17 Disc MSP

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Assignment -1 - Read Microsoft project assignment Word Doc and do the assignment Assignment-2- Discussion -Read the Topic and Complete the Discussion ,Also Give 2 discussions which I have mentioned in chat (While chatting with you)

Discussion/Read the discussion.docx

Read the case study "McRoy Aerospace" on page 332 and answer questions 4 and 5 on page 333.

DISCUSSIONS

Discussions will consist of 2 parts: Your initial posting on the subject, and responses to two or more students postings.

Post your primary response by each Wednesday midnight. Respond to at least two (2) other postings by Sunday Midnight.

The primary post should be at least 300 words in length. Your second postings can either answer another student's question

to your own post or be a comment to his or her original post. Secondary posts must be at least 150 words in length.

•All initial postings must have at least one citation or reference and it must be in APA format. Failure to have a reference or not having it in APA format will deduct 5 points.

•Word counts must be met. Each 10 words short will deduct 1 point from your total discussion score.

•If any part of your postings is copied and pasted you will receive no credit for the assignment, and no resubmission is possible.

MS Project Assignment/Don Funk Music Video 13-4.mpp

MS Project Assignment/Don Funk Music Video 14-2.mpp

MS Project Assignment/Don Funk Music Video 15-1.mpp

MS Project Assignment/Gregory Weber Biography 15-1.mpp

MS Project Assignment/Gregory Weber Biography 16-1.mpp

MS Project Assignment/Microsoft Project Assignment 17.docx

Microsoft Project Assignment 17

Complete Project 13-4: Don Funk Resource Assignment Contour (pg.276 of your workbook). Save your Don Funk Contour project file as YourLastNameYourFirstNameProject13-4 and submit it when done.

Complete Project 14-2: Don Funk Enhanced Network Diagram (pg.291 of your workbook). Save your Don Funk Enhanced Network Diagram project file as YourLastNameYourFirstNameProject14-2 and submit it when done.

Complete Project 15-1: Southridge Video Consolidated Project Schedule (pg.301 of your workbook). Save your Southridge Video Consolidated project file as YourLastNameYourFirstNameProject15-1 and submit it when done.

Complete Project 16-1: Adding a Sharer File to the Southridge Video Resource Pool (pg.324 of your workbook). Save your Southridge Video Resource Pool as YourLastNameYourFirstNameProject16-1A and Gregory Weber Biography project file as YourLastNameYourFirstNameProject16-1B and submit them when done.

MICROSOFT PROJECT ASSIGNMENTS

Each module the student will use Microsoft (MS) Project software to complete an assignment.

The use of MS Project is fundamental to helping students both understand the intricacies of

project planning and management, as well as give them practice in using a common project management software

. The student will be responsible for downloading and installing the software package from now the link available on the course home page.

MS Project Assignment/Southridge Video Resource Pool 16-1.mpp

MS project Tutorial/Project2013_Lesson13.pptx

Project Schedule Optimization

Lesson 13

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Microsoft Project 2013

Objectives

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Software Orientation

The Calendar Options, located in the Schedule section of the Project Options dialog box, are used to provide basic time values, such as the hours per day or week, fiscal year settings, and the first day of the week.

Keep in mind that the Calendar tab has nothing to do with Microsoft Project’s base, project, resource, or task calendars. The settings on the Calendar tab affect only the time conversions for task durations that you enter into Microsoft Project, not when work can or should be scheduled.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Software Orientation

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Making Time and Date Adjustments

As part of its project management capabilities, Microsoft Project has a scheduling engine that works with time.

Because time is always part of the “project equation,” it is critical that the project manager understand the array of time and date settings used by Microsoft Project.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: Adjust Fiscal Year Settings within Microsoft Project

GET READY. Before you begin these steps, launch Microsoft Project.

1. OPEN the Don Funk Music Video 13M project schedule.

2. SAVE the file as Don Funk Music Video 13.

3. On the Gantt Chart, drag the divider bar (between the table portion and the graph portion of the Gantt Chart) to the right until the Start and Finish columns are visible.

4. On the ribbon, click the File tab and then select Options. In the Project Options dialog box, select Schedule.

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Step by Step: Adjust Fiscal Year Settings within Microsoft Project

5. In the Calendar Options area, click the Fiscal year starts in: box, select July, and then click OK to close the Options dialog box.

6. [Press the F5 key.] In the ID box, type 60 and click OK. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Another Way: You can restore the calendar year format by returning to the

Step by Step: Adjust Fiscal Year Settings within Microsoft Project

When you select the starting month of the fiscal year, Microsoft Project reformats the dates on the Gantt Chart timescale to use the fiscal year, not the calendar year. The months of July–December 2016 now show a 2017 year to reflect that the 2017 fiscal year runs from July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017.

7. Click the Undo button twice to restore the dates to the calendar year format.

8. Drag the divider back to the right edge of the Duration column.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: Adjust Fiscal Year Settings within Microsoft Project

9. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you changed the timescale view to accommodate a fiscal year–any 12 consecutive month period defined for accounting purposes–rather than a calendar year–a 12 month period from January to December.

Using a fiscal year timescale is most appropriate if there are stakeholders who are accustomed to analyzing information in a fiscal year format. Otherwise, use the calendar year format.

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Step by Step: Adjust Fiscal Year Settings within Microsoft Project

There are many other options for controlling time in Microsoft Project through the Calendar options of the Project Options dialog box.

You use the Calendar options to define basic time values, such as how many hours a day or a week should equal, or how many days should equal one month.

You can also control other time settings, such as which day is the first day of the week (this varies from country to country).

The Calendar options can be confusing, however, because it has nothing to do with Microsoft Project’s base, project, resource, or task calendars. (You control these calendars through the Change Working time dialog box on the Project tab.)

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: Adjust Fiscal Year Settings within Microsoft Project

The Calendar settings affect only the time conversions for task durations that you enter into Microsoft Project, such as how many hours equal one day–not when work can be scheduled.

For example, if your project is planned for 10 hours a day, 5 days per week, set the hours per day to 10 and the hours per week to 50.

The Default Start Time and Default End Time settings on the Calendar tab can also be confusing.

These settings are not related to working time values for calendars. Rather, the Default Start Time and Default End Time settings have a very specific purpose.

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Step by Step: Adjust Fiscal Year Settings within Microsoft Project

These settings supply the default start and end time for task constraints or for actual start and finish dates in which you enter a date but do not include a time.

For example, if you enter a Must Start On constraint value of January 14, 2016, for a task but do not specify a start time, Microsoft Project will use the Default Start Time value that is set on the Calendar tab.

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Viewing the Project’s Critical Path

One of the most important parts of the project schedule is the project’s critical path.

The critical path is the series of tasks that affect the project’s end date.

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Step by Step: View the Project’s Critical Path

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

1. On the ribbon, click the View tab, then click the Other Views button in the Task views group. From the list, select More Views. The More Views dialog box appears.

2. In the More Views dialog box, select Detail Gantt, and then click Apply.

3. On the ribbon, click the Tables button, then select Entry.

4. Move the divider bar back to cover the Duration column.

5. [Press the F5 key.] In the ID box, type 54, and then click OK. Microsoft Project displays the Scene 4 summary task at the top of your screen; this is a convenient location to view both noncritical and critical tasks.

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Step by Step: View the Project’s Critical Path

6. On the ribbon, click the Format tab. Click the Slippage button. Select any baseline that does not have a date. Microsoft Project removes the slippage lines from in front of the tasks. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: View the Project’s Critical Path

In the Detail Gantt view, noncritical tasks appear in blue and critical tasks are in red. In this view, you can also see some tasks that have slack (float). A thin teal line represents the total slack for a given task. Why does the critical path seem to stop in the middle of the project? The answer lies in the total slack.

7. On the ribbon, click the View tab, click the Tables button, and then click Schedule. The Schedule table appears in the Detail Gantt view.

8. Drag the divider bar to the right until all columns in the Schedule table are visible, then auto fit all the columns until you see all information easily.

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Step by Step: View the Project’s Critical Path

9. [Press the F5 key.] In the ID box, type 69 and click OK. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: View the Project’s Critical Path

Review the free slack and total slack for each task.

Recall from Lesson 4 that free slack is the amount of time the finish date of a task can be delayed before the start of any successor task is affected.

Total slack is the amount of time the finish date on a task can be delayed before the completion of the project will be delayed.

A task may have total slack, free slack, or both. Slack can be a positive value, negative value or a value of zero.

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Step by Step: View the Project’s Critical Path

10. Drag the divider bar back to the left to show just the Task Name column. Select tasks 54 through 78.

11. On the ribbon, in the Zoom group, click Selected Tasks.

12. On the ribbon, click the File tab and then click Options. Select Advanced, and then scroll to the bottom of the window until you reach the Calculation options for this project: section.

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Step by Step: View the Project’s Critical Path

13. Select the Calculate multiple critical paths check box near the bottom of this dialog box, and then click OK. Microsoft Project reformats the tasks in the remaining scenes and the Production phase to show a clearer picture of the critical path. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: View the Project’s Critical Path

14. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Undo button. Microsoft Project reverts to the single critical path for the project.

15. On the ribbon, click the View tab if necessary, then click the Tables button, and then click Entry.

16. Drag the vertical divider bar to the right of the Duration column.

17. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: View the Project’s Critical Path

In this exercise, you reviewed the critical path of your project schedule and the free and total slack for some of the tasks.

One of the most important factors that should be monitored in any project schedule is the project’s critical path.

Keep in mind that “critical” does not refer to the importance of these tasks in relation to the overall project, but rather to how their scheduling will affect the project’s finish date.

As a project manager, it is very important for you to understand how changes in schedule, resource assignments, constraints, etc., will affect this key series of tasks.

After a task on the critical path is complete, it is no longer critical, because it can no longer affect the project finish date.

During the life of the project, it is normal that the critical path will occasionally change.

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Delaying the Start of Assignments

If more than one resource is assigned to a task, you may not want all the resources to start working on the task at the same time.

You can delay the start of work for one or more resources assigned to a task.

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Step by Step: Delay the Start of a Resource Assignment

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

1. On the ribbon, click the View tab, and then click Task Usage. The Task Usage view appears.

2. [Press the F5 key.] Type 75 in the ID box, and then click OK. Microsoft Project displays the “Duplicate audio and video masters” task. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Delay the Start of a Resource Assignment

Luis Bonifaz will inspect the final copies of the masters, so you want to delay his work on this task until Wednesday, August 10, 2016.

3. In the Task Name column, double-click the name of the resource Luis Bonifaz. The Assignment Information dialog box appears. You can also click on the name of the resource, then click Resource tab and select the Information button.

4. Click the General tab if it not already selected.

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Step by Step: Delay the Start of a Resource Assignment

5. In the Start box, type or select 8/10/16, and then click OK to close the Assignment Information dialog box. Microsoft Project adjusts Luis Bonifaz’s assignment on this task so that he works eight hours on Wednesday. The other resources assigned to this task are not affected. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

Step by Step: Delay the Start of a Resource Assignment

6. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you delayed the start of work for a resource assigned to a task.

You can delay the start of work for any number of resources assigned to a task.

However, if you need to delay the start of work for all resources on a particular task, it is better to just reschedule the start date of the task (rather than adjusting each resource’s assignment).

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Applying Contours to Assignments

You can control the amount of time a resource works on a task by applying a work contour.

A contour describes the way the resource’s work is distributed over time.

To optimize your project schedule, you can apply a predefined contour to a task’s assignments.

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Step by Step: Apply a Contour to a Resource Assignment

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

1. [Press the F5 key.] Type 70 in the ID box, and then click OK. Microsoft Project scrolls to Task 70.

2. On the ribbon, click the Tables button, select the Entry table and bring the center divider to the left so the duration column is the last one visible. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

Step by Step: Apply a Contour to a Resource Assignment

This task has four resources assigned to it.

The time-scaled data illustrates that two of the four resources are scheduled to work on this task for two hours the first day, eight hours the next two days, and six hours the last day.

The last two resources, Greg Guzik and David Barber, are only working on this project half-time.

All these assignments have a flat contour–Microsoft Project schedules their work based on a regular rate of eight hours per day. (The resources only work a portion on the first day because they are scheduled on another task.)

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Step by Step: Apply a Contour to a Resource Assignment

This is the default work contour type that Microsoft Project uses when scheduling work.

You want to change Greg Guzik’s assignment on this task so that he starts with a brief daily assignment and increases his work time as the task progresses. He will still be working on the task after the other resources have finished their assignments.

2. In the Task Name column under Task 70, double-click the row heading cell of Greg Guzik. The Assignment Information dialog box appears.

3. Click the General tab, if it not already selected.

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Step by Step: Apply a Contour to a Resource Assignment

4. In the Work contour box, select Back Loaded, and then click OK to close the Assignment Information dialog box. Microsoft Project applies the contour to Greg Guzik’s assignment and reschedules his work on the task. Scroll your screen so that you can see all of Greg’s planned work on this task. Your screen should look similar to Figure 13-9.

Step by Step: Apply a Contour to a Resource Assignment

5. Point to the contour indicator in the Indicators column. Microsoft Project displays a ToolTip describing the type of contour applied to this assignment.

6. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you applied a predefined work contour to an assignment.

A contour determines how a resource’s work on a task is scheduled over time.

In general, predefined contours describe how work is distributed over time in terms of graphical patterns.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Troubleshooting: Note that applying a contour to this assignment caused the overall duration of the task to be extended. If you do not want a contour to extend a task’s duration, you need to change the Task Type (on the Advanced tab of the Task Information dialog box) to Fixed Dura- tion before you apply the contour. When you apply a contour after changing to a task type such as fixed duration, Microsoft Project will recalculate the resource’s work value so that he or she works less in the same time period.

Step by Step: Apply a Contour to a Resource Assignment

Some options are Bell, Front Loaded, Back Loaded, Double Peak, and Turtle. Predefined contours work best for assignments where you can estimate a probable pattern of effort.

For instance, if a task might require significant ramp-up time, a back loaded contour might be beneficial, since the resource will be most productive toward the end of the assignment.

Keep in mind that because Greg Guzik’s assignment to this task finishes later than the other resource assignments, Greg Guzik sets the finish date of the task.

In this situation it would said that Greg Guzik is the “driving resource” of this task because his assignment determines, or drives, the finish date of the task.

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Manually Editing a Task Assignment

It is also possible to manually edit the assignment values for a resource assigned to a task rather than applying a contour.

Since the reality is that a project manager does not plan Greg Guzik’s work for 6 minutes (or 0.1h) on 7/22/16, a manual editing of the assignment is necessary.

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Step by Step: Edit a Task Assignment Manually

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

1. In the time-scaled grid area, click the cell at the intersection of Greg Guzik and 7/22/16.

After conferring with Greg, you want to change this assignment to make it more realistic. Greg states that he can work for an hour on the first two days, 3 hours on the next two days and 4 hours on the fifth day to complete his work. Note that you are not changing Greg’s total assigned work on this task, which is 12 hours.

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Step by Step: Edit a Task Assignment Manually

2. Type the following hours in the corresponding cells:

7/22/16—1

7/25/16—1

7/26/16—3

7/27/16—3

7/28/16—4

7/29/16—0

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: Edit a Task Assignment Manually

3. Point to the contour indicator in the Indicators column. Microsoft Project displays a different ToolTip on this assignment. Notice now that Greg’s assignment is a bit more realistic. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

4. SAVE the project schedule.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: Edit a Task Assignment Manually

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you manually edited the assignment for a resource by directly changing the assignment values in the time-scaled grid of the Task Usage view.

You may have noticed that when you deleted the last contoured work day, by entering zero work hours, the tasks after task 70 shifted back to reflect the shortened duration of task 70.

You can use either predefined contours or make manual edits to a resource’s work assignments. How you contour or edit an assignment depends on what you need to accomplish.

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Optimizing the Project Schedule

As the work continues on your project, you will be tracking actuals and updating your project schedule.

An important part of project management is verifying that the project has been optimized.

This might mean reducing cost, duration, scope, or any combination of these aspects.

In order to optimize a project schedule, you must first identify and understand the project’s duration, finish date, and total cost.

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Step by Step: Identify the Project Finish Date and Total Cost

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

1. On the ribbon, in the Task Views group, click the Gantt Chart button.

2. On the ribbon, click the Project tab, and then click the Project Information button. Click the Statistics button. The Project Statistics dialog box appears. Your screen should look similar to the figure above.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: Identify the Project Finish Date and Total Cost

Notice that the Current Finish Date is 8/15/16. This is later than the Baseline Finish Date of 7/29/16.

You have a positive duration variance of 10.63 days, which means you are scheduled to finish more than 10 working days later than planned.

This box also provides the current cost: just over $68,750. This value is the sum of all actual costs to date and the remaining planned task and resource costs in the project. These include actual and planned fixed costs, per-use costs, and the costs of resource assignments.

3. Click Close to close the Project Statistics dialog box.

4. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

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Step by Step: Identify the Project Finish Date and Total Cost

In this exercise, you reviewed project details such as the duration, finish date, and total costs.

It is helpful to review this information so that you understand the nature of your project and how it can best be optimized.

Optimizing is adjusting the aspects of the project schedule, such as cost, duration, and scope (or any combination of these), to achieve a desired project schedule result.

A desired result may be a target finish date, duration, or overall cost.

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Step by Step: Identify the Project Finish Date and Total Cost

Now let’s look forward to the next exercise. Assume that you have shared the project details from above with the project sponsor.

The sponsor expected that the project would be slightly over budget, but they did not expect that it would be a week or more beyond the agreed finish date.

The current projected budget overrun is acceptable, and can even increase slightly, if the project manager can get the project completed by 8/8/16.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

Now that you have reviewed the project details, you will focus on pulling in the project finish date.

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

1. [Press the F5 key.] In the ID box, type 54 and click OK. Since you need to pull in the project finish date, your focus will be on the critical tasks.

2. Scroll through and review the task list. Note that only tasks 69 and 73 are non-critical. Shortening the duration of non-critical tasks will have no effect on the project finish date. To shorten the project finish date, you must work with the critical tasks.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

3. If necessary, scroll the Gantt Chart view to the right so that you can see the entire Gantt bar for task 70. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Recall that in an earlier exercise, you applied a back loaded contour to Greg Guzik’s assignment to this task, lengthening its duration. To leave this assignment contour in place but start subsequent tasks earlier, you will add lead time to Task 71, Task 70’s successor task.

Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

4. In the Task Name column, double-click the name of Task 71, Dub audio to video. The Task Information dialog box appears.

5. Click the Predecessors tab.

6. In the Lag field for the predecessor Task 70, type 225% and [press Enter]. Click OK to close the Task Information dialog box.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

Applying a lead time to the task relationship between tasks 70 and 71 causes Task 71 and all successor tasks to start earlier. Entering this lead causes the successor Task 71 to begin when 75% duration of the predecessor Task 70 has elapsed.

Also note that some of the tasks that were critical before you added the lead are no longer critical. This is temporary. Your screen should look similar to the figure on the next slide.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

7. Double-click Task 68, Rough Audio Edit. You realize that you can gain some additional time by adjusting the relationship of tasks 67 and 68 since these can be performed at roughly the same time.

8. Click the Predecessor tab if necessary. In the Lag field, type 22d. Click OK. Notice now that some of the tasks are critical again. Your screen should look similar to the figure on the next slide.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

This process is called fast-tracking, which is defined as doing tasks in parallel that were originally planned to be done in series.

You can review the Gantt Chart view (or display the Project Information dialog box) to see that the final task of the project now ends on 8/10/16. This is still about 8 working days later than your desired finish date.

To compress the project duration further, you will apply overtime work to some assignments.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

9. On the View ribbon, click the Task Usage button. The Task Usage view appears. Click the Tables button, then select the Usage table.

10. Right-click the Work column heading. On the quick menu that appears, select Insert Column.

11. Type Over, and then select Overtime Work from the list. Microsoft Project inserts the Overtime Work column between the Task Name and Work columns. Drag the divider bar between the table and chart portions of the Gantt Chart to the right until the Duration column is visible. The specific task for which you wish to apply overtime is task 67.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

12. [Press the F5 key.] In the ID box, type 67 and click OK. Microsoft Project scrolls the Task Usage view to display the assignments of Task 67. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

Currently, four of the resources are assigned 40 hours of regular work to this task. Bjorn Rettig is assigned 20 hours of work because his Max Units value is 50%.

To shorten the task’s duration without changing the total work in the task (for each assignment except Bjorn Rettig), you will record that 10 of the 40 hours of work is overtime work.

You will record 5 hours of overtime work for Bjorn Rettig.

13. Click the Overtime Work cell for Jamie Reding, the first resource assigned to Task 67.

14. Type 10 and [press Enter].

15. Repeat steps 13 and 14 for Shu Ito, Florian Voss, and Jane Clayton.

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Take Note: Entering overtime work for an assignment does not add work to the assignment. Rather, it indicates how much of the work assigned is overtime. Adding overtime work reduces the overall duration of the assignment.

Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

16. Repeat steps 13 and 14 for Bjorn Rettig, except type 5 in the Overtime Work cell. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

17. On the ribbon, click the Project tab, then click Project Information, and then select the Statistics button. Note the new projected finish date of 8/9/16. Remember the sponsor asked the scheduled be compressed to complete the project no later than 8/8/16–you are almost there.

18. Close the Project Statistics dialog box. Now click the Task tab, and then click the Gantt Chart button.

19. [Press the F5 key.] Type 69 in the ID box, and then click OK. Notice now how Task 69 is no longer critical.

20. Look at Task 76 and its relationship with Task 75. After speaking with your team, you realize that Task 76 can be started one-half day after Task 75 starts. Double-click Task 76.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

21. On the Predecessors tab, type 21.5d in the Lag column, and then click OK.

22. On the Project ribbon, click Project Information. Click the Statistics button. The Project Statistics dialog box appears. Note that the new finish date is 8/5/16. CLOSE the Project Information dialog box. The finish date is now before the newly mandated finish date of 8/8/16, which is acceptable to the sponsor. You will stop your project optimization work here.

23. SAVE the project schedule, and then CLOSE the file.

PAUSE. If you are continuing to the next lesson, keep Project open. If you are not continuing to additional lessons, CLOSE Project.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

In this exercise, you compressed a project schedule by applying lead time to some tasks and allowing overtime for another task.

Optimizing a project schedule and responding to variance are issues that Microsoft Project cannot automate.

As a project manager, you must know the nature of your projects and how they should be optimized.

As you saw in this exercise, you might need to make trade-offs, such as cutting scope, adding resources, allowing overtime, or adding lead time.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

Although you stopped your optimization work when you achieved your desired finish date, keep in mind that once actual work starts, variance will almost certainly appear and the critical path and project finish date are likely to change.

For this reason, properly identifying and responding to variance is a key project management skill.

In previous lessons, only a single critical path per project has been emphasized: the critical path that determines the project finish date. However, as you saw in this exercise, Microsoft Project can identify a critical path within any chain of linked tasks.

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

This is especially useful when the project is divided into distinct phases. Usually, the critical path within a phase will have a much more distinct line of tasks in it.

Most projects have a specific due date by which they need to be completed. If you want to shorten the duration of the project to make the end date occur sooner, you must shorten the critical path (in project management jargon, this is called “schedule compression”).

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

In reality, compressing the schedule happens in various ways, but these can be classified into two categories:

Fast-Tracking—Performing two or more project tasks in parallel that would otherwise be done in series, or one right after the other. By overlapping the tasks, more work gets completed in a shorter amount of time.

Crashing—Adding more resources to the critical path tasks. This could take the form of working extra shifts, working overtime, adding more work resources to a task, or outsourcing (paying to have some work done outside the organization).

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Step by Step: Compress the Project Schedule to Pull in the Project Finish Date

Prior to starting actual work on the project, it is critical that the project manager closely manage both the critical path and the float (called “slack” in Microsoft Project). This involves:

Knowing the tasks that are on the critical path and being able to evaluate the risk-to-project success if any of the tasks are not completed as scheduled. Any delays in completing tasks on the critical path delay the completion date of the project.

Knowing where the slack is in the project. On a complex project, the critical path may change frequently. Tasks with very little free slack might become critical as the project begins and the actuals start to vary from the schedule. In addition, tasks that had no free slack initially (and therefore were on the critical path) might get free slack as other tasks move onto the critical path.

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Skill Summary

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MS project Tutorial/Project2013_Lesson14.pptx

Advanced Project Schedule Formatting

Lesson 14

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Microsoft Project 2013

Objectives

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Software Orientation

Unique IDs are unique identifiers that track the order in which you enter tasks and resources.

WBS codes are numeric representations of the outline hierarchy of a project.

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Step by Step: Format Bar Styles for Tasks in the Calendar View

The Calendar view is one of the simplest views available in Microsoft Project 2013. It can be customized in several different ways.

GET READY. Before you begin these steps, launch Microsoft Project.

1. OPEN the Don Funk Music Video 14M project schedule from the data files for this lesson.

2. SAVE the file as Don Funk Music Video 14 in the solutions folder for this lesson as directed by your instructor.

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Step by Step: Format Bar Styles for Tasks in the Calendar View

3. On the ribbon, click the View tab, and then click the Calendar button. The Calendar view appears. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Format Bar Styles for Tasks in the Calendar View

The Calendar view displays approximately four weeks at a time (depending on your screen resolution) and looks similar to a month-at-a-glance calendar. Task bars are drawn on the days for which tasks are scheduled.

4. On the ribbon, under Calendar Tools, click the Format tab, and then click Bar Styles. The Bar Styles dialog box appears.

5. In the Task type box, click Summary.

6. In the Bar type box, click Line. Summary tasks will be shown with a line.

7. In the Task type box, click Critical.

8. In the Pattern box, click the second option, the solid bar.

9. In the Color box, click Red. Critical tasks will be shown with a solid red bar.

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Step by Step: Format Bar Styles for Tasks in the Calendar View

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10. Make sure that the check boxes for Shadow, Bar rounding, and Wrap text in bars are selected. Your screen should look similar to the figure t right.

11. Click OK to close the Bar Styles dialog box.

12. You will see a message from the Planning Wizard notifying you that some Gantt bars may be different heights. Click OK.

Step by Step: Format Bar Styles for Tasks in the Calendar View

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13. Move your pointer to the horizontal divider between the first and second visible weeks of the calendar. Your pointer will change to a small, horizontal bar with per- pendicular arrows. Your screen should look like the figure at right.

14. Click and hold to drag the line downward to the approximate horizontal center of the screen to show only two weeks at a time.

Step by Step: Format Bar Styles for Tasks in the Calendar View

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15. [Press the F5 key.] In the Date box (not the ID box), type or select 06/12/16, and then click OK. The Calendar view now displays a section of the project where critical, noncritical and summary tasks are located using the revised formatting. Also note the dark gray tasks are the milestones. Your screen should look similar to the figure above.

Step by Step: Format Bar Styles for Tasks in the Calendar View

16. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you reformatted two of the bar styles in the Calendar view.

The Calendar view is one of the simplest views available in Microsoft Project, and it offers several formatting options.

This view is often used for reporting schedule information with resources or other stakeholders who prefer a more traditional monthly or weekly view rather than a detailed view such as the Gantt Chart.

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Using Task IDS and WBS Codes

Microsoft Project organizes and tracks the tasks entered into a project schedule using several unique identifiers: Task IDs, Unique IDs, and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) codes.

You can structure the Task Sheet view so that columns for these identifiers are displayed.

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Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

1. On the ribbon, click the View tab. Then in the Task Views Group, click the Other Views button, and then click More Views.

2. In the More Views dialog box, select Task Sheet, and then click the Apply button. The project appears in the Task Sheet view.

3. Right-click the Duration column heading. On the menu, click Insert Column.

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Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

4. From your keyboard, type un. Three fields appear at the top of the column. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

5. In the list that remains, click Unique ID. Microsoft Project inserts the Unique ID column to the left of the Task Name column.

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Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

The Unique ID column indicates the order in which the tasks were entered into the project. Cutting and pasting a task causes its Unique ID value to change. You can see that the tasks in this project were entered in a different order than they are currently displayed.

6. Right-click the Duration column heading again. On the menu, click Insert Column.

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Another Way: You can also insert a column by clicking the Format tab and selecting the Insert Column button.

Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

7. From your keyboard, type WBS. Three fields appear at the top of the column.

8. In the list that remains, click WBS. Microsoft Project inserts the WBS column to the left of the Task Name column. WBS codes represent the hierarchy of summary and subtasks in the project.

The WBS numbering system is standard in project management. You can see that in the WBS structure, the top-level summary tasks are sequentially numbered with a single digit, the second-level summary or subtasks add a period and a second digit to the first digit, and so on.

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Take Note: If you ever want to reorder tasks to reflect the order in which they were entered, you can sort the Task Sheet by Unique ID.

Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

9. Place your cursor on the right dividing line between the WBS column heading and the Duration column heading, then double-click to auto-fit the column. Repeat the same procedure for the Unique ID column. Your screen should look similar to the figure on the next slide.

10. In the Task ID column (the left-most column), select 7 and 8. This selects the entire rows for the tasks “Book musicians” and “Book dancers.”

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Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

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Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

11. On the ribbon, click the Task tab. In the Schedule group, click the Indent button. Microsoft Project makes tasks 7 and 8 subtasks of Task 6. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Note that the Task and Unique ID values for these tasks are not affected, but the WBS codes were changed. The WBS codes for tasks 7 and 8 now list them at the third level of the project hierarchy. In addition, the other tasks in the 1.x branch of the WBS are renumbered. For example, “Reserve audio recording equipment” is renumbered from 1.8 to 1.6.

Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

12. Click any cell in the table area to deselect tasks 7 and 8. Now select the entire row of task 7, Book Musicians, by clicking the Task ID. On the ribbon, click Cut. Microsoft Project cuts the selected task to the Windows Clipboard. Your screen should look similar to the figure on the next slide.

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Note that the Task IDs are renumbered, the Unique IDs are unchanged, and only the WBS codes in the Pre-Production phase are renumbered. The WBS codes in the other phases of the project are unaffected because that part of the project hierarchy did not change.

Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

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Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

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13. Select Task 4. On the ribbon, click the Paste button. Click OK if a warn- ing message is dis- played. Microsoft Project pastes the task you previously cut back into the task list. Your screen should look similar to the figure at right.

Note again, the Task IDs and the WBS codes in the Pre-Production phase are renumbered. The Unique ID for the pasted task is then updated with the next sequential number to specify when it was added to the project.

Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

14. On the quick access toolbar, click the Undo button thrice. The task list is restored to its original order.

15. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

Each task in a Microsoft Project schedule has a unique identifier, called the Task ID.

Microsoft Project assigns sequential ID numbers to each task that you enter. When you insert, move, or delete a task, Microsoft Project updates the ID numbers so that the numbers always reflect the current task order.

The Task ID column appears (by default) on the left side of most task tables in Microsoft Project. Note that resources have Resource IDs assigned to them, and that they behave like a Task ID.

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Take Note: If you want to preserve Unique ID values when you rearrange tasks, drag and drop tasks rather than cutting and pasting them.

Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

Microsoft Project also tracks the order in which you enter tasks and resources.

The Unique ID task and resource fields store this entry order.

If tasks or resources are reorganized, and you later need to see their original entry order, you can view this in the Unique ID field.

Although these identifiers uniquely identify each task, they do not give you any information about the task’s place in the hierarchy of the project structure.

For example, you can’t tell if a task is a summary or a subtask by simply looking at a Task ID.

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Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

A better way to show the hierarchy of a project structure is to display the outline numbers or work breakdown structure (WBS) codes of tasks–the numeric representations of the outline hierarchy of a project.

You can change WBS codes to include any combination of letters and numbers that you desire, but outline numbers are numeric only and are generated by Microsoft Project.

When working with these codes, the mask, or appearance, defines the format of the code–the order and number of alphabetic, numeric, and alphanumeric strings in a code and the separators between them.

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Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

Initially, outline numbers and WBS codes of tasks are identical. Microsoft Project also stores the Predecessor and Successor values for tasks’ Unique IDs and WBS codes.

Because the WBS codes indicate the place of every task in the project hierarchy, it is common to use WBS codes instead of Task ID or names when referencing tasks between team members on a project.

If you are working on a complex project, the WBS or standard outline options available in Microsoft Project may not be sufficient for your report or analysis requirements.

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Step by Step: Work with Unique ID and WBS Codes

If this occurs, you can investigate Microsoft Project’s capabilities to handle custom outline numbers to identify a hierarchy within a project schedule.

You can define a custom outline number that links different outline levels of a project’s structure with different levels of the organization’s structure. (The top level might be a regional division, the second level a business unit, and the third level a local team.)

You could also use custom outline numbers to associate different outline levels of a project’s WBS with internal cost centers or job tracking codes.

After you have applied a custom outline number to your project schedule, you can group, sort, and filter tasks and resources by their outline numbers. You can apply up to ten levels of a custom outline number for tasks and ten for resources in a single.

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Formatting the Network Diagram

In traditional project management, a Network Diagram is a standard way for representing project activities and their relationships in a flowchart format.

In this lesson, you apply and format the Network Diagram.

The Network Diagram is a standard way of representing the logical order of project activities and their relationships.

Tasks are represented as boxes, or nodes, and the link lines represent the relationships between the nodes.

The Network Diagram is not a time-scaled view like the Gantt Chart. Rather, it shows project activities in a flowchart format so that you can focus on the relationships between activities rather than on their durations.

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Step by Step: Format Items in the Network Diagram View

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

1. On the ribbon, click the View tab, and then click Network Diagram. The Network Diagram view appears. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Format Items in the Network Diagram View

The focus of the Network Diagram is task relationships and sequencing (rather than durations). Each task is represented as a box, or node, containing several pieces of information about the task. The relationships between tasks are represented as lines and arrows. You will note that not much information is visible. You can zoom in and out by using the zoom slider at the lower right corner of the screen.

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Step by Step: Format Items in the Network Diagram View

2. On the ribbon, click the Format tab, and then click Box Styles. The Box Styles dialog box appears. Your screen should look similar to the figure t right.

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Step by Step: Format Items in the Network Diagram View

3. Click More Templates. The Data Templates dialog box appears.

4. In the Templates in “Network Diagram” list, make sure that Standard is selected, and then click the Copy button. The Data Template Definition dialog box appears. You will add the WBS code value to the lower right corner of the node.

5. In the Template name box, type Standard 1 WBS.

6. Below Choose cell(s), click the empty cell below Duration and to the right of Resource Names.

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Step by Step: Format Items in the Network Diagram View

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7. In the dropdown list that becomes active, type or select WBS. This will add the WBS code to the standard box style in the Network Diagram. Your screen should look similar to the figure at right.

Step by Step: Format Items in the Network Diagram View

8. Click OK to close the Data Template Definition box. Click Close to close the Data Templates dialog box.

9. In the Box Styles dialog box, under Style settings for, select both Critical and Noncritical.

10. In the Data template box, click Standard 1 WBS, and then click OK to close the Box Styles dialog box. Microsoft Project applies the revised box style to the critical and noncritical task nodes in the Network Diagram. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Format Items in the Network Diagram View

Microsoft Project adds the WBS code to the nodes for critical and noncritical tasks. Scroll left and right to review some of the other nodes in the Network Diagram. As you can see, the node representing other types of tasks, such as summary tasks, are not affected. If you want to apply the new template to other task types, you would do so in the Box Styles dialog box.

11. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

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Skill Summary

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MS project Tutorial/Project2013_Lesson15.pptx

Managing Multiple Projects

Lesson 15

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Microsoft Project 2013

Objectives

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Software Orientation

The Gantt Chart view of a consolidated project allows you to see multiple projects collected in one project schedule so you can filter, sort, and group the data as well as see task relation- ships between projects.

In the Gantt Chart view of a consolidated project, the inserted projects appear as summary tasks with gray Gantt bars and an inserted project icon appears in the Indicators column.

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Software Orientation

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Managing Consolidated Projects

In Microsoft Project 2013, a consolidated project enables a project manager to link and manage multiple projects within one master project file.

This method allows the project manager to see the effects of one project on another single project or many other projects in the same file.

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Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

GET READY. Before you begin these steps, launch Microsoft Project.

1. OPEN the Don Funk Music Video 15M and Adventure Works Promo 15M project schedules.

2. SAVE the files, respectively, as Don Funk Music Video 15 and Adventure Works Promo 15. Make sure the Don Funk Music Video 15 project schedule is in the active window.

3. On the ribbon, click the View tab, and then click New Window. The New Window dialog box appears.

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Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

4. In the Projects list, select the names of both open projects either by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking or clicking and dragging to select both names. After you have selected both project schedules, click the OK button. Microsoft Project opens both files in a new window with the Timeline view at the top.

5. On the ribbon, click Entire Project in the Zoom group. Microsoft Project adjusts the timescale in the Gantt Chart so that the full duration of both projects is visible. Make sure that the Name, Duration, Start, and Finish columns are visible on your screen. If necessary, double-click the right edge of any columns that display pound signs (###). Your screen should look similar to the figure on the next slide.

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Take Note: When you point to the Inserted Project icon in the Indicators column, Microsoft Project displays the full path to the inserted project file.

Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

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Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

6. Right-click the Task Mode column and select Hide Column.

7. SAVE the consolidated project schedule as Consolidated Project 15. When you are prompted to save changes to the inserted projects, click the Yes to All button.

8. On the ribbon, click the Format tab. In the Show/Hide group, click the check box to activate the Project Summary Task. Microsoft Project displays the Consolidated Project 15 summary task at the top of your Task Name column as task 0 (zero). Your screen should look similar to the figure on the next slide.

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Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

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Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

The values of the consolidated project summary task, such as duration and work, represent the rolled-up (or combined) values of both inserted projects. As Southridge Video acquires contracts for more projects, inserting them into the consolidated project schedule in this way provides a single location in which to view all the activities of the company.

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Take Note: If you want to add more project schedules to a consolidated project, click the Project tab and then select Subproject from the Insert command group.

Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

9. SAVE the consolidated project schedule as well as the individual project schedules.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

In real life, it is rare that a project manager would manage only a single, small project from beginning to end. Usually, there are several complex projects that involve several people working on different tasks at different times and locations and often for different supervisors.

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Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

Microsoft Project enables you to combine two (or more) projects to form a consolidated project. A consolidated project is a Microsoft Project file that contains more than one Microsoft Project file, called inserted projects. An inserted project is the Microsoft Project file that is inserted into another Microsoft Project file.

Consolidated projects are also known as master projects, and inserted projects are also known as subprojects.

The inserted projects do not really reside within the consolidated project. They are linked to it in such a way that they can be viewed and edited from the consolidated project.

If an inserted project is edited outside the consolidated project, the updated information appears in the consolidated project the next time it is opened. When you save a consolidated project, changes you have made to inserted projects are alos saved in the source file.

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Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

Using a consolidated project gives you the capability to do such things as:

see all of your organization’s project schedules in a single view.

“roll up” project information to higher management levels. For example, one group’s project may be an inserted project for the department’s consolidated project, which then may be an inserted project for the company’s consolidated project.

divide your project schedule into separate project schedules to match the nature of your project. For example, you could divide your project schedule into separate schedules by phase, component, or location. You can then group the information back together in a consolidated project schedule for a view of the complete project.

see all of the information for your projects in one location, so you can filter, sort, and group the data as needed.

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Step by Step: Create a Consolidated Project Schedule

Consolidated projects use the standard Microsoft Project outlining features.

For a consolidated project, the Gantt bar for an inserted project is gray and an inserted project icon appears in the Indicators column.

Also, when you save a consolidated project, any changes you have made to inserted projects are saved in the source file as well.

Theoretically, it is possible to add an unlimited number of project schedules to a consolidated project file.

However, as a practical matter, and depending on the size of the files, you will notice performance issues such as slow calculation times as you add more inserted projects.

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Creating Task Relationships Between Projects

Sometimes, tasks in one project may need to be linked to tasks in other projects.

Microsoft Project allows you to show these task relationships by linking tasks between projects.

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Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

USE the project schedules you created in the previous exercise.

1. On the ribbon, click the View tab. In the Window group, click the Switch Windows button. Click Adventure Works Promo 15. The Adventure Works Promo 15 project schedule is now visible in the active window.

2. In the Task Name column, click the name of Task 7, Split tracks.

3. [Press Ctrl1Shift1F5]. To the right of the task’s Gantt bar, note that one of the resources assigned to this task is Video Editing Studio. You want to use this sound editing studio for work on the Don Funk Music Video 15 project after this task is completed, so you need to link Task 7 to a task in the Don Funk Music Video 15.

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Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

4. On the ribbon, click the Switch Windows button, and then click Don Funk Music Video 15.

5. [Press the F5 key.] In the ID box, type 69, and then click OK. Notice the Sound Editing Studio is a resource on this task.

6. On the ribbon, click the Switch Windows button, and then click Consolidated Project 15.

7. In the task name column, in the Adventure Works Promo 15 project, click the name of Task 7, Split tracks.

8. Scroll down in the task name column to the Don Funk Music Video 15 project and locate Task 69, Fine audio edit. Hold down the Ctrl key and select Task 69.

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Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

9. On the ribbon, click the Task tab. In the Schedule group, click the Link the Selected Tasks button.

10. On the ribbon, click the View tab. In the Window group, click the Switch Windows button. Click Adventure Works Promo 15. The Adventure Works Promo 15 project schedule is now visible in the active window.

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Another Way: When viewing a consolidated project, you can quickly create cross-project links by pressing the F2 key.

Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

Microsoft Project inserted a ghost task named Fine audio edit into the project. The ghost task represents task 69 from the Don Funk Music Video 15 project. Because task 9 is a successor task with no other links to this project, it has no effect on other tasks here. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

Now you will switch views to look at the ghost task in the Don Funk Music Video 15 project schedule.

11. On the ribbon, click the Switch Windows button, and then click Don Funk Music Video 15. You can see that the ghost Task 69, Split tracks, is a predecessor for Task 70, Fine audio edit. The link between these two project schedules will remain until you break it. If this task is delayed it could affect Task 70. When you delete a task in the source schedule or the ghost task in the destination schedule, Microsoft Project also deletes the corresponding task or ghost task in the other schedule.

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Take Note: If you point to the Gantt bar for the ghost task, Microsoft Project will display a Screen-Tip that contains details about the ghost task, including the full path to the external project where the ghost task (the external predecessor) resides.

Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

12. On the ribbon, click the Switch Windows button, and then click Consolidated Project 15. You can see the link between the task Review new master (Task 7) in the first inserted project and the task Fine audio edit (Task 70) in the second inserted project. The cross-project link does not appear as a ghost task because you are looking at the consolidated project file. Your screen should look similar to the figures on the next two slides (note that you may need to scroll your screen to see the entire link).

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Another Way: You can also view the links between projects by selecting the Links Between Projects button, located on the Project Ribbon. This will only display links when you have the source file in the active window.

Take Note: If you do not want to see cross-project links, click the File tab, and then click Options. Under the Advanced options, in the Cross project linking options section, clear the Show external successors or Show external predecessors check box.

Take Note: Whenever you open a project schedule with cross-project links, Microsoft Project will prompt you to update these cross-project links. You can suppress this prompt if you prefer not to be reminded. You can also tell Microsoft Project to automatically accept updated data from the linked project file. To do this, click the File tab, and then click Options. Under the Advanced options, in the Cross project linking options section, select the options you want.

Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

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Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

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Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

13. SAVE the all of the project schedules, and then CLOSE all files.

PAUSE. If you are continuing to the next lesson, keep Project open. If you are not continuing to additional lessons, CLOSE Project.

In this exercise, you linked a task in one project to a task in another project to show a relationship between the two tasks and projects.

Most projects are like this–they do not exist in a vacuum. There are various reasons you might need to create links between projects. Some of the more common reasons are:

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Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

The completion of a task in one project might have an effect on a task in another project. For example, one project manager may need to complete a geological study before a second project manager can begin to construct a building.

These two tasks may be managed in separate project files (perhaps because they are being completed by different departments of the same company, or even two different companies), but they still have a logical relationship on each other.

A person or piece of equipment may be assigned to a task in one project, and you need to delay the start of a task in another project until that resource completes the first task.

The only commonality between the two tasks is that the same resource is required for both.

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Step by Step: Link Tasks From Two Different Project Schedules

Task relationships between project files are similar to the task links (relationships) between tasks within a project file, except that external predecessor and successor tasks have gray task names and Gantt bars.

By definition, these are called external tasks and are sometimes referred to as ghost tasks because they are not linked to tasks within the project file, only to tasks in other project files.

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Skill Summary

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MS project Tutorial/Project2013_Lesson16.pptx

Working with Resource Pools

Lesson 16

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Microsoft Project 2013

Objectives

Microsoft Official Academic Course, Microsoft Project 2013

Software Orientation

In Microsoft Project, you can use the Share Resources dialog box to create a resource pool.

The Share Resources dialog box enables you to select the options you want when creating a resource pool, including the project schedule or resource pool to which you want to add your file as a sharer file and whether you want the resource pool or sharer file to take precedence in case of conflict.

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Developing a Resource Pool

A resource pool can help a project manager see the extent to which resources are utilized across multiple and simultaneous projects.

In this exercise, you create a resource pool across two individual project schedules.

A resource pool is a project file from which other project schedules gather their resource information, and it contains only resource information.

As a project manager works to manage multiple projects, work resources are often assigned to more than one project at a time.

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Developing a Resource Pool

A resource pool can help you monitor how resources are utilized across multiple projects.

It contains information about all resources’ task assignments from all the project schedules linked to the resource pool.

If you change resource information–such as cost rates, maximum units, and nonworking time–in the resource pool, all linked project schedules will use the updated information.

The project schedules that are linked to the resource pool are called sharer files.

If you only manage one project and your resources are not used in other projects, then using a resource pool will provide no additional benefit to you.

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Developing a Resource Pool

However, if your organization must manage multiple projects at the same time, setting up a resource pool allows you to do such things as:

Enter resource information one time, but use it in multiple project schedules.

View resources’ assignment details from multiple projects in a single place.

View assignment costs per resource across multiple projects.

Identify resources that are over allocated across multiple projects, even if they are fully- or under allocated in individual projects.

Enter resource information, such as nonworking time, in any of the individual schedules or in the resource pool so that it is available in the other sharer files.

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Developing a Resource Pool

A resource pool is particularly beneficial when you are working with other Microsoft Project users across a network.

The resource pool can be stored in a central location–such as a network server–and the individual owners of the sharer files share the network resource pool.

Microsoft Project consolidates the information from sharer files based on the name of the resource.

Annete Hill, for example, is listed only once in the resource pool, no matter how many sharer files list her as a resource. Keep in mind, however, that Microsoft Project can’t match variations of a resource’s name–say, Annete Hill from one sharer file and Annete L. Hill from another. It is good to develop a convention for naming a resource and stick with it.

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Developing a Resource Pool

Any Microsoft Project schedule, with or without tasks, can serve as a resource pool.

It is considered a best practice to specify a file that does not contain tasks as the resource pool. This is because any project with tasks will come to an end at some point, and you might not want assignments for those tasks (along with their costs and other details) to be included indefinitely.

In addition, a dedicated resource pool file without tasks allows people such as line managers or resource managers to maintain some information about their resources in the resource pool.

A line manager is a manager of a group of resources and is also sometimes called a functional manager.

A resource manager oversees resource usage in project activities specifically to manage the time and cost of resources.

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Step by Step: Develop a Resource Pool

GET READY. Before you begin these steps, launch Microsoft Project.

1. OPEN the Don Funk Music Video 16M project schedule.

2. SAVE the file as Don Funk Music Video 16.

3. OPEN the Adventure Works Promo 16M project schedule.

4. SAVE the file as Adventure Works Promo 16.

5. On the ribbon, click the File tab, and then click New. Double-click Blank Project. A blank project opens.

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Step by Step: Develop a Resource Pool

6. On the ribbon, click the File tab, and then click Save As.

7. Locate your solution folder as directed by your instructor. The Save As dialog box appears. In the File name box, type Resource Pool 16, and then click Save.

8. On the ribbon, click the View tab, then in the Window group, click Arrange All. Microsoft Project arranges the three project schedule windows within the Microsoft Project window. (It is not necessary to arrange the project windows this way to create a resource pool, but it is helpful for viewing purposes in this lesson.)

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Take Note: Although you can choose any name you want for a resource pool, it is a best-practice to indicate that it is a resource pool as part of the file name.

Step by Step: Develop a Resource Pool

9. On the View ribbon, click Resource Sheet. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Notice that in the resource lists for the two project schedules, a few of the resources appear in both lists. These include Annete Hill, Sound Editing Studio, and Video Editing Studio. None of these resources are over allocated in either project.

Step by Step: Develop a Resource Pool

10. Click the title bar of the Don Funk Music Video 16 window.

11. On the ribbon, click the Resource tab, then select the Resource Pool button. From the drop down list, click Share Resources. The Share Resources dialog box appears.

12. Under Resources for ’Don Funk Music Video 16,’ click Use resources. In the From: list, select Resource Pool 16 from the dropdown list if it is not already selected. Your screen should look similar to the figure at right.

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Step by Step: Develop a Resource Pool

13. Click OK to close the Share Resources dialog box. The resource information from the Don Funk Music Video 16 project schedule appears in the Resource Pool 16 file.

14. Click the title bar of the Adventure Works Promo 16 window.

15. On the ribbon, click the Resources tab, then select the Resource Pool button. From the drop down list, click Share Resources. The Share Resources dialog box appears.

16. Under Resources for ’Adventure Works Promo 16,’ click Use resources. In the From: list, make sure that Resource Pool 16 is selected.

17. Under the On conflict with calendar or resource information label, make sure that Pool takes precedence is selected. Selecting this option causes Microsoft Project to use resource information (such as cost rates) in the resource pool rather than in the sharer file should it find any differences between the two project schedules.

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Step by Step: Develop a Resource Pool

18. Click OK to close the Share Resources dialog box. The resource information from the Adventure Works Promo 16 project schedule appears in the resource pool. Your screen should look similar to the figure on the next slide.

19. SAVE each project schedule by clicking the title bar of each file, then clicking the File tab, and then clicking Save.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

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Take Note: If you decide at some point in the future that you do not want to use a resource pool with a project schedule, you can break the link. On the ribbon, click the Resources tab, then click the Resource Pool button. From the dropdown list, click Share Resources. In the Share Resources dialog box, under Resources for ‘,current project name.’ click Use own resources.

Step by Step: Develop a Resource Pool

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Step by Step: View Assignment Details in the Resource Pool

By viewing project assignments in a resource pool, you can see, in a combined format, how all the resources for the sharer projects are allocated.

USE the project schedules you created in the previous exercise.

1. Double-click the title bar of the Resource Pool 16 window. The resource pool window maximizes to fill the active window. In the resource pool, you can view all resources from the two sharer files.

2. On the ribbon, click the View tab, and then click Resource Usage. The Resource Usage view appears.

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Step by Step: View Assignment Details in the Resource Pool

3. Auto fit the Resource name column and then scroll to select the name of Resource 14, Video Editing Studio. Click the expand button next to Video Editing Studio’s name to expand the assign- ment list. Your screen should look similar to the figure above.

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Step by Step: View Assignment Details in the Resource Pool

4. [Press Ctrl+Shift+F5.] The timescale details on the right side of the active window scroll horizontally to show the Video Editing Studio’s earliest assignments.

5. Scroll the timescale details to the right until you can see the assignments for the Video Editing Studio during the weeks of July 31, 2016 and August 7, 2016.

6. On the View ribbon, click the Details check box. The Resource Usage/Resource Form combination view is activated.

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Cross Ref: For a review of resolving problems with resource allocation, see Lesson 6.

Step by Step: View Assignment Details in the Resource Pool

7. In the Resource Form portion of the view, manually expand the Project column to see the entire project name in the list. (Auto fit does not function in this view.) Your screen should look similar to the figure at right. Your projects may be listed in a different order in the Resource Form window depending on which one you opened first.

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Step by Step: View Assignment Details in the Resource Pool

In this view, you can see all of the resources in the resource pool and their assignments (in the upper pane), as well as the additional details for the resources (in the lower pane) for all sharer files.

Note, for example, that Task 75, Duplicate audio and video masters, to which the Video Editing Studio is assigned, is from the Don Funk Music Video project, and the Review new master, Task 9, is from the Adventure Works Promo project.

While the Video Editing Studio was not over allocated in either project, it is actually over allocated when you look at its assignments across projects in this way.

Take a minute to select different resource names in the Resource Usage view to see their assignment details in the Resource Form.

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Step by Step: View Assignment Details in the Resource Pool

8. On the ribbon, clear the Details check box.

9. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

In this lesson, you changed the view of the resource pool to better view and analyze the information it contains.

One of the most important benefits of using a resource pool is that it enables you to see how resources are allocated across projects.

You can pinpoint resources that are over allocated across the multiple projects to which they are assigned.

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Step by Step: Revise Assignments in a Sharer File

When you make changes to resource assignments in a sharer file, these changes will be reflected in the resource pool as well.

USE the project schedules you used in the previous exercise. Make sure that Resource Pool 16 is the project schedule in the active window.

1. In the Resource Usage view, scroll until you see Resource 48, Arlene Huff, in the Resource Name column, and then click her name.

2. On the ribbon, click the Details check box. In the lower window, you can see that Arlene Huff has no task assignments in either sharer file.

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Step by Step: Revise Assignments in a Sharer File

3. On the ribbon, click the Switch Windows button, and then click Don Funk Music Video 16. The Don Funk Music Video 16 project is in the active window.

4. On the ribbon, click the Gantt Chart button. The Gantt Chart appears.

5. [Press the F5 key.] In the ID box, type 68, and then click OK. The Gantt Chart view scrolls to Task 68.

6. Click on the name of Task 68, Rough audio edit.

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Step by Step: Revise Assignments in a Sharer File

7. On the ribbon, click the Resource tab, then click the Assign Resources button. The Assign Resources dialog box appears.

8. In the Resource Name column in the Assign Resources dialog box, select Arlene Huff, and then click Assign.

9. Click CLOSE to close the Assign Resources dialog box.

10. On the ribbon, click the View tab, then click the Switch Windows button.

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Step by Step: Revise Assignments in a Sharer File

11. From the list, click Resource Pool 16 to switch back to the resource pool. Arlene Huff’s new task assignment appears in the resource pool. You may need to scroll the upper window (the Resource Usage view) to see Arlene Huff’s name. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Revise Assignments in a Sharer File

12. SAVE each project schedule. (You can either use the task bar at the bottom of your screen to bring each schedule to the active window to save it, or you can click Switch Windows on the ribbon and then select each schedule.)

13. After saving the project schedules, make sure that Resource Pool 16 is in the active window.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

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Another Way: You can also use the Go To dialog box (the F5 key) and enter Arlene’s resource ID number to move the view to Arlene Huff’s name.

Step by Step: Revise Assignments in a Sharer File

In this exercise, you made a resource assignment from the resource pool into a sharer file and then viewed the change posted to the resource pool.

Recall that an assignment is the matching of a resource to a task.

The resource’s assignment details originate in a sharer file, and Microsoft Project updates the resource pool with assignment details as you make them in the sharer file.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for a Resource in a Resource Pool

When a resource’s information is updated in a resource pool, it is also updated in all of the sharer files linked to that resource pool.

USE the project schedules you used in the previous exercise.

You have just been told that Jim Kim is not available to work on July 25–26, 2016, because he will be attending a training program.

1. In the Resource Name column, scroll to select resource name 22, Jim Kim.

2. Click the expand button next to Jim Kim’s name to display all of his assignments below his name. If necessary, scroll the Resource Usage view vertically so that all of Jim Kim’s assignments are visible. Note that Jim is assigned 24 hours of work on the task of Fine audio edit for the Don Funk Music Video 16 project during the week of July 24th.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for a Resource in a Resource Pool

3. Double-click Jim Kim’s name. The Resource Information dialog box appears. Click the General tab, if necessary.

4. Click the Change Working Time button. The Change Working Time dialog box appears.

5. Drag the vertical scroll bar or click the up and down arrows next to the calendar until July 2016 appears.

6. Select the dates July 25 and 26.

7. On the Exceptions tab below the calendar, under the Name column heading, click the first empty cell. Type Training Class and [press Enter]. Microsoft Project fills the Start and Finish cells with 7/25/2016 and 7/26/2016, respectively, and sets these dates to nonworking time. Your screen should look like the figure on the next slide.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for a Resource in a Resource Pool

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for a Resource in a Resource Pool

8. Click OK to close the Change Working Time dialog box. Click OK again to close the Resource Information dialog box. Scroll the screen so that July 25 and 26 are visible. Notice that Jim Kim now has no work scheduled for July 25 and July 26, 2016 (previously he had). Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Troubleshooting: Anytime you make changes in a resource pool, make sure you have it open as read-write (as it is in this lesson). When you create a resource pool, it is automatically created as read-write. When you open any resource pool, if Microsoft Project asks whether you want to open it as read-only or read-write, select read-write.

Step by Step: Update Working Time for a Resource in a Resource Pool

9. On the ribbon, click the Switch Windows button, and then click Adventure Works Promo 16.

10. In the Resource Name column, select the resource name of Jim Kim (resource 22).

11. Double-click Jim Kim’s name. In the Resource Information dialog box that appears, click the Change Working Time button. The Change Working Time dialog box appears.

12. Drag the vertical scroll bar or click the up and down arrows next to the calendar until July 2016 appears. Click the date July 25, and then click July 26. The notes next to the calendar indicate that both of these days are nonworking.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for a Resource in a Resource Pool

13. Click Cancel to close the Change Working Time dialog box. Click Cancel again to close the Resource Information dialog box.

14. SAVE all of the project schedules.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for a Resource in a Resource Pool

Another key benefit of using resource pools is that you have a central location to enter resource details, such as working time and cost rates, and any updates you make to the resource pool are made available in all of the sharer files.

This is particularly useful in organizations with large numbers of resources working on multiple projects. In larger organizations, employees such as line managers, resource managers, or even staff in a program office may be responsible for keeping general resource information updates.

A program office is a group that oversees a collection of projects (such as producing doors and producing engines), each of which is part of a complete deliverable (such as an automobile) and the organization’s strategic objectives. A program office may also be called a project management office or a PMO.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for All Sharer Files Via the Resource Pool

Any working time change that you make in the resource pool will update to all sharer files.

USE the project schedules you used in the previous exercise.

The entire company (Southridge Video) will be attending a company picnic on July 15, 2011, and you want this to be a nonworking day for all sharer projects.

1. On the View ribbon, click the Switch Windows button, and then click Resource Pool 16.

2. On the ribbon, click the Project tab, then click the Change Working Time button. The Change Working Time dialog box appears.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for All Sharer Files Via the Resource Pool

3. In the For calendar box, select Standard (Project Calendar) from the dropdown list.

4. Drag the vertical scroll bar or click the up and down arrows next to the calendar until July 2016 appears. Click the date July 15.

5. On the Exceptions tab below the calendar, under the Name column heading, click the first empty cell. Type Company Picnic and [press Enter]. Microsoft Project fills the Start and Finish cells with 7/15/2016 and sets the time to nonworking. Your screen should look similar to the figure on the next slide.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for All Sharer Files Via the Resource Pool

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for All Sharer Files Via the Resource Pool

6. Click OK to close the Change Working Time dialog box.

7. On the ribbon, click the View tab, then click the Switch Windows button, and then click Don Funk Music Video 16.

8. On the ribbon, click the Project tab, then click the Change Working Time button. The Change Working Time dialog box appears.

9. Make sure that Standard (Project Calendar) is selected in the For calendar box, and then drag the vertical scroll bar or click the up and down arrows next to the calen- dar until July 2016 appears. Notice that July 15, 2016, is flagged as a nonworking day and the details are shown on the Exceptions tab below the calendar.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for All Sharer Files Via the Resource Pool

10. Click Cancel to close the Change Working Time dialog box.

If you desire, you can switch the view to the Adventure Works Promo 16 project and use the same steps to verify that July 15, 2016, is also a nonworking day for that project.

11. SAVE all project schedules and then CLOSE all files.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

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Step by Step: Update Working Time for All Sharer Files Via the Resource Pool

In this exercise, you made a change to the base calendar for the resource pool, and then verified this change in one of the sharer files.

This is another key advantage of using a resource pool. By changing the base calendar for the resource pool, the change is updated for ALL sharer files that use that calendar.

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Troubleshooting: By default, all sharer files share the same base calendars, and any changes you make in a base calendar in one sharer file are reflected in all other sharer files using that base calendar through the resource pool. If you have a certain sharer file for which you want to use different base calendar working times, you must change the base calendar that sharer file uses. This different base calendar will still be available for use in all other sharer files through the resource pool, but will only apply to those sharer files in which you select it as the base calendar.

Step by Step: Add New Files to the Resource Pool

Project schedules can be made into sharer files for a resource pool at any time.

For this reason, it is a good idea to make all project schedules into sharer files (once you have set up a resource pool).

GET READY. To add new files to the resource pool, do the following:

1. OPEN Resource Pool 16 from the solution files for this lesson. When prompted, click the second option to open the file as read-write, and then click OK.

2. On the ribbon, click the View tab, and then click Resource Sheet. The Resource Sheet View appears.

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Take Note: The default option is for Microsoft Project to open resource pools as read-only. You might want to choose this option if you and other Microsoft Project users are sharing a resource pool across a network. However, if you store the resource pool locally, you should open it as read-write.

Step by Step: Add New Files to the Resource Pool

3. On the View ribbon, clear the check box for Details in the Split View group.

4. On the ribbon, click the File tab, then select New. Double-click Blank Project. A blank project opens.

5. On the ribbon, click the File tab, and then click Save As.

6. Locate your solution folder as directed by your instructor. The Save As dialog box appears. In the File name box, key Graphic Design Project 16, and then click Save.

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Step by Step: Add New Files to the Resource Pool

7. On the ribbon, click the Resource tab, then click the Assign Resources button. The Assign Resources dialog box appears. The Assign Resources box is currently empty because you have not yet entered any resource information into this project schedule.

8. On the ribbon, click the Resource Pool button, and then click Share Resources. The Share Resources dialog box appears.

9. Under Resources for ’Graphic Design Project 16,’ select Use Resources.

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Step by Step: Add New Files to the Resource Pool

10. In the From list, make sure that Resource Pool 16 is selected in the dropdown list. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Add New Files to the Resource Pool

11. Click OK to close the Share Resources dialog box. In the Assign Resources dialog box, you can now see all of the resources from the resource pool. These resources are now ready for assignment to tasks in this project. Your screen should look similar to the igure at right.

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Step by Step: Add New Files to the Resource Pool

12. Click Close to close the Assign Resources dialog box.

13. SAVE the project schedules, and then CLOSE the files.

PAUSE. LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you created a project schedule and made it a sharer file for the resource pool.

You can do this at any time: when initially entering the project schedule’s tasks, after you have assigned resources to tasks, or even after work has begun.

Once you have set up a resource pool, you might find it helpful to make sharer files of projects in progress and of all new projects. This is a good way to become accustomed to relying on the resource pool for resource information.

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Revising a Sharer File and Updating a Resource Pool

Sometimes, you may have the resource pool open as read-only.

In this case, you would have to manually update resource information to the resource pool.

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Step by Step: Revise a Sharer File and Manually Update the Resource Pool

GET READY. To revise a sharer file and manually update the resource pool, do the following:

1. OPEN Adventure Works Promo 16 (this is a project schedule you used in a previous exercise, but we want to open it now as read-only). Select the Open resource pool to see assignments across all sharer files option, and then click OK.

2. On the ribbon, click the View tab, and then click Gantt Chart.

3. In the Task Name column, click on the name of Task 6, Add head and tail titles. [Press Ctrl+Shift+F5] to bring the data into view.

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Step by Step: Revise a Sharer File and Manually Update the Resource Pool

4. On the ribbon, click the Resource tab, and then click the Assign Resources button. The Assign Resources dialog box appears.

5. In the Resource Name column in the Assign Resources dialog box, select the name of Frank Zhang, and then click the Assign button.

6. In the Task Name column, click the name of Task 9, Review new master.

7. In the Resource Name column in the Assign Resources dialog box, scroll to locate and select Holly Dickson, and then click the Remove button.

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Step by Step: Revise a Sharer File and Manually Update the Resource Pool

You have made two assignment changes in the sharer file. Because the resource pool is open as read-only, these changes were not automatically saved in the resource pool. You need to manually update the resource pool.

8. On the ribbon, click the Resource Pool button, and then click Update Resource Pool. Microsoft Project updates the assignment information in the resource pool file with the new details from the sharer file. If anyone opens or refreshes the resource pool from now on, the updated assignment information will be available.

9. In the Task Name column, click on the name of task 3, Sync Sound.

10. In the Assign Resources dialog box, scroll to locate and select Arlene Huff, and then click the Assign button.

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Take Note: Keep in mind that only assignment information is saved to the resource pool from the sharer file. Any changes you make to resource details, such as cost rates or Max. units, in the sharer file are not saved in the resource pool when you update. If you want to change resource details, you must open the resource pool as read-write. Once it is open as read- write, you can change resource details in either the resource pool or the sharer file, and Microsoft Project will update the other file.

Step by Step: Revise a Sharer File and Manually Update the Resource Pool

11. Click the Close button to close the Assign Resources dialog box. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Revise a Sharer File and Manually Update the Resource Pool

12. On the ribbon, click the File tab, and then click Close. When prompted to save changes, click Yes. Microsoft Project determines that because the resource pool was opened as read-only, the assignment changes you just made in the sharer file have not been updated in the resource pool file. A dialog box appears, and you are offered a choice as to whether or not you want to update the resource pool. Your screen should look similar to the figure below.

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Step by Step: Revise a Sharer File and Manually Update the Resource Pool

13. After you review the options in the dialog box, click OK. Microsoft Project updates the assignment information with the new details from the sharer file. The resource pool remains open as read-only.

14. On the ribbon, click the File tab, and then click Close. Since the resource pool was opened as read-only, Microsoft Project closes it without prompting you to save changes.

PAUSE. If you are continuing to the next lesson, keep Project open. If you are not continuing to additional lessons, CLOSE Project.

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Step by Step: Revise a Sharer File and Manually Update the Resource Pool

In this exercise, you made changes to a sharer file and updated a resource pool that had been opened as read-only (as if you were on a network, rather than working with local files).

This is an important concept because if you are sharing a resource pool with other Microsoft Project users across a network, whoever has the resource pool open as read-write prevents others from updating resource information.

For this reason, it is a good idea to open the resource pool as read-only and to use the Update Resource Pool command only when you need to update the resource pool with assignment information.

Once this is done, anyone else who opens the resource pool will see the latest assignment information.