Managing Projects with Microsoft Project Server 2010

In this course, you will learn to use Microsoft Project 2010 Pro in the Microsoft Project Server 2010 environment, creating a truly collaborative project management information system. You will learn to use Microsoft Project 2010 Pro to build projects at your desktop and publish your project information and task assignments to the Project Server 2010 databases.

You will learn to use the intuitive web-based Project Server interface to automatically notify resources of task assignments through Outlook and to update task status. You will learn how to view project status, task status, and resource allocation across the entire enterprise.

What You Will Learn

• Project 2010 Pro and Project Server 2010 architecture
• Modify the Microsoft Project interface
• Microsoft Project Server interface
• Set Microsoft Project options to best reflect the way you manage projects
• Create and understand complex task relationships
• Manage deliverable dates using critical path methodology
• Relationship between task type and resource assignment
• Difference between duration and work
• Create custom fields to identify and analyze specific tasks
• Use custom formulas to find and highlight potential problems
• Create graphical indicators to track and view variances
• Create ad hoc views using interactive filters
• Develop custom reports
• View resource over-allocations within a single project
• View resource over-allocation across all of the enterprise projects
• Process of updating projects within a project
• Process of updating project through the Project Server web site
• Use Project Server web sites for collaborative project management
• Create and manage project risks and issues
• Publish project-related documents to the project web site
• Export data to Excel and other Microsoft applications

Audience

• Anyone who manages projects using Microsoft Project 2010
• Project managers, project schedulers, and anyone who will touch the project schedule

Prerequistes

Basic understanding of the principles of project management

Course Outline

1. Initiating Process

• The Project Charter Behind the Schedule
• The Core Team's Role in Building the Schedule

2. Planning Process

• Scope Planning
  • Reviewing the Class Project Scope
  • Opening the Class Project from a Template
  • MS Project Screen
  • Working with Ribbons
  • Using Mini-Toolbars
  • Applying Keyboard Shortcuts
  • Displaying the Entry Bar
  • Setting Microsoft Project Options
  • Entering the Project Start Date
  • Project Calendar
  • Using Custom Fields
  • Creating a Value Lists
  • Creating a Custom Formula and Indicator Field
  • Hiding Columns in a Table
  • Add Tasks to Class Project
  • Options for Saving the Project
• Developing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
  • Formatting the WBS
  • Viewing the WBS at a Summary Level
• Activity Sequencing
  • Manual vs. Automatic Scheduling
  • Rules of Logic and Dependencies
  • Using Dependencies
  • Choosing the Right Dependencies
  • Creating Task Dependencies in the Class Project
  • Linking Tasks in the Entry Table
  • Linking Sequential Tasks
  • Linking Noncontiguous Tasks
  • Using the Predecessor/Successor Form to Link Tasks
  • Linking Tasks Graphically
  • Activity Duration Estimating
  • Enter Durations for Class Project
• Managing the Schedule Timeline
  • Determining the Critical Path
  • Create a Custom Gantt Chart View and Table
  • Showing Critical Path
  • Format the Current Date Gridline
  • Using the Timeline Feature in the Gantt Chart View
  • Using Standard Filters
  • Using AutoFilters
  • Custom Filters: Filtering for a Key Word
  • Interactive Custom Filters: Filtering for Tasks by Core Team
  • Custom Filters: Filtering for Dangling Tasks
  • Setting Task Constraints
  • Eliminate Schedule Constraints
  • Grouping Tasks
  • Optimize the Task Schedule
  • Changing the Logic of the Class Project
  • Scheduling with the Task Form
  • Overlap Tasks with Finish-to-Finish Relationship
  • Overlapping Tasks with Start-to-Start Relationships
• Resource Planning
  • Using Resources from the Enterprise Resource Pool
  • Assigning Team Members to Tasks
  • Using the Team Planner View
  • View Resource Allocations in the Resource Graph
  • Viewing Over-Allocated Resources within a Project
  • Viewing Over-Allocated Resources across the Enterprise
  • Using the Team Planner View
  • Resource Leveling Tool and How it Works
  • Create a Leveled Resource Indicator Field
  • Remove the Effects of Leveling
  • Options for Optimizing Resource Schedules
  • Replacing a Resource
  • View New Over-Allocations
  • Change a Task Calendar to Optimize the Schedule
  • Freeze the Baseline

3. Executing Process

• Reporting from the Project Pro Client
• Reporting from the Project Server
• Resource Usage Reports
• Visual Reports
• Reporting in Excel
• Reporting in Word
• Reporting in PowerPoint

4. Controlling Process

• Performance Reporting
  • Updating Tasks
  • View the Updated Schedule in the Project Server Project Center
  • Save the Updated Schedule and Interim Plan
  • Using the Project Server Collaborative Web Site
    • Creating and Managing Risks
    • Creating and Managing Issues
    • Publishing Documents

5. Closing Process

• Administrative Closure
• Administrative Backup
• Create a Project Template

Case Studies

Case Study 1: Building and Compressing a Schedule

Working in groups, you will be given a set of tasks and a project deadline to meet. Using MS Project, your group will create a schedule that illustrates your approach to managing the project to meet the deadline.

Case Study 2: Resolving Resource Conflicts

You will be given a project with tasks durations and links. Working in groups, you will assign resources, view resource over-allocations, and resolve resource issues.

Course Labs

Lab 1: Creating a Value List

• Create a custom field
• Populate a drop down list
• Apply list items to specific tasks

Lab 2: Creating an Indicator Icon

• Create a custom field
• Build a custom formula
• Display the results as an icon

Lab 3: Formatting a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Open the Lab 3 project template
• Format the WBS

Lab 4: Task Linking

• Open the Lab 4 project template
• Determine the logical order of the tasks
• Link the tasks in their logical order

Lab 5: Modifying a View

• Open the Lab 4 project template
• Display the critical path
• Modify the current date timeline

Lab 6: Creating a Custom Filter

The ability to focus on key data based on the project manager's current need is critical in any project. In this exercise, you will modify a custom filter to find specific data based on ad hoc requests.

Lab 7: Grouping Tasks

Microsoft Project has the ability to rearrange tasks based on the user's preference. In this exercise, you will rearrange the WBS based on the information in one of your custom fields.

Lab 8: Creating a Custom Resource View

Resource management is one of the most complex aspects of project management. In this exercise, you will create a custom resource view based on key information.