Introduction to Microsoft Project

This module explains how Microsoft Project reinforces project management best practices and provides an introduction to the User Interface (UI) and the custom Ribbon that is a key component in this course.

Lessons

• An Overview of Project Management Best Practices
• Project Supports the Practice of Project Management
• An Introduction to the User Interface of Microsoft Project
• Introducing the Custom Ribbon to Tame Microsoft Project!

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe how Project relates to the discipline of project management.
• Navigate to the primary views available using the Ribbon.
• Choose views that display task, resource, or assignment information.
• Select tables within views to change the information that is available to see and edit.
• Relate the features of Project to the 5 steps for building a plan in Project.

A Quick and Easy Overview of Managing with Project

This module demonstrates the major steps of managing a project using Microsoft Project. Students will create a new project plan, establish a baseline, and track progress. This module provides a brief experience with many features of Project without delving into detailed explanations in order to provide students the an overall understanding the purpose of Project and how it is used.

Lessons

• Create a New Project
• Enter Tasks and Task Relationships
• Define Resources
• Assign Resources and Duration to Tasks
• Baseline the Plan
• Track Project Progress with the Tame Tracker View

Lab : Creating a Basic Project from the Tame Template

• Create a Project Plan.
• Analyze the Project Information.
• Update the project with actual schedule performance information.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe the sequence of activities for creating and base-lining a project plan.
• Describe the primary features used by Project to update actual progress in the plan.
• Relate the custom ribbon tabs and features to the activities necessary to plan and manage a project.

Setting up a Project

This module explains how to begin a new project using the Tame Template. The Tame Template is pre-configured to make entering tasks easy and it includes custom views for updating a project once the work begins. Starting a new project also includes configuring the Project Calendar to reflect the work schedule of the team.

Lessons

• The Steps for Setting Up a Project
• Start a New Project File from the Tame Template
• Configure the Project Calendar
• Set the Project Properties

Lab : Enter Project Information

• Choose the project Start Date and Scheduling Method.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Create a new project using the “Tame Project Template.”
• Establish one or more calendars to constrain resource availability.

Creating a work Breakdown Structure

This module offers best practices for breaking a project into manageable tasks and describes the features in Project related to managing this list of tasks.

Lessons

• Guidelines for Creating a List of Tasks, or Work Breakdown Structure
• Entering and Organizing Tasks in Project
• Format the Work Breakdown Structure

Lab : Manipulate a WBS

• Manipulate a WBS

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Build and use summary and subordinate tasks.
• Understand and use milestones.
• Develop WBS outlines.
• Assign completion criteria.
• Evaluate the WBS.

Identifying Task Relationships

This module explains the foundation of building a project schedule: establishing sequence relationships between project tasks.

Lessons

• Determining Task Sequence
• Three Types of Task Relationships
• Methods of Creating the Finish to Start Relationship
• View the Network Diagram

Lab : Display the Sequence

• Display the Sequence

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe the benefit of establishing task relationships for building a schedule and managing a project.
• Understand and correctly apply the three types of task relationships.
• Apply the Finish to Start method to create relationships.
• Determine and display task sequence using a Network diagram.

 Defining resources within Project

This module explains how to add specific or generic resources to a Microsoft Project plan. Adding resources makes it easy to establish specific responsibility for all the work in the project.

Lessons

• Adding a Resource Using the Resource Sheet

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Enter individual or generic resources into a Microsoft Project plan