Lesson 8- Weekly Assessment

LESSON 8: Project Schedule Formatting Fundamentals

LESSON SKILL MATRIX

SKILLS	TASKS
Gantt Chart Formatting	Modify the Gantt Chart using the Bar Styles dialog box Modify the Gantt Chart using Gantt Chart Styles
Modifying Text Appearance in a View	Modify the appearance of text in a view Modify the appearance of a single piece of text
Creating Custom Fields	Create a custom text field
Creating and Editing Tables	Create a custom table
Creating Custom Views	Create a custom view

As a video production manager for Southridge Video and the project manager for the new Don Funk music video, you have the foundation of your project schedule in place. However, a project manager doesn’t usually look at all of the data in a project schedule at once. In this lesson, you will learn to use some of the tools in Microsoft Project 2013, such as views and reports, to look at the element or aspect of the project schedule in which you are currently interested. With these tools, you can significantly impact how your data appears by the way in which you change the data format to meet your needs.

KEY TERMS

Charts view

custom field

diagram view

forms view

sheets view

usage view

view

SOFTWARE ORIENTATION: Microsoft Project’s Bar Styles Dialog Box

In Microsoft Project, you can use the Bar Styles dialog box (see  Figure 8-1 ) to customize the appearance of items on the Gantt Chart. This dialog box enables you to change the appearance of items such as task bars, milestones, summary bars, and text that appear on the Gantt Chart. You can change characteristics such as bar types, patterns, colors, splits, and shapes.

Figure 8-1: Bar Styles dialog box

You will now use one of the features of the ribbon interface in Project 2013, the Format ribbon. With this ribbon you have faster access to formatting options in views. You may have seen in the various views of previous lessons a tab at the very top of the screen, above the ribbon. This is the Format ribbon. This tab provides formatting options available in the view you are in at the time.  Figure 8-2  shows the Format ribbon for the Gantt Chart view.

Figure 8-2: Format ribbon for Gantt Chart views

Gantt Chart Formatting

The Gantt Chart view consists of two parts: a table on the left and a bar chart on the right. The default formatting of the Gantt Chart view is useful for onscreen project schedule viewing and printing. However, you are able to change the formatting of almost any element on the Gantt Chart to suit your needs. In this exercise, you will learn to format Gantt Chart task bars. You can format whole categories of Gantt Chart task bars via the Bar Styles dialog box, or you can format individual Gantt Chart task bars directly.

Modifying the Gantt Chart Using the Bar Styles Dialog Box

In this exercise, you will modify several items on the Gantt Chart using the Bar Styles dialog box.

MODIFY THE GANTT CHART USING THE BAR STYLES DIALOG BOX

GET READY. Before you begin these steps, launch Microsoft Project. OPEN the  Don Funk Music Video 8M  project schedule from the data files for this lesson. SAVE the file as  Don Funk Music Video 8  in the solutions folder for this lesson as directed by your instructor.

· 1. Click the Format tab, then in the Bar Styles group click the down-arrow under the Format button. Select Bar Styles from the dropdown list. The Bar Styles dialog box appears.

· 2. In the Name column, select  Milestone . You want to change the shape of the milestones on the Gantt Chart.

· 3. In the bottom half of the dialog box under the Start label, locate the Shape box. Select the star shape from the dropdown list in the Shape box. Note that the star shape now appears in the Appearance column for Milestone. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-3 .

Figure 8-3:Bar Styles dialog box displaying the star as the shape for milestones

· 4. In the Name column at the top of the dialog box, select Task.

· 5. In the bottom half of the dialog box, click the Text tab. You want to make a change to display the resource groups assigned rather than full names next to the task bars.

· 6. In the Text tab, in the Right box, select Resource Names, click the down-arrow, and then select Resource Group. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-4 .

Figure 8-4:Bar Styles dialog box showing resource group to be listed at the right of all task Gantt chart bars

· 7. Click OK to close the Bar Styles dialog box. Microsoft Project applies the formatting changes you made to the Gantt Chart.

· 8. Select the name cell of Task 27, Pre-Production complete. Press Crtl+Shift+F5. This is the keyboard shortcut for Scroll to Task. Microsoft Project scrolls the Gantt Chart bar view to task 27, where you can see the reformatted milestones and resource groups rather than individual names. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-5 .

Figure 8-5:Gantt Chart view showing resource groups and the new shape for milestones

· 9. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE the project schedule open to use in the next exercise.

TAKE NOTE*

With the Bar Styles dialog box, the formatting changes you make to a type of item (a milestone, for example) apply to all such items in the Gantt Chart.

You have just used the Bar Styles dialog box to make formatting changes to several items in the Gantt Chart view. As you learned in  Lesson 1 , the Gantt Chart is the primary way of viewing the data in a project schedule. It became the standard for visualizing project schedules in the early twentieth century when American engineer and management consultant Henry L. Gantt developed a bar chart with two main principles; 1) to measure activities by the amount of time needed to complete them; and 2) to represent the amount of the activity that should have been done in a given time.

In Microsoft Project, the Gantt Chart view is the default view. A  view  is a window through which you can see various elements of your project schedule. The two main view categories are named single view, which you have been using mostly throughout the lessons, and one you will see later in this lesson called a combination view. Views are made up of one or more view elements. The five different view formats and their common use are listed in  Table 8-1 .

Table 8-1: View elements

FORMAT	PURPOSE OR USE
Charts	Present information graphically, such as the Gantt Chart.
Sheets	Present information in rows and columns, such as the Task Sheet or the Resource Sheet.
Forms	Present detailed information in a structured format about one task or resource at a time, such as the Task Form.
Diagram	Present information in diagram format, such as the Network Diagram.
Usage	Present task or resource information on the left side and time-phased information on the right, such as the Resource Usage or Task Usage views.

Modifying the Gantt Chart Using Gantt Chart Styles

In this exercise, you will create a custom Gantt Chart, format it using predefined Gantt Chart Styles, and save the custom view.

MODIFY THE GANTT CHART USING GANTT CHART STYLES

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

· 1. Click the Format tab, under Gantt Chart Tools, if necessary.

· 2. In the Show/Hide group, click the Project Summary Task box.

· 3. Press the F5 key. In the ID box, type 0 and click OK. Microsoft Project displays the project summary task (task ID 0) at the top of the Gantt Chart view. Now you will make a few adjustments to your screen so that all of the summary task information is visible.

· 4. Drag the vertical divider bar between the table and chart to the right until at least the Duration and Start columns are visible, if necessary.

 ANOTHER WAY

You can also double-click the divider bar to snap the divider to the nearest column edge.

· 5. Double-click the right edge of the Task Name column, in the column heading, to expand the column so that you can see the entire value. Readjust the vertical divider bar, as necessary. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-6 .

Figure 8-6:Gantt Chart showing widened Task Name column and project summary task

Before you make further formatting changes, you will make a copy of the Gantt Chart view so that you will not affect the original Gantt Chart view.

 ANOTHER WAY

Right-clicking anywhere in a column heading will activate the sub-menu for column. Selecting Field Settings will display the Field Settings dialog box. In the dialog box, click the Best Fit button to automatically adjust the column width.

· 6. Click the  View  tab. In the Task Views group, click the down-arrow under the Gantt Chart button then select Save View. The Save View dialog box appears with View 1 as the default name as in  Figure 8-7 .

Figure 8-7:Save View dialog box

· 7. In the Name Field, type My Custom Gantt Chart, and then click OK. The Save View dialog box closes. Note that the name of the new view is listed on the left edge of your screen. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-8 .

· 8. Click the Format tab. In the Gantt Chart Styles group, click the More button located at the lower right of the bar graphics, as shown in  Figure 8-9 .

Figure 8-9:The More button displays predefined Gantt bar styles

· 9. The predefined Gantt Chart Style options appear as in  Figure 8-10 . These are divided into two style categories, one for scheduling and one for presentations. Select the second style in the scheduling category.

Figure 8-10:Predefined Gantt Chart styles

· 10. On the Format ribbon, in the Bar Styles group, click the check box for Critical Tasks.

· 11. Press the F5 key. In the ID box key 55 and press Enter. Notice that most tasks from 52-78 are formatted to display in red. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-11 .

Figure 8-11:My Custom Gantt Chart view with new scheduling style applied and critical tasks

TAKE NOTE*

Notice that the Resource Groups are still displayed to the right of the Gantt bars, but the Milestones have been changed back the default diamond shape.

· 12. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE the project schedule open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you made formatting changes to your project schedule using predefined Gantt Chart Styles. This is similar to making changes using the Bar Styles command; however, the predefined Gantt Chart Styles has fewer choices than the Bar Styles command. As you are reviewing the formatting changes in the My Custom Gantt Chart view, remember that none of the data in the project schedule has changed – just the way it is formatted. These formatting changes affect only the My Custom Gantt Chart view; all other views in Microsoft Project are unaffected.

Modifying Text Appearance In a View

Microsoft Project enables you to change the way text appears within a view. You can modify the appearance of an entire category of tasks, such as summary tasks or milestones, or you can change the appearance of an individual cell. This feature allows you to call attention to specific items or to offset a specific type of task with color and font size or type.

MODIFY THE APPEARANCE OF TEXT IN A VIEW

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

· 1. Click the Task tab, click the down-arrow under the Gantt Chart button and select More Views. The More Views dialog box appears.

· 2. In the More Views box, select Task Sheet, and then click Apply. The Detail Gantt view appears.

 ANOTHER WAY

You can also right-click the view name bar at the left edge of the screen and select More Views from the dropdown menu.

· 3. Press the F5 key. In the ID box, type 0 and then press Enter. This brings you to the top of the Gantt Chart.

· 4. Click the Format tab under Text Sheet Tools. Then in the Format group click Text Styles. The Text Styles dialog box appears.

· 5. In the Items to Change: box, click the sub-menu arrow and select Summary Tasks from the list

· 6. In the Font: box, leave the default font type as it is. In the Font Style: box, select Bold Italic.

· 7. In the Size: box, select 12 as the font size.

· 8. In the Color: box, select White.

· 9. In the Background Color: box select dark blue (ScreenTip will show as Blue, Darker 50%). Your Text Styles dialog box will look similar to  Figure 8-12 .

Figure 8-12:Text Styles dialog box with summary task formatting changes

· 10. Click OK. Microsoft Project changes the formatting of all summary tasks to the attributes you specified. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-13 .

·

Figure 8-13:Task Sheet view with summary tasks reformatted

TAKE NOTE*

Notice that the Project summary task was not reformatted. This is because the Project Summary task is a separate category and must be reformatted by itself.

· 11. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE the project schedule open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you modified the way all text appeared for summary tasks. In the exercise you will modify a single piece of text.

Modifying the Appearance of a Single Piece of Text

In this exercise, you will modify a single piece of text in the Task Sheet view using the cost table.

MODIFY THE APPEARANCE OF A SINGLE PIECE OF TEXT

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

· 1. On the ribbon, click the  View  tab. In the Data group click the Tables button and then select  Cost .

· 2. Auto fit all the columns to see all the data. Select the Total Cost cell for task 38, Scene 2.

TROUBLESHOOTING

The tables in Microsoft Project may look like Microsoft Excel but there are distinct differences. For example, you can auto-fit all columns in Excel at the same time, but you cannot in do this in Microsoft Project.

· 3. Select the Task tab and then, in the Font group, click the expand button at the lower-right corner of that group. The Font dialog box appears.

· 4. Change the font color to Automatic and the background color to yellow. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-14 .

Figure 8-14:Task Sheet view with Font dialog box changes made

· 5. Click OK. Notice that only that cell has change font color and background color.

· 6. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE the project schedule open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you modified a single piece of text. Modified text will remain modified every time it is called up in that view, regardless of the table you are using. For example, if you were to switch to the summary table after you formatted this text, it appears with the new formatting.

Creating Custom Fields

As you develop more information about your project tasks, you may want to enter this information into the schedule, but find there is no associated, default field available. With Microsoft Project you have the ability to create custom, user-defined fields to meet your needs. Custom fields are the starting point for you to create customized tables, views and reports.

CREATE A CUSTOM TEXT FIELD

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

· 1. Click the Format tab. Then click on Custom Fields. The Custom Fields dialog box appears as shown in  Figure 8-15 .

Figure 8-15:Custom Fields dialog box

· 2. Click once on the Text1 field and then click the Rename button.

· 3. In the Rename Field dialog box, type Cast and then press OK.

· 4. Click once on the Text2 field and then click the Rename button.

· 5. In the Rename Field dialog box, type Location and then press OK.

· 6. Click OK to close the Custom Fields dialog box.

SAVE and close the project schedule.

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

In this exercise, you created two custom text fields. A  custom field  is a user-definable field. Text fields are available for you to enter any type of text-based information. In this case study, you used them to create a custom field for shooting location and one which you can enter the cast members to be used.

In Microsoft Project’s task database there are 130 user-definable fields available for you to use, broken down into nine categories. Some fields lend themselves to be used in calculations while others are for simply storing text-based information.  Table 8-2  displays all nine categories, their primary purpose and use, the type of entry, number of fields available in each, and in which database these fields can be used.

Table 8-2: Custom Fields

CATEGORY	PURPOSE OR USE	ENTRY TYPE	NUMBER AVAILABLE	AVAILABLE DATABASE
Cost	Used to display cost-based information and will display in the units selected in the options. Can be used as a variable in calculations.	Calculated or Entered	10	All
Date	Used to display date-based information and will display in the format chosen in the options. Can be used as a variable in calculations.	Calculated or Entered	10	Al
Duration	Used to display duration-based information. Can be used as a variable in calculations.	Calculated or Entered	10	All
Finish	Primarily used in the Interim Plan feature. Used to display date-based information. Can be used as a variable in calculations.	Calculated or Entered	10	All
Flag	Used to set a flag (Yes/No) and will display a Yes or No. Can be used as a conditional variable in calculations.	Calculated or Entered	20	All
Number	Used for numerical information not covered by another field. Can be used as a variable in calculations.	Calculated or Entered	20	All
Start	Primarily used in the Interim Plan feature. Used to display date-based information. Can be used as a variable in calculations.	Calculated or Entered	10	All
Text	Used for any type of text-based information. Certain values of text can display based on a calculation.	Calculated or Entered	30	All
Outline Code	Used to define a structure for tasks or resources only (not used for assignments).	Entered (static)	10	Task/Resource

Custom fields can make the difference between a mediocre Microsoft Project schedule file and a great Microsoft Project schedule file. When planning your project, ensure there is justification to set up custom fields. In other words, collecting and recording data simply because the option is available does not mean it is necessarily a good idea. The data you collect and record should add value.

Creating and Editing Tables

Within Microsoft Project are a number of different tables that can be used in various views. These tables contain most of the commonly used data fields. However, you can create new tables that contain exactly the data you want, such as custom fields, or you can modify any predefined table to meet your needs.

CREATE A CUSTOM TABLE

OPEN the  Don Funk Music Video 8MA  project schedule from the data files for this lesson. SAVE the file as  Don Funk Music Video 8A  in the solutions folder for this lesson as directed by your instructor.

· 1. Click the  View  tab. Then click Tables and then click More Tables. The More Tables dialog box appears and displays all of the predefined tables available to you, depending on the type of view currently displayed (task or resource).

· 2. Confirm that the Task button is selected as the Tables option. Select Entry, and then click the Copy button. The Table Definition dialog box appears.

· 3. In the Name box, key Music Video Schedule Table. Check the check box to the right of the Name box labeled Show in menu. Now you will customize the table.

· 4. In the Field Name column, select the following field names and then click Delete Row after selecting each field name.

· Indicators

· Duration

· Finish

· Predecessors

· Resource Names

After you have deleted these fields, your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-16 .

Figure 8-16:Table Definition dialog box

· 5. In the Field Name column, click the down-arrow in the next empty cell below Start, and then type or select Cast (Text1) from the dropdown list.

· 6. In the Align Data column in the same row, select Left. In the Width column, type or select 50.

· 7. In the Field Name column in the next empty row below Cast, select Location(Text 2) from the dropdown list.

· 8. In the Align Data column in the same row, select Left. In the Width column, type or select 30.

· 9. In the Field Name column, select Start, and then click the Cut Row button.

· 10. In the Field Name column, select Name, and then click the Paste Row button.

· 11. In the Align Data column in the Start row, select Left. In the Width column, type or select 30.

· 12. In the Align Data column in the Name row, select Left. In the Width column, type or select 60.

· 13. In the Date Format box, select Wed 1/28/09 12:33 pm. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-17 .

Figure 8-17:Table Definition dialog box with changes

· 14. Click OK to close the Table Definition dialog box. The new table is highlighted in the More Tables dialog box.

· 15. Click Apply. Microsoft Project applies the new table to the Task Sheet view. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-18 .

Figure 8-18:Task Sheet with the Music Video Schedule table applied

· 16. SAVE the project schedule.

PAUSE. LEAVE the project schedule open to use in the next exercise.

In this exercise, you created a custom table to display the information typically found on a video shooting schedule. You modified an existing table to include additional data that was important to your project schedule. As you create future project schedules, keep in mind that you have three options when setting up tables: you can create a new table, redefine an existing table, or copy an existing table and modify it as needed. Also note that as you modify any table, you are changing the definition of that table.

Creating Custom Views

Almost all of the work you perform in Microsoft Project is done in a view, which allows you to see your project schedule in a useful way. Microsoft Project includes numerous predefined views. You can use these views, edit an existing view, or create your own view. In this exercise, you will create a custom view using the custom filter and custom table you created in earlier lessons.

CREATE A CUSTOM VIEW

USE the project schedule you created in the previous exercise.

· 1. On the View ribbon, click the down-arrow under the Gantt Chart button in the Task Views group, then click More Views. The More Views dialog box appears, displaying all of the predefined views available to you.

· 2. Click the New button. The Define New View dialog box appears. Most views use only a single pane, but a view can consist of two separate panes.

· 3. Make sure Single View is selected, and then click OK. The View Definition dialog box appears.

· 4. In the Name box, key Music Video Schedule View.

· 5. In the Screen box, select Task Sheet from the dropdown list.

· 6. In the Table box, select Music Video Schedule Table from the dropdown list. The specific groups in the dropdown list depend on the type of view you selected in step 5 (task or resource).

· 7. In the Group box, select No Group from the dropdown list. The specific groups in the dropdown list again depend on the type of view you selected in step 5.

· 8. In the Filter box, select Unfinished Shoots from the dropdown list. The specific groups in the dropdown list depend on the type of view you selected in step 5. The View Definition dialog box shows all the elements that can make up a view. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-19 .

Figure 8-19:View Definition dialog box

· 9. Select the Show in Menu check box, and then click OK to close the View Definition dialog box. The new view appears and should be selected in the More Views dialog box.

TAKE NOTE*

When you select the Show in Menu check box, Microsoft Project adds the new view to the View bar. This custom view will be saved with this Microsoft Project data file. You have the option to save all custom items in the Global.MPT (the global template) file, so they are available each time you use Project.

· 10. Click Apply. Microsoft Project applies the new view. Your screen should look similar to  Figure 8-20 .

· .

Figure 8-20:Custom view with Music Video Schedule Table and Unfinished Shoots filter

· 11. SAVE the project schedule. CLOSE the project schedule.

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

In this exercise, you created a custom view that enabled you to look specifically at information that was of interest to you. Recall that a view is a window through which you can see the various elements of a project schedule in a way that is helpful to the viewing audience. As you saw in this exercise, a view might contain elements such as tables, groups, or filters. You can combine these with other elements to create almost limitless custom views to suit any purpose.

SKILL SUMMARY

IN THIS LESSON YOU LEARNED:	MATRIX SKILL
To format the Gantt Chart	Modify the Gantt Chart using the Bar Styles dialog box Modify the Gantt Chart using the Gantt Chart Styles
To modify text appearance in a view	Modify the appearance of text in a view Modify the appearance of a single piece of text
To create custom fields	Create a custom text field
To create and edit tables	Create a custom table
To create custom views	Create a custom view

Knowledge Assessment

Matching

Match the term in column 1 to its description in column 2.

Column 1	Column 2
· 1. field	· a. a spreadsheet-like presentation of project data, organized in vertical columns and horizontal rows
· 2. custom field	· b. the default view in Microsoft Project
· 3. table	· c. the right side of the Gantt Chart view
· 4. Format	· d. the intersection of a row and a column in a table
· 5. Bar Styles	· e. a view that presents information in rows and columns
· 6. view	· f. a ribbon that allows you to add or change the appearance of a view
· 7. Gantt Chart	· g. another name for field
· 8. cell	· h. a feature that allows the user to create columns for specific uses
· 9. bar chart	· i. a window through which you can see the various elements of a project schedule
· 10. sheet	· j. the dialog box that can be used to format the graphical components of the Gantt Chart view

True / False

Circle T if the statement is true or F if the statement is false.

T	F	· 1. When you make a change to a milestone using the Bar Styles dialog box, the change applies to all milestones in the Gantt Chart.
T	F	· 2. The custom fields dialog box allows the user to change the name of a custom field.
T	F	· 3. In Microsoft Project, you can edit predefined tables but you cannot create new custom tables to suit your needs.
T	F	· 4. The Gantt Chart view can include only the task data without the bar chart.
T	F	· 5. When you make formatting changes to your project schedule, the data does not change, just the way it appears.
T	F	· 6. When you add, remove or rearrange columns, or change column widths, you are changing the table’s definition.
T	F	· 7. You can make almost any custom field part of a calculation for another custom field.
T	F	· 8. If you format data using the Font dialog box, the changes apply to only the data you have specifically selected.
T	F	· 9. The Gantt Chart Styles has more formatting choices than the Bar Styles dialog box.
T	F	· 10. Changing the appearance of data in a view can make it easier to read and understand project data.

Competency Assessment

Project 8-1: Modifying the Don Funk Music Video Gantt Chart

You are reviewing your project schedule with your team. Several team members make the suggestion that it would be nice to have the summary tasks stand out a little bit more on the project schedule. You decide to format the summary tasks in purple with the task name listed on the right of the bar.

GET READY. Launch Microsoft Project if it is not already running. OPEN  Don Funk Music Video 8-1  from the data files for this lesson.

· 1. Click the Format tab, and then click the Format button in the Bar Styles group. Select Bar Styles from the dropdown list.

· 2. In the Name column, select Summary.

· 3. In the bottom half of the dialog box, make sure the Bars tab is selected. Under the Start, Middle, and End labels, select Purple from the dropdown list in the Color boxes.

· 4. Click the Text tab.

· 5. Click the Right box. Click the down-arrow, and select Name from the dropdown list.

· 6. Click OK.

· 7. Select the name of Task 27, Pre-Production complete.

· 8. Click the Task tab, and then click the Scroll to Task button.

· 9. SAVE the project schedule as  Don Funk Music Video Purple Summary , and then CLOSE the file.

LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

Project 8-2: Interviewing Schedule Table

You have created a project schedule for interviewing and hiring a new employee. Now you would like to create a table to display the information found on an internal interview schedule.

OPEN  HR Interview and Hire Schedule 8-2  from the data files for this lesson.

· 1. Click the  View  tab. In the Task Views group, click the down-arrow under the Gantt Chart button, and then click More Views.

· 2. Select Task Sheet from the More Views box, and then click Apply.

· 3. On the ribbon, in the Data group, click Tables and then click More Tables.

· 4. Confirm that the Task button is selected as the Tables option. Select Entry, and then click the Copy button.

· 5. In the Name box, key Interview Schedule Table. Select the Show in Menu check box.

· 6. In the Field Name column, select each of the following names and then click Delete Row after selecting each field name.

Indicators

Finish

Predecessors

Resource Names

· 7. In the Date format box, select 1/28/09 12:33 pm.

· 8. Click OK.

· 9. Make sure that Interview Schedule Table is selected in the More Tables dialog box, and then click Apply.

· 10. SAVE the project schedule as  HR Interview Schedule Table , and then CLOSE the file.

LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

Proficiency Assessment

Project 8-3: Office Remodel Contractor Tasks

You have developed a project schedule for a kitchen/lunchroom remodel at your business. You are preparing to distribute the schedule to some of the contractors who will work on the project. You would like to call attention to the summary tasks and the specific tasks that these contractors will be undertaking.

OPEN  Office Remodel 8-3  from the data files for this lesson.

· 1. Change the view to the Task Sheet.

· 2. Select Text Styles from the Format ribbon.

· 3. Select Summary Tasks as the item to change.

· 4. Select font size 12 and color Blue. Click OK.

· 5. Select tasks 9 through 14.

· 6. Activate the Font dialog box from the Task ribbon.

· 7. Select a Background color of Yellow and then click OK.

· 8. SAVE the project schedule as  Office Remodel Contractor Tasks  and then CLOSE the file.

LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

Project 8-4: Interviewing Schedule Custom View

You have created an interviewing schedule for hiring a new employee at your company. You want to create a custom view for this project schedule that looks at only the summary tasks in the Interview Schedule format (which you created in  Project 8-2 ).

OPEN  HR Interview Schedule 8-4  from the data files for this lesson.

· 1. From the More Views dialog box, click New to create a new view.

· 2. Select Single View.

· 3. Name the new view Summary Interview Schedule View.

· 4. Select Task Sheet from the Screen box.

· 5. Select Interview Schedule Table from the Table box.

· 6. Select No Group from the Group box.

· 7. Select Summary Tasks from the Filter box.

· 8. Select the Show in Menu check box.

· 9. Apply the new view.

· 10. SAVE the project schedule as  HR Summary Interview Schedule , and then CLOSE the file.

LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

Mastery Assessment

Project 8-5: Don Funk Music Video

You need to make some additional formatting changes to the Don Funk Music Video so that the critical path is more visible for a presentation. You decide to make these changes using the Gantt Chart Tool.

OPEN  Don Funk Music Video 8-5  from the data files for this lesson.

· 1. Make a copy of the Gantt Chart view.

· 2. Name the new view Custom Gantt 8-5.

· 3. Apply the custom view you have just created.

· 4. Activate the Gantt Chart Tools – Format ribbon.

· 5. Select a dark blue Gantt bar style for your presentation.

· 6. Select Critical Path as the type of information you want to display.

· 7. SAVE the project schedule as  Don Funk Critical Path , and then CLOSE the file.

LEAVE Project open to use in the next exercise.

Project 8-6: Setting Up a Home Office – Adding a Custom Field

You need to add some information about new phone company billing to your Home Office project schedule. You need to use a custom field in order to capture information about the suppliers on the project.

OPEN  Home Office Setup 8-6  from the data files for this lesson.

· 1. Open the Custom Fields dialog box.

· 2. Create a custom text field named Supplier.

· 3. Insert the new field between the Task Name column and the Duration column.

· 4. Type Local Office Supply Store as the supplier for the purchases of all computers, business machines (except phone), office furniture and supplies.

· 5. Type Phone Company as the supplier for the purchase/ordering of the phone, phone line, and the installation of the phone and the line.

· 6. Apply your changes.

· 7. SAVE the project schedule as  Home Office Custom Field Info , and then CLOSE the file.

CLOSE Project.