Course 55054-A: Mastering Microsoft Project 2013

Microsoft

Course 55054-A: Mastering Microsoft Project 2013

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This three-day, instructor-led course is intended for individuals who are interested in expanding their knowledge base and technical skills about Microsoft Project. The course begins with the basic concepts and leads students through all the functions theyll need to plan and manage a small to medium-size project, including how to level resources and capture both cost and schedule progress.

This course will also help students prepare for Microsoft Project 2013 Exam 74-343 Managing Projects with Microsoft Project 2013.

Audience Profile

This course is intended for both novice and experienced project managers, managers, schedulers, and other project stake holders who need to incorporate the discipline of project management with Microsoft Project 2013.

Prerequisites

Course outline

Module 1: Introduction to Microsoft Project

Module Overview

This module provides an overview of how the features of Project relate to the job of the project manager. The module also teaches the student how to access different features by navigating through the ribbon.

Lessons

Describe how Project relates to the discipline of Project management
Learn what the new features are 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 5 steps for building a plan in Project

Lab Sessions

Introduction to Mastering Microsoft Project

Lab Lessons

Learn how to change views from a table to a chart
Learn the different subcommands that are under each command groups
Learn what functions are under the format tab
Learn how to access the backstage

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Have a fundamental understanding of how Microsoft Project will help them track their projects.
Understand what is new in Project 2013 and how it will increase their productivity.
Learn how the ribbon will help them get the most of out of this productivity tool.
Learn how to quickly change views and see what is going on with their projects.
Understand the 5 essential steps in building a successful project plan.

Module 2: A Quick and Easy Overview of Managing with Project

Module Overview

This module demonstrates the required steps to create and use Microsoft Project 2013 through the life cycle of a project.

Lessons

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

Lab Sessions

Creating a Basic Project with a template
Creating a Basic Project

Lab Lessons

Learn how to create a project plan from a template
Learn how to turn off the timeline
Learn how to change the project start date
Learn how to add holidays to the company calendar
Learn how to add resources and their cost
Learn how to switch views
Learn how to insert summary tasks
Learn how to link tasks and summary tasks

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Prepare a new project plan and set the date and other basic information.
Enter detailed project information.
Understand how to sequence tasks.
Understand and define basic resource types.
Assign resources to tasks.
Understand the benefits of baselining a project or specific tasks.
Understand the basics of how to track project progress.

Module 3: Setting Up a Project

Module Overview

This module explains how to create a new project and establish the basic constraints that Microsoft Project 2013 will use for its calculations.

Lessons

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

Lab Sessions

Setting Up a Project

Lab Lessons

Learn how to add Holidays to the company calendar
Learn how to make a custom calendar
Learn how to set the Project Start date
Learn how to set constraints

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Create a new project using a template, Excel, a SharePoint Tasks List or a new Project file.
Establish one or more calendars to constrain resource availability.
Configure Microsoft Project to calculate the schedule from the Start Date forward or from the Finish Date backward.

Module 4: Manually Schedule vs. Auto Schedule

Module Overview

This module explains how to how to manually schedule project tasks and how to leverage the auto schedule feature.

Lessons

Students practice switching tasks between Manually Schedule and Auto Schedule modes. By switching modes, students learn the impact made on the project schedule and the individual tasks

Lab Sessions

Explore Task Modes

Lab Lessons

Describe 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
Describe situations that are particularly appropriate for using Manually Schedule
Describe the limitations that a user must be aware of when using Manually Schedule mode

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Understand how to turn on Manually Schedule and Auto Schedule.
Understand when to use Manually Schedule.
Understand the limitations of Manually Scheduling.

Module 5: Creating a Work Breakdown Structure

Module Overview

This module explains how to create a useful work breakdown structure and enter it into Microsoft Project.

Lessons

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

Lab Sessions

Manipulate a WBS
Supporting the Project Plan

Lab Lessons

Learn how to create and manipulate WBS
Learn how to utilize an Outline
Learn how to create notes within tasks
Learn how to hyperlink project artifacts to your project plan
Learn how to create reoccurring tasks

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Build and use summary and subordinate tasks.
Understand and use milestones.
How to organize the WBS.
How to format the WBS.
Develop WBS outlines.
Assign completion criteria.
Evaluate the WBS.
Understand and use WBS outlines.
Understand how to link Project artifacts to their projects.
Understand how to create notes on tasks.

Module 6: Identifying Task Relationships

Module Overview

This module explains the rules for establishing dependency links between tasks and how to use Project to display these dependencies.

Lessons

Understand the different types of task relationships
Understand and use various methods to create relationships
Determine and display task sequence
Understand and use lag, lead, and delay
Understand the new feature of Task Paths

Lab Sessions

Display the sequence

Lab Lessons

Identify the different ways to create dependent relationships
Format a Network diagram
Modifying dependency lines
Modifying items to be shown on the critical path

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Understand the different types of task relationships.
Understand and use various methods to create relationships.
Determine and display task sequence.
Understand how to use Lag, Lead and Delay.

Module 7: Defining Resources within Project

Module Overview

This module explains how to enter resources and specific resource information in Microsoft Project and assign resources to specific tasks.

Lessons

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

Lab Sessions

Resource Calendar and Availability

Lab Lessons

Add holidays to a standard calendar
Applying different types of calendars to a project and analyzing the impact to the project schedule
Applying vacation schedules to the calendar
Replace resources based upon the resources calendar

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Define the different types of resources.
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.

Module 8: Making Work Package Estimates

Module Overview

This module explains how Microsoft Project calculates task duration, task work (effort) and task resources. Students will be able to choose among three task types as they enter task estimates and they will know which task type is appropriate for the type of estimate they are making.

Lessons

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

Lab Sessions

Work, Duration and Labor

Lab Lessons

Analyze the impact of duration, work, and labor
Create material resources and assigning cost to the resource
Understand how to leverage Project statistics
Apply a material resource to a task and examine the impact to project costs

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Assign values for resources, duration and work.
Understand task types.
Understand Effort Driven scheduling.
Understand material resources and their costs to a project plan.

Module 9: Creating an Initial Schedule

Module Overview

This module explains how Project calculates a schedule based on task relationships and task duration. Students will understand the purpose of identifying critical path tasks and will be able to identify schedule float within the project.

Lessons

Calculate float and identify a projects critical path
Understand and identify task constraints
Create milestones
Use the Task Inspector to troubleshoot the initial schedule

Lab Sessions

Calculating an Initial schedule

Lab Lessons

Reviewing changes that can have a positive or negative impact on the project plan

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Identify the critical path.
Understand difference between slack and slippage.
Calculate float.
How to leverage constraints.
How to get the benefit from the Task Inspector, and the impact of changes on a project schedule.

Module 10: Create a Resource Leveled Schedule

Module Overview

This module explains how over-allocated resources create unrealistic schedules and shows methods for rescheduling in order to create a realistic schedule based on resource availability.

Lessons

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 overallocated for a project schedule
Use multiple ways to adjust tasks and assignments to remove over allocation for any resource

Lab Sessions

Resource Leveling

Lab Lessons

Evaluate the projects resource plan using the resource views
Adjust the schedule manually
Adjust the schedule using the leveling feature

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Adjust a project schedule to account for limited resources.
View the overall cost and schedule of a project.
Identify resources that are over- allocated for a project schedule.
Use multiple ways to adjust tasks and assignments to remove over- allocation for any resource.

Module 11: Managing the Project

Module Overview

This module explains how to use Microsoft Project to control a project. Students will save their plan to a baseline and see how entering actual task performance data enables them to view differences between planned and actual performance.

Lessons

Learn how to set a baseline
Lean how to enter and track project performance data
Learn how to apply different tracking methods
Learn how to perform a variance analysis on a project

Lab Sessions

The Baseline
Baselining & Tracking Performance
Variance

Lab Lessons

Use Project Statics to see the changes in a project plan
Use the variance tables to understand the changes in a project plan
Understand the value of baselining
Understand the value of Baselining a project
Understand how to Enter Actuals and measuring their impact
Understand how variance is calculated with cost, finish and work

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Set a baseline.
Enter and manage project performance data.
Pick a tracking method.
Perform variance analysis.
Sync Projects results with SharePoint.

Module 12: Formatting Output and Printing Reports

Module Overview

Participants will be able to control project output by creating and using Custom Fields, Sorting, Filtering, and Grouping of the project data.

Lessons

Print
Views
Formats
Sorting
Filtering
Grouping
Custom Fields
Reporting
Other File Formats

Lab Sessions

Use the Grouping Feature
Create Reports in Project 2013

Lab Lessons

Create new fields to group
Create new group fields
Create new views
Learn how to leverage Microsoft Projects View Report features
Learn how to create a Visual Report

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Create standardized views, with the power of sorting, filtering and grouping.
Customize a variety of standard reports.
Learn how to use Visual Reports.
Export reports in a variety of formats.

Module 13: Managing Multiple Projects

Module Overview

This module explains how to view many projects as parts of one very large project in order to gain new views on resource availability and task relationships among projects.

Lessons

Learn how to use common resources among multiple projects
Learn how to link tasks between multiple projects
Learn how to create a consolidated view of multiple projects

Lab Sessions

Identifying Overallocated Resources from a Resource Pool and Consolidated File

Lab Lessons

Learn how to create a master project file
Open Resource Pool
Learn how to look for over-allocated resources

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Use common resources among multiple projects.
Link tasks between multiple projects.
Create a consolidated view of multiple projects and shared resources.

Module 14: Advanced Topics

Module Overview

This module explains how to leverage some of the advanced features of Microsoft Project.

Lessons

Learn how to customize the Ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar
Learn how to customize WBS numbering
Learn the concepts of Formulas and Graphical indicators
Learn the purpose of the Global template and Organizer
Learn how to use Task Deadlines

Lab Sessions

Recording a Macro in Project 2013

Lab Lessons

Learn how to create a macro that will automate a process

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Take advantage of the advance features of Microsoft Project 2013.
Be able to create a Macro.
Share common settings among all future projects.

Module 15: Summary

Module Overview

This module provides an overview of the topics presented in the course and how to prepare for Microsofts exam 74-343 Microsoft Project 2013, Managing Projects with Project 2013.

Lessons

Learn how to access the Office App Store
Learn what 74-343 Microsoft Project 2013, Managing Projects with Project 2013 exam will cover and what is in the objective domain
A sample study guide to help students prepare for the Microsoft Project 2013 exam

Lab Sessions

Not available for this module

Lab Lessons

Lab lessons not available

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Understand the discipline of project management as it applies to using Microsoft Project 2013.
Create a Work Breakdown Structure.
Identify Task Types & Relationships.
Define Resources within 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.
The steps to record a macro.
Format Output and Print Reports.
Integrate Multiple Projects.
Set up a Project with a Calendar, Start date, and scheduling method.
Understand Manually Schedule vs. Auto Schedule.
Manage multiple projects.
Be able to create a master project list with shared resources.

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