Course Materials

As a part of this course, each student will receive the following:

• Hands On Exercises workbook in PDF format
• Student sample files

Course Description

This “hands on” self-paced eLearning course teaches the foundational knowledge required to effectively manage “process agnostic” enterprise projects using Microsoft Project with either Project Online or Microsoft Project Server. Our “keep it simple” training approach allows students to master the vital skills they need to effectively plan and manage an enterprise project using Microsoft’s PPM (Project Portfolio Management) tools.

Audience

This course is focused on the core needs of project managers, project schedulers, and project coordinators who use Microsoft Project with either Project Online or Microsoft Project Server to manage enterprise projects.

Course Pre-Requisites

Each student must have a copy of one of the following installed on his/her PC:

• Project Online Professional for Office 365
• Microsoft Project 2016 or higher

Versions of Microsoft Project earlier than the 2016 version do not qualify for this course.

Best Instructor Ever!

Dale Howard has been a Microsoft Project MVP (Most Valuable Professional) for 20 years in a row and is currently one of only 26 Project MVPs in the entire world. If you post a question about any of Microsoft’s PPM tools on the public message boards, Dale is frequently the person who will answer your question.

Module 01: Microsoft Project Overview

• Working with the User Interface
• Understanding the Gantt Chart View
• Understanding the Microsoft Project Data Model
• Understanding and Using Views
• Understanding and Using Tables
• Understanding and Using Filters
• Understanding and Using Groups
• Project Navigation Tips

Module 02: Working with a New Project

• Creating a New Project
  • Creating a New Project from a Template
  • Creating a New Project from a Personal Template
• Working with the Standard Calendar
  • Add Holidays to the Standard Calendar
  • Create a Custom Calendar
  • Copy Calendars to the Global.mpt File
• Defining a New Project
  • Set the Project Start Date
  • Enter Project Properties
  • Display the Project Summary Task
  • Set the Project and Nonworking Time Calendars
  • Set Project Options
  • Save the Project

Module 03: Task Planning

• Understanding Manually Scheduled vs. Auto Scheduled Tasks
• Creating the Task List
• Creating Summary Tasks
• Creating Milestone Tasks
• Entering Duration Estimates
• Specifying Task Dependencies – Overview
• Specifying Task Dependencies in a Real World Project
• Applying Task Constraints
• Applying Deadline Dates
• Applying a Task Calendar
• Using Cell Background Formatting to Highlight Tasks of Interest

Module 04: Resource Planning

• Understanding Project Resource Types
• Creating a Work Resource
• Creating a Generic Resource
• Editing a Work Resource
• Creating a Material Resource
• Creating Budget and Expense Cost Resources

Module 05: Assignment Planning

• Assigning Resources to Tasks: Best Practices
• Assigning Resources to Tasks Using the Task Entry View
• Assigning Resources to Tasks Using the Assign Resources Dialog
• Assigning Material Resources
• Assigning Budget Cost and Expense Cost Resources

Module 06: Completing the Project Schedule

• Performing a Quality Check on the Project Schedule
• Saving and Backing Up a Baseline for the Project

Topical Outline: Execution Training

Module 07: Capturing Task Progress

• Setting the Status Date for the Project
• Manually Entering Task Progress

Module 08: Working with Task Updates

• Rescheduling Incomplete Work from the Past

Module 09: Variance Analysis, Plan Revision, and Change Control

• Analyzing Project Variance
• Revising a Project Schedule
• Adding New Tasks to a Project through Change Control
• Updating the Project Baseline

Module 10: Project Reporting

• Creating a Timeline View
• Formatting the Timeline View
• Exporting the Timeline View to Another Application
• Viewing a Dashboard Report
• Editing a Table in a Dashboard Report
• Editing a Chart in a Dashboard Report