Microsoft Project is a project management software developed by Microsoft. It provides a comprehensive set of tools and features that allow project managers to plan, schedule, track, and analyse their projects effectively.

With Microsoft Project, users can create project plans, define tasks, assign resources, set dependencies, and establish timelines and milestones. The software provides a visual interface where users can create Gantt charts, calendars, and other project management views to get a clear overview of the project's progress.

Microsoft Project is widely used in industries such as construction, engineering, information technology, and consulting, where managing complex projects with multiple tasks and resources is essential. It helps project managers streamline their project management processes, improve efficiency, and ensure successful project delivery.

OBJECTIVES

1. Navigate the Microsoft Project interface with confidence, including understanding the different parts of the interface such as the Table, Graphical, and Ribbon sections, and utilising the Timeline feature for visualising project timelines and milestones.

2. Customise project options, including display settings and project scheduling options, to align with specific project requirements and preferences.

3. Manage resources effectively by inserting the Resources Sheet, identifying different types of resources (works, material, cost), and assigning resources to tasks. Participants will also learn how to handle resource availability and conflicts.

4. Understand and calculate project costs by inserting hourly rates, calculating costs based on resource duration and rates, integrating costs from the Bill of Quantities (BoQ), and updating costs based on actual expenditures.

5. Generate comprehensive reports, including Cost Overview and Work Overview reports, to analyse project expenses, progress, and resource allocation. Participants will also learn how to customise reports to meet specific project reporting requirements.

6. Set baselines to capture initial project data and analyse variances between baseline and actual finish dates of tasks. Participants will also learn how to split tasks to visualise differences between baseline and actual dates.

7. Implement tracking mechanisms by inserting columns for percentage complete, percentage schedule, and percentage ahead/delay. Participants will gain the skills to monitor project progress, identify deviations from the planned schedule, and take corrective actions.

8. Create S-curves to analyse project progress and forecast future performance. This includes converting percentage schedule and actual cost data into Excel formats for physical and cash flow S-curves.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND THIS COURSE

1. Project managers seeking to enhance their project planning and management skills using Microsoft Project

2. Project team members involved in task coordination and scheduling

3. Engineers, planners, and architects involved in construction and infrastructure projects

4. Professionals in various industries who need to manage complex projects and timelines

5. Individuals interested in learning Microsoft Project for personal or career development purposes

No prior knowledge of Microsoft Project is required, making this course accessible to beginners as well as those with some prior experience. Participants who want to improve their proficiency in project management and effectively utilise Microsoft Project as a tool will benefit greatly from this training.

METHODOLOGY

Throughout the course, participants will engage in hands-on exercises and practical examples to reinforce their understanding of Microsoft Project and its various features. By the end of the training, participants will gain the skills necessary to efficiently navigate the software interface, effectively manage project tasks and dependencies, and confidently schedule and track projects using Microsoft Project.

COURSE OUTLINE

(THIS IS A 1 OR 2 DAY TRAINING PROGRAMME)

COURSE OUTLINE BASIC (Day 1 / 7 hours)

INTERFACE OVERVIEW

1. Open a blank Project file

2. Navigate and understand the different parts of the interface, including the Table, Graphical, and Ribbon sections

3. Utilise the Timeline feature for visualising project timelines and milestones

PROJECT OPTIONS

1. Modify project display settings, such as changing the currency format

2. Configure project scheduling options, including working with the standard calendar

CHANGE WORKING TIME

1. Customise working days and set days off in the project calendar 

2. Adjust working hours to reflect specific project requirements

TASK NAME

1. Insert new task names and modify existing ones

2. Understand the importance of accurate and descriptive task names

INDENT TASK

1. Convert tasks into subtasks to create a hierarchical structure

2. Assign durations to subtasks and understand their impact on overall project scheduling

PREDECESSORS

1. Establish task dependencies by linking tasks together

2. Use different task link relationships (FS, SF, FF, SS) to define the sequencing of tasks

SCHEDULE TASKS

1. Explore the auto schedule feature for recommended task scheduling 

2. Understand the default manual scheduling setting and its implications

MOVE PROJECT

1. Adjust the start and finish dates of all tasks based on a new project start date

2. Understand how moving the project affects task scheduling and dependencies

INTERMEDIATE (Day 2 / 7 hours)

RESOURCES

1. Inserting the Resources Sheet in Microsoft Project

2. Identifying different types of resources (works, material, cost) 

3. Assigning resources to tasks

4. Managing resource availability and conflicts

COSTS

1. Inserting hourly rates at the standard rate in the Resources Sheet

2. Calculating costs for each resource by multiplying the duration with the hourly rate

3. Integrating costs from the Bill of Quantities (BoQ) 

4. Updating costs based on actual expenditures

REPORTS

1. Generating a Cost Overview report to analyse project expenses

2. Creating a Work Overview report to track progress and resource allocation 

3. Customising reports to meet specific project requirements

BASELINE

1. Setting a baseline in Microsoft Project to capture initial project data

2. Analysing the variance between baseline finish dates and actual finish dates of tasks

3. Splitting tasks to visualise the difference between baseline and actual dates

TRACKING

1. Inserting columns for percentage complete, percentage schedule, and percentage ahead/delay

2. Monitoring and tracking project progress using tracking columns

3. Analysing deviations from the planned schedule and taking corrective actions

CREATING S-CURVES

1.  Converting percentage schedule data into an Excel format for a physical S-curve

2. Converting percentage actual cost data into an Excel format for a cash flow S- curve

3. Analysing S-curves to understand project progress and forecast future performance