Managing Projects With Microsoft(r) Project 2000: For Windows

✍ Scribed by Gwen Lowery, Teresa Stover

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 481
• Edition: 1st
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Learn proven project management strategies as you master the world's #1 project management softwareHere's a winning combination: a series of successful project management strategies that cover every phase of the process AND an insider's guide to the most powerful and versatile project management software available anywhere. That's what you'll find in Managing Projects with Microsoft Project 2000.A synchronized learning system helps you get with the programMicrosoft Project 2000 brings 21st-century power to this already formidable tool. Whether you're an experienced user preparing to upgrade to Microsoft Project 2000 or an aspiring project manager who needs to understand the big picture as you gain control of the details, this remarkable one-stop guide helps you make the most of this outstanding new program. It puts you in control of every new feature and enhanced capability, including how to:SCHEDULE TASKS AND TRACK PROGRESS using task calendars, deadline dates, estimated durations, baseline and interim plans, and moreMANAGE RESOURCES FOR BETTER TASK SCHEDULING with new methods that let you vary resource availability, specify material resources, and set task priorities for resource levelingMODEL PROJECTS GRAPHICALLY WITH NETWORK DIAGRAM VIEW, which offers flexible viewing and formatting of program information in a graphical layout of tasksMANAGE TASKS AND RESOURCES ACROSS A WORKGROUP with Microsoft Project Central-a Web-based companion to Microsoft Project 2000 that allows for task delegation up and down organizational lines, task progress reporting, and narrative status reportingWORK FASTER AND SMARTER by jump-starting new products with templates, grouping tasks and resources, creating your own work breakdown structure numbering scheme-and much, much more

✦ Table of Contents

Managing Projects with Microsoft Project 2000......Page 1
Contents......Page 4
What’s New in Microsoft Project 2000......Page 10
What’s Covered in This Book......Page 15
Part 1 Your Project Takes Shape......Page 18
What Is a Project?......Page 20
A Four-Phase Project Model......Page 21
Managing It All: Tasks, Resources, Time, and Money......Page 24
A Question of Balance......Page 25
Your Main Tasks When You Manage a Project......Page 26
2 How Microsoft Project Helps You Manage Projects......Page 28
Assists You in Most Project Phases......Page 29
Calculates Your Schedule Automatically......Page 31
Displays Exactly the Project Information You Want......Page 32
Publishes Project Information to Suit a Variety of Needs......Page 34
Puts You at the Hub of a Project Communications Network......Page 35
Shares Project Information with Other Programs......Page 36
3 Starting a Project......Page 38
Setting Project Goals, Scope, Limitations, and Assumptions......Page 39
Entering Basic Project Information in Microsoft Project......Page 41
Part 2 Creating and Refining Your Project......Page 46
Creating a Task List......Page 48
Organizing Your Task List......Page 57
Estimating the Time for a Task......Page 61
Using a Work Breakdown Structure......Page 65
Using Custom Outline Codes......Page 69
5 Making Tasks Happen at the Right Time......Page 74
Building Your Schedule Using Task Dependencies......Page 75
Fine-Tuning Task Scheduling......Page 79
Scheduling Tasks for Specific Dates......Page 83
6 Assigning Resources to Tasks......Page 88
Assembling Your Resources......Page 89
Setting Working Time for Resources......Page 96
Assigning Resources to Tasks......Page 101
Creating Custom Outline Codes for Resources......Page 112
7 Specifying Resource and Task Costs......Page 116
Setting Costs......Page 117
Viewing Costs......Page 125
Plan Your Cash Flow by Setting Cost Accrual......Page 128
8 Fine-Tuning Your Project......Page 130
Checking the Assumptions of Your Project......Page 131
How Microsoft Project Schedules......Page 132
Shortening the Schedule......Page 138
Balancing the Workload......Page 153
Meeting Your Budget......Page 170
Adjusting Project Scope......Page 173
Part 3 Tracking and Updating Your Project......Page 174
9 Keeping Your Project on Track......Page 176
Setting the Baseline......Page 177
Collecting and Entering Actual Project Information......Page 183
Analyzing Variances from Your Baseline Data......Page 194
Tracking Project Costs and Variances......Page 198
10 Updating Task Information Using E-Mail......Page 202
Sending Project Files, Notes, and Reminders......Page 203
Communicating Information with Resources......Page 207
Setting Up E-Mail Workgroup Communication......Page 211
Exchanging Information with Resources Using E-Mail......Page 216
Updating Task Information Using E-Mail (Resources)......Page 223
Overview of Microsoft Project Central......Page 226
Setting Up Web Workgroup Communication......Page 227
Setting Preferences for Microsoft Project Central......Page 233
Exchanging Information with Resources Using the Web......Page 238
Updating Task Information Using Microsoft Project Central (Resources)......Page 245
Reviewing Project Information (Resources)......Page 254
Part 4 Reviewing Project Information......Page 258
12 Viewing Your Information......Page 260
Selecting Views to Display Sets of Information......Page 261
Applying Tables to Display Different Sets of Information......Page 271
Filtering to Display Only Certain Tasks or Resources......Page 278
Creating or Modifying a View, Table, or Filter......Page 288
Modifying Detail Information in Special Views......Page 292
13 Making Your Project Look How You Want......Page 298
General Formatting in Views......Page 299
Formatting Sheet Views......Page 303
Formatting the Gantt Chart Views......Page 306
Formatting the Task Usage and the Resource Usage Views......Page 314
Formatting a Network Diagram......Page 315
Formatting the Calendar View......Page 321
Formatting the Resource Graph......Page 325
14 Printing and Publishing Basics......Page 328
Views Versus Reports......Page 329
Print a View......Page 330
Print a Report......Page 331
Publish Project Information to a Web Site......Page 332
Examples of Project Information You Can Print......Page 333
Set Up a Printer or Plotter for Microsoft Project......Page 337
Specifying Content Options for Views......Page 338
Formatting the Page of the Printed View......Page 344
16 Printing Reports......Page 354
Specifying Content Options for Reports......Page 355
Formatting the Page of the Printed Report......Page 365
Creating or Modifying a Report......Page 373
Part 5 Using Other Projects and Programs......Page 378
17 Managing Several Projects at Once......Page 380
Managing Several Projects in One Project File......Page 381
Linking Tasks Between Projects......Page 386
Sharing Resources Among Projects......Page 388
Open Several Project Files at Once with a Workspace......Page 392
Creating Projects Using a Project Template......Page 393
18 Sharing Project Information with Other Programs......Page 396
Methods of Sharing Project Information......Page 397
Copying and Pasting Project Information......Page 398
Importing and Exporting Project Information......Page 402
Linking and Embedding Project Information......Page 414
Hyperlinking from a Project File to Another Location......Page 421
Part 6 Customizing Microsoft Project Tools......Page 428
19 Customizing Microsoft Project......Page 430
Creating and Customizing Menus and Commands......Page 431
Creating and Customizing Toolbars and Buttons......Page 436
Creating Your Own Forms for Project Information......Page 443
Using and Enhancing Custom Fields......Page 446
Automating Your Tasks Using Macros......Page 450
Sharing Custom Tools Using the Organizer......Page 451
Glossary......Page 454
Index......Page 468