Bespoke Microsoft Project Course

This one / two-day, bespoke practical Microsoft Project course can be tailored-made to meet both business project management requirements as well as individual attendee’s learning needs. Day One contains MS Project Fundamental topics. Day Two contains more advanced topics and builds upon knowledge and skills gained during Day One. Therefore, this can be delivered either as just a one-day fundamental course or a full two-day course.

Its flexible design can take new users with no prior knowledge or experience and enable them to become fully proficient in effectively creating and maintaining MS Project plans. In addition, this course can enhance and improve an existing MS Project user’s depth of knowledge and skill level, so they can use this tool even more effectively and efficiently in their “day to day” project management role.

All attendees will receive practical guidance on how to firstly set-up MS Project to best effect and secondly be given a proven quick standardised input methodology when creating and maintaining project tasks /plans.

Please also note, each attendee will receive copies of all the practical MS Project coaching files they will use on the course(s), and on completion of the course, they will be able to retain these as their own permanent personal reference materials.

This course is offered as on-site delivery. Please enquire for more details.

Day 1: Course Content (Fundamentals)

Module 1: Introducing MS Project and Initial Set-up

• Setting-up MS Project for Success
  • Opening MS Project and the Backstage View
  • Project Information
  • Project Menu
  • View Bar
  • Setting up and using The Quick Access Toolbar (practically QAT provided)
  • Tools: options, review, and default
  • Terms and concepts
  • Project Summary Task: Line Zero

• How to Insert (Add) Columns and to reposition them
• Practical 1: reviewing an existing plan and Debrief

Module 2: Starting to use MS Project

• Introduction to the “Four Rights” successful planning methodology
• The Order of Things
  • Application Options
  • Calendars / Calendar Options
  • Resource Details
  • Task Details

• Calendars and Working Time
  • Project Options – Schedule

• Calendars
  • Base Calendar
  • Project Calendar
  • Resource Calendar
  • Task Calendar

• Review Base Calendars and how to customise them
• How to create new Base / Company Calendars
• How to transfer to Base / Company Calendars to other plans
• N.B. A course file containing a Base Calendar including UK Bank Holidays (to 2029) is provided as part of the course and is retained by all attendees to keep and use.
• Practical 2 and Debrief

Module 3 – Resources

• Resource Sheet View – how to complete
  • Adding Resource details
  • Changing Base Calendar and impact
  • Max Units
  • Identifying and resolving Overallocation

• Using Resource Usage View
• Explanation of the several types of resources
• Practical 3 and Debrief

Module 4 – Scheduling and Task Creation

• Manual v Automatic Scheduling
• Practical 4 and Debrief

Module 5 –Task Creation

• Task Creation using the Details View to add and amend Task entries
• Summary Tasks and Sub Tasks
  • Indent / Outdent
  • Creating Summary Tasks

• Using Details view in Gantt Chart (split screen) task entry
• Task Creation – Understanding and using the Task Information Dialog Box
  • General
  • Predecessors
  • Resources
  • Advanced
  • Notes
  • Custom Fields

• Understanding and managing Task Dependencies
• Introduction to the Task Information – Advanced tab
• Practical 5 and Debrief

Module 6 – Timelines

• Creating and displaying a Timeline
• Milestones and Timeline
• Practical 6 and Debrief

Module 7 – Constraints, Overallocation, Task Types

• What are Constraints and how to manage them?
• How to manage Overallocation
• Task types – what are they and what impact do they have
• Practical 7 and Debrief

Module 8 – Adding Notes and Reference to Other Items

• Using Notes in MS Project
• Using Hyperlinks to related project documents
• Practical 8 and Debrief

Module 9 – Reviewing Your Project Plan

• Line Zero – Project Summary Task
• Project Information details and Statistics
• How to use, create and amend Custom Fields
• Adding / using additional column fields e.g. Milestone, Successors
• Calendar View
• Highlights and Filters
• Working with other Views and Tables in Project
• Creating and using Milestones
• Reporting/ Reports
  • Copy Timeline
  • Copy Picture
  • Brief overview of in-house MS Project Reports
  • Save to PDF

• Practicals 9, 9a, 9b and Debrief

Day 2: Course Content (Advanced)

Module 1 – Recap of Day 1 training

• Starter for 10
  • View Bar and Entry Bar
  • Auto Scheduled On and Views
  • Quick Access Toolbar
  • Options – recheck – especially Calendar
  • Organizer
  • Details and Zero Task
  • Fixed Duration
  • Max Unit Time
  • Resource Usage
  • Task Indicators

• Terms and Concepts
• Setting up for Success
• Screen Layout / Menus
• View Bar, Quick Access Toolbar
• Option review, and defaults
• First Practical – recap of previous Day 1 course learning topics

Module 2 – Updating and managing your MS Project Plan

• % Complete and Fixed Costs
• Material Resources, Resources Sheet, Resources Usage, Group by:
• Critical Path, Deadline Dates
• Baselines, Slack / Float, Tracking and Variances,
• Status Date
• Reporting your Project
• Master Projects and Sub Projects, Critical Path of a Master Project
• Splitting Tasks
• Project Template Files, Creating, Saving, Updating, Using
• Practicals and Debriefs with each of the above.

Other topics mentioned in training

• Working with different Views and Tables
• Changing Calendar Options
• Using Details View in Gantt Chart
• Using Task Information
• Assigning costs to Tasks and Resources
• Resource Usage Screen navigation
• Using Task Notes and link to other documents
• Highlight, Filter, and Organiser

Practical Application

During the course, attendees will use practical examples throughout the day to gain in-depth, hands-on understanding of MS Project which they will be able to pragmatically apply.

In addition, during the course, attendees will gain many context-based usability hints and tips provided, as well as take part in course discussions on how to best apply these in their day-to-day PM role.

What are the Course Requirements?

As a pre-requisite for attending this course, attendees must have very good practical working knowledge of the primary Microsoft Office applications. Therefore, an attendee should have attended, as a minimum, courses up to MS Office Intermediate training level or have equivalent well-advanced practical Microsoft Application user experience prior to attending this training course.

Course Type

In-House / Client Site, face to face, Expert Instructor led and guided.

Please note: Microsoft Project 2016 is used as the primary application during the course for demonstration purposes.

Duration

1- or 2-day course: course times – 9.15 a.m. to 4.45 p.m.

It is recommended that all attendees aim to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the course to ensure all pre-course administration and set-up are completed in a timely manner.