Using Microsoft Project 2003

Table of Contents
Topic Getting Started Displaying Project Information Adjusting the Timescale Printing the Schedule Starting a Project Schedule Entering Tasks and Duration Labeling Task Bars Outlining a Project (Creating a Hammock) Establishing Task Dependencies Managing Project Resources* Resource Costs* Working with Calendars Scheduling with Resources* Managing Resource Workloads* Scheduling Task Constraints Tracking Project Progress Definitions Illustrations * Not needed for SPECTRE IPR Exercise Page 3 3 4 4 4 5 6 7 7 9 9 10 12 14 16 18 21 22

Introduction to Microsoft Project 2003

1. Introduction. Traditionally, system acquisition programs have been defined as a combination of cost, schedule and performance. This material contains an overview of a software program designed to help manage the scheduling portion of a project. This software program applies the tools and techniques presented in the Scheduling Techniques unit of instruction. 2. Objectives. At the conclusion of this instruction, you should be able to create, modify and print a project schedule (Gantt Chart format) using Microsoft Project software. 3. Terms. Microsoft Project 2003 uses a range of scheduling-related terms. Appendix A contains a glossary. Pictures of selected screens are included in the back of this document. 4. Getting Started.1 a. When you first start Project, a blank project file is displayed in Gantt chart view. The Gantt chart is the default view for Project. To open an existing file, click the Open button on the Standard toolbar or click the Open command from the File menu. b. Saving a project file. It is a good idea to save your work when youve made important changes to the file. Saving your work ensures that the changes youve made will not be lost. To save a file using the existing name, click the Save button on the Standard toolbar or click the Save command on the File menu. (1) To save a file using a new name, click the Save As command on the File menu, type in the filename then click SAVE.
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(2) When you want to save a file in Project, the Planning wizard appears and asks whether you want to save the file with a baseline. Once a baseline is saved with a file, the Planning Wizard will not appear again. You can overwrite the existing baseline or save another baseline. A baseline is generally saved when you finish planning the project schedule and you are ready to begin the first task. 5. Displaying Project Information. a. A view is a format in which you can enter and display information in Project. Views in Project fall into three categories: sheet views, chart and graph views and form views. A single view is a single sheet, chart, graph or form. A combination view displays any two single views together. For example, the Gantt chart view combines the Entry table, sheet view and the Gantt chart. b. Project comes with 26 predefined views. Each view can be displayed using the View menu or the View Bar located on the left side of the Project program window. c. You can scroll both vertically and horizontally within a view by using scroll bars. The Previous and Next buttons are available on the forms such as the Task Form. They are used to move through either the task list or resource list. The arrow keys and the TAB key on your keyboard can be used to move between fields and boxes within a view. From the Edit menu, you can use the Go To dialog box to locate a specific task based on its task ID number or a date in the project schedule. You can also use your mouse to move around the screen. 6. Adjusting the Timescale. The timescale is located across the top of the Gantt chart

Microsoft Project 98 Step by Step, Michele Gordon, Microsoft Press, 1997.

and represents the time when the project tasks take place. The timescale includes the major timescale and the minor timescale. The major timescale, located at the top of the timescale, displays larger units of time, and the minor timescale, located below the major timescale, displays smaller units of time. To adjust the timescale, you can use the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons on the Standard toolbar. The Zoom In button changes the timescale to smaller units of time, giving you a more detailed view. The Zoom Out button changes the timescale to larger units of time, giving you a broader view. You can also use the Timescale dialog box on the Format menu to adjust the timescale. 7. Printing Schedule Information. a. Creating headers and footers. Headers and footers are used to display additional information when you print a view or a report. A header is text displayed at the top of every page and footer is text displayed at the bottom of every page. Using the Page Setup dialog box, you can specify the information that should be displayed in the header and footer on each printed page. You can also specify the alignment of the information as well as the font and font size of the text, etc. At the bottom of a Gantt chart, you also have the option of printing a legend. The legend is a graphical key to the symbols and shading in the Gantt chart. b. Previewing. Although you can use the Print button to print a view or report, it is a good idea to preview what you want to print to make sure it prints the way you anticipate. By previewing your view or report, you can make any adjustments so that you only have to print once. 8. Starting a Project Schedule. a. Enter project information. The Project Information dialog box is used to enter 4

information that is critical to the scheduling of tasks and resources. This information includes the start date, finish date, schedulefrom date, current date, status date, and calendar. You must first determine whether the schedule will be created from a known project start date or project finish date. If the project has a known start date, MS Project will calculate the finish date for you based on the information you provide about tasks and resources. You can also schedule a project based on a known finish date, which is called backwards scheduling. MS Project automatically uses the current date as the start date for the schedule you are creating. Starting the Project Schedule Steps Action 1 On the Project menu, click Project Information 2 Click the Start Date down arrow 3 Click the left arrow until the correct date is displayed 4 Click the correct date for project start b. Enter properties information. The Project Properties dialog box contains several tabs of information. The Summary tab is used to enter information about the project title and subject, the schedule author, the project manager, and the company. You can also enter a project category, a keyword for search capabilities, and general comments about the project. Entering Properties Information Steps Action 1 On the File menu, click Properties. The Project Properties dialog box appears. The Summary tab is selected 2 Type the name of the project in the Title box 3 Type the subject in the Subject box 4 Type your name (or group number) 5 Type the PMs name in the

managers box. Click OK

9. Entering Tasks and Duration. a. A project file contains a list of tasks or steps necessary to complete the project goal. When you enter tasks in the task list, you can be either detailed or general in the scope of the tasks, but you need to be sure to include all steps that require planning, measurable time, or special arrangements of accommodations. In MS Project, each task is entered in the Task Name column of the Entry table in Gantt chart view. (Tasks can also be entered in other views that have a Task Name column.) b. Each task in the task list is associated with a task identification (ID) number. The task ID number is assigned as the task is entered and is indicated by the gray row headings to the right of the Gantt chart view. As the task list is edited, the task ID numbers are automatically renumbered to keep the list in numerical order. c. With each task, you also enter a duration estimate, or the amount of time it will take to accomplish the task. Durations can be specified in values of minutes, hours, days, or weeks as working time or elapsed time. A unit of working time is confined by the hours of the day and the number of days that resources are working. A unit of elapsed time includes working and nonworking time based on a 24-hour day and a 7-day week. As tasks are entered, default duration of 1 and a time unit of a day of working time are automatically entered in the Duration column as one day. Entering a new value and unit of time in the Duration field for the task can change the default duration. The following table lists the duration abbreviations:

Duration Abbreviations Abbreviation Duration Description mon month month m min minute h hr hour d day day w wk week em emin elapsed minutes eh ehr elapsed hours ew ewk elapsed weeks d. Tasks with duration of zero are called milestones. Milestone tasks represent the completion of an event, phase, or other measurable goal within the project. Entering duration of zero (0) for a task will create a milestone. When a task becomes a milestone, the Gantt bar changes to a diamond-shaped marker with the date the milestone occurs to the left of the marker. Each project should have at least one milestone. e. Task information can be entered by selecting a field in the Entry table or by selecting the task ID heading. By default, the cursor moves one row down when you press ENTER in a field. Pressing TAB moves the cursor one field to the right. You can also use SHIFT+TAB to move one field to the left. If the task ID heading is selected, the cursor moves one field to the right when you press ENTER or TAB. The cursor continues to cycle through the selected row as long as the row remains selected. You can also use the mouse or the keyboard arrows to move from field to field in the Entry table. f. With MS Project, you can make changes to a project schedule as it is being developed. You can insert new tasks as they are identified, move tasks within the task list for better sequencing of events and delete tasks that are not needed. Steps Inserting a Task Action

1 2 3 4

Select a task already entered On the Insert menu, click New Task Type the task, then press the TAB Type the duration and press ENTER. The new task will be entered immediately above the task selected in step 1. Moving a Task Action Click the task ID for the task you want to move. The entire row is selected With the mouse pointer on the highlighted task, drag the entry until a horizontal gray bar is displayed where you want the task relocated. Release the mouse button

Step 1 2 3

Deleting a Task Action Select the task you want deleted On the Edit menu, click Delete Task. The task is deleted and the task list is renumbered. Save the file without a baseline

Steps 1 2

g. Entering recurring tasks. A recurring task might be a weekly meeting, a status report, or regular inspections. Instead of typing the task and duration many times within a schedule, MS Project can be used to create a recurring task. Steps 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Enter a Recurring Task Action Click in the Task Name column where you want to start a recurring task On the Insert menu, click Recurring Task In the Name box, type the name of the recurring task Press TAB, then type duration In the This Occurs area, select the appropriate time interval In the Weekly area, select the desired day In the Length area, select the From date and either the number of occurrences or select the To date option Click OK

10. Labeling Task Bars. MS Project allows you to label each task bar. For the SPECTRE Scheduling IPR, you should consider labeling and inserting the start and finish dates on each task. To do this:

Steps 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Labeling Task Bars Action Highlight Task Name Go to Format and select Bar Select the Bar Text Tab Select Inside and select Name Select Left and select Early Start Select Right and select Early Finish Close and SAVE.

d. The outline of a project schedule generally starts with a main summary task. All tasks are subordinate to the main summary task. A main summary task is useful to quickly identify a project. It can also be useful when using multiple project files in a combined project. The work breakdown structure (WBS) is an excellent tool for outlining a project. e. The outline buttons on the Formatting toolbar are used to create and display the outline. These buttons are only available in Gantt chart, Task Sheet, and Task Usage views. A task changes to a summary task when a task below it is indented. The indented task then becomes a subtask of the summary task. When a task becomes a summary task, the duration, start and finish dates and cost information change to summarize the information of the subtasks. f. Except for a few important differences, editing the task list after it has been outlined is similar to editing it before it was outlined. If the only subtask of a summary task is deleted or out dented, the summary task becomes a subtask of the summary task one level above. If a summary task is deleted, the subtasks below are also deleted. 12. Establishing Task Dependencies. a. When a task list if first developed, the tasks are listed one after another, and the only consideration is the approximate order in which they should occur. Based on that information, each task is scheduled to start at the same time. In reality, a project schedule is more than just a list of isolated tasks. Each task is dependent upon one or more tasks to determine when it should start and finish. Some tasks cant start until another task is completed, while other tasks can occur, simultaneously. b. With MS Project, you can create dependencies between tasks in a schedule. 7

11. Outlining a Project. a. A project task list can be as few as 20 tasks or as many as several hundred tasks. When a project has a large number of tasks, it can become difficult to locate a specific task within the task list. If you are familiar with the project schedule, you might be able to quickly locate task by its Task ID number. But if you are not familiar with the task list, you could spend a great deal of time searching for a particular task. b. Using MS Project, you can organize the task list by creating a hierarchical structure. The process of structuring the task list is called outlining. You can use outlining to organize common tasks into groups within the task list. The groups created in the task list can represent phases in a project or any logical grouping of related activities. After outlining the task list, the schedule becomes easier to read. c. Creating a hierarchical outline organizes the project tasks into groups of tasks. Each group of tasks is preceded by a summary task, which describes the tasks within the group. Each level within the outline provides an additional level of detail for the task below. An outline might be created to made a long list of tasks easier to read, to divide a project into distinct phases, or to create a high-level view of the project for management.

By linking tasks, you create dependencies that identify whether the start or finish of one task depends on the start or finish of another task. You can also create situations where the dependency between tasks is delayed or overlapped. Once links are established between tasks, the project tasks begin to develop into a schedule of events. c. Task dependencies. Finish-to-start. The finish of one task (A) marks the start of another (B). Start-to-start. The two tasks start at the same time. (Also, see splitting tasks.) Finish-to-finish. The two tasks finish at the same time. Start-to-finish. The start of one task (A) marks the finish of another (B). This is rarely used.

Link tasks Unlink tasks

Link noncontiguous tasks

A
A B

Specify the task dependency

A B A B

Specify time

lead

Specify time

lag

d. Linking tasks to create task dependencies. Linking tasks creates a default finish-to-start dependency. Because the finish-to-start dependency is the most common dependency type, it is easiest to start by linking all tasks in this relationship. Once all tasks are in the default dependency type, you can begin to identify and address those tasks that are an exception to the common finish-to-start dependency. You can unlink tasks and phases that are not related, and you can link tasks that are not listed consecutively in the task list. Tasks can be linked to a single predecessor and successor or to multiple predecessors and successors.

Format to display the critical path

Select the tasks to be linked. On the Standard toolbar, click the Link Tasks button. Select the tasks to be unlinked. On the Standard toolbar, click the Unlink Tasks button. Select the first task to be linked. Press CTRL, and select the next task to be linked. On the Standard toolbar, click the Link Tasks button. Double-click the link line between the tasks where you want to change the dependency. Click the Type down arrow, select a dependency type, and click OK. Double-click the link line between the tasks where you want to specify the lead-time. Press TAB to move to the Lag box. Type a negative number to reflect the amount of lead-time. Click OK. Double-click the link line between the tasks where you want to specify the lag time. Press TAB to move to the Lag box. Type a positive number to reflect the amount of lead-time. Click OK. On the Standard toolbar, click the Gantt Chart Wizard button. Select the Critical Path option in step 2, select the default selection for all other steps, and click Next. Click Format It in stem 14, and then click Next. Click Exit Wizard in step 15.

13. Managing Project Resources. a. Resources are the people, places and items needed to complete a task. A project can be scheduled with or without assigning resources to tasks. If you dont assign resources to tasks, there is less accountability for completing tasks and less flexibility in planning. By assigning resources to tasks, you can better track the amount of work on a task, the cost of the work and the progress of the project. b. In MS Project, you can assign resources using the Assign Resources dialog box. You can track different rates per resource to reflect varied charges for different types of work. This information can be used to incorporate future rate changes such as pay increases. c. Each task within a project needs to be assigned all resources necessary to complete the task. A task might only require a single resource to be completed or it might require multiple resources. It is important to note that a resource can be people, facilities, equipment or supplies. d. When a resource is added to a project, a single unit, or 100%, is entered into the Max Units field for the resource as a default setting. This means that only one of that resource is available for the project. Resource units are displayed as percentages by default. They can also be displayed as decimals. If you decrease the resources percentage, only a fraction of that resource can be used on the project or task. e. Resources can be entered into MS Project in several different locations. The most common locations are the Assign Resources dialog box and the Resource Sheet. There are two ways you can assign resources from the Assign Resources dialog box. You can select a task and then select a 9

resource, or you can drag and drop a resource to a task. In either case, a single unit, or 100%, of the resource is assigned to the task by default. If more than a single unit of a resource is to be assigned to a task, additional units can be indicated in the Units field of the Assign Resources dialog box before the assignment is made. You can also assign parts of a unit to a task. This leaves the remaining portion for assignment elsewhere. 14. Resource Costs. a. In MS Project, there are two types of costs: resource costs and fixed costs. By entering cost information, you can create project budgets and analyze costs, as well as identify potential cost overruns. Based on the cost information provided, the cost for each task and for the entire project can be calculated. b. The Resource Sheet can be used to enter basic resource costs. To enter additional resource cost information, such as pay rate changes over time or different base rates in cost rate tables, use the Costs tab in the Resource Information dialog box. Basic cost information entered on the Resource Sheet is displayed on the Costs tab. c. Fixed costs are used when the task itself has a cost associated with it. Instead of assigning a resource rate-based cost, a fixed cost can be assigned. A task can also have a resource rate-based cost and a fixed cost. d. You can also enter per use costs. These are one-time costs associated with a resource or a task regardless of the duration of the task or the number of units of a resource assigned to a task. E.g., a delivery charge for a piece of equipment at a construction site. 15. Working with Calendars.

a. When scheduling a project, you need to know when resources can perform their tasks. If you do not indicate when resources are available, you might inadvertently schedule tasks when resources are not actually available. This can delay a project. With calendars, you can determine when resources on a project are working and when they are not working. An example of nonworking time is an employee being away on vacation. b. In MS Project, calendars define the working and nonworking time for the project and for each resource assigned to the project. As a change is made to a calendar, MS Project automatically reschedules all tasks affected by the change. You can change an entire day or hours within a day from working to nonworking. You can also create new calendars for resources that work parttime or work different shifts. c. There are two types of calendars in MS Project. Base calendars and resource calendars. Base calendars define the working days and working hours for a project or a set of resources. Resource calendars define the working days and working hours for a specific resource. d. The default base calendar (also known as the Project calendar) is called Standard. MS Project comes with two other calendars, the 24-Hour calendar and the Night Shift calendar. You can also create new base calendars for groups of resources. e. Resource calendars are updated automatically when the base calendar assigned to the resource changes. However, changes to the default calendar options are not automatically displayed in the base calendar. Steps 1 View Calendar Options Actions On the Tools menu, click Options. 10

The Options dialog box appears. Click the Calendar tab. The default calendar options are displayed.

f. Changing the base calendar. By default, the Standard calendar has an 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM workday, Monday through Friday, with no holidays. The base calendar for a project must be customized to include any changes in the work hours and work days. Base calendar changes or exceptions might include national holidays, project holidays and nonstandard working days and hours. Changes made to a base calendar are automatically reflected in any resource calendar with that base calendar assigned to it. The Change Working Time dialog box is used to make changes to base calendars. You can make changes to a single day, several days, or a month. Changes made in the change Working Time dialog box are reflected by a pattern or shading. A pattern indicates a date where the working hours have been changed from the default setting. Shaded blocks show nonworking days. If changes are made to a calendar date, the date changes to bold and is underlined. Step 1 2 Base Calendar Changes Action Click Change Working Time on the Tools menu. Change the default settings and save.

g. Changing a resource calendar. Resource calendars are used to track the availability of individual resources. Because a resource calendar begins as a copy of the base calendar assigned to the resource, only exceptions for that resource should be entered in the resource calendar. Changes to a resource calendar might include personal vacation, training, etc. a resource calendar for equipment or locations can be used to reflect scheduled maintenance or downtime for cleaning.

Step 1 2 3 4 5 6

Resource Calendar Changes Action On the View Bar, click the down arrow, and then click the Resource Sheet icon. Click on the resource you want to change. On the Standard toolbar, click the Resource Information button. Click the Working Time tab. Use the scroll bar to move to the date you want to change. Click on the date(s) you want to change and select one of the options.

copied base calendar, you need to go back and make those editing changes. Step 1 2 3 Create a New Base Calendar Action On the Tools menu, click Change Working Time, and then click New. In the Name box, type the name of your new base calendar. Be sure the Make A Copy Of Standard Calendar option is selected, and click OK.

16. Scheduling with Resources. a. As the planning of a project schedule moves forward, adjustments are made to reflect changes in the project scope, assignments and other new information. For many reasons, resource assignments or needs often change. Resources may be added or removed from the project. If a resource is supervising a task, the workload might vary over the duration of the task. There might also be resources that work overtime on a task, start later, or finish earlier than other resources assigned to a task. When any changes are made to the resource assignments, they affect the project schedule. How these changes affect the schedule determines how the changes should be made. b. In MS Project, when an assignment is changed, the schedule is recalculated to display the changes immediately. You can work with the scheduling method and the task type settings when making changes to the initial resource assignments. You can also vary the workload of resources to more accurately reflect how resources work on tasks. c. How a task reacts to adding and removing resources is defined by the scheduling method and the task type settings. In MS Project, the default scheduling method is effort-driven scheduling. E.g.,

h. Creating a new base calendar. A new base calendar can be created when none of the available base calendars fit the project needs or when a group of resources works different days and hours from the rest of the project resources. A new base calendar should not be created for just one resource. The new base calendar can be created from the MS Project defaults or as a copy of an existing base calendar. To minimize the amount of editing on a new base calendar, make a copy of an existing base calendar that already has common work days and holidays specified. Federal holiday projections can be found at the following Internet site: http://www.almc.army.mil/AMD/ALMCML/TDY.htm Note: If you have resources working shifts that span two days, such as 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM, you need to enter the hours before midnight on one day and the hours after midnight on the following day. The first day of the workweek has the evening hours only and the last day of the week has the morning hours only. Additionally, when a new base calendar is created from an existing base calendar, any changes to the default working times are carried over. If the resources that use the new base calendar dont have the same nonworking times as those using the

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assume a task has a duration of 8 hours. If the initial resource assignment were two people, the total work for the task was 16 hours. If you add an additional resource to the task, the total time for the task remains at 16 hours but each resource only works 5.33 hours on the task (16 divided by 3 = 5.33). The task duration is now 5.33 hours. d. The total work for a task is determined by the duration estimate for the task and the initial resource assignment. Effort-driven scheduling can be turned off for individual tasks of all new tasks created in a project. When effort-driven scheduling is turned off, total work increases when units of other resources are added to a task. To turn off effort-driven scheduling for a task, clear the Effort Driven check box on the Task Form or the Advanced tab on the Task Information dialog box. To turn off effort-driven scheduling for all new tasks created in a project, on the Tools menu, click Options. Then, on the Schedule tab, clear the new Tasks Are Effort Driven check box. e. The task type Fixed Unit is the default task type used in MS Project. When resources are added or removed from a Fixed Unit task, the duration of the task may be affected. However, designating a task as effort-driven, or adding or removing resources, determines the true effect on the tasks duration. Step 1 2 Modifying Resources Action On the View menu, click More Views. The More Views dialog box opens. In the Views box, select Task Entry, and then click Apply. The Task Entry view is displayed. The Gantt Chart view is displayed in the top pane, and the Task Form is displayed in the bottom pane.

f. Modifying a fixed work task. If a task has the task type Fixed Work, the total work for the task remains the same when resources are added or removed. The duration and resource units are affected on a Fixed Work task. A Fixed Work task must be effort-driven. g. Creating resource contours. When a resource is assigned to a task, the total work for the task is evenly applied throughout the duration of the task by default. This is known as a flat contour. A contour defines how scheduled work for a resource is distributed over the duration of a task. MS Project allows you to create a custom contour for a resource assignment. h. Resource workloads can be contoured or edited in the Task Usage view or the Resource Usage view. The Task Usage view displays each task with its assigned resources grouped below it. The Resource Usage view displays each resource with its assigned tasks grouped below it. The right side of each view is used to contour the scheduled work by editing the relevant entries or to view preset contours that have been applied. Contour pattern Flat Preset Contours Description The number of work hours is distributed evenly throughout the duration of the task. (MS Project default) The number of hours per time period starts small and is gradually increased to 100% toward the end of the task. Also called, ramp up. The number of hours per time period is 100% toward the beginning of the task with a gradual decrease toward the end. Also called, ramp down.

Back loaded

Front loaded

12

Double peak Early peak Late peak Bell

Turtle

The number of hours per time period peaks to 100% twice during the duration of the task. The number of hours per time period peaks at 100% in the first quarter of the task. The number of hours per time period peaks at 100% in the fourth quarter of the task. The number of hours per time period peaks at 100% during the middle of the task duration. The number of hours per time period peaks at 100% during the middle of the task duration. This differs from Bell in that the percentage is higher at the start and end of the task.

Steps 1 2 3 4 5 6

Apply a Preset Contour Action Click the Work field for the resource. On the Standard toolbar, click the Go To Selected Task button. In the Work field, type in the value and press TAB. On the Standard toolbar, click the Assignment Information button. Click the Work Contour down arrow, and then click the selected contour. Click OK.

17. Managing Resource Workloads. a. As resources are assigned to tasks in a project, resource conflicts may occur. A resource conflict occurs when a resource is scheduled to perform more work than the resource can accomplish in the available working time. A resource conflict can occur as a result of a single task assignment or multiple assignments. Once resource conflicts are identified, the schedule must be analyzed and decision make on how to resolve the conflict(s). b. MS Project can quickly identify resource conflicts by using several different views. Usage views display tasks and resources in assignment groups and display a timescale of work values for each assignment. Highlighting the conflict information in red and displaying a leveling indicator will identify each resource conflict. When resource conflicts arise, MS Project can be used to automatically make adjustments to the schedule by delaying or splitting resource or task assignments. Resource conflicts can also be resolved manually. c. Viewing resource workloads helps identify to what extent a resource is over

i. Once a specific contour has been applied, adding new total work values automatically reapplies the present contour pattern. The new task work values are first distributed across the affected time period, and then new work values are assigned to the resources for the task. If the start date of the task or resource is changed, the contour is reapplied based on the new date. All work values are redistributed. If the duration of a task is changed, the contour is stretched to include the added time period. If a work value is manually edited, the contour is no longer applied. However, a contour can be reapplied to redistribute the work values. If actual work has been entered for a task or resource, any changes to the total work or remaining work are redistributed to the remaining work values, not to the actual work.

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allocated or under allocated. The information obtained helps to resolve resource conflicts within a schedule. Step 1 View Resource Workloads Action On the View Bar, click the down arrow until the Resource Usage icon is displayed, and then click the Resource Usage icon Select the resource. On the Standard toolbar, click the Go To Selected Task button. The right pane timescale scrolls to the work values for the resource. Press F5. The Go To dialog box appears. Click the Date down arrow, select the date, and click OK.

2 3

4 5

Locate Resource Over Allocations Steps Action 1 On the View menu, point to Toolbars, and then click Resource Management. Resource Management toolbar is displayed under the Formatting toolbar. 2 On the Resource Management toolbar, click the Resource Allocation View button. 3 Scroll in the top pane, and then select the resource. 4 Drag the scroll box to the left. 5 Click anywhere in the bottom pane. 6 On the Resource Management toolbar, click the Go To Next Over allocation button. e. Resource conflicts occur when a resource is over allocated on a task or the project. Before a project begins, all resource over allocations should be resolved. Once the project begins and tasks are completed, the schedule must be continually reviewed for new over allocations. Over allocations of an insignificant amount may be ignored, e.g., part of an hour. f. Leveling resources automatically. Leveling is a strategy used to resolve resource over allocations by delaying or splitting tasks. Resource over allocations can be automatically leveled using MS Project. MS Project examines task dependencies, slack (float) time, dates, priorities and constraints. It determines if a task can be delayed or split to resolve a resource conflict. You should save the file before using the automatic leveling feature.

d. Locate resource over allocations. The search for an over allocation starts at the currently selected time period. Dragging the scroll box all the way to the left ensures that the fir over allocation for the resource if found. Each time you click the Go To Over allocation button, the next over allocation for the resource is located until no other over allocations exists for that resource.

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Step 1 2 3 4 5

Project Leveling Action On the Project menu, click Project Information. The Project Information data box appears. View the current project finish date, and then click Cancel. Be sure that the bottom pane is the active pane. On the Tools menu, click Resource Leveling. The Resource Leveling dialog box appears. Be sure that the default options are selected.

g. Manually resolving resource over allocations. It is a good idea to manually level the schedule before using the automatic leveling feature of MS Project. Automatic leveling may result in schedule adjustments or solutions that are not practical for your project. Manual leveling techniques you may want to use are: (1) increasing the maximum units of the resource. (2) Rescheduling the task that has created the over allocation. (3) Adding overtime. (4) Adjusting task dependencies or constraints. (5) Removing the resource if it isnt important to the task. (6) Replacing the over allocated resource with an under allocated resource. Note: replacing a resource, instead of removing and then assigning a new resource, preserves the work assignment. E.g., if you remove a resource that is scheduled to work 7 hours during a one-day task and then assign a new resource, the new resource will be scheduled for 8 hours instead of the 7 hours of the original resource. Similarly, if you replace a resource, the new resource is assigned the 7 hours scheduled for the original resource. (7) Making calendar adjustments to extend the working days and hours for the project or resource. (8) Decreasing the amount of work assigned to the resource. The MS Project software cannot make these decisions.

Increasing Resource Maximum Units Step Action 1 In the top pane, select the resource you want changed. 2 Drag the scroll box to the left, and then click in the bottom pane. 3 On the Resource Management toolbar, click the Go To Next Over allocation. 4 In the top pane, double-click the desired resource. 5 In the Resource Availability area, click the Max Units Available up arrow. 6 Click OK. 7 Save the file without a baseline. Change Work on a Task Assignment Step Action 1 In the top pane, select the desired resource. 2 Drag the scroll box to the left, and then click in the bottom pane. 3 On the Resource Management toolbar, click the Go To Next Over allocation. 4 In the timescale portion of the top pane, click the work hours on the date to be changed. 5 Type 0, and press ENTER. The work on the task for that day is changed to 0 hours. The total work for the task will be reduced, accordingly. 6 Save the file without a baseline. 18. Scheduling Task Constraints. a. During a project, some tasks may need to start or finish on a given date. These are called, directed dates. In MS Project, all tasks are scheduled to occur as soon as possible based on a given project start date. MS Project will alert you if there is a problem (e.g., schedule conflict) accommodating a directed date.

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b. When a task if first entered into MS Project, the task start date is by default the project start date. If a project is being scheduled from the finish date, the task finish date is by default the project finish date. After tasks are linked and resources are assigned, MS Project then sets task start and finish dates based on task dependencies and resource availability. This is the most effective way of scheduling a project because it incorporates flexibility. c. Sometimes the schedule needs to reflect real-world time constraints. By default, all tasks in MS Project are scheduled with the As Soon As Possible constraint. As you may recall, this is identical to the EarlyStart/Early-Finish convention used in the Scheduling Techniques unit of instruction. d. Task constraints can help create a more accurate schedule by using detailed information to control the start and finish dates of important tasks. However, constraints can also limit a schedules flexibility. If a scheduling conflict exists between a constraint and a task dependency, the task is scheduled according to the constraint. Constraints should be few and only used when necessary. e. If a project is being scheduled from a start date, entering a start date for a task or dragging a Gantt bar automatically sets a Start-No-Earlier-Than constraint. If a finish date is entered, a Finish-No-Earlier-Than constraint is automatically set. If a project is being scheduled from a finish date, entering a start date for a task or dragging a Gantt bar automatically sets a Start-No-Later-Than constraint. If a finish date is entered, a Finish-No-Later-Than constraint is automatically set. f. All tasks are assigned a constraint. If a project is scheduled from a start date, a task is entered with a default constraint of AsSoon-As-Possible. The As-Soon-As-Possible 16

constraint is a flexible constraint. Flexible task constraints are not tied to a specific date. Flexible constraints are the preferred type of constraint because it leaves flexibility in the schedule. Apply a Flexible Constraint Step 1 2 3 4 5 7 Action Double click on the task you want to modify. The Task Information dialog box appears. Select the General tab and view the currently scheduled start and finish dates. Click the Advanced tab. Click the down arrow and select the desired constraint. Click the date down arrow and select the desired date. Click OK. The constraint is set.

g. Inflexible task constraints are tied to a specific date and should be used less often because they take flexibility away from the schedule. Inflexible constraints are generally applied when outside forces are dictating a tasks start or finish date. The following table describes inflexible constraints built into MS Project. Resource Constraints Constraint Description Finish No Earlier Finishes the task on Than or after an entered date. Start No Earlier Starts the task on or Than after an entered date. Finish No Later Finishes the task on Than or before an entered date. Start No Later Than Starts the task on or before an entered date. Must Finish On Finishes the task on an entered date.

Must Start On

Starts the task on an entered date. The Planning Wizard dialog box appears if your constraint generates a scheduling conflict. h. Establishing a baseline. Once a project schedule is created and the resource and task conflicts have been resolved, the current schedule represents the best estimate of how the project should proceed and what resources it will take. Before the first task in the project begins, a baseline should be set. Setting the baseline is a critical step in the scheduling process. As a project progresses, the start times, finish times and resource assignments can change. A baseline is useful for comparing the planned schedule with later versions of the schedule to see what changes have occurred. When a baseline is set, those dates, times and other critical data are stored and do not change. Once a baseline is saved, the Planning Wizard no longer prompts the user when saving a project file. A baseline is saved using the Planning Wizard prompt of the Save Baseline command. If a baseline is saved before the schedule planning is finished, a new baseline can be saved over the existing baseline. On the Tools menu, point to Tracking and then click Save Baseline. This should only be done to reset a baseline that was saved by accident. Steps 1 2 3 4 Setting a Baseline Action On the Tools menu, point to Tracking and then click Save Baseline. Be sure that the Save Baseline option is selected. In the For area, be sure that the Entire Project option is selected. Click OK.

Steps 1 2 3

4 5 6

View Constraint Dates Action Position the mouse pointer on the constraint indicator icon for the desired task. Position the mouse pointer on the constraint indicator icon for the task. On the View Bar, click the down arrow until the More Views icon is displayed and then click the More Views icon. In the Views box, click Task Sheet and then click Apply. On the View menu, point to Table and then click More Tables. The More Tables dialog box appears. In the More Tables dialog box, double-click Constraint Dates. The Constraint Dates table is displayed.

19. Tracking Project Progress. a. Once the first task in a project starts, its time to begin tracking the actual progress of tasks and resources. Tracking is the process of gathering and entering task information into the schedule, such as actual start and finish dates. By tracking the progress of tasks, you can take advantage of the time saved from tasks that proceed ahead of schedule and make decisions about how to proceed when tasks fall behind schedule. MS Project permits ease in updating the schedule by using several features. You can track progress by entering all or some of the actual information for a task. If partial information is entered, MS Project updates the remaining information based on the schedule for that task. This information can be used to compare the plan to the actual progress of the project. The plan and the actual can be compared graphically. Gantt bars reflect the baseline information with one color and the actual with another color. Tables display numerical information and

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filters locate tasks and resources that might be behind schedule or over budget. b. Before the first task in a project can begin, the project schedule should be fully developed and a baseline plan should be set. Once work begins on a project, it is time to start tracking the progress of tasks. The progress should be tracked throughout the project. The frequency of updates depends on the control needed over the project. If progress is tracked more often, it is easier to identify problems and take corrective action. Tasks that do not occur as scheduled should be tracked manually by entering actual progress information for the individual tasks. These tasks might have start and finish dates that occur later or earlier than scheduled, or durations that run longer or shorter. Even in the best-planned schedules, new tasks might be identified after the project begins. These situations affect the remaining tasks in a project. c. When actual task progress is entered, the project is automatically recalculated and tasks are rescheduled based on the actual data, task dependencies, resources and constraints. For this reason, task progress should be entered starting at the top of the task list and continuing down the list. With the correct information, the remainder of the project can be evaluated and both positive and negative impacts can be addressed proactively. d. There are three types of dates stored for each task in MS Project: scheduled (current), actual and baseline. Date type Scheduled Types of Dates Description Tasks that havent started yet or are in progress. These dates change as the project progresses. After the tasks have started, actual information about the tasks is entered. 18

Actual Baseline

Tasks that are in progress or are completed. These dates do not change unless they are edited. Originally planned dates. Used to compare planned with actual dates. Baseline dates do not change.

e. There are five types of actual data than can be entered into MS Project: (1) actual start and finish dates, (2) percentage complete, (3) actual duration and remaining duration, (4) actual and remaining work and (5) actual and remaining costs. MS Project calculates actual data based on what information is entered for a task. Progress information should only be entered in table fields and dialog boxes labeled Actual. If actual data is entered into the scheduled (current) fields and boxes, only the scheduled information is changed and no tracking occurs. Enter Actual Finish Date for a Task Step Action 1 Select the task. 2 On the Tools menu, point to Tracking and then click Update Tasks. 3 In the Actual area, click the Finish down arrow. 4 Select the finish date and click OK. 5 On the Tools menu, point to Tracking and then click Update Tasks. 6 Click Cancel. 7 Position the mouse pointer on the task indicator. A Screen Tip with the task completion date is displayed. 8 Save the file. Enter a Percentage Complete Step Action 1 On the View Bar, click the down arrow until the More views icon is displayed, and then click the More

2 3 4 5 6

Views icon. In the Views box, select Task Sheet and then click Apply. On the View menu, point to Table and then click Tracking. On the View menu, point to Toolbars and then click Tracking. Select the desired task. On the Tracking toolbar, click the desired percentage complete button. The actual start date is entered as schedule. The actual and remaining durations are updated as scheduled. Save the file.

20. Summary. MS Project is a powerful scheduling tool. Separate acquisition projects can be linked. This is especially helpful when different projects must share common resources. This document contains a description of selected features of MS Project that will help you in the SPECTRE IPR Exercise. Although I included some instructions on inputting resource data, the budgeting portion of the SPECTRE IPR Exercise can be easily displayed on an Excel spreadsheet.

f. A task can be split or rescheduled to interrupt the work and then resume the remainder of the work at a later point in the schedule. If you know that a task will be interrupted, the task can be split when it is created. If an interruption occurs after the task has started, it can be split where the work stopped and the remainder of the task can be reschedule. Step 1 2 3 4 Splitting Tasks Action On the View Bar, click the Gantt chart icon. Press F5 and type in the task number. Click OK On the Standard toolbar, click the Split Task button. Position the mouse pointer on the Gantt bar for the selected task. The pointer changes to a right-pointing arrow. Position the mouse pointer on the Gantt bar until the start date is displayed on the Screen Tip. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the split Gantt bar to the right until the selected finish date is displayed on the Screen Tip. The task is split into two sections. Save the file.

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Appendix A
Term Backwards scheduling Base calendar Baseline Definition Scheduling a project based on a known completion date. Base calendar defines the working days and working hours for a project or a set of resources. A baseline is a record, or snapshot taken at a specific time in the project. A baseline is useful for comparing your current schedule with later versions of the schedule to see what changes have occurred. A constraint is a restriction or limitation imposed on the start or finish date of a task. CPM is a standard project management technique for determining which tasks are critical. It is based on a mathematical model that takes into account the relationships between tasks, their duration, and any constraints regarding the availability of resources. CPM is also used to schedule the start and finish dates for individual tasks. A critical task is one that, if delayed, would also cause the completion of the project to be delayed. The critical path is composed of all the critical tasks. Changes to tasks on the critical path can have a significant impact on the completion of a project. Directed dates are calendar dates imposed on one or more tasks in a project schedule. E.g., submitting in income tax return not later than April 15 is a directed date. Effort-driven scheduling extends or shortens the duration of a task to accommodate changes to resources, but does not change the total work for the task. One of the most familiar tools for visualizing progress in a project. Each task is represented as a single horizontal bar. Each bar is positioned across a period of time. Each individual bar represents a tasks duration. A Gantt Chart is an excellent tool for quickly assessing the status of individual tasks over time. Link lines reflect relationships between tasks. A main summary task is a brief description of the project. A Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) Chart is also known as a network chart. The PERT Chart shows interdependencies between tasks. A box, called a node that contains basic information about the task, represents each task. Link lines connect tasks that depend on one another for completion, or simply follow one another in a sequence of events. The PERT Chart gives you a graphical representation of how tasks are linked to each other in the project. Note: this is a variation of the definition used in the Scheduling Techniques unit of instruction. MS Projects definition of a PERT Chart is more in line with the definition of the CPM Network. 21

Constraint Critical Path Method (CPM)

Critical task

Directed dates Effort-driven scheduling Gantt Chart

Main summary task PERT Chart

Predecessor task Recurring task Resource calendar Work

A task that must start or finish before another task can begin is called a predecessor task. A task that occurs repeatedly within a project. Resource calendar defines the working days and working hours for a specific resource. Work is the amount of effort, or number of hours, resources put into a task.

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