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Tutorial 1
Objectives
Session 1.1 Learn about project goals and project management process groups Learn project management terminology Understand the benefits of project management Understand how Project 2007 supports successful project management Session 1.2 Explore the Project 2007 window Review the Project 2007 menus and toolbars Learn about components specific to the Project window Check and change default settings Enter tasks and save a project Session 1.3 Open and explore an existing project Examine different project views Compare the Gantt chart and Network Diagram views Use the project time scale and calendar Use Print Preview and the Page Setup dialog box Explore the Project 2007 Help system

Planning a Project
Preparing for a Local Area Network Installation with Microsoft Project 2007 Case | ECB Partners Market Research
As the new office manager for ECB Partners, a small market research firm, you have acquired new office management responsibilities. The managing certified public accountant (CPA) partner, Jennifer Lane, recently asked you to direct a new and exciting project: manage the installation of the firms local area network (LAN). The firm has five personal computers used by the marketing associate, a client support administrator, the receptionist, Jennifer, and you. The budget for this project is $50,000. Jennifer wants the LAN fully installed in three months. You seek the advice of your friend, Simon Singh. Simon tells you that a LAN implementation is nothing more than a project, a defined sequence of steps that achieve an identified goal, and he suggests that you use Microsoft Office Project 2007 to document and manage the LAN project because of its ability to help you calculate dates, assign responsibilities, and estimate costs. Simon explains that Project 2007 will also help you clearly communicate project information such as the costs and status, to Jennifer. Simon teaches the course Fundamentals of Project Management Using Microsoft Office Project 2007 at the local community college and invites you to enroll. He explains that all projects can benefit from professional project management but that technical and computer projects are especially good candidates due to their increased complexity, cost, and management expectations. You present the idea to Jennifer, and she wholeheartedly supports your enrollment in the class.

Starting Data Files

Case1
ECBNetwork1.mpp ECBTraining1.mpp NewHouse1.mpp

Case2
Career1.mpp

Case3
FTIConv1.mpp

Case4
(none)

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Session 1.1
Introduction to Project Management
Project management includes the processes of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing a project in order to meet the projects goal. The project goal is achieved when a series of tasks are completed that produce a desired outcome, at a specified level of quality, and within a given time frame and budget. Examples of project goals include: install a new computer system within six months for less than $100,000; build a 2500-square-foot house within three months for less than $350,000; earn a college degree in four years for less than $80,000; and find a job within two months at which you can earn at least $40,000 per year. Microsoft Project 2007 helps you meet project goals by providing a tool for entering, analyzing, tracking, and summarizing information about the project. It also identifies ways to complete project tasks more efficiently and effectively. Being efficient means doing tasks faster, with fewer resources, and with lower costs. Being effective means meeting the actual goals of the project. Although being efficient is important and leads to greater productivity, being effective is much more important, as well as more difficult to achieve. It doesnt matter if a new computer system is installed in the specified time frame and under budget if the system doesnt work as intended. Using a tool such as Project 2007 will help you to be both efficient and effective by organizing task details and allowing you to see how they interrelate by automatically updating date and cost information and by providing communication tools used to make informed decisions. The Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org) publishes the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide and provides Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. See the Appendix at the end of this book for further information.

Tip
An excellent reference for learning more about project management is the Project Management Institutes Web site at www.pmi.org.

The Project Goal

The first step in formally managing a project of any size is to define the project goal. The project goal should be as short and as simple as possible, yet as detailed as necessary to clearly communicate the specific scope, time frame, and budget expectations of management. Scope refers to all the work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them. The project is finished when the project manager and management agree that the project goal has been met. The project manager is the primary source of information regarding project status and the central person to whom all of the details of the project converge for entry into the project plan. In your case, the project goal is to network five computers to easily share resources and to complete the network within a time frame of three months and within a budget of $50,000. This broad goal assumes that you will describe additional project steps to define resources that need to be shared, as well as determine how this is done easily. Gaining management agreement to a concise project goal that addresses the issues of scope, time frame, and budget is essential in order for both the project manager and management to stay synchronized with appropriate expectations. Figure 1-1 compares vague project goals with improved project goals. Setting project goals Vague Project Goals Improved Project Goals
Find a job Organize the company retreat Build a house Run a fund-raiser Secure a local job within the next six months working for a local college or high school that pays at least $35,000 annually. Plan the annual company retreat in the month of January in a warm climate convention center within a budget of $100,000. Build a four-bedroom house in Dumont within a $500,000 budget by July 1. Hold a fundraising event to finance the new band uniforms by September 1.

Figure 1-1

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Often, during the course of a project, you will need to revise the project goal as unexpected issues alter the original plan. For example, you might have initially underestimated the cost or time required to complete the project. Project 2007 helps both the project manager and management predict and understand project issues and progress so that negative effects on the scope, time frame, or cost of the project can be minimized.

Tip
Project management skills can be applied to any project you want to undertake. You can apply project management skills to a small project, such as redecorating a small room in your house, or to a large project, such as building a bridge.

Project Management Process Groups

A process group is a set of processes, or series of steps, that need to be completed in order to move on to the next phase of the project. The duration of a project is divided into five process groups: initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Each process group requires appropriate communication to management if you hope to stay synchronized with their needs and desires. Figure 1-2 describes some of the typical tasks and responsibilities that occur within each process group. Project 2007 supports each of these process groups by providing an integrated database into which you enter the individual pieces of project information. It uses the project information to create the screens and reports necessary to communicate project status throughout each process group. Project management process groups Process Group
Initiating

Figure 1-2

Typical Responsibilities
Setting the project goal Identifying the necessary project start or finish date limitations Identifying the project manager Identifying project budget and quality considerations

Planning

Entering project tasks, durations, and relationships Identifying project subdivisions and milestones Documenting available resources as well as their associated costs Entering applicable resource or task restrictions such as intermediate due dates or not-to-exceed costs Assigning resources to tasks

Executing

Producing work results, including the products or services required to meet project goals Requesting changes to the project Recommending quality and performance improvements Creating project records, reports, and presentations

Controlling

Updating project start, finish, and resource usage to completed or partially completed tasks Managing resource and task conflicts Working with the project to meet management timing, resource, and cost objectives Changing the project to meet new or unexpected demands

Closing

Entering the final status of the finished project, including task date, resource, and cost information Printing the final reports used to analyze the performance of the project

Project Management Terminology

Understanding key project terminology is fundamental to your success as a project manager. This section defines a few key terms that will help you when using Project 2007.

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Task
A task is a specific action that needs to be completed in order to achieve the project goal. Because tasks are actions, task names generally start with a verb. Examples of tasks within a LAN installation include document current hardware, purchase new equipment, wire the office, and train the users. The specificity of the task depends on its complexity as well as on the needs of the users of the project information. If the task train the users involves learning multiple software applications such as spreadsheets, word processing, and new accounting software, a single training task is probably too broad. If the task is to train the new users on how to create a new LAN password, however, a single task describing this effort is probably sufficient.

Duration
Each task has a duration, which is how long it takes to complete the task. Some task durations are not flexible; they do not change according to the amount of resources applied. Meetings, for example, fall into this category because it generally doesnt matter if five or six employees attend the orientation meetingthe scheduled duration of the meeting is still two hours. Most tasks, however, have a flexible duration, meaning that if two people of equal qualifications are assigned to a task, the task could be completed in less time. Wiring the office and taking the new computers out of the boxes are examples of tasks with flexible durations. In Project 2007, durations can be estimated or firm. An estimated duration appears with a question mark (?) after the duration. If you do not enter a duration for a new task, it will appear with an estimated default duration of one day, which appears as 1 day?. By providing for both estimated and firm durations, Project 2007 gives you the ability to quickly find and filter tasks with durations that are not firm.

Start and Finish Dates

The Start date is the date that the project will start. The Finish date is the date that Project 2007 calculates as the date that the project will finish. By default, if you enter a Start date, Project 2007 will calculate the Finish date based on the task durations and relationships within the project.

Predecessors and Successors

A predecessor is a task that must be completed before a certain task can be started, and a successor is a task that cannot be started until another task is completed. For example, if you are building a house, you cannot frame the roof until the walls are framed. Putting up the walls is the predecessor task for putting on the roof, and the roof task is a successor to the walls task. You can, however, start picking out flooring materials for the inside of the house without waiting for the walls or roof to be put up, so the task of choosing flooring materials does not have a predecessor.

Resources
Resources are the people, equipment, or facilities (such as a conference room) that need to be assigned to a task in order to complete it. Some resources have defined hourly costs that will be applied as the task is completed (for example, the software trainer charges $100 per hour). Some resources have per use costs (for example, the conference room charge is $200 per use). Some resource costs are not applied to a particular task but rather to the entire project (for example, a temporary receptionist is hired for the duration of the project while existing employees are being trained). The degree to which

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you track task and project costs is a function of what management wants. If management is mainly concerned about when a project will be finished, and the project is well within budget, it might be foolish to spend the extra time and energy to track detailed costs. If management needs to track detailed project costs, then resource assignments and their associated costs must be entered and managed.

Project Manager
As explained earlier in the chapter, the project manager is the central person to whom all of the details of the project converge for entry into the project plan. The project manager also supervises the projects execution and is the main source of project status information for management. The project manager is expected to balance conflicting business needs, such as the need to finish a project by July 1, but also to finish it under budget. As such, the project manager must have excellent leadership, organizational, and communication skills.

Scope
As mentioned previously, scope is all the work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them. A clear project goal will help communicate the scope of the project. The more precise the project objectives and deliverables, the more clear the scope becomes. Projects that are not well defined, or those that do not have appropriate management involvement and support, can suffer from scope creep. Scope creep is the condition whereby projects grow and change in unanticipated ways that increase costs, extend deadlines, or otherwise negatively affect the project goal.

Quality
Quality is the degree to which something meets an objective standard. Almost every project and task has implied quality standards. Without effective communication, however, they can be interpreted much differently by the project manager and by the employee or contractor completing the task. The more clearly those standards are defined, the more likely that the task will be completed at a quality level acceptable to the project manager. Both the project manager and the person completing the task must agree on key quality measurements. For example, the task install computer cabling involves other issues that determine whether the task will be completed in a high-quality manner. Quality concerns for the networking project you are responsible for include the following: Will the installation be completed in a manner that doesnt interrupt the regular workday? How will the office furniture be moved and returned to its original location? What testing will be conducted? What type of documentation will be provided? When will payment be due?

Risk
Risk is the probability that a task, resource, or cost is miscalculated in a way that creates a negative impact on the project. Obviously, all risk cannot be eliminated. People get sick, accidents happen, and Murphys Law is alive and well. Later you will learn how to use Project 2007 to minimize project risk.

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InSight

Maintaining Control of a Project

As all projects are unique, so are the ways that project managers approach each project. Different project managers and businesses develop differing methods for initiating and running a project. For example, some businesses set parameters and guidelines for their projects that do not exist in other businesses. Although approaches may differ, you will find that the project manager of a well-managed project will always control the fundamental assignment of tasks, durations, and resources, and will also watch for scope creep and monitor quality and risk.

Benefits of Project Management

As you have learned, the major benefit of formal project management is to complete a project goal at a specified level of quality within a given time frame and budget. You begin to understand how this can be applied to your project at ECB Partners. On an organizational or enterprise level, providing consistent project delivery capability provides many advantages, as identified in Figure 1-3. Figure 1-3 Benefits of project management

Better understanding of overall project goals and alignment with business objectives Better understanding of project tasks, durations, schedule dates, and costs More organized and streamlined way to manage the many details of a project More accurate and reliable project status information More efficient use of project resources Better communication among management, project managers, and other stakeholders Faster response to conflicting project goals Greater awareness of project progress Faster project completion Lower project costs Fewer project failures

How Project 2007 Supports Successful Project Management

Project 2007 allows you to enter project information into one organized central database. It offers an organized, secure, and easy way to manage the many project details. In so doing, Project 2007 performs functions similar to several types of application software, as explained in Figure 1-4. You could use all these different applications to assist in managing projects; however, Project 2007 allows you to utilize one software application to manage the entire project.

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Project 2007 compared to other software applications Application Software

Database Spreadsheet Chart

Figure 1-4

Project 2007 Similarities

Manages lists of tasks, durations, dates, resources, costs, constraints, and notes Automatically recalculates durations and costs, task start and finish dates, and project start or finish dates Provides several graphical views of project information, including the Gantt chart, Network Diagram, and Calendar views to give you a visual overview of your data Includes several predefined reports that provide varying degrees of detail in all areas of the project; allows the user to customize existing reports to show exactly the amount of detail needed Allows integration with other enterprise applications when using Microsoft Project Server 2007

Report Writer

Enterprise Management

With Project 2007, you start a project by entering a few tasks, often in sequential order. The integrated approach of Project 2007 allows you to expand the project as needed. As your needs for information on the project evolve, you can always enter and evaluate more information, such as planned, scheduled, and actual time frames, costs, and resource allocations. Project 2007 includes several specialized tools to help you manage your projects. It also provides project planning assistance in the form of a guide.

Chart and Diagram Tools

The Gantt chart and the network diagram are two important project management tools you can create using Project 2007.

Gantt Chart
The Gantt chart provides a graphical visualization of the project, with each task shown as a horizontal bar. The length of each bar in the Gantt chart corresponds to the duration of the task. Named for Henry Gantt (a pioneer of project management techniques), the Gantt chart graphically displays project schedule information by listing project tasks and their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format. The Gantt chart also depicts the dependencies between tasks by illustrating whether one task must be completed before another task begins. An example of a Gantt chart is shown in Figure 1-5. Project 2007 creates Gantt charts that you can view on the screen or print.

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Figure 1-5

Example of a Gantt chart

tasks represented by bars

Network Diagram
Although a Gantt chart illustrates whether one task is dependent on another, a network diagram which displays each task as a box or node, more clearly illustrates the interdependencies of tasks. See Figure 1-6. Dependent tasks are linked together through link lines, thus creating a clear picture of how the tasks will be sequenced. The primary purpose of the network diagram is to display the critical path. The critical path is the series of tasks (or even a single task) that dictates the calculated finish date of the project. In other words, the critical path determines the earliest the project can be completed. Used together, the network diagram and the Gantt chart form a solid foundation for effective and efficient project management. You will create a simple Gantt chart and network diagram in this first tutorial and learn to create more complex ones in later tutorials.

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Example of a network diagram

Figure 1-6

this task is not part of the critical path

this task cannot be started until three other tasks are completed

The Project Guide

When you start a new project, you might find that you want some help in getting started. The Project Guide included with Project 2007 can help you navigate through the project management process. The Project Guide includes links to wizards, which are series of dialog boxes that take you step-by-step through a process, such as entering tasks, assigning resources, setting deadlines, reporting activities, and so on. The Project Guide is helpful if you are first learning Project 2007 and need to quickly define the project. When the Project Guide is open, it appears in a pane on the left side of the project window. This pane has four areas: Tasks, Resources, Track, and Report. The tutorials in this book require that you do not open the Project Guide. This way, after you finish the book, you will have a complete understanding of these Project 2007 components. However, if you need to open the Guide to help you further understand components of a project, you can do so.

Choosing the Best Version of Project 2007 for You

Because there are several versions of Microsoft Office Project 2007, it is useful to understand the differences among them so you can choose the version that best meets your needs. Fundamentally, you need to determine if a single-user version for individual contributors is appropriate, or if you need a server version that permits multiple users to work together using common data. If you plan to manage projects independently from your desktop computer, Microsoft Office Project Standard 2007 and Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 are probably the versions from which you should choose. Both versions integrate with the other Microsoft Office 2007 programs. If employees throughout your organization will be managing your projects, consider instead the Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management (EPM)

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Solution, which enables effective communication and collaboration within project teams. Using the Office EPM Solution allows organizations to manage their project portfolio effectively, establish standards and best practices, and centrally manage resources based on skills and availability.

Project Standard 2007

Project Standard 2007 provides the core tools that project managers, business managers, and planners need to manage schedules and resources independently. With Project Standard 2007, you can efficiently organize and track tasks and resources to keep your projects on time and within budget. You can integrate any Project 2007 project file with any Microsoft Office 2007 software such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel.

Project Professional 2007

If you think that your needs will grow and you will eventually want to collaborate with others, then you should select Project Professional 2007, which can integrate with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007. Project Professional 2007 provides all the capabilities in Project Standard 2007. However, when used with Project Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Project Web Access, it also provides Enterprise Project Management (EPM) capabilities, such as providing up-to-date information on resource availability, as well as skills and project status. When a team publishes project information to the Microsoft Office Project server, team members can use Microsoft Office Project Web Access to view the information and to report progress for tasks they are working on. Figure 1-7 shows an example of a project in Office Project Web Access. Figure 1-7 Office Project Web Access

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Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution

You should choose the Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution if you need to: Communicate and collaborate with project team members and other stakeholders or partners over the Web, an intranet, or an extranet Standardize project management processes across the organization Understand resource workload and availability across projects, whether managed by you or others in the organization Report across projects in the organization and roll-up scorecard reports The Office EPM Solution includes Project Professional 2007, Project Server 2007, and Microsoft Office Project Portfolio Server 2007. The tutorials in this text assume you are using Project Professional 2007 and running Windows Vista. However, if you are using any other version of Project 2007, including Project Standard 2007, you should still be able to complete all the steps. Project 2007 supports many features that help you to perform as an effective project manager. You will learn how to take advantage of these tools as you work through this book. Now that you know the benefits of project management and the basic terminology, you can start Project 2007 and begin to plan the LAN installation project for ECB Partners.

Session 1.1 Quick Check

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. When is the project goal achieved? Differentiate efficient from effective. Define scope creep. What is a project manager? What are the five process groups of project management? Define the following project management terms: a. task b. duration c. resources d. quality 7. Describe what a Gantt chart looks like, and identify its primary purpose. 8. Describe what a network diagram looks like, and identify its primary purpose.

Review

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Session 1.2
Starting Microsoft Office Project 2007
Before you can create a project, you need to start Project 2007, set up your screen to match the figures in this book, and then learn about the organization of the Project 2007 window.

To start Project 2007:

1. Click the Start button on the taskbar to display the Start menu, point to All Programs to display the programs installed on your computer, and then click Microsoft Office. The Microsoft Office folder opens displaying the list of Microsoft Office programs installed on your computer. See Figure 1-8.
Figure 1-8 Starting Microsoft Project 2007

Microsoft Office Project 2007

2. Click Microsoft Office Project 2007. After a short pause, the Microsoft Project window appears as shown in Figure 1-9.

Trouble? If you dont see Microsoft Office Project after you click Microsoft Office, try typing Project 2007 in the Start Search box. If you still dont see Microsoft Office Project 2007 on the menu, ask your instructor or technical support person for help. Trouble? These figures were created while running the default settings for Windows Vista and Project Professional 2007. Other operating systems (for example, Windows XP) and different system options (screen resolution and colors, for example) might change the way that the figures appear. If you are running Project Standard 2007, you might see different options in some boxes. In all these cases, you dont need to worry about cosmetic differences or various taskbar options. Focus instead on the key information as identified by the callouts to make sure that your work is synchronized with the steps.

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Project window with Project Guide open

Standard and Formatting toolbars on one row Project Guide toolbar menu bar

Figure 1-9

Project Guide pane (might not appear on your screen)

The Project Guide pane is open in the project shown in Figure 1-9. Depending on how you set up Project 2007, the Project Guide pane can open with each new project to help you plan and schedule project tasks. However, for this book, you will close the Project Guide pane, if it opens, and work directly in the Project window. (If your Project Guide pane is already closed, skip Step 3.) 3. If the Project Guide pane is open, click View on the menu bar, and then click Turn Off Project Guide. The Project Guide pane and the Project Guide toolbar close. Next, you need to open the View Bar. The View Bar, when open, provides quick access to the many project views. Each view is represented as an icon that you click to switch to the view. (If the View Bar is open by default, skip Step 4.)

Trouble? Project 2007 will prompt you to register or activate the product the first time it is used. If you are working with your own copy of Project 2007, its a good idea to register the product with Microsoft in order to receive support and future product information.
4. If the View Bar is not open, click View on the menu bar, and then click View Bar. The View Bar opens on the left side of the window.

Trouble? If the Gantt Chart button is not selected in the View Bar (it should have an orange background), click it to select it.
5. If the Project program window is not maximized, click the Maximize button in the upper-right corner of the program window. Next, you may need to arrange the toolbars in one row instead of two. If the Standard and Formatting toolbars already appear in one row, skip Step 6.

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6. If the Standard and Formatting toolbars appear in two rows, click Tools on the menu bar, point to Customize, click Toolbars, click the Options tab if it is not already selected, click the Show Standard and Formatting toolbars on two rows check box to deselect it, and then click Close. Compare your screen to Figure 1-10.
Figure 1-10 Project window with View Bar open

selected button in the View Bar

Standard toolbar

Formatting toolbar

Project 2007 is now running and the window is set up to match the figures in this bookso you can start entering tasks and durations.

Viewing the Project 2007 Screen

The Project window consists of a number of elements that are common to Windows applications, such as the title bar, menu bar, toolbars, and status bar. In addition, various elements in the window are specific to Project 2007. Refer to Figure 1-11.

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Elements of the Project window

project filename menu bar Entry bar Minimize button

Figure 1-11

timescale

Restore Down button Close button Close Window button

View Bar

Restore Window button

Entry table

Gantt chart pane horizontal scroll box

Gantt chart

Title Bar
The title bar, the top bar of any application software running on a Windows computer, identifies both the application name and the project name. See Figure 1-12. When you start a new project, the generic Project1 filename appears in the title bar. Once you save a project or if you open an existing project, the projects filename appears in the title bar. Title bar
Minimize button project filename appears here Restore Down button

Figure 1-12
Close button

The right corner of the title bar contains the Minimize, Restore Down, and Close buttons. If the Project program window is not maximized, the middle button is the Maximize button rather than the Restore Down button. These buttons are common to Windows applications. Clicking these buttons affects the entire program window.

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Menu Bar
The menu bar is located directly below the title bar. See Figure 1-13. The menu bar contains the File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Project, Report, Collaborate, Window, and Help menus, which are used to issue commands in Project 2007. All of the Project 2007 commands can be found through the use of the menu bar. Figure 1-13 Menu bar
Close Window button menus Restore Window button

The right corner of the menu bar contains two buttons that are similar to the buttons above them on the title bar. From left to right, these are the Restore Window or Maximize button and the Close Window button. Clicking these buttons affects only the project window inside the program window. The menu bar also contains the Type a question for help box. You can, as the name implies, type a question in this box to access the answer in the Help system.

Toolbars
Toolbars contain buttons for the most popular Project 2007 commands; each button has a little picture or icon to represent a command. Two toolbars are displayed by default: the Standard toolbar and the Formatting toolbar. See Figure 1-14. To determine the name of a button on a toolbar, position the mouse pointer over the button without clicking the mouse button. A ScreenTip, a small box containing the name of the button, will appear. Figure 1-14 Toolbars

Standard toolbar

Toolbar Options button

Formatting toolbar

Standard Toolbar
The Standard toolbar is positioned directly under the menu bar and on the left side of the screen. Many of the buttons on the Standard toolbar are common to almost all Windows applications, such as New, Open, Save, Print, Paste, Undo, and Redo. The Standard toolbar also includes buttons specific to Project 2007, such as Link Tasks, Split Task, and Task Information.

Formatting Toolbar
By default, the Formatting toolbar is positioned directly under the menu bar on the right side of the screen. As with most Windows applications, the Formatting toolbar contains buttons that improve the appearance of the project, such as font, bold, italic, and alignment. The

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Formatting toolbar also has buttons to help you organize, outline, and filter tasks. For access to additional buttons, click the Toolbar Options button.

Accessing Hidden Buttons and Resizing the Toolbars

When the Standard and Formatting toolbars are displayed in one row, you need to click the Toolbar Options button at the right end of the toolbars to see additional buttons that do not appear on the toolbars because there is not enough space. Clicking either Toolbar Options button allows you to access all of the hidden buttons. Once you use a hidden button, its icon replaces another icon on a toolbar to allow you easier access to it the next time you need it. If you want one or the other of the toolbars to occupy more or less space, you can drag the move handle at the left end of the Formatting toolbar to the right or left. If you drag it to the right, the length of the Standard toolbar will increase and the length of the Formatting toolbar will decrease. If you drag it to the left, the opposite happens.

View Bar
The View Bar, which appears to the left of the project window, contains several buttons that you use to switch from one project view to another, which are different ways you can display your project. See Figure 1-15. Each view displays task, resource, and cost information with varying levels of detail. If you see a small black triangle that points down at the bottom of the View Bar, it indicates that more buttons are available. If your Window doesnt fill the screen, or your screen is set to a lower resolution, you might see fewer than the nine View buttons. To switch views, you click a button on the View Bar. View Bar Figure 1-15

View Bar

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Entry Table and Entry Bar

The default view is Gantt Chart view, as shown in Figure 1-15. In Gantt Chart view, the pane on the left lists the tasks and associated information about each task. The pane on the right displays the Gantt chart. The list of tasks on the left is the Entry table, a spreadsheet-like display of project information organized in rows and columns. Each task entered becomes a new row, and the individual pieces of information about each task comprise the columns. The two most important pieces of information about each task are in the Task Name and Duration columns. The Entry bar is positioned just below the Standard and Formatting toolbars. You can use the Entry bar to enter or edit an existing entry, such as a task name or duration. It works in a manner similar to that of the formula bar in an electronic spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel. As you enter tasks in the Entry table, the text also appears in the Entry bar. The Entry table consists of many more columns of information than you see on the window shown in Figure 1-15. These columns include the Predecessors and Resource Names columns. To see these other columns, you can use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the Entry table.

To scroll the Entry table:

1. Click the right scroll arrow in the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the Entry table as many times as necessary to scroll the table so that you can see the empty space to the right of the Resource Names column. 2. Drag the scroll box in the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the Entry table all the way to the left. The Resource Names column disappears from view again.
Often, the columns in the Entry table are filled in automatically as you enter information about the task elsewhere in the project. The Start date, for example, is the current date, unless you specify something else. The Finish date is automatically calculated as the Start date plus the duration. The Predecessors and Resource Names columns will be automatically filled in as you specify task relationships and assign resources. You may also type directly into the Entry table, but generally, the Task Name and Duration columns are the only ones that you complete directly from the keyboard.

Gantt Chart
You have already learned that the Gantt chart is a primary tool used by project managers to graphically communicate information about a project. Each task is identified as a horizontal bar, the length of which corresponds to the duration of the task as measured by the timescale at the top of the chart. The Gantt chart can be formatted to show many other attributes of the project, including relationships between tasks, resource assignments, and dates. As you enter more information into the project, the Gantt chart changes to display the information. In the project window, the Entry table and the Gantt chart are in separate panes with a vertical split bar dividing them. You can drag this split bar to resize the panes.

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To drag the split bar:

1. Place the mouse pointer on the split bar between the Entry table and the Gantt . chart. The pointer changes to 2. Press and hold the left mouse button, drag to the right until you can see the Resource Names column in the Entry table, as shown in Figure 1-16, and then release the mouse button.
Dragging the split bar Figure 1-16

pointer Resource Names column split bar

Trouble? You might see more or less information in the Gantt chart depending on your screen resolution.
pointer to drag the split bar to the left until it is positioned at the right 3. Use the edge of the Finish column in the Entry table.

Timescale
The timescale, displayed along the top edge of the Gantt chart, displays the unit of measure that determines the length of each bar. See Figure 1-17. The timescale normally has two rows: a major scale (the upper scale) and a minor scale (the lower scale). By default, the major scale is measured in weeks and displays the date for the Sunday of that week, and the minor scale is measured in days and displays the first letter of the day of the week. The timescale Figure 1-17

major scale

minor scale nonworking days in gray

Both the major and minor scales can be modified to display a different unit of measure (minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, quarters, and years), as well as different labels. For example, week labels can be displayed in different ways, such as January 30, 2011; Jan 30, 11; 1/30/11; and Tue 1/30/11. You can also add a third level to the timescale.

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As with the Entry table, you can scroll the Gantt chart to see parts of the chart not currently in view. When you scroll the Gantt chart, you are essentially moving the timescale.

To scroll the Gantt chart:

1. Drag the horizontal scroll box in the Gantt chart pane to the middle of the scroll bar. As you drag the scroll box, a date ScreenTip appears to indicate how far you are moving the timescale. Often, youll want to return to the first bar in the Gantt chart. 2. Press and hold the Alt key, and then press the Home key. The Alt+Home keystroke combination moves the Gantt chart to the projects Start date so that the first bar is visible. The Alt+End keystroke combination moves the Gantt chart to the projects Finish date.

Current Date
By default, the current date is todays date, as determined by your computers clock. It is represented in the Gantt chart by a dotted vertical line. Unless specified differently, all tasks are scheduled and all progress is measured from the current date. You can, however, easily change the current date. Some project managers find it useful to change the current date when planning future projects. As you work on projects, you will develop your own preferences for working with the current date settings. Note that the dotted line is not clearly visible if the current date is Saturday or Sunday or Monday because it appears in or next to the nonworking day line.

Working Days and Nonworking Days

Nonworking days are displayed as light gray vertical bars on the Gantt chart. By default, Saturday and Sunday are considered nonworking days. Therefore, if a task has a threeday duration and starts on Friday, the bar will stretch through Saturday and Sunday, and finish on the third working day, Tuesday. Or, if you happen to specify that a task starts on a Sunday, Project 2007 will move that task to begin on Monday by default. For specific holidays or vacation days in which no work should be scheduled, you can open the projects calendar and specify more nonworking days. Similarly, you can change Saturday or Sunday to be working days if you need to schedule work on those days. Later, youll learn that individual resources can be assigned individual calendars to accommodate individual work schedules, vacations, and holidays.

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Considering Working Days in a Global Economy

In many countries, working days are typically Monday through Friday, and Saturdays and Sundays are nonworking days. Some countries, however, have alternate work weeks that are six rather than five days, while employees in other countries work a four-day week. Holidays also differ from country to country. With Project 2007 you can specify any dates as working or nonworking days. For example, if you work in a company in the United States that allows its employees to take the Friday after Thanksgiving off, you can set that day as nonworking. For those projects that span countries, you can specify the different working and nonworking days in the calendar so that all project participants are aware of the days members might not be working. You will learn later how to apply different calendars to the different resources to accommodate those differences.

InSight

Understanding Start and Finish Dates

When you create a new project, the program assigns a Start and Finish date. By default, if you enter a Start date, Project 2007 will calculate the Finish date based on the task durations and relationships within the project. You can change this so that you can enter a Finish date, and Project 2007 will calculate a Start date, again based on task durations and relationships within the project. Specifying a Finish date is appropriate and necessary for projects such as conventions that must occur on a specific date. You can only set the Start date or the Finish date of the project. Project 2007 will calculate the other one. When there are no tasks in the project, the Start date and Finish date are the same date. The Start date is assumed to be the current date, unless specified otherwise.

To set the project Start and Finish dates:

1. On the menu bar, click Project, and then click Project Information to open the Project Information dialog box. See Figure 1-18. The current date is listed as both the Start and Finish dates, and the Schedule from option indicates that the schedule will be calculated based on the Start date. When there are no tasks in the project, the Start date and Finish date are the same date. As you add tasks, the Finish date is recalculated based on the durations and relationships of the tasks entered. Notice that the Finish date option is in light gray, or dimmed. This means you cannot change it.
Project Information dialog box for a new project
default Start date is same as the current date Finish date is dimmed schedule will be calculated based on the Start date if you are using the Standard version of Project, you won't see the bottom part of this dialog box

Figure 1-18

shows the current date as determined by your computers clock

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2. Click the Schedule from arrow, and then click Project Finish Date. Now the Start date arrow and box are dimmed. Now youll change the schedule option back to its default setting and set the Start date. 3. Click the Schedule from arrow, and then click Project Start Date. 4. Click the Start date arrow, click the right or left arrow on the calendar to scroll the calendar to August, 2011, and then click the 1 on the calendar, as shown in Figure 1-19. The Start date is now set to August 1, 2011. The Finish date will automatically change to August 1, 2011 when you close the dialog box. Figure 1-19
Changing the current date
click to view previous month click new Start date Click to view next month

5. Click OK in the Project Information dialog box to apply your changes. Notice that the Gantt chart has scrolled to display the week in which August 1, 2011 appears.

Entering Your First Tasks

Every project contains tasks. Learning how to enter tasks and durations is the beginning of working with Project 2007. When you enter a task, Project 2007 enters a default estimated duration of one day. You can change this to any amount of time. The default unit of measurement is days, and therefore to enter a duration of five days, for example, you can enter the numeral 5, 5d, or 5days.

To enter tasks and durations:

1. Click the Task Name cell in row 1, and then type Document Hardware. Notice that the text also appears in the Entry bar below the Standard toolbar, as shown in Figure 1-20. You will learn how the Entry bar works in the next section. Task names should be as short as possible, and yet long enough to clearly identify the task.

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Adding a task

Figure 1-20

task in Entry bar task in Entry table

2. Press the Tab key. The Duration cell for the first row is now the active cell. The default entry is 1 day?. Remember that the question mark indicates that the duration is an estimate. The default duration for a task is estimated at 1 day, but the duration can be changed at any time. Note that the row now contains a row number in the first column. 3. Type 5, and then press the Enter key. You have made the duration for this task five days because it will involve researching, inspecting, and documenting each existing piece of equipment. You think that this will take one day per computer, and ECB Partners has five computers. Because this project is scheduled from a Start date and not from a Finish date, tasks begin on the Start date. If the Start date you set is a nonworking day, the project starts on the next working day. Your screen should look like Figure 1-21.
First task entered

Figure 1-21

row 1

task starts Monday, August 1, 2011

Trouble? If you cant see both the Task Name and Duration columns, position the pointer on top of the vertical bar between the pane displaying the task list and the Gantt chart pane so that the pointer changes to , and then drag the bar to the right or left.
The second task that you will enter, Document Software, involves finding all existing software licensing agreements, making sure that each user is on the most current level of software possible, and documenting each workstations software configuration. You estimate that the effort will take two days per computer, and you must research five machines.

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4. Click the Task Name cell in row 2, type Document Software, press the Tab key, type 10 in the Duration cell, and then press the Enter key. As you can see in Figure 1-22, the bar corresponding to this task in the Gantt chart ends August 12, which is 10 working days, but 12 actual days from the Start date. It spans one weekend or two nonworking days.

Figure 1-22

Two tasks entered

rows are numbered

task will take 10 working days

bar in Gantt chart extends 12 days

Trouble? The bars on the Gantt chart might or might not be visible, depending on the time period displayed on the timescale. You will learn about the timescale later.
You can use the horizontal scroll bars at the bottom of each pane to scroll each pane. For example, you can scroll the pane on the left to see additional columns, or you can scroll the pane on the right to see more of the Gantt chart.

Saving a Project
Saving a project file is very similar to saving a word processing document or a spreadsheet. You specify a filename, as well as a location for the file. The rules for filenames in Project 2007 follow Windows filenaming conventions. The location consists of the specified drive and folder or subfolders.

Reference Window | Saving a Project for the First Time

Click the Save button on the Standard toolbar or click File on the menu bar and then click Save. Change the folder and drive information to the location where you want to save your file. In the File name box, type the filename. Click the Save button (or press the Enter key). Project 2007 automatically appends the .mpp filename extension to identify the file as a Project 2007 file. Depending on how Windows is set up on your computer, however, you might not see the .mpp extension. These tutorials assume that filename extensions are not displayed.

To save the project:

1. On the Standard toolbar, click the Save button 2. Type LAN in the File name box. . The Save As dialog box opens.

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3. Navigate to the Tutorial.01\Tutorial folder included with your Data Files. See Figure 1-23.
Save As dialog box

Figure 1-23

path for folder

filename

4. Click the Save button in the Save As dialog box. The dialog box closes and the file is saved in the location you specified.
The name of your file, LAN, now appears in the title bar, and the file is saved. If you have your system set up to display filename extensions, you will see LAN.mpp in the title bar.

Closing a Project File

As with other Windows applications, you may have more than one file open (in this case, a project file) and then switch between them using the Window menu or the taskbar. If, however, you are finished working with the current project, you have saved it, and you wish to work on another project, you should close the current project to free computer resources for other tasks.

Closing a Project File

Click the Close Window button for the Project file or click File on the menu bar and then click Close. If youre prompted to save changes to the project, click the Yes button to save the project with the existing filename. You want to close the LAN project file to take a quick break before continuing to add tasks.

| Reference Window

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To close an existing project:

1. Click the Close Window button Figure 1-24
Close a project file
name of active project file Close Window button

for the project file, as shown in Figure 1-24.

By clicking the projects Close button, you can close the existing project but not exit Project 2007.

Review

| Session 1.2 Quick Check

1. When entering a new task in Gantt Chart view, two pieces of information are generally entered first. What are they? 2. What does it mean if you see a question mark after a number in the Duration column? 3. What happens when you click the Toolbar Options button? 4. By default, what table is shown in Gantt Chart view? 5. In Gantt Chart view, if you drag the split bar to the right, what is displayed? 6. Describe the default timescale in Gantt Chart view. 7. What is the difference between closing a project file and exiting Project 2007?

Session 1.3
Opening an Existing Project
Often, youll use the same project file over a period of several days, weeks, or months as you build, update, and track project progress. Therefore, it is essential that you are comfortable opening existing project files. Jennifer consulted various networking professionals and met with other small business owners who recently networked their company computers. Based on those meetings, she determined seven essential tasks and estimated durations for each of those tasks. Your work in Simons course taught you the way to enter tasks and durations for this project. You want to open that file to see the progress on the file.

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Opening an Existing Project

Click the Open button on the Standard toolbar (or click File on the menu bar, and then click Open). If necessary, navigate to the drive and folder containing the project file you want to open. In the list of files, click the filename of the project that you wish to open. Click the Open button (or press the Enter key or double-click the file that you wish to open).

| Reference Window

To open an existing project:

1. If Project 2007 is not already running, start Project 2007, and then, if necessary, close the Project Guide and display the View Bar. 2. On the Standard toolbar, click the Open button . The Open dialog box appears. 3. If necessary, navigate to the Tutorial.01\Tutorial folder. See Figure 1-25.
Open dialog box

Figure 1-25

Tutorial.01\Tutorial folder

4. Click ECBNetwork-1, and then click the Open button. The project file ECBNetwork-1 opens in the project file window. The project file opens in the view that was last used before the file was closed.
Examine the tasks that Jennifer added to the project. Notice that she changed the two tasks you created, Document Hardware and Document Software, to the single task, Document Current Environment, and the Start date is August 8, 2011, instead of August 1. Also notice that the Start date for each task is the next working day after the Finish date of the previous tasks.

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Saving a Project with a New Name

When changes are made to a project, you need to determine whether you want to save the updates to the existing project file or create a new project file with a new project name. Usually, updates to an existing project file should be saved to the existing project name by clicking the Save button on the Standard toolbar. Throughout this book, however, youll be asked to open a partially completed project file and then to save the changes that you made to the project with a new name. This keeps your Data Files in their original state in case you want to repeat a tutorial.

Reference Window | Saving a Project with a New Name

Click File on the menu bar, and then click Save As. If necessary, change the folder and drive information to the location where you want to save the file. In the File name box, type the filename. Click the Save button (or press the Enter key). Youll save the ECBNetwork-1 project file with the name ECBNetwork-1 followed by another hyphen and your initials. By using your initials as part of the filename, you will be able to recognize your work easily in a classroom setting. The figures in this book are saved using the initials JL, for Jennifer Lane.

To save a project file with a new name:

1. On the menu bar, click File, and then click Save As. The Save As dialog box opens.

Tip
If you are in a large class and want to be sure that your file and printouts can be distinguished on a large print queue in a lab, use your entire name as part of the filename rather than just your initials.

2. In the File name box, type ECBNetwork-1-YourInitials. 3. If necessary, navigate to the Tutorial.01\Tutorial folder included with your Data Files. You should see the file LAN that you saved earlier in this tutorial as well as the file ECBNetwork-1 that was provided as a Data File. 4. Click the Save button in the Save As dialog box. The dialog box closes and the file is saved with the new filename, as indicated by the filename in the title bar.

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Creating New Projects from Existing Projects

Many projects have similar characteristics. If you work in a business where others are using Project 2007, you might find that many of the tasks and resources are similar. Rather than always starting from scratch, you can use an existing file as a base for your new project, and then save the project with a new name. You can also create a project based on a template from Microsoft Office Online, a Web site that provides templates for Microsoft Office products. To access these templates, click File on the menu bar, click New, and then click Templates on Office Online in the New Project pane that opens on the left of the project window. A browser window will open displaying the Templates page on Microsoft Office Online. Type project in the Search box near the top of the page, then click the Search button. A list of templates related to the word project appears. The list of results includes templates for other Microsoft Office applications in addition to Project 2007, but several for Project 2007 appear near the top of the list.

InSight

Working in Different Views

Project 2007 provides many different views of a project that support the informational needs of different users and purposes. Some views (such as the chart views) present a broad look at the entire project, whereas others (such as the form views) focus on specific pieces of information about each task. Three major categories of views are available. Chart or Graphic: A chart or graphical representation of data using bars, boxes, lines, and images. Sheet: A spreadsheet-like representation of data in which each task is displayed as a new row and each piece of information (field) about the task is represented by a column. Various tables are applied to a sheet to display different fields. Form: A specific view of many pieces of information (fields) of one task. Forms are used to focus on the details of one task. Views are further differentiated according to the type of data that they analyze, whether task or resource information. Because tasks and their corresponding durations are the first pieces of data entered into a project, you will focus on the task views now. Later, when resources and their corresponding costs are entered, you will explore resource views. Figure 1-26 describes some of the views within each category that Project 2007 provides to help you display the task information that you need.

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Figure 1-26

Common project views (tasks views) Category

Chart or Graphic

View
Gantt Chart Network Diagram

Purpose
Shows each task as a horizontal bar, the length and position of which correspond to a timescale at the top of the chart Shows each task as a box, with linking lines drawn between related tasks to emphasize task sequence as well as the critical path Shows the tasks as bars on a typical desk calendar in a monthat-a-time format Columns are Task Name, Duration, Start (date), Finish (date), Predecessors, and Resource Names; the default Gantt Chart view displays the Task Sheet with the Entry Table on the left Contains task cost information, much of which is calculated when resources are assigned Presents dates and whether the task is on the critical path Presents what percentage of the tasks duration, costs, and assigned hours have been completed Presents actual and remaining durations and costs Compares actual Start and Finish baseline dates to the dates that the tasks would be completed had the project been executed according to the original plan Compares actual and remaining work to be completed to baseline measurements; Baseline work is the amount of work (number of hours) required to finish a task if the task is executed according to the original plan Provides all of the information about a single task in one window Provides limited information about a single task: task name, resources, and predecessors Provides an overview of many tasks of the project at the top of the screen, and displays the details of the current task at the bottom; usually a table or chart view on the top and a form view on the bottom of the screen; a common combination view places the Gantt Chart view on the top and the Task Name Form on the bottom

Calendar Task Sheet or Table Entry Table

Cost Table Schedule Table Summary Table Tracking Table Variance Table

Work Table

Form

Task Details Form Task Name Form

Combination

Gantt Chart (top) Task Name Form (bottom)

Dont become overwhelmed by trying to learn all of the project views now. As you build your project and your information needs grow, studying these views will be more natural and meaningful. Two key points to remember are that several views are available and changes made in one view of the project are automatically updated and displayed in all other views. As you work with Project 2007, you will find that you need to see the information using different views. You can easily access common views by clicking their respective buttons in the View Bar.

To change a view and update task information:

1. On the View Bar, click the Calendar button. The project is now displayed as a desk calendar in a month-at-a-time format. Each task is displayed on the calendar as a horizontal bar. The length of each bar represents the duration of the task, placed at the appropriate Start and Finish dates. The task name and duration appear within the bar. See Figure 1-27. When you need to make changes to tasks in Calendar view, you open the Task Information dialog box for that task.

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Calendar view

Figure 1-27

Calendar button on View Bar

task name and duration

2. Double-click Document Current Environment, 10 days bar in either week to open the Task Information dialog box, and then click the General tab if it is not already selected. See Figure 1-28.
Task Information dialog box

Figure 1-28

task name task duration

task start and finish dates

3. In the Duration box, double-click 10d, type 5, and then click the OK button. The change in duration is immediately updated in all views.

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Tip
You can also switch Views by clicking View on the menu bar, and then selecting a view on the menu.

4. On the View Bar, click the Network Diagram button. The project is now displayed as a series of boxes connected by lines, as shown in Figure 1-29. The lines between the boxes represent relationships between the tasks and the sequence of how the tasks must be completed. Each box displays the task name in the top line, the task number and duration in the middle, and scheduled Start and Finish dates at the bottom. Notice that each box in this project is part of the critical path, as indicated by the red color in the diagram.
Network Diagram view

Figure 1-29

task name

Network Diagram button

selected task

task start and finish dates

task duration

Trouble? If the boxes on your screen look slightly different from those in this figure, you could easily change their format, but for now leave them in their default format.
5. Click in the horizontal scroll bar to scroll the diagram to the left. The rest of the diagram appears in the window. 6. Press the Ctrl+Home keys to jump back to the beginning of the diagram, and then double-click Conduct Needs Analysis to open the Task Information dialog box for this task. Double-clicking the task to display the Task Information dialog box is one way to edit a task in almost any view. 7. Click the Notes tab, click in the large Notes box at the bottom of the dialog box, and then type Ask about current and future application needs., as shown in Figure 1-30.

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Notes tab in Task Information dialog box

Figure 1-30

task name

note

8. Click the OK button. The dialog box closes. The box for task 2 does not appear any different in the network diagram. 9. On the View Bar, click the Gantt Chart button. In Gantt Chart view, a note indicator appears in the first column for task 2 in the Entry table to indicate that a note is attached to this task, as shown in Figure 1-31. You could display the note by double-clicking the note indicator. The first column in the Entry table is the Indicators column.
Note indicator in Indicators column

Figure 1-31

note indicator

Most often, youll enter data about the project into one of the table views, such as the Entry table that appears to the left of the Gantt Chart view, but, as you can see, you can enter and edit tasks in any view. The other buttons displayed on the View Bar are used to display information about task completion and resources and will be explored in later tutorials. The last button on the View Bar is the More Views button. Depending on your screen resolution, this button might not be visible on your screen. If it is not, you need to click the small arrow that appears at the bottom of the View Bar to scroll the button into view. Clicking the More Views button opens a dialog box that lists all the viewsthe commonly used views with a corresponding button on the View Bar, as well as the less commonly used views.

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To see additional views:

1. In the Entry table, click anywhere in row 4 (the Gather Bids task), and then, if you dont see the More Views button at the bottom of the View Bar, click the small at the bottom of the View Bar to scroll the More Views button up the arrow View Bar. Clicking in a task row makes that task the current task. 2. Click the More Views button. The More Views dialog box opens, listing all of the available views. 3. Double-click Relationship Diagram. The project appears in Relationship Diagram view and task 4 is selected and appears in the middle of the window. The Relationship Diagram chart focuses on only one task, showing both the predecessor and successor for that task. See Figure 1-32. Figure 1-32
Relationship Diagram view

task 4 predecessor

task 4

task 4 successor

click to the left and to the right of the horizontal scroll box to scroll through the tasks

4. Click to the left of the scroll box in the horizontal scroll bar. The diagram scrolls to the previous task and task 3 is now selected in the center of the window. 5. Click to the right of the scroll box in the horizontal scroll bar to position the Relationship Diagram on the fourth task again, and then on the View Bar, click the Gantt Chart button. The project appears in Gantt Chart view. The default table in Gantt Chart view is the Entry table. You can change this to display additional columns. 6. Drag the split bar to the right until you can see all of the columns through Resource Names in the Entry Table, as shown in Figure 1-33. The square at the top left of the table (above the row numbers and to the left of the column names) is the Select All button.

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Task entry table

Figure 1-33

Select All Button

Predecessors column

dragging the split bar

7. On the table, right-click the Select All button, and then on the shortcut menu, click Schedule. The Schedule table appears. 8. Drag the split bar to the right so that you can see the Free Slack column in the Entry table. See Figure 1-34. The Schedule table displays the Start and Finish dates, the Late Start and Late Finish dates, and any slack available. Slack is the amount of time that an activity may be delayed from its scheduled Start date without delaying a succeeding activity or the entire project. All of the tasks in this file are part of the critical path and are completed in sequence, so there is no slack. If there were slack, alternate dates would appear in the Late Start and Late Finish columns, indicating the latest that the task could start or finish if you used all of the slack.
Task Schedule table

Tip
If you place the pointer on the Select All button, a ScreenTip appears that tells you the table name and the current view.

Figure 1-34

Select All button

Free Slack column

9. On the table, right-click the Select All button, and then on the shortcut menu, click Entry. The default Entry table appears again.
As you complete a project plan, assign resources, and start tracking an actual project, the rest of the tables will become more valuable. Sometimes it is helpful to use more than one view at a time so that you can view information about many tasks in one area and details about the current task in another. This type of arrangement is called a split window. When you split the window, the default is to display the tasks in the current view in the top part of a split window, and the Task Form view in the bottom part. Task Form view is intended to display detailed information about one task at a time. You can add, delete, or edit information within the form just as you can in the Entry table or the Task Information dialog box. In addition to the task form, many types of forms are available, each focusing on different details of the project. Changes made in the Task

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Form view, or any view, simultaneously update all of the other views. When changes are made to a project, all affected task and resource fields are highlighted. This way, you can see how your change affects the dates of successor tasks.

To work with split windows and Task Form view: Tip

To change the view displayed in either half of the split window, click in the part of the window you want to change, and then click the appropriate button on the View Bar.

1. Drag the split bar, if necessary, so that Predecessors is the last visible column in the Entry table. 2. Make sure task 4 is the current task, on the menu bar, click Window, and then click Split. Your screen should look like Figure 1-35, with the tasks displayed in Gantt Chart view on top and the information for task 3 in Task Form view on the bottom. The form currently displays the resource information for the selected task in the table on the left, and the predecessor information for the selected task in the table on the right.
Split window

Figure 1-35

current task

split bar click for next task

resources for current task

predecessors for current task right-click for menu

3. In the form, click the Next button to move to the task form for task 5, and then click the Next button again to display task 6 in the form. Notice that as you move from task to task in the form, the same task is selected in the Entry table and you are able to view the details for the selected task in the form. Another way to view the details of a particular task is to click that task in the Entry table. 4. Right-click anywhere on the form, and then on the shortcut menu, click Predecessors & Successors. Now the form displays tasks that precede the sixth task on the left and tasks that follow the sixth task on the right, as shown in Figure 1-36.

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Task form displaying predecessors and successors

Figure 1-36

current task

duration

predecessors for current task

successors for current task

5. Right-click the form, and then on the shortcut menu, click Resources & Predecessors. The Resources & Predecessors tables appear again. 6. In the form, click the Previous button three times to move to the task form for task 3. In the form, click the Duration up arrow to increase the duration of the third task, Build RFP, to 3 days, and then press the Enter key. Notice that the Duration cell in the Entry table for the Build RFP task is now 3 days. Notice also that the Finish date for task 3 changed because the duration for that task changed, and that the Start and Finish dates for tasks 4 through 7 also changed. This is because each of these tasks is a successor to the task preceding it. Project 2007 highlighted all start and finish dates affected by changes you make to the task to help you see the effect of your changing on the total project. 7. Place the pointer on the horizontal split bar, and then double-click. The form closes, and you return to Gantt Chart view.
Being able to move quickly from one view to the next is a critical Project 2007 skill. Over time, youll learn many other views. For now, however, you need to know only that many views exist and how to move among them. The default Gantt Chart view with the Entry table on the left is the primary view in which you enter project information, so thats the one that you need to focus on as you begin to build a project.

Tip
You can also remove the split window by clicking Window on the menu bar, and then clicking Remove Split.

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Changing the Timescale

As your project grows, it gets difficult to see all of your project tasks in the chart views. Youll need to know how to change the timescale to magnify and reduce the size of the project on the screen. In Gantt Chart view, the timescale determines the length of the bar. Therefore, if the timescale is measured in hours, then the bar for a task that lasts 8 hours will be very long. If the timescale is measured in days, however, then the bar will be quite short.

Zooming In and Zooming Out

Changing the magnification of a project is called zooming in and zooming out. The easiest way to adjust the Gantt chart timescale to see more or less of the project at one time is to use the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons on the Standard toolbar. Clicking the Zoom In button displays smaller units of measure on the Gantt chart timescale, which in turn expands the size of each bar.

To zoom in on the Gantt chart:

1. Drag the split bar to the left to position it to the right of the Duration column in the Entry table. Notice that the major timescale shows months and the minor timescale shows the first day of each week. 2. On the Standard toolbar, click the Toolbar Options button , and then on the Stan. The Gantt chart zooms in so the bars in dard toolbar, click the Zoom In button the chart are bigger, and the minor timescale changes to display many more days in the month. Notice also that the Zoom In button now appears on the Standard toolbar.

Trouble? If the Zoom In button is already visible on the Standard toolbar, you do not need to click the Toolbar Options button.
3. Click the Zoom In button four more times, observing how the major and minor timescales change as you click. Each time you click the Zoom In button, the timescale shows smaller and smaller units of measure. 4. Click the Zoom In button so that the timescale displays hours as the major scale and 15-minute intervals as the minor scale. See Figure 1-37. Figure 1-37
Zooming in on the Gantt chart

Zoom In button

major scale is measured in hours

minor scale is measured in 15 minute intervals

Trouble? If your screen resolution is not 1024 x 768, you might see a different timescale.
5. Click to the right of the scroll box in the horizontal scroll bar in the Gantt chart pane as many times as needed to display the sections of the chart that indicate Monday, August 22 at 7 and 8 AM.

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6. On the Standard toolbar, click the Toolbar Options button , click the Zoom Out , and then on the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom Out button eight button more times, again observing the changes in the major and minor scales as you click. Each time that you click the Zoom Out button, the timescale displays larger units of measure on the Gantt chart and the size of each bar shrinks. The largest timescale available displays years as the major scale and half years as the minor scale, as shown in Figure 1-38.

Trouble? If the Zoom In button is already visible on the Standard toolbar, you do not need to click the Toolbar Options button.
Zooming out on the Gantt chart

Figure 1-38

major scale in years minor scale in 1/2 years

You can also zoom in and out of the Network Diagram and Calendar views. While neither of these views displays a timescale, the overall effect of zooming is the same. Zooming in shows fewer tasks or days, allowing you to see the details for what is displayed much clearer, and zooming out shows more tasks or days with fewer details.

To zoom in and out of the Network Diagram and Calendar views:

1. On the View Bar, click the Network Diagram button, and then on the Standard three times. Zooming in on the Network toolbar, click the Zoom In button Diagram increases the size of the boxes, thereby making the text in each box easier to read. 2. On the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom Out button four times. Your screen should look similar to Figure 1-39. Zooming out in Network Diagram view decreases the size of the boxes, thereby allowing more boxes to appear on the screen at one time. The dotted lines on the screen indicate where page breaks will occur if the network diagram is printed.

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Figure 1-39

Zooming out on the network diagram

network diagram

page breaks

3. On the View Bar, click the Calendar button. You can see 6 weeks on the screen. (You might only see the top half of the last week.) 4. On the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom In button twice. Your screen now displays only two weeks, as shown in Figure 1-40. Zooming in on the Calendar view increases the size of the daily squares, thereby allowing you to see more information in each day.

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Zooming in on the Calendar view

Figure 1-40

Calendar button

two weeks

5. On the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom Out button twice. Zooming out on the calendar decreases the size of the boxes, thereby allowing more days to be displayed on the screen at one time. You should see six weeks on your screen again. 6. On the View Bar, click the Gantt Chart button to return to Gantt Chart view. 7. Zoom in as necessary to display spelled out months as the major scale and date numbers as the minor scale.

Modifying the Timescale

If the existing timescale does not meet your needs, you can modify the timescale to represent a custom unit of time and custom label. For example, you might want one scale to display a two-week increment and a second scale to display a daily increment with the format 1/30/07, 1/31/07, 2/1/07, and so on. Or you might want to display a third timescale.

Modifying the Timescale

Double-click the timescale in the Gantt Chart view. Enter the changes you want in the Timescale dialog box. Click the OK button.

| Reference Window

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To modify the timescale: Tip

The Timescale dialog box also offers options to change the alignment, tick lines, and nonworking times. You will explore these later in the book.

1. Press Alt+Home to return to the beginning of the project, double-click anywhere on the timescale to open the Timescale dialog box with the Middle Tier tab on top, as shown in Figure 1-41. The default is to display only two timescales, or tiers. The Middle Tier tab corresponds to the top scale currently displayed in Gantt Chart view. You can also add a third tier, the Top Tier, if desired, but most users find that two tiers meet their needs. The value in the Units box reflects the current scale displayed in the chart.
Timescale dialog box
Middle Tier tab selected tabs for each tier

Figure 1-41

preview of timescale

2. Click the Units arrow, and then click Weeks. The change is reflected in the Preview box at the bottom of the dialog box. 3. Click the Count up arrow to increment it to 2, click the Label arrow, and then click Jan 27, Feb 3. These changes expand the Middle Tier scale to display a twoweek increment with the appropriate labels. 4. Click the Bottom Tier tab, click the Label arrow, and then click 1/28/02, 1/29/02. The change is shown in the Preview box. See Figure 1-42. Figure 1-42
Changing the timescale

preview of timescale

5. Click the OK button. You can see the timescale changes in the Gantt chart.

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Printing a View
Almost every view of a project can be printed. The chart views of a project can be quite large, so printing involves several extra considerations, the most important of which is to make sure that you preview the printout on the screen before you print it in order to check the magnification and total number of pages.

Following Good Printing Practices

Before printing in any view, its a good idea to do some preparation to get a useful printout. Follow these guidelines before you click Print: Set an appropriate magnification level in the view you are printing. Consider zooming out to reduce the size of the printout. If the view includes a table, make sure all the columns you want to see in the printout are visible. Use the Print Preview feature to view each page layout and to check the total number of pages. Open the Page Setup dialog box to make changes to the orientation, margins, header, footer, legend, and other printing options.

InSight

To print the project in Gantt Chart view:

1. On the Standard toolbar, click the Print Preview button. The project appears in Print Preview, as shown in Figure 1-43. When you view Gantt Chart view in Print Preview window, you will notice a few elements. The legend appears in the bottom portion of each page to provide information about the bars. By default, the project title and todays date appear to the left of the legend. The default footer appears with the word Page and the current page number centered at the bottom of the page. The status bar indicates the number of pages that will print with the Gantt chart at the current level of magnification. You can click the Page Navigation buttons to move through the pages of the printout. If the buttons are dimmed, then there is only one page. You can change the zoom level to see more than one page at a time. When the pointer is positioned on top of the page on the screen, it . If you click when the pointer is , the page will zoom in so you appears as can see more detail. You want to view both pages at once.

Tip
You will see the Gantt chart, or any view in the Print Preview window, in color if your computer is attached to a color printer.

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Figure 1-43
Print Preview toolbar

Gantt chart in Print Preview

status bar this is page 1 of 2

2. Move the pointer into the gray area outside of the page in the window. The pointer . changes to 3. Click in the gray area. The status bar now indicates that you are in Multi-Page view, and you now can see both pages of the Gantt chart on the screen at one time. You want the information to print on one page. 4. On the Print Preview toolbar, click the Close button, and then click the Zoom Out on the Standard toolbar. The major timescale changes to show months, button and the width of the Gantt chart decreases. 5. On the Standard toolbar, click the Print Preview button . The printout now fits on one page, as indicated by the status bar and as shown in Figure 1-44.

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Gantt chart zoomed to fit on one page

Figure 1-44

Page Navigation buttons are dim

status bar shows Page 1 of 1

You can use the Page Setup dialog box to change many of the printouts characteristics, including orientation, margins, legend, header, and footer. Header and footer information can be placed in a left-aligned, centered, or right-aligned position.

To set up and print the page:

1. On the Print Preview toolbar, click the Page Setup button. The Page Setup Gantt Chart dialog box opens. 2. Click the Header tab. You use the options on this tab to set the header. 3. In the Alignment section, click the Left tab, click in the Alignment box, and then type your name. The Preview section at the top of the Page Setup dialog box displays a preview of how the information that you specified for the left, center, or right portions of the header will appear on the page. 4. Click the Legend tab, and then, in the Alignment section, click the Left tab. The Legend tab allows you to set the information that will appear to the left of the legend. The ampersand (&) indicates that the text that follows is a code. The &[File] code represents the actual filename as shown in the preview section of the Page Setup dialog box. If you change the filename, this code will automatically change the filename on the printout. The &[Date] code will display the current date. You can also click one of the buttons below the box where the text appears to insert a code automatically. 5. Double-click the word Project to select it, and then type Name of File. Your dialog box should look like Figure 1-45.

Tip
To open the Page Setup dialog box in views other than Print Preview, click File on the menu bar, and then click Page Setup.

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Figure 1-45

Page Setup Gantt Chart dialog box

preview of left legend

code to print filename

click to insert code for filename

6. Click the OK button to accept the changes and close the dialog box. Now you are ready to print the project. 7. On the Print Preview toolbar, click the Print button to open the Print dialog box, make sure that the All option buttons in both the Print range section and in the Timescale section are selected to print all the pages and the complete timescale, and then click the OK button. The project prints on one page with the header and other information you specified, Print Preview closes, and the project window appears in Gantt Chart view.
Now you need to print a page in Calendar and Network Diagram views.

To print a page in Calendar and Network Diagram views:

1. On the View Bar, click the Calendar button, and then on the Standard toolbar, . The Calendar view of the project appears in click the Print Preview button Print Preview.

Tip
You have to set up the header, margins, footer, and legends for each view that you print.

2. On the Print Preview toolbar, click the Page Setup button, click the Header tab, in the Alignment section, click the Left tab, click in the Alignment box, type your name, and then click the OK button. 3. On the Print Preview toolbar, click the Page Down button three times. The calendar scrolls from August to September and October, and then to a page titled Overflow Tasks. In Calendar view, tasks that are successors to preceding tasks print a little lower in the block than their predecessors. To get these tasks to print properly, you need to adjust the row height in Calendar view by dragging the bottom border of the affected week down until the task appeared in the block. For now, youll print just the month of August. 4. On the toolbar, click the Print button, in the Print range section in the Print dialog box, click the Page(s) option button, and then in the From and To boxes in the Print range section, type 1. Now only the first page, August, will print. 5. Click the OK button. The first page of Calendar view prints, and Print Preview closes.

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6. On the View Bar, click the Network Diagram button, and then on the Standard . toolbar, click the Print Preview button 7. Insert your name in the left section of the header, and then print the first page of the network diagram.
You can insert other codes into the header, footer, and legend by using the ampersand with specific words, or you can click the buttons in the Page Setup dialog box to inserting the codes. Refer to Figure 1-46 for explanations of each code. Print code buttons in the Page Setup dialog box Button Name
Format Text Font Insert Page Number Insert Total Page Count Insert Current Date Insert Current Time Insert File Name Insert Picture

Figure 1-46

Button

Code
(no code) & [Page] & [Pages] & [Date] & [Time] & [File] (no code)

Description
Allows you to format selected text by changing the font, font size, bold, italic, underline, and text color Inserts the current page number Inserts the total number of pages for the entire printout Inserts the current date as established by the computers clock or network server Inserts the current time as established by the computers clock or network server Inserts the projects filename Inserts a picture (for example, clip art, scanned photo, or logo)

Page Setup options vary slightly when printing a Calendar, Network Diagram, or Table view. The key aspects of successful printing (zooming to an acceptable magnification level, previewing your work, and using the Page Setup dialog box to make changes) remain the same regardless of the view you are printing.

Getting Help
The Project 2007 Help system provides quick access to information about commands, features, and screen elements. In order to get the most benefit from the Help system, your computer must be connected to the Internet. Updates and documents are accessed by Project 2007 through the Microsoft Web site to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information as you request it. Before you learn how to use the Project Help system, you will download and display the Table of Contents to get an overview of the Help topics available. Then you will Search to find information on a specific topic.

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To use the Project Help system to display the Table of Contents:

1. On the Standard toolbar, click the Microsoft Office Project Help button The Project Help window opens. See Figure 1-47. Figure 1-47
Project Help

Show Table of Contents button

2. If the Table of Contents pane is not visible to the left of the Project Help window, on the Help toolbar. The Table of click the Show Table of Contents button Contents opens in a pane to the left of the Help window, as shown in Figure 1-48.

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Project Help Table of Contents

Figure 1-48

click topic to expand content in right pane

content from Microsoft Office Web site

3. Click the Whats new link in the Table of Contents pane, and then read the available topics. 4. Click the Getting help link in the Table of Contents pane, and then click the Get targeted help on a program or feature link. The Help window displays the information in the right pane on how to get help on programs. 5. Click the Close button in the Help window title bar to close the Help window.

Tip
If you are working offline, not connected to the Internet, the results in your help window may be different than those shown in the figures in this book.

The Type a question for help box is useful if you have a question about a specific topic and cannot find the exact topic in the Table of Contents. You simply type a question and then the Help system will search for an appropriate answer to your question.

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To use the Type a question for help box to get help:

1. On the menu bar, click in the Type a question for help box, type How do I enter a task, and then press the Enter key. The Help window opens again, and the search results appear in the Help window. See Figure 1-49. Figure 1-49
Project Help search results
Hide Table of Contents button

articles

content from Microsoft Office Web site

2. Click any article link in the list of search results in the Help window to view the topic. 3. Read the article, scrolling to the bottom of the window, if necessary. At the bottom of the article, the question Was this information helpful? appears. 4. At the bottom of the article, click the Yes button if the information was helpful, click the No button if you felt the information was not helpful, or click the I dont know button if you cant decide. If you are connected to the Internet, this feedback is sent to Microsoft. 5. In the Table of Contents pane, click the Close button pane closes. 6. Click the Close button . The Table of Contents

in the Help window title bar. The Help window closes.

Exiting Microsoft Office Project 2007

After exploring many of the features and capabilities of this powerful program, you are now ready to exit, or quit, Project 2007. When you exit Project 2007, it is no longer running on your computer. To work on another Project 2007 file, you must start the program again.

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To save the existing project with the same filename and exit Project 2007:
1. On the Standard toolbar, click the Save button . The changes to the project are saved. You should always save your work before exiting the program. 2. On the title bar, click the Close button 2007 exits. . The project closes and Project

Tip
If you wish to save the project with a different filename, you must use the Save As menu option on the File menu before you exit Project 2007 in order to give the project its new filename.

Now that you have learned the vocabulary of project management, as well as how to view, navigate, and enter a task in Project 2007, you are ready to build the project for ECB Partners. You will do this in the next tutorial. You report your progress to Jennifer. She is pleased that you have learned so much about Project 2007 in such a short time. Shes confident that you are ready to tackle the LAN installation project for ECB Partners.

Session 1.3 Quick Check

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. What categories of task views are provided by Project 2007? Name three types of tables listing tasks that are available in Project 2007. What is the purpose of form views? How do you open the Task Information dialog box? What is the purpose of the Task Information dialog box? How does zooming out change the timescale on a Gantt chart? How does zooming in change the bars on the Gantt chart? How do you open the Timescale dialog box in Gantt Chart view?

Review

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Review

| Tutorial Summary
In this tutorial, you learned how to open and save a Project 2007 file. You learned to identify the elements of the Project 2007 window. You learned how to enter tasks and durations and how to switch among views in the project window. You saw how the Gantt Chart view presents tasks in an entry table on the left and as a series of bars on the right. Each bar is a visual cue for the length of time the task will take to complete. You learned how to zoom in and out of each view to see longer periods of time in the project. You also learned how to change the timescale. You learned how to use the Network Diagram view and the Calendar view to see other views of the project. You also split the window to be able to see predecessor and successor tasks for each selected task. Using the split window you can move among tasks and change tasks as you create the project file. You also learned how to print from each view so you can share information with other members of the project team. Finally, you learned how to use the Microsoft Project 2007 Help system to find out information about the program.

Key Terms
critical path current date duration effective efficient Entry bar Entry table Finish date Formatting toolbar Gantt chart legend major scale menu bar Microsoft Office Project 2007 minor scale network diagram node predecessor process group project project goal project management project manager quality relationship diagram resources risk scope scope creep ScreenTip slack split window Standard toolbar Start date successor task task form timescale title bar toolbar view View Bar zoom in zoom out

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Practice
Get hands-on practice of the skills you learned in the tutorial using the same case scenario.

| Review Assignments
Data File needed for these Review Assignments: ECBTraining-1.mpp A very important component of the LAN installation at ECB Partners involves training the users. It will be your job to coordinate this effort. In this assignment, you will open a partially completed project file that documents training tasks. You will explore the project, add tasks, and print several views. 1. Start Project 2007, open the ECBTraining-1 file located in the Tutorial.01\Review folder included with your Data Files, and then save the project file as ECBTraining1-YourInitials to the same folder. 2. Drag the split bar so that you can see the Finish column in the Entry table. 3. Open the Project Information dialog box. Change the Start date to todays date. 4. In row 8, add the task Schedule classes, and leave the duration as one day. 5. In row 9, add the task Conduct training, and set the duration to 3 days. 6. Change the duration for the first task, Identify existing skills, from 3 days to 2. 7. Add a note to task 4, Develop contract, that reads Call legal team to confirm requirements. 8. In Gantt Chart view, switch to Print Preview, and then open the Page Setup dialog box. Change the left section of the legend to display your name instead of Project in the first line. 9. Print the project in Gantt Chart view. It should fit on one page. 10. Switch to Network Diagram view. 11. Zoom out until you can see all of the tasks on the screen. (There are nine total tasks.) 12. Preview the network diagram printout, view it in Multi-Page view, and then open the Page Setup dialog box and change the left section of the header to display your name. 13. Print the first page of the network diagram. 14. Switch to Calendar view. 15. Preview the Calendar printout, and then open the Page Setup dialog box and change the left section of the footer to display your name. 16. Print the first page of Calendar view. 17. Use the Help system to search for the phrase Start date. 18. Click the topic that seems like it answers the question: Why cant you set both the projects Start date and Finish date?, and then write down the answer. 19. Close the Help window, save your changes to the project, close the project file, and then exit Project 2007.

Apply
Apply the skills you learned in this tutorial to complete a project for building a new home.

| Case Problem 1
Data File needed for this Case Problem: NewHouse-1.mpp RJL Development, Inc. You work for a general contractor, RJL Development, Inc., which manages residential construction projects. The manager, Rita, has asked you to use Project 2007 to enter and update some of the general tasks involved in building a new home. She wants to use this project file as a basis for future projects. Do the following: 1. Start Project 2007, open the NewHouse-1 file located in the Tutorial.01\Case1 folder included with your Data Files, and then save the project file as NewHouse-1-YourInitials in the same folder. 2. Resize the Entry table pane so that you can see the Finish column.

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3. Open the Project Information dialog box, and then write down the date that is displayed in the Finish date box. Close the Project Information dialog box without making any changes. 4. Enter the following tasks and corresponding durations in rows 12, 13, and 14: Paint interior, 3 days; Lay carpet, 3 days; Install wood trim, 16 days. 5. Open the Project Information dialog box, and write down the new date displayed in the Finish date box. Explain why the date changed from the one you noted in Step 3. 6. Change the duration for the first two tasksSecure financing and Purchase lotto 4 days each. 7. Preview the Gantt Chart view of this project, and use the Page Setup dialog box to enter your name in the left portion of the header. Change the zoom so that the printout fits on one page, and then print the Gantt chart. 8. Preview the Calendar view of this project, again, using the Page Setup dialog box to enter your name in the left portion of the header. Print page 2 of the calendar. 9. Preview the Network Diagram view of this project, again using the Page Setup dialog box to print your name in the left portion of the header. Print the first page of the network diagram. 10. Use the Help system to search for the phrase critical path, and then read relevant articles. Write down at least two reasons why the critical path is so important to project managers. 11. Save NewHouse-1-YourInitials, close the project file, and then exit Project 2007.

Apply
Apply the skills you learned in this tutorial to organize a job search.

| Case Problem 2
Data File needed for this Case Problem: Career-1.mpp Web4uJobz Web4uJobz helps new graduates find employment. You are assigned to help clients who have technical degrees. You decide to use Project 2007 to help clients organize their job search efforts. Do the following: 1. Start Project 2007, and then open the Career-1 file in the Tutorial.01\Case2 folder included with your Data Files. 2. Save the file as Career-1-YourInitials in the same folder. 3. Open the Project Information dialog box. Change the Start Date to todays date. 4. Enter the following new tasks and corresponding durations in rows 9 and 10: Write cover letter, 1 day; Purchase interview suits, 2 days. 5. Change the duration of the second task, Edit resume, from 1 day to 3 days. 6. Change the timescale so that the Middle Tier scale is Thirds of Months with the labels January Beginning, January Middle, and the Bottom Tier scale is Days with the labels Su, Mo, Tu. View the Gantt chart after you make this change. 7. Preview the printout in Gantt Chart view. Add your name under the current date in the legend, and then print the project in Gantt Chart view. 8. Change the Middle Tier timescale back to months. 9. Switch to Calendar view, and then zoom in so that you see only two weeks on the screen and all tasks are visible on the calendar. 10. Preview the printout in Calendar view, and then add the text File Name: and the filename code in the left section of the header. Enter your name on the right side of the header, and then print the first page of the project in Calendar view. 11. Switch to Network Diagram view, and then preview the network diagram printout.

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12. Add the text File Name: and the filename code in the left side of the header, enter your name on the right side of the header, and then print the first page of the network diagram. 13. Use Help to find the answer to the question: By default, where does the legend print on a network diagram? Write the answer down. 14. Use Help to search for the phrase Create link. Click Linking Project tasks in the list of results, and then listen to the training course introduction. Note that you must be connected to the Internet in order to complete this step. (If you have time at a later date, you can review the other lessons.) 15. Save your changes to the project, close the project, and then exit Project 2007.

Challenge
Expand the skills you learned in this tutorial to complete the project file for planning a convention.

| Case Problem 3
Data File needed for this Case Problem: FTIConv-1.mpp Future Technology, Inc. In your new job at Future Technology, Inc. (FTI), you have been asked to help organize the annual convention in which FTI unveils its new product ideas for customers. In 2011, the convention takes place on March 4, 5, and 6. Youll use Project 2007 to enter and track the many tasks that must be completed for a successful convention to occur. Do the following: 1. Start Project, and then open FTIConv-1 located in the Tutorial.01\Case3 folder included with your Data Files. 2. Save the file as FTIConv-1-YourInitials to the same folder. 3. Set the project so the schedule is created based on the Finish date, and then change the Finish date to March 4, 2011. 4. Enter the following new tasks and corresponding durations in rows 9 and 10: Create Web site, 5 days; Make site visit, 2 days. 5. Open the Task Information dialog box for task 1, click the Advanced tab, and then write down the option for the Constraint type. Close the Task Information dialog box without making any changes. 6. Change the timescale so that the Middle Tier scale is weeks and displays as Jan 27, 02, and the Bottom Tier scale is days and displays as Sun, Mon, Tue. 7. Switch to Network Diagram view, and then determine which task(s) are on the critical path. 8. Preview the network diagram printout, and then add your name as the first line of the left section of the header and the current date as the second line of the left section of the header. Print the network diagram. 9. On the printout, identify which task(s) are on the critical path. Write a sentence or two that explains why the task(s) are on the critical path and what it means in terms of completing the project on time. 10. Preview the Calendar view printout, and then add your name as the first line of the left section of the header and the current date as the second line of the left section of the header. Print all four pages of the calendar. 11. Return to Calendar view, and then use the Help system to search for information on changing the appearance of the calendar. Use what you learn to work in Print Preview and change the bars on the calendar so they are filled with blue horizontal stripes.

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12. Make all tasks visible in Calendar view. (Hint: Experiment with zooming and dragging the edges of the lines that separate the weeks.) 13. Preview the Calendar view printout again. 14. Open the Page Setup dialog box, and then click the View tab. Click the Week height as on screen option button, and then click OK. Print the calendar. Compare the results to the printout of Step 10. What are the differences? 15. Save your changes, close the project file, and then exit Project 2007.

Create
Create a new project for managing a fundraising project for an elementary school.

| Case Problem 4
There are no Data Files used in this Case Problem. Schools@Play Schools@Play is a company that specializes in creating play structures for schools. They can also help in securing grants for the project. You are the project manager assigned to manage the fund-raising and building of the new play structure at a local neighborhood elementary school. The products and services of Schools@Play are in high demand, and it is critical that they complete projects on time. Also, most schools do not have any extra funds and cannot afford any cost overruns. All of the equipment for the school must be ready for school to start on September 6, 2011. You need to create the project shown in Figure 1-50.

Figure 1-50

Do the following: 1. Start Project 2007, and then save the new project as Grant-1-YourInitials in the Tutorial.01\Case4 folder included with your Data Files. (Hint: If Project 2007 is already running, you can start a new project by clicking the New button on the Standard toolbar.) 2. Set the project so the schedule is created based on the Finish date, and change the Finish date to September 6, 2011. 3. Enter the following tasks and corresponding durations: Identify school sponsor, 5 days Research equipment choices, 10 days Prepare for PTO meeting, 2 days Set monetary goal, 1 day Choose fund-raiser project, 5 days Add Web page content, 5 days 4. Add the following note to task 1, Identify school sponsor: Start with Mrs. Biheller.

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Tutorial 1 Planning a Project Project

PRJ 57

5. Preview the Gantt Chart view printout. Add the text File Name: and the filename code to the left portion of the header, and add your name in the right portion of the header, and then print the project in Gantt Chart view. 6. Switch to Calendar view, and then resize the rows of the calendar if necessary so that all of the tasks are visible for the weeks of August 21 and September 4. 7. Preview the Calendar view printout. Add the text File Name: and the filename code to the left portion of the header, add your name in the right portion of the header, and then print page 3 of the calendar. 8. Preview the network diagram printout. 9. Add the text File Name: and the filename code to the left portion of the header. Enter your name in the right portion of the header. 10. Use the Legend tab in the Page Setup - Network Diagram dialog box to specify that the legend is to print on every page instead of the legend page, and then print the first page of the network diagram. 11. Save your changes, close the project file, and then exit Project 2007.

Review

| Quick Check Answers Session 1.1

1. when a series of tasks are completed that produce a desired outcome, at a specified level of quality, and within a given time frame and budget 2. Efficient means to do tasks faster and with fewer resources. Effective means to do the tasks that achieve the project goal at the desired level of quality. 3. the condition whereby projects grow and change in unanticipated ways that increase costs, extend deadlines, or otherwise negatively affect the project goal 4. the primary source of information regarding project status and the central person to whom all of the details of the project converge for entry into the project plan 5. initiating, planning, executing, controlling, closing 6. task: the specific actions that need to be completed in order to achieve the project goal duration: how long it takes to complete a task resources: the people, equipment, and facilities (such as a conference room) that need to be scheduled to complete a particular task quality: the degree to which an objective meets a standard 7. The Gantt chart is a graphical visualization of the project that displays each task as a horizontal bar. The length of the bar measures the tasks duration. The primary purpose of the Gantt chart is to graphically display task durations and task schedules. 8. The network diagram displays each task as a box. Dependent tasks are linked together through link lines, thus creating a clear picture of how the tasks will be sequenced. The primary purpose of the network diagram is to display the critical path.

Session 1.2
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. task name and task duration The question mark means the duration is estimated. The Toolbar Options button gives you access to additional buttons. the Entry table more columns in the table on the left side of the window

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PRJ 58 Project Tutorial 1 Planning a Project

6. The default major scale is measured in weeks and displays the date for the Sunday of that week. The default minor scale is measured in days and displays the first letter of the day of the week. 7. Closing a project leaves Project 2007 running for you to create another project file or open an existing file. Exiting Project 2007 closes any open files and closes the application, returning you to the Windows desktop.

Session 1.3
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. chart, sheet, table, and form Entry, Cost, Schedule, Summary, Tracking, Variance, and Work to focus on the details of only one task double-click a task in any view to show details of a task and allow you to edit them Zooming out makes the timescale show larger units of time. Zooming in expands the size of bars, thereby showing fewer tasks on the screen at any time. 8. double-click the timescale

Ending Data Files

Case1
LAN.mpp ECBTraining-1NewHouse-1YourInitials.mpp YourInitials.mpp ECBNetwork-1YourInitials.mpp

Case2

Case3

Case4

Career-1FTIConv-1Grant-1YourInitials.mpp YourInitials.mpp YourInitials.mpp