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Questions and answers on everything Sector Teaches.
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Started: 6/10/2010 12:35 PM | |
|  | Where do I begin when using Microsoft Project? Before a project schedule can even be developed, documents such as project charter, risk assessments, communication plan, etc. should be thought through. This article assumes you know about those. Our focus here is using MS Project to create the schedule components of the project plan. MS Project documents and tracks work to be performed over time. There are four areas of this program I like to see filled out before the tasks and resources are entered and organized:
First, you should fill in the MS Project Properties dialog box. (File | Properties). The information entered here shows up in a number of views and reports.
Second, enter the Start or Finish date (in Project | Project Information). You can't set both. What we have discovered from experience is that MS Project tends to work best with a firm start date. From there you can manage the end date. (Part of the "manage" in project management.) It's important to set this parameter before you jump into the planning part since it sets the foundation for your project. It can be changed if needed, but there are other tools in the program that are better used for this kind of contingency.
Third, set up the calendar for the project. (Tools | Change Working Time...). Setting up the statutory holidays and the project working times gives MS Project a framework for more accurate calculating when tasks will be done across time.
Fourth, use the Tools | Options dialog box to set the defaults you would like the program to use for your project. Some of the places where changes can be made are on the Schedule tab, the View tab, the Edit tab, the Calendar tab.
Now you can start entering your tasks, resources, and dependencies. This takes the form of a Work Breakdown Structure, another Project Management concept.
These steps will help ensure that your project plan, and your project, gets off to a great start.
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