1. Title of presentation goes here Name of presenter Location/date © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Task Management in MS Project Genea Mallow-Jensen President, FrontRange MPA March 30, 2006 © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. FrontRange Colorado MPA

2. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Purpose –To develop a strong foundational knowledge of MS Project –To learn how to build project schedules utilizing Project Management and MS Project best practices Why? –Provide better more realistic schedules –Manage projects more effectively –Provide more accurate status reporting

3. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. MS Project Overview –Project Management Tools –Inside MSP »YJTJ »Data Model »Basic Task Skills »Task Information

4. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Your Job – Tool’s Job (YJTJ) Information Task Names Work/Effort Dependencies Constraints Resource Names etc Scheduling Start/Finish Dates Duration Critical Path Cost Remaining Work etc

5. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. MS Project Overview –Project Management Tools –Inside MSP »YJTJ »Data Model »Basic Task Skills »Task Information

6. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. MS Project Data Model MS Project Task Information Resource Information

7. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. MS Project Overview –Project Management Tools –Inside MSP »YJTJ »Data Model »Basic Task Skills »Task Information

8. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. –Templates –Initiate Schedule –Customizing Template Basic Task Skills

9. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Templates –Provide basic project structure –Promote standardization –Encourage best practices –Contain process –Are customizable –Save time Project Template

10. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. –Set Project Start Date –Set Project Calendar –Show Project Summary Row –Save Initiate Schedule

11. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. –Add/Delete Tasks –Rearrange Tasks –Edit Tasks Customize Schedule

12. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. MS Project Overview –Project Management Tools –Inside MSP »YJTJ »Data Model »Basic Task Skills »Task Information

13. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. –Specific to selected task(s) –Task Mgmt Task Information

14. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Task Cost –Sources –Variable (Labor, Equipment, Materials) –Fixed Cost –Estimated, Actual, and Remaining –Roll up to summaries

15. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Tools  Change Working Time –Overrides Resource and Project Calendars –Typical uses –Outside normal work hours –Must occur on a particular day of the week or time of day Task Calendar

16. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Task Information – Set Task Calendar

17. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Working with Tasks in MS Project –Defining the work to be done - WBS –Schedule Structure –Schedule Development - Milestones - Dependencies - Constraints

18. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. WBS - Work Breakdown Structure Project Phases Deliverables Tasks/Activities Methods Top Down - decompose Bottom Up - categorize

19. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Working with Tasks in MS Project –Defining the work to be done - WBS –Schedule Structure –Schedule Development - Milestones - Dependencies - Constraints

20. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Schedule Structure

21. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Working with Tasks in MS Project –Defining the work to be done - WBS –Schedule Structure –Schedule Development - Types of tasks - Dependencies - Constraints

22. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Milestones –Significant point in time –Have no duration –Are used to monitor project progress –Represent external events –Are part of activity sequencing –Used to represent deadlines

23. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Recurring Tasks –Typically non-deliverable –Use project resources –Project related cost –Date constrained

24. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. MSP Dependencies –FS (Finish-to-Start): the Predecessor task must be completed in order for the Successor task to begin. –SS (Start-to-Start): the Predecessor task must start in order for the Successor task to start. –FF (Finish-to-Finish): the Predecessor task must finish in order for the Successor task to finish. –SF (Start-to-Finish): the Predecessor task must start in order for the Successor task to finish. B A B A B A B A

25. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. MSP Constraints and Deadlines Constraints Reasons –Mandatory –Discretionary Types –Flexible –Inflexible Deadlines Internally imposed target dates

26. © 2005 MPA. All rights reserved. Closing Task Mgmt Critical Success Factors: –Proper planning –Good schedule structure –MSP best practices