Manually scheduled tasks. You can select whether the tasks in a project are scheduled manually or automatically, as shown in Figure 1-4. With manually scheduled tasks, you can enter durations, start dates, and finish dates without having those entries recalculate other aspects of the schedule. You can enter notes in the duration and date fields. You can even leave those fields blank, as placeholders, until you have more information. You can still designate other tasks in the same project as automatically scheduled tasks, and you can convert manually scheduled tasks to automatically scheduled tasks. This gives you greater flexibility and lets you control the schedule, which can be particularly beneficial in the beginning stages of a project and for phases that are further out and have many unknowns.

Figure 1-4. Tasks can be automatically or manually scheduled, depending on the needs of the project and the information currently available.

Top-down summary tasks. In past versions of Microsoft Project, you could create a summary task only by making subtasks out of tasks beneath it. You can still do this in Project 2010, but you can also now create a summary task out of the gate. You can insert a summary task above an existing task, or you can create a summary task at the end of the task list. In the latter case, a new subtask is automatically added beneath the new summary task, as shown in Figure 1-5.

Figure 1-5. Create top-down summary tasks and then add subtasks under them.

Task Inspector. This tool lists all the scheduling factors that drive how a task is scheduled, as shown in Figure 1-6. Such factors might include whether the task is manually or automatically scheduled, its duration, any dependency links, date constraints, resource calendars, overallocated resources, and so on. In some cases, the Task Inspector provides solutions to current or potential scheduling problems.

Figure 1-6. The Task Inspector lists all schedule “drivers” for a selected task.

Schedule warnings and indicators. If Project 2010 detects a condition in the schedule that is causing a current or potential schedule conflict, a visual cue appears in the task information at the point of the problem. You can click that visual cue to get more information, and then use the Task Inspector to see more details and resolve the problem.

Compare project versions. In previous versions of Microsoft Project, the Compare Projects feature was an add-in. Now it’s built in to Project 2010, and provides a comprehensive view that shows differences between two projects, line by line, as shown in Figure 1-7. This can be useful in a variety of situations—for example, when building a new project and taking input from several sources, or when you’ve based a new project on an existing project and you want to compare detailed information between the two.

Figure 1-7. The Compare Projects report shows differences between two project files.

Save to SharePoint. You can facilitate more collaboration by saving (although not synchronizing) a project file to a site created with SharePoint Foundation or SharePoint Server.

Enhanced copy and paste to other applications. When you copy and paste information from Project 2010 into another Microsoft Office application such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Excel, outline levels, column headings, and formatting are maintained as they were in the project file, as shown in Figure 1-8. There’s no longer any guesswork about where and how information is pasted, and no reformatting has to be done. You just paste, and the information looks as it did in your project file.

Figure 1-8. Paste information from Project 2010 into Word, and the outline levels, column headings, and formatting look just as they did in the project plan.

Save to PDF/XPS. You can save a project view or report as a PDF (Portable Document Format) or XPS (XML Paper Specification) file without needing to install any other program, as shown in Figure 1-9. With either of these formats, you can be sure that your file preserves its original formatting and is not editable. The files are also easy to open and read on any computer. This is especially important because you can’t assume that everyone who needs to see your project information has access to Project 2010.

Figure 1-9. Save a view as a PDF or XPS file to ensure that it looks exactly as you intended when your recipients open the file on their computers.

Backward compatibility. Project 2010 readily opens files created in previous versions of Microsoft Project. This means that a converter is not necessary to open files created in earlier versions.

Scalable 64-bit compatibility support. Project 2010 is offered as a 32-bit or 64-bit installation. The 64-bit compatibility provides improvements in performance, which is particularly helpful for project managers who regularly work with very large projects or complex structures of master projects and subprojects.

Timeline view. You can see the highlights of your entire schedule or review specific dates and deadlines with the new Timeline, available at the top of every view throughout the project plan, as shown in Figure 1-10. You can select which tasks, phases, or milestones to include in the Timeline, making it easy for you to control the content and present the most relevant information for your own everyday reference or for your audience. With its rich formatting and visual effects, the Timeline is a prime candidate for copying and pasting into other applications, like Outlook, PowerPoint, or Visio, for sharing key project information with stakeholders.

Figure 1-10. Use the Timeline to view the highlights or milestones you want to keep at the forefront.

Add new columns quickly. Every table throughout Project 2010 includes a blank column into which you can simply enter data without first defining the column’s data type, as shown in Figure 1-11. This provides for a more intuitive way to add new columns, especially columns for custom project information.

Figure 1-11. Use the Add New Column column to quickly customize a table.

Text wrap. Row heights now adjust automatically to display the full contents of a cell, as shown in Figure 1-12. This makes it easy to see all the information in a cell, especially Task Name or Resource Name cells, with minimal column adjustments.

Figure 1-12. Long task names can now easily be accommodated because of text wrapping.

Zoom slider. You can use the Zoom slider in the lower-right corner of the Project 2010 window to zoom the timescale of a time-based chart in or out, as shown in Figure 1-13. This makes working with the Gantt Chart or Resource Usage view so much more convenient.

Figure 1-13. Use the Zoom slider to adjust the timescale to more or less detail.

Expanded color palette and formatting. More colors are now available for bar styles, font colors, and backgrounds. Gantt chart color schemes can help personalize your project, and the new drawing tools help you emphasize important schedule details.

Ribbon interface. Part of what’s known as the Office Fluent user interface, used throughout Microsoft Office, the ribbon is now integrated into Microsoft Project. Instead of arranging commands in drop-down menus and toolbars, the ribbon arranges commands logically in tabs and groups and presents them graphically, as shown in Figure 1-14. The ribbon can change dynamically depending on which view of the project plan you’re showing.

Figure 1-14. Use the ribbon to find and use Project 2010 commands and tools.

Quick Access Toolbar. The Quick Access Toolbar is another aspect of the Fluent user interface. This toolbar is always present in the upper-left corner of the Project 2010 window, and it can be customized with your most frequently used commands.

Backstage view. Tools, templates, and program options are available in the new Backstage view. The Backstage view is where you save and print files, create new project plans or open existing ones, and set your program preferences and options. It’s also where you go to get Help about Project 2010. Figure 1-15 shows the Print Backstage view.

Figure 1-15. Several pages of the Backstage view help you set file preferences and manipulate your project files.

Context sensitive menus and mini-toolbars. You can quickly find the most commonly used commands in a particular context with a well-placed right-click on the Project 2010 window. In most places, a menu appears that shows commands that apply to the area or content where you clicked. In some places, a mini-toolbar also appears to provide even more context-sensitive options. (See Figure 1-16.)

Figure 1-16. Right-click an area of the Project 2010 window to see a menu of context-sensitive commands, and sometimes a mini-toolbar.

Integrated project and portfolio management. In Project 2007, the portfolio management features were handled on a separate, add-on server platform. In Project 2010, project portfolio management functionality is now completely integrated with enterprise project management in the Project Web App user interface. The result is a common and interconnected user experience throughout the entire project portfolio management life cycle.

Demand management system. The heart of the project portfolio management capabilities implemented in Project Server 2010 is the demand management system. In this context, demand management is the system for selecting project proposals against the organization’s strategic business objectives, and then governing the execution of selected projects against a defined workflow that ensures the fulfillment of key indicators at identified checkpoints in the project life cycle. Different enterprise project categories can be defined and associated with a workflow, a project, and a template.

Workflow configuration. As a major component of the demand management system, the workflow defines each step in the life cycle of a project. In fact, the workflow essentially implements the demand management system. The portfolio manager can configure all aspects of the workflow to reflect the characteristics of the organization and to ensure the appropriate level of governance. The workflow typically begins with the initial project proposal and includes all approval steps along the way, through to project selection, execution, and closure. The project manager can track the status of the project in all the steps of the workflow. You can use the Project Web App workflow module to define one or more workflows for the different categories of projects in your organization, as shown in Figure 1-19. New enterprise custom fields provide the flexibility that portfolio managers need to customize their workflows.

Figure 1-19. New in Project Web App is the ability to view the project workflow.

Business driver definition. The identification and prioritization of key business objectives or development areas for an organization is another significant component of the demand management system. Examples might include increasing profit, expanding into new markets, or increasing customer satisfaction. The portfolio manager and others in the leadership team can objectively weigh and prioritize proposed projects against business objectives and more quickly come to a consensus about which projects have the most merit and have the most potential for fulfilling the organization’s strategic goals. As shown in Figure 1-20, Project Web App includes an intuitive visual interface for defining and prioritizing business drivers.

Figure 1-20. An organization can define and prioritize business drivers to help analyze which projects will work toward strategic goals.

Portfolio analysis tools. In Project Web App, portfolio managers and executives can use business drivers, the optimizer, and planning tools to analyze the projects in the portfolio. They can see which projects hit the target for key business drivers and can analyze which projects are best meeting the business drivers for that function, within given cost and resource constraints. They can optimize portfolios based on different filters, such as strategic value, financial value, resource utilization, and risk. As shown in Figure 1-21, the views and user interface in Project Web App provide flexibility and perspective and, therefore, can improve project portfolio decision making.

Figure 1-21. In Project Server 2010, visibility and reporting of key performance indicators are now available.

Schedule creation and update. Project managers can build a new schedule and also make simple edits and updates from within Project Web App. In addition, change highlighting and multiple-level undo features are also now available in Project Web App.

More robust projects in Project Web App. Project managers can now create projects with more than 100 tasks, a previous limitation in Project Server. Project managers can also assign multiple resources, define task hierarchy in outlines, and set dependencies with task links, all working in Project Web App. (See Figure 1-22.)

Figure 1-22. Project managers now have much more scheduling flexibility and power when creating and updating schedules in Project Web App.

Manual or automatic task scheduling. As in the Project 2010 desktop version, in Project Web App, project managers can now choose whether tasks are scheduled manually or automatically. With manually scheduled tasks, you can set durations, start dates, and finish dates without having those entries recalculate other aspects of the schedule. With automatically scheduled tasks, you can have Project 2010 calculate dates and durations as before. You can have a mix of manually and automatically scheduled tasks, and you can convert one to the other.

Resource capacity planning. Project and portfolio managers can view resource capacity across the organization, ensuring maximum resource utilization. This provides insight into demand and availability of generic resources over time. Projects can be rescheduled to maximize resource utilization while maintaining the set schedule dependencies. What-if scenarios regarding staffing levels can be modeled and compared.

Time reporting enhancements. If teams prefer, task status and timesheet updates can be unified by enabling single entry-mode through a consistent yet flexible user interface. This can save time for team members as well as project managers.

Consolidated approval center. The new Approval Center provides a convenient all-in-one location for managers to approve and incorporate task status and timesheet updates.

Delegate approvals. With the enhanced user delegation features, you can easily delegate task status and timesheet approvals to another individual, such as a resource manager or team lead.

Exchange Server integration. Team members can choose to receive and update their task status and other notifications through Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Web App. Project tasks are shown as Outlook tasks grouped by project name. No Outlook add-in is required.

Highly customizable. The reporting and dashboard functionality is highly customizable. With the ability to set up summary and detail project information exactly as you need, you can more quickly respond to changing conditions in projects and portfolios.

PerformancePoint Services. PerformancePoint, part of the Microsoft Business Intelligence platform, gives you a dashboard designer with a variety of indicators. (See Figure 1-23). Create different dashboards for different purposes and audiences to help you effectively monitor and present portfolio performance.

Figure 1-23. Use PerformancePoint content to create dashboards that help you or your audience see key project and portfolio status at a glance.

Office reporting services. In addition to PerformancePoint Services, you can use Excel Services, Visio Services, PowerPivot for Excel 2010, and SQL Reporting Services to publish information from a Microsoft Office application.

Predefined report templates. You can choose from a variety of predefined report templates that reflect project reporting best practices. Examples include reports on key performance indicator by department, project costs, resource capacity, issues and risks, workflow chart, and more.

Built on SharePoint Server 2010. Project Web App uses the familiar SharePoint Server interface. In addition, SharePoint enterprise search makes it easy to find project information, including tasks, resources, documents, and more. In addition, teams can be connected and communication enhanced through the use of all the capabilities of SharePoint. This includes wikis, blogs, discussion forums, My Sites, document libraries, and more.

Ribbon interface. In Project Web App, the menus and toolbars have been replaced with the ribbon for easier access and grouping of major functions. As shown in Figure 1-24, commands are logically arranged in tabs and groups that are presented graphically and dynamically, depending on which area of Project Web App you’re working in.

Figure 1-24. Project Web App now uses the ribbon to present commands graphically and dynamically.

Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server. Through interoperability with Visual Studio, the world of application development can be easily connected with that of project and portfolio management.

Centralized project server administration. The server settings console provides all project server administration functions in one centralized location for both project and portfolio management capabilities, as shown in Figure 1-25. This includes everything from setting up users and their permissions to setting up project workflow settings.

Figure 1-25. Use the Server Settings page in Project Web App to carry out most project server administrator functions.

Project access permissions. Within the Project Web App Permissions function, project managers can expand on what the security model allows to create and modify resources and set basic view permissions to better control who has the rights to view or edit projects.

Delegate users. With enhanced delegation, users can identify colleagues to act as their delegate when needed. The project server administrator no longer needs to set up delegation rights between users.

Custom enterprise fields. Project server administrators and portfolio managers can use custom enterprise fields to customize enterprise project templates the way they’re needed throughout the organization. With the custom departmental fields, users in specific departments can focus on their own data, filtering out information that doesn’t apply to them. With these custom departmental fields, enterprise project types, resources, and custom fields can be associated with specific departments to maintain the relevancy of project data.

Administer reporting cubes. Through the improved interface for working with reporting cubes, project server administrators and portfolio managers can easily add, edit, copy, refresh, and delete reporting cubes.

Enhanced customization and scalability. To extend functionality and integrate project information with other applications, Project Server 2010 uses the applications programming interface (API) called the Project Server Interface (PSI). With the PSI, you can access the properties of objects such as Project, Task, and others, and thereby integrate information between your project server and other organizational systems that interact with project management processes, such as accounting, procurement, or human resources. In Project 2010, enhancements to the PSI provide for easier customization to Project Server and Project Web App. Customization is also enhanced by SharePoint Server 2010 and Visual Studio 2010.

Hosted Project Server solutions. Through one of several Microsoft Project partners, you can access and configure web-based hosting for your enterprise project management solution. Through a third-party hosting provider such as Project Hosts, you can speed up enterprise project management deployment for your organization and reduce your IT infrastructure costs.