Prepared by: Amelia Griggs Information Management May, 2002 Reviewed/Revised: November, 2003

Transcription

1 Training Guide Prepared by: Amelia Griggs Information Management May, 2002 Reviewed/Revised: November, 2003

2 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 2 Table of Contents Microsoft Project Training Guide...1 Table of Contents...2 A. Launching Microsoft Project...3 B. The Project Window...4 C. Creating a New Project...5 a. Start a New Project...5 b. Enter key project information...5 c. Setup the project calendar...6 d. Enter tasks and their durations...6 e. Create a milestone...7 f. Create a recurring task...7 g. Structure tasks into a logical outline...8 h. Edit a task list...8 i. Establish relationships between tasks...9 j. Overlap tasks or add lag time between them...10 k. Set a specific start or finish date for a task...10 l. Add a deadline to a task...11 m. Split a task into segments...11 n. Create a resource list...11 o. Change the work schedule for a resource...12 p. Assign resources to tasks...13 q. Fix the duration of a task...14 r. Check and edit resource assignments...14 s. Enter Costs...15 Assign costs to resources...15 Set fixed task costs...15 Define when costs accrue...15 See the cost of tasks or resources...16 See the cost of the entire project...16 t. View the schedule...16 See the entire project on the screen...16 Check the project's finish or start date...17 Identify the critical path...17 Switch to a different view...17 See different fields in a view...18 Display specific information by using a filter...18 Sort information in a view...18 Group information in a view...19 u. Adjust the schedule...19 Check and adjust a task dependency...19 Overlap tasks...20 Check and adjust constraints on tasks...20 Make tasks shorter by adding more resources...21 Split a task into segments...22 v. Save the plan...22 Save a baseline plan...22 Save an interim plan...23 D. Opening an Existing Project...24 E. Printing Gantt Chart and Other Reports...25 F. Getting Help Online...25

3 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 3 A. Launching Microsoft Project Click Start, Programs, Microsoft Project to launch Project As a default, the help window will display to the right of the project window. For the purpose of this class, you may close the Help window for now and access again anytime later by clicking Help, Microsoft Project Help.

4 B. The Project Window STANDARD TOOLBAR OUTDENT OR INDENT SUBTASKS FORMATTING TOOLBAR SHOW OR HIDE SUBTASKS SHORTCUT BAR PORTION OF GANTT CHART IS DISPLAYED IN THIS EXAMPLE. HORIZONTAL SCROLL BARS CAN BE ADJUSTED AS NEEDED. COLUMNS WIDTHS CAN ALSO BE ADJUSTED AS TASK NAMES SUBTASKS ARE INDENTED; WHEN SUBTASKS ARE ADDED, MAIN TASK THEN APPEARS HIGHTLIGHTED DURATION; DEFAUTLTS TO 1DAY START AND FINISH DATES PREDECESSORS AND RESOURCE NAMES INDICATORS ARE SMALL ICONS THAT REPRESENT INFORMATION FOR A TASK OR RESOURCE AND THAT ARE DISPLAYED IN THE INDICATORS FIELD.

5 C. Creating a New Project When you start a new project in Microsoft Project, you can enter your project's start or finish date, but not both. It's recommended that you enter only your project's start date and let Microsoft Project calculate the finish date after you have entered and scheduled tasks. If your project must be finished by a certain date, enter only the project's finish date. Even if you initially schedule from the project finish date, it's best to schedule from the project start date after work begins on the project. In Summary, here are the steps involved: Setup a Project Enter a task list Schedule tasks Assign Resources View the schedule Adjust the schedule Save the plan a. Start a New Project 1. Click New button on the standard toolbar. Note: The New button may be temporarily hidden. It may not appear because there is not enough room to display all the buttons. Click More Buttons, and then click New. 2. In the Project Information dialog box, type or select a start date or a finish date for your project, and then click OK. 3. Click Save. 4. In the File name box, type a name for your project, and then click Save. Tip: You can change your project information at any time by clicking Project Information on the Project menu. b. Enter key project information Each project has a unique set of ingredients: the tasks involved, the people who do them, and the project goal. To help remember and communicate important details, enter information about the project and refer to it when necessary. 1. On the File menu, click Properties, and then click the Summary tab. 2. Enter any information you'd like about your project, such as the people who will manage it and maintain the project file, the project goal, any known limitations that may make it difficult to reach that goal, and other general project notes.

6 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 6 3. Click OK. Tip: To look for a menu command that doesn't appear, click the arrows at the bottom of the menu. The menu expands to show more commands. You can also expand a menu by double-clicking it. c. Setup the project calendar You can change the project calendar to reflect the working days and hours for everyone on your project. The calendar defaults are Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., with an hour off for lunch. You can specify nonworking times, such as weekends and evenings, as well as special days off, such as holidays. 2. On the Tools menu, click Change Working Time. 3. Select a date on the calendar. 4. Click Nonworking time for days off, or Nondefault working time to change the hours worked. 5. If you clicked Nondefault working time in step 3, type the times you want work to start in the From boxes, and the times you want work to end in the To boxes. 6. Click OK. d. Enter tasks and their durations A typical project is a series of related tasks. A task represents an amount of work with a clear deliverable; it should be short enough to track its progress regularly. Tasks should generally be between one day and two weeks long. Enter tasks in the order they will occur. Then estimate how long it will take to complete each task, and enter your estimate as the duration. Microsoft Project uses durations to calculate the amount of work to be done on the task. Note Don't enter dates in the Start and Finish fields for each task. Microsoft Project calculates the start and finish dates based on how the tasks are related, information you'll enter in the next lesson. 2. In the Task Name field, type a task name, and then press TAB. 3. Microsoft Project enters an estimated duration of one day for the task followed by a question mark. 4. In the Duration field, type the amount of time each task will take in months, weeks, days, hours, or minutes, not counting nonworking time. You can use the following abbreviations: months = mo weeks = w days = d hours = h minutes = m

7 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 7 Note: To show an estimated duration, type a question mark after the duration. 5. Press ENTER. Tip: You can also add a note about a task. In the Task Name field, select the task, and then click Task Notes. Type your information in the Notes box, and then click OK. Note: The toolbar button you want may be temporarily hidden. It may not appear because there is not enough room to display all the buttons. Click More Buttons, and then click Task Notes. e. Create a milestone A milestone is a task you use to identify significant events in your schedule, such as the completion of a major phase. When you enter a duration of zero days for a task, Microsoft Project displays the milestone symbol on the Gantt Chart at the start of that day. 1. In the Duration field, click the duration of the task you want to make a milestone, and then type 0d. 2. Press ENTER. Note Although a task with a duration of 0 is automatically marked as a milestone, you can make any task a milestone. To mark a task as a milestone, click the task in the Task Name field. Click Task Information, click the Advanced tab, and then select the Mark task as milestone check box. Tip: To see all milestones, click Milestones in the Filter list. To see the entire project again, click All Tasks in the Filter list. f. Create a recurring task Recurring tasks are tasks that repeat regularly, such as weekly meetings. A recurring task can take place daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. You can specify the duration of each occurrence, when it will occur, and for how long or how many times it should occur. 1. In the Task Name field, click the row below where you want the recurring task to appear. 2. On the Insert menu, click Recurring Task. 3. In the Task Name box, type the task name. 4. In the Duration box, type or select the duration of a single occurrence of the task. 5. Under Recurrence pattern, click Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly. 6. To the right of Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly, specify the task frequency. 7. Under Range of recurrence, type a start date in the Start box and then select End after or End by. 8. If you selected End after, type the number of occurrences for the task. 9. If you selected End by, type the date you want the recurring task to end. 10. Click OK.

8 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 8 g. Structure tasks into a logical outline Outlining helps organize your tasks into more manageable chunks. You can indent related tasks under a more general task, creating a hierarchy. The general tasks are called summary tasks; the indented tasks below the summary task are subtasks. A summary task's start and finish dates are determined by the start and finish dates of its earliest and latest subtasks. To organize your outline, use outline buttons: Indent Outdent Show Subtasks Hide Subtasks Show All Subtasks 2. Click the first task you want to make into a subtask. 3. On the Insert menu, click New Task. 4. In the inserted row, type the name of the new summary task in the Task Name field. 5. In the Task Name field, select the tasks you want to make into subtasks. 6. Click Indent to indent these tasks. Tip You can indent or outdent a task quickly with the mouse. Select the task, and then position the pointer over the first letter of the task name. When the pointer changes to a two-way arrow, drag right to indent the task or drag left to outdent the task. h. Edit a task list As you create a task list, you will probably want to break large tasks into smaller tasks and rearrange tasks. You may want to copy, delete, or move tasks in your project. You can also easily rearrange project phases in an outlined schedule. When you move or delete a summary task, the subtasks associated are moved or deleted as well. 1. In the ID field (the leftmost field), select the task you want to copy, move, or delete. To select a row, click the task ID number. To select a group of adjacent rows, hold down SHIFT, and then click the first and last ID numbers of the group. To select several nonadjacent rows, hold down CTRL, and then click the task ID numbers. 2. Copy, move, or delete the task. To copy the task, click Copy. To move the task, click Cut. To delete the task, press DELETE. 3. To move the selection you cut or repeat the selection you copied, select the rows where you want to paste it.

9 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 9 Be sure to select entire rows. 4. Click Paste. If there is information in the destination row, the new rows will be inserted above the destination row. Note The toolbar button you want may be temporarily hidden. It may not appear because there is not enough room to display all the buttons. Click More Buttons, and then click the button you want. Tip To add a new task between existing tasks, click a task ID number and then press the INSERT key. Tasks renumber automatically after you insert a new task. i. Establish relationships between tasks To establish relationships between tasks, use task dependencies. First, select the related tasks, link them, and then change the dependency type, if necessary. The task whose start or finish depends on another task is the successor. The task that the successor is dependent on is the predecessor. For example, if you link "Hang clock" to "Paint wall," then "Hang clock" is the successor and "Paint wall" is the predecessor. After the tasks are linked, changes to the predecessor's dates affect the successor's dates. Microsoft Project creates a finish-to-start task dependency by default. Because a finish-to-start dependency does not work in every situation, you can change the task link to start-to-start, finish-to-finish, or start-to-finish to model your project realistically. 2. In the Task Name field, select two or more tasks to link in the order you want them linked. To select adjacent tasks, hold down SHIFT, and then click the first and last task you want to link. To select nonadjacent tasks, hold down CTRL, and then click the tasks you want to link, in order. 3. Click Link Tasks. 4. To change the task link, double-click the link line between the tasks you want to change. The Task Dependency dialog box appears. If the Bar Styles dialog box appears, you didn't click precisely on the task link and need to close this dialog box and click on the task link again. 5. In the Type box, select the task link you want, and then click OK. Note To unlink tasks, select the tasks you want to unlink in the Task Name field, and then click Unlink Tasks. The tasks are rescheduled based on existing links to other tasks, or constraints.

10 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 10 j. Overlap tasks or add lag time between them After you've sequenced tasks by linking them, you can overlap or delay them as well. In Microsoft Project, delay tasks by adding lag time to the predecessor task, and overlap tasks by entering lead time. You can also enter lead or lag time as a percentage of the task. 1. In the Task Name field, click the task you want to add lead or lag time to (it must have predecessors), and then click Task Information. 2. Click the Predecessors tab. 3. In the Lag column, type the lead time or lag time you want, as a duration or as a percentage of the predecessor task duration. Type lead time as a negative number (for example, 2d for two days lead time) or as a percentage. Type lag time as a positive number or as a percentage. 4. Click OK. Tip: To quickly add lead or lag time to a successor task, double-click the link line on the Gantt Chart, and then type the amount of lead or lag time in the Lag box of the Task Dependency dialog box. k. Set a specific start or finish date for a task You can schedule your tasks most effectively by entering task durations, creating dependencies between tasks, and then letting Microsoft Project calculate the start and finish dates for you. However, you can set a specific start or finish date for a task if necessary. Task constraints that tie tasks to specific dates are called inflexible constraints; the most inflexible constraints are specific start or finish dates. Because Microsoft Project takes constraints into account when calculating your schedule, use these inflexible constraints only when tasks must start or finish on a specific date. 1. In the Task Name field, click the task you want to set a start or finish date for, and then click Task Information. 2. Click the Advanced tab. 3. In the Constraint type box, click a constraint type. 4. Type or select a date in the Constraint date box, and then click OK. Note: If you select a start date for a task in the Start field of the Gantt Chart, or if you drag a Gantt bar to change the start date, Microsoft Project sets a Start No Earlier Than (SNET) constraint based on the new start date. If you select a finish date for a task, Microsoft Project automatically assigns a Finish No Earlier Than (FNET) constraint.

11 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 11 l. Add a deadline to a task When you set a deadline for a task, Microsoft Project displays an indicator if the task is scheduled to finish after the deadline. Setting a deadline doesn't affect how tasks are scheduled. It's just a way to have Microsoft Project inform you that a task will finish past its deadline. You then have the option of adjusting the schedule to meet that deadline. 2. In the Task Name field, click the task that you want to set a deadline for. 3. Click Task Information and then click the Advanced tab. 4. Under Constrain task, type or select the deadline date in the Deadline box, and then click OK. Tip: You can drag the deadline symbol on the Gantt Chart to change the deadline date. m. Split a task into segments You can split a task if work on the task is interrupted and then resumes later in the schedule. This is useful, for example, when you need to temporarily stop work on a task to work on another task. You can split a task as many times as necessary. Note that splitting a task into parts is not the same as entering a recurring task, a task that occurs at regular intervals, such as a staff meeting. 2. Click Split Task. 3. On the task's Gantt bar, click the date where you want the split to occur and drag the second part of the bar to the date that you want work to begin again. Tip: You can remove the split by dragging a portion of a split task so that it touches another portion. n. Create a resource list You can use the Resource Sheet in Microsoft Project to create a list of the people, equipment, and material resources that make up your team and carry out the project tasks. Your resource list will consist of work resources or material resources. Work resources are people or equipment; material resources are consumable materials or supplies, such as concrete, wood, or nails. 1. On the View menu, click Resource Sheet. 2. On the View menu, point to Table, and then click Entry. 3. In the Resource Name field, type a resource name. 4. To designate resource groups, in the Group field for the resource name, type the name of the group. 5. In the Type field, specify the resource type: 6. For a work resource (people or equipment), set the resource type to Work. 7. For a material resource (consumed throughout the project) set the resource type to Material.

12 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page For each work resource (people or equipment), type the number of resource units available for this resource in the Max. Units field, as a percentage. For example, type 300% to indicate three full-time units of a particular resource. 9. For each material resource (supplies consumed throughout the project), in the Material Label field, type a measurement unit for the material resource, such as ton. Notes Resource groups can be used for sorting, filtering, or grouping tasks by resources belonging to a particular group. You can use groups to indicate the department a human resource belongs to or to specify accounting codes for billing purposes. You cannot assign resource groups to tasks. If you want to specify consolidated resources, such as "Carpenters" or "Editors" or "Engineers," enter that as the resource name, and then assign the consolidated resource name to tasks. Tip: As you work in the Gantt Chart or other task views, you can enter additional resource names. To assign additional resources, click Assign Resources, and then type a resource name in the Name field. You can also click Address and select a resource from your address book. o. Change the work schedule for a resource The working hours and days off defined in the project calendar are the default working hours and days off for each resource. When an individual resource works a different schedule entirely, or when you need to account for vacations or equipment downtime, you can modify an individual resource calendar. 1. On the View menu, click Resource Sheet, and then select the resource whose schedule you want to change. 2. On the Project menu, click Resource Information, and then click the Working Time tab. 3. On the calendar, select the days you want to change. 4. To change a day of the week for the entire calendar, click the abbreviation for the day at the top of the calendar. 5. Click Use default, Nonworking time, or Nondefault working time. 6. When you click Use default, the selected days return to the Microsoft Project Standard calendar default, which is Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. 7. If you clicked Nondefault working time in step 4, type the times that you want work to start in the From boxes and the times that you want work to end in the To boxes. 8. Click OK. Tip: If a group of resources has the same special working hours and days off, you can create a new base calendar for them. On the Tools menu, click Change Working Time. Click New, and type a name for the new base calendar. Click Create new base calendar to begin with a default calendar. Or to base the new calendar on an existing calendar, click Make a copy of, and then click the calendar name of the existing calendar in the Calendar box. Click OK, and then modify the days and hours on the calendar. On the View menu, click Resource Sheet, and select the new base calendar in the Base Calendar field for each resource that you want to assign the calendar to.

13 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 13 p. Assign resources to tasks When you assign a resource to a task, you create an assignment. You can assign any resource to any task and change assignments at any time. You can assign more than one resource to a task and specify whether a resource works full-time or part-time on a task. If the work assigned to a resource exceeds the daily full-time allotment indicated in the resource's working times calendar, Microsoft Project displays the name of the overallocated resource in red in resource views. 2. In the Task Name field, click the task to which you want to assign a resource, and then click Assign Resources. 3. In the Name field, click the resource you want to assign to the task. 4. To assign a resource part-time, type or select a percentage less than 100 in the Units column to represent the percentage of working time you want the resource to spend on the task. 5. To assign several different resources, hold down CTRL and click the names of the resources. 6. To assign more than one of the same resource (such as two carpenters), type or select a percentage greater than 100 in the Units column. If necessary, type the name of a new resource in the Name column. 7. Click Assign. 8. A check mark to the left of the Name column indicates that the resource is assigned to the selected task. 9. Click Close. Tip: You can replace one resource with another. Select the task whose resource you want to replace. In the Assign Resources dialog box, select the assigned resource and click Replace. Select one or more resources to assign, and then click OK.

14 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 14 q. Fix the duration of a task As you assign more resources to a task, Microsoft Project automatically decreases the duration of the task. For example, a task with a one-day duration and one assigned resource has 8 hours of work. With effort-driven scheduling, if you assign a second resource, the task still has 8 hours of work, but its duration is reduced to half a day. If you want to change the amount of work on the task instead, you can turn off effortdriven scheduling and assign another resource. The task will then have 16 hours of work and still have a one-day duration. 2. In the Task Name field, select the tasks for which you want to turn off effortdriven scheduling. 3. Click Task Information, and then click the Advanced tab. 4. Clear the Effort driven check box, and then click OK. Now when you assign an additional resource, the task's duration will not change. Tip: You can turn off effort-driven scheduling for all new tasks you create. Existing tasks will not be affected. On the Tools menu, click Options, click the Schedule tab, and then clear the New tasks are effort driven check box. r. Check and edit resource assignments The Resource Usage view shows project resources with their assigned tasks grouped underneath them. Using the Resource Usage view, you can find out how many hours each resource is scheduled to work on specific tasks and see which resources are overallocated. You can also determine how much time each resource has available for additional work assignments. 1. On the View menu, click Resource Usage. To see different information about resource assignments, such as work and cost, point to Table on the View menu, and then click the table you want to see in the Resource Usage view. 2. In the Resource Name column, review the resource assignments. 3. To reassign a task from one person to another, select the entire row, position the pointer over the ID field (the leftmost column), and then drag the task to its new location. Notes You can change the timescale to another scale, such as weeks, if that is more appropriate for your project. On the Format menu, click Timescale, and change the values in the Units boxes under Major scale and Minor scale. Changing the view or table does not add information to or remove information from your project; it only changes the project information that is displayed. If a resource name is red and bold, the resource is overallocated.

15 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 15 s. Enter Costs Microsoft Project allows you to assign rates to human and material resources so you can manage project costs accurately. You can assign standard rates, overtime rates, or per-use rates to resources. Assign costs to resources 1. On the View menu, click Resource Sheet. 2. On the View menu, point to Table, and then click Entry. 3. In the Resource Name field, select a resource or type a new resource name. 4. In the Type field, click Work if the resource is a worker or machine, or Material if the resource is material or supplies (such as cement). 5. For a work resource, in the Std. Rate, Ovt. Rate, or Cost/Use fields, type the resource rates. 6. For a material resource, in the Material Label field, type a measurement unit for the material resource (such as ton), and in the Std. Rate or Cost/Use fields, type a rate. 7. Press ENTER. Tip: You can set the default standard and overtime rates for any new resources you enter. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab. In the Default standard rate and Default overtime rate boxes, type the new rates. If you want to set this default for all future projects, click Set as Default. Note: If the rate for a resource will change over the course of the project or if the resource will be paid at different rates for different assignments, or if you work with different grades of material, click Resource Sheet on the View menu. In the Resource Name field, select a resource and then click Resource Information. Then, enter the information on the Costs tab. Set fixed task costs When you know an exact cost associated with a task, such as equipment costs, you can enter a fixed cost. 2. On the View menu, point to Table, and then click Cost. 3. In the Fixed Cost field for the task, type the cost. 4. Press ENTER. Tip: In the Cost table, you can also change when the fixed cost is accrued by selecting an accrual method in the Fixed Cost Accrual field. Define when costs accrue In Microsoft Project, resource costs are prorated by default. Their accrual is distributed over its duration. You can, however, change the accrual method so that resource costs take effect at the start or end of the task instead. 1. On the View menu, click Resource Sheet. 2. On the View menu, point to Table, and then click Entry. 3. In the Accrue At field, click the accrual method you want to use.

16 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 16 See the cost of tasks or resources After you assign rates to resources or fixed costs to tasks, you may want to review the total cost of these assignments to make sure they fall within your expectations. If the total cost of a task or resource does not meet your budget, you may need to examine each individual task's costs and each resource's task assignments to see where costs can be reduced. 1. To see task costs, on the View menu, click More Views, and then click Task Sheet. 2. To see resource costs, on the View menu, click Resource Sheet. 3. On the View menu, point to Table, and then click Cost. Tips You can also view how costs are distributed over a task's duration in the Task Usage view by displaying its cost details. On the View menu, click Task Usage. On the Format menu, point to Details, and then click Cost. You can view resource costs in more detail by clicking Resource Usage on the View menu, pointing to Details on the Format menu, and then clicking Cost. You can also see resource cost totals displayed graphically by clicking Resource Graph on the View menu, pointing to Details on the Format menu, and then clicking Cost or Cumulative Cost. See the cost of the entire project You can view your project's current, baseline, actual, and remaining costs to see whether you're staying within your overall budget. These costs are updated each time Microsoft Project recalculates your project. 1. On the Project menu, click Project Information. 2. Click Statistics. 3. Under Cost in the Current row, view the total planned cost of the project. Tips After you set a baseline and begin to track actual costs, you can compare the Baseline and Actual fields to see if total project costs are progressing as expected. As actual work progresses, you can also compare the variance between the Current and Remaining fields to see if you will have enough money to complete the project. t. View the schedule See the entire project on the screen You can get an overview of your project's start and finish dates and see when major phases will occur by zooming in and out on the Gantt Chart. 2. On the View menu, click Zoom, click Entire project, and then click OK. Tips To see the Gantt bars on a larger or smaller timescale, click Zoom In or Zoom Out.

17 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 17 If you have to scroll down to see the project's finish date, and you have outlined tasks in a hierarchy, you can look at just the top-level summary tasks. Click the ID field heading (the left uppermost cell in the Gantt Chart) and then click Hide Subtasks. To see tasks to a specific outline level, click the ID column heading (the left uppermost field in the Gantt Chart). Click Show, and then click the outline level you want. Check the project's finish or start date You can review important project information, such as the finish date, to see if the project will meet your expectations as it is currently scheduled. 1. On the Project menu, click Project Information, and then click Statistics. The project's start and finish dates are shown, as well as the project's total work and cost. Identify the critical path The critical path is a series of tasks that must be completed on time for a project to finish on schedule. Most tasks in a typical project have some slack and can therefore be delayed a little without affecting the project's finish date. Those tasks that cannot be delayed without affecting the project finish date are the critical tasks. As you modify tasks to resolve overallocations or other problems in your schedule, be aware of the critical tasks; changes to critical tasks will affect your project finish date. 2. Click GanttChartWizard. 3. Follow the GanttChartWizard instructions to format critical path tasks. Tips You can filter your schedule so that only the critical tasks are displayed. On the Project menu, point to Filtered for, and then click Critical. Click All Tasks in the Filter list to display all the tasks again. After filtering critical tasks, you can sort them by duration so that the critical tasks will be in order, from the longest to the shortest. Sorting the critical tasks helps you see where to put your efforts in shortening tasks. Switch to a different view You can display project information in task views or resource views. Some task and resource views are in sheet views, containing columns (called fields) of related information. You can change the table in a sheet view to see different fields of information. Other views show tasks or resource allocation graphically (such as the Calendar, Network Diagram, and Resource Graph views), or tasks and resources related to a timescale (such as the Task Usage and Resource Usage views). 1. On the View menu, click the task or resource view you want. 2. If the view you want to see isn't on the View menu, click More Views for more choices. Click a view in the Views list, and then click Apply. Note Changing the view neither adds information to nor removes information from your project; it only changes what is displayed.

18 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 18 See different fields in a view As you plan and track your schedule, it's useful to look at different combinations of information. By changing the table applied to a sheet view, you can change the fields of information displayed in that view. 1. If necessary, on the View menu, click the view you want. 2. To use a view that is not on the View menu, click More Views, click the view you want in the Views list, and then click Apply. 3. On the View menu, point to Table, and then click the table you want to apply. 4. To apply a table that isn't on the Table submenu, click More Tables, click the task or resource table you want, and then click Apply. Note that the field headings change as you switch between tables. Display specific information by using a filter When you want to focus on certain tasks or resources in the current view, you can apply a filter to the view. You can specify that the filter show or highlight only those tasks or resources that meet the filter criteria. 1. On the Project menu, point to Filtered for, and then click the filter you want to apply. 2. To apply a filter that isn't on the Filtered for submenu or to apply a highlighting filter, click More Filters. 3. Click Apply to apply the filter, or click Highlight to apply a highlighting filter. 4. If you apply an interactive filter, type the requested values, and then click OK. 5. To turn off a filter, point to Filtered for on the Project menu, and then click All Tasks or All Resources. Note: You cannot apply task filters to resource views or apply resource filters to task views. Tip: You can set an AutoFilter in many views to quickly find a subset of data in a field. On the Project menu, point to Filtered for, and then click AutoFilter. Click the arrow in the column that contains the information you want to display, and then click a value you want to use to filter the table. To turn off AutoFilters, point to Filtered for on the Project menu, and then click AutoFilter again. Sort information in a view You can sort tasks or resources by criteria such as task name, finish date, and resource name. Sorting can be useful when you want to see tasks in sequence. For example, you can see which tasks should start or finish sooner. Sorting is maintained when you switch views and is saved when you close a project file. However, a custom sort cannot be saved. 2. On the Project menu, point to Sort, and then click the sorting option you want. 3. To customize a sort, on the Project menu, point to Sort, and then click Sort by. 4. In the Sort by box, click the field you want to sort by, and then click Ascending or Descending to specify the sort order. 5. Specify sorting options. To sort by an additional field, click the field in the first Then by box, and then click Ascending or Descending to specify the sort order.

19 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 19 To permanently renumber your tasks, select the Permanently renumber tasks check box. To sort tasks within their outline structure so that subtasks remain with their summary tasks, select the Keep outline structure check box. To reset the sort order back to the default sort order, click Reset. Note: Clicking Reset only resets the sort options in the Sort dialog box to their default order. If your tasks were permanently reordered by using the Permanently renumber tasks check box, then clicking Reset will not reset the numbered order of the tasks. Group information in a view In many views, you can group information for tasks or resources to compare and contrast data. For example, you may want to see all tasks that have a similar duration grouped together. To group task information, on the View menu, click More Views, and then click Task Sheet. To group resource information, on the View menu, click Resource Sheet. 1. On the Project menu, point to Group by, and then click the group you want to apply. 2. To apply a group that isn't on the Group by submenu, click More Groups. For example, for the Task Sheet, click Duration to see tasks grouped by duration. For the Resource Sheet, click Resource Group to see resources grouped by the information in the Group field. 3. To remove the grouping you applied, on the Project menu, point to Group by, and then click No Group. u. Adjust the schedule Check and adjust a task dependency A task dependency describes how a task is related to the start or finish of another task. Microsoft Project provides four task dependencies you can use to connect a series of tasks in a schedule: finish-to-start (the most commonly used dependency), start-to-start, start-to-finish, and finish-to-finish. By using these dependencies effectively, you can modify the critical path and shorten your project schedule. Microsoft Project assigns a finish-to-start task dependency when you link tasks. If another relationship better models your tasks, change the dependency type. For example, when two tasks need to start at the same time, you can create a start-tostart link. When tasks need to finish at the same time, you can use a finish-to-finish link Double-click the link line of the tasks you want to check. The Task Dependency dialog box appears. If the Bar Styles dialog box appears, you didn't click precisely on the task link and need to close this dialog box and double-click the task link again. 3. In the Type box, check the task dependency. 4. To change the dependency, in the Type box, click the task link you want to use.

20 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 20 Tips If you have tasks that can be worked on at the same time, you can shorten the critical path most by changing the task dependency. For example, if two tasks can be started at the same time, you can change the task dependency to start-to-start. If two tasks should finish at the same time, you can change the task dependency to finish-tofinish. You can add lead or lag time to tasks to make their start or finish dates overlap each other or to delay a predecessor task. To quickly add lead or lag time to a successor task, double-click the link line on the Gantt Chart, and then type the amount of lead or lag time in the Lag box of the Task Dependency dialog box. Type lead time as a negative number (for example, 2d for two days of lead time) or as a percentage. Type lag time as a positive number or as a percentage. Overlap tasks If you have tasks that can begin earlier than shown in your schedule, you can overlap (add lead time) to more accurately model how the work will be done. For example, if the electricians can begin wiring outlets before the walls are all finished, you can use time more efficiently by starting the "Wire outlets" task after half of the walls have been roughed in. To do this, you set up a lead time between the finish of the "Rough-in walls" task and the start of the "Wire outlets" task. In Microsoft Project, you type lead time as a negative number or as a negative percentage, such as 50 or 30%. 1. In the Task Name field, click the task you want, and then click Task Information. 2. Click the Predecessors tab. 3. In the Lag field, type the lead time you want, as a negative number or as a percentage. Tips You can quickly add lead time to a successor task by double-clicking the link on the Gantt Chart, and then typing the amount of lead time in the Task Dependency dialog box. You can also delay tasks by adding lag time. For example, if you need a 2-day delay between the finish of one task and the start of another, double-click the link line on the Gantt Chart, and then type 2d in the Lag field of the Task Dependency dialog box. Check and adjust constraints on tasks Task constraints can help you create a more accurate schedule by tying tasks to specific dates. For example, you can specify that a task must start no earlier than a particular date or finish no later than a particular date. You can change the constraint on a task from the default, As Soon As Possible, to seven other constraints or reset it to the default constraint to better reflect when the task will be done. 2. On the View menu, point to Table, and then click More Tables. 3. In the Tables list, click Constraint Dates, and then click Apply. You may need to drag the divider bar to the right to view the Constraint Type and Constraint Date fields.

21 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 21 The Constraint Dates table shows the task name, duration, constraint type for all constraints, and the constraint date, as applicable. If the field you want to see isn't visible, press TAB to move to it. 4. For each task with a constraint other than the default, As Soon As Possible, look at the predecessor tasks and successor tasks on the Gantt Chart to determine if you really need the constraint. 5. Change a constraint if necessary. To change a constraint type, in the Constraint Type field, click the arrow, and then click the appropriate constraint. To change a constraint date, type or select the date in the Constraint Date field. Notes If you type a start date for a task or drag a Gantt bar to change the start date, Microsoft Project sets a Start No Earlier Than (SNET) constraint based on the new start date. If you type a finish date for a task, Microsoft Project automatically assigns a Finish No Earlier Than (FNET) constraint. If you're scheduling your project from a finish date, typing a start date for a task or dragging a Gantt bar to change the start date sets a Start No Later Than (SNLT) constraint. If you type a finish date for a task, Microsoft Project automatically assigns a Finish No Later Than (FNLT) constraint. Make tasks shorter by adding more resources After you've assigned resources to a task, Microsoft Project recalculates the task's duration if you add or remove additional resources. For example, if you add another resource to an effort-driven task with a four-day duration and one assigned resource, the task will be shortened to two days. If you have more flexibility with your resource assignments than schedule deadlines, adding resources can be an effective way to shorten your schedule. 1 On the View menu, click Gantt Chart. 2 In the Task Name field, click the task to which you want to assign more resources, and then click Assign Resources. 3 In the Name field, click the resource you want to assign to the task. 1. If necessary, type the name of a new resource in the Name field. 4 Click Assign. A check mark to the left of the Name field indicates that the resource is assigned to the selected task. Note If the task duration isn't affected by adding resources, ensure the scheduling options are set to effort-driven scheduling. Click Task Information, and then click the Advanced tab. Be sure the Effort driven check box is selected and the task type is Fixed Units or Fixed Work. Tips If you don't know which resources are available to take on more work, you can see current resource allocations by clicking Resource Usage on the View menu. To assign a resource part-time, type a value less than 100 in the Units field to represent the percentage of working time you want the resource to spend on the task. To assign more than one of the same resource (such as two carpenters), type a percentage amount greater than 100 in the Units field.

22 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 22 To assign several different resources, hold down CTRL as you click nonadjacent resources or hold down SHIFT as you click adjacent resources. Split a task into segments Splitting tasks may help adjust your schedule. You can split a task so that the task is interrupted, and then resumes later in the schedule. Splitting tasks is useful when you need to stop work on a task temporarily to work on another task. You can split a task as many times as necessary. Splitting a task into parts is not the same as entering a recurring task scheduled to occur at regular intervals, such as a staff meeting. 1 On the View menu, click Gantt Chart. 2 Click Split Task. 3 Move the pointer over the taskbar you want to split, and then click the taskbar where you want the split to occur. Note The toolbar button you want may be temporarily hidden. It may not appear because there is not enough room to display all the buttons. Click More Buttons, and then click Split Task. Tips You can create a longer split by clicking and dragging the taskbar to the right. You can remove the split by dragging a portion of a split task so that it touches another portion. v. Save the plan A baseline schedule is necessary for determining if your project is on schedule at a later date. When you have entered your schedule completely and accurately, save the project with a baseline. If you want to add more tasks or modify your schedule further, save the project without a baseline. Save a baseline plan When you've entered all of your project information and you're ready to start actual work, you can save a baseline of your project's information to compare with the actual progress of your project. Using a baseline, you can track the progress of your schedule so you can make the necessary corrections. For example, you can see which tasks started later than planned, how much work resources performed, and whether your budget's on track. 1 On the Tools menu, point to Tracking, and then click Save Baseline. 2 Click Entire project to save a project baseline. Click Selected tasks to add new tasks to an existing baseline. 3 Click OK. Tip: To create a budget, first assign resources and enter rate information or any fixed costs, and then save a baseline. The cost information in the baseline plan can serve as a budget. You cannot save this information in an interim plan.

23 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 23 Note: 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. Save an interim plan After you save a baseline of your project's information, you can save up to 10 interim plans as checkpoints during the project. 1 On the Tools menu, point to Tracking, and then click Save Baseline. 2 Click Save interim plan. 3 In the Copy box, click the name of the current interim plan. 4 In the Into box, click a name for the next interim plan, or specify a new name. 5 Click Entire project to save an interim plan for the whole project. Click Selected tasks to save a portion of the schedule. 6 Click OK. Note: An interim plan saves the tasks' start and finish dates into Start and Finish fields. You can display these interim plan dates by adding the Start and Finish fields to a table. Sample Data - Tasks Inventory and research Inventory artifacts Arrange for loans from other museums Pick up donations Design and development Create exhibit specs Photograph artifacts Design artwork and graphics Prepare audiovisual segments Create titles and labels Construction Install new lighting system Sample Data - Task Outline Inventory and research Inventory artifacts Arrange for loans from other museums Pick up donations Design and development Create exhibit specs Photograph artifacts Design artwork and graphics Prepare audiovisual segments Create titles and labels Construction Install new lighting system Install clocks Installation complete Sample Data - Linking Subtasks Link the subtasks within each group.

24 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 24 Inventory artifacts Arrange for loans from other museums Pick up donations Create exhibit specs Photograph artifacts Design artwork and graphics Prepare audiovisual segments Create titles and labels Install new lighting system Install clocks Installation complete Sample Data - Linking summary tasks Link the three summary tasks to each other. Inventory and research Design and development Construction Assign these people to tasks as you see fit: Chief archivist Researcher Donations curator Chief archivist Photographer Graphic artist Audiovisual technician Writer D. Opening an Existing Project 1. Click Open. 2. In the Look in box, click the drive or folder that contains the project. 3. In the folder list, open the folder that contains the project you want. If you cannot find the project in the folder list, you can search for it. 4. Double-click the project you want to open. To open a project you've used recently, click the file name at the bottom of the File menu. If the list of recently used files isn't displayed, click Options on the Tools menu, click the General tab, and then select the Recently used file list check box.

25 MS Project 2000 Training Guide Page 25 E. Printing Gantt Chart and Other Reports To print gantt chart or another view, first select a View: 1. On the View menu, click the view you want to print (if printing a gantt chart, make sure Gantt Chart is selected). 2. If the view you want to use is not on the View menu, click More Views, click the view you want to use in the Views list, and then click Apply. Next, you may either use the default or last saved print settings and proceed to print, or change print options before printing. 3. Select File, Print; this will display the Print dialog box. Click Preview to see a preview of what will print. To make changes to the appearance of the printed page, click Page Setup; after print options are changed as needed, click Print to proceed with printing. To print a report: 1. On the View menu, click Reports. 2. Click the report type you want, and then click Select. If you chose Custom as the report type, click a report in the Reports list, and then go to step Click the report you want to print, and then click Select. Or to customize predefined settings, click Edit, make the necessary changes, click OK, and then click Select. 4. If you want to change the appearance of your report pages, click Page Setup, make the necessary adjustments, and then click Print Preview to see what you've changed. 5. Click Print. Tip You can print any report without previewing it. On the View menu, click Reports, click Custom, and then click Select. In the Reports list, click the report you want to print, and then click Print. Make changes to the print options if needed, and then click OK. F. Getting Help Online The following help categories are available by clicking Help, Microsoft Project Help: What s New, Quick Preview and Tutorial proj2000.doc! pdf Project Map -See at a glance the phases of project management. Office Assistant - Ask a question, get an answer. Reference - Learn about fields, VBA, custom solutions, and more.