ormat menu, clic Timescale, and change the values in the@nits boes under Major scale and Minor scale.

#hanging the view or table does not add information to or remove information from your

projectE it only changes the project information that is displayed.

If a resource name is red and bold, the resource is overallocated.


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esson: How do !ou enter costs?

hether you need to account for each tas's epenses or the overall cost of the project, enteringrates for a resource's wor on tass or for fied tas costs enables you to see whether you are

staying within budget.

Aou can choose when to accrue costs, enter per"use and overtime rates for resources, and plan forraises.hen you've completed this lesson, you will have entered cost information for resources andtass. If you don't need to eep trac of costs in your project, clic 4iew the schedule at the leftto go on to the net lesson.

This lesson has fi&e procedures'

)ssign costs to resourcesMicrosoft Project allows you to assign rates to human and material resources so you can manage

project costs accurately. Aou can assign standard rates, overtime rates, or per"use rates toresources.



In the 8esource Bame field, select a resource or type a new resource name.

> In the Type field, clic or if the resource is a worer or machine, or Material if theresource is material or supplies ;such as cement=.

F 2or a wor resource, in the -td. 8ate, (vt. 8ate, or #ost?@se fields, type the resource rates.2or a material resource, in the Material 3abel field, type a measurement unit for the material

resource ;such as ton=, and in the -td. 8ate or #ost?@se fields, type a rate.

: Press !BT!8.Tip Aou can set the default standard and overtime rates for any new resources you enter. (n theTools menu, clic (ptions, and then clic the 5eneral tab. In the 7efault standard rate and7efault overtime rate boes, type the new rates. If you want to set this default for all future

projects, clic -et as 7efault.

Bote If the rate for a resource will change over the course of the project or if the resource will bepaid at different rates for different assignments, or if you wor with different grades of material,clic 8esource -heet on the 4iew menu. In the 8esource Bame field, select a resource and then

clic 8esource Information . Then, enter the information on the #osts tab.


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$et fi+ed tas# costshen you now an eact cost associated with a tas, such as equipment costs, you can enter afied cost.


+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic #ost.

In the 2ied #ost field for the tas, type the cost.

> Press !BT!8.Tip In the #ost table, you can also change when the fied cost is accrued by selecting an accrualmethod in the 2ied #ost &ccrual field.

,efine when costs accrueIn Microsoft Project, resource costs are prorated by default. Their accrual is distributed over itsduration. Aou can, however, change the accrual method so that resource costs tae effect at thestart or end of the tas instead.



In the &ccrue &t field, clic the accrual method you want to use.Botes

hen you enter timephased rate changes for a resource and use the prorated cost accrual

method, your costs will be calculated using the rates for the appropriate time periods andmay change during the completion of the tas.

Aou cannot prorate per"use resource costs or accrue them at the end of a tas assignment.

They always accrue at the start of the assignment.

$ee the cost of tas#s or resources

&fter you assign rates to resources or fied costs to tass, you may want to review the total costof these assignments to mae sure they fall within your epectations. If the total cost of a tas orresource does not meet your budget, you may need to eamine each individual tas's costs andeach resource's tas assignments to see where costs can be reduced.

* To see tas costs, on the 4iew menu, clic More 4iews, and then clic Tas -heet.To see resource costs, on the 4iew menu, clic 8esource -heet.

+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic #ost.Tips

Aou can also view how costs are distributed over a tas's duration in the Tas @sage view

by displaying its cost details. (n the 4iew menu, clic Tas @sage. (n the 2ormat menu,point to 7etails, and then clic #ost.


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Aou can view resource costs in more detail by clicing 8esource @sage on the 4iew

menu, pointing to 7etails on the 2ormat menu, and then clicing #ost. Aou can also seeresource cost totals displayed graphically by clicing 8esource 5raph on the 4iew menu,

pointing to 7etails on the 2ormat menu, and then clicing #ost or #umulative #ost.

$ee the cost of the entire projectAou can view your project's current, baseline, actual, and remaining costs to see whether you'restaying within your overall budget. These costs are updated each time Microsoft Projectrecalculates your project.

* (n the Project menu, clic Project Information.

+ #lic -tatistics.

@nder #ost in the #urrent row, view the total planned cost of the project.

Tips

&fter you set a baseline and begin to trac actual costs, you can compare the $aseline and

&ctual fields to see if total project costs are progressing as epected.

&s actual wor progresses, you can also compare the variance between the #urrent and

8emaining fields to see if you will have enough money to complete the project.

esson: How do !ou &iew the schedule and its

details?

&fter entering the basic project data, review it. ill you meet your deadlines1 If not, eamine thetass leading up to milestones and mae sure you have scheduled them efficiently.

2irst, loo at the big picture) the start and finish date and the critical path. Then chec the details.7isplay tass and resources in views that you can change to suit your needs.hen you've completed this lesson, you'll now how to see overall schedule information as wellas details.

This lesson has eight procedures'

$ee the entire project on the screenAou can get an overview of your project's start and finish dates and see when major phases willoccur by %ooming in and out on the 5antt #hart.


18/43


+ (n the 4iew menu, clic oom, clic !ntire project, and then clic (/.Tips

To see the 5antt bars on a larger or smaller timescale, clic oom In or oom (ut . If you have to scroll down to see the project's finish date, and you have outlined tass in a

hierarchy, you can loo at just the top"level summary tass. #lic the I7 field heading;the left uppermost cell in the 5antt #hart= and then clic 0ide -ubtass .

To see tass to a specific outline level, clic the I7 column heading ;the left uppermost

field in the 5antt #hart=. #lic -how , and then clic the outline level you want.

Chec# the project-s finish or start dateAou can review important project information, such as the finish date, to see if the project will

meet your epectations as it is currently scheduled.

(n the Project menu, clic Project Information, and then clic -tatistics.

The project's start and finish dates are shown, as well as the project's total wor and cost.

.dentif! the critical pathThe critical path is a series of tass that must be completed on time for a project to finish onschedule. Most tass in a typical project have some slac and can therefore be delayed a littlewithout affecting the project's finish date. Those tass that cannot be delayed without affectingthe project finish date are the critical tass. &s you modify tass to resolve overallocations orother problems in your schedule, be aware of the critical tassE changes to critical tass willaffect your project finish date.


+ #lic 5antt#harti%ard .

2ollow the 5antt#harti%ard instructions to format critical path tass.

Tips Aou can filter your schedule so that only the critical tass are displayed. (n the Project

menu, point to 2iltered for, and then clic #ritical. #lic &ll Tass in the 2ilter list todisplay all the tass again.

&fter filtering critical tass, you can sort them by duration so that the critical tass will be

in order, from the longest to the shortest. -orting the critical tass helps you see where toput your efforts in shortening tass.

$witch to a different &iewAou can display project information in tas views or resource views. -ome tas and resourceviews are in sheet views, containing columns ;called fields= of related information. Aou can


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change the table in a sheet view to see different fields of information. (ther views show tass orresource allocation graphically ;such as the #alendar, Betwor 7iagram, and 8esource 5raphviews=, or tass and resources related to a timescale ;such as the Tas @sage and 8esource @sageviews=.

(n the 4iew menu, clic the tas or resource view you want.If the view you want to see isn't on the 4iew menu, clic More 4iews for more choices.#lic a view in the 4iews list, and then clic &pply.

Bote #hanging the view neither adds information to nor removes information from your projectEit only changes what is displayed.

$ee different fields in a &iew&s you plan and trac your schedule, it's useful to loo at different combinations of information.$y changing the table applied to a sheet view, you can change the fields of information displayed

in that view.

* If necessary, on the 4iew menu, clic the view you want.To use a view that is not on the 4iew menu, clic More 4iews, clic the view you want in the4iews list, and then clic &pply.

+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic the table you want to apply.To apply a table that isn't on the Table submenu, clic More Tables, clic the tas or resourcetable you want, and then clic &pply.

Bote that the field headings change as you switch between tables.

,ispla! specific information b! using a filterhen you want to focus on certain tass or resources in the current view, you can apply a filterto the view. Aou can specify that the filter show or highlight only those tass or resources thatmeet the filter criteria.

* (n the Project menu, point to 2iltered for, and then clic the filter you want to apply.To apply a filter that isn't on the 2iltered for submenu or to apply a highlighting filter, clicMore 2ilters.

+ #lic &pply to apply the filter, or clic 0ighlight to apply a highlighting filter.

If you apply an interactive filter, type the requested values, and then clic (/.

> To turn off a filter, point to 2iltered for on the Project menu, and then clic &ll Tass or &ll8esources.

Bote Aou cannot apply tas filters to resource views or apply resource filters to tas views.Tip Aou can set an &uto2ilter in many views to quicly find a subset of data in a field. (n theProject menu, point to 2iltered for, and then clic &uto2ilter. #lic the arrow in the column thatcontains the information you want to display, and then clic a value you want to use to filter thetable. To turn off &uto2ilters, point to 2iltered for on the Project menu, and then clic &uto2ilteragain.


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$ort information in a &iewAou can sort tass or resources by criteria such as tas name, finish date, and resource name.-orting can be useful when you want to see tass in sequence. 2or eample, you can see whichtass should start or finish sooner.

-orting is maintained when you switch views and is saved when you close a project file.0owever, a custom sort cannot be saved.


+ (n the Project menu, point to -ort, and then clic the sorting option you want.

To customi%e a sort, on the Project menu, point to -ort, and then clic -ort by.

> In the -ort by bo, clic the field you want to sort by, and then clic &scending or7escending to specify the sort order.

F -pecify sorting options.

To sort by an additional field, clic the field in the first Then by bo, and then clic

&scending or 7escending to specify the sort order.

To permanently renumber your tass, select the Permanently renumber tass chec

bo.

To sort tass within their outline structure so that subtass remain with their summary

tass, select the /eep outline structure chec bo.

To reset the sort order bac to the default sort order, clic 8eset.

Bote #licing 8eset only resets the sort options in the -ort dialog bo to their default order. If

your tass were permanently reordered by using the Permanently renumber tass chec bo, thenclicing 8eset will not reset the numbered order of the tass.

Group information in a &iewIn many views, you can group information for tass or resources to compare and contrast data.2or eample, you may want to see all tass that have a similar duration grouped together.

* To group tas information, on the 4iew menu, clic More 4iews, and then clic Tas -heet.

To group resource information, on the 4iew menu, clic 8esource -heet.

+ (n the Project menu, point to 5roup by, and then clic the group you want to apply.To apply a group that isn't on the 5roup by submenu, clic More 5roups. 2or eample, forthe Tas -heet, clic 7uration to see tass grouped by duration. 2or the 8esource -heet,clic 8esource 5roup to see resources grouped by the information in the 5roup field.

To remove the grouping you applied, on the Project menu, point to 5roup by, and then clicBo 5roup.


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esson: How do !ou adjust !our schedule?

If, after viewing your schedule, you find that you won't meet your project finish date, you canadjust tass to shorten your schedule. Pay special attention to critical tass because any changes

to those tass may affect the finish date.#an a tas begin earlier1 @se lead time. Is there a date that a tas must absolutely start1 &dd aconstraint. &re some resources overwored and others free1 8eassign resources to shorten tass.hen you've completed this lesson, you'll have adjusted your schedule to meet the finish date.

This lesson has fi&e procedures'

Chec# and adjust a tas# dependenc!& tas dependency describes how a tas is related to the start or finish of another tas. Microsoft

Project provides four tas dependencies you can use to connect a series of tass in a schedule)finish"to"start ;the most commonly used dependency=, start"to"start, start"to"finish, and finish"to"finish. $y using these dependencies effectively, you can modify the critical path and shorten your

project schedule.Microsoft Project assigns a finish"to"start tas dependency when you lin tass. If anotherrelationship better models your tass, change the dependency type. 2or eample, when two tassneed to start at the same time, you can create a start"to"start lin. hen tass need to finish at thesame time, you can use a finish"to"finish lin.


+ 7ouble"clic the lin line of the tass you want to chec.The Tas 7ependency dialog bo appears. If the $ar -tyles dialog bo appears, you didn'tclic precisely on the tas lin and need to close this dialog bo and double"clic the taslin again.

In the Type bo, chec the tas dependency.

> To change the dependency, in the Type bo, clic the tas lin you want to use.Tips

If you have tass that can be wored on at the same time, you can shorten the critical path

most by changing the tas dependency. 2or eample, if two tass can be started at thesame time, you can change the tas dependency to start"to"start. If two tass should finishat the same time, you can change the tas dependency to finish"to"finish.

Aou can add lead or lag time to tass to mae their start or finish dates overlap each other

or to delay a predecessor tas. To quicly add lead or lag time to a successor tas, double"clic the lin line on the 5antt #hart, and then type the amount of lead or lag time in the3ag bo of the Tas 7ependency dialog bo. Type lead time as a negative number ;foreample, K+d for two days of lead time= or as a percentage. Type lag time as a positivenumber or as a percentage.


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(&erlap tas#sIf you have tass that can begin earlier than shown in your schedule, you can overlap ;add leadtime= to more accurately model how the wor will be done.2or eample, if the electricians can begin wiring outlets before the walls are all finished, you can

use time more efficiently by starting the Jire outletsJ tas after half of the walls have beenroughed in. To do this, you set up a lead time between the finish of the J8ough"in wallsJ tas andthe start of the Jire outletsJ tas. In Microsoft Project, you type lead time as a negative numberor as a negative percentage, such as KFC or KCL.

* In the Tas Bame field, clic the tas you want, and then clic Tas Information .

+ #lic the Predecessors tab.

In the 3ag field, type the lead time you want, as a negative number or as a percentage.Tips

Aou can quicly add lead time to a successor tas by double"clicing the lin on the

5antt #hart, and then typing the amount of lead time in the Tas 7ependency dialog bo.

Aou can also delay tass by adding lag time. 2or eample, if you need a +"day delay

between the finish of one tas and the start of another, double"clic the lin line on the5antt #hart, and then type +d in the 3ag field of the Tas 7ependency dialog bo.

Chec# and adjust constraints on tas#s

Tas constraints can help you create a more accurate schedule by tying tass to specific dates.2or eample, you can specify that a tas must start no earlier than a particular date or finish nolater than a particular date. Aou can change the constraint on a tas from the default, &s -oon &sPossible, to seven other constraints or reset it to the default constraint to better reflect when thetas will be done.


+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic More Tables.

In the Tables list, clic #onstraint 7ates, and then clic &pply.

Aou may need to drag the divider bar to the right to view the #onstraint Type and #onstraint7ate fields.The #onstraint 7ates table shows the tas name, duration, constraint type for all constraints,and the constraint date, as applicable.If the field you want to see isn't visible, press T&$ to move to it.

> 2or each tas with a constraint other than the default, &s -oon &s Possible, loo at thepredecessor tass and successor tass on the 5antt #hart to determine if you really need theconstraint.

F #hange a constraint if necessary. To change a constraint type, in the #onstraint Type field, clic the arrow, and then

clic the appropriate constraint.


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To change a constraint date, type or select the date in the #onstraint 7ate field.

Botes

If you type a start date for a tas or drag a 5antt bar to change the start date, Microsoft

Project sets a -tart Bo !arlier Than ;-B!T= constraint based on the new start date. If youtype a finish date for a tas, Microsoft Project automatically assigns a 2inish Bo !arlier

Than ;2B!T= constraint. If you're scheduling your project from a finish date, typing a start date for a tas or

dragging a 5antt bar to change the start date sets a -tart Bo 3ater Than ;-B3T=constraint. If you type a finish date for a tas, Microsoft Project automatically assigns a2inish Bo 3ater Than ;2B3T= constraint.

Ma#e tas#s shorter b! adding more resources&fter you've assigned resources to a tas, Microsoft Project recalculates the tas's duration if youadd or remove additional resources. 2or eample, if you add another resource to an effort"driven

tas with a four"day duration and one assigned resource, the tas will be shortened to two days.If you have more fleibility with your resource assignments than schedule deadlines, addingresources can be an effective way to shorten your schedule.


+ In the Tas Bame field, clic the tas to which you want to assign more resources, and thenclic &ssign 8esources .

In the Bame field, clic the resource you want to assign to the tas.If necessary, type the name of a new resource in the Bame field.

> #lic &ssign.& chec mar to the left of the Bame field indicates that the resource is assigned to theselected tas.

Bote If the tas duration isn't affected by adding resources, ensure the scheduling options are setto effort"driven scheduling. #lic Tas Information , and then clic the &dvanced tab. $e surethe !ffort driven chec bo is selected and the tas type is 2ied @nits or 2ied or.Tips

If you don't now which resources are available to tae on more wor, you can see

current resource allocations by clicing 8esource @sage on the 4iew menu.

To assign a resource part"time, type a value less than *CC in the @nits field to representthe percentage of woring time you want the resource to spend on the tas. To assignmore than one of the same resource ;such as two carpenters=, type a percentage amountgreater than *CC in the @nits field.

To assign several different resources, hold down #T83 as you clic nonadjacent

resources or hold down -0I2T as you clic adjacent resources.

$plit a tas# into segments-plitting tass may help adjust your schedule. Aou can split a tas so that the tas is interrupted,

and then resumes later in the schedule.


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-plitting tass is useful when you need to stop wor on a tas temporarily to wor on anothertas. Aou can split a tas as many times as necessary. -plitting a tas into parts is not the same asentering a recurring tas scheduled to occur at regular intervals, such as a staff meeting.


+ #lic -plit Tas .

Move the pointer over the tasbar you want to split, and then clic the tasbar where youwant the split to occur.

Bote The toolbar button you want may be temporarily hidden. It may not appear because there isnot enough room to display all the buttons. #lic More $uttons , and then clic -plit Tas .Tips

Aou can create a longer split by clicing and dragging the tasbar to the right.

Aou can remove the split by dragging a portion of a split tas so that it touches another

portion.

esson: How do !ou sa&e the plan along the

wa!?

&fter you've entered tas, resource, and cost information for your project, you can save asnapshot of your original plan, called a baseline.To save a checpoint of actual progress on the project, you can save an interim plan and comparechanges to your baseline plan.&fter the project is underway, you can enter actual information and compare that data to the

baseline.hen you've completed this lesson, you'll have a baseline of your project for future reference.

This lesson has two procedures'

$a&e a baseline planhen you've entered all of your project information and you're ready to start actual wor, youcan save a baseline of your project's information to compare with the actual progress of your

project. @sing a baseline, you can trac the progress of your schedule so you can mae thenecessary corrections. 2or eample, you can see which tass started later than planned, howmuch wor resources performed, and whether your budget's on trac.

* (n the Tools menu, point to Tracing, and then clic -ave $aseline.

+ #lic !ntire project to save a project baseline.#lic -elected tass to add new tass to an eisting baseline.


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#lic (/.Tip To create a budget, first assign resources and enter rate information or any fied costs, andthen save a baseline. The cost information in the baseline plan can serve as a budget. Aou cannotsave this information in an interim plan.

Bote If you haven't yet entered all your basic project information when you first save your file,

you can choose to save it without a baseline.

$a&e an interim plan&fter you save a baseline of your project's information, you can save up to *C interim plans aschecpoints during the project.

* (n the Tools menu, point to Tracing, and then clic -ave $aseline.

+ #lic -ave interim plan.

In the #opy bo, clic the name of the current interim plan.

> In the Into bo, clic a name for the net interim plan, or specify a new name.

F #lic !ntire project to save an interim plan for the whole project.#lic -elected tass to save a portion of the schedule.

: #lic (/.Bote &n interim plan saves the tass' start and finish dates into -tart and 2inish fields. Aou can

display these interim plan dates by adding the -tart and 2inish fields to a table.

Trac# and manage progress

hen you manage a project, you need to monitor the elements of the project triangle) time,money, and scope. &djusting one of these elements affects the other two. !vents such asunepected delays, cost overruns, and resource changes can cause problems in your schedule.If you eep your project information up to date, you can always see the latest status of the

project. That way, you can identify problems early that might affect your project's success anduse Microsoft Project to find solutions.The lessons in this section will show you how to trac and manage wor on your project.

esson: How do !ou trac# the actual progress

on tas#s?

(nce you've set up your project and wor has begun, you can eep trac of actual start and finish

dates, tass' percentage of completion, and actual wor. Tracing actuals shows you howchanges affect other tass and, ultimately, the project's finish date.


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hen you've completed this lesson, you'll now how to enter actual tas information and see itseffects on the schedule.This lesson has se&en procedures'

Chec# if tas#s are progressing according to

planTo eep your project on schedule, mae sure that tass start and finish on schedule. The Tracing5antt view helps find trouble spots, tass that vary from the baseline plan. Aou can then adjusttas dependencies, reassign resources, or delete some tass to meet your deadlines.The Tracing 5antt view pairs the current schedule with the original schedule for each tas.hen you've saved the project with a baseline, but before you've entered actual data on progress,the Tracing 5antt view shows tass with the baseline bars and the scheduled or actual bars

synchroni%ed.

&s you enter actuals, the top bar may move to show a departure from plan. 2or eample, if thestart date of JInventory artifactsJ moves by two days and is over half complete at FFL, the redscheduled bar etends two days beyond the lower baseline bar.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic Tracing 5antt.

+ To view the variance fields, on the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic 4ariance.

If necessary, press T&$ to see the variance fields.

> (n the 4iew menu, point to Toolbars, and then clic Tracing.

F @pdate the progress of the tass in your project.

If the tas has started as scheduled, clic the tas, and then clic @pdate as

-cheduled .

If the tas is not progressing as scheduled, in the net lessons you'll learn how to

enter actual start and finish dates, enter the actual duration of the tas, or update atas's progress as a percentage.

Bote Aou must have saved a baseline in order to have variance information.

"nter actual start and finish dates for a tas#Tass that start or finish late can throw an entire project off schedule by delaying the start orfinish dates of related tass. Tass that start or finish early can free resources to wor on othertass that are behind schedule. Microsoft Project uses the actual values you enter to reschedulethe remaining portions of your project.


+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Toolbars, and then clic Tracing if it is not already selected.


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In the Tas Bame field, select the tass you want to update.To select nonadjacent tass, hold down #T83, and then clic the tass. To select adjacenttass, hold down -0I2T, and then clic the first and last tas to update.

> #lic @pdate Tass .

F @nder &ctual, type or select a date in the -tart or 2inish bo.If you enter a finish date, mae sure that the tas is *CCL completeE Microsoft Project willassume the date is correct and reschedule tass accordingly.

: #lic (/.Bote !ntering an actual start date or actual finish date for a tas changes the correspondingscheduled date for that tas. $aseline dates, however, are not affected.

"nter the actual duration of a tas#If you now the number of days a tas has been in progress and if it is progressing as planned,you can trac progress by entering the duration that the resource has been woring on the tas.hen you enter the actual duration of a tas, Microsoft Project updates the actual start date, thetas's percentage of completion, and the duration of the tas remaining in the schedule.


+ In the Tas Bame field, clic the tas for which you want to enter the actual duration.

(n the Tools menu, point to Tracing, and then clic @pdate Tass.

> In the &ctual dur bo, type the actual duration of the tas.

F #lic (/.Tip If you thin the tas is going to be finished sooner or later than originally scheduled, you canenter a new value in the 8emaining dur bo.

Bote If you enter an actual duration longer than or equal to the scheduled duration, the tasbecomes *CCL complete, and the scheduled duration then equals the actual duration.

/pdate a tas#-s progress as a percentageAou can indicate how much progress has been made on a tas by entering the percentage of thetas duration that is complete. 2or relatively short tass, it may not be worthwhile to trac

progress in such detailE but for long tass, indicating the percentage of completion for the tashelps you trac actual progress against the baseline plan.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic 5antt #hart

+ In the Tas Bame field, clic the tas for which you want to update progress.

#lic Tas Information , and then clic the 5eneral tab.


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> In the Percent complete bo, type a whole number between C and *CC.

F #lic (/.Botes

Microsoft Project calculates the summary tas's percentage of completion based on the

progress of its subtass. Aou can also manually enter the summary tas's percentage ofcompletion, which Microsoft Project will use to calculate the percentage of completionfor its subtass.

$y default, Microsoft Project indicates the tas's percentage of completion as a thin,

blac line drawn hori%ontally through the middle of each 5antt bar on the 5antt #hart.

hen you mar a tas as *CCL complete, Microsoft Project displays a chec mar in the

Indicators field.Tip Aou can use the buttons on the Tracing toolbar to update progress on a tas and to performother tracing activities. To view the Tracing toolbar, point to Toolbars on the 4iew menu, andthen clic Tracing.

/pdate actual wor# b! time periodAou can trac actual wor using the timephased fields in Microsoft Project. Tracing using thetimephased fields helps you eep your project up to date periodically because you can enterinformation for a particular day in your schedule.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic Tas @sage.

+ (n the 2ormat menu, point to 7etails, and then clic &ctual or.

In the timephased portion of the view, in the &ctual or field, type the actual wor of eachassigned resource.

Tips

If it maes no difference which of the resources assigned to a tas performs the wor, in

the &ctual or field for the tas, type a value for the combined wor done on the tasby all the resources. Microsoft Project divides the actual and remaining wor among theresources based on when they are scheduled on the tas and the remaining wor for eachassignment.

Aou can also type actual wor for a wee at a time. (n the 4iew menu, clic oom, and

clic * month to display the timescale in weely increments. Then, type actual wor for

the wee in the &ctual or field.

$ee if tas#s ha&e more or less wor# than

plannedIf you're managing resource assignments in your project, you need to mae sure resourcescomplete tass in the time scheduled. If you've saved a baseline for your project, you can checthe variance information.

4ariances in your schedule can be good as well as bad, depending on the type and severity of thevariance. & tas with less wor than planned, for eample, is usually good news but may indicatethat your resources are not allocated efficiently.


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+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic or.If necessary, press T&$ to view the &ctual field.

#ompare the values in the or, $aseline, and &ctual fields.The values in the 4ariance field show the difference between the wor scheduled and theoriginally planned amount of wor saved in the baseline.

Compare actual tas# information to the

baselinehen you save a baseline plan and then update your schedule, you can compare the baseline

plan to your actual progress to identify variances. 4ariances alert you to the areas of the projectthat are not going as planned.To eep your project on schedule, mae sure that tass start and finish on time as much as

possible. !very project has variances, but it is important to find tass that vary from the baselineplan as soon as possible so you can adjust tas dependencies, reassign resources, or delete sometass to meet your deadlines.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic Tracing 5antt.The Tracing 5antt view shows tas variances graphically, maing it easier to see variancesin your schedule.

+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic 4ariance.If necessary, press T&$ to view the variance fields.

Bote Aou must update tass' actual start and finish dates, actual wor values, or actual durationsbefore variances will appear. Microsoft Project calculates the other tas information based on theinformation you enter.

esson: How do !ou trac# the actual wor# b!

resource?Aou may need to trac how much wor each resource on your project completes tas by tas orcumulatively for the project. Then you can compare the planned and actual amounts of wor.This comparison can help you eep trac of your resources' performance and plan worloads forfuture projects.hen you've completed this lesson, you'll now how to enter actual wor done by a resource andsee the variance between a resource's planned and actual wor.This lesson has three procedures.


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"nter the total actual wor# done b! a

resourceIf you schedule tass based on the availability of resources, trac the progress of your tass by

updating the wor completed on a tas. @sing this approach, you can trac the wor that eachresource is performing.hen you update the actual wor a resource has done on a tas, Microsoft Project automaticallycalculates the wor remaining by subtracting the actual wor done by the resource from the totalwor the resource is scheduled to do.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic Tas @sage.

+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic or.In the Tas Bame field, both tas and resource names are listed. If necessary, press T&$ toview the &ctual field.

In the &ctual field for each resource, type the updated wor value and the durationabbreviation for the actual wor of each assigned resource.

Tip If it maes no difference which resource assigned to a tas performs the wor, then type avalue for the combined wor done on the tas by all the resources in the &ctual field for the tas.Microsoft Project divides the actual and remaining wor among the resources based on whenthey are scheduled on the tas and the remaining wor for each assignment.

/pdate a resource-s actual wor# b! time

periodAou can trac actual wor for individual resources using the timephased fields in MicrosoftProject. Tracing resources' actual wor by using the timephased fields can help you eep your

project up to date by time period because you can enter information for a particular day ;or othertime period= in your schedule.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic 8esource @sage.

+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic or.

(n the 2ormat menu, point to 7etails, and then clic &ctual or.

> In the &ct. or field for the resource, type the actual wor value.

$ee the &ariance between a resource-s

planned and actual wor#If you schedule tass based on the availability of resources and you trac actual wor, you can

analy%e how much total wor a resource is accomplishing by looing at the variance between thebaseline wor and actual wor. Aou can also compare those figures to the baseline wor andactual wor over time to see how the resource's wor is progressing in greater detail.


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+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic or.If necessary, press T&$ to view the $aseline and &ctual fields.

#ompare the values in the $aseline and &ctual fields for each resource.

> Mae sure the or and &ct. or fields are displayed in the the timescaled portion of theview. (n the 2ormat menu, point to 7etails, and then clic or if it's not already selected.(n the 2ormat menu, point to 7etails, and then clic &ctual or, if it's not already selected,to display it as well.

F In the timescale portion of the view, compare the or and &ct. or fields for a dailysummary of each resource's wor.

esson: How do !ou compare actual costs to

budget?

Aou may want to trac cost overruns in a phase of your project or learn how much a particularresource costs you on a certain day. (r you may simply need to see how much total cost hasaccrued.

Tracing costs for your project can help you see where changes need to be made to finish yourproject on time and within budget and can help in planning budgets for future projects.hen you've completed this lesson, you'll now how to enter and view actual costs.This lesson has five procedures.

"nter actual tas# costs manuall!Microsoft Project automatically updates actual costs as a tas progresses based on the tas'saccrual method and the rates of the resources. $ut if you want to trac actual costs separatelyfrom the actual wor on a tas, you can enter costs manually instead.

To update costs manually you must first turn off the automatic updating of actual costs and thenenter your own actual cost for an assignment after the remaining wor is %ero.

* (n the Tools menu, clic (ptions, and then clic the #alculation tab.

+ #lear the &ctual costs are always calculated by Microsoft Project chec bo.

#lic (/.

> (n the 4iew menu, clic Tas @sage.

F (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic Tracing.

: If necessary, press T&$ to view the &ct. #ost field.


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In the &ct. #ost field, type the actual cost for the assignment whose costs you are updating.Tips

Aou can set the fied cost for a tas to accrue at the beginning or the completion of a tas

or to be prorated for the length of the tas. #lic 5antt #hart on the 4iew menu. (n the

4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic #ost. In the 2ied #ost &ccrual field, type orselect the accrual method you want.

In addition to a standard rate, sometimes assignment costs include a fied amount

charged for a resource each time the resource is assigned to a tas, such as equipmentcosts, setup charges, delivery, or rental fees. Aou can enter this per"use cost by clicing8esource -heet on the 4iew menu, and then typing a new cost in the #ost?@se field forthe resource whose per"use cost you want to change.

/pdate actual costs b! time periodAou can trac actual costs using the timephased fields in Microsoft Project. Tracing actual costsusing the timephased fields can help you eep your project up to date by time period because youcan enter information for a particular day or other time period in your schedule.

* Microsoft Project automatically updates actual costs as a tas progresses based on theaccrual method you set. Aou must first turn off the automatic updating of actual costs to editactual costs. (n the Tools menu, clic (ptions, and then clic the #alculation tab.

+ #lear the &ctual costs are always calculated by Microsoft Project chec bo.

#lic (/.

> (n the 4iew menu, clic Tas @sage.

F (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic #ost.

: (n the 2ormat menu, point to 7etails, and then clic #ost.

(n the 2ormat menu, point to 7etails, and then clic &ctual #ost.

9 To enter actual cost values for a tas, select a day or other time period in the timescale

portion of the view, and then type a value into the &ct. cost field for the tas.To enter actual values for a resource, select a day or other time period in the timescaleportion of the view, and then type a value into the &ct. cost field for the resource.

Tip Aou can enter actuals in other time increments, such as wees. (n the 4iew menu, clicoom, and clic the increment you want.

$ee if tas#s cost more or less than budgetedIf you assign fied costs to tass or specify wages for resources, you may want to see tass thatcost more than budgeted. $y creating a budget using a baseline plan and closely tracing your

project costs, you can catch cost overruns early and adjust either your schedule or your budgetaccordingly.


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Microsoft Project calculates the cost of each resource's wor, the total cost for each tas andresource, and the total project cost. These costs are considered scheduled or projected costs,which reflect the latest cost picture as the project progresses.


+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic #ost.If necessary, press T&$ to view the Total #ost and $aseline fields.

#ompare the values in the Total #ost and $aseline fields.2or the cost variance, loo at the value in the 4ariance field.

Tips

To see the total cost, baseline, and variance information for the entire project, you can

display the project summary tas. (n the Tools menu, clic (ptions, and then clic the4iew tab. @nder (utline options, select the Project summary tas chec bo, and thenclic (/.

Aou can view the resources assigned to a tas and the resource costs related to that tas.

(n the 4iew menu, clic Tas @sage. (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic#ost. 7rag the divider bar to the right and compare the values in the Total #ost, $aseline,&ctual, and 8emaining fields for the resources assigned to that tas.

$ee the total project costsAou can view your project's current, baseline, actual, and remaining costs to see whether you'restaying within your budget. These costs are updated each time Microsoft Project recalculatesyour project.

* (n the Project menu, clic Project Information.

+ #lic -tatistics.The current, baseline, actual, and remaining costs are displayed in the #osts column.

)nal!%e costs with the "arned 0alue tablehen you want to compare your epected progress with the actual progress to date, you can use

the !arned 4alue table. It compares, in terms of costs, each tas's baseline schedule with theactual schedule.Aou can also use the !arned 4alue table to forecast whether the tas will finish under or over

budget based on the cost incurred while the tas is in progress. 2or eample, if a tas is FCLcomplete and the actual cost incurred to date is N+CC, you can see if N+CC is more than, less than,or equal to FCL of the baseline ;or budgeted= cost. The 4 field displays the variance atcompletion between baseline cost and scheduled cost for a tas.


+ (n the 4iew menu, point to Table, and then clic More Tables.

In the Tables list, clic !arned 4alue, and then clic &pply.


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> 7rag the divider bar to the right to display all of the !arned 4alue table fields. The values arecalculated based on the actual wor and costs up through and including the current date.To change the calculation date, on the Project menu, clic Project Information. In the -tatusdate bo, type the date you want to use, and then clic (/.

Tips

Move the mouse pointer over a field name to get a description of the fieldE for eample,position the pointer over the 4 field and clic 0elp on 4 for a description of thefield.

In the Tas @sage view, you can view earned value data over time periods such as daily,

weely, monthly, quarterly, or yearly. (n the 2ormat menu, clic 7etail -tyles, and thenclic the @sage 7etails tab. In the &vailable fields list, hold down #T83, clic the earnedvalue fields you want to display ;such as P, $#P, #4, or -4=, and then clic-how. 7ouble"clic the timescale to change the time periods that you see.

To see cost variances for the entire project, you can display the project summary tas. (n

the Tools menu, clic (ptions. #lic the 4iew tab and under (utline options, select theProject summary tas chec bo.

esson: How do !ou balance a resource-s

wor#load?

Aou should chec your schedule for resources with too much or too little wor. If some resourcesare overallocated, see if adding more resources to a tas or reassigning a tas will give you theresults you want.If this doesn't wor, you can delay tass assigned to an overwored resource until later in theschedule or reduce the amount of wor for tass.hen you've completed this lesson, you'll now how to manage worloads.This lesson has five procedures.

*ind o&erallocated resources and their tas#

assignmentsPeople and equipment are overallocated when they are assigned more wor than they cancomplete in their scheduled woring hours. $efore you can resolve overallocations, you mustdetermine which resources are overallocated, when they are overallocated, and what tass theyare assigned to at those times. To resolve the problem, the people and equipment must beallocated differently or the tas must be rescheduled to a time when the resource is available.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic 8esource @sage.The 8esource @sage view shows the total hours the resource is woring, the total hours theresource is woring on each tas, and the hours wored per time period on the timescale.

8esources with no tass yet assigned do not have tass listed under their names.

Tass with no resources assigned are listed under @nassigned in the 8esource Bame

field.


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+ (n the Project menu, point to 2iltered for and then clic (verallocated 8esources.&ny wor resources that are overallocated are displayed and highlighted.

Tips

If you see number signs ;OO= in the timescale portion of the 8esource @sage view, the

columns in the timescale are not wide enough to display the information. To change thewidth of the columns, clic Timescale on the 2ormat menu, and then increase the value inthe -i%e bo.

Aou can see how much of a resource's wor is allocated to particular tass and per time

period. (n the 2ormat menu, clic 7etail -tyles. #lic the @sage 7etails tab and in the&vailable fields list, clic Percent &llocation, and then clic -how.

1educe a resource-s wor#&fter you've assigned a resource to a tas, you can change the total wor values for the

resource's wor on the tas or change wor values for a specific time period when the resourcewors on the tas. Tailoring wor values this way can mae your schedule more accurate at afiner level of detail.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic Tas @sage.8esources are grouped under the tass they are assigned to.

+ In the table ;left= portion of the view, enter a new value in the or field to change the totalwor value for an assignment.

Tip Aou can also use the 8esource @sage view to see and edit wor values for tass groupedunder the resources are assigned to them. (n the 4iew menu, clic 8esource @sage.

Bote Aou can also change the individual wor values ;or hours= for the assigned resources on thetimescale portion of the view.

1eassign wor# to another resourceIf you have tried to resolve a resource overallocation using other methods and the overallocation

persists, it may be time to reassign the tas to another resource with more time. This is analternate method of manually leveling your schedule by reassigning wor rather than delayingwor.


+ (n the 2ormat menu, point to 7etails, and then clic (verallocation.

3oo at the timescale on the right and, for each highlighted overallocation, eamine theavailability of other resources on that day.

> #lic the I7 field to select the entire row of the tas you need to reassign.

F 7rag the tas to the resource that you want to reassign it to.


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,ela! a tas#& simple way to resolve a resource overallocation is to delay a tas assigned to the resource untilthe resource has time to wor on it. Aou can add delay to a tas, chec the effect on theresource's allocation, and then adjust the delay further if necessary.

7elaying a tas also delays the start dates of its successors and can affect the finish date of yourschedule. To avoid this, delay tass with free slac first ;noncritical tass= and only delay themup to the amount of slac that is available for each tas. !periment with adding delay todifferent tass to see the effect on your schedule.

* (n the 4iew menu, clic More 4iews.

+ In the 4iews list, clic 8esource &llocation, and then clic &pply.

In the timephased portion on the top right, overallocation for a resource is displayed

in red.

In the bar chart below, slac for tass to which the resource is assigned appearsgraphically as a thin slac bar adjoining the regular 5antt bar.

In the 8esource Bame field in the top left portion of the view, clic the resource name for theoverallocated resource with a tas you want to delay.

> In the 3eveling 7elay field ;bottom left portion of the view= for the tas you want to delay,type the amount of time that you want the tas to be delayed.To ensure that successor tass are not affected, do not enter more lag than the amount of freeslac for that tas.

F To return to a single view, on the indow menu, clic 8emove -plit.

Change a resource-s wor#ing da!s and hoursThe project calendar designates the default wor schedule for the project, but you can create aresource calendar to indicate wor hours, vacations, leaves of absence, and sic time forindividual resources.

* (n the Tools menu, clic #hange oring Time.

+ In the 2or bo, clic the resource whose calendar you want to change.

(n the calendar, select the days you want to change.To change a day of the wee for the entire calendar, select the day at the top of the calendar.

> #lic @se default, Bonworing time, or Bondefault woring time.

F If you cliced Bondefault woring time in step >, type the times you want wor to start inthe 2rom boes and the times you want wor to end in the To boes.

: #lic (/.

Tip If a group of resources will have the same special woring hours and days off, you can createa new base calendar for them. #lic Bew in the #hange oring Time dialog bo, and type aname for the new base calendar. #lic #reate new base calendar to begin with a default calendar.


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(r, to base it on an eisting calendar, clic Mae a copy of, and then clic the calendar name inthe #alendar bo. #lic (/, and then modify the days and hours on the calendar. (n the 4iewmenu, clic 8esource -heet, and select the new base calendar in the $ase #alendar field for eachresource you want to assign it to.

Communicating results

To manage a project effectively, you need to communicate and distribute project information.Aou might prepare reports or presentationsE publish information on a eb siteE or use MicrosoftProject #entral to communicate with your worgroup on the eb.ith Microsoft Project, you can format and publish views and print reports to meet the needs ofa particular person or group. Aou can publish the information in eb format ;0TM3= or includeit in a presentation using a program such as Microsoft PowerPoint.

The lessons in this section show how to communicate and distribute results on your project.

esson: How do !ou format the schedule to

loo# the wa! !ou want?

hen you have a large tas list, it can be difficult to focus on areas that concern you. Toemphasi%e what you need to see, you can customi%e the format of the tas list and the 5antt bars.Aou can format categories of information, such as all tass that must end by a certain date. Aou

can also mae some tass bold or use a different font for them.This lesson has four procedures'

/se the GanttChartWi%ard for eas! formattingThe 5antt#harti%ard is a series of interactive dialog boes containing options that you select toformat the 5antt #hart, such as highlighting the critical path. hen you finish selecting theoptions you want, the 5antt#harti%ard formats your 5antt #hart for you.


+ #lic 5antt#harti%ard .

2ollow the 5antt#harti%ard instructions.Tip To undo the formatting you chose with the 5antt#harti%ard, clic 5antt#harti%ard andreapply the default options by clicing Bet for each step to return the 5antt #hart to its defaultsettings.

*ormat a categor! of Gantt barsTo call attention to all tass of a certain category, you can chang

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