Not For Training: Microsoft Project 2000 Foundation Level Training Manual

Microsoft Project 2000
Foundation Level
Training Manual
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Corporate Edition
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C C T G L O B A L .C O M
© 1995-2001 Cheltenham Computer Training
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All trademarks acknowledged. E&OE.
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© Cheltenham Computer Training 1995-2001 No part of this document may be copied without written permission from
Cheltenham Computer Training unless produced under the terms of a courseware site license agreement with
Cheltenham Computer Training.
All reasonable precautions have been taken in the preparation of this document, including both technical and non-
technical proofing. Cheltenham Computer Training and all staff assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No
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Courseware Release Version 5.0

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MICROSOFT PROJECT 2000 - INTRODUCTION................................................................................ 1
ORIENTATION TO MICROSOFT PROJECT ...................................................................................................... 2
To start Microsoft Project ...................................................................................................................... 2
THE TOOLBARS ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Tool Tips................................................................................................................................................. 5
THE STANDARD TOOLBAR .......................................................................................................................... 6
THE FORMATTING TOOLBAR ....................................................................................................................... 7
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THE CALENDAR VIEW ................................................................................................................................. 8
The View Bar .......................................................................................................................................... 8
To change the view ................................................................................................................................. 8
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To change to Calendar View .................................................................................................................. 8
To change the look of the Calendar – (for printing)............................................................................... 8
THE GANTT CHART VIEW ........................................................................................................................... 9
To open a Gantt chart view .................................................................................................................... 9
The components of the Gantt chart view ................................................................................................ 9
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The border between the panes ................................................................................................................ 9
DEFINING THE PROJECT ..................................................................................................................... 11
PROJECT INFORMATION ENTRY ................................................................................................................. 12
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To start a new project........................................................................................................................... 12
Project Information window................................................................................................................. 13
THE PROJECT CALENDAR .......................................................................................................................... 14
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To set up a working calendar ............................................................................................................... 14
Default working time ............................................................................................................................ 15
To create a New Calendar.................................................................................................................... 15
CHANGING THE DEFAULT WORKING DAY ................................................................................................ 16
To change the default working time...................................................................................................... 16
To change time for individual days ...................................................................................................... 16
To enter a shut-down period................................................................................................................. 17
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CHOOSE YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE PROJECT............................................................................................ 18

To link your new calendar to the project.............................................................................................. 18
THE STATISTICS WINDOW ......................................................................................................................... 19
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FILE PROPERTIES ....................................................................................................................................... 21

What do you use Properties for? .......................................................................................................... 21
Examining Properties........................................................................................................................... 22
SAVE AND SAVE AS................................................................................................................................... 23
TASKS......................................................................................................................................................... 25
ENTERING TASKS ...................................................................................................................................... 26
To open a new Task Information window............................................................................................. 26
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ENTERING A TASK DURATION ................................................................................................................... 28

To enter a duration............................................................................................................................... 28
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Elapsed Time ........................................................................................................................................ 28

To specify elapsed time......................................................................................................................... 28
To specify estimated time...................................................................................................................... 28
ESTIMATING DURATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 29
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MILESTONES AND PHASES ......................................................................................................................... 30

Setting a Milestone in a project ............................................................................................................ 30
RECURRING TASKS .................................................................................................................................... 31
To enter a recurring task ...................................................................................................................... 31
RECURRING TASKS CONTINUED ................................................................................................................ 32
The recurring task symbol .................................................................................................................... 32
Expanding the group of tasks ............................................................................................................... 32
Contracting the group of tasks ............................................................................................................. 32
FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

 Cheltenham Computer Training 1995-2001 - www.cctglobal.com
To change a recurrence pattern ........................................................................................................... 32
EDITING TASKS ......................................................................................................................................... 33
To open an existing task for editing...................................................................................................... 33
CHANGING TASK PRIORITY ....................................................................................................................... 34
Priority Levels ...................................................................................................................................... 35
To set a priority .................................................................................................................................... 35
INSERTING A TASK .................................................................................................................................... 36
To insert a new task into the sequence ................................................................................................. 36
Entering information in the field entry bar........................................................................................... 36
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DELETING TASKS ...................................................................................................................................... 37
To select one task.................................................................................................................................. 37
To select a group of adjacent tasks....................................................................................................... 37
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To select a group of non-adjacent tasks ............................................................................................... 37
To delete selected tasks ........................................................................................................................ 37
To Undo................................................................................................................................................ 37
MOVING TASKS ......................................................................................................................................... 38
To move a task by dragging.................................................................................................................. 38
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To move a task by cut and paste from the menu or toolbar.................................................................. 38
To move a task by cut and paste from the shortcut menu ..................................................................... 39
TASK LINKAGES ..................................................................................................................................... 41
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CREATING A LOGICAL SEQUENCE ............................................................................................................. 42
GENERAL TAB ........................................................................................................................................... 43
TASK PREDECESSORS ................................................................................................................................ 44
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The Predecessor window ...................................................................................................................... 44
To enter a Predecessor ......................................................................................................................... 44
TASK RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................... 45
The Resources tab................................................................................................................................. 45
To enter resources for a task ................................................................................................................ 46
To specify units for the resource........................................................................................................... 46
TASK ADVANCED ...................................................................................................................................... 47
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TASK CONSTRAINTS .................................................................................................................................. 48

Types of constraint ............................................................................................................................... 48
TASK TYPES .............................................................................................................................................. 49
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Task Types ............................................................................................................................................ 49

TASK NOTES ............................................................................................................................................. 50
To add notes ......................................................................................................................................... 50
To add hyperlinks ................................................................................................................................. 51
OUTLINING A TASK ................................................................................................................................... 52
Top down method ................................................................................................................................. 52
Bottom up method................................................................................................................................. 52
SUMMARY TASKS ...................................................................................................................................... 53
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To create a Sub Task ............................................................................................................................ 53

To Collapse Sub Tasks.......................................................................................................................... 53
LINKAGE TYPES ........................................................................................................................................ 54
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The four linkage types .......................................................................................................................... 54

A link symbol ........................................................................................................................................ 54
Dangling tasks...................................................................................................................................... 54
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FINISH TO START RELATIONSHIP ............................................................................................................... 55

To create an (FS) relationship.............................................................................................................. 55
START TO START RELATIONSHIP ............................................................................................................... 56
To create an (SS) relationship .............................................................................................................. 56
FINISH TO FINISH RELATIONSHIP ............................................................................................................... 57
To create an (FF) relationship ............................................................................................................. 57
START TO FINISH RELATIONSHIP ............................................................................................................... 58
To create an (SF) relationship.............................................................................................................. 58

SIMPLE LINKAGE ....................................................................................................................................... 59
To Set an FS Link on all Tasks ............................................................................................................. 59
To Unlink Tasks.................................................................................................................................... 60
To Split Tasks ....................................................................................................................................... 60
LINKAGES ON A GANTT CHART ................................................................................................................. 61
LAG AND LEAD TIME ................................................................................................................................ 62
LEAD TIME ON THE GANTT CHART ........................................................................................................... 63
To Add Lead Time to a Task................................................................................................................. 63
LAG TIME ON THE GANTT CHART ............................................................................................................. 64
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To Add Lag Time to a Task................................................................................................................... 64
TYPES OF CONSTRAINT ............................................................................................................................. 65
EXERCISES ................................................................................................................................................ 66
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RESOURCES.............................................................................................................................................. 67
RESOURCE SHEET VIEW ............................................................................................................................ 68
To view or enter resources ................................................................................................................... 68
ENTERING RESOURCES .............................................................................................................................. 70
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UNITS ........................................................................................................................................................ 71
To change to decimal units................................................................................................................... 71
RATES ....................................................................................................................................................... 72
ACCRUE AT ............................................................................................................................................... 73
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To change the Accrue At value ............................................................................................................. 73
When to use Accrue at Start ................................................................................................................. 73
When to use Accrue at End................................................................................................................... 73
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When to use the default, Pro-rated ....................................................................................................... 73
ASSIGNING A CALENDAR TO A GROUP OF RESOURCES .............................................................................. 74
Use Fill-Down ...................................................................................................................................... 74
ASSIGNING A RESOURCE TO A TASK.......................................................................................................... 75
Assigning a resource in the Task Information window......................................................................... 75
ASSIGNING RESOURCES (- CONTINUED) .................................................................................................... 76
Using the Assign Resources button....................................................................................................... 76
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To select a resources from your Personal Address Book (PAB) or Global Address List (GAL) .......... 77
ASSIGNING A RESOURCE CALENDAR......................................................................................................... 78
Add holidays to a resource calendar .................................................................................................... 78
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To change the working time for a resource .......................................................................................... 79

REMOVING A RESOURCE ........................................................................................................................... 80
To remove the resource in the Task Information window..................................................................... 80
To remove the resource from the Assign Resources window................................................................ 81
To replace the resource from the Assign Resources window................................................................ 81
To completely remove a resource from the project .............................................................................. 81
REPLACING RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................ 82
To quickly replace a resource .............................................................................................................. 82
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REMOVING A CALENDAR........................................................................................................................... 83
To remove a calendar........................................................................................................................... 83
To copy a calendar to Global.MPT ...................................................................................................... 84
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EXERCISES ................................................................................................................................................ 85
NETWORK DIAGRAM VIEW................................................................................................................ 87
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WHAT IS THE NETWORK DIAGRAM VIEW? ................................................................................................ 88

To change to Network Diagram view ................................................................................................... 88
To ZOOM and see the whole of the project .......................................................................................... 88
EXAMINING A NETWORK DIAGRAM .......................................................................................................... 89
To open a node for editing.................................................................................................................... 89
To edit a node directly in Network Diagram view................................................................................ 89
To Layout the boxes.............................................................................................................................. 90
To control the layout ............................................................................................................................ 90

To move a node..................................................................................................................................... 90
To copy a node and link to it ................................................................................................................ 90
To change the content of the nodes....................................................................................................... 91
To change border color and style......................................................................................................... 91
SUMMARY TASKS ...................................................................................................................................... 92
To change the way a summary task is displayed .................................................................................. 92
CHANGING TASK LINKAGES ...................................................................................................................... 93
To view the type of relationship............................................................................................................ 93
To change the relationship type............................................................................................................ 93
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To remove a link line ............................................................................................................................ 93
To manually add a link line .................................................................................................................. 94
To draw a Finish to Start line............................................................................................................... 94
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To draw a Start to Finish line............................................................................................................... 94
To set SS or FF relationships ............................................................................................................... 94
Reformat the layout .............................................................................................................................. 94
SHORTENING YOUR PROJECT........................................................................................................... 97
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SETTING THE CRITICAL PATH .................................................................................................................... 98
To start the Gantt Chart Wizard........................................................................................................... 98
THE CRITICAL PATH VIEW ...................................................................................................................... 100
To change to Detail Gantt view .......................................................................................................... 100
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Critical Tasks in Network Diagram view ........................................................................................... 100
Tracking Gantt Chart view ................................................................................................................. 100
FILTERING FOR CRITICAL TASKS ONLY................................................................................................... 101
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To view Critical Tasks only ................................................................................................................ 101
To view all tasks ................................................................................................................................. 101
IDEAS FOR SHORTENING THE PROJECT .................................................................................................... 102
Assign more resources........................................................................................................................ 102
Increase working hours for resources ................................................................................................ 102
Assign overtime work ......................................................................................................................... 103
Add lead-time to tasks ........................................................................................................................ 103
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Break tasks into sub tasks................................................................................................................... 103

Tasks with constraints ........................................................................................................................ 103
EXERCISES .............................................................................................................................................. 104
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OVERALLOCATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 105

RESOURCE USAGE VIEW ......................................................................................................................... 106
To open the Resource Usage view ...................................................................................................... 106
Overallocated resources..................................................................................................................... 106
THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TOOLBAR............................................................................................... 107
To turn on the Resource Management toolbar ................................................................................... 107
RESOURCE ALLOCATION VIEW ............................................................................................................... 108
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To open the Resource Allocation view................................................................................................ 108

RESOURCE ALLOCATION GRAPH ............................................................................................................. 110
To open the Resource Allocation Graph ............................................................................................ 110
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To choose a resource to view ............................................................................................................. 110

To view overallocations in the graph ................................................................................................. 111
To move to the next overallocation..................................................................................................... 111
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RESOLVING OVERALLOCATIONS .................................................................................................. 113

DELAYING TASKS MANUALLY ................................................................................................................ 114
Delay by click and drag...................................................................................................................... 114
Delay by changing task information................................................................................................... 114
RESOURCE LEVELING .............................................................................................................................. 115
To level your project........................................................................................................................... 115
To clear leveling ................................................................................................................................. 116

RESOURCE LEVELING CONTINUED .......................................................................................................... 117
THE LEVELING GANTT VIEW .................................................................................................................. 118
To open the Leveling Gantt Chart view .............................................................................................. 118
DECREASING WORK TIME ....................................................................................................................... 119
Decrease work time in the Resource Usage view ............................................................................... 119
To ensure that the task duration is not altered ................................................................................... 119
SPLIT TASKS ............................................................................................................................................ 120
To split a task ..................................................................................................................................... 120
VIEW SLACK IN A TABLE VIEW ............................................................................................................... 121
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To open the Schedule Table................................................................................................................ 121
VIEWING SLACK IN A GANTT VIEW ......................................................................................................... 122
To open the Detail Gantt Chart .......................................................................................................... 122
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How slack is shown on the Detail Gantt Chart .................................................................................. 122
REASSIGNING RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................... 123
To re-assign a resource ...................................................................................................................... 123
INCREASING WORKING HOURS ............................................................................................................... 124
ASSIGN OVERTIME TO A TASK ................................................................................................................ 125
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To assign overtime working................................................................................................................ 125
To check the new cost of the project................................................................................................... 125
RESOURCE CONTOURING ........................................................................................................................ 126
Contour patterns................................................................................................................................. 126
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Front Loaded...................................................................................................................................... 127
Back Loaded ....................................................................................................................................... 127
Double Peak ....................................................................................................................................... 127
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Early Peak .......................................................................................................................................... 127
Late Peak............................................................................................................................................ 127
Bell ..................................................................................................................................................... 127
Turtle .................................................................................................................................................. 127
How project works out the times ........................................................................................................ 127
EXERCISES .............................................................................................................................................. 128
PRINTING PROJECT REPORTS......................................................................................................... 129
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PRINT PREVIEW ....................................................................................................................................... 130

What do they need to know? ............................................................................................................... 130
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What can I print?................................................................................................................................ 131

To open a print preview screen .......................................................................................................... 131
To close the Print Preview window .................................................................................................... 131
To examine the detail of the Print Preview......................................................................................... 131
Page Setup.......................................................................................................................................... 131
How To Print ...................................................................................................................................... 132
REPORT GENERATOR............................................................................................................................... 133
To start the Report Generator ............................................................................................................ 134
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PROJECT SUMMARY REPORT ................................................................................................................... 135

Changing the head information .......................................................................................................... 135
PRINT OPTIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 137
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The Page Setup window...................................................................................................................... 137

The Page tab....................................................................................................................................... 138
Margins .............................................................................................................................................. 138
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Header ................................................................................................................................................ 138

View .................................................................................................................................................... 140
EXERCISES .............................................................................................................................................. 141

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Introduction 1
Project 2000 Foundation © Cheltenham Computer Training, 1995-2001
Microsoft Project 2000 - Introduction

When you have • Found your way around the Project 2000 screen
completed this • Understood the different buttons on the toolbar and what they can do
learning module
you will have :
• Seen and understood the Calendar view
•
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Seen and understood the Gantt chart view
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2 Introduction
© Cheltenham Computer Training, 1995-2001 Project 2000 Foundation
Orientation to Microsoft Project
Getting to Know Microsoft Project 2000
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• Click Start, Programs
• Click Microsoft Project
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© Cheltenham Computer Training 1995-2001 Microsoft Project 2000 - Foundation - Slide No. 2
Microsoft Project is a package that assists the user in designing,

implementing and managing project plans. A project can be defined as a
group of linked tasks that have to be completed in a particular sequence
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and with a set of predefined resources.
“Project management” can be very complicated and so Microsoft Project

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2000 assists the user in designing the project and ensuring that all the
tasks and resources work well together.
Even if you have not been involved in project management before, on the
completion of this course you will be able to put together and manage a
small scale project.
To start From the Windows Desktop click Start, Programs, Microsoft Project.
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Microsoft The Welcome screen will appear offering you the choices
Project
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• What’s New
• Quick Preview
• Tutorial
•
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Project Map
• Office Assistant
• Reference

Introduction 3
What’s New Gives you a list of new and enhanced functions within
Microsoft Project 2000
Quick Preview The preview explains what Microsoft Project 2000

can do. Each step is explained in very general terms
only and there are no “how to” instructions.
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The previews are delivered as a series of animations.
You can scroll back/forward between animated
sequences or you can replay an animated sequence
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again.
Exit via the X in the top right hand corner.
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Tutorial This option guides you through the process from start
to finish with detailed tutorials at each stage of the
process.
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You will notice that some of the text is blue.
Whenever you move your mouse pointer over these

areas you will notice that the cursor turns into a
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pointing finger; this is called a Hyperlink. When you
click on a hyperlink you will be taken in the document
to another area that is related. In this case the
hyperlinks will take you to the related section of the
help and tutorial pages.
On many pages the Hyperlink will invite you to ‘Begin

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a lesson’. Clicking this will take you down to another

level where you can cycle through a lesson. Here you
can click to advance the lesson by one frame, go
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back a frame, or leave the lesson and return back up

to the tutorial screen where you started.
Click on Home at any time to get back to the welcome

screen
Project Map A map of the phases of project management. This

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option opens up the screen you see below.

Each phase of the project is broken down into
activities and these are all listed in a column on the
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left hand side of the screen. Click on any activity and

you will be linked to the related help topic. From within
any help screen you can click the “Map” option to go
back to this screen.
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Office Assistant This leads you to the standard Microsoft Office

Assistant dialogue. You type a question and the
Office Assistant will attempt to find topics within Help
that match your input.

4 Introduction
Reference Reference guide to the fields etc within Microsoft

Project 2000
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To carry on • To start using Project 2000 without choosing any of the options on the
without choosing Welcome screen simply click the X button to close the window.
one of these
options
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Introduction 5
The Toolbars
The Toolbars
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Working down from the top of the screen the first bar you come to is
called the Menu bar. To turn on a menu item you click on it with the
mouse or press Alt together with the key for the letter that is
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underlined on the keyboard.
There are 13 toolbars in Project 2000, 2 of which appear by default

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when you start the program; these are the Standard toolbar and the
Formatting toolbar. When you are working in Project you may, from
time to time, want to display different toolbars to help you do
different things.
The three toolbars that we will be working with in this course are the
two default toolbars, Standard and Formatting and the Resource
Management toolbar.
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Tool Tips As you move your mouse cursor over a button on the toolbar a tip
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will appear to show you what the button is designed to do.
Working from left to right you will notice that the majority of the
buttons on the Standard Toolbar are identical to those in other
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Microsoft programs, New, File Open and so on as far as the Web

Toolbar button. From Web Toolbar onward the buttons are specific
to Microsoft Project 2000 and are as follows:

6 Introduction
The Standard Toolbar
Link Tasks Tasks are the backbone of your project and you link tasks
to ensure the relationship between each task is correct.
Unlink Tasks Sometimes you may need to break the link between
certain tasks.
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Split Tasks Sometimes your tasks will need to be split to allow for less
than 100% working time on one task, or to achieve a break in the task if
no work is due to be done.
Task Info When you enter a task you have to enter information about it.
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This button is one way of getting to the information for a particular
selected task.
Task Notes Task notes are similar to the task information sections – but
allow you write in freehand notes and attach picture files. This button
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takes you to the Notes for a particular task.
Task Resources Someone or something (a piece of equipment for
example) must carry out each task, these are called resources. This
button takes you to the Resource window for a particular task.
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Group by This enables you to group the tasks in a certain way, e.g.
grouping by Duration would show all the 1 day tasks followed by all the
2 day tasks etc.
Zoom in As the name suggests you use this button to see more of the
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detail in the window.
Zoom out Use this button to see less of the window if you have already
zoomed in.
Go to selected task When you have selected a task this will take you to
all the detail for the task you have chosen to examine.
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Copy picture This button allows you to save a copy of the screen as a
GIF file, for use in other applications.
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Gantt Chart Wizard The Gantt Chart Wizard steps you through
formatting your Gantt chart so that it appears the way you want it to.
Office Assistant The Office Assistant is an interactive helper that will

take you to the correct help information after you have typed in your
question. Since Project 2000 is part of the MS Office suite of
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applications it will use the default Office Assistant that you have set up
in Word or Excel, whether it is Power Pup, Clippit, The Genius or any of
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the others.
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Introduction 7
The Formatting Toolbar
Promote and demote task

When you are working with summary and sub tasks you use
these buttons.
Show or hide subtasks
Use these buttons to collapse or expand the level of detail in
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a task view. These buttons behave in a similar way to the
way Windows Explorer behaves.
Show all subtasks
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The button behaves exactly as the name suggests.
Autofilter
The Autofilter button behaves like Autofilter in Microsoft
Excel.
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Filter
This lists the various filters that are available to you in the
project view that you are working in. Some filters are only
available under certain circumstances.
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The remaining formatting buttons
The other buttons on the formatting toolbar are identical to
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those found in MS Word. They allow for formatting text.
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8 Introduction
The Calendar View
The Calendar View
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Click here to
see a
calendar view
of an existing
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project
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There are many different views available for your project and your
choice to work with will depend on what you are trying to achieve at
the time. When you first start Project 2000 you will be working in the
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Gantt Chart view.
The View Bar On the left-hand side of the screen you will notice a vertical bar with
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buttons on it; this is called the view bar. Notice that the button for
Gantt chart view is already shown depressed, to show that this is the
current view.
To change the You can change to a different view by clicking on a view in the View
view Bar or by clicking the View menu. You will notice that there are
More Views available to you as well, the names of which may not
mean much to you at this stage, but will do so later in the course.
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To change to • Click the Calendar option on the View Bar

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Calendar View or click the View menu and choose Calendar. The Calendar
view allows you to see a project’s tasks laid out on a month
planner type calendar. You may choose to print this view when
you are explaining task relationships to staff because a calendar
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is easy to understand.
To change the • Click Format menu

look of the • Click Timescale and change the options you are given.
Calendar – (for
printing)

Introduction 9
The Gantt Chart View
The Gantt Chart View
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Click
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here to
see a
Gantt
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view of
an
existing
project
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Task details Gantt chart view
What is a Gantt chart?

Gantt charts are named after the person who invented them. They
allow the project manager to see graphically how long a task is
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planned to take and what its relationship is with other tasks. Each
task is represented on a chosen timescale by a bar. The bar’s length
indicates the length of the task, and its position in relation to other
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bars indicates how the tasks are interrelated.
To open a • Click Gantt Chart on the View Bar

Gantt chart or click View menu and choose Gantt Chart
view
The This view is split into two parts known as panes (as in window
components panes).
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of the Gantt The left hand pane contains task information and displays
chart view information in Table format
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The right hand pane shows the tasks as Gantt bars on your chosen
timescale as a Chart
The border The border between the panes can be moved. To see more of the
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between the task view move your mouse cursor over the border and wait until it
panes turns into a split arrow then click and drag until you can see what
you wish to see in either pane.

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Defining the Project 11
Defining the Project

When you have • Understand how to create a new project
completed this • Be able to enter project information
learning module
you will:
• Understand the purpose of a Project Calendar
•
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Understand how Statistics are calculated
• Know where to find up-to-date project statistics
• Understand the purpose of File Properties
• Know how to enter and edit File Properties
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• Understand the difference between Save and Save As
• Be able to save a new project file
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12 Defining the Project
Project Information Entry
Entering Project Information
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Before you can start work on a new project Microsoft Project 2000
requires certain key information from you. This information will be
used to set up the screens you require from scratch. If you do not
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enter the information it will default to the current day and your
project will be scheduled to start from today, which is not what is
usually required.
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To start a new • Click File menu

project • Click New
• Click OK on the template of your choice
or if you are already on a new project screen or want to change
what you previously entered
• Click Project
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• Click Project Information

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Project The Project Information dialog window asks you to supply

Information information as follows:
window
Start Date Setting a start date only allows Project 2000 to
schedule forward and calculate an end date when
all your task information is entered.
End Date Setting an end date only allows Project 2000 to
schedule backward and calculate the start date
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when all your task information is entered.
Schedule This is set automatically when you enter your
From choice of Start Date or End Date.
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Current Date Set the current date here so that Project 2000 is
able to track when your project should become live.
Further into the project it will use the current date
to track how far tasks have slipped or are overdue.
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Status Date You only need to change the status date if you are
likely to use the Earned Value calculation sheets. If
you are not, and for most cases this will be the
case, leave the value set to N/A and the system
will set the date to the one you have selected in the
A
current date.
Calendar If you have already set up a calendar (or various
calendars) for your company you can pick one on
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which to base your project. If you do not already
have a calendar you can create one later.
Priority This is the relative priority of your project compared
to others if you are consolidating more than one
project into your plan. Priority is used later on in the
planning phase when you are ‘resource leveling’.
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The Project Calendar
The Project Calendar
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A
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When Project 2000 is calculating the length of your project it will be

using the information that you enter to do it. You decide how long
each task is likely to take and then you assign resources to each
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task to get it done. Project will also work out how much work each
resource can do based on what you have entered about each
working day. If you tell Project 2000 that your working day is from
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9:00 to 17:00 with an hour for lunch each day Project will spread
the task duration over this available time. Therefore, one of the first
things you need to do is to set a calendar to define working time for
your project.
NOTE: Some resources may work to a separate calendar - a

night shift for example. You can set up as many calendars as
are needed by the resources in your project.
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To set up a • Click Tools, Change Working Time and the following window
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working appears
calendar
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G
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Default When the window first appears you will notice that the default working day
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working time is set from 08:00 to 12:00 with an hour for lunch, and then continuing on till
17:00. This is a standard pattern and it is wise to leave this as the default.
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You will need, however, to create a calendar of your own for your project.
To create a • To create a new calendar of your own click the New button
New Calendar • Give your calendar an appropriate name, the name of your company,
Shift A, Shift B etc.
• Choose to make a copy of a calendar. This is what you will base your
new one on. The first time you do this you will have to base it on the
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Standard calendar.
• Click OK
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Changing the Default Working Day
Changing the Default Working Day
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• Select the day to change
by clicking on the day
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• Define the time and click
OK
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A
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To change the Now that you are working in your new calendar you can set the times that
default are appropriate for each working day.
working time • Click on the first From box and type the time, ensuring that you key
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the time in the format 10:30

• Click on the first To box and type the time up to lunch
• In the second row type the times for the afternoon
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• You may need to use the third row if there is a standard evening shift
as well
To change You may need to make further changes to the calendar such as
time for changing the finish time on Fridays only. To select a day of the week
individual throughout the calendar click on the name of the day and the
days highlight appears on all of these days in one step. Your calendar will
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then look similar to the one shown here and you can change the
time
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To enter a Some firms or departments have shut down periods when essential
shut-down maintenance is carried out - or it is a quiet time of year and it makes
period sense to ensure that all staff take the same time as holiday.
• Use the Scroll bars to navigate your way to the correct part of
the calendar.
• Click and drag over the days when the company will be shut
down to highlight them
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• Click the radio button for Non-working time
Notice that all none working days are then highlighted and the
date is underlined. Your example may look similar to the one
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shown below
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Choose your Calendar for the Project
Choose your Calendar

for the Project
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• When you have
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created a calendar for
your project be sure
to go back to Project
Information and
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choose to use it !
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NOTE: When you have gone to the trouble of creating your base
calendar don't forget that you need to use it for the project!
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To link your • Click Project, Project Information

new calendar • Set the calendar to the one you have just created
to the project • Click OK
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The Statistics Window
The Statistics Window
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IN
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A
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The Statistics Window is designed to give you instant up-to-date

information about your project at the touch of a button.
Time Data The top section of the window relates to task scheduling and
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whether tasks are on time or slipping.

Current This shows the current date for the project (the system date).
Baseline The baseline is set when you have worked out everything in your
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project and it is scheduled and ready to go. The baseline is the

expected time pattern for the project. When the project is running
and you are monitoring the performance of the project components
Project 2000 compares actual task performance against the
baseline to measure whether tasks are slipping or being completed
earlier and providing more slack.
Variance This is the difference between the Baseline and Actual at the
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Current date.
Start and Project 2000 predicts a new Finish date for the project based on
Finish what is entered about task performance. If there is slippage on
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columns critical tasks, or if the Start date was later than anticipated, the
Finish date will be pushed further backward.
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Cost Data Project 2000 calculates the total cost of a project based on the
information that is entered about duration of tasks, and what the
resources will cost for completing the task.
Current Like the time data, Project 2000 uses the system date to perform the
calculations.
Baseline This is the same as above, except that it is the predicted duration in
days, work in hours and cost in Sterling (or whichever currency you
work in). You will be able to see the Total expected cost for your
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project and compare it to the actual costs.
Actual This is the actual amount of work that has been performed.
Remaining This is a comparison in days, work and cost between the baseline
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and actuals.
Percentages You will also be able to see at-a-glance how much of the project is
complete expressed as a percentage.
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File Properties
File Properties
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• Additional information
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to assist you and
others in finding the
correct project file
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• Hyperlink Base will
assist others in
locating Hyperlinks
associated with the
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project on a shared
server
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Each file that you save has Properties. The properties are what
make the file behave the way it does. A property of this document,
for example, is that it is a Word 2000 document that was created on
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th
14 June 2001 and that it has a name and a path to the location
where it is saved. Other properties associated with this document
are the date that it was last accessed and modified and its size.
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What do you You can use Properties to store essential information about the file
use Properties and this can then be used to locate it if you have trouble finding it.
for?
Properties are also useful for storing information about the file that
you may wish to print onto documents.
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Examining To examine the Properties for a Project 2000 file:

Properties • Click File
• Click Properties
The example over the page shows the Contents sheet in Properties for
this Word document.
This is an example of the Summary Tab This is an example of the Contents Tab in a
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in a Word Document Project 2000 file.
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Save and Save As
Error! Objects cannot be created from editing field codes.
It is always best to save your work regularly in case your computer

has a problem and crashes and you lose your work.
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Do I Save or The first time that you choose to save a Project 2000 file you will
Save As? need to choose a name and a location in which to store it, whether
it be on your machine, on a network machine, or on removable
IN
media such as a floppy disc or Zip disc.
To Save a • Click File
Project for the • Click Save As
first time
NOTE: If you have not yet saved the file and you choose
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File and SAVE instead, it will take you to the SAVE AS
window anyway
• Choose the location for storing your project
A
• Type in a name for your project
• Click on the Save button
For future up- •

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When you have already given the project a name and location -
dates to the Click, File and Save to up-date the latest changes
project
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Tasks 25
Tasks
When you have • Understand the nature and purpose of Tasks
completed this • Be able to enter Task information
learning module
you will:
• Understand durations
•
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Be able to estimate durations
• Understand what milestones and phases are
• Be able to enter milestones and phases into your project
• Be able to enter recurring tasks into your project
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• Be able to delete tasks
• Be able to move tasks
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26 Tasks
Entering Tasks
Entering Tasks
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Tasks with a
duration of
IN
0 days are
called
milestones
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Double Click on
the task area to
open a new task
information
window
A
TR
Tasks are the backbone of Project 2000. Each project must be split
into separate tasks. Each task is then given an expected duration
and resources are assigned to it.
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The quickest way of entering tasks and seeing their relationship is

to work in the Gantt view.
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There are 4 different ways to open a Task Information window as

follows:
To open a new • Point the mouse cursor on the left hand pane of the Gantt chart
Task to the first row underneath the word Task and double click
Information
window
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or click on the Task Information button

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or click Project menu and then Task Information
or press Shift + F2 keys together on the keyboard

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Tasks 27
The sections The Task Information window is split into 5 tabbed sections.
of the Task Clicking on a tab along the top of the window will take you to that
Information section of the Task Information window.
window
The various tabs are described in more detail in the next section in
relation to linkages between tasks. For the purposes of this section
we will deal only with the tab marked General.
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Name When entering a name for your task use a verb and a noun to
make it clear what the task is, such as "Mix Concrete", "Print
Leaflets".
IN
Duration The duration is discussed in more detail on the next page.
Percent This field is used when the project is underway - otherwise it
IN
complete defaults to 0%.
Priority Type in a number between 0 and 1000, where 1000 = Highest

Priority, and 0 = Lowest Priority. Your choice will affect Project
2000’s ability to rearrange and reschedule tasks with available
A
resources, which is called Resource Leveling. When Resource
Leveling, Project 2000 can choose to delay tasks. It will delay the
tasks with Lowest Priorities first.
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Start and You can add start and finish dates - but it is best to leave these
Finish Dates until you have linked your tasks. Project 2000 will then be able to
work out the dates for the individual tasks working from either the
Start or End project date, depending on the choice you made in the
Project Information window.
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28 Tasks
Entering a Task Duration
Entering a Task Duration
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M = Minutes
Hr = Hours
D = Days
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W = Weeks
Mon = Months
0 days = Milestone
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E prefix = Elapsed Time
(This is the total real time for the task - including
non working time eg., Saturday and Sunday)
A
? suffix = Estimated Time
(E.g. 1ew? is 1 elapsed week estimated time)
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When you enter tasks you will notice that they all start on the
same day. You can change this if you wish but it is better to do
this later. Project will calculate the start and end dates for you
and you can fine tune the dates later.
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To enter a • Click within the Duration field and you will be able to use
duration the spinner arrows to increase and decrease the values.
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The default unit of duration is D for Days but you can enter
any of the following.
M Minutes
Hr Hours
D Days
Wk Weeks
Mon Months
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Elapsed Time Elapsed time is "the time needed to complete a task including
non-working time". For example Painting a wall may take 2
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days, if the task starts on a Friday the job will not be complete
until the end of Monday if Saturday and Sunday are non-
working days. The elapsed duration for this task would then be
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4 elapsed days.
To specify Prefix any of the durations with E, Edays, Emon, etc.

elapsed time
To specify Suffix any of the durations with ?, Edays?, ed?, d?, day?,
estimated time week?, m? etc.

Tasks 29
Estimating Durations
Estimating Durations
G
• Duration = Time taken to do the job
Number of resources for the job
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e.g. painting a wall takes 2 days for one person or 1 day for 2 people
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• To estimate an unknown task duration use the following formula
E = [O + P + (4 x M)]
6
where E is the estimated time
A
O is an optimistic time estimate
P is a pessimistic time estimate
M is your estimate of the most probable time
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When you are planning your task schedule it is important that you
do not carry out the process in isolation. Talk to the people who will
actually do the work because they will have valuable information
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that will help you to get your project as accurate as possible. As an

example you may initially think that it will take the painter 2 days to
paint the wall, but when you talk to them, you may find that there
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are 2 other tasks that you had not considered, such as rubbing
down and filling cracks in the plaster. You will also need to allow
time for the paint to dry before you can put up the shelves, again
something that you may not have considered. So the task that was
initially 2 days becomes one task of a three task phase and you
need to allow another day as well for drying.
Doing the However, if you do not have any experienced people to ask you will
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maths still have to provide some sort of estimate. The following calculation
will enable you to come up with a realistic duration.
O
E = [O + P + (4 x M)]
6
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where E is the estimated time

O is an optimistic time
P is a pessimistic time
M is the most probable

30 Tasks
Milestones and Phases
Milestones and Phases
G
Milestone
Phase 3
- House built
IN
Put on Roof
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Phase 2 Milestone
Build walls - Walls built
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Phase 1
Lay Foundations Milestone - Foundation
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complete
When you are considering your tasks ensure that you include them in a
logical sequence. In the above example you could not start building the
walls until the foundation was complete. Similarly you could not put on
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the roof until the walls were complete. Tasks therefore, tend to fall into
a logical sequence, but you must decide on that sequence yourself.
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Phases A phase in a project is where there are a group of related tasks. In our
example Phase 1 is Laying the Foundation and in this phase there
will be many related tasks - such as Surveying the site, Marking the site
plan, Digging the trenches, Site inspection, Pouring the concrete. Each
task within Phase 1 has to follow in a logical sequence.
Milestones A Milestone helps you to track your progress throughout a project. In

our example our first milestone is when the Foundations are
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Complete; it is not a task in itself but we need to be able to monitor the

completion date against our deadline, so we set a milestone to indicate
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our target for phase 1.
Setting a In the Duration field, set the duration to 0 (zero)

Milestone in a Notice the symbol that is added to the Gantt chart view to indicate a
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project milestone.

Tasks 31
Recurring Tasks
Recurring Tasks
G
• Set up recurring tasks to save
yourself time
IN
• Click Insert menu then
choose Recurring Task
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A
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Some tasks may occur on a regular basis throughout your project

such as a site meeting, or project review meeting. Rather than
enter each one individually you can enter them in one process as a
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recurring task.
To enter a • Click the Insert menu

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recurring task • Click the Recurring Task

icon
The recurring task window opens in which you can specify the
recurrence pattern by clicking on the appropriate radio or check
buttons, as well as defining a task name and duration. You may
also choose to select a different resource calendar.
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32 Tasks
Recurring Tasks continued
Recurring Tasks continued...
G
IN
IN
A
Recurring task Click the + symbol
symbol to see the detail
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The recurring
task symbol
When the recurring task has been entered into the Gantt
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chart you will see a recurrence symbol next to the task in the
information column, which is marked with the symbol
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Expanding the • To see all the tasks click on the expand symbol.
group of tasks
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Contracting • To close the recurring tasks and see only the recurrence name
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the group of click on the contract symbol.

tasks
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To change a • Double click the Recurring Task symbol to open up the

recurrence recurrence pattern once again and then amend it as required.
pattern

Tasks 33
Editing Tasks
Editing Tasks
G
• To edit a task double click it to open the task information
IN
window and then amend it
• To insert a task click the task below the place you want to add a
IN
task and then click Insert or use the Ins key on the keyboard
A
TR
From time to time you will need to go back and change some of the
task information that you have already entered. When you have
linked your tasks this action can have far reaching consequences
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on other parts of the project that are dependent on it. However, in a

simple task list where no tasks are yet linked it is easy and
inconsequential to change information.
FO
To open an On the Task table pane of the Gantt chart

existing task
for editing • Point to the task
• Double click it
The Task Information window will open. When the window is open
T
change the information, as needed. As soon as you have finished,

closing the window once again automatically saves the new version
of the task.
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34 Tasks
Changing Task Priority
Changing Task Priority
G
IN
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Changing the priority to a high
A
number relative to other tasks
tells Project that the task cannot
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be delayed when “levelled”
We will be finding out about "leveling" later in the course, but for
now all you need to know is that "leveling" is the process of
adjusting tasks and resources when resources are over-worked. If,
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for example, you have entered a task that will take 2 people 2 days,
and it clashes with their work on the same day on another task, the
2 people would not be able to get both tasks done; they would be
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over-worked (or in Project 2000 terms, "over allocated"). Leveling is

an automatic process to adjust the tasks and resources so that the
work can be completed.
Project 2000 will adjust tasks and resources within the limitations
that you apply to the project and one of the limitations is the Task
Priority.
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Tasks 35
Priority Levels There are 1001 levels of priority, ranging between 0 – 1000, or you
can type in any of the following phrases (as used in previous
versions of Microsoft Project). Project 2000 translates the phrases
you type into numeric values.
Cannot be leveled This task will not be changed in any way

when leveling is carried out (numeric 1000).
Lowest Tasks with this priority will be leveled first (0
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– 100)
Very Low Tasks with this priority will be leveled after
Lowest (101 – 200)
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Lower Tasks with this priority will be leveled after
Very Low (201 – 300)
Low Tasks with this priority will be leveled after
Lower tasks (301 – 400)
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Medium Tasks with this priority will be leveled after
Low tasks (401 – 500)
High Tasks with this priority will be leveled after
Medium (501 – 600)
Higher Tasks with this priority will be leveled after
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High (601 – 700)
Very High Tasks with this priority will be leveled after
Higher tasks (701 – 800)
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Highest Tasks with this priority will be leveled last
(801 – 999)
To set a Click the Priority field and use the Up and Down arrows to select
priority your choice
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36 Tasks
Inserting a Task
Inserting a Task
G
Like Microsoft Excel, when editing an entry in a
cell the field entry bar is active and you can
IN
choose or
IN
A
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When you are creating your task sequence you may notice that
there are some tasks missing. You will need to insert them at an
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appropriate point in the list.
To insert a • Choose where you want your new task to be in the sequence
FO
new task into and then click the task immediately underneath it to select it.
the sequence (Do not double click, because that will open the task window).
• Click the Insert menu
And click New Task
or press the Ins (insert) key on the keyboard
This opens a new Task Information window where you can

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enter all the details
Entering You can also enter information directly in the field entry bar clicking
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information in the tick box to accept the entry when you have finished. This is
the field entry similar to Excel for those who know it.
bar
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Tasks 37
Deleting Tasks
Deleting Tasks
G
• Don’t panic if you accidentally
delete an item - Ctrl + Z will undo
IN
• Or click the Undo button
IN
Select the
A
task and click
Delete
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Project 2000 behaves in the same way as Excel in the respect of

deleting entries.
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To select one • Point to the ID number of the task in the task table pane
task • Click once to select all the task information
FO
To select a • Point to the ID number of the task and then

group of • Click and drag down over the adjacent tasks or press and hold
adjacent tasks the Shift key while using keyboard arrows to move up or down
To select a • Click and drag over the first task required and then press the
group of non- Ctrl key while selecting other tasks
adjacent tasks
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To delete When your task(s) is selected press the Delete key on the
selected tasks keyboard or click Edit menu and click Delete
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To Undo • Press Ctrl + Z

or click the Undo button
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NOTE: You only get one undo.

38 Tasks
Moving Tasks
Moving Tasks
G
IN
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As you click and drag the task notice the bar that
A
indicates where the task will be moved to TR
When you are organizing your task list you may still decide that
some are not in the correct sequence. You can move your tasks
quickly and easily into the correct location using any of these
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techniques.
To move a • Select the task by pointing to the ID number of the task and
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task by clicking once

dragging • Point to the selected task and then click and drag it to the new
location
Notice the move bar that appears to show where the task is
about to be dropped before you release the mouse button
To move a •
T
Select the task(s) you want to move

task by cut • From the Edit menu choose Cut
and paste Or click the Cut button
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from the menu

or toolbar
• Move your mouse to the task immediately underneath where
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you want to the task to be moved to and click to select the

position
• Click Edit menu and choose Paste
Or click the Paste button

Tasks 39
To move a • Select the task(s) you want to move

task by cut • Point to the selected task and right click your mouse. A
and paste shortcut menu is displayed where you can click on Cut
from the • Select the task immediately underneath where you want the
shortcut menu task to be moved to
• Right click your mouse and choose Paste from the shortcut
menu
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IN
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A
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Task Linkages 41
Task Linkages
When you have • Understand the purpose of and be able to enter information into the
completed this Predecessors window
learning module
• Understand the purpose of and be able to enter information into the
you will:
Resources window
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Advanced window
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Notes window
• Understand the purpose of and be able to Outline tasks
• Be able to create Summary and Sub tasks
• Understand the different types of task linkage and be able to apply them
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to different situations
• Understand the terms Lag and Lead Time and be able to apply them to
your project
• Understand the different types of constraint that may apply to tasks
•
A
Be able to apply constraints to tasks and understand their implications
on the rest of the project
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42 Task Linkages
Creating a Logical Sequence
Creating a Logical Sequence
G
Step 1: Buy the fish tank
IN
Step 2: Buy the fish
IN
Step 3: Put the fish in the tank
A
TR
You will notice when you add your tasks that although you have put
your tasks in sequence they do not yet follow on from one another;
they are all due to start on the same date.
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Project 2000 can quickly work out the start and end dates in one
step - but for it to work correctly you firstly need to ensure that all
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your tasks are in the correct sequence.
If you find that there are tasks you have missed off add them in
now.
If you find that some tasks are not in the right sequence move them
now.
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Task Linkages 43
General Tab
Task - General Tab
G
IN
IN
A
TR
To work on the linkages and dependencies between your tasks you

will need to open a Task Information window for each task in turn;
we saw how to do this in Section 3.
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As you click through each task you will notice that although some
tasks have longer durations each one is still due to Start on the day
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the project starts. Project 2000 has an ability to link all tasks in one
step - but before you do this you need to understand some of the
other features of the Task Information window that are discussed
on the following pages.
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44 Task Linkages
Task Predecessors
Task - Predecessors
G
IN
IN
A
TR
Tasks normally follow each other in a logical sequence, e.g. task ID

number 10 will follow task ID number 2. Task ID number 10 in this
example can then be said to have a Predecessor and the
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predecessor is Task ID number 2, when task 2 ends task ID

number 10 begins.
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The • Click the Predecessor tab to see the predecessor window.

Predecessor
window
To enter a • Click into the ID field

Predecessor • Type the Task ID number of the task that you want it to follow,
e.g. for Task ID number 10 type ID number 2.
T
• Press the Tab key on the keyboard

Or click the tick mark in the field bar
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The name of the predecessor task appears immediately
Notice the other information that is added automatically for you

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- the Type is set to Finish to Start (FS).
You can read more about linkage types later in the chapter.
NOTE: Tasks can have more than one predecessor.

Task Linkages 45
Task Resources
Task - Resources
G
IN
IN
A
TR
Each task has to be carried out by something or someone; the

concrete has to be mixed with a concrete mixer; the envelopes
have to be packed by 3 people and so on. Before you can start
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assigning tasks to different resources you have to enter those

resources in a sheet called the Resource Sheet. See page 67 for
further information on entering resources.
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The The resources tab in the Task Information window is where you
Resources tab link your task to the resources that will do the job.
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46 Task Linkages
To enter • Click the Resource Name field and select your resource from
resources for the drop-down arrow.
a task
G
IN
IN
A
To specify Units are discussed in more detail on page 72
units for the • And then click OK
resource
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Task Linkages 47
Task Advanced
Task - Advanced
G
IN
IN
A
TR
The Advanced tab is the window you will need to use when you are
adding constraints to your tasks. These are discussed in more
detail on the following page.
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Wherever possible try not to constrain your tasks, as it will hinder

Project 2000s ability to calculate the best schedule for you.
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You will also notice that there is a box for Task Type. This too is
discussed in more detail on the following pages.
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48 Task Linkages
Task Constraints
Task - Type Constraints
G
IN
IN
A
TR
There will occasionally be situations when a task has to be

constrained because of outside influences over which you have no
control. For example a supplier or contractor that you need to use
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for the project may not be available until a date somewhat later
than you had originally planned.
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Types of There are 8 constraint types, 6 of which work in conjunction with

constraint the date box underneath. Use the top two Options ALAP and ASAP
to allow Project 2000 maximum flexibility from your start or end
date in the project.
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Use the other options with care, as this will limit Project 2000s
ability to schedule tasks for you.

Task Linkages 49
Task Types
Task Types
G
IN
IN
A
TR
Like the Date constraints that you have just encountered, Task
Type constraints should be used with care. Ensure you understand
the following section and practice with the different types of task
R
constraint until you fully understand their behavior; otherwise the

danger is that you will get unexpected and misleading results in
your project
FO
Task Types When Project 2000 calculates the duration of a task it uses the
formula Duration = Work / Resources
By default Project uses Fixed Units (Resources) and in most cases
you will want to use this default, but you can choose the following
options:
T
Fixed Units If you fix the Units, changing the Work will change the Duration of
the task.
Fixed Work If you fix the Work, changing the Duration of the task will change
O
the number of the Units required to carry out the task.

Fixed Duration If you fix the Duration, changing the Units will change the Work -
so that some resources may be under or over-allocated.
N

50 Task Linkages
Task Notes
Task Notes
G
IN
IN
A
TR
Task Notes are not compulsory but it is good practice to comment

your work so that others can understand your thought processes.
This is especially true if you plan to work collaboratively on your
R
project.
To add notes • Click on the Notes tab

FO
• Click onto the Notes area and start typing

• Format your notes as you see fit
T
O
N

Task Linkages 51
To add You can also add links to other files; for example, you might have a
hyperlinks brochure from a company who are due to work for you, if they
provide it on disc, or if you have scanned it onto your PC you can
then add a link to that file.
• Click the Insert Object icon.
G
IN
• Click Create from File
• Browse to the location of the file
• Click Link to activate the Hyperlink feature
• Choose Icon to allow Project 2000 to insert an icon for the
IN
hyperlink.
A
TR
R
Your inserted hyperlink may look like the example below, if you check
FO
the “Display As Icon” box.

T
O
N

52 Task Linkages
Outlining a Task
Outlining a Task
G
Top down planning
IN
Enter the broad topics (summary tasks)
Then break them down into subtasks
Bottom up planning
IN
Enter all the tasks
Then go back and add summary tasks
A
TR
Outlining is the method you use to define tasks and their related
sub-tasks.
R
There are two ways of planning your tasks and subtasks
Top down This is where you set up the name of the overall process and then
FO
method set up the individual sub-tasks.
For example: The outline task is called, Laying the Foundations and
the sub tasks are Surveying the site, Marking the site, Digging the
trenches, and Filling trenches with concrete.
Bottom up This is where you set up the individual tasks and then go back and
method
T
name the phases.
For example: You have set up the sub tasks, Surveying the site,
O
Marking the site, Digging the trenches, and Filling trenches with
concrete and then you go back and add in the task that defines this
group of tasks, which is Laying the Foundations.
N

Task Linkages 53
Summary Tasks
Summary Tasks
G
Show all SubTasks
IN
Hide SubTasks
Outdent Indent Show SubTasks
IN
A
Summary task with subtasks showing
TR
To create a A task becomes a summary task by default if you change the tasks
Sub Task that are immediately beneath it to become sub tasks. It is better to
put in the names of your task and its intended sub tasks, and then
R
Indent the intended sub tasks. This automatically sets up the

relationship between sub tasks and the summary task.
FO
• Select the tasks immediately underneath the task you are

identifying as a summary task
• Click the Indent button
You will notice that a summary task is shown as a black bar on a

Gantt chart.
T
To Collapse
Sub Tasks
O
• Like Outlining in the Microsoft Office suite you can collapse the
N
sub tasks so that all you see is the summary task. To do this
• Click on the Collapse button in the task itself to hide the sub
tasks
or click on the Hide Sub Tasks button

54 Task Linkages
Linkage Types
Linkage Types
G
Predecessor
IN
Successor
Four linkage types
IN
Finish to Start (FS)
Start to Start (SS)
Finish to Finish (FF)
A
Start to Finish (SF)
TR
You have already learned about Predecessors to a task and

consequently you will understand that tasks also have
Successors, those that follow on.
R
When you create a link between tasks they can be linked in 4

different ways. Each linkage type defines how the task can be
FO
altered in relation to its successors and predecessors.
The four Each linkage type is discussed in more detail on the following
linkage types pages. The four linkage types are as follows:
Finish to Start
Start to Start
Finish to Finish
T
Start to Finish
O
A link symbol When tasks are linked they appear on the Gantt chart with an
arrow showing the linking pattern. You can choose not to view
these arrows - but they are quite useful.
N
Dangling tasks If a task is not linked in some way it is in danger of being

overlooked. Tasks that are not linked are called dangling tasks.
The only tasks that should be allowed to dangle are finish tasks of
a project or sub project.

Task Linkages 55
Finish to Start Relationship
Finish to Start relationship
G
S F
IN
S F
IN
In this relationship the second task cannot
start until its predecessor has finished
This is the most common type of relationship
A
TR
In this relationship the second task cannot begin until the first task
is finished. This is the most common type of relationship.
R
Example Task ID 1 - Paint the walls

Task ID 2 - Hang pictures on the walls.
FO
You cannot hang the pictures on the walls until they are painted
and the paint is dry.
In this example Task ID 2 has a Predecessor, which is Task ID 1

and they are related with Finish to Start
To create an • Open the Task Information window.

(FS)
T
• Click the Predecessors tab

relationship • Set a predecessor task if necessary
O
The (FS) relationship is the default and you will not need to
change it
N

56 Task Linkages
Start to Start Relationship
Start to Start relationship
G
S F
IN
S F
IN
start until its predecessor has started
A
TR
Definition In this relationship the second task cannot begin until the first task
has begun.
R
Example If you were to unpack your cases from holiday you could not start
unpacking them until someone had started bringing them upstairs to
the bedroom. In this example therefore, there are 2 tasks; Take
FO
Suitcases Upstairs and Unpack Suitcases. They are linked with a

start to start relationship.

(SS) • Click the Predecessors tab
• Change the type to (SS)
T
O
N

Task Linkages 57
Finish to Finish Relationship
Finish to Finish relationship
G
S F
IN
S F
IN
finish until its predecessor has finished
A
TR
Definition In this relationship the second task cannot finish until the first task
has finished.
R
Example You cannot finish writing your thesis until all of the research is
complete.
FO
Again two tasks; Research is task number 1 and Write Thesis is

task number 2, the successor. However, you cannot finish writing
the thesis until all the research is done.

(FF) • Click the Predecessors tab
T
• Change the type to (FF)

O
N

58 Task Linkages
Start to Finish Relationship
Start to Finish relationship
G
S F
IN
S F
IN
finish until its predecessor has started
A
TR
Definition In this relationship the second task cannot finish until the first task
has started.
R
This is very seldom used in project planning. Be sure that you have
not misunderstood the dependencies between the tasks if this
appears a necessary linkage type. This type of linkage can usually
FO
be adjusted out of the project plan by re-ordering the task sequence.

(SF) • Click the Predecessors tab
• Change the type to (SF)
T
O
N

Task Linkages 59
Simple Linkage
Simple Linkage
G
• To apply a simple linking
IN
pattern Select the tasks you
wish to link and click
• If the linkage is incorrect
IN
select the tasks and click
• To split the task into smaller
component parts click
A
TR
The quickest way to link your tasks is simply to apply an FS

relationship to all tasks. However, this may unnecessarily lengthen
your projects duration. In practice it is useful to set this option first
R
and then edit the task linkages that are not this type.
To Set an FS • Select all the Tasks by clicking the ‘Select All’ button at the top
FO
Link on all of the ID column.

Tasks • Then click the Link button on the Toolbar
T
Notice that each task is now linked with a linking arrow showing
its relationship to its predecessor. Notice also that each task
now has its own start and finish dates that have been
O
calculated automatically by Project 2000.
Please also note that when you link tasks then the order you
N
highlight the tasks dictates which task is the predecessor and

which is the successor, e.g. if you click on task 10 before task
2, and link, then the link will flow from task 10 back up to task 2.

60 Task Linkages
To Unlink • Select the tasks you want to unlink

Tasks • Click the Unlink button
G
To Split Tasks • Select the tasks you want to split
• Click the Split button
IN
• Click at the point on a Gantt chart bar where you wish to
IN
split a task, i.e. stop a task, and drag the remainder of the
bar to where you want the task to restart.
This facility enables you to stop using the resources
A
allocated to a task during the period where you have
created a split.
TR
R
FO
T
O
N

Task Linkages 61
Linkages on a Gantt Chart
Linkages on a Gantt Chart
G
IN
These tasks
IN
are linked in
a Finish to
Start
relationship
(FS)
A
TR
When your tasks are linked you can view the Gantt chart as it is
designed to be. A bar on the chart defines each task. Each bar
relates to a start and end date on the calendar that runs along the
R
top of the right hand pane in the Gantt chart view.
This is the most commonly used view in project planning as it is

FO
very easy to see a task’s relationships to others, when tasks are

due to happen at the same time as others and exactly how long the
various tasks are due to take.
T
O
N

62 Task Linkages
Lag and Lead Time
Lag and Lead Time
G
Lag time follows a task
e.g.., paint walls and add lag
IN
time for drying
IN
Lead time Defines overlap with previous
task
A
e.g., start sending out questionnaires when the
first batch arrives from the printers
TR
Although a task may take a fixed length of time to complete it may

overlap with others because of lag or lead-time requirements.
R
FO
T
O
N

Task Linkages 63
Lead Time on the Gantt Chart
Lead Time on the Gantt Chart
G
IN
IN
A
TR
To Add Lead • Open the Task Information window

Time to a Task • Go to the Predecessors tab
• In the Lag field type a minus key ( -)
R
This is how Project 2000 identifies Lead Time as opposed to

Lag Time
FO
• Then enter a value for the time period in either minutes, hours,
days, weeks or months
Or a percentage of the time of the previous task
Your Predecessor window may look similar to the one shown

below.
T
O
N

64 Task Linkages
Lag Time on the Gantt Chart
Lag Time on the Gantt Chart
G
IN
IN
A
TR
To Add Lag • Open the Task Information window

Time to a Task • Go to the Predecessors tab
• In the Lag field type a value for the time period in either
R
minutes, hours, days, weeks or months (‘e’ for elapsed and ‘?’
for estimated, are also illustrated, but these are optional)
Or a percentage of the time of the previous task
FO
Your Predecessor window may look similar to the one shown

below.
T
O
N

Task Linkages 65
Types of Constraint
Types of Constraint
G
Allows Tasks to
Constraint Type Use
Finish……
Earlier or
ASAP This is the most flexible option; use this option
IN
Later
As Soon As Possible whenever possible
Earlier or
ALAP Start the task as late as possible without delaying
Later
As Late As Possible project completion date
FNET Later For tasks that could finish earlier - but perhaps
Finish No Earlier Than shouldn't such as allowing paint to dry
SNET For tasks that have to start on a certain date.
IN
Later
Start No Earlier Than Project will add this constraint type for you
automatically, when you link to a predecessor
FNLT Earlier Next to the most constrained type. Limits Project's

Finish No Later Than ability to reschedule tasks.
SNLT Earlier Next to the most constrained type. Limits Project's

Start No Later Than ability to reschedule tasks.
A
MFO Cannot be moved One of the most constrained types. Limits Project's
Must Finish On ability to reschedule tasks.
MSO Cannot be moved One of the most constrained types. Limits Project's
Must Start On ability to reschedule tasks.
TR
Allows Tasks to
Constraint Type Finish……
Use
ASAP Earlier or This is the most flexible option; use this
R
As Soon As Possible Later option whenever possible

ALAP Earlier or Start the task as late as possible without
As Late As Possible Later delaying project completion date
FO
FNET For tasks that could finish earlier - but

Finish No Earlier Than Later perhaps shouldn't such as allowing paint to
dry
SNET For tasks that have to start on a certain
Start No Earlier Than date. Project will add these for you
Later
automatically, when you link to a
predecessor
T
FNLT Next to the most constrained type. Limits

Earlier
Finish No Later Than Project's ability to reschedule tasks.
SNLT Next to the most constrained type. Limits
O
Earlier
Start No Later Than Project's ability to reschedule tasks.
MFO One of the most constrained types. Limits
Cannot be moved
Must Finish On Project's ability to reschedule tasks.
N
MSO One of the most constrained types. Limits

Cannot be moved
Must Start On Project's ability to reschedule tasks.

66 Task Linkages
Exercises
Consolidation Exercise
G
IN
• Follow your tutors instructions to
practice what you have learned
IN
A
TR
R
FO
T
O
N

Resources 67
Resources
When you have • Understand the Resource Sheet View
completed this • Be able to enter a resource into the Resource Sheet
learning module
you will:
• Understand Units of a resource
•
G
Be able to enter Units into the Resource Sheet
• Understand Rates
• Be able to enter Rates into the Resource Sheet
• Understand the effect of the Accrue At Field
IN
• Be able to assign a calendar to a group of resources
• Be able to assign a resource to a task
• Be able to assign and define a calendar for a resource
• Be able to remove and replace resources
IN
• Be able to remove a calendar
A
TR
R
FO
T
O
N

68 Resources
Resource Sheet View
Resource Sheet View
G
IN
IN
Click here to see the existing
A
resource sheet of a project or to
create a new one
TR
When you have set out your tasks in a logical sequence you are
then ready to work out the resources that will complete each task.
Before you can assign resources to a task you must enter the
R
resources into the project, ready to be used.
Resources can be people, pieces of equipment or outside

FO
contractors.
To view or • Click the Resource Sheet button in the View Bar

enter Or Click View menu
resources and click Resource Sheet view
T
The Resource sheet view is a table that has 12 column

headings as follows
Resource You may assign any meaningful name to your
O
Name resources. Normally they will be self-explanatory

such as “Shift A Workers”
Type Work or Material
N
Material Enter the unit of measure for Material resource

Label types, e.g. tons, boxes, feet, cc etc.
Initials Project 2000 will assign initials to the resources
based on what you have typed in. You can specify
your own initials.

Resources 69
Group This is used to differentiate between groups of

resources such as External and Internal staff or
Management and Construction for example.
Max. Units This field is used to assign the amount of time that
Project 2000 can use for any resource. It assumes
that each resource works at 100% of their time
unless you specify otherwise. Therefore, if a
resource (one person in this example) can only
G
work half of their time on the project they must be
assigned a 50% Max Units. On the other hand, if
you have 20 people available to you to work full
IN
time on the project type in 2000%.
NOTE. You can specify max units in decimal form

instead of percentages, but this is cumbersome
IN
when the most of the resources are allocated less
than 100%, e.g. 100% = 1, 21% = 0.21, 2000% =
20. To swap to decimal from % click
Tools/Options /Schedule and change the ‘Show
assignment units‘ to ‘Decimal’.
A
Std. Rate The Standard Rate field is used to assign costs to
resources based on work completed. The best
way to assign the standard rate is to enter either
TR
the annual salary or rate per day or rate per hour
excluding overtime payments.
Ovt. Rate Overtime rates are only used when you assign
overtime working to a resource – otherwise they
are not used. The rate can be entered as a per
hour or a per day rate.
Cost/Use Use this field to enter any set values for a
R
resource. You may for example incur a set fee for

set-up charges or an initial non-refundable deposit
for something.
FO
Accrue At This field determines when the cost is allocated to

the project. You can choose, Start, End or Pro-
rated. Pro-rated costs are calculated as the work
progresses throughout the project.
Base Each resource must be allocated to a work
Calendar calendar. If none is chosen the resource will be
defaulting to the Standard Project 2000 calendar.
Code You can use codes in any way you choose, very
T
often they are used for cost center code allocation

and you can then filter and report on different
O
resource codes.
N

70 Resources
Entering Resources
Entering Resources
G
IN
IN
A
TR
Click into each field and type in the relevant information
Resource Name Examples

R
John Jones, grass seed, JCB etc. Beware Jon Jones and jon
jones would be treated as two completely different resources.
Type Work or Material
FO
Material label 25g box, tonne etc

Initials Jo, GR, JC etc. You may use lower or upper case. Beware GR,
Gr, gr are treated as different resources.
Group External, Internal, Manager, Production etc.
Max. Units Discussed in more detail in the next section.
Std. Rate £10/h (£10 per hour), £250/d (£250 per day), £33,000/y (annual
salary of £33K)
T
Ovt. Rate £10/h (£10 per hour overtime rate)

Cost/Use Any one off payment for a work resource may be entered here,
or the total payment for a material resource.
O
Accrue At Choose from Start, Finish, Pro-rated.

Base Calendar You can only choose a calendar that is different from the
standard Project 2000 calendar if you have already set one up.
N
See page 12 for further details.

Code You can use this column for any code information by which you
may later want to sort and group information, such as a cost
center code like TE356 for example.

Resources 71
Units
Units
G
IN
IN
The number of people you The quantity of a piece
have available to do the job of equipment that you
A
need to do the job
eg., 50 members of staff
eg., two trucks
TR
As we have seen in the section discussing Task Types (on page

47), Project 2000 uses the Units field to work out Durations and
Costs for each task. You can enter a resource Max Unit as either a
R
percentage or a decimal, but you cannot mix both. By default,

Project 2000 assigns 100%
FO
To change to • Click Tools menu

decimal units • Click Options
• Click Schedule tab
• Change the Show assignment units as a: to Decimal if
required.
• If you are likely to need to
assign a proportion only
T
of a resource, perhaps
half of someone’s time for
example, choose
O
Percentage. If you then

need to add in more
people show these as
N
increments of 100%.
Three people would be
shown as 300%, four as
400% and so on.
If you are using Decimal as the Unit you can add in a proportion of
a persons time as .75 or .5 or any combination of whole and
decimal numbers, such as 2.5 for 2 ½ persons time.

72 Resources
Rates
Rates
G
IN
IN
Use the standard rate Use
column for per year, per
overtime rates
week, per day, per hour
A
or per minute rates as appropriate Use the Cost/Use
column for one off
work charges or total
TR
material charges
As discussed previously there are 3 fields for rate

information, Std. Rate, Ovt. Rate and Cost/Use.
Standard Rate (Std.Rate) Use this field to insert the normal rate for the
R
resource, which will in turn enable you to track the

cost of your project.
To define an hourly rate Enter the value followed by a / and h
FO
To define a daily rate Enter the value followed by a / and d

To define a yearly salary Enter the value followed by a / and y
Overtime Rate (Ovt.Rate) Overtime rates can be set for the minute, hour,
day, or week. As with standard rates, set the value
and then add a / and either, m for minutes, h for
hourly rates, d for daily rates and w for weekly
rates.
T
Cost/Use The cost per use field is used for a one off work
charge or a total charge for a material resource.
Enter the actual value in pounds with or without
O
decimals.
N

Resources 73
Accrue At
Accrue At
G
• Use the Accrue At field to
IN
determine when the cost will
be charged to the project
costs
• Use Prorated for all salaried
IN
staff
• Use Start for things that you
have to purchase in advance
A
• Use End for things you will
be billed for later
TR
When your project is set up and you begin to manage it, you will
track actual work completed on a day by day basis. Project 2000
calculates your up-to-date project costs based on the system date,
R
and the information you have entered about work completed. Some
costs, however will not be paid until the end of the work and others
in advance. You use the Accrue At field to define how the costs will
FO
be spread.
To change the • Click into the Accrue At field

Accrue At • Use the drop down arrow to select from Start, End or Pro-
value rated
When to use Use this option if you are incurring initial costs such as a delivery
T
Accrue at Start charge
When to use Use this option if you will not be paying for the work until it is
O
Accrue at End complete.
When to use This option is the most commonly used accrual method. In this
the default, method costs are incurred in proportion to the amount of work
N
Pro-rated completed.

74 Resources
Assigning a Calendar to a Group of Resources
Assigning a Calendar to a Group of

Resources
G
• Select the first resource and
IN
assign the calendar
• Select all the resources that will
IN
use the same calendar
• Right click and choose Fill
Down
A
TR
In order for Project 2000 to accurately reflect the availability of

resources it interrogates the information that is held on the work
calendar for that resource. You must set up your calendars before
R
you can assign a calendar to a resource. See page 14 for further

information.
FO
Use Fill-Down • In the Calendar field click and drag over the resources you
need to select, so that only the calendar field is selected for
each resource
Or use the Shift key to select the resources you need
• Click within the topmost calendar field and choose the correct
calendar from the drop-down arrow
• Right click your mouse to open the Shortcut Menu
T
• Click the Fill Down option

O
N

Resources 75
Assigning a Resource to a Task
Assigning a Resource to a Task
G
IN
IN
A
TR
When your resources are completely set up in a Resource Sheet

you are ready to start assigning them to individual tasks.
R
Assigning a • Make sure you are working in Gantt sheet view

resource in • Double click the task to open the Task Information window
the Task • Click on the Resources tab
FO
Information • In the Resources window click the Resource Name field

window • Click the drop-down-arrow and choose the resource from the
list
• Click the next field, Units, and specify how much of the
resource you are using for the duration of the task. Remember
that this links back to your chosen Max. Units value.
T
You could, for example choose to use 3 people for a task, this
could be shown as 300% if you are using percentages, or 3 if
you are using decimal.
O
Don't forget to make allowance for when a resource is not

working full time on a task by setting fraction values, i.e.,
N
50% or .5 for half time work.

76 Resources
Assigning Resources (- continued)
Assigning Resources continued..
G
Use the Assign Resources button
to work with multiple task
IN
assignments
IN
A
TR
Using the • Click the task for which you need to assign resources
Assign • Click the Assign Resources button
Resources
R
button
FO
• The Assign Resources window opens like the one shown here
T
O
N

Resources 77
• Click into the Units field next to the Resource you are using and
• Type in the number of the unit, bearing in mind the link to the
Max.Units values in the Resource Sheet
• You can apply more than one resource to a task by, clicking the
Units field next to another resource and changing the values as
needed.
To select a If you are intending to work collaboratively on your project you can
G
resources use Outlook 97 or Outlook 98 to communicate with the rest of the
from your team. To be able to send tasks to others Workgroup Messaging
Personal must firstly be enabled and secondly each resource must be listed in
IN
Address Book the PAB or GAL. To select a resource from one of your Address
(PAB) or Books
Global
Address List • In the Resource Assignment window click on the Address
IN
(GAL) button
• Select the name from either the PAB or the GAL
• Click Add
• Click OK
A
TR
R
FO
T
O
N

78 Resources
Assigning a Resource Calendar
Assigning a Resource Calendar
G
• Your resources will
not always be
IN
available when you
want them. Create a
resource calendar to
allow for holidays
and other
IN
unavailable time
A
• Double click the resource to open it and then change the
working times in the window
TR
Your resources will always use a base calendar that you have set
for the company, either a main calendar or a shift calendar.
However, your resources will also take holiday from time to time
R
and you will need to make allowance for this. You add in holidays
to an individual’s own calendar, by modifying their use of the main
calendar.
FO
Add holidays Work in Resource Sheet view

to a resource
calendar • Double click a resource to open the Resource Information
window
• On the General tab, specify if the resource will be available for
the whole of the project or simply available to start at a later
T
date. The window looks like the one shown here.

O
N

Resources 79
To change the • Click the Working Time tab

working time • Select the days required for holiday
for a resource • Click the Non working time radio button as shown here
G
IN
IN
A
The completed working calendar for the resource will then look
similar to the example shown below.
TR
R
FO
T
Don't forget that changing a resources calendar will have an

O
impact on its ability to complete the tasks to which it has been

assigned.
N

80 Resources
Removing a Resource
Removing Resources
G
IN
IN
A
Select the resource then press the
Delete key on the keyboard
TR
From time to time you find that trying to juggle the availability of a
resources is more trouble than it is worth and you may decide to
replace the resource with another. In other cases you may find
R
that the resource is too expensive and it will be best to find a

cheaper alternative. In any scenario like these you will want to
remove the resource from the task.
FO
To remove the In the Gantt chart view double click to open the Task Information
resource in window
the Task • Select the resource by clicking on the resource name; this
Information highlights the resource.
window • Click the Delete key on the keyboard
T
O
N

Resources 81
To remove the • Click the task that you want to amend

resource from • Click the Assign Resources button
the Assign • Click the resource that you want to remove from the task
Resources • Click the Remove button
window
G
IN
IN
A
To replace the Repeat the steps above but at the end choose Replace button,
resource from rather than Remove.
TR
the Assign
Resources For either technique you are then free to re-assign the task to
window another resource.
To completely • Click to view the Resource Sheet view

remove a • Select the resource that you wish to remove by clicking on the
resource from number for the resource in the select row column
R
the project • Then either press the Delete key on the keyboard
Or click Edit menu, click Delete
Or right click on your selection to show the Shortcut Menu and
FO
click Delete
T
O
N

82 Resources
Replacing Resources
Replacing Resources
G
• Select the resource by clicking
IN
the resource number, then point
to it and right click
• Make your selection from the
options available
IN
A
TR
To quickly Working in the Resource sheet view

replace a
resource • Select the resource you wish to replace
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• Right click the resource to show the short cut menu

• Choose the Delete Resource, followed by New Resource and
the original is deleted ready for you to enter new resource
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information
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Resources 83
Removing a Calendar
Removing a Calendar
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• Tools, Organizer
• Calendars tab
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• Select calendar
name and choose
Delete
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• You can make
calendars available
to future projects by
copying them to the
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Global.mpt TR
When your company changes the working day and time

requirements it may become necessary to change or remove a
calendar. Calendars for a project are stored as part of the individual
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Project file and are not normally stored as part of the Global.MPT,
which is the equivalent of the Normal Template in Word. Removing a
calendar, therefore, removes it only from that one file. If the calendar
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has been copied and used in other project files it will have no impact
on those.
To remove a • Click Tools menu

calendar • Click Organizer and the following window will appear
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84 Resources
• Select the calendar that you wish to delete in the right hand
window
• Click the Delete button
To copy a The Global.mpt is the where you should store calendars if you
calendar to would like to use them again in other project files.
Global.MPT
• To copy a calendar to the Global.mpt
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• Select the calendar in the right-hand window
• Click the Copy button
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Notice that as soon as you click into one window or the
other the arrows on the copy button change direction so
you can be sure in which direction you are copying.
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Resources 85
Exercises
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Network Diagram View 87
Network Diagram View

When you have • Understand what Network Diagram means
completed this • Be familiar with the Network Diagram view
learning module
you will:
• Be able to manipulate tasks in the Network Diagram view
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88 Network Diagram View
What is the Network Diagram view?
What is the Network Diagram view?
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• Labelled as ‘PERT’ in previous versions of Microsoft Project,
Program, Evaluation and Review Technique
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• The Network Diagram view is used to evaluate the probable
outcomes, based on optimistic, pessimistic and most probable
outcomes
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• The Network Diagram view allows fine tuning of your project
plan
• Gantt charts are available for Expected, Pessimistic and
A
Optimistic scenarios TR
© Cheltenham Com puter Training 1995-2001 Microsoft Project 2000 - Foundation - Slide No. 65
The Microsoft Project 2000 Network Diagram view totally replaces

what was labeled as the PERT view in previous versions of
Microsoft Project.
(PERT stands for Project Evaluation and Review Technique. The

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technique involves working out likely outcomes in projects based

on three project scenarios, the Pessimistic, Optimistic and
Expected outcomes. A toolbar still exists for this type of analysis.)
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The Network Diagram view enables you to fine-tune your project by

examining the plan in a flowchart view.
When working in Network Diagram view each task is represented in

a box, called a Node that is connected to other nodes by lines that
define the relationship between them.
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To change to • Click the View menu and choose Network Diagram

Network Or on the View Bar choose the button for Network Diagram
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Diagram view
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To ZOOM and • Click View menu

see the whole • Choose Zoom
of the project • Choose Entire Project

Examining a Network Diagram
Examining a Network Diagram
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IN
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A
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The Network Diagram view is not directly linked to a time line along
the top of the screen. The nodes can be moved or copied to other
parts of the screen. From the Network Diagram view you can open
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an individual Task Information window by double clicking a node, or

you can open a task dependency by double clicking a line between
nodes. The dotted lines are page breaks and consequently do not
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print.
To open a • Point to the node

node for • Double click and the Task Information window then opens for
editing editing
To edit a node When you click your mouse onto different parts of the node you will
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directly in notice that the node goes darker to indicate that you are editing that
Network Task. As you move your mouse around within the node the mouse
Diagram view cursor changes to a white cross (as in Microsoft Excel).
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• Position your white cross cursor over information in the node

• Click the mouse and the information appears in the editing bar
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• To make changes directly click within the editing bar

• Make any necessary amendments in the editing bar
• Click the green tick mark when you have finished

To Layout the Project 2000 can automatically layout the boxes into a logical
boxes sequence for you. To do this:
• Click Format menu
• Click Layout Now
To control the • Click Format menu

layout • Click Layout and the following window appears
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• Make any changes you require and then click OK
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To move a • Check the Allow manual box positioning on the above

node screen
• Point to the border of a node
• Wait for the move symbol to appear
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• Click and drag the node to a new location

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To copy a • Click on a node and drag a line out in the direction you wish the
node and link next node to appear.
to it • Wait for the link symbol to appear
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• Drag the line to the new location, and a copy of the node will
appear at the far end. The description will be blank, but all
other items will be copied.

To change the • Click Format menu

content of the • Click Box Styles and the following window appears
nodes
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IN
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You can change the information that the nodes contain by choosing
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the information from the drop-down arrows on each box. Select the
type of node from Style settings for and select the type of data
you wish displayed in the node from Data template.
You can turn off the Gridlines between each information item
To change Select the border shape, color, line width, and background color
border color and pattern from the other drop down boxes.
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and style
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Summary Tasks
Summary Tasks in Network Design view
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IN
IN
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• Summary tasks are shown by default as parallelograms and sub tasks appear
immediately below them
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Summary Tasks are by default shown as parallelograms. The

Summary Task is linked to the next nodes in the sequence. Sub
Tasks are shown immediately underneath the summary task.
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Each Sub Task is linked to its predecessor
You can hide the sub tasks by clicking on the outlining (minus)
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sign above each summary task.
If the sub tasks are hidden they can be revealed again by clicking
on the outlining (plus) sign above the summary task.
To change the Follow the steps outlined on the previous page to change the
way a appearance of summary tasks.
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summary task
is displayed
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Changing Task Linkages
Changing Task Linkages
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IN
IN
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• As you drag from one node • To remove a link,
to another notice the link double click the line
symbol before you release and then choose Delete
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the mouse
In a Gantt chart task arrows show linkages and the position of the
arrow indicates the type of relationship. In a Network Diagram chart
view the type of relationship is not immediately apparent.
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To view the • Point to the link line

type of • Double click the mouse and the Task Dependency window
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relationship opens as shown here

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To change the • Click the drop-down arrow in the Type box of the Task
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relationship Dependency window

type
To remove a • In the Task Dependency window click Delete

link line

To manually You can draw relationship lines by clicking and dragging in the
add a link line direction in which you want the relationship to be set.
You will notice as you perform the click and drag action that your
mouse cursor briefly shows a link symbol.
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To draw a • Click and drag from the predecessor node to the successor
Finish to Start node
line
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To draw a • Click and drag from the successor node to the predecessor
Start to Finish node
line
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To set SS or • If you need a Start to Start (SS) or Finish to Finish (FF)
FF relationship you cannot draw the line. To change to either of
relationships these types you must open the Task Dependency window and
choose the correct relationship by clicking the drop-down
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arrow.
Reformat the • After every change you make to the relationships choose
layout
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Format menu, Layout Now. This will reformat the window for
you, making it easier to spot your errors and correct them.
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Shortening Your Project 97
Shortening Your Project

When you have • Understand what a Critical Path is
completed this • Be able to set a Critical Path using the Gantt Chart Wizard
learning module
you will:
• Be able to identify the critical path in a Gantt Chart and in a Network
Diagram chart
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• Be able to filter out non-critical tasks
• Understand some of the ways in which you can make your project
duration shorter
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98 Shortening Your Project
Setting the Critical Path
Setting the Critical Path
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IN
IN
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Use the Gantt Wizard button to
format your chart and add a
critical path
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The Critical Path is defined as a series of critical tasks that must be

completed on time if the project is not going to be delayed. Tasks
that are non-critical have some slack allowed for so that if they slip
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they will not affect the timing of the rest of the project.
Project 2000 has a feature called a Gantt Chart Wizard to help you
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format your Gantt Chart in a variety of ways. One of the elements

that it can format for you is to graphically display the tasks that are
critical and make them stand out on the normal Gantt Chart.
To start the Click the Gantt Chart Wizard button

Gantt Chart The Wizard will start a series of windows in which you are asked
Wizard questions about what you want to do.
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At any stage you can click Back to refine or change your choices
as you go.
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Step 1 • In Step 1 you are asked if you want to Continue or Cancel,

choose Next to continue
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Step 2 • In Step 2 you must choose what you want to add to your Gantt
Chart, whether it is a Critical Path, a Baseline, Other style or
Custom. (If you choose Other you can select from the drop-
down list).
• Choose Critical Path to set it
• Click Next to continue
Step 9 You will notice that the Wizard has skipped forward to Step 9, this
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is because steps 3 to 8 are only used if you chose Custom in the
previous step, in which you define all the elements of the Gantt
Chart view.
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• Choose what you would like to see on your chart from the
following:-
Resources and Dates
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Resources
Dates
None, thanks.
Custom task information
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• Click Next
Step 13 You will notice that once again the Wizard has jumped forward
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another 3 steps and this is because steps 10 to 12 would be used
if you chose Custom Task Information on the previous step
This is a simple question; do you want to see link lines or not?
Step 14 This is the end of the steps in the Wizard, after which you receive
the Wizard’s congratulations!
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• Click on Format It to add the Critical Path to your Gantt Chart

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Step 15 It tells you that it has finished formatting
• Click the Exit Wizard button

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The Critical Path View
The Critical Path View
G
IN
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A
TR
The Critical Path in a Gantt Chart is shown in red by default so that

you can quickly distinguish Critical from Non-Critical tasks.
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You do not have to set a Critical Path on your normal Gantt Chart
view you may prefer to work in a view where the Critical Path is
always shown by default.
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To change to The Detail Gantt view shows the Critical Path without any
Detail Gantt intervention from you.
view
• Click View menu
• Click More Views
• Choose Detail Gantt
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• Click Apply
Critical Tasks In a Network Diagram Chart critical task nodes are shown in a RED
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in Network box, with red link lines. Once again, in the Network Diagram view
Diagram view you do not have to intervene in order for critical tasks to be
differentiated.
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Tracking Gantt The Tracking Gantt chart also shows critical paths in red, but you
Chart view cannot start using the Tracking Gantt until your project has begun
and you are tracking real work carried out.

Filtering for Critical Tasks Only
Filtering for Critical Tasks Only
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IN
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A
TR
The Critical Path enables you to examine your project in more

detail. When you can see critical tasks easily you can see where
times can be further refined to reduce the overall duration of the
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project. You may find that what appear to be a straightforward

Finish to Start relationships can be amended to allow Lead-Time;
for example the task Deliver concrete has a Finish to Start
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relationship to Pour concrete. You could start pouring the

concrete as soon as the first consignment arrived, so adding lead-
time would be appropriate.
To further examine critical tasks it is useful to be able to view just

the critical and not the non-critical tasks.
To view In any Calendar or Gantt Chart view

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Critical Tasks
only • Point to the Filter button on the Formatting Toolbar.
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• Click the drop-down arrow

• Click Critical to display only critical tasks
•
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To view all Point to the Filter button

tasks • Click the drop-down arrow
• Click All Tasks to display all tasks

Ideas for Shortening the Project
Ideas for Shortening the Project
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• Add more Resources to Critical Tasks
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• If lags are caused by holiday time - re-allocate the task to someone who is
not on holiday
• If some resources are under used, add more working time on the project
IN
• Break tasks into smaller components and allocate them to different
resources
A
TR
When you have refined your project, examined all the linkages,
adding lead time where necessary and so on you will probably still
find that your project is due to finish later than the deadline you
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have set yourself. This is fairly usual for project management and
there are still some steps you can take to reduce the overall
duration.
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Assign more Provided that your task is set to Fixed Units type, if you assign
resources more resources the duration will be reduced. The default in task
type is Fixed Units.
Make sure that you are not assigning more resource than you have
available to you.
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Increase In a resources own calendar, change their working time so that

working hours they have more time available to spend on tasks the duration of
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for resources which will consequently be reduced.
Bear in mind that this can be quite contentious!

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Assign This is usually less contentious than increasing normal working

overtime work hours - but it has a cost implication that cannot be ignored.
Add lead-time To re-examine how this is done turn to page 62.

to tasks
Break tasks Critical tasks may sometimes be broken down into smaller tasks,
into sub tasks which can begin and end more flexibly.
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Tasks with Re-examine tasks on which you have set constraints. It may be
constraints possible to re-allocate resources in order to remove the
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constraints.
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Exercises
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Overallocations 105
Overallocations
When you • Understand the term overallocation
have • Understand the Resource Usage View
completed
this learning
• Be able to work in the Resource Usage View
•
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module you Recognize and understand the components of the Resource Management
will: Toolbar
• Understand the Resource Allocation View
• Be able to work in the Resource Allocation view
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• Understand the Resource Allocation Graph
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106 Overallocations
Resource Usage View
Resource Usage View
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IN
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A
Overallocations are shown in RED, in this view and also in
the Resource Sheet view
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Overallocation is the term used to describe when a resource has

been allocated too much work and they are unable to complete the
work within the specified timescale.
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You need to resolve instances of overallocation in your project to

ensure that your resources are able to complete the tasks they are
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assigned to.
There are a number of different views you can use to see if your
resources are overallocated; one of these is the Resource Usage
View. The information is presented in table format.
To open the • Click the View menu

Resource
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• Click Resource Usage view

Usage view
Or in the View Bar
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• Click the Resource Usage button
Overallocated Any resources that are overallocated are shown in Red and also
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resources have an information bar next to their ID.
In the Resource Sheet view overallocated resources are also

shown in Red with an information bar.

Overallocations 107
The Resource Management Toolbar
The Resource Management Toolbar
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Right click the
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mouse here,
or choose
View, Toolbars
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and select
Resource
Management
A
TR
There are many different toolbars available to you in Project 2000.

Some you need to use most of the time, such as the Standard
toolbar and the Formatting toolbar. Others you may care to turn on
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and off only when you need them.
The Resource Management toolbar has some useful buttons for

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quickly switching the views you need.
To turn on the There are two different ways to turn toolbars on and off. The first
Resource method uses the menu bars.
Management
toolbar • Click View
• Click Toolbars
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• Click Resource Management

Or right click the mouse on a blank area next to the toolbars
• Click Resource Management
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108 Overallocations
Resource Allocation View
Resource Allocation View
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IN
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A
TR
Tracking down the task that is causing the overallocation can

sometimes be problematic. One view that is useful for identifying
and resolving the problem is the Resource Allocation view.
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To open the • Click View menu

Resource • Click More Views
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Allocation • Click Resource Allocation

view Or on the Resource Management toolbar click the Resource
Allocation button
The window is split into two panes.

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Overallocations 109
Top pane The left-hand side of the top pane contains resource information;
the name and the total hours work the resource is allocated
throughout the project. Drag the scroll bar down to see a tool tip to
let you know when you have reached a particular resource. You
can then release the mouse and examine the allocation in more
detail by clicking on the task in the left-hand pane.
The right-hand side of the top pane contains a detailed breakdown
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of work hours per day on each stage of the project.
Overallocated resources are shown in Red in the top left-hand
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pane and the hours are shown in Red in the right-hand pane.
Bottom pane The left-hand side of the bottom pane contains only those tasks
that are completed by the resource that is selected in the top pane.
The right-hand side of the bottom pane contains a Gantt Chart view
IN
of the tasks for that resource.
To view • Click In the top pane

overallocated • Click Format menu
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hours • Click Details
• Click Overallocation to add overallocated hours to the view. It
is then easy to see how much time is overallocated and when.
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110 Overallocations
Resource Allocation Graph
Resource Allocation Graph
G
IN
Go to next
overallocation
button, or key
Alt+F5
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Select the
resource to
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view by
dragging the
horizontal
scroll bar
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Although the Resource Allocation view is a useful pointer to show

overallocated resources the Resource Allocation Graph is a lot
easier.
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To open the • Click on View menu

Resource • Click Resource Graph
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Allocation Or click the Resource Graph button on the View Bar

Graph Or click the Resource Graph button on the Resource
Management toolbar
The window is split into a left and right pane.
To choose a • In the left hand pane - Click the horizontal scroll bar moving right
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resource to or left to find the resource you wish to look at

view
The right hand pane shows a timeline along the top. You will
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notice that time spent working on a task is shown as a vertical

blue bar on the right hand pane underneath the day for which
work has been assigned.
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Overallocations 111
To view The name of any resource that is overallocated will be shown in red
overallocation on the left-hand pane.
s in the graph
On the graph in the right-hand pane overallocations are shown as
vertical red bars.
To move to the • On the keyboard key Alt+F5 to switch to the next overallocation
next for a particular resource.
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overallocation Or click the Go to next overallocation button on the Resource
Management toolbar
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Resolving Overallocations 113
Resolving Overallocations
When you • Be able to resolve resource overallocations using a variety of methods
have • Delaying the task manually
completed
this learning
• Leveling the resource
•
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module you Decrease working time
will: • Splitting tasks
• Reassigning resources
• Increasing working hours
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• Assigning overtime work
• Be able to view and understand the Resource Leveling Gantt Chart view
• Be able to view and understand slack time in a table view
• Be able to view and understand slack time in a Gantt Chart view
IN
• Understand what Resource Contouring is and how it can help you resolve
overallocations
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114 Resolving Overallocations
Delaying Tasks Manually
Delaying Tasks Manually
G
IN
IN
A
Working in Resource Allocation view establish where the
overallocation is and then manually drag the task so that
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there is no overlap
If a resource is overallocated one way of resolving the problem is to

delay the task until they have finished working on the predecessor
in which they are involved.
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Bear in mind that delaying a task will usually push other tasks later
as well and may delay the end of the project.
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Delay by click Work in Resource Allocation view

and drag In the bottom pane, on the Gantt Chart view, identify the task that is
causing the problem
Point to the task and click and drag to the right to delay the task.
Watch the Task Information window that appears with a yellow
background because this will tell you accurately where you are
dragging your task in date terms.
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Also note that as you release the mouse you will see at a glance in
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the top pane if your delay has resolved the overallocated time.
Delay by • Right click on the task you want to delay and the shortcut menu
changing task appears
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information • Click Task Information

• On the General tab change the start date

Resource Leveling
Resource Leveling
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• Click Tools, Resource
Leveling
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• Make appropriate choices
then choose Level Now
• From the next window
choose either the entire
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resource pool or just one
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TR resource
Leveling is the term used to describe the process where Project

2000 alters the schedule and duration of tasks in order to remove
overallocations. When you Level your project you choose how
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much Project 2000 can change.
To level your • Click Tools menu

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project • Click Resource Leveling
Automatic If you choose this option Project 2000 will level your project every
time you make changes to it. This can be useful but it will
sometimes cause unexpected results if you forget that you have left
this facility switched on
Manual
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If you choose this option leveling will only occur when you click the
Level Now button.
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Look for Project 2000 will consider tasks overallocated if the resource is
overallocation already working on another task that clashes. As an example if a
s on a resource is working an 8 hour day but has two 4 hour tasks that are
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…………. basis due to start at the same time the resource will be treated as
overallocated. When you level this resource, if you choose Hour by
Hour basis the second task will be delayed until the first task is
finished. If however, you choose Day by Day, the tasks will not be
considered for leveling because they do not exceed available hours
in the day

Leveling range You can specify the range of your project to be leveled; perhaps it
is only a part of the project that is causing problems. Or you can
choose Entire Project.
Leveling order When you leave the setting as Standard Project 2000 looks at
available slack time, predecessor dependencies, priorities and
dates.
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When you choose ID, Project will delay or split tasks with the
highest ID only.
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Choose Priority, Standard when you want Project 2000 to look at
the priorities that you have set on your tasks and then level looking
at these first, before moving onto slack time etc.
Level only Click this option if Project 2000 must not be allowed to delay the
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within end of the project.
available slack
Leveling can This option allows Project 2000 to split the assignment between
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adjust resources so that if one resource from a group is overallocated, the
individual work assigned to that resource may be split away from the others.
assignments
on a task
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Leveling can This option is only applicable when you have started tracking actual
create splits in work. You can level your project at any point and this option defines
remaining whether Project 2000 can split tasks that have not been started
work (remaining work).
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When you have completed your choices by clicking the appropriate

radio buttons and drop-down arrow selections click Level Now
To clear If you do not like what Project 2000 has done to the project
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leveling (perhaps you have chosen poorly in the selection window), you can
undo the changes
Click Clear Leveling
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N

Resource Leveling Continued
Resource Leveling continued
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IN
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When resources have been leveled an indicator appears on
the Resource Usage view
A
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When resources have been leveled an indicator appears next to

the task in the Resource Usage view.
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When you move your mouse cursor over the symbol a note window
appears to tell you "This assignment work has been edited".
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The Leveling Gantt View
The Leveling Gantt View
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IN
IN
A
The green bars indicate where the
original preleveled tasks have been
delayed or split
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The Leveling Gantt Chart view shows you graphically where

tasks were positioned before leveling.
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To open the • Click View

Leveling Gantt • Click More Views
Chart view • Click Leveling Gantt
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• Click Apply
The green bars on the Gantt chart indicate where the pre-leveled
tasks were positioned.
If a task has been split by leveling it will be joined with a row of

dots as illustrated.
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N

Decreasing Work Time
Decreasing Work Time
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• You can change
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the time directly
in this view or in
an individual task
window
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Don’t forget the effects of Fixed Work, Fixed
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Duration, Fixed Units and Effort Driven
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If a resource is overallocated on a particular task you can reduce

the amount of hours work they are due to carry out. When you
reduce the hours of work Project 2000 will automatically reduce the
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duration of the task unless you specify otherwise.
Decrease work • Click to select the Resource Allocation view.

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time in the • Find the task that causes the overallocation

Resource • In the Work field for the overallocated task type in a lesser
Usage view value until the overallocation disappears
To ensure that • Open the Task Information window and change the Task
the task Type to Fixed Duration
duration is not
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altered NOTE: You may need to assign more resource to the task
in order to ensure it is completed on time, or move the
task, or replace the resource with a substitute, or allocate
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extra time from the same resources, or work overtime, or

even cancel the task, in order to get rid of the
overallocation.
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Split Tasks
Split Tasks
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Notice the
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split bar
mouse
cursor
when you
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click the
Split Task
button
A
TR
If a resource is overallocated it is usually that two or more tasks for

the resource are occurring simultaneously. If this is the case use
the Resource Allocation view to identify the problem tasks as
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before and then split the task so that part can start after the
resource has been used on the other task.
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To split a task • Working in a Gantt Chart view click the Split Task button on
the Standard toolbar
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• Move your mouse on the Gantt Chart to the position where you
want to split the task
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• Click and drag to the right to split the task

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View Slack in a Table View
Viewing Slack in a Table View
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• Click into a Gantt view
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• Then click View, Table, Schedule
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A
TR
Slack is the time available for a task to slip before it becomes a

problem for the project schedule. Any task on the critical path will
not have slack.
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To open the • Work in a Gantt Chart view

Schedule • Click the View menu
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Table • Click Table

• Click Schedule
Free Slack The Free Slack column denotes how far tasks can slip before
affecting the next task.
Total Slack The Total Slack column denotes how far tasks can slip before
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affecting the end of the project date.

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N

Viewing Slack in a Gantt View
Viewing Slack in a Gantt View
G
IN
IN
A
Click View, More Views, Detail Gantt and Apply
TR
You can see slack graphically on a Gantt Chart view and this is
sometimes easier to work with than the Table view explained on
the previous page.
R
To open the • Click View

Detail Gantt • Click More Views
FO
Chart • Click Detail Gantt

• Click Apply
How slack is Tasks that have slack have a thin green line attached to the task.
shown on the The line extends from the end of the Gantt bar for the task to the
Detail Gantt point at which it can no longer be delayed. The length of the green
Chart line corresponds to the Free Slack time that is shown in the
T
Schedule Table.
O
N

Reassigning Resources
Reassigning Resources
G
IN
No amount of assistance from Project will free you from
the task of having to get real people to do real jobs.
IN
Reallocating resources often involves negotiating with
people about what they are willing to do, not just what
they are able and have time to do!
A
TR
Sometimes you will find that swapping resources around from one
task to another may resolve overallocation problems. However,
always be aware that you are dealing with people who may have
R
their own views about the situation that differ from yours. If you
have already explained to people what they will be doing on the
project you will need to handle changes sensitively. It is good
FO
management practice to discuss likely changes with the people

involved as early as possible.
To re-assign a This topic was introduced earlier in the manual. See page 76 for
resource further details.
T
O
N

Increasing Working Hours
Increasing Working Hours
G
• There are 2 strategies
IN
– Increase total working hours
• Change the calendar for the resource - this
affects all working days for this resource
– Assign overtime working to selected tasks

• This affects just individual tasks and does also
IN
affect the total cost of the project
A
TR
As previously mentioned, never forget that you are dealing with

people, who may have their own opinions about the best way of
handling the overallocation problem that you have.
R
If you cannot cut the scope of the project (the sequence of tasks)
and you cannot change the deadline for completion nor start the
FO
project earlier, and you are sure that you have looked for every
other way of shortening the project, you may be left with only two
other options; change the working time for individuals or assign
overtime work.
T
O
N

Assign Overtime to a Task
Assign Overtime to a Task
G
IN
IN
A
In a Gantt view click Window, Split and then click Format,
Details, Resource Work
TR
To assign To assign over-time work to a resource for a task:

overtime
working • In a Gantt Chart view click Window menu
R
• Click Split
• Click into the bottom Window pane and then click Format,
Details, Resource Work
FO
• In the column for Ovt. Work type the number of hours you are
assigning to each resource.
To check the Don't forget to check the effect of overtime additions on the cost of
new cost of your project. To do this:
the project
• Click the View menu
T
• Click Table
• Click Cost
O
N

Resource Contouring
Resource Contouring
G
• Project assigns a flat working pattern ie., 100% of every working day
will be spent on a task for the whole of its duration
IN
• Use Contouring to apply a more realistic pattern of work
IN
Front loaded
work pattern
A
TR
When you assign a resource to work on a task Project 2000

assumes that the resource will work on that task 100% of their
time for the complete duration of the project. This is known as a
R
Flat contour and is often unrealistic.
Other Contour patterns may be more realistic and they can also
FO
be useful in freeing up a resource when you are trying to resolve

overallocations.
Contours are applied on an hour-by-hour basis and once you have

applied one to a resource you may find you are able to re-assign
the resource to other tasks.
Contour There are eight Contour Patterns for you to choose from including
T
patterns Flat. The actual hourly distribution will depend on the task
duration, so to fully understand the implications it is best to test
O
each one on your own tasks and resources.
Contours are worked out on the basis of percentages of work

allocated over time. The following is a short explanation of each.
N

Front Loaded Most work happens at the beginning and then tails off.
Back Loaded Work starts slowly and builds up so that most work is at
the end.
G
IN
Double Peak As the name suggests the work has two work peaks.
IN
Early Peak The work is not all at the beginning, but may be heaviest
A
on the second day. This is quite a common pattern since
the first day is often spent making preparations and
setting the scene.
TR
Late Peak Similarly to the Early Peak Contour this assumes that
there will be a last minute rush to get the work done; as
you can imagine this is quite common too!
R
FO
Bell The Bell Contour is a smoothly curved pattern.

T
O
Turtle The Turtle Contour is similar to the bell.

N
How project works out the Project 2000 works out the times based on a table,
times which you can find in Project 2000 Help. Type in
Work_Contour in the Find tab of the help window and
then display the topic Work Contour (Assignment
Fields).

Exercises
G
IN
IN
A
TR
R
FO
T
O
N

Printing Project Reports 129
Printing Project Reports

When you have • Understand the Print Preview window
completed this • Be able to control how your project is printed
learning
module you
• Be able to use the Report Generator to produce professional looking
reports
G
will:
IN
IN
A
TR
R
FO
T
O
N

130 Printing Project Reports
 1995-2001 Cheltenham Computer Training Project 2000 Foundation
Print Preview
Print Preview
G
IN
IN
A
TR
It is pointless to have a beautifully prepared project if nobody

knows about it. One of your roles as project manager will be to
ensure that everyone is kept fully aware of what they are required
R
to do and when. When the project is running it will also be your

responsibility to ensure that they are given up-to-date progress
reports too.
FO
This course has covered the planning stage and this section will
look at producing the types of report that you will need to distribute
in the initial stages.
What do they One of the first questions you should ask yourself is what is the
need to know? minimum that each resource needs to know. The answer is
generally that they will at least need to know What it is that they
T
have to do and When they must start and finish. The How, Why,
Where etc., are things that are decided by the Project Management
O
rather than the planning tool, Project 2000.

N

The following will probably be a good starting list

A Calendar to show their tasks and where they fit in relation to
others
A Simple Gantt Chart view to demonstrate task linkages and
explain why critical tasks must not be allowed to slip
A Summary Project Report
A Who Does What And When report
G
What can I You can print from any screen displayed on your PC and it will be a
print? replica of what you see. Therefore, if you only have three columns
showing on the left hand side of your screen that is all that will be
IN
printed.
To open a • Click the Print Preview button

print preview Or click the File menu
screen Click Print Preview
IN
The Print Preview window opens with a set of controls along the
top of the screen as shown here.
Used to move forwards and backwards between
A
pages
Used to zoom in or out
TR
Used to view one page at a time
Used to view multiple pages

R
To close the • Click the Close button on the Print Preview toolbar
Print Preview
window
FO
To examine As shown above you can use the Zoom key to see more or less of
the detail of your chosen screen. However, you can also move your mouse onto
the Print the preview area and the cursor becomes a magnifying glass.
Preview
• To zoom in on the position where your cursor is located click
the mouse once
• To zoom back out again click the mouse once more
T
Page Setup When you choose the Page Setup button you can define exactly
how your page will print. See Print Options on page 137 for further
O
information.
N

How To Print • When you are ready to print you can either
• Click the Print button on the Print Preview toolbar
• Or if you are not working in the preview mode you can
click File
• Click Print
The only difference between the Project 2000 screen and
G
others in Windows is the Timescale section at the foot of the
window shown here. In this section you can choose how much
of your project to print and whether you want the left hand
columns only.
IN
IN
A
TR
R
FO
T
O
N

Report Generator
Report Generator
G
Click View, Reports to
IN
see a selection of pre-
defined reports
IN
A
TR
Project 2000 has a reporting tool built in that will help you to put
together impressive reports. Once you have decided what kind of
report you want Project 2000 will guide you through the steps
R
required.
FO
T
O
N

To start the • Click View menu

Report • Click Reports and the Report Generator will start
Generator • Choose from the selection shown here. Click on the option
you want
• Click Select
G
IN
IN
A
TR
R
In the next window make you choices from the list as shown here
FO
(when Overview is selected).
• Click Select to confirm your choice

T
O
N

Project Summary Report
Project Summary report
G
IN
IN
A
TR
The Project Summary Report is useful for printing on a regular

basis while your project is running. The information it contains is as
follows:
R
Changing the The Header Information is entered automatically by Project 2000

head and is taken from the File Properties.
FO
information
To edit the information that is being displayed open the File
Properties and make amendments there. See page 21 for further
information about this.
T
O
N

G
IN
IN
A
TR
R
FO
T
O
N

Print Options
Print Options
G
• Click File, Page Setup to
choose further customisation
options
IN
• The buttons a the foot of the
window add in the codes for
Page, Total Pages, Date,
Time, File Name and Object
(such as photo)
IN
• You can also add in Project
Manager Name and other
relevant information
A
TR
You may notice on the Print Preview that there are things
that need to be changed before you can successfully print
your project reports. To examine the options click Page
R
Setup either from the File menu or from the Print

Preview window.
FO
The Page The Page Setup window has 6 tabs as shown below.
Setup window
T
O
N

The Page tab Use this tab to specify the size of paper and orientation and if you
need to reduce or enlarge to fit one page.
(Tab shown on previous page).
Margins Use the Margins tab to specify not only the margins but also
whether you wish to have a border around every page.
G
IN
IN
A
Header Use the Header tab to set up the information that you would like
repeated on every page. Unlike Microsoft Excel a default header is
not created for you, but you can add your own as necessary.
TR
R
FO
T
O
N

The buttons will add in information in the form of fields.

Fields allow Project 2000 to keep the information up-to-
date dynamically, so that if you were to enter a page
number field, for example, Project 2000 will print the
number of each page in sequence. An explanation of
each button follows.
Formats the text once you have typed it in and selected
G
it.
IN
Inserts the Page Number
Inserts the Total Number Of Pages in the file
IN
Inserts the Current Date
A
Inserts the Current Time
TR
Inserts the File Name
Inserts a Picture
R
In addition you can specify where on the Header you

FO
would like to place the information. You can choose,

Left, Centre or Right.
In addition to the buttons described above you can add

the following by clicking the drop-down arrow and then
clicking Add.
Company Name
Manager Name
T
Project Start Date

Project Finish Date
Project Current Date
Project Status Date
O
View Name
Report Name
Filter Name
Last Saved Date
N
Subject
Author
Keyword
Many of these are taken from the File Properties if you

have already entered them.

Footer The Footer information is built in the same way as previously

described in the Header.
Legend The Legend is built in the same way as the Header and Footer.
You can specify what information you would like to record and
where it should be placed.
Legend on This controls how often you print the Gannt chart legend key that
shows how you have set up bar/line shapes/colors.
G
IN
IN
A
TR
R
View The View tab controls what you see in each view
FO
T
O
N

Exercises
G
IN
IN
A
TR
R
FO
T
O
N


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Microsoft Project 2000

Sample versions of courseware from Cheltenham Computer Training

For current license information

Courseware Release Version 5.0

CHOOSE YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE PROJECT............................................................................................ 18

FILE PROPERTIES ....................................................................................................................................... 21

ENTERING A TASK DURATION ................................................................................................................... 28

Elapsed Time ........................................................................................................................................ 28

MILESTONES AND PHASES ......................................................................................................................... 30

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

TASK CONSTRAINTS .................................................................................................................................. 48

Task Types ............................................................................................................................................ 49

To create a Sub Task ............................................................................................................................ 53

The four linkage types .......................................................................................................................... 54

FINISH TO START RELATIONSHIP ............................................................................................................... 55

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

To change the working time for a resource .......................................................................................... 79

WHAT IS THE NETWORK DIAGRAM VIEW? ................................................................................................ 88

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

Break tasks into sub tasks................................................................................................................... 103

OVERALLOCATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 105

To open the Resource Allocation view................................................................................................ 108

To choose a resource to view ............................................................................................................. 110

RESOLVING OVERALLOCATIONS .................................................................................................. 113

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

PRINT PREVIEW ....................................................................................................................................... 130

What can I print?................................................................................................................................ 131

PROJECT SUMMARY REPORT ................................................................................................................... 135

The Page Setup window...................................................................................................................... 137

Header ................................................................................................................................................ 138

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

Microsoft Project 2000 - Introduction

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

Orientation to Microsoft Project

Getting to Know Microsoft Project 2000

Microsoft Project is a package that assists the user in designing,

and with a set of predefined resources.

“Project management” can be very complicated and so Microsoft Project

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

Quick Preview The preview explains what Microsoft Project 2000

Exit via the X in the top right hand corner.

Whenever you move your mouse pointer over these

On many pages the Hyperlink will invite you to ‘Begin

a lesson’. Clicking this will take you down to another

back a frame, or leave the lesson and return back up

Click on Home at any time to get back to the welcome

Project Map A map of the phases of project management. This

option opens up the screen you see below.

left hand side of the screen. Click on any activity and

Office Assistant This leads you to the standard Microsoft Office

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

Reference Reference guide to the fields etc within Microsoft

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

underlined on the keyboard.

There are 13 toolbars in Project 2000, 2 of which appear by default

will appear to show you what the button is designed to do.

Microsoft programs, New, File Open and so on as far as the Web

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

The Standard Toolbar

Office Assistant The Office Assistant is an interactive helper that will

FOR USE AT THE LICENSED SITE(S) ONLY

The Formatting Toolbar

Promote and demote task