The document provides a comprehensive guide on using Microsoft Project, emphasizing the importance of Gantt charts for project planning and management. It outlines the process of defining projects, entering tasks and resources, linking tasks, and tracking progress with various views such as Gantt, PERT, and calendar. The document concludes by highlighting MS Project's effectiveness in managing time and costs efficiently.

1. Microsoft Project Presentation
By Corey Johnson
10/11/00

2. What is a Gantt Chart?
• A Gantt Chart is a visual tool to help Plan,
Manage, and Track a project or projects.

3. Sample Gantt Chart

4. Planning a Project
• Define Goals
• Develop Tasks
• Establish Timeframes
• Resource Availability?
• Organize

5. Managing and Tracking a Project
• Track Progress
– Are the tasks being completed on time?
– Is one task holding up the whole project?
• Manage Finances
– Is the project going to stay within the budget?

6. Using MS Project
• Define the Project
• Build the Plan
– Set a start date
– Enter tasks/durations
– Assign resources
– Link tasks
– Fine tune the plan

7. Using MS Project (cont’d)
• Track and Manage
– Set a baseline
– Enter actuals
– Adjust plan
• Close Project

8. Defining the Project
• The objective of the project should be
defined by the person/group that is going to
manage the project.
• Tasks, start times, and deadlines should be
clearly established.

9. Setting a Start Date
• When opening a new Microsoft Project file,
the user is automatically prompted for a
start date. Setting an accurate start date will
make future entries more convenient.

10. Entering Tasks and Durations
• Tasks are entered in the “Task Name”
column
• Subtasks are created by indenting a task.
• Durations may be entered in number of
working days or start and finish dates may
be used

12. Standard Markers
• Normal Task
– designates ordinary task duration
• Summary Bar
– designates the duration of a group of sub-tasks

13. Special Markers
• Milestones
– A reference point marking a major event in a
project and used to monitor the project's
progress
– To create a milestone, Enter “0” in the duration
field

14. Changing Marker Styles
• Double-click on the Marker you want to change
and format accordingly

15. Assigning Resources
• A resource can be a single person, a piece of
equipment, or it can represent a group, such
as Plumbers
• Information on resources include
Availability, Costs, and Working Time
• Resources are very important in accurate
scheduling

16. Assigning Resources
• To Assign a Resource:
– Select the task to which you want to assign the
resource
– Click the Assign Resources button on the
toolbar

17. Assigning Resources
• If resources are not already set up, double
click on the name box

18. Assigning Resources
• Enter pertinent information and click OK.

19. Assigning Resources
• When a resource has been selected, click
Assign

20. Linking Tasks
• Some tasks require that another task be
completed before it can begin. These tasks
must be linked.
• Tasks and subtasks are linked by assigning
Predecessors.

21. Linking Tasks
• Predecessor
– A task that must start or finish before another
task can start or finish
• Successor
– A task that cannot start or finish until another
task starts or finishes
– A task becomes a successor when a row
number is entered in the predecessor column

22. Linking Tasks

23. Fine Tune the Plan
• When all resources have been assigned and
appropriate tasks are linked, the original
Gantt chart will be complete
• Check to make sure tasks have been linked
correctly and task durations are correct
• The project is now ready to begin

24. Set a Baseline
• A baseline compares your original plan for
the project with the actual course of the
project.
• You can see which tasks started earlier or
later than planned, exceeded their original
budget, took longer than planned, and so on.

25. Set a Baseline
• Create a baseline after you've polished it
and just before you actually start work on
the project
• To track costs, be sure to enter cost
information before you create the baseline
• Updates can easily be made to the baseline
if information is missing

26. Set a Baseline
• The Baseline plan includes:
– Tasks (start and finish dates, duration, work,
cost, splits, timephased work, and timephased
cost)
– Resources (work, cost, timephased work, and
timephased cost)
– Assignments (start and finish dates, work, cost,
timephased work, and timephased cost)

27. Set a Baseline
• To set a baseline:
– Point to Tracking on the Tools menu
– Click Save Baseline

28. Entering Progress
• Update actual start and finish dates for a task.
– On the Tools menu, point to Tracking and then click
Update Task
– Under Actual, type Start and Finish dates

29. Entering Progress
• Update progress on a task
– Double-click on the task to be updated
– Enter a percentage
– On the Gantt chart, a progress bar appears in the task
bar

30. Tracking Gantt Chart
• Tracks the progress of the project
• Shows what tasks are overdue and what has
been completed on time
• Click on the Tracking Gantt icon to view

31. Tracking Gantt Chart

32. Tracking Progress
• Determining if tasks are starting and
finishing according to plan:
– In the Tracking Gantt, point to Table (View
menu) and click Variance
– Drag the Divider bar to the right to view
variance.
– Variance is shown in Days

33. Tracking Progress
• Determine if tasks cost more or less than
budgeted
– In the Tracking Gantt, point to Table (View
menu) and click Cost
– Drag the Divider bar to the right to view Total
Cost and Baseline fields

34. PERT Chart
• Shows a flowchart of
the project.
• Each box represents a
task in the project.
• Connecting arrows
show dependencies
between tasks.
• To view, click the
PERT chart icon

35. Calendar View
• Keeps tabs on when
tasks occur.
• Quickly see how long
tasks take, when they
start and finish, and
how they occur in
relation to other tasks.
• To view, click the
Calendar icon

36. Task Usage View
• Work with task and
resource information
side by side.
• Easily create useful
reports about when a
resource is scheduled
to work on a task.
• To view, click the Task
Usage icon

37. Resource Graph View
• See whether resources
are overallocated,
what capacity they're
working at, and how
much they cost in a
timescale graph
• To view, click the
Resource Graph icon

38. More Views
• Resource Sheet View
– Easy way to review, add, edit data about
resources
• Resource Usage View
– Work with resource and task information side
by side

39. The Project is Now Complete !!
• MS Project is a very powerful tool if it is
used correctly
• This program can save a lot of time for
engineers who are interested in time, cost,
etc.
• Automatically keeps your project organized.

40. Thank you !!
Please feel free to ask any questions