1. MS Project
Luc Appelmans

2. Agenda Introduction What is involved in Project management
User Interface
Creating a new project
Tracking a project
Sharing Resources
Consolidation of projects
Final Recap Exercise
4/22/2017

3. Agenda Introduction What is involved in Project management
User Interface
Creating a new project
Tracking a project
Sharing Resources
Consolidation of projects
Final Recap Exercise
4/22/2017

4. Project management factors
Set of one-off activities
Deliverable
Timescale
Resources
Budget
Business Objectives
Cost/benefit analysis
Phased Approach
Progress Reporting
Project management
People management
Clear and agreed Scope
Management of expectations
Risk management
Experience
Project planning and administration
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5. Project Triangle Time Cost Scope Milestones Tracking Resources
Assignments
Tracking
Deliverable
Phases
Tasks
Tracking
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6. Tasks: SMART
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Timed
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7. Agenda Introduction What is involved in Project management
User Interface
Creating a new project
Tracking a project
Sharing Resources
Consolidation of projects
Final Recap Exercise
4/22/2017

8. MS Project User Interface
Let’s check out the MS Project User Interface
Open MS Project
Make sure the toolbars are well placed
Activate the View Bar
Open the file:
01 Short Film Project 15a.mpp
Tips:
Magic button: “Go To Selected Task”
Button with no name (Right Click)
Zoom with Ctrl + Mouse wheel
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9. Agenda Introduction What is involved in Project management
User Interface
Creating a new project
Tracking a project
Sharing Resources
Consolidation of projects
Final Recap Exercise
4/22/2017

10. The exercise An office needs to be completely modified and refreshed
Therefore:
The office needs to move to another place
The construction works need to be executed
When terminated the office is moved back
The example is kept simple on purpose
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11. Exercise 1 Create a new project Please code following tasks: Tips:
Decision taking
Packing
Transport
Empty Offices
Demolition interior partitions
Installation new interior partitions
Ceiling
Renovated Offices
Ordering of wall paper/paint/carpet
New lighting
New sockets
Ordering of furniture
Painting
Placing wall paper
Carpeting
Refreshed Offices
Unpacking
Offices ready to use
Tips:
Use the Insert and Delete keys
Use the Right Click
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12. Exercise 2 Define January 1, 2009 as the start date of the project
Project / Project Information...
Jan 1 and Jan 2 are non-working days
Tools / Change Working Time...
The company is not working the Friday afternoon
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13. Exercise 2 (2) Code the task durations: Decision taking Packing 1,5d
Transport
0,5d
Empty Offices
Demolition interior partitions 2d
Installation new interior partitions 3d
Ceiling
Renovated Offices
Ordering of wall paper/paint/carpet
New lighting
New sockets
Ordering of furniture
Painting
Placing wall paper 1d
Carpeting
Refreshed Offices
Unpacking
Offices ready to use
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14. Exercise 2 (3) Please regroup the tasks in following summary tasks:
The decision taking is not part of a summary task
Moving out
Construction works
Improvement works
Moving in
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15. Types of links FS FF SS SF S P Default: finish to start S P
Finish to finish S P SS
Start to start S P SF
Start to finish
Overlap / lag are possible
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16. How creating links 4 Possibilities to create links:
1st method:
Click on the ID of the primary task
Ctrl + Click on the ID of the secondary task
Click on the “link tasks” icon
2nd method:
Enter the ID of the primary task in the “Predecessor” column of the secondary task
3rd method:
Enter the primary task via the Task Detail form of the secondary task (Predecessors Tab)
4th method:
Drag the primary task over the secondary task
Other Tip: You can change the type of link when double clicking on the link line
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17. Exercise 3 The links between the tasks are:
The moving out can only start after the decision taking
The demolition of interior partitions starts when the offices are empty
The installation of new interior partitions can only occur when the old partitions are demolished
The ceiling can only be done when the new interior partitions are placed
The order of wall paper/paint/carpet is launched at the same time as the ceiling is starting
The new lighting must wait that the ceiling is terminated
The new sockets cannot be placed before the new lighting was completed
The painting and the ordering of furniture must wait until the new sockets were placed
The wall paper is placed after the painting was done
The carpet works can start when the wall paper was placed
The moving in can only be done when the offices are refreshed
All other logical links
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18. Exercise 4 Perform the following:
The decision taking takes 2 hours BUT it remains a milestone!
Insert a recurrent task within this summary task. The meetings will be daily and will last for 15 minutes during the construction works.
The new sockets can be installed 0,5 days earlier.
The carpeting must finish no later than the 4th of February.
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19. Resources
Once a plan was made you still need to identify who will perform these tasks
These are the Resources, one can have different types of resources:
People
Machines
Consumables (not really a resource but added for cost calculations)
Resources might not be available at all times
Resources have a cost
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20. Exercise 5 Go to the Resources Sheet Add following resources:
Director,
Department Responsible,
A (part-time 50%) secretary,
We have 4 employees in the department,
A team of 3 movers with a truck and an elevator
2 plasterers
2 electricians.
3 carpet installers who will place the carpets.
2 painters who will use the ordered paint. They work ¾ of the time.
Paint used by the painters.
Make sure the initials are unique
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21. Exercise 6 Complete following information regarding the resources:
Each mover is paid 100€ per hour, the truck costs 120€ when used, the elevator 100€ when used; everything is paid at arrival
The plasterers are paid 80€/h prorated based on the work performed
The electricians are paid 85€/h prorated based on the work performed
The carpet installers are paid 75€/h once the work was terminated
The painters are paid 70€/h at the end of their work. They will use the ordered paint which costs 40€ per unit (e.g. 5L pot).
Assign each resource to a group:
Internal,
External,
Equipment,
Material
Check out the calendars!!
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22. Formula DURATION x UNITS = WORK Examples :
One week (duration) = 40 hours
A person at 100 % (units) = 100 %
The total work (work) = 40 hours
A week (duration) = 40 hours
Two persons at 100 % (units) = 200 %
The total work (work) = 80 hours
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23. Effort Driven scheduling
MS Project seem to react differently when Adding for the first time resources or modifying assigned resources!!
1st time ADDING Resources:
The system calculates the Work
Modifying assigned Resources:
The work is kept and the duration is adapted
By default the “Effort Driven” flag is activated!
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24. How to Assign Resources
4 Possibilities to assign resources:
1st method (not appropriate for multiple resources):
Click on a task
Click on the Assign resource button
Enter the assignment percentage in opened window
2nd method (most appropriate):
Menu: Window – Split
Select required resources and enter units
Click on OK
3rd method (for assigning same resources to multiple tasks):
Double Click on Task to obtain Task Information view
Select Resources Tab
Select Resources and Units then click on OK
4th method (useful for copying same assignments):
Use Resource Names column
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25. Exercise 7 The resources are assigned as follows:
The decision needs to be taken by the director and the department responsible.
All department people will spent 1/4th of their time with packing their files and other personal things, except the secretary who will work 50% of his / her available time to this task. The director is not doing any packing. All the rest will be packed and transported by the movers
The meetings will be attended by the department responsible and the plasterers, the work is performed by the plasterers.
The Improvement works will be done by the correspondent specialists; the orders will be placed by the secretary. The painters will use 15 units/pots of paint.
The moving in happens the same way as the moving out.
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26. Changing the Gantt chart
Fast changing the look of the Gantt chart can be done via the Gantt Chart Wizard
You can adapt each object on the Gantt chart. Right Click on the screen and select Bar Styles
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27. Exercise 8
Change the Gantt chart to make sure it only shows the resources initials
Add the project summary task (Tools/Options/View tab)
View the « Gantt Chart Wizard » (Format)
Execute a print preview
Look at the options for improving the print layout, use the print preview
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28. Exercise 9 Let’s look at the Resource usage
Activate the view: Resource Usage
Do a Split (Windows)
Visualize the Gantt in the 2nd half of the screen
Click Hide Subtasks after selecting the resource name column
Position on the Plasterers and click on « Go to selected tasks »
Add the “Overallocation” info on the screen at the right
Do what?
Increase the number of plasterers
Diminish the Work but keep the same duration
Keep the work and increase the duration
Let’s increase the units of plasterers to 220%
Double click on Plasterers in the Resource Usage J2
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29. Exercise 9 (2) Let’s look at the Resource usage
Position on the Electricians and click on « Go to selected tasks »
Do what?
Suppose that increasing the number of electricians is not possible
Diminish the Work but keep the same duration
Keep the work and increase the duration
Click on the task “New sockets” and click on Assignment information (or double click)
Change the units from 200% to 100% for this task
The duration of the task increases, but the option exists to decrease the work. (click on the icon ) Please reduce the work! J2
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30. Exercise 9 (3) J2 Open project Move08
We will ask MS Project to eliminate the capacity problems
Check the end of the project date and time (before the leveling calculation)
Now re-check the end of the project (date & time).
It is a good adjustment, which is not always the case! J2
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31. Presenting the plan
When the plan is completed it needs to be presented and hopefully approved
Some possibilities are:
Easy copy/paste of the Gantt chart
Analysis toolbar
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32. Agenda Introduction What is involved in Project management
User Interface
Creating a new project
Tracking a project
Sharing Resources
Consolidation of projects
Final Recap Exercise
4/22/2017

33. Exercise 10 We need to keep the APPROVED PLAN:
The Baseline = The Reference (approved) Plan!!
Creation of the baseline:
You can use Move09b as starting point
Tools / Tracking / Save Baseline
The views:
Tracking Gantt
More Views / Task Sheet + View / Table / Variance
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34. Exercise 11 There are several ways to track the project:
Tools / Tracking / Update Project; Date = 8 January 2009
This updates the project up till that date. It supposes that the work was performed as planned. Very approximate approach.
Gantt Chart + View / Table / Work
Move the column “%W.Comp.” after Work; code:
100% for Demolition interior partitions
20% for “Installation of new interior partitions”
Now pull the completion line to include the Tuesday (see Tracking Toolbar)
100% for daily meetings 3 , 4 and 5
The completion is entered at the task level. The completed work is automatically calculated for all resources.
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35. Exercise 12 There are several ways to track the project:
Enter the work performed
Move the column “Actual” after the column “Work”
Enter 48h as “Actual” for the task “New interior partitions”
Enter 56h as “Actual” for the task “Ceiling” (see what is happening to Work!!)
Use Tracking Toolbar to indicate the tasks Daily Meetings 6 through 10 are completed
The actuals are still entered at the task level!!
Check the Tracking Gantt
How do we need to obtain 100% for the summary task “Construction Works”?
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36. Exercise 13 There are several ways to track the project:
Enter the actuals per resource and task per day
View / Task Usage and select table Work
Format / Detail / Work and Actual Work
Enter 128h as “Actual” for the task “Improvement works” (in the main screen)
Make sure you have the Actual Work field in the sub screen (right)
Enter 12h for the Movers for “Transport” on 03/02
Enter 3h for the Movers for “Transport” on 04/02
Enter 4h for the Truck for “Transport” on 03/02
Enter 4h for the Elevator for “Transport” on 03/02
Be careful as the way you enter the time spent it will impact following tasks
Here we enter very detailed task actuals
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37. Exercise 14 Analyze the project: Select Tracking Gantt
Project / Project Information / Statistics or
Select Tracking Gantt
Activate the filter: Project / Filtered For:../ More Filters
Select Slipping Tasks
View / Task Sheet
Select the table “Variance” via the button left above (Select All button)
Select the table “Cost” via the button left above (Select All button) and filter on Cost Overbudget
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38. Agenda Introduction What is involved in Project management
User Interface
Creating a new project
Tracking a project
Sharing Resources
Consolidation of projects
Final Recap Exercise
4/22/2017

39. Sharing resources Shared Resources Project 1 Project 2 Project 3
A project (called here Shared Resources) only contains the resources with their calendars and availabilities
The other projects are linked to the Resources project to plan the resources
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40. Exercise 15 Open following projects: Create a new Resources project
Wingtip Toys Commercial 20a
Parnell Aerospace Promo 20b
Create a new Resources project
Share the resources in the projects Wingtip and Parnell:
Tools / Resource Sharing / Share Resources
Select “Use resources” and choose “Resources”
Analyze the resources in the project “Resources”
Close all projects then:
Open the project “Resources”
Create a new project and execute Assign Resources
Create a task
Re-execute Assign Resources
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41. Agenda Introduction What is involved in Project management
User Interface
Creating a new project
Tracking a project
Sharing Resources
Consolidation of projects
Final Recap Exercise
4/22/2017

42. Exercise 16: Consolidated project
Open following projects:
Wingtip Toys Commercial 20a (without opening “Resources”)
Parnell Aerospace Promo 20b (without opening “Resources”)
Execute Windows / New Window and select the two projects
The consolidated project has been created. You can save it.
Analyze the resources in the project “Resources”
It is possible to create links between tasks of the different projects:
In the consolidated project,
But also in the individual projects, example:
In the project Wingtip Toys click on task 5, Fine cut edit
Click on “Task Information” and select the tab “Predecessors”
In the ID column (under the 4) enter: “Parnell Aerospace Promo 20b\8”
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43. Agenda Introduction What is involved in Project management
User Interface
Creating a new project
Tracking a project
Sharing Resources
Consolidation of projects
Final Recap Exercise
4/22/2017

44. What did we see? Creation of a plan with: Creation of resources with:
Tasks and sub-tasks
The different links between tasks
Creation of resources with:
The number of units and the related costs
The assignment of resources to tasks
The tracking of the project:
A rough tracking
Or a very detailed tracking
Analysing the data, the schedule, the costs, the capacity
Printing of the plans
The sharing of resources and consolidated projects
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45. Recap Exercise Ski planning!!
Planning of a ski vacation long time in advance
Difficulties are:
No project start date
Adaptations to the calendar
Special ways to use links
See separate exercise sheet with details.
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