Mining Your Enterprise Portfolio
using Microsoft Office Project Server 2003

Syllabus in PDF Format

Course Overview

This course gives managers and executives a thorough overview of Microsoft Office Project Server 2003, preparing them for the advent of Microsoft EPM in their organization’s environment. After preparing managers for the new work flows and control systems, this course focuses is on information retrieval and data mining appropriate for planning and analysis.

Target Audience

Executives and managers working in an organization that uses Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 to manage its projects and/or work should take this course to become grounded in the process changes that an EPM system brings as well as to become skillful in retrieving data that will assist in their management decision making. This is a must for anyone with oversight responsibilities for a portfolio or program of projects in an enterprise project management environment who is not taking another course in the EPM Learning program.

Pre-Requisites

Students should be familiar with Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel. Experience with Excel Pivot tables is helpful but not required.

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the project communication life cycle used with Project Server
• Understand and use the Project Web Access user interface
• Track and update task progress in Project Web Access and in Outlook
• Set up e-mail notifications and reminders from Project Server
• Manage risks, issues, and documents associated with a project
• Create and manage Status Reports
• Access resource information and project portfolio information through Project Web Access
• Perform portfolio analysis using the Portfolio Analyzer and the Portfolio Modeler

Topical Outline

Module 1: Introducing Microsoft Project Server

• What Is Microsoft Project Server?
• Applying Enterprise Project Management Terminology to Microsoft Project Server
• Understanding Project Server’s Language
• Enterprise Project
• Enterprise Resource
• Check In and Check Out
• Using Project Server’s Enterprise Resource Management Tools
• Understanding the Project Communication Life Cycle in Project Server
• Additional Collaboration and Management Tools
• Understanding the Windows SharePoint Services Role with Project Server
• Understanding Publishing in Project Server
• Understanding Analysis Tools
• Portfolio Modeling

Module 2: Project Web Access Overview

• Using the Project Web Access User Interface
• Menu Bar
• Actions Pane
• Customization Tabs
• Action Bar
• Manipulating the Data Grid
• Printing the Data Grid
• Exporting the Data Grid to Excel

Module 3: Tracking Progress through Project Web Access

• Working with Tasks in Project Web Access
• Understanding the Timesheet
• Timesheet indicators
• Understanding the Timesheet Toolbar
• Activities Available from the Actions Pane
• View Options
• Filtering, Grouping and Searching the Timesheet View
• Displaying the Gantt Chart View
• Current Tasks vs. All Tasks
• Reporting Progress in the Timesheet
• Setting Up the Timesheet to Enter Actuals
• Entering and Submitting Progress
• Using Other Task Activities
• Rejecting a Task
• Delegating a Task
• Creating a New Task
• Assigning Yourself to an Existing Task
• Hiding Tasks
• Inserting Task Notes
• Linking Documents to Tasks
• Linking Issues to Tasks
• Linking Risks to Tasks
• Managing Project Tasks in Outlook
• Notifying Managers of Working Day Changes

Module 4: Working with Outlook

• Managing Project Tasks in Outlook
• Automatically Import Project Tasks into Outlook
• Displaying Project Web Access in Outlook

Module 5: Using the Home Page

• Using Features from the Home Page
• Changing Your Password
• Setting Alerts and Reminders for Yourself
• Setting Reminders for your Resources
• Taking Project Web Access Offline

Module 6: Working with Risks, Issues, and Documents

• Working with Risks, Issues, and Documents
• Working with Risks
• Viewing Risks
• Creating and Editing Risks
• Attaching Risks to Tasks, Issues, Documents, and Other Risks
• Working with Issues
• Viewing Issues
• Creating and Editing Issues
• Attaching Issues to Other Issues, Tasks, Risks, and Documents
• Working with Document Libraries
• Viewing Document Libraries
• Creating a New Document Library
• Using a Document Library
• Uploading Documents to a Library
• Creating a New Document in a Library
• Creating a New Folder in a Library
• Working with Existing Documents in a Library
• Viewing Document Properties
• Editing Document Properties
• Editing in a Microsoft Office Application
• Deleting a Document
• Checking Out/Checking In a Document
• Working with the Versions History
• Discussing a Document
• Using the Project Workspace
• Discussing a Document

Module 7: Working with Status Reports

• Requesting a Status Report
• Creating a New Status Report Request
• Editing and Deleting Status Reports
• Responding to a Status Report Request
• Submitting an Unrequested Status Report
• Viewing the Status Reports Archive
• Viewing Status Report Responses
• Viewing Unrequested Status Reports

Module 13: Working in the Resource Center

• Using the Resource Center
• Viewing Resource Availability
• Editing Resource Details
• Opening a Resource for Editing
• Viewing Resource Assignments
• Adjusting Actuals for Resources
• Viewing the Timesheet Summary

Module 8: Working in the Project Center

• Working in the Project Center
• Accessing Risks, Issues, and Documents from the Project Center
• Using Project Center Views
• Building a Project Team
• Editing Project Details and Opening Projects
• Checking In Projects
• Working with Detailed Project Views
• Organizing Your Saved Links
• Working with To-Do Lists

Module 9: Working with Project Server Analysis

• The Need for Project Analysis
• Using Portfolio Analyzer Views
• Creating Custom Portfolio Analyzer Views
• Additional Portfolio Analyzer Options
• Tips for Using the Portfolio Analyzer

Module 10: Using the Portfolio Modeler

• Creating a New Model
• Opening a Model
• Modifying your Model
• Analyze Your Model
• Comparing Models