Intro Part 2 Manual

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2
Course Objectives .................................................................................................... 4

Structuring a project ................................................................................................ 5
Creating Expanded Tasks ................................................................................................................... 5
Cross Chart linking .............................................................................................................................. 6
Summarybar level formatting .............................................................................................................. 7
Hammock Tasks ....................................................................................................... 8
Necking to show the location of subordinate tasks ........................................................................ 9
Hiding Tasks..................................................................................................................................... 9
Viewing Hammocks in the project View......................................................................................... 10
BufferTasks ............................................................................................................. 11
Task Pools ............................................................................................................... 13
Reporting in the Table ............................................................................................ 14
To add new columns ...................................................................................................................... 14
To move the position of columns................................................................................................... 15
Saving the Table............................................................................................................................ 15
Table definition ............................................................................................................................... 15
Unique Task ID Numbering .................................................................................... 16
Displaying Unique Task ID codes ..................................................................................................... 16
Renumbering Unique Task ID codes ................................................................................................ 16
User Defined Fields ................................................................................................ 18

Baselines ................................................................................................................. 19
Creating Baselines ............................................................................................................................ 19
Displaying the baseline ..................................................................................................................... 21
To change the colour of the baseline ............................................................................................ 21
To hide a baseline from the view ................................................................................................... 22
To choose specific baselines to show or hide ............................................................................... 22
Merging ............................................................................................................................................. 22
Reverting to a baseline ..................................................................................................................... 23
Importing/Exporting a baseline ......................................................................................................... 24
Reporting Variances against a Baseline ........................................................................................... 25
Progressing the Project ......................................................................................... 26

Working with Multiple Progress Periods ........................................................................................... 26
Updating Progress using the table ................................................................................................... 27
The Progress Cycle ........................................................................................................................... 29
Displaying progress in the bar chart ................................................................................................. 30
Reporting progress in the table ........................................................................................................ 30
Displaying progress data for specific progress periods ................................................................ 30
Displaying Planned v Actual data in the spreadsheet ................................................................... 32
Recording progress of notes ......................................................................................................... 33
Jagged Progress View ...................................................................................................................... 34
Editing the view ...................................................................................................... 37
Reporting using Filters ........................................................................................... 37
Creating a New Filter using the Filter Wizard ................................................................................... 37
To turn a filter off ............................................................................................................................ 40
Sorting and Grouping the project ......................................................................... 40
Creating a Sort .................................................................................................................................. 40
To remove a sort ............................................................................................................................ 42
Annotations ............................................................................................................. 42
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Creating text annotations .................................................................................................................. 42

Attaching annotations to tasks ...................................................................................................... 43
Inserting data fields into text annotations ......................................................................................... 43
Creating Auto annotations ................................................................................................................ 44
Working with Views ................................................................................................ 45
Saving a view .................................................................................................................................... 45
Copy views from one project to another .......................................................................................... 46
Specifying the views to open when a project is reopened ............................................................... 47
Creating Templates ................................................................................................ 48
Appendix ................................................................................................................. 49
Creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) ..................................................... 49
Creating Work Breakdown Numbering (WBN) for a project ............................................................. 50
Creating a separate WBS Structure.................................................................................................. 52
Progress Options .................................................................................................... 54
Using Overall % Complete to update progress................................................................................ 54
Progress Entry Mode ..................................................................................................................... 54
Snapping ........................................................................................................................................ 55
Using Duration % Complete to update progress ............................................................................. 56
Glossary .................................................................................................................. 57
Exercises ................................................................................................................. 59
Exercise 1 – House Build .................................................................................................................. 59
Exercise 2 – Building a project schedule .......................................................................................... 60
Exercise 3 – Baselines and Progress ................................................................................................ 61
Exercise 4 - Filters and Sorts ............................................................................................................ 62
Introduction to Powerproject, Part 2 - What Next? ............................................. 63

4
Course Objectives
During the day you will learn how to:

 Develop the project into a hierarchy of sub charts
 Use Task Pools to aid project creation
 Use Buffer Tasks & Hammocks
 Create Tables & User Defined fields
 Create Filters and Sorts
 Work with views on a project
 Use baselines to monitor programmes
 Update progress using Multiple Progress Periods
 Create a Template
Topics will be backed up by exercises
This booklet is yours to take away
Please feel free to add any notes you feel are relevant
Please ask any questions
 = Note, something of  = Warning, something

interest to make you aware of.

5
Structuring a project
Project management is not only about defining tasks and setting up their dependencies, it is also
about organising the different parts of a project into a coordinated whole.
Powerproject lets you organise your project using Summary Tasks to group related tasks
together and Expanded Tasks to break down the project into detail.
In Module 1, we learnt how to use summary bars to structure a project. This section explains how
you can use charts to create a project hierarchy.
Creating Expanded Tasks

Expanded tasks allow a project to be organised as a hierarchical tree of charts, gradually breaking
the project down further and further into more and more detail. These new Charts are clearly
displayed in the Project View. Tasks within the charts can be summarised to structure the work
within each chart.
Any existing task can be converted into an expanded task or a new task can be created and
made into an expanded task.
To add more detail into our project without overly complicating the chart we will create a new task
called Landscaping within which further detail will be contained.
 Create a task by entering a task name and duration

into the table e.g. Landscaping
 In the bar chart, place the mouse over the task and
right click on it:
 Select Make into > Expanded
The task becomes a new chart in the project hierarchy. To access the new chart either:
 Left click on the new chart in the Project View

Or
 Double click on the expanded task on the bar chart
Create tasks and plan your work in this new chart as normal.
To return to the main ‘Programme’ chart of the project:
 Select Programme from the project view or select Up

one level from the Quick Access Toolbar at the top
your screen

6
At programme level, the expanded task is displayed with a critical appearance. It takes its
duration from the tasks held within it and its position at the start date of the project.
The expanded task can now be linked into the project just like a normal task.
Cross Chart linking
Sometimes it is necessary to show logic links between tasks held in different charts in your
project or between the root chart of your project and tasks held in sub-charts. These links can be
made by bringing the tasks onto one screen to enable links to be drawn between them or by
using the Link From/To dialogue.
To display the tasks from different charts on one screen:
 Click on Programme in the Project View

 Hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and also click on the
expanded chart in the Project View
Tasks from both charts are now displayed on the same screen and links can be drawn between
tasks as required.
Alternatively, the Link From/To dialogue can be used. This is useful if the tasks are not near to
each other and links cannot easily be drawn between them.
 Right click on the required task in whichever chart of your project

 Select Linking > Add Link . The Link from/to dialogue appears.
 Enter the name of the task you are linking to in the ‘Task Name’ field and click Link

7
Summarybar level formatting

On the Construction Template, summary bars are displayed with a coloured banding. The Table
cell colour and font, as well as the background colour for that row on the bar chart, can be edited.
Each level of the project can be defined.
 In the Project view right click on any Summary bar and select Appearance
 Choose the text colour, background colour and font style and size of your choice:
To control the appearance of the summary row colour on the spreadsheet & bar chart.
 On the Format tab click the Format Bar Chart command

 On the General tab you can choose to show Summary row colouring on the Spreadsheet,
Bar chart and also show banding down the left-hand side of the spreadsheet

8
Hammock Tasks
Hammocks are used to show an overview of related tasks that are not next to each other in the
project. Like summaries & expanded tasks, hammock tasks take their total duration from the
tasks within them.
 Select an empty bar of the project by clicking on the line

number
 On the Home tab, in the Insert section, select Hammock

 Name the Hammock task
To add tasks to a Hammock
 Right click on a task

 Select ‘Add to Hammock’ from the list
 Select the hammock if there is more than one and click OK
 Repeat to add additional tasks
A copy of each task is shown within the hammock:
To remove tasks from a Hammock
 Right click on a task

 Select ‘Remove from Hammock’ from the list

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Necking to show the location of subordinate tasks

The appearance of the hammock and summary tasks can be changed by ‘necking’ or ‘pinching’ it
to show where the subordinate tasks are located.
 Right click on the Bar chart

 Select Format Bar chart from the Format tab on the ribbon or right click anywhere on the
Bar chart & select Format Bar Chart from the list
 Tick neck summary tasks to show where no tasks
This will now show necking in the summary bars and your hammocks. The necked areas show
where there are no tasks.
Hiding Tasks
It is possible to hide certain tasks from display. For example, hide hammocks before printing.
They can easily be put back onto display at any time.
In order to hide specific bars or tasks, first mark them for hiding.
 Right-click the bar or task and select Mark for Hiding from
the menu that appears
 Once items are marked, hide them from view at any time by
clicking the Hide/Show command on the Format tab.
Clicking it again will unhide the tasks

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To unmark the items so they are not hidden in future:
 Right click on the task/bar

 Select ‘Mark for Hiding’ again to unmark the items
Viewing Hammocks in the project View
Hammocks can optionally be displayed in the project view. This is useful for viewing the contents
of the hammock independently of the project or printing just the contents of the hammock.
 In the project view, select the hammock

 This will update the table and bar chart to show just the contents of the hammock
From the project view, select programme to return to the whole project.
If the hammocks cannot be seen in the Project View.
 Select File, Options and the View tab

 In the top left-hand corner, select Show
types
 If the hammocks option is not ticked,

apply a tick and click ok
 There is also the option to right click in the project view and select ‘Show Hammocks’
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BufferTasks
Most projects will have a period of contingency planned into the program to allow for delays.
This could be hidden by being planned into the duration of each task. Alternatively, it could be
marked by using a finish constraint on the desired completion date, resulting in float throughout
the program if tasks finish earlier than the constrained date.
Buffer tasks can be used to collect the entire contingency of a plan, making it explicit. Buffer
tasks protect important dates and reduce excess float.
A buffer contributes to the Critical Path calculation, but when its start date is affected, it will
shrink or expand in duration without moving beyond its finish date or the start date of successor
tasks, filling time that may otherwise show as float on a project and thereby protecting the Critical
Path.
This technique is often referred to as Critical Chain .
Consider the example below:
There are two types of buffer tasks:
 Feeder buffers – which sit within the project protecting key dates of successor tasks. If a
task has an outgoing link, it is a feeder buffer.
 Project buffers – usually the last task in a project protecting a specified finish date. The task
has no outgoing link and will have a deadline flag applied to it when created.
Buffer tasks will only move beyond their finish date, or delay the start of successor tasks, once
they are completely consumed, at which point they are turned automatically into finish milestones.
To create a Buffer:
 Create a new task with the required contingency duration or select an existing task within the
project
 The task must be linked into the project and rescheduled so that it takes up the correct
position within the project

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 Right Click on the task and select Make Into > Buffer Task
Fig 1 The Handover date must be maintained. A ‘Finish On’ constraint has been applied.
The project is currently planned to finish earlier so there is currently float in the project. The Snag
task will be made into a Buffer Task to hold this contingency while protecting the end date
 If the task has no successors (project buffer) a deadline flag is applied to it

 If the task is within the project (feeder buffer) then the successor task will need to be
constrained by a flag or by some other task within the project. (as above)
 Reschedule
The Buffer Task expands to fill the duration up to the Handover date & the Critical Path is restored
in the project

13
Task Pools
Task pools allow a ‘series of tasks’ to be saved, such as those for a particular build type or house
plan.
Any tasks grouped together under summary bars (or in expanded tasks) to form ‘phases’ of work
in a project, can be copied to Task Pools. These can then be copied through the programme to
show repeated work or used as a starting point in new programmes.
To create a new task pool:
 Right click on the relevant summary bar on either the bar chart or the project view
 Select ‘Copy to task pool’
 The task pool is displayed in the project view.

The Task Pool can be used again in the same project or if saved as part of a project template can
be used in future projects
To add this group of tasks into a project:

 Move the cursor over the task pool in the project view
 Click and drag the task pool onto the bar chart
Click & drag to add the

tasks in the pool to a
project plan
The group of tasks are copied into the project.

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Reporting in the Table

The Table can be customised to display whatever project information is required. Columns
contain Fields, which read data from the project, i.e., Finish date, Start date, Percent Complete.
Columns can be added, edited and deleted from a table.
The columns on display can be saved as a Table so that it can be applied to other Bar Chart
views. For example, one table for entering new tasks and another for assigning progress.
To add new columns

 Right click on an existing column heading and select Add Column
 Choose a Field category (e.g. Identification ) and then choose a field (e.g. Notes )
 The Table Definition Properties will pop up. This can be used to change the Appearance &
Attributes for that column if required
 Click Close

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To move the position of columns

 Place the cursor at the top of a column heading so that the select/move When
cursor is displayed: cursor is
displayed, left
click and drag to
move column
 Left click & drag column to desired position
Saving the Table

 In the View tab, click the Table command
 Select Save As
 Give the table a new name
 Choose a Category in which to save the table if

desired
To switch between different tables:
 Click the Table command and select from the

list of saved tables
Table definition
Table Definition is the properties box for the table you are in. It can also be used to create new
tables and is useful for setting more specific attributes to produce more advanced tables e.g.
changing a column title, referencing a token to a baseline rather than to the live project:
 Right click on a column heading and select Table Definition
Edit the title &

Left click on a field position of a selected
title to change the fields column heading
field. Right click to
select the field
Specify that a field

should display
Baseline data or data
from a specific task
on a line.
Add/remove columns
& change their
position

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Unique Task ID Numbering

Powerproject generates a unique identification number for each task in a project.
The ID, which is created automatically each time a task is created, can be a combination of an
alphanumerical prefix string, defined by the user, and a number. As each new task is created
within a project, the number is incremented by an amount that can be sepcified. A minimum
number of digits can be specified for the task ID if required. If so, Powerproject pads out smaller
IDs with zeros to bring them up to the minimum width. The unique task IDs are used as a way of
identifying the tasks within the project.
If bars and tasks are copied from one project to another, unique task IDs are maintained in the
copied tasks, unless any of the IDs conflict with IDs in the destination project.
Unique ID Numbering should be defined before you start creating tasks.
 Select the Project tab, Unique Task ID’s, Unique ID Numbering
Displaying Unique Task ID codes

To view Unique Task ID’s in the Table, add a column containing the Unique Task ID field from
the Identification Category.
Renumbering Unique Task ID codes

If new tasks have been added or moved in the project, the numbers can fall out of sequence &
could be confusing. Users can manually change ID numbers to suit their requirements or
Powerproject can automatically renumber task as defined by the user.

17
To renumber all the tasks in view:
 Select the Project tab, Unique Task ID’s, Unique

ID Renumbering
 Enter a Prefix if required. This can be

a letter or number.
 Enter a Numeric suffix that should be

added to the prefix and applied to the
first of the tasks to create the unique
task ID
 Enter an Increment for each ID

 Specify the Scope and behaviour if ID
conflicts occur
 Click Apply
All tasks are re numbered to the set requirements

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User Defined Fields

Within Powerproject, users can add their own “user fields” to tables in the database. For
example, there may be a need to add fields to show delay notes, progress comments or if a task
has been approved.
Creating user fields for the projects:
First, the project must be saved. The User Field Manager will not be available if there is any
unsaved information
 Click Save
 In the Project tab select the User Field
Manager command
 In the Object Type select ‘Bar’

 Click Add
 Select the type of field that requires creating:
• String – a text field, e.g. for a name or comment field
• Integer – a field for whole numbers
• Float – a field for decimal numbers
• Duration – a field for recording a combination of numbers

and letters e.g. 2w 3d
• Boolean – a True/False field, e.g. for an option that can be

on or off. Boolean fields might be shown as check boxes or
drop-down controls providing Yes/No or True/False options
• Date – a date/time field, e.g. to record the date or time
• URL – A hyperlink field
 Enter a User Field Name. Do not include spaces

 Click OK, then Close
 The field name will not accept spaces. If using more than 1 word in the Name (e.g. QA Approved)
then use an underscore (_) between the words. When the column is added into the table, use table
definition to edit out the ‘_’ in the title
To add the user field to a table:
 Right click on an existing column heading and select Add Column

 Choose the User Fields category and then choose your new User Defined Field
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Baselines
Baselines are created to record the project at a particular point in time (e.g. for recording the
contract programme). This allows you to compare current information with planned information. A
baseline is a record of all or any part of a project including bars, tasks, links, resource/cost
allocations, libraries, histograms and annotations. Creating a baseline allows you to forecast
using what if scenarios and can be useful with claim situations.
Creating Baselines
 In the Project tab, choose the Baseline Manager command
 Click New. The Baseline Wizard appears
 Enter a name for the baseline and a description if required e.g. Contract Programme
 The Next button will become active once details have been completed. Click Next to
continue to the next stage.
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 On the Scope screen, choose ‘All tasks in the current view’.

 If you are at the top level of the project this will include any tasks held within expanded tasks or
sub charts (N.B., you can alternatively choose to baseline a selection from the programme)
 Click Next to continue

 Check the information is correct on the final screen
 Select Finish
The Baseline/What If manager box is displayed.

21
 Click on the name of the baseline to see the baseline details
 N.B. The baseline has a tick under ‘Current’ indicating that it is the current baseline that will be
used for reporting.
Displaying the baseline
The Baseline will appear as a second line mirroring the task above. (N.B. Should the programme
change e.g. an anticipated delay; the baseline will not move)
Live project Live tasks showing a delay

matching baseline against a baseline project
To change the colour of the baseline

 Select the appropriate baseline
 Click the appearance colour bar at the bottom left
 Click Close

22
To hide a baseline from the view
 In the Format tab, choose the Show/hide baselines command
To choose specific baselines to show or hide
 Select the Format tab on the ribbon

 Click the Baselines drop down
 Select the baseline(s) to be displayed

Merging
It is possible to merge extra data into a baseline. It may be that data was missed off or came later
but must be incorporated into the original baseline.

 Select the baseline to merge the new data in to & select Merge
 Amend the description of the baseline if required

 Click Next
 Select the data to be baselined

23
 Choose how the existing baseline will be affected by the merge. If only adding additional
data, then choose Add new data only. If the original data has changed choose the 2nd
option or a full update to include any deleted data
 Click Next
 If the Summary details are correct click Finish
Your baseline will be updated to record the changes made to your project.
Reverting to a baseline
When planning a project, several versions of the plan may be created & baselined to depict
various ‘what if’ scenarios. If it is decided to adopt one of these scenarios as the project plan, it is
possible to 'Revert' the project to that baseline.
To revert a project to a baseline

 Select the baseline you want to revert to and click Revert To
 Select from the Revert Options group and Overwrite to revert the whole project to the
baseline
 Click Close
 Click OK to revert to the baseline
All tasks will now move back to their positions recorded in that baseline

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Importing/Exporting a baseline
A Powerproject file can be imported into another project as a baseline. This is useful if you have
saved a copy of the project but now wish to make comparisons within the project file.
 Click Import
 Select the project to import as a baseline and click Open
 Select if tasks should be matched using internal Object Id’s or Unique task id’s
 Click OK
The project will be displayed in the Baseline Manager and can be displayed in the bar chart or
reported in the table
Similarly, baselines can be exported to be opened or saved as separate files rather than
remaining embedded to the project.
 Select Export
 Enter a name and location for the baseline file
 Click Save

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Reporting Variances against a Baseline

As the project progresses users may wish to report variances between the baseline information &
the ‘Live’ project data. This is easily done using the spreadsheet. Many columns – Start dates,
Finish dates, durations can be customised to display baseline data. In this example we will create
a table to display the Finish Date variance against a baseline.
Create a table with the following columns
Date Category
 Within the Table Definition edit the Column Title of the 1 st

Finish column to rename the
column ‘Planned Finish’
 Edit the Data to show the ‘Current Baseline’
The table will now show the planned v live end dates & the variance

26
Progressing the Project

Once the project is underway, users should record its progress at regular intervals. Recording
progress ensures that the project is kept up to date and allows visibility to see if work is
progressing as planned or if there are delays. It also ensures that users know how much work
remains to be done to complete the project and will give a projected programme end date.
Working with Multiple Progress Periods
Powerproject allows users to create multiple report dates so that progress can be recorded
against each date. This gives benefits over using a single progress line, which is re-dated each
time we want to update more progress, because it allows us to record when the work was carried
out and keep more accurate As-built records.
Progress Periods are created in the Library Explorer
To create weekly progress periods
 Open the Library Explorer by selecting on the Quick Access Toolbar
 Select the Progress Period folder
 In the right-hand pane, double click on the default ‘Project Report Date’.
 Rename it to Week 1; choose a Report date 1 week into your project. Edit the Vertical
Progress style (Drop down line colour) and Fill Style (Progress colour on task) if desired
 Note that the time of the date defaults to 00:00 (midnight). Therefore, to set a report date of
Friday you would need to change the time or choose the next day at 00:00 to ensure that Friday’s work is
included.
 Select Close
 Right click in the space below Week 1 and select ‘New Progress Period’
27
 Name it ‘Week 2’ then press Enter on the keyboard

 Date of week 2 has defaulted to 7 days after week 1 and the next colour has been selected.
Press Enter
 Type ‘Week 3’, Press Enter etc.:
 Close the Library Explorer

 If weekly progress dates aren’t what is required, change the date of week 2 as required. If users
choose regular intervals between your dates, Powerproject will recognise the pattern & default to these
intervals after three dates have been set.
Updating Progress using the table

The process of updating progress using multiple progress periods is similar to using a single
progress line, except the required ‘Progress Entry Date’ & corresponding progress line is
selected each time progress is entered instead of changing the date of the single report line.
The easiest way to update progress is using the spreadsheet
1. Display Progress Table
Ensure the required progress columns are displayed in the table for entering project progress,
either by selecting an existing table or creating a new table.
If creating a new table, the following columns could be added to the default table.
Default Progress Date Identification

Table Category Category Category
2. Display the Progress Line
To view the progress drop line on the Bar Chart:
 On the Format tab select the Progress lines toggle

switch:
This will display a line for the current ‘Progress Entry

Date’. By default, this is the earliest progress period (the
1st Progress Period date that you set in the library)

28
3. Set the Progress Entry Period
Before entering progress, ensure the progress is being recorded against the correct progress
period. The current ‘Progress Entry Date’ is shown in the Progress section on the Home Tab.
It is also indicated in the Project View by a red tick
 The first-time progress is entered the earliest date will be set as

the progress report date. In subsequent weeks, change this by
editing the drop down in the Progress section of the home tab
The progress line for the date selected will appear down from the report date and ‘jag’ around the
left-hand side of the appropriate task(s)
4. Enter Progress
 Enter the required progress into the ‘Overall Percent Complete’ column to progress the
tasks. Shading will be shown along the top of the task(s)
5. Reschedule
To see the effects of the progress entered, Powerproject can straighten the progress line and
move any uncompleted tasks to the right of the report date. This will show any variance against
the baseline.
 Select Reschedule

29
When rescheduling the project with multiple progress periods, they are listed in the Straighten
Progress Period drop down list. Select to reschedule to a specific period or select the ‘Progress
entry period’ to use the current period, as specified on the Home tab.
The progress line will straighten, and the uncompleted section of the project will move to the right
of the report date.
Before After
6. Capture Delay Reasons

To record any delay reasons or important notes from the previous week, type in the Notes
column of the spreadsheet.
7. Baseline or Save a copy

After each progress period, the projects progress could be be stored by taking another Baseline.
This is useful to keep a record of the project dates at the end of each progress period, especially
if ‘undo’ is used to return to the jagged line.
 Baselines are embedded in the Powerproject file, if the project file is large, it may be better to take
a copy of the project as a record of progress which could be imported in as a baseline at a later date for
reporting purposes.
The Progress Cycle
This process can be repeated each time the project is updated.
7. Baseline/Save
a Copy
1. Display
Progress Table
6. Capture delay
reasons
2. Display the
progress line
5. Reschedule
3. Set progress
entry period
4. Enter progress

30
Displaying progress in the bar chart

There are various formatting options to control the appearance of progress in the bar chart
 Select Format Bar Chart on the Format tab

 Select the Progress tab
Reporting progress in the table

Displaying progress data for specific progress periods
One benefit of using multiple progress periods is to display progress data for the specific
progress periods used. Within the ‘Table Definition’, it is possible to specify the attributes of many
different fields to report on a specific progress period. In this example, we will use the ‘Overall
Percent Complete’ field.
 Right click on a column & select Add Column

 Select the Progress Category and select Overall Percent Complete
The Table Definition Properties appears

31
 Select the Overall Percent Complete column from the fields on the left.
 Rename the column title to ‘Week 1 Progress’ and change the Progress Period to look at
‘Week 1’
 Tick the Cumulative box

 Click Add to add a 2 nd
‘Overall Percent Complete’ column
 Select the column and rename it to ‘Week 2 Progress’. This column should point to the
‘Week 2’ Progress Period.
 Repeat as required
 The spreadsheet will show the specific progress percentages for each week
 Notice the figures are cumulative. To show the % Complete of a task entered at a specific
progress period, untick the option to make the figures cumulative.

32
Displaying Planned v Actual data in the spreadsheet

It is useful to compare planned and actual progress data in the table.
All planned data within Powerproject comes from the Baseline.
The actual data is what has been recorded against the live tasks in the project.
In this example, we will create a table to show planned and actual start and finish dates of the
tasks in the project
 Right click on the Finish column in the Default table.

 Select Add Column > Date > Actual Start
 In the Table Definition click Add and select the ‘Actual Finish’ field
 Select the ‘Start’ field and rename the column title to ‘Planned Start’
 In the detail section, set the ‘Data’ field point the column to look at the Current Baseline (as
shown on next page)
 Repeat to rename ‘Finish’ and point this to the baseline

33
The spreadsheet will be populated with all the relevant data:
Recording progress of notes

It is useful to record notes when updating progress. Progress notes can be entered & date
recorded in the Bar & Task Properties. Any notes imported from Site Progress Mobile are also
stored here.
 Select the ‘Toggle Properties View’ icon at the bottom left hand side of the
Powerproject screen
 Select the Notes tab

 Select a task in the bar chart to which notes are to be recorded.
 Right click in the Dated Notes window on the right-hand side.
 Enter a title & note and click OK

34
 Click the … button to view the note
 The note can be displayed in the Table using the Text Notes field in the Identification category
Jagged Progress View

Sometimes it is required to maintain 2 versions of your progressed project to satisfy the
requirements of both internal & external reporting.
1) A ‘straight line’ version that has been rescheduled and shows all remaining work in the future.
This type of ‘As-Built’ progress report shows any variance against a baseline & potentially a
different projected end date for the project.
2) A ‘jagged line’ version of the project that shows the tasks in their original position but easily
indicates if the project is ahead or behind for the current date by the direction of the progress line.
To satisfy both these requirements a ‘Jagged Progress View’ is available. This uses the baseline
positions of tasks & displays the current live progress values onto these baseline tasks.
This means that users can maintain an accurate ‘Straight line’ programme whilst at any time
viewing a ‘jagged line report’ with progress to date displayed on the tasks in their original planned
positions.
To show the jagged line view:

 Go to the View Menu
 Select View again

 Select the Jagged Progress view
 It is necessary to have 1st taken a

baseline to use this feature

35
Straight-line programme
This programme has been rescheduled after each weekly progress report. The progress line is
straight, all remaining work pushed to the right. The baseline is on display to show the variance
against the Original Plan.
Jagged Progress View
The tasks are shown in their original positions. The line is jagged to show that we are behind. The
shading shows the progress entered each week.
Users have the benefit of ‘Actual’ & ‘Variance’ data in the table even though the tasks are in the
original planned positions.
In Jagged Progress view, the smaller ‘baseline’ tasks shown below the main task actually show
the live task positions. These can be hidden from display by formatting the Bar Chart

36
 Right click on the Bar Chart and select

Format Bar Chart
 Select the Baselines tab
 In the bottom right de-select the tick Show

live tasks
To return to the straight-line programme:
 Go to the View tab and select View

 Select the Jagged Progress view to turn off this on display
 Alternatively click the toggle at the bottom of the screen

37
Editing the view

The ‘view’ of the project is made up of 3 areas. Changes can be made to the appearance of each
of these areas independently.
The Date Zone
The Table
The Bar Chart
In addition to editing the areas above, it is also useful to Filter and Sort the project data
Reporting using Filters

Filters allows users to access only specific information from the project or a subset of the project.
A commonly used filter is based on Code libraries that have been applied to tasks, but it is
possible to also filter by date, cost and many other criteria. Filters will be stored in the filter menu
for future use.
Creating a New Filter using the Filter Wizard

 On the View tab, select the Filter command, then select New
The Filter Properties dialogue appears.

38
 Enter a Name for the filter (e.g. Acme builders only)

 Choose a Category if applicable (e.g. Codes)
 Click Display on Menu to add the filter to the short list of filters
 Click Subheading properties to include a sub-heading band to highlight which part of the
project hierarchy a task is in (as seen on the next page):
 Click OK
 The filter criteria are displayed in a grid. Select Edit
 Choose what types of tasks should be included in the filter and click
Next .

39
 Select the type of information that will be used for the filter e.g. Code Library or Time Slice
etc. Click Next :
 Depending on the choices at previous steps, the specific data needed to filter the results will
be shown. In this case, Code library was selected, so the option to select a specific code
library will be offered
 Click Next
 If the tick box ‘Ask me which code library entries to use each time the filter is applied’ is selected,
the filter will open this page of the filter wizard every time the filter is run

40
 Review the filter that has been created and click Finish.
 Click OK to run the filter
To turn a filter off
 On the View tab click on the filter icon and select No Filter
 Or click on the filter description showing at the bottom of the screen
Sorting and Grouping the project

Within Powerproject, users can sort or group bars and tasks to reorder project according to
certain data such as start date, by code library, their amount of work, their cost, their progress
and many other parameters.
Creating a Sort
We will Sort the project by the Sub Contractors Code library
 On the View tab, select Sort/Group

 Click on New

41
 Enter a Name for this sort, e.g. By Subcontractor

 Select a Category for this sort (if applicable) and tick Display on Menu to show the sort on
the shortlist next time Sort/Group from the View tab is selected.
 In the Type column select Task to sort all tasks in the project
 In the Attribute column select Codes and Sub Contractors
 Tick Insert page break to have a page break at the bottom of each set of data. This will
allow you to print each set of data on a separate page
 If users have assigned multiple codes to the same task, select Show duplicate items for
multiple assignments, which creates a copy of the task in each group of tasks
 The Sub-heading drop down allows users to choose how they want the summary heading to
be displayed, e.g. Sub heading with only a name column

42
 Click OK to apply the sort
To remove a sort
 On the View tab click on Sort/Group and select Natural

Order .
 Or click on the sort description showing at the bottom of the

screen:
Annotations
Annotations are text and graphics that can be include on bar charts to enhance the presentation
of the project.
Creating text annotations

 On the Home or Format tab, click the Text Annotation command
 Take the cursor onto the bar chart. The cursor will be a letter ‘T’
 Left click and drag the mouse downwards & to the right to draw a box:

43
 The text colour, font, style and size can all be adjusted using the Font section of the Home
tab
 Click away to deselect the box

Attaching annotations to tasks
Text annotations can be created to refer to specific tasks in the project. In this case the text box
can be attached to the task so that it stays with it should it move in the project
 Click on the annotation that needs re-positioning
 Hold the left mouse button down, and drag the annotation toward the task that it needs to be
attached to
 The cursor will change to an arrow in a box to indicate how the text box will attach to the
task:
Inserting data fields into text annotations

Powerproject can display ‘Fields’ in annotations in the same way they are used in the Table.
These will update according to the current project data.
 Double click the text annotation so that the cursor is inside

ready to type
 Right click to display a list of available ‘Fields’

 Select a field as required e.g. select Date > Finish
 Click OK at the pop-up box
When deselected, the annotation will display the end date of
the task. If the task should change the annotation will also be
updated.

44
Creating Auto annotations
The properties of the text box can be adjusted to control how it looks in a project e.g., whether
there is a border, set the text into the background of the project or even make the task annotation
appear only against specific tasks in our project
 Left click once on the annotation to select it
 Right click and select Properties
Set to display
annotations ‘in
front’ or ‘behind’
Set a
tasks on your
background
chart
colour and to
display text in a
‘box’
Auto
Annotations
Tick here to
make the
annotation
appear against
every task or
select a filter to
control which
tasks it appears
on.

45
Working with Views

A ‘view’ is a display of the project. A view can display any subset of the project data and present
it with any combination of formatting options. A view can be saved to show the project in this way
again in the future. It is possible to have several views in a project
When saving a project, any changes in the active window are saved to the current view. For
example, if the scale of the date zone is changed, columns are adjusted or specific formatting is
applied to the bar chart, when saving the project all of these changes are saved in the current
view.
It is useful to configure different views to work with in a project. For example, a view that displays
only a subset of filtered tasks, with particular columns displayed in the spreadsheet and specific
bar chart formatting.
A view will record:
• The Date Zone

• The bar chart format settings.
• The spreadsheet.
• Any Filters of Sorts that may be running
• The project scope - that is whichever charts are selected in the project view (and hence are
displayed in the view).
• Whether or not the Project View or Properties Pane is displayed
Once the different areas have been changed, the settings can be saved as a collective called a
‘view’. Each view of a project therefore can display the project in a different way to facilitate
working on the project or presentation & reporting.
Saving a view
Configure the project as required which the relevant table, formatting, filter etc.
 On the View Tab, select Save As

 Give the View a name
Once a view has been opened, it will show as a tab across the top of the project area. Multiple
views can be opened at any time and each view is displayed on its own tab. Views can be
changed by selecting the relevant tab:

46
To open another view:
 Select View on either the Home or View tab and choose the view that needs opening
Copy views from one project to another

It is possible to copy views from one project to another. This is useful if users have set up a view
in one project that they want to use in another project without having to set up the view's
attributes - filter, sort/group etc. again in the other project.
When users copy a view from one project to another, they can specify whether associated
objects, such as the view's filter, sort/group and table, are copied across to the destination
project along with the view itself.
In order to copy a view from one project to another, both projects must be open in Powerproject.
To copy a view from one project to another:
 Open both the project that contains the view that needs copying,
and the project to which it needs copying to, in the view.
 In the project that contains the view that needs copying,

 Select the View option on the View tab and select More Views.
 The More Views dialogue appears
 Select the View that needs to be copied and select Copy

To…

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 The Destination project will display any other projects

that are currently open. Select the project to which it
needs copying.
 Click OK.
Specifying the views to open when a project is reopened
When reopening a Powerproject file users can specify which view(s) will open by default.
• The view that was displayed the last time that the project was open
• All views that were open when the project was closed
• A default View
These options can be chosen by clicking on:
 File > Options > View tab:
 To specify the Default view click Edit

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Creating Templates
Templates are used to make creating a new project as quick as possible, as the template can
contain filters, code libraries, tables and many more items that you may use.
To create a template, it is best to base it on one that already exists (e.g. Construction Template)
as this should already contain some items that may prove useful to each project.
Once this project has opened on the screen users can now create everything they want in the
template (e.g. Filters, Code libraries, Views etc.)
Users can even include titles and tasks within the Bar Chart. This could mean that for the first few
lines of the project, they type in the most common titles (and include tasks if they wish) as it is
quicker to delete something than to create it.
Once everything has been created, to save this project as a template:
 Go to the File menu, select Save As

 Click Browse
 The Projects folder & contents are displayed.
 Go up a level by clicking once on the yellow folder just to the right of the folder window
 Select the Templates folder
 Save the template project to this location by entering a File Name, then click on Save
 Next time a new project needs to be started the template will be displayed
49
Appendix
Creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a system where all the tasks on one level are grouped
together, either by tasks on the level above or by the assignment of a WBS code. A WBS is
useful when users want to break down the work involved in a project, starting from the main
phases of the project and expanding right down to the individual tasks that must be carried out
(see diagrams below).
House build
(1)
Substructure Superstructure Finishes

(1.1) (1.2) (1.3)
Slab Walls Roof

(1.2.1) (1.2.2) (1.2.3)
Some of the benefits for a work breakdown structure are:
 Subdivides the overall project scope into smaller more manageable tasks or work efforts
 Ensures all areas of work are considered
 An ‘owner’ for each task or deliverable can be established and held accountable
 Provides a tool for measuring performance
 Provides a framework to identify projects separately from other projects, funding sources,
accounting sources etc.
 Enables realistic duration and cost estimates
In Powerproject the WBS is typically created using the summary bars and expanded tasks
that will give the physical breakdown of the activities.
If users have created a WBS using summaries & expanded tasks you can use a Work Breakdown
Numbering system (WBN) to help identify tasks & where they occur (at which level of the WBS)
within the project.
Additionally, to this, a WBS Coded structure can be produced which can work separately to the
physical hierarchy.
This next section covers creating a WBN numbering system to use with your project hierarchy
and also creating a WBS Structure as an alternative to defining the project hierarchy using
summaries & expanded tasks.

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Creating Work Breakdown Numbering (WBN) for a project

Tasks within a project can be allocated a work breakdown number (WBN) to help identify them.
Work breakdown numbers are automatically generated for each task, but can be changed at any
time.
To view the Task ID (WBN), display a table column containing the following columns:
 Task ID (WBN)
 Task ID (WBN) pathname
The work breakdown number shows the number for the specific task and the pathname shows
the WBN code of parent tasks, indicating a task’s level in the project hierarchy (its address).
Renumbering the Task ID (WBN) codes

Powerproject can automatically renumber tasks:
 Hold down the Ctrl key and then select the letter A
 Select Tools – Task ID (WBN) Numbering
 The Start Value will be the first task number i.e. 1

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 The Increment will be the progression number, i.e. 1

 The Minimum width is the minimum number of digits found on a single number
 The Path Separator will define how one level of tasks is separated from the next
 The Task Separator will define how one level of tasks on the same line are separated
 The Task ID (WBN) Prefix is a letter or a number which will appear at the start of all Task ID
(WBN) numbers
 Use the Uniqueness options to select if each task number is unique (If not using the
pathname), or is renumbered to restart inside each summary/expanded task (if using the
pathname)
 Use the Renumber options to define if and how renumbering is performed

 Once completed, click OK
Customising Task ID (WBN) codes

Work breakdown numbers can be self generated by typing specific or individual codes into the
Task ID (WBN) column. This is particularly useful for breaking down the hierarchy of the project,
and can beneficial for creating a WBN structure unique to the project or company.
 Edit the Task ID (WBN) code for the Sub Structure summary bar to be “SUB”.
 Press Enter. The code is also shown in the WBN Pathname column
 This summary task now has its own code set by you. Each task has its own ID number
 The WBN Pathname column shows hierarchy code & the tasks held within it show the code
along with the Task id number.
 Press F5 to ‘refresh’ the screen and show the customisations through the WBN pathname
column

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Creating a separate WBS Structure
To create the coded WBS as an alternative to the project hierarchy created using summary &
expanded tasks.
 Open the WBS Management window by clicking the command on the Project tab
 Input the different WBS codes required for each section of work, building up the hierarchy of
WBS codes. NB Powerproject supplied templates will already have an example WBS created
 Click Close
To allocate the WBS codes to tasks
 Open the Project View

 Use the + symbol to open the WBS Hierarchy folder
 Open the relevant levels of the WBN hierarchy:
(Displayed by WBS Code) (Displayed by WBS Name)
 To change the display of the WBS Hierarchy, go to the File tab, select
Options and click on the View tab.

53
 Place the mouse over the WBS code that needs to be allocated
 Press the left mouse button and drag until the cursor is over the task, then release
WBS
Codes can also be reported on using the spreadsheet:
 Add the following columns:
• WBS Code Identification category

• WBS Name Identification category
Once the WBS codes have been added to the tasks, users will need to sort the project in order to
see the WBS hierarchy displayed on the project:
 Go to the View tab and select Sort/Group

 In the WBS category, choose either sort order

54
Progress Options
Using Overall % Complete to update progress
When updating percentage (%) progress on tasks users may think in terms of the % of the tasks
duration that is complete or the % of work that is complete, regardless of the duration of the task.
For example, consider a 1-week task, which is 50% complete.

Does the user want to record that they have spent 2.5 days on the task & there are 2.5 days
remaining (50% of the tasks planned duration, i.e. a Duration % measure) or do they want to
record that they have completed 50% of the work, regardless of the amount of time they have
spent on the task or how much is remaining? (Users may have spent the whole week working but
have only completed 50% i.e. an Overall % measure).
When using Overall Percent Complete to apply progress the % entered will remain the same
even if the overall duration of the task changes. If using a duration Percent Complete the %
entered will always be expressed in relation to the duration of the task & will change if the
remaining duration changes.
The default in the Construction Template is for Overall Percent Complete
When entering progress, you may want to consider the options available that can affect how
progress is applied to your tasks.
 In the File tab, select

 Choose the Progress tab
Progress Entry Mode
 Leave the default setting as Update duration in step if you would like the actual duration of
the task (the duration that has been completed) to be updated according to the % of
progress entered

55
Or
 Select Fill to progress line if you would like the Actual Duration to automatically fill up to the
current report line. This indicates that you have worked on the task continuously to achieve
the % entered and will push the remaining duration to the right of the report line
This option can have very different results on the tasks.

Consider a 1-week task that is 50% complete at the report date of 25th April.
Update duration in step
This is the default setting.
The tasks Actual Duration has been updated in step with the progress % entered so 2d 4h shows
as completed
The progress line shows as ‘jagged’. Reschedule to straighten the progress line & move the
remaining duration to the next working date.
Fill to progress line
The tasks Actual Duration has been updated up to the progress line, showing that we have spent
1 week (5d) working on the task but we are only 50% complete. The remaining duration is
calculated based on 50% of the original planned duration, which means the task duration has
changed to 1w 2.5 days.
Snapping
By default, snapping is enabled so that Actual and remaining durations are rounded to full days.
 Un- Tick the box if you do not want progress to snap to the selected time unit (e.g.
Days).
The actual duration will be calculated exactly as per the % progress entered and may result in
partial days remaining. (E.g. 5-day task with 50% done will leave 2d 4h left. If snapping to the
nearest day it will read 3d remaining.

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With Snapping
Without Snapping
Using Duration % Complete to update progress
If users prefer to update progress using a duration-based measure of %, they will need to change
the option for the ‘Ribbon, toolbar progress controls & percent complete field’ on the Progress
tab of the Options dialogue.
 Select File, Options and the Progress tab
This will change the ribbon, Object-Edit toolbar, ‘Percent Complete’ field to use a duration-based
measure. You can then use the Percent Complete field instead of Overall Percent Complete in
your spreadsheet columns.
 There is no snapping option when updating by duration percent

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Glossary
Bar
Horizontal area, identified by a line number, containing information in the Spreadsheet and one or more
tasks on the bar chart.
Bar Chart
The area of the screen where Tasks are displayed graphically.
Buffer
A Task that is used to collect Float and protect the Critical Path through the project. It achieves this by
having a duration which increases or decreases in response to project
Code (Colour)
A facility to allow the assignment of colours to tasks to represent information about the task.
Code Library
This is the library (or folder) that contains Codes, allowing you to have multiple ‘categories’ of codes
Constraint (Flags)
These are used to enforce dates when a Task can happen outside of the logic defined by the links.
(stopping a task starting before a certain date, or stopping a task finishing after a certain date). Using
Constraint Flags within the project can have a major effect on your Critical Path
Critical Path
This is the sequence of tasks though a project whose duration affects the project end date & the overall
project duration. If any of the tasks on the critical path are changed the end date of the project will
change. It is shown as a red outline on Tasks and as red Links.
Date Zero
Normally at the start of the project, but it can be moved without affecting the project. Date Zero is the
point where the elapsed week ruler in the Date Zone starts counting.
Date Zone
This is the area above your project that contains rulers of information (e.g. Elapsed week numbers, week
start).
Expanded Task
This type of task is similar to a Summary Task in that it is used to group together Tasks within the
project. Unlike a Summary Task, the content is held off the main chart in its own Sub Chart.
Filter
This is a tool that will leave on screen only those items that meet a particular criteria, for example all the
items that a particular contractor is doing (Code based filtering) or everything happening during a 6
week period (time based filtering) even to show only those items that have been completed (Progress
based filtering)
Library Explorer
An area that allows you to navigate all of the folders of items used in your project. (Cost Centres,
Calendars, Codes, Permanent Resources etc.) Some library items are displayed in the Project View
others can only be viewed & edited from the Library explorer (e.g. Exceptions, Link Categories, and
Currency)

58
Link
The relationship between two tasks, displayed as an arrow. If shown in red, then the link is Critical.
Progress (Period)
The progress report date; the date at which progress is updated to the project. Can be displayed as a
line going down the screen that will bend to the left to show items behind time and bend to the right to
show items ahead of time.
Project View
The white window that opens on the left-hand side of the screen. Used to navigate around the project,
and to view & assign items into the project like Code Libraries, Cost Centres, Permanent Resources,
Consumable Resources and Calendars.
Sort
To Re-order the project according to a set of criteria. E.g. the project tasks could group together all the
tasks according to the code that has been assigned to them.
Spreadsheet (Table)
This is the yellow and white stripped table down the left-hand side of the screen (assuming the Project
View is closed) The Spreadsheet is made up of different columns which contain data fields. Columns can
be removed, added and moved within a table.
Summary
This type of task groups together Tasks on screen. The tasks can be rolled up & hidden so only the
summary is shown. Items are grouped because they share certain information, for example, summaries
could be used to group together all the Tasks on different floors. A Summary could also be used to show
different phases or stages within a project. Multiple summaries can be placed inside of each other
allowing a project structure or hierarchy to be created.
Task
The activities that appear within a Bar on the Bar Chart.
Task Pool
A series of tasks that are saved to be re used. Useful if the same sequence of tasks is repeated regularly.
The Task Pools are displayed in the project view.
Template
A template is a project file that is used when creating a new project. A Template typically contain items
needed in all new projects i.e. Calendars, Permanent Resources, Cost Centres, Code Libraries, Task
Pools.
UDF
A User Defined Field. The software already has a large range of data fields that can be used. UDF’s are
created by the user for additional reporting needs e.g. to record notes or have a tick box to indicate
whether an H&S check has been completed.
View
A view is the method used for the software to remember screen settings. When saved the
‘View’ will remember if the Project View is opened or closed, it will remember the current column
configuration within the Spreadsheet. It will also remember the current settings of the Bar Chart, the Date
Zone and finally whether there are any Filters or Sorts running within the program. Putting all of this
together a view is the ability to change all of these settings to a predefined set by only doing one click of
the mouse. The software can have unlimited number of views saved.

59
Exercises
Exercise 1 – House Build

You have decided to build a house and you need to create a programme for its construction.
Information to add when creating a new project
• You will use the Construction Template

• The File Name and Title can be House Build
• The project will start next Monday
Information to enter onto the default calendar

• You will be working the morning of the first 2 Saturdays of the project.
• You will be taking a day’s holiday on the third Friday of the project.
Tasks to enter into spreadsheet
Design 2 weeks
Set up site 3 days
Start on site Milestone
Meeting 1 day
Dig footings 4 days
Brickwork to DPC 1 week
Slab 3 days
Walls 3 weeks
Roof 1 week
Plumbing & Electrics (1st and 2nd fix) 2 days each (Both on one line)
Plastering 1 week
Decorate 6 days
External works 2 weeks
Snagging 3 days
Handover Milestone
Block link all the above tasks Finish to Start and Reschedule to show the critical path.
Summarise your project

Group the following tasks together into summaries
• Design > Set up site = “Pre-Construction”

• Dig footings > Slab = “Sub-Structure”
• Walls + Roof = “Super Structure”
• Plumb & Elec > Snagging = “Finishes”
Indent Start on Site & Meeting so that they are part of the ‘Pre-Construction’ phase
Create a Code Library

You have decided to use 3 subcontractors to build the house.
Create a code library with 3 entries ACME Builders; GOLDSTONE Utilities and SMARTS Decorators.
Choose a colour and pattern of your choice for each, then allocate these codes onto tasks of your
choice.
Edit the display so that your code library is no longer on display.
Save the project.
Click File - Save as and save a copy of this project called ‘Training Project’

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Exercise 2 – Building a project schedule
Open the file called ‘House Build – Exercise’
Create an Expanded task
You want to plan the construction work for this project.
• Create a task called construction and ‘Make into’ an expanded task.

• Construction will begin when you have reached the ‘Start on Site’ milestone. Enter the link logic.
• Navigate to the construction sub chart
Using Task Pools
Task Pools exist in this project detailing the main phases of work for construction of a house.
• Use the task pools to create the Sub Structure, Superstructure & Finishes phases of the
construction schedule.
• Link each phase consecutively & Reschedule
• Add a milestone for ‘Complete’ at the end of the Construction work
Q: How long is the Construction schedule?
You would like to keep a copy of the Pre Construction work as a Task Pool
• Copy the Pre construction phase to a Task Pool
Create a Hammock task
Create a hammock called ‘Site Security’. Add these tasks to the hammock:
• Set up site
• Snag
Q: How long will you have site security for?
Create a Buffer task
• Make the ‘Snag’ task into a Buffer task & use a ‘Start on or After’ constraint on ‘Complete’.
• Reschedule the project
Q: If the Dig footings task took 5 days, how long is the buffer task now?
• Navigate back to the top level of the project & reschedule
Q: How long is the Construction Schedule?
Save and Close your project

61
Exercise 3 – Baselines and Progress
Open the ‘House Build – Exercise’ project from earlier
Create a baseline of this programme
Call it ‘Master 1’ and ensure you baseline all the tasks
Create Multiple Progress Periods
You will now monitor progress for the next 4 weeks of your project. Create 4 progress periods as
follows:
Name Date
Week 1 (End of Week 1)
Create a Table
Add the following columns to the Default table in your spreadsheet:
• Planned Percent Complete (Change the Measure of Progress to ‘Overall’)

• Overall Percent Complete
• Finish Variance
• Notes
Save this table as ‘Progress Table’
Update on Progress
Enter the following progress figures for the following progress periods:
Week 1
Design 25% Reschedule to week 1
Week 2
Design 100% Reschedule to week 2
Week 3
Meeting 1 100%
Set Up Site 100% Reschedule to week 3
Week 4
Meeting 2 100%
Start on site 100%
Dig footings 40% Reschedule to week 4
What is the variance between the end date at Week 4 compared with the baseline?

62
Exercise 4 - Filters and Sorts
Open the ‘House Build – Exercise’ project from earlier
This project contains a code library for Sub Contractors. Ensure that codes are assigned to the tasks.
Create a filter
Create a filter for the ‘Builders Only’ so that you can give them each a list of their own work
Create a sort
Based on the overall project, sort the programme by the contractor
Call it ‘Contractor sort’ and ensure it is displayed on the menu with page breaks inserted.

63
Introduction to Powerproject, Part 2 - What Next?
1. Identify the next Powerproject course for you:
• Managing Costs & Resources

Learn to produce cashflow forecasts & track resource usage in projects
• Progress Analysis & S Curve Reporting with Powerproject

Learn to accurately monitor progress & produce S Curves to demonstrate progress
trends in a project.
• Satisfying NEC Programme requirements using Powerproject

This course focuses on Powerproject features that can be used to meet contract
requirements but also gives a good refresher to general project management
including Critical Path Management, assigning responsibility & effective progress
updates to monitor change.
• Introduction to Powerproject BIM

Learn how to visualise your projects in 4D.
Check our website or call us for available dates.
2. Find out your Serial Number and write it here. You’ll need this should you have to call
our Helpdesk
Serial No. ………………………………
3. Use your serial number to create a login to the Customer Support Portal at
http://support.elecosoft.com for access to FAQ’s, advice & the latest software releases.
Support lapsed?
A current support contract provides unlimited access to our Helpdesk & access to the
latest software releases via our Online Support Portal.
Contact 01844 261700 for a quotation to renew

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Powerproject Technical Support:

Tel: 01844 261 609

For upgrades to the latest version and further product information:

For information on further training courses:

Tel: 01844 261 700

Copyright  Elecosoft UK Ltd

Tel: 01844 261 700

Course Objectives .................................................................................................... 4

User Defined Fields ................................................................................................ 18

Progressing the Project ......................................................................................... 26

 Elecosoft UK Ltd Apr-19

Creating text annotations .................................................................................................................. 42

Introduction to Powerproject, Part 2 - What Next? ............................................. 63

 Elecosoft UK Ltd Apr-19

During the day you will learn how to:

Topics will be backed up by exercises

This booklet is yours to take away

Please ask any questions

 = Note, something of  = Warning, something

 Elecosoft UK Ltd Apr-19

Creating Expanded Tasks

 Create a task by entering a task name and duration

 Select Make into > Expanded

 Left click on the new chart in the Project View

 Double click on the expanded task on the bar chart

To return to the main ‘Programme’ chart of the project:

 Select Programme from the project view or select Up

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To display the tasks from different charts on one screen:

 Click on Programme in the Project View

 Right click on the required task in whichever chart of your project

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Summarybar level formatting

 On the Format tab click the Format Bar Chart command

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 Select an empty bar of the project by clicking on the line

 On the Home tab, in the Insert section, select Hammock

To add tasks to a Hammock

 Right click on a task

A copy of each task is shown within the hammock:

To remove tasks from a Hammock

 Right click on a task

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Necking to show the location of subordinate tasks

 Right click on the Bar chart

 Tick neck summary tasks to show where no tasks

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To unmark the items so they are not hidden in future:

 Right click on the task/bar

 In the project view, select the hammock

If the hammocks cannot be seen in the Project View.

 Select File, Options and the View tab

 If the hammocks option is not ticked,

This technique is often referred to as Critical Chain .

Consider the example below:

There are two types of buffer tasks:

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 If the task has no successors (project buffer) a deadline flag is applied to it

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To create a new task pool:

 The task pool is displayed in the project view.

To add this group of tasks into a project:

Click & drag to add the