Tutorial.03

New Perspectives on Microsoft Project 2007: Communicating Project Information : 

New Perspectives on Microsoft Project 2007: Communicating Project Information

In this tutorial you will: : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 2 In this tutorial you will: Review Project 2007 reports Examine the critical path Filter tasks Format a Gantt Chart Work with the Network Diagram Analyze task constraints

Case: LAN Project : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 3 Case: LAN Project Your project has been viewed by the project manager: Emily King The Finish date that Project 2007 calculated is 2 weeks later then anticipated. Use Project 2007 features such as reports, filters, and custom formats to emphasize, analyze, and shorten the critical path so the project finishes earlier.

Creating Reports Using Project 2007 : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 4 Creating Reports Using Project 2007 Reports can communicate project information Reports disseminate information Use reports for project status Use reports to plan a project Viewing different reports will help you to analyze your current project plan in different ways.

Project 2007 Reports : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 5 Project 2007 Reports

Understanding the Critical Path : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 6 Understanding the Critical Path A critical task is a task that must be completed as scheduled in order for the project to finish as of the Finish date. Any delay in a critical task could delay the project completion date. The critical path is the series of critical tasks (or even a single critical task) that indicates the calculated Finish date of the project. The critical path determines the earliest the project can be completed.

Understanding the Critical Path Cont’d : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 7 Understanding the Critical Path Cont’d The critical path changes if tasks on the critical path are completed ahead of or behind schedule. Another way to define the critical path is that it consists of those tasks having a float of zero. Float, also called total slack, is the amount of time that a task can be delayed from its planned start date without delaying the project Finish date.

Understanding the Critical Path Cont’d : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 8 Total slack differs from free slack. Free slack is the amount of time that a task can be delayed without delaying any successor tasks. If any tasks on the critical path take longer then planned, the project completion date will slip unless corrective action is taken. Viewing the Network Diagram makes it easy to see the critical path because critical tasks are automatically displayed in red. Understanding the Critical Path Cont’d

Critical Path : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 9 Critical Path

Project Manager : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 10 Project Manager It is very important for a project manager to have excellent skills in finding, analyzing, and communicating information about the critical path throughout the life of the project. Filters, formats, and customizing the Network Diagram help the manager accomplish this.

Filtering Tasks for Information : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 11 Filtering Tasks for Information A filter temporarily hides some of the tasks so that only those tasks that you are interested in are displayed. Filters help you to focus your attention on specific aspects of the project based on different criteria. Project 2007 offers many build-in filters, available using the Filter list arrow on the Formatting toolbar. One of the most important filters used is “Critical” because it filters out all tasks not currently on the critical path.

Filtering Tasks for Information Cont’d : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 12 Filtering Tasks for Information Cont’d Filters can be applied in any view, but each view is filtered independently of the others. Other filters such as Milestones, Task Range, and Date Range can be used at any time. Filters temporarily hide those tasks that do not meet the filter criteria. It is also important to note that filters are only “correct” as of the moment they are applied. Recommended not to make changes in filter views.

Filter List Options : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 13 Filter List Options

Filters : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 14 Filters

Using the AutoFilter : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 15 Using the AutoFilter The AutoFilter allows you to determine the filter criteria by selecting from a criteria list associated specifically with each column in the Entry table. When you select AutoFilter on the Formatting Toolbar, a list arrow is displayed to the right of each field name in the Entry table. You choose filter criteria for a column by clicking the list arrow in the column heading. You can apply custom filters using the AutoFilter list arrows.

AutoFilter : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 16 AutoFilter

Custom AutoFilter : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 17 Custom AutoFilter

Printing Filtered View : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 18 Printing Filtered View You can print any filtered view of a project. Entering information such as your name, the date, perhaps a time, and filename into the header and footer sections help identify the project file on the printout. This can be helpful when presenting a filtered list of tasks.

Formatting a Project : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 19 Formatting a Project Sometimes you want to highlight information in a project by changing the appearance of the default views. For example: Change the color of certain types of task bars. Change the text font size within a table. Project 2007 provides many ways to format the colors, shapes, and text within each project view to help you clearly communicate your message.

Changing Bar Style : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 20 Changing Bar Style

Formatting a Gantt Chart : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 21 Formatting a Gantt Chart Project 2007 applies default formatting choices such as blue for task bars and black for summary bars. You can change the default options individually or by using the Gantt Chart Wizard. Enhancing the appearance of certain task bars of a Gantt Chart customizes the project and helps you communicate the information to management.

Formatting a Gantt Chart Cont’d : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 22 Formatting a Gantt Chart Cont’d Project 2007 has many formatting options for the Gantt Chart. The key to formatting the Gantt Chart is that the final product should clearly and quickly communicate the information that is important to the project manager and management. As the project progresses, you can always reformat the Gantt Chart to highlight any new important messages.

Formatted Gantt Chart : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 23 Formatted Gantt Chart

Formatting an Entry Table : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 24 Formatting an Entry Table You can click any cell within the Entry table and choose a new font, font size, font effect, or color. By visually organizing the tasks, you help communicate what needs to be done in the project. Formatting tasks by category changes all formatting for the specified category. Formatting options are available to help you communicate project information to management as you work with Project 2007.

Text Style Dialog Box : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 25 Text Style Dialog Box

Formatting Individual Items in the Entry Table and Gantt Chart : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 26 Formatting Individual Items in the Entry Table and Gantt Chart Many options on the Formatting toolbar and Format menu are used for formatting individual tasks. For example: Format the tasks that you have assigned to an outside contractor with an italic font. Temporarily change the color of one Gantt Chart bar to highlight it for a meeting.

Individual Formatting Changes Applied : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 27 Individual Formatting Changes Applied

Timescale : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 28 Timescale The timescale can display three tiers simultaneously. You may be working on a project that requires that level of detail on the timescale. You can set the timescale to show all three tiers and format each one.

Timescale : 

11/15/2010 Presentations Created by C. Hester - Microsoft Project 2007 by Bunin 29 Timescale