ExecuTrain Austin

Microsoft Project 2007
Part Two

Entering Task Progress

KEEP PROJECT INFORMED AS TASKS MOVE TOWARD COMPLETION, AND VIEW THIS PROGRESS USING A VARIETY OF METHODS, EASILY STAYING APPRISED OF OVERALL PROJECT STATUS.

Details:

• Update tasks as they move toward completion, including any changes to resources and notes that document relevant information.

• Reschedule a Task yourself or have Project do so automatically, and split a task when it has been interrupted (for example, needed supplies have not yet arrived).

• Use Project’s built-in filters to display only the tasks you need to see in a particular moment, and create an Interim Project Plan to assist you in comparing actual project progress to that originally anticipated.

Customizing Views, Tables, and Filters

A COMPLEX PROJECT, WITH ITS MYRIAD TASKS AND RESOURCES, CAN QUICKLY BECOME UNWIELDY AND DIFFICULT TO MANAGE.  EXPLORE A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES FOR DISPLAYING PRECISELY THE INFORMATION YOU NEED IN A GIVEN MOMENT OR FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Details:

• Control how information is displayed on the screen by editing existing Views within Project, creating your own views, and combining views to produce a new type of display.

• Create specialized tables to display particular information about Tasks and Resources in a worksheet view.

• Display only the tasks or resources needed in the moment by creating filters, and/or modifying existing ones.  Set conditions to achieve highly specific displays, and learn about the types of filters Project has to offer.

Viewing and Customizing Reports

PROJECT OFFERS A WIDE VARIETY OF BUILT-IN REPORTS FOR STAYING APPRISED OF PROJECT PROGRESS AND INFORMATION.  LEARN TO GENERATE THESE REPORTS, AND CREATE YOUR OWN SPECIALIZED REPORTS FOR FUTURE USE.

Details:

• Use, modify, and print Project’s existing reports to evaluate Task and Resource usage, details, definitions, and more.

• Create and print a variety of your own specialized reports to evaluate Task and Resource usage, details, definitions, and more.

Reusing Project Plan Information

HAVING DEVELOPED PROJECT ELEMENTS WHICH ARE UNIVERSAL TO ALL YOUR PROJECTS – SUCH AS A COMPANY CALENDAR, INDIVIDUALS IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, AVAILABLE EQUIPMENT, COMMON TASKS, ETC. – SAVE THEM FOR FUTURE USE, MAKING THEM AVAILABLE FOR USE IN ALL YOUR PROJECTS.  FURTHER SIMPLIFY YOUR WORK USING PROJECT’S TOOLS FOR SHARING RESOURCES WITH OTHERS, SPLITTING MULTI-FACTED PROJECTS INTO MANAGEABLE PIECES, AND MORE.

Details:

• Create a permanent set of project information that can be used to create multiple projects, eliminating the need to create every project from scratch.

• Avoid time and usage conflicts when using Resources also used by others by attaching your project to a common Resource Pool, which tracks the availability of individual resources.

• Use Project’s Organizer to make your custom views created for one project available for use in within all your projects.

• Determine the particular elements available to every Project file, such as Calendars or Reports.

• Gain control over an unwieldy, multi-faceted project by dividing it into smaller pieces stored within a single, easy-to-manage project plan.