MS Project Tips and Tricks November 4, 2008 PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum

Presenters 2 Dohn Kissinger, PMP, MCTS, MCITP Integration Planner (Business) John Simko, PMP Project Manager/Systems Engineer (Cell)

MS Project Tips and Tricks Agenda Tools and Options Settings Building a Schedule MS Project 2007 > MS Project 2003 Conversion Deliverables-based Scheduling Assigning Resources Task Types/Effort-driven Settings Microsoft Certification Exams 3

Tools and Options Settings

Uncheck automatically add new resources and tasks 1.Choose Tools, Options 2.Select General Tab 3.Uncheck Automatically add new resources and tasks 4.Select OK This option prevents anyone from accidentally adding new resources and/or tasks. 5

Uncheck Allow cell drag and drop 1.Choose Tools, Options 2.Select General Tab 3.Uncheck Allow cell drag and drop 4.Select OK This is important only if you are still running version 2003 (no undo).

Uncheck new tasks have estimated durations and set Default task type to Duration or Effort 1.Choose Tools, Options 2.Select Schedule Tab 3.Change Default task type to Duration 4.Uncheck New Tasks have Estimated Durations 5.Select OK

8 Examples of Different Task Types with and without Effort Driven

Building a Schedule

Enter Holidays 1.Select Tools, Change Working Time 2.Select Standard (Project Calendar) 3.Select Dates 4.Change to Nonworking time 5.Select OK

Check for Dependencies 1.Select AutoFilter Button Note: These steps should be repeated for Successor tasks as well 1 2.Select Predecessor column 3.Select Blank field 2 3 The schedule should be checked to make sure all tasks have predecessor and successor tasks assigned. 11

MS Project 2007 > MS Project 2003 Conversion  If you are sent a MS Project schedule file, you can’t tell whether it’s a MS Project 2007 schedule file or a MS Project 2003 schedule file, because the MS Project 2007 schedule file is an.mpp file, not a.mppx file  A MS Project 2007 schedule file can be saved as a MS Project 2003 schedule file. However, the resulting file is unreliable and should not be used except for communication purposes (even then, a pdf or a picture pasted on a Word or Excel document is better!). The same recommendation is true for all Office 2007 files. 12

Deliverables-based Scheduling  With small schedules, task-based scheduling gives you more flexibility  With large schedules, deliverables-based scheduling results in less links Example: Schedule with 100 work packages, 10 tasks per work package = 1000 tasks If we link the tasks, we would have approx links If we link the work packages, we would have approx. 100 links 13

Assigning Resources  When assigning resources, you can use the “Assign Resources” button on the toolbar  I prefer assigning resources using the Task Form (Windows > Split), because it gives more information about the Task Type and the Effort- driven setting  Demonstration 14

Task Types/Effort-driven Settings  I agree with John that Effort-driven should always be clicked off  I agree with John that Fixed Duration task type should be the default for your project schedules  Demonstration 15

Microsoft Certification Exams  Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007 References: 1. Microsoft Office Project 2007 Step by Step 2. MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam ): Managing Projects with Microsoft® Office Project 2007  MCTS: Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 References: 1. Microsoft Office Project 2007 Inside Out 2. MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam ): Managing Projects with Microsoft® Office Project Server 2007 (not yet available)  Microsoft Certified IT Specialist (MCITP): Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 References: All of the above. 16