project2003 guide

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Using Microsoft Project 2003


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Table of ContentsTopic Page

Getting Started 3

Displaying Project Information 3

Adjusting the Timescale 4Printing the Schedule 4

Starting a Project Schedule 4

Entering Tasks and Duration 5

Labeling Task Bars 6

Outlining a Project (Creating a Hammock) 7

Establishing Task Dependencies 7

Managing Project Resources* 9

Resource Costs* 9

Working with Calendars 10

Scheduling with Resources* 12

Managing Resource Workloads* 14Scheduling Task Constraints 16

Tracking Project Progress 18

Definitions 21

Illustrations 22

* Not needed for SPECTRE IPR Exercise

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Introduction to Microsoft Project 2003

1. Introduction. Traditionally, systemacquisition programs have been defined as acombination of cost, schedule and

performance. This material contains anoverview of a software program designed tohelp manage the scheduling portion of aproject. This software program applies thetools and techniques presented in theScheduling Techniques unit of instruction.

2. Objectives. At the conclusion of thisinstruction, you should be able to create,modify and print a project schedule (GanttChart format) using Microsoft Project

software.

3. Terms. Microsoft Project 2003 uses arange of scheduling-related terms. AppendixA contains a glossary. Pictures of selectedscreens are included in the back of thisdocument.

4. Getting Started.1

a. When you first start Project, a blankproject file is displayed in Gantt chart view.The Gantt chart is the default view forProject. To open an existing file, click theOpen button on the Standard toolbar or clickthe Open command from the File menu.

b. Saving a project file. It is a good ideato save your work when youve madeimportant changes to the file. Saving yourwork ensures that the changes youve madewill not be lost. To save a file using theexisting name, click the Save button on the

Standard toolbar or click the Save commandon the File menu.

(1) To save a file using a new name,click the Save As command on the Filemenu, type in the filename then click SAVE.

1Microsoft Project 98 Step by Step , Michele

Gordon, Microsoft Press, 1997.

(2) When you want to save a file inProject, the Planning wizard appears and

asks whether you want to save the file with abaseline. Once a baseline is saved with a file,the Planning Wizard will not appear again.You can overwrite the existing baseline orsave another baseline. A baseline isgenerally saved when you finish planningthe project schedule and you are ready tobegin the first task.

5. Displaying Project Information.

a. A view is a format in which you canenter and display information in Project.Views in Project fall into three categories:sheet views, chart and graph views and formviews. A single view is a single sheet, chart,graph or form. A combination view displaysany two single views together. For example,the Gantt chart view combines the Entrytable, sheet view and the Gantt chart.

b. Project comes with 26 predefinedviews. Each view can be displayed using theView menu or the View Bar located on theleft side of the Project program window.

c. You can scroll both vertically andhorizontally within a view by using scrollbars. The Previous and Next buttons areavailable on the forms such as the TaskForm. They are used to move through eitherthe task list or resource list. The arrow keysand the TAB key on your keyboard can beused to move between fields and boxes

within a view. From the Edit menu, you canuse the Go To dialog box to locate a specifictask based on its task ID number or a date inthe project schedule. You can also use yourmouse to move around the screen.

6. Adjusting the Timescale. The timescaleis located across the top of the Gantt chart

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and represents the time when the projecttasks take place. The timescale includes themajor timescale and the minor timescale.The major timescale, located at the top ofthe timescale, displays larger units of time,and the minor timescale, located below themajor timescale, displays smaller units oftime. To adjust the timescale, you can usethe Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons on theStandard toolbar. The Zoom In buttonchanges the timescale to smaller units oftime, giving you a more detailed view. TheZoom Out button changes the timescale tolarger units of time, giving you a broaderview. You can also use the Timescale dialogbox on the Format menu to adjust thetimescale.

7. Printing Schedule Information.

a. Creating headers and footers. Headersand footers are used to display additionalinformation when you print a view or areport. A header is text displayed at the topof every page and footer is text displayed atthe bottom of every page. Using the PageSetup dialog box, you can specify theinformation that should be displayed in the

header and footer on each printed page. Youcan also specify the alignment of theinformation as well as the font and font sizeof the text, etc. At the bottom of a Ganttchart, you also have the option of printing alegend. The legend is a graphical key to thesymbols and shading in the Gantt chart.

b. Previewing. Although you can use thePrint button to print a view or report, it is agood idea to preview what you want to printto make sure it prints the way you anticipate.By previewing your view or report, you canmake any adjustments so that you only haveto print once.

8. Starting a Project Schedule.

a. Enter project information. The ProjectInformation dialog box is used to enter

information that is critical to the schedulingof tasks and resources. This informationincludes the start date, finish date, schedule-from date, current date, status date, andcalendar. You must first determine whetherthe schedule will be created from a knownproject start date or project finish date. If theproject has a known start date, MS Projectwill calculate the finish date for you basedon the information you provide about tasksand resources. You can also schedule aproject based on a known finish date, whichis called backwards scheduling. MS Projectautomatically uses the current date as thestart date for the schedule you are creating.

Starting the Project Schedule

Steps Action1 On the Project menu, click Project

Information

2 Click the Start Date down arrow

3 Click the left arrow until thecorrect date is displayed

4 Click the correct date for projectstart

b. Enter properties information. TheProject Properties dialog box contains

several tabs of information. The Summarytab is used to enter information about theproject title and subject, the schedule author,the project manager, and the company. Youcan also enter a project category, a keywordfor search capabilities, and generalcomments about the project.

Entering Properties Information

Steps Action

1 On the File menu, click Properties.

The Project Properties dialog boxappears. The Summary tab isselected

2 Type the name of the project in theTitle box

3 Type the subject in the Subject box

4 Type your name (or group number)

5 Type the PMs name in the

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managers box.

6 Click OK

9. Entering Tasks and Duration.

a. A project file contains a list of tasks orsteps necessary to complete the project goal.When you enter tasks in the task list, you canbe either detailed or general in the scope ofthe tasks, but you need to be sure to includeall steps that require planning, measurabletime, or special arrangements of accommodations. In MS Project, each task isentered in the Task Name column of theEntry table in Gantt chart view. (Tasks canalso be entered in other views that have aTask Name column.)

b. Each task in the task list is associatedwith a task identification (ID) number. Thetask ID number is assigned as the task isentered and is indicated by the gray rowheadings to the right of the Gantt chart view.As the task list is edited, the task ID numbersare automatically renumbered to keep thelist in numerical order.

c. With each task, you also enter a

duration estimate, or the amount of time itwill take to accomplish the task. Durationscan be specified in values of minutes, hours,days, or weeks as working time or elapsedtime. A unit of working time is confined bythe hours of the day and the number of daysthat resources are working. A unit of elapsedtime includes working and nonworking timebased on a 24-hour day and a 7-day week.As tasks are entered, default duration of 1and a time unit of a day of working time are

automatically entered in the Durationcolumn as one day. Entering a new valueand unit of time in the Duration field for thetask can change the default duration. Thefollowing table lists the durationabbreviations:

Duration Abbreviations

Abbreviation Duration Description

mon month month

m min minute

h hr hour

d day dayw wk week

em emin elapsed minutes

eh ehr elapsed hours

ew ewk elapsed weeks

d. Tasks with duration of zero are calledmilestones. Milestone tasks represent thecompletion of an event, phase, or othermeasurable goal within the project. Enteringduration of zero (0) for a task will create a

milestone. When a task becomes amilestone, the Gantt bar changes to adiamond-shaped marker with the date themilestone occurs to the left of the marker.Each project should have at least onemilestone.

e. Task information can be entered byselecting a field in the Entry table or byselecting the task ID heading. By default, thecursor moves one row down when you pressENTER in a field. Pressing TAB moves the

cursor one field to the right. You can alsouse SHIFT+TAB to move one field to theleft. If the task ID heading is selected, thecursor moves one field to the right when youpress ENTER or TAB. The cursor continuesto cycle through the selected row as long asthe row remains selected. You can also usethe mouse or the keyboard arrows to movefrom field to field in the Entry table.

f. With MS Project, you can make

changes to a project schedule as it is beingdeveloped. You can insert new tasks as theyare identified, move tasks within the task listfor better sequencing of events and deletetasks that are not needed.

Inserting a Task

Steps Action

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1 Select a task already entered

2 On the Insert menu, click New Task

3 Type the task, then press the TAB

4 Type the duration and pressENTER. The new task will be

entered immediately above the taskselected in step 1.

Moving a Task

Steps Action

1 Click the task ID for the task youwant to move. The entire row isselected

2 With the mouse pointer on thehighlighted task, drag the entry untila horizontal gray bar is displayedwhere you want the task relocated.Release the mouse button

Deleting a Task

Step Action

1 Select the task you want deleted

2 On the Edit menu, click Delete

Task. The task is deleted and thetask list is renumbered.

3 Save the file without a baseline

g. Entering recurring tasks. A recurringtask might be a weekly meeting, a statusreport, or regular inspections. Instead oftyping the task and duration many timeswithin a schedule, MS Project can be used tocreate a recurring task.

Enter a Recurring Task

Steps Action

1 Click in the Task Name columnwhere you want to start a recurringtask

2 On the Insert menu, click RecurringTask

3 In the Name box, type the name of the recurring task

4 Press TAB, then type duration

5 In the This Occurs area, select theappropriate time interval

6 In the Weekly area, select thedesired day

7 In the Length area, select the Fromdate and either the number ofoccurrences or select the To dateoption

8 Click OK

10. Labeling Task Bars. MS Project allowsyou to label each task bar. For the SPECTREScheduling IPR, you should consider

labeling and inserting the start and finishdates on each task. To do this:

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Labeling Task Bars

Steps Action

1 Highlight Task Name

2 Go to Format and select Bar

3 Select the Bar Text Tab4 Select Inside and select Name

5 Select Left and select Early Start

6 Select Right and select Early Finish

7 Close and SAVE.

11. Outlining a Project.

a. A project task list can be as few as 20tasks or as many as several hundred tasks.When a project has a large number of tasks,it can become difficult to locate a specifictask within the task list. If you are familiarwith the project schedule, you might be ableto quickly locate task by its Task ID number.But if you are not familiar with the task list,you could spend a great deal of timesearching for a particular task.

b. Using MS Project, you can organizethe task list by creating a hierarchicalstructure. The process of structuring the tasklist is called outlining. You can use outlining

to organize common tasks into groups withinthe task list. The groups created in the tasklist can represent phases in a project or anylogical grouping of related activities. Afteroutlining the task list, the schedule becomeseasier to read.

c. Creating a hierarchical outlineorganizes the project tasks into groups oftasks. Each group of tasks is preceded by asummary task, which describes the tasks

within the group. Each level within theoutline provides an additional level of detailfor the task below. An outline might becreated to made a long list of tasks easier toread, to divide a project into distinct phases,or to create a high-level view of the projectfor management.

d. The outline of a project schedulegenerally starts with a main summary task.All tasks are subordinate to the mainsummary task. A main summary task isuseful to quickly identify a project. It canalso be useful when using multiple projectfiles in a combined project. The workbreakdown structure (WBS) is an excellenttool for outlining a project.

e. The outline buttons on the Formattingtoolbar are used to create and display theoutline. These buttons are only available inGantt chart, Task Sheet, and Task Usageviews. A task changes to a summary taskwhen a task below it is indented. Theindented task then becomes a subtask of the

summary task. When a task becomes asummary task, the duration, start and finishdates and cost information change tosummarize the information of the subtasks.

f. Except for a few important differences,editing the task list after it has been outlinedis similar to editing it before it was outlined.If the only subtask of a summary task isdeleted or out dented, the summary taskbecomes a subtask of the summary task one

level above. If a summary task is deleted, thesubtasks below are also deleted.

12. Establishing Task Dependencies.

a. When a task list if first developed, thetasks are listed one after another, and theonly consideration is the approximate orderin which they should occur. Based on thatinformation, each task is scheduled to startat the same time. In reality, a projectschedule is more than just a list of isolatedtasks. Each task is dependent upon one ormore tasks to determine when it should startand finish. Some tasks cant start untilanother task is completed, while other taskscan occur, simultaneously.

b. With MS Project, you can createdependencies between tasks in a schedule.

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By linking tasks, you create dependenciesthat identify whether the start or finish ofone task depends on the start or finish ofanother task. You can also create situationswhere the dependency between tasks isdelayed or overlapped. Once links areestablished between tasks, the project tasksbegin to develop into a schedule of events.

c. Task dependencies.

Finish-to-start. Thefinish of one task (A)marks the start of another (B).

Start-to-start. The twotasks start at the same

time.(Also, see splittingtasks.)

Finish-to-finish. Thetwo tasks finish at thesame time.

Start-to-finish. The startof one task (A) marks

the finish of another(B). This is rarely used.

d. Linking tasks to create taskdependencies. Linking tasks creates a defaultfinish-to-start dependency. Because thefinish-to-start dependency is the mostcommon dependency type, it is easiest tostart by linking all tasks in this relationship.Once all tasks are in the default dependency

type, you can begin to identify and addressthose tasks that are an exception to thecommon finish-to-start dependency. You canunlink tasks and phases that are not related,and you can link tasks that are not listedconsecutively in the task list. Tasks can belinked to a single predecessor and successoror to multiple predecessors and successors.

Link tasks Select the tasks to be linked.On the Standard toolbar,click the Link Tasks button.

Unlink tasks Select the tasks to be

unlinked. On the Standardtoolbar, click the UnlinkTasks button.

Linknoncontiguoustasks

Select the first task to belinked. Press CTRL, andselect the next task to belinked. On the Standardtoolbar, click the LinkTasks button.

Specify thetaskdependency

Double-click the link linebetween the tasks whereyou want to change the

dependency. Click the Typedown arrow, select adependency type, and clickOK.

Specify leadtime

Double-click the link linebetween the tasks whereyou want to specify thelead-time. Press TAB tomove to the Lag box. Typea negative number to reflectthe amount of lead-time.

Click OK.Specify lagtime

Double-click the link linebetween the tasks whereyou want to specify the lagtime. Press TAB to move tothe Lag box. Type apositive number to reflectthe amount of lead-time.Click OK.

Format todisplay the

critical path

On the Standard toolbar,click the Gantt Chart

Wizard button. Select theCritical Path option in step2, select the defaultselection for all other steps,and click Next. ClickFormat It in stem 14, andthen click Next. Click ExitWizard in step 15.

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13. Managing Project Resources.

a. Resources are the people, places anditems needed to complete a task. A projectcan be scheduled with or without assigningresources to tasks. If you dont assignresources to tasks, there is lessaccountability for completing tasks and lessflexibility in planning. By assigningresources to tasks, you can better track theamount of work on a task, the cost of thework and the progress of the project.

b. In MS Project, you can assignresources using the Assign Resources dialogbox. You can track different rates per

resource to reflect varied charges fordifferent types of work. This information canbe used to incorporate future rate changessuch as pay increases.

c. Each task within a project needs to beassigned all resources necessary to completethe task. A task might only require a singleresource to be completed or it might requiremultiple resources. It is important to notethat a resource can be people, facilities,

equipment or supplies.

d. When a resource is added to a project,a single unit, or 100%, is entered into theMax Units field for the resource as a defaultsetting. This means that only one of thatresource is available for the project.Resource units are displayed as percentagesby default. They can also be displayed asdecimals. If you decrease the resourcespercentage, only a fraction of that resourcecan be used on the project or task.

e. Resources can be entered into MSProject in several different locations. Themost common locations are the AssignResources dialog box and the ResourceSheet. There are two ways you can assignresources from the Assign Resources dialogbox. You can select a task and then select a

resource, or you can drag and drop aresource to a task. In either case, a singleunit, or 100%, of the resource is assigned tothe task by default. If more than a single unitof a resource is to be assigned to a task,additional units can be indicated in the Unitsfield of the Assign Resources dialog boxbefore the assignment is made. You can alsoassign parts of a unit to a task. This leavesthe remaining portion for assignmentelsewhere.

14. Resource Costs.

a. In MS Project, there are two types ofcosts: resource costs and fixed costs. Byentering cost information, you can create

project budgets and analyze costs, as well asidentify potential cost overruns. Based onthe cost information provided, the cost foreach task and for the entire project can becalculated.

b. The Resource Sheet can be used toenter basic resource costs. To enteradditional resource cost information, such aspay rate changes over time or different baserates in cost rate tables, use the Costs tab in

the Resource Information dialog box. Basiccost information entered on the ResourceSheet is displayed on the Costs tab.

c. Fixed costs are used when the taskitself has a cost associated with it. Instead ofassigning a resource rate-based cost, a fixedcost can be assigned. A task can also have aresource rate-based cost and a fixed cost.

d. You can also enter per use costs.These are one-time costs associated with aresource or a task regardless of the durationof the task or the number of units of aresource assigned to a task. E.g., a deliverycharge for a piece of equipment at aconstruction site.

15. Working with Calendars.

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a. When scheduling a project, you needto know when resources can perform theirtasks. If you do not indicate when resourcesare available, you might inadvertentlyschedule tasks when resources are notactually available. This can delay a project.With calendars, you can determine whenresources on a project are working and whenthey are not working. An example ofnonworking time is an employee being awayon vacation.

b. In MS Project, calendars define theworking and nonworking time for the projectand for each resource assigned to the project.As a change is made to a calendar, MSProject automatically reschedules all tasks

affected by the change. You can change anentire day or hours within a day fromworking to nonworking. You can also createnew calendars for resources that work part-time or work different shifts.

c. There are two types of calendars inMS Project. Base calendars and resourcecalendars. Base calendars define theworking days and working hours for aproject or a set of resources. Resource

calendars define the working days andworking hours for a specific resource.

d. The default base calendar (also knownas the Project calendar) is called Standard.MS Project comes with two other calendars,the 24-Hour calendar and the Night Shiftcalendar. You can also create new basecalendars for groups of resources.

e. Resource calendars are updatedautomatically when the base calendarassigned to the resource changes. However,changes to the default calendar options arenot automatically displayed in the basecalendar.

View Calendar Options

Steps Actions

1 On the Tools menu, click Options.

The Options dialog box appears.

2 Click the Calendar tab. The defaultcalendar options are displayed.

f. Changing the base calendar. By

default, the Standard calendar has an 8:00AM to 5:00 PM workday, Monday throughFriday, with no holidays. The base calendarfor a project must be customized to includeany changes in the work hours and workdays. Base calendar changes or exceptionsmight include national holidays, projectholidays and nonstandard working days andhours. Changes made to a base calendar areautomatically reflected in any resourcecalendar with that base calendar assigned toit. The Change Working Time dialog box is

used to make changes to base calendars. Youcan make changes to a single day, severaldays, or a month. Changes made in thechange Working Time dialog box arereflected by a pattern or shading. A patternindicates a date where the working hourshave been changed from the default setting.Shaded blocks show nonworking days. Ifchanges are made to a calendar date, thedate changes to bold and is underlined.

Base Calendar ChangesStep Action

1 Click Change Working Time on theTools menu.

2 Change the default settings and save.

g. Changing a resource calendar.Resource calendars are used to track theavailability of individual resources. Becausea resource calendar begins as a copy of thebase calendar assigned to the resource, only

exceptions for that resource should beentered in the resource calendar. Changes toa resource calendar might include personalvacation, training, etc. a resource calendarfor equipment or locations can be used toreflect scheduled maintenance or downtimefor cleaning.

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Resource Calendar Changes

Step Action

1 On the View Bar, click the downarrow, and then click the ResourceSheet icon.

2 Click on the resource you want tochange.

3 On the Standard toolbar, c lick theResource Information button.

4 Click the Working Time tab.

5 Use the scroll bar to move to the dateyou want to change.

6 Click on the date(s) you want tochange and select one of the options.

h. Creating a new base calendar. A newbase calendar can be created when none ofthe available base calendars fit the projectneeds or when a group of resources worksdifferent days and hours from the rest of theproject resources. A new base calendarshould not be created for just one resource.The new base calendar can be created fromthe MS Project defaults or as a copy of anexisting base calendar. To minimize theamount of editing on a new base calendar,make a copy of an existing base calendarthat already has common work days and

holidays specified. Federal holidayprojections can be found at the followingInternet site:http://www.almc.army.mil/AMD/ALMC-ML/TDY.htm

Note: If you have resources working shiftsthat span two days, such as 11:00 PM to 7:00AM, you need to enter the hours beforemidnight on one day and the hours aftermidnight on the following day. The first day

of the workweek has the evening hours onlyand the last day of the week has the morninghours only. Additionally, when a new basecalendar is created from an existing basecalendar, any changes to the default workingtimes are carried over. If the resources thatuse the new base calendar dont have thesame nonworking times as those using the

copied base calendar, you need to go backand make those editing changes.

Create a New Base Calendar

Step Action

1 On the Tools menu, click ChangeWorking Time, and then click New.

2 In the Name box, type the name of your new base calendar.

3 Be sure the Make A Copy Of Standard Calendar option is selected,and click OK.

16. Scheduling with Resources.

a. As the planning of a project schedulemoves forward, adjustments are made toreflect changes in the project scope,assignments and other new information. Formany reasons, resource assignments orneeds often change. Resources may be addedor removed from the project. If a resource issupervising a task, the workload might varyover the duration of the task. There mightalso be resources that work overtime on atask, start later, or finish earlier than otherresources assigned to a task. When anychanges are made to the resource

assignments, they affect the project schedule.How these changes affect the scheduledetermines how the changes should be made.

b. In MS Project, when an assignment ischanged, the schedule is recalculated todisplay the changes immediately. You canwork with the scheduling method and thetask type settings when making changes tothe initial resource assignments. You canalso vary the workload of resources to more

accurately reflect how resources work ontasks.

c. How a task reacts to adding andremoving resources is defined by thescheduling method and the task type settings.In MS Project, the default schedulingmethod is effort-driven scheduling. E.g.,

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assume a task has a duration of 8 hours. Ifthe initial resource assignment were twopeople, the total work for the task was 16hours. If you add an additional resource tothe task, the total time for the task remains at16 hours but each resource only works 5.33hours on the task (16 divided by 3 = 5.33).The task duration is now 5.33 hours.

d. The total work for a task is determinedby the duration estimate for the task and theinitial resource assignment. Effort-drivenscheduling can be turned off for individualtasks of all new tasks created in a project.When effort-driven scheduling is turned off,total work increases when units of otherresources are added to a task. To turn off

effort-driven scheduling for a task, clear theEffort Driven check box on the Task Form orthe Advanced tab on the Task Informationdialog box. To turn off effort-drivenscheduling for all new tasks created in aproject, on the Tools menu, click Options.Then, on the Schedule tab, clear the newTasks Are Effort Driven check box.

e. The task type Fixed Unit is the defaulttask type used in MS Project. When

resources are added or removed from aFixed Unit task, the duration of the task maybe affected. However, designating a task aseffort-driven, or adding or removingresources, determines the true effect on thetasks duration.

Modifying Resources

Step Action

1 On the View menu, click MoreViews. The More Views dialog box

opens.2 In the Views box, select Task Entry,and then click Apply. The TaskEntry view is displayed. The GanttChart view is displayed in the toppane, and the Task Form isdisplayed in the bottom pane.

f. Modifying a fixed work task. If a taskhas the task type Fixed Work, the total workfor the task remains the same whenresources are added or removed. Theduration and resource units are affected on aFixed Work task. A Fixed Work task must beeffort-driven.

g. Creating resource contours. When aresource is assigned to a task, the total workfor the task is evenly applied throughout theduration of the task by default. This isknown as a flat contour. A contour defineshow scheduled work for a resource isdistributed over the duration of a task. MSProject allows you to create a customcontour for a resource assignment.

h. Resource workloads can be contouredor edited in the Task Usage view or theResource Usage view. The Task Usage viewdisplays each task with its assignedresources grouped below it. The ResourceUsage view displays each resource with itsassigned tasks grouped below it. The rightside of each view is used to contour thescheduled work by editing the relevantentries or to view preset contours that have

been applied.

Preset Contours

Contourpattern

Description

Flat The number of work hours isdistributed evenly throughoutthe duration of the task. (MSProject default)

Backloaded

The number of hours per timeperiod starts small and is

gradually increased to 100%toward the end of the task.Also called, ramp up.

Frontloaded

The number of hours per timeperiod is 100% toward thebeginning of the task with agradual decrease toward theend. Also called, ramp down.

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Doublepeak

The number of hours per timeperiod peaks to 100% twiceduring the duration of the task.

Early peak The number of hours per timeperiod peaks at 100% in the

first quarter of the task.Late peak The number of hours per timeperiod peaks at 100% in thefourth quarter of the task.

Bell The number of hours per timeperiod peaks at 100% duringthe middle of the taskduration.

Turtle The number of hours per timeperiod peaks at 100% duringthe middle of the taskduration. This differs fromBell in that the percentage ishigher at the start and end ofthe task.

i. Once a specific contour has beenapplied, adding new total work valuesautomatically reapplies the present contourpattern. The new task work values are firstdistributed across the affected time period,and then new work values are assigned to theresources for the task. If the start date of the

task or resource is changed, the contour isreapplied based on the new date. All workvalues are redistributed. If the duration of atask is changed, the contour is stretched toinclude the added time period. If a workvalue is manually edited, the contour is nolonger applied. However, a contour can bereapplied to redistribute the work values. Ifactual work has been entered for a task orresource, any changes to the total work orremaining work are redistributed to the

remaining work values, not to the actualwork.

Apply a Preset Contour

Steps Action

1 Click the Work field for theresource.

2 On the Standard toolbar, click theGo To Selected Task button.

3 In the Work field, type in thevalue and press TAB.

4 On the Standard toolbar, click theAssignment Information button.

5 Click the Work Contour downarrow, and then click the selectedcontour.

6 Click OK.

17. Managing Resource Workloads.

a. As resources are assigned to tasks in aproject, resource conflicts may occur. Aresource conflict occurs when a resource isscheduled to perform more work than theresource can accomplish in the availableworking time. A resource conflict can occuras a result of a single task assignment ormultiple assignments. Once resourceconflicts are identified, the schedule must beanalyzed and decision make on how to

resolve the conflict(s).

b. MS Project can quickly identifyresource conflicts by using several differentviews. Usage views display tasks andresources in assignment groups and display atimescale of work values for eachassignment. Highlighting the conflictinformation in red and displaying a levelingindicator will identify each resource conflict.When resource conflicts arise, MS Project

can be used to automatically makeadjustments to the schedule by delaying orsplitting resource or task assignments.Resource conflicts can also be resolvedmanually.

c. Viewing resource workloads helpsidentify to what extent a resource is over

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allocated or under allocated. Theinformation obtained helps to resolveresource conflicts within a schedule.

View Resource Workloads

Step Action1 On the View Bar, click the downarrow until the Resource Usage iconis displayed, and then click theResource Usage icon

2 Select the resource.

3 On the Standard toolbar, click the GoTo Selected Task button. The rightpane timescale scrolls to the workvalues for the resource.

4 Press F5. The Go To dialog boxappears.

5 Click the Date down arrow, select thedate, and click OK.

d. Locate resource over allocations. Thesearch for an over allocation starts at thecurrently selected time period. Dragging thescroll box all the way to the left ensures thatthe fir over allocation for the resource iffound. Each time you click the Go To Overallocation button, the next over allocationfor the resource is located until no other over

allocations exists for that resource.

Locate Resource Over Allocations

Steps Action

1 On the View menu, point toToolbars, and then click Resource

Management. ResourceManagement toolbar is displayedunder the Formatting toolbar.

2 On the Resource Managementtoolbar, click the ResourceAllocation View button.

3 Scroll in the top pane, and thenselect the resource.

4 Drag the scroll box to the left.

5 Click anywhere in the bottom pane.

6 On the Resource Managementtoolbar, click the Go To Next Overallocation button.

e. Resource conflicts occur when aresource is over allocated on a task or theproject. Before a project begins, all resourceover allocations should be resolved. Oncethe project begins and tasks are completed,the schedule must be continually reviewedfor new over allocations. Over allocations ofan insignificant amount may be ignored, e.g.,part of an hour.

f. Leveling resources automatically.Leveling is a strategy used to resolveresource over allocations by delaying orsplitting tasks. Resource over allocations canbe automatically leveled using MS Project.MS Project examines task dependencies,slack (float) time, dates, priorities andconstraints. It determines if a task can bedelayed or split to resolve a resourceconflict. You should save the file before

using the automatic leveling feature.

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Project Leveling

Step Action

1 On the Project menu, click ProjectInformation. The Project

Information data box appears.2 View the current project finish date,and then click Cancel.

3 Be sure that the bottom pane is theactive pane.

4 On the Tools menu, click ResourceLeveling. The Resource Levelingdialog box appears.

5 Be sure that the default options areselected.

g. Manually resolving resource overallocations. It is a good idea to manuallylevel the schedule before using the automaticleveling feature of MS Project. Automaticleveling may result in schedule adjustmentsor solutions that are not practical for yourproject. Manual leveling techniques you maywant to use are: (1) increasing the maximumunits of the resource. (2) Rescheduling thetask that has created the over allocation. (3)Adding overtime. (4) Adjusting taskdependencies or constraints. (5) Removing

the resource if it isnt important to the task.(6) Replacing the over allocated resourcewith an under allocated resource. Note:replacing a resource, instead of removingand then assigning a new resource, preservesthe work assignment. E.g., if you remove aresource that is scheduled to work 7 hoursduring a one-day task and then assign a newresource, the new resource will be scheduledfor 8 hours instead of the 7 hours of theoriginal resource. Similarly, if you replace a

resource, the new resource is assigned the 7hours scheduled for the original resource. (7)Making calendar adjustments to extend theworking days and hours for the project orresource. (8) Decreasing the amount of workassigned to the resource. The MS Projectsoftware cannot make these decisions.

Increasing Resource Maximum Units

Step Action

1 In the top pane, select the resourceyou want changed.

2 Drag the scroll box to the left, and

then click in the bottom pane.3 On the Resource Managementtoolbar, click the Go To Next Overallocation.

4 In the top pane, double-click thedesired resource.

5 In the Resource Availability area,click the Max Units Available uparrow.

6 Click OK.

7 Save the file without a baseline.

Change Work on a Task Assignment

Step Action

1 In the top pane, select the desiredresource.

2 Drag the scroll box to the left, andthen click in the bottom pane.

3 On the Resource Managementtoolbar, click the Go To Next Overallocation.

4 In the timescale portion of the toppane, click the work hours on thedate to be changed.

5 Type 0, and press ENTER. The workon the task for that day is changed to0 hours. The total work for the taskwill be reduced, accordingly.

6 Save the file without a baseline.

18. Scheduling Task Constraints.

a. During a project, some tasks may need

to start or finish on a given date. These arecalled, directed dates. In MS Project, alltasks are scheduled to occur as soon aspossible based on a given project start date.MS Project will alert you if there is aproblem (e.g., schedule conflict)accommodating a directed date.

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b. When a task if first entered into MSProject, the task start date is by default theproject start date. If a project is beingscheduled from the finish date, the taskfinish date is by default the project finishdate. After tasks are linked and resources areassigned, MS Project then sets task start andfinish dates based on task dependencies andresource availability. This is the mosteffective way of scheduling a projectbecause it incorporates flexibility.

c. Sometimes the schedule needs toreflect real-world time constraints. Bydefault, all tasks in MS Project are scheduledwith the As Soon As Possible constraint. Asyou may recall, this is identical to the Early-

Start/Early-Finish convention used in theScheduling Techniques unit of instruction.

d. Task constraints can help create amore accurate schedule by using detailedinformation to control the start and finishdates of important tasks. However,constraints can also limit a schedulesflexibility. If a scheduling conflict existsbetween a constraint and a task dependency,the task is scheduled according to the

constraint. Constraints should be few andonly used when necessary.

e. If a project is being scheduled from astart date, entering a start date for a task ordragging a Gantt bar automatically sets aStart-No-Earlier-Than constraint. If a finishdate is entered, a Finish-No-Earlier-Thanconstraint is automatically set. If a project isbeing scheduled from a finish date, enteringa start date for a task or dragging a Gantt barautomatically sets a Start-No-Later-Thanconstraint. If a finish date is entered, aFinish-No-Later-Than constraint isautomatically set.

f. All tasks are assigned a constraint. If aproject is scheduled from a start date, a taskis entered with a default constraint of As-Soon-As-Possible. The As-Soon-As-Possible

constraint is a flexible constraint. Flexibletask constraints are not tied to a specificdate. Flexible constraints are the preferredtype of constraint because it leavesflexibility in the schedule.

Apply a Flexible Constraint

Step Action

1 Double click on the task you want tomodify. The Task Informationdialog box appears.

2 Select the General tab and view thecurrently scheduled start and finishdates.

3 Click the Advanced tab.

4 Click the down arrow and select the

desired constraint.5 Click the date down arrow and select

the desired date.

7 Click OK. The constraint is set.

g. Inflexible task constraints are tied to aspecific date and should be used less oftenbecause they take flexibility away from theschedule. Inflexible constraints are generallyapplied when outside forces are dictating atasks start or finish date. The following

table describes inflexible constraints builtinto MS Project.

Resource Constraints

Constraint Description

Finish No EarlierThan

Finishes the task onor after an entereddate.

Start No EarlierThan

Starts the task on orafter an entered date.

Finish No Later Than

Finishes the task onor before an entereddate.

Start No Later Than Starts the task on orbefore an entereddate.

Must Finish On Finishes the task onan entered date.

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Must Start On Starts the task on anentered date.

The Planning Wizard dialog box appears ifyour constraint generates a schedulingconflict.

h. Establishing a baseline. Once a projectschedule is created and the resource and taskconflicts have been resolved, the currentschedule represents the best estimate of howthe project should proceed and whatresources it will take. Before the first task inthe project begins, a baseline should be set.Setting the baseline is a critical step in thescheduling process. As a project progresses,the start times, finish times and resourceassignments can change. A baseline is useful

for comparing the planned schedule withlater versions of the schedule to see whatchanges have occurred. When a baseline isset, those dates, times and other critical dataare stored and do not change. Once abaseline is saved, the Planning Wizard nolonger prompts the user when saving aproject file. A baseline is saved using thePlanning Wizard prompt of the SaveBaseline command. If a baseline is savedbefore the schedule planning is finished, a

new baseline can be saved over the existingbaseline. On the Tools menu, point toTracking and then click Save Baseline. Thisshould only be done to reset a baseline thatwas saved by accident.

Setting a Baseline

Steps Action

1 On the Tools menu, point toTracking and then click SaveBaseline.

2 Be sure that the Save Baselineoption is selected.

3 In the For area, be sure that theEntire Project option is selected.

4 Click OK.

View Constraint Dates

Steps Action

1 Position the mouse pointer on theconstraint indicator icon for thedesired task.

2 Position the mouse pointer on theconstraint indicator icon for thetask.

3 On the View Bar, click the downarrow until the More Views icon isdisplayed and then click the MoreViews icon.

4 In the Views box, click Task Sheetand then click Apply.

5 On the View menu, point to Tableand then click More Tables. TheMore Tables dialog box appears.

6 In the More Tables dialog box,double-click Constraint Dates. TheConstraint Dates table is displayed.

19. Tracking Project Progress.

a. Once the first task in a project starts,its time to begin tracking the actual progressof tasks and resources. Tracking is theprocess of gathering and entering taskinformation into the schedule, such as actual

start and finish dates. By tracking theprogress of tasks, you can take advantage ofthe time saved from tasks that proceed aheadof schedule and make decisions about howto proceed when tasks fall behind schedule.MS Project permits ease in updating theschedule by using several features. You cantrack progress by entering all or some of theactual information for a task. If partialinformation is entered, MS Project updatesthe remaining information based on the

schedule for that task. This information canbe used to compare the plan to the actualprogress of the project. The plan and theactual can be compared graphically. Ganttbars reflect the baseline information withone color and the actual with another color.Tables display numerical information and

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filters locate tasks and resources that mightbe behind schedule or over budget.

b. Before the first task in a project canbegin, the project schedule should be fullydeveloped and a baseline plan should be set.Once work begins on a project, it is time tostart tracking the progress of tasks. Theprogress should be tracked throughout theproject. The frequency of updates dependson the control needed over the project. Ifprogress is tracked more often, it is easier toidentify problems and take corrective action.Tasks that do not occur as scheduled shouldbe tracked manually by entering actualprogress information for the individual tasks.These tasks might have start and finish dates

that occur later or earlier than scheduled, ordurations that run longer or shorter. Even inthe best-planned schedules, new tasks mightbe identified after the project begins. Thesesituations affect the remaining tasks in aproject.

c. When actual task progress is entered,the project is automatically recalculated andtasks are rescheduled based on the actualdata, task dependencies, resources and

constraints. For this reason, task progressshould be entered starting at the top of thetask list and continuing down the list. Withthe correct information, the remainder of theproject can be evaluated and both positiveand negative impacts can be addressedproactively.

d. There are three types of dates storedfor each task in MS Project: scheduled(current), actual and baseline.

Types of Dates

Date type Description

Scheduled Tasks that havent started yetor are in progress. These dateschange as the projectprogresses. After the tasks havestarted, actual informationabout the tasks is entered.

Actual Tasks that are in progress or arecompleted. These dates do notchange unless they are edited.

Baseline Originally planned dates. Usedto compare planned with actual

dates. Baseline dates do notchange.

e. There are five types of actual data thancan be entered into MS Project: (1) actualstart and finish dates, (2) percentagecomplete, (3) actual duration and remainingduration, (4) actual and remaining work and(5) actual and remaining costs. MS Projectcalculates actual data based on whatinformation is entered for a task. Progressinformation should only be entered in table

fields and dialog boxes labeled Actual. Ifactual data is entered into the scheduled(current) fields and boxes, only thescheduled information is changed and notracking occurs.

Enter Actual Finish Date for a Task

Step Action

1 Select the task.

2 On the Tools menu, point toTracking and then click Update

Tasks.3 In the Actual area, click the Finish

down arrow.

4 Select the finish date and click OK.

5 On the Tools menu, point toTracking and then click UpdateTasks.

6 Click Cancel.

7 Position the mouse pointer on thetask indicator. A Screen Tip with thetask completion date is displayed.

8 Save the file.

Enter a Percentage Complete

Step Action

1 On the View Bar, click the downarrow until the More views icon isdisplayed, and then click the More

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Views icon.

2 In the Views box, select Task Sheetand then click Apply.

3 On the View menu, point to Tableand then click Tracking.

4 On the View menu, point to Toolbarsand then click Tracking.

5 Select the desired task.

6 On the Tracking toolbar, click thedesired percentage complete button.The actual start date is entered asschedule. The actual and remainingdurations are updated as scheduled.

7 Save the file.

f. A task can be split or rescheduled tointerrupt the work and then resume theremainder of the work at a later point in theschedule. If you know that a task will beinterrupted, the task can be split when it iscreated. If an interruption occurs after thetask has started, it can be split where thework stopped and the remainder of the taskcan be reschedule.

Splitting Tasks

Step Action

1 On the View Bar, click the Gantt

chart icon.2 Press F5 and type in the task number.

Click OK

3 On the Standard toolbar, c lick theSplit Task button.

4 Position the mouse pointer on theGantt bar for the selected task. Thepointer changes to a right-pointingarrow.

5 Position the mouse pointer on theGantt bar until the start date is

displayed on the Screen Tip.6 Hold down the left mouse button and

drag the split Gantt bar to the rightuntil the selected finish date isdisplayed on the Screen Tip. The taskis split into two sections.

7 Save the file.

20. Summary. MS Project is a powerfulscheduling tool. Separate acquisitionprojects can be linked. This is especiallyhelpful when different projects must sharecommon resources. This document containsa description of selected features of MSProject that will help you in the SPECTREIPR Exercise. Although I included someinstructions on inputting resource data, thebudgeting portion of the SPECTRE IPRExercise can be easily displayed on an Excelspreadsheet.

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Appendix A

Term Definition

Backwards scheduling Scheduling a project based on a known completion date.

Base calendar Base calendar defines the working days and working hours for a

project or a set of resources.Baseline A baseline is a record, or snapshot taken at a specific time in

the project. A baseline is useful for comparing your currentschedule with later versions of the schedule to see what changeshave occurred.

Constraint A constraint is a restriction or limitation imposed on the start or finish date of a task.

Critical Path Method (CPM) CPM is a standard project management technique fordetermining which tasks are critical. It is based on amathematical model that takes into account the relationshipsbetween tasks, their duration, and any constraints regarding the

availability of resources. CPM is also used to schedule the startand finish dates for individual tasks.

Critical task A critical task is one that, if delayed, would also cause thecompletion of the project to be delayed. The critical path iscomposed of all the critical tasks. Changes to tasks on thecritical path can have a significant impact on the completion of aproject.

Directed dates Directed dates are calendar dates imposed on one or more tasksin a project schedule. E.g., submitting in income tax return notlater than April 15 is a directed date.

Effort-driven scheduling Effort-driven scheduling extends or shortens the duration of atask to accommodate changes to resources, but does not changethe total work for the task.

Gantt Chart One of the most familiar tools for visualizing progress in aproject. Each task is represented as a single horizontal bar. Eachbar is positioned across a period of time. Each individual barrepresents a tasks duration. A Gantt Chart is an excellent toolfor quickly assessing the status of individual tasks over time.Link lines reflect relationships between tasks.

Main summary task A main summary task is a brief description of the project.

PERT Chart A Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) Chart isalso known as a network chart. The PERT Chart showsinterdependencies between tasks. A box, called a node that

contains basic information about the task, represents each task.Link lines connect tasks that depend on one another forcompletion, or simply follow one another in a sequence ofevents. The PERT Chart gives you a graphical representation ofhow tasks are linked to each other in the project. Note: this is avariation of the definition used in the Scheduling Techniquesunit of instruction. MS Projects definition of a PERT Chart ismore in line with the definition of the CPM Network.

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Predecessor task A task that must start or finish before another task can begin iscalled a predecessor task.

Recurring task A task that occurs repeatedly within a project.

Resource calendar Resource calendar defines the working days and working hoursfor a specific resource.

Work Work is the amount of effort, or number of hours, resources putinto a task.

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project2003 guide

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