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by Elaine J. Marmel
In the Trenches with Microsoft® Office Project 2007
In the Trenches with Microsoft® Office Project 2007
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Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
Who This Book Is For
What This Book Is About
Getting Support
Support for the Book
Support for Software
Questions and Comments
1. Defining Your Project
1. Scoping Out Your Project’s Details
Getting Started
Setting the Project’s Goals and Defining the Project’s Scope
Creating a Project
Recording General Project Information
Setting the Project Calendar
Changing the Days and Hours Your Company Works
Setting Exceptions to the Calendar
Changing the Work Week
The Project Calendar and Scheduling
Creating Tasks
Determining How Granular to Make Your Tasks
Understanding Task Types
Summary Tasks and Subtasks
The Project Summary Task
Reorganizing Your Project Schedule
A Word about Task Timing
Establishing the Task’s Duration
Creating Milestones
Using Recurring Tasks Effectively
Identifying Resources Before You Have Resources
About Connecting with Other Projects in Your Company
2. How Dependencies and Constraints Affect Your Project
What Are Dependencies?
Choosing the Right Dependency for Your Needs
Finish-to-Start Relationships
Start-to-Start Relationships
Finish-to-Finish Relationships
Start-to-Finish Relationships
Setting Dependencies
What Are Lag and Lead Time?
How Many Dependencies Are Too Many?
Viewing Dependencies
Dependency Actions That Affect Your Plan
Deleting Dependencies
Creating Dependencies to External Projects
Working with Constraints
Understanding the Types of Constraints
How Constraints and Dependencies Affect Each Other
Choosing Between Dependencies and Constraints
How Do Deadline Dates Work?
Setting Constraints and Deadlines
What Causes Unexpected Start Dates?
3. Pinning Down Your Budget
Identifying the Resources You Need
Matching Skill Sets to Skills Needed
Don’t Forget About Those Non-Human Resources
Choosing the Right Resource Type
Creating Resources in a Project
Resources and Project Server
Assigning Resources to Tasks
Assigning Resource Costs
Assigning a Cost per Use to a Resource
Assigning Fixed Costs
How Cost Accrual Methods Work
How Organizational Structure Affects Resource Availability
Managing Projects from a Central Office
Handling Projects As They Arise
Managing Projects Within Each Functional Unit
How Organizational Structures Impact Project Management
Understanding How Availability Affects Your Project
Accounting for Availability
Setting Resource Calendars
Checking Availability While Assigning Resources
Using Overtime Wisely
Printing Cost Reports
2. Working Out the Kinks
4. Finding the Information You Need
Understanding Views
Picture Views
Form Views
Sheet Views
Combination Views
Understanding Tables
Adding a Field to a Table
Working with the Details Portion of a Usage View
Sorting Information
Filtering to Find What You Need
Using Built-in Filters
Using AutoFilters
Grouping Information
Using Custom Fields
Understanding Custom Fields
Creating a Custom Field That Includes a Data Entry List
Storing Information in a Custom Field
Custom Fields, Formulas, and Indicators
5. Controlling an Out-of-Control Schedule
Focusing on Tasks
Tasks and Timing
Identifying Task Drivers
How Task Types Affect Task Timing
Exploring the Effort-Driven Equation
When Should You Use a Task Calendar?
What Are Your Task Constraints Doing to Your Schedule?
Scheduling from Start or Finish
Understanding Scheduling
What about Scheduling Backwards?
Understanding What Calendar Settings Actually Do
Managing Slack
Ways to Identify Slack
Ways to Build in Slack
6. Solving Resource Conflicts
What Causes Resource Conflicts?
Identifying Resource Conflicts
The Resource Graph View
The Resource Allocation View
The Resource Usage View
Techniques to Resolve Conflicts
Swapping Out Resources
Using Overtime
Adding Resources
Using a Shared Resource
Part-Time Assignments
Staggering Work Time
Changing When a Resource Begins Working on a Task
Using Contours
How Resource Leveling Really Works
How Project Selects Tasks to Delay or Split
Understanding Leveling Order
Using Priorities to Control Leveling
Setting Leveling Options
Handling Leveling on Your Own
What If You Had More Time?
7. Taming That Monster Budget
How to Use Cost Resources Effectively
Anticipating Cost Hikes Realistically
What Are Budget Resources and When Do You Use Them?
Creating Budget Resources
Assigning Resources to Budget Resource Categories
Establishing the Value of Budget Resources
Reviewing Budget Amounts and Assigned Amounts
Tips for Trimming the Bottom Line
8. Completing the Planning Phase in Project
Reviewing What You’ve Got
Redefining Project Scope
Identifying the Critical Path
Working with Baselines and Interim Plans
Setting a Baseline or an Interim Plan
Comparing Baseline and Actual Information
3. Setting Up Your Infrastructure
9. Determining How to Communicate with Your Team
The Lines of Communication
How Much Information Do You Need?
The Pros and Cons of Project Server and SharePoint
How Additional Software Can Help You Communicate
Using Microsoft Office Outlook
Sharing Files
Enhancing Reporting in Project
Anticipating Reporting Needs
Using Outline Numbers and Codes in Project Plans
Displaying Outline Numbers
Using Outline Codes
Using WBS Codes in Project Plans
Reviewing Reports
Project’s Standard Reports
Visual Reports
10. Establishing Guidelines for Tracking
Identifying the Information to Collect
Tracking Too Often or Not Often Enough
Designating How Resources Report Activity
Setting Up a Reporting Form
Using Timesheet Information
Using Project Server for Tracking Information
Confirming the Plan for Each Reporting Period
Encouraging Team Members to Report
How to Record Progress
Setting the Project Status Date
Reviewing Calculation Options
Making Notes As You Go
Estimating Percent Complete
Recording Start and Finish Dates
Recording Actual and Remaining Durations
Recording Actual Work
Tracking the Use of Materials
11. Dealing with Management
Approaching the Change Discussion
Explaining What a Network Diagram Says about Your Project
Changing the Network Diagram Layout
Changing the Style of Network Diagram Boxes
Changing the Information Displayed in Network Diagram Boxes
Reviewing Your Budget
Understanding Earned Value Fields
Evaluating Variance
The Difference Between the % Complete and Physical % Complete Fields
Calculating BCWP by Using Physical % Complete
Managing Changes to the Plan 101
4. Problem Solving in the Trenches
12. You’re Behind Schedule: Now What?
Comparing Estimates with Actual Progress
Understanding the Tracking Gantt View
Adding Progress Lines to a Gantt View
How Do You Get Back on Track?
Sorting and Filtering
How Adding or Changing Resources Affects Timing
Reviewing Dependencies
Making Changes to Save Time
Deciding When to Redefine Your Project
13. Managing Cross-Project Conflicts
Examining Consolidated Projects
Setting Up Subprojects
Consolidating Subprojects
Linking Subprojects
Examining the Critical Path of a Consolidated Project
Using Consolidation with Project Server 2007
Using a Resource Pool
Setting Up a Resource Pool
Opening a Project Connected to a Resource Pool
How Project Handles Assignments from a Resource Pool
Updating the Resource Pool
How to Quit Sharing Resources
Index
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