Mastering Microsoft Project 2013

1. Module 1: Introduction to Microsoft Project

• How Project relates to the discipline of project management
• New features in Project 2013
• Navigate to the primary views available using the Ribbon
• Choose views that display task, resource, or assignment information
• Select table within views to change the information that is available to see and edit
• Relate the features of Project to the five steps for building a plan in Project

2. A Quick and Easy Overview of Managing with Project

• Create a new project and prepare it for data entry
• Enter project tasks
• Sequence the tasks
• Define resources
• Estimate task duration and assign resources
• Baseline the project
• Track project progress

3. Setting Up a Project

• Use multiple methods to create a new project from an Excel file and a SharePoint Tasks list
• Establish one or more calendars to constrain resource availability
• Configure Project to calculate the schedule from the Start Date forward or from the Finish Date backward

4. Manually Schedule vs. Auto Schedule

• Turn on Manually Schedule and Auto Schedule
• When to use Manually Schedule
• Limitations of manually scheduling

5. Creating a Work Breakdown Structure

• Build and use summary and subordinate tasks
• Use milestones
• Develop WBS Outlines
• Assign completion criteria
• Evaluate the WBS
• Use WBS templates

6. Identifying Task Relationships

• Types of task relationships
• Use various methods to create relationships
• Determine and display task sequence
• Use lag, lead, and delay
• New feature of Task Paths

7. Defining Resources within Project

• Define resource types
• Define individual resources that will be used on the project
• Record the cost(s) of using each type of resource
• Record the limit of availability for each type of resource by establishing a resource calendar and defining the maximum units of that resource

8. Making Work Package Estimates

• Enter estimates for duration and costs for each task
• Distinguish between task types and when each is appropriate
• Relationship between work, units, and duration
• How Effort Driven scheduling is affected by work, units, and duration
• Assign tasks to resources using the Team Planner view

9. Creating an Initial Schedule

• Calculate float and identify a project's critical path
• Identify task constraints
• Create milestones
• Use the Task Inspector to troubleshoot the initial schedule

10. Create a Resource Leveled Schedule

• Adjust a project schedule to account for limited people and other resources
• View the overall cost and schedule of a project
• Identify resources that have been over allocated for a project schedule
• Use multiple ways to adjust tasks and assignments to remove over allocation for any resource

11. Managing the Project

• Set a baseline
• Enter and track project performance data
• Apply different tracking methods
• Perform a variance analysis on a project

12. Formatting Output and Printing Reports

• Print
• Views
• Formats
• Sorting
• Filtering
• Grouping
• Custom fields
• Reporting
• Other file formats

13. Managing Multiple Projects

• Use common resources among multiple projects
• Link tasks between multiple projects
• Create a consolidated view of multiple projects

14. Advanced Topics

• Customize the Ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar
• Customize WBS numbering
• Concepts of Formulas and Graphical indicators
• Purpose of the Global template and Organizer
• Use Task Deadlines
• Record a Macro

15. Summary

• Access the Office App Store
• What 74-343 Microsoft Project 2013, Managing Projects with Project 2013 exam covers and what is in the objective domain
• Sample study guide to help you prepare for the Microsoft Project 2013 exam

• Project management as it applies to using Microsoft Project 2013
• Create a work breakdown structure
• Identify task types and relationships
• Define resources within a project
• Make work package estimates
• Create an initial schedule
• Create a resource-leveled schedule
• Create projects from templates, Excel files
• Create global templates
• Create formulas and graphical indicators
• Record a macro
• Format output and print reports
• Integrate multiple projects
• Set up a project with a calendar, start date, and scheduling method
• Manual scheduling vs. auto scheduling
• Manage multiple projects
• Create a master project list with shared resources

Lab 1: Introduction to Mastering Microsoft Project

• Change views from a table to a chart
• Subcommands under each command group
• Functions are under the format tab
• Access the backstage

Lab 2-1: Creating a Basic Project with a Template

• Create a project plan from a template
• Turn off the timeline
• Change the project start date
• Add holidays to the company calendar

Lab 2-2: Creating a Basic Project

• Add resources and their cost
• Switch views
• Insert summary tasks
• Link tasks and summary tasks

Lab 3: Setting Up a Project

• Add holidays to the company calendar
• Make a custom calendar
• Set the project start date
• Set constraints

Lab 4: Explore Task Modes

• Which project functions are turned off for tasks using Manually Schedule mode
• Change the task mode from Manually Schedule to Auto Schedule and back
• Identify tasks that are in Manually Schedule mode by the task mode column and shape on the Gantt chart
• Situations particularly appropriate for using Manually Schedule
• Limitations that a user must be aware of when using Manually Schedule mode

Lab 5-1: Manipulate a WBS

• Create and manipulate WBS
• Utilize an outline
• Create notes within tasks

Lab 5-2: Supporting the Project Plan

• Hyperlink project artifacts to your project plan
• Create reoccurring tasks

Lab 6: Display the sequence

• Create dependent relationships
• Format a network diagram
• Modify dependency lines
• Modify items to be shown on the critical path

Lab 7: Resource Calendar and Availability

• Add holidays to a standard calendar.
• Apply different types of calendars to a project and analyze the impact to the project schedule
• Apply vacation schedules to the calendar
• Replace resources based upon the resource's calendar

Lab 8: Work, Duration, and Labor

• Analyze the impact of duration, work, and labor
• Create material resources and assign cost to the resource
• Use Project statistics
• Apply a material resource to a task and examine the impact to project costs

Lab 9: Calculating an Initial schedule

• Changes that can have a positive or negative impact on the project plan

Lab 10: Resource Leveling

• Evaluate the project's resource plan using the resource views
• Adjust the schedule manually
• Adjust the schedule using the leveling feature

Lab 11-1: The Baseline

• Use Project Statics to see the changes in a project plan
• Use the variance tables to understand the changes in a project plan
• Value of baselining

Lab 11-2: Baselining and Tracking Performance

• Value of baselining a project
• Enter actuals and measure their impact

Lab 11-3: Variance

• How variance is calculated with cost, finish, and work

Lab 12-1: Use the Grouping Feature

• Create new fields to group
• Create new group fields
• Create new views

Lab 12-2: Create Reports in Project 2013

• Use Microsoft Project's View Report features
• Create a Visual Report

Lab 13: Identifying Over-Allocated Resources from a Resource Pool and Consolidated File

• Create a master project file
• Open Resource Pool
• Look for over-allocated resources

Lab 14: Recording a Macro in Project 2013

• Create a macro that will automate a process

Novice and experienced project managers, managers, schedulers, and other project stakeholders who need to incorporate the discipline of project management with Microsoft Project 2013