Managing Projects Using Microsoft® Project 2010

This live online seminar gives you intensive, hands-on training for using the powerful Microsoft Project toolAt AMA's online Microsoft Project seminar, you'll interact with an experienced certified project manager on how to turn this software's powerful features into time-saving, stress-reducing, productivity-boosting benefits for your projects.

Also Available as:

• Onsite

How You Will Benefit

• Expand your ability to access the project planning capabilities of Microsoft Project
• See each technique demonstrated—and perform it yourself with your instructor's help
• Practice using Microsoft Project on real-life process improvement, IT systems and product development projects
• Enhance your ability to continuously monitor and control your project using a dynamic schedule
• Walk away with templates you can customize and use immediately
• Return to work with a job aid and sample project cases
• Develop an integrated project plan including realistic scope, schedules, budgets and risks

What You Will Cover

Three 3-hour lessons over a 3-week period.

Lesson 1

Basic Functions and Scheduling

• Ten steps to creating a project schedule
• Navigation of views: Gantt Chart; calendar; network diagram; split screens; resource cost; resources schedule
• Entering tasks: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and transition tasks

Lesson 2

Estimating Project Resources

• Reviewing and entering time estimates, durations and types of tasks
• Assigning, formatting and customizing resources
• Setting dependencies
• Making schedule adjustments; absolute lage and lead timel partial dependency

Lesson 3

Baselining, Tracking Actuals and Adjusting the Plan

• Defining, formatting, setting and viewing a baseline
• Entering hard dates
• Constraints and deadlines
• Tracking actuals, percentage of completion and reports
• Adjusting the plan: tips and tricks; filter techniques

Extended Seminar Outline

Print this page Extended Seminar Outline Seminar #6550 Learning Objectives

• Use Software as a Management Tool, Not Simply for Documentation Purposes
• Develop an Integrated Project Plan Including Realistic Scope, Schedules, Budgets, and Risks
• Apply Techniques for Tracking and Reporting Project Progress, Such as Budget and Resource Allocations for Financial Reporting
• Differentiate between a Dynamic and a Static Schedule

Lesson 1

Basic Functions and Scheduling

• Ten steps to creating a project schedule
• Navigation of views: Gantt Chart; calendar; network diagram; split screens; resource cost; resource schedule
• Entering tasks: Work breakdown Structure (WBS) and transition tasks

Lesson 2

Estimating Project Resources

• Reviewing and entering time estimates, durations and types of tasks
• Assigning, formatting and customizing resources
• Working time for a resource; exceptions tab; work weeks tab; percentage of effort; resource cost percentage
• Setting dependencies
• Making schedule adjustments; absolute lag and lead time; partial dependency

Lesson 3

Baselining, Tracking Actuals and Adjusting the Plan

• Defining, formatting, setting and viewing a baseline
• Entering hard dates
• Constraints and deadlines
• Tracking actuals, percentage of completion, reports
• Adjusting the plan: tips and tricks; filter techniques

Important Definitions

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• A Deliverable-Oriented Grouping of Project Elements That Organizes and Defines the Total Scope of the Project
• Each Descending Level Represents an Increasingly Detailed Definition of a Project Component
• Project Components May be Products or Services"
• A WBS Is a Hierarchical Breakdown of the Work on a Project
• A WBS Helps to Organize the Work on a Project—All the Work Required
• A WBS Can be in an Outline or Hierarchical Format

Basic Functions

• Inserting/Hiding Columns
• To Redisplay a Column
• Best Fit for Columns
• Task Information Box
• Navigation of Views
• Gantt Chart View
• Calendar View
• Network Diagram View
• Split Screens—Most Commonly Used
• Resource Cost
• Resource Schedule

Process

• Set Project Start Date
• Set Project Summary Task Bar
• Enter Tasks
• Enter Durations
• Assign Resources
• Set Dependencies
• Make Schedule Adjustments
• Establish the Baseline
• Enter Hard Dates
• Track Actual
• Adjust Plan

Who Should Attend

Project managers or those familiar with PM principles who want to manage projects with a software tool.

Special Feature

Note: Have your computers loaded with Microsoft Project Standard or Professional 2010. (Please note this virtual class will only use Microsoft Project 2010 and will not discuss earlier versions. The course leader uses Project Professional 2010, so there will be a slight difference in data/screen views if you use Project Standard 2010.)