Establishing a Project Management Foundation
using Microsoft Office Project 2003
PMPs Earn 14 PDUs
Course Overview
This course delivers the fundamental scheduling skills that you need to manage projects
successfully with Microsoft Office Project 2003, and prepares you for the Managing
Enterprise Projects using Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 course. Mastering
the Microsoft Project scheduling engine is the key to enjoying your work with the
software. This course shows you how to drive the tool through each stage of the
project management life cycle and offers multiple best practices for using the software
while defining, planning, and executing a project. Framed around PMI’s project life
cycle, the course content is methodology-agnostic and focuses on hands-on learning
methods.
Target Audience
Everyone who manages projects using Microsoft Office Project 2003 should take this
course, whether in an enterprise or desktop-only environment. We target this course
at the needs of full-time project managers, as well as those who function as project
schedulers or project support technicians.
Pre-Requisites
Although not required, it is helpful for students to have hands-on project management
experience or a high-level understanding of project management principles.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Describe the stages of the project management process
- Understand the Microsoft Project user interface
- Understand the Microsoft Project Data Model as it relates to Views, Tables, Filters,
and Groups
- Define a new project
- Perform basic task planning and understand how to properly use task dependencies
and task constraints
- Add resources to a project and assign resources to tasks
- Save a baseline for a project
- Enter task progress using three different methods of tracking progress
- Analyze project variance
- Create custom Views, Tables, Filters, and Groups
- Revise a project based on project variance
- Change a project based on change control methodologies
- Print project information using default and custom Reports
Topical Outline
Module 1: Project Management Overview
- Project Management Theory
-
The Project Management Process
- Definition
- Planning
- Execution
- Control
- Closure
Module 2: Microsoft Project 2003 Overview
- Introducing the Global.mpt File
- The Startup Task Pane
- Microsoft Project Help
- The Project Guide
- The Planning Wizard
- Navigating in Microsoft Project 2003
- Use the Scroll Bars
- Use the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons
- Use the Go to Selected Task button
- Screen and Tool Tips
- The Three-Tiered Timescale Bar
Module 3: Inside Microsoft Project 2003
- YJTJ Process (Your Job – Tool’s Job)
- Microsoft Project Data Model
- Understanding Views
- Understanding Tables
- Understanding Filters
- Understanding Groups
- Single-Pane Views
- Combination Views
Module 4: Project Definition
-
The Need for a Project Definition Process
- Project Definition in Microsoft Project 2003
- Step #1 – Set the Project Start Date
- Step #2 – Enter Properties
- Step #3 – Display the Project Summary Task
- Step #4 – Set the Project Calendar and Nonworking Time Calendar
- Step #5 – Set Options Unique To This Project
- Step #6 – Save the Project
- More About Base Calendars
- Creating a Base Calendar
Module 5: Project Planning – Tasks
- The Task Planning Process
- Creating a Task List Manually
- Using a Template
- Planning for Non-Deliverable Tasks
- Basic Task Skills
- Entering and Editing Tasks
- Moving Tasks
- Inserting Tasks
- Deleting Tasks
- Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- Creating Milestones
- Creating Recurring Tasks
- Adding Task Notes
- Setting Task Dependencies
- Lag Time
- Lead Time
- Setting Task Constraints
- Task Notes on Constraints
- Constraints: Flexible and Inflexible
- Planning Wizard Message Regarding Constraints
- Setting Task Deadline Dates
- Missed Deadlines and Constraints
Module 6: Project Planning – Resources
- Defining Project Resources
- Entering Basic Resource Information
- Entering Custom Resource Information
- General Page
- Working Time Page
- Costs Page
- Notes Page
- Custom Fields Page
Module 7: Project Planning - Assignments
- Task and Resource Assignments
- Identifying Resource Capabilities
- Estimating Task Effort
- Resource Assignments: A Best Practice
- Assigning Resources in the Task Entry View
- The Duration Equation
- Microsoft Project "Task Types"
- Assigning Resources in the Assign Resources Dialog
- Assigning Material Resources to a Task
- Using Effort Driven Scheduling
- Using Resource Substitution
- More about the Assign Resources Dialog
Module 8: Project Execution
- Project Execution Defined
- What is a Baseline?
- Saving a Project Baseline
- Viewing the Project Baseline
- Clearing the Project Baseline
- Tracking Project Progress
- Entering % Complete
- Entering Actual Work and Remaining Work
- Daily Timesheet and Remaining Work
- A “Best Practice” for Using the Timesheet
- Step #1 – Set up the Resource Usage View
- Step #2 – Enter Actual Work
- Step #3 – Enter Zeroes When No Work Was Performed
- Step #4 – Adjust Remaining Work Estimates
Module 9: Variance Analysis
- Variance Defined
- Types of Variance
- Actual and Estimated Variance
- Locating Variance in Microsoft Project 2003
- Work Variance
- Cost Variance
- Date Variance
- Using Views to Locate Variance
- What Is A View?
- Create a New View Using the 4-Step Method
- Select or Create a Table
- Select or Create a Filter
- Select or Create a Group
- Create the New Custom View
- Using the Organizer
Module 10: Plan Revision
- Plan Revision Defined
- Methods for Plan Revision
- Using the Tracking Gantt View
Module 11: Change Control
- Change Control Defined
- Baseline Issues with Change Control
- Save Baseline for Selected Tasks
- Inserting New Tasks between Dependent Tasks
Module 12: Printing and Reporting
-
Project Communications Management
- Identifying Stakeholder Reporting Needs
- Reporting in Microsoft Project 2003
- Reports Based on Views
- Creating Custom Reports
- Creating Custom Crosstab Reports
- Printing in Microsoft Project 2003
- Print Preview
- Page Setup
- Using the Print Dialog
- An Issue with Printing Views