Microsoft Project (Session 2019-2020)

MS Learning Session 1 (Introduction)

PLANNING This is the stage prior to the commencement of the project tasks. This
takes place at a date before the project start date.

1 Double click on MSProject icon

2 Look through the Welcome to MSProject screen (if it appears)
3 Exit the Welcome screen and return to MSProject opening Bar Chart
4 Go to File, New and notice the different options for opening templates etc. Select
Blank project.
5 Go to File, Options, Schedule and check that the Scheduling Options for this
Project the New Tasks Created is set to Auto Scheduled.
6 Go to Project, Project Information. Set Project Start date at DD/MM/YY (use
06/01/2020), OK
7 Go to Project, Change Working Time, and confirm the default i.e. Saturday and
Sunday are non -working time.
8 Return to blank Bar Chart and under TASK NAME key in START and in
DURATION column key in 0. This is a Milestone, not an activity
9 Under TASK NAME key in A and DURATION 20
10 Repeat for B,C,D,E and F and enter DURATIONS 8,16,5,8 and 14.
11 In TASK NAME put in Key Project Milestone with Duration 0. This is a
Milestone, not an activity – hence the zero duration.
12 Finally, key in FINISH with DURATION 0
13 Drag back the bar chart screen to reveal PREDECESSORS or add a new column.
14 For Activity A, key in 1 in the column. That is A depends on the START which
has the unique number in the left-hand column of 1.
15 At B, key in 1 also, likewise at C
16 At D, key in 8
17 At E, key in 8
18 At F, 2
19 At Key Project Milestone, key in 3,7
20 At FINISH key in 4,5,6 That is C,D and E
21 Save plan to your flash drive. Save As 'plan1 2019 2020', but Without Baseline
22 Go to View, Zoom, Entire Project. Look at bar chart and check finish date
(03/03/2020)
23 Go to Project, Project Information, Statistics look at data, reconfirm finish date
24 Go to Project, Change Working Time. Go to Create New Calendar and make
a copy of the Standard Calendar called ‘Working Weekends in Winter 2020’.
Make Saturday and Sunday for January, February and March working time, In
the Exceptions tab type ‘Weekends in Winter 2020’ and in Details set the button
to Working Times and the Recurrence Pattern to Weekly and Saturday and
Sunday and set the Start and Finish dates, OK
25 Go to Project, Project Information, and change the Calendar to ‘Working
Weekends in Winter 2020’
26 Confirm new completion date (16/02/2020)
27 Go to View and Network Diagram. Then View, Zoom, Zoom Out. Notice that
Zoom Entire Project is not available due to the scale.
28 Now go to View, Tracking Gantt (in the Gantt Menu). To see the project go to
View, Zoom, Entire Project. See the bar chart with the Critical Path in red.
29 Go to View, Tables, Cost and in Fixed Cost enter the fixed costs.
30 Go to Project, Project Information, Statistics and check the project cost.
(£31,100)
31 In Report, go to Visual Reports and examine a variety of reports including
Baseline Cost Report. In the Assignment Usage tab you can adjust the
information to be included in your report
32 In the Task Bar select Copy Picture and follow the options selecting the
information that is to be included in your report. Save this as a Gif file for export
to other programmes.
33 If satisfied that this is the final Plan resave as 'plan2 2019 2020',

34 To add a baseline go to the Project Tab and Set Baseline. There are options for
up to 11 Baselines and also Interim Plans. You can now resave the plan. As work
is undertaken it will be compared to the plan.

CONTROL This is the stage when the project gets underway and control is required
in order that the programme is achieved. The date when this is done is after the
project start date.

35 Re-examine the Tracking Gantt. Black relates to the original plan, blue and red
to the actual plan. As work gets under way actual data and progress may well be
different to plan. This requires control by management.
36 Double click on activity A. This provides a screen in which progress data can be
entered. Change the Start Date A by a delay of 2 days. If the Planning Wizard
asks you to select 3 choices, consider these and select the middle option – move
the task and keep the link.
37 Re-examine the Tracking Gantt and Project, Project Information, Statistics
noting changes. (Finish is now 18/02/2020 and Key Project Milestone is later).
38 Double click on activity C. In the Advanced tab change from Start as soon as
possible to as late as possible. Look at effect on Tracking Gantt (activity C is
now critical). This illustrates the effect of activity float. Note critical activities
have no float.
39 The percentage completion can be recorded for each activity as the project
proceeds.

PROJECT DATA
ACTIVITY MILESTONE DURATION DEPENDS ON FIXED
COST £
- START 0 - 10000
A - 20 START 5000
B - 8 START 600
C - 16 START 2000
D - 5 WATERTIGHT 3500
E - 8 WATERTIGHT 5500
F - 14 A 4500
- KEY PROJECT 0 B,F -
MILESTONE
- FINISH 0 C,D,E -