Microsoft Project 2000 Step by Step

Carl Chatfield is the co-author of Microsoft Project 2000 Step by Step and Microsoft Project Version 2002 Step by Step, both from Microsoft Press. Carl is the User Assistance Manager for Office Project at Microsoft Corporation. He is a certified Project Management Professional with extensive knowledge of Office Project as well as specific usability issues.

Contents Finding Your Best Starting Point ix Finding Your Best Starting Point in This Book ix * New Features in Microsoft Project 2000 xi * Corrections, Comments, and Help xii * Visit our World Wide Web Site xii Using the Microsoft Project 2000 Step by Step CD-ROM xiii Installing the Practice Files xiv * Using the Practice Files xiv * Using the Multimedia Files xvii * Uninstalling the Practice Files xvii * Need Help with the Practice Files? xviii * Installing the Evaluation Software xviii Part 1 Creating a Project Plan Lesson 1 Introducing Project Management 1 Understanding What Defines a Project 1 * The Project Triangle: Seeing Projects in Terms of Time, Cost, and Scope 3 * Managing Your Projects with Microsoft Project 8 * Glossary 9 Lesson 2 Finding Your Way Around in Microsoft Project 11 Getting Started with Microsoft Project 12 * Working with Menus and Toolbars 16 * Switching Between Views and Tables 19 * Creating a Project File 24 * Entering Project Properties 25 * Saving a Microsoft Project File 26 * Lesson Wrap-Up 28 * Glossary 28 * Quick Reference 29 Lesson 3 Entering and Organizing Tasks 31 Entering Tasks 32 * Estimating Durations 34 * Breaking a Long Task into Shorter Tasks 38 * Linking Tasks 39 * Checking Project Duration 43 * Inserting New Tasks 44 * Deleting Tasks 45 * Organizing Tasks into Phases 46 * Entering a Milestone 48 * Lesson Wrap-Up 49 * Glossary 49 * Quick Reference 51 Lesson 4 Setting Up Resources 53 Setting Up People Resources 54 * Setting Up Equipment Resources 58 * Setting Up Material Resources 60 * Entering Resource Pay Rates 61 * Organizing Resources into Groups 64 * Entering Additional Resource Information in a Text Field 66 * Lesson Wrap-Up 67 * Glossary 68 * Quick Reference 69 Lesson 5 Assigning Resources to Tasks 71 Assigning a Single Resource to a Task 72 * The Scheduling Formula: Viewing Duration, Units, and Work 74 * Assigning Multiple Resources to a Task 76 * Assigning Resources with Effort-Driven Scheduling Off 83 * Removing a Resource Assignment 86 * Assigning Material Resources to Tasks 87 * Creating a New Resource and Assigning It to a Task 89 * Lesson Wrap-Up 90 * Glossary 91 * Quick Reference 91 Part 1 Review & Practice 95 Part 2 Fine-Tuning Your Plan Lesson 6 Fine-Tuning Task Details 101 Adjusting Working Time for the Project 102 * Adjusting Working Time for Individual Tasks 105 * Adjusting Task Relationships 108 * Changing Task Types 113 * Interrupting Work on a Task 117 * Entering Fixed Costs 120 * Setting up a Recurring Task 122 * Setting Task Constraints 125 * Reorganizing Phases and Tasks 130 * Entering Deadline Dates 132 * Viewing the Project s Critical Path 134 * Documenting Task Details with Notes and Hyperlinks 138 * Lesson Wrap-Up 139 * Glossary 140 * Quick Reference 142 Lesson 7 Fine-Tuning Resource Details 147 Adjusting Working Time for Individual Resources 148 * Setting Up Resource Availability to Apply at Different Times 151 * Entering Multiple Pay Rates for a Single Resource 154 * Setting Up Pay Rates to Apply at Different Times 155 * Examining Resource Costs 156 * Examining Resource Allocations over Time 159 * Leveling Overallocated Resources 165 * Documenting Resource Details in Resource Notes 171 * Lesson Wrap-Up 171 * Glossary 172 * Quick Reference 173 Lesson 8 Fine-Tuning Assignment Details 177 Replacing a Resource Assignment 177 * Applying Different Cost Rates to Assignments 179 * Delaying the Start of Assignments 182 * Applying Contours to Assignments 183 * Entering Material Resource Consumption Rates 187 * Documenting Assignment Details in Assignment Notes 190 * Lesson Wrap-Up 191 * Glossary 192 * Quick Reference 192 Part 2 Review & Practice 195 Part 3 Viewing and Sharing Project Information Lesson 9 Getting Project Information to Look the Way You Want 199 Sorting Data in a View 200 * Grouping Data in a View 204 * Filtering Data in a View 208 * Editing and Creating Tables 213 * Defining Custom Views 217 * Formatting the Gantt Chart 220 * Formatting the Network Diagram 224 * Formatting the Calendar View 226 * Lesson Wrap-Up 228 * Glossary 228 * Quick Reference 229 Lesson 10 Printing Project Information 231 Drawing on a Gantt Chart 231 * Customizing and Printing Views 234 * Customizing and Printing Reports 239 * Lesson Wrap-Up 242 * Glossary 243 * Quick Reference 243 Lesson 11 Publishing Project Information Online 245 Copying Project Information as a GIF Image 245 * Saving Project Information as a Web Page 248 * Changing the Look of a Project Web Page 251 * Lesson Wrap-Up 253 * Glossary 254 * Quick Reference 254 Lesson 12 Sharing Project Information with Other Programs 257 Copying and Pasting with Microsoft Project 258 * Opening Other File Formats in Microsoft Project 261 * Saving to Other File Formats From Microsoft Project 265 * Lesson Wrap-Up 268 * Glossary 268 * Quick Reference 268 Lesson 13 Sharing Information Between Multiple Sources 271 Creating a Resource Pool 272 * Viewing Assignment Details in a Resource Pool 278 * Updating Assignments in a Sharer File 279 * Updating a Resource s Working Time in a Resource Pool 280 * Updating All Projects Working Times in a Resource Pool 282 * Linking New Project Files to a Resource Pool 285 * Opening a Sharer File and Updating a Resource Pool 286 * Working with Consolidated Projects 289 * Creating Dependencies Between Projects 293 * Lesson Wrap-Up 297 * Glossary 297 * Quick Reference 299 Part 3 Review & Practice 303 Part 4 Tracking and Reviewing Progress Lesson 14 Tracking Progress Against the Project Plan 307 Saving a Project Baseline 308 * Tracking a Project as Scheduled 313 * Entering Percent Complete of Tasks 315 * Entering Actual Start, Finish, and Duration Values of Tasks 316 * Tracking Work by Time Period 320 * Changing Remaining Work or Duration of Tasks 325 * Saving an Interim Plan 329 * Lesson Wrap-Up 330 * Glossary 330 * Quick Reference 331 Lesson 15 Viewing and Reporting Project Status 333 Identifying Tasks that Have Slipped 334 * Comparing Baseline, Interim,and Current Plans 337 * Identifying Tasks and Resources That Are Over Budget 341 * Reporting Project Status 345 * Measuring Performance with Earned Value Analysis 350 * Lesson Wrap-Up 355 * Glossary 356 * Quick Reference 357 Lesson 16 Identifying and Fixing Problems in Your Project 359 Troubleshooting Time and Schedule Problems 360 * Troubleshooting Cost and Resource Problems 363 * Troubleshooting Scope of Work Problems 365 * Lesson Wrap-Up 370 * Glossary 370 * Quick Reference 371 Part 4 Review & Practice 373 Appendix A If You re New to Windows or to Microsoft Project 2000 377 Appendix B Matching the Exercises 381 Appendix C Customizing Microsoft Project 385 Appendix D Introducing the Workgroup Features of Microsoft Project 393 Appendix E What s Next? 416 Index 417