Microsoft Project 2013

Date Constraints

View->Details->pull down to More Views->Task Details Form -can view which tasks are constrained http://www.lynda.com/Office-tutorials/Setting-task-date-constraints/115433/132624-4.html

View different levels of tasks

View->Outline in data section->select level to view

Linking tasks (not about which comes first, but about which task controls the other)

View->details->can select -> can choose predecessors and succesors -choose the link and it creates a finish to start (most common) relationship -3 other types of links ---start to start ---finish to finish ---start to finish

Changing the outline level of tasks

can highlight and move or drag tasks can indent and decrease indentation to change the level or hierarchy of summary, tasks, subtasks, etc. Lydia has a lot of option for moving, copying, deleting etc. http://www.lynda.com/Office-tutorials/Organizing-tasks-task-list/115433/132619-4.html

View tasks

http://www.lynda.com/Office-tutorials/Viewing-tasks-task-links/115433/132625-4.html very good,lots of deali

Scheduled from

usually want to use Project Start Date and let Project let you know when you will finish

Lag or Lead time (used to show there is a delay in starting the next task (+lag) or there is some overlap (- lag)

View->Detail->Lag column -can do by days or % -good idea to include

Calendar

-Build in and set for 8-5 with 1 hr for lunch-Standard -Best practice is to keep the one in Project intact, to make one for the project, you select Create New Calendar and use this calendar -can set each day if desire different than default go to File-->Options-->Schedule and make sure hrs per day, hrs per week and days per month and default start and end times are correct -can set up special calendars, like summer schedule -can also create exceptions, by using the exceptions tab at the bottom, add start and finish dates, when click details, Project selects non-working, because most are exceptions. Can also do exceptions for working time, but every day must be the same, either non-working time or the same working times -can also have recurring exceptions, such as a recurring meeting -nonstandard working days show up in calendar with lighter background and underlined

Task

-Change to auto-scheduled tasks (can tell on each task if manually scheduled or auto-scheduled by either seeing the pin or the rectangle w arrow to right in the Task Mode column) (I changed in options to default) -If there is a ? next to push pin, means more info needed and you can even leave yourself a reminder in the cells to the right -If you put in a task, as auto-scheduled, there will be a duration with a ? mark. This means that Project has proposed a duration, but the ? tell you that you have not yet edited this. -to add a task above an existing task, do a right mouse and choose Insert Task -can change an individual task between manual and auto-scheduled by pulling down the Task Mode column

Starting a new project

1. Just open a new project, but once opened, can also press Control + n 2. add start date-project tab-->project information-->populate start date 3. scheduled from-->usually use project start date and let Project decide when you will finish 4. populate calendar 5. Add tasks

WBS codes (give each task a unique identifier)

Can use the numeric or customize

Default options

File->Options

Displaying summary tasks

Format->check and uncheck boxes in the show/hide section Project summary task shows for whole project

Summary tasks (summary of subtasks)

Highlight subtasks->summary task from ribbon->name the summary task -the duration of the summary tasks adjusts if you change the duration of the subtasks -the summary duration is simply the addition of all of the durations of the subtasks, but if you want to change the total days, you can. The black bracket will represent what is typed here and the teal bar will represent the sum of the subtask durations if you have time, but red if the sum of the subtasks extends beyond the time in the summary task, so you can see the gap -can add a new summary task as well->select new cell->summary task

Copying tasks from Word or Excel

Highlight text and select Copy-->select the new task cell->Paste and the tasks will flow into Project nicely

Milestone (a way to show progress of the project, a key point in the project, a key accomplishment or point in project, a key decision made, etc.)

Highlight the cell above which you want the milestone -go to task bar and select milestone and it will insert with 0 days and will insert a diamond in the timeline -If you want to sequence it on the timeline with something else, you can highlight both and then select the Link option from the task bar and this milestone will occur after this linked task -can create as many as you want -because they don't have any duration, can create as many as you want

Project information

I set in advanced options, so it always open the project information screen when I start a new project

Start Date

Project tab --> Project information Populate start date

Recurring tasks

Task tab->Task in Insert section->Recurring task->populate information -keep recurring task to a minimum as it makes it hard to level assignments when you have a lot, so if you have something that is real recurrent, might be better just adding as regular tasks -if the project is delayed, Project will not update the dates of these, so will need to add again

Calculate project metrics

Top left corner->R mouse->pull down