Microsoft® Project 2016: Advanced

This course is designed to familiarize you with the advanced features and functions of Microsoft Project Professional 2016 so that you can use it effectively and efficiently in a real-world environment. In the Microsoft® Project 2016: Introduction, students learnt the basic features of Microsoft® Project 2016 during the planning phase of a project. Microsoft® Project 2016: Advanced covers the advanced knowledge and skills a project manager needs to update a project plan in Project 2016 during the execution, monitoring, and controlling phases of a project. In other words, once your project plan is approved by the project sponsor, this course will enable you to manage the project so that it is completed on time, within budget, and according to scope.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Manage an existing Microsoft Project 2016 project plan
• Update a project plan to reflect progress as you execute the project
• Monitor project progress in the project plan
• Adjust the project plan to control constraints
• Create project reports to share a project’s status
• Customize project settings and share customizations with other projects

To ensure success in this course, students should have basic project management knowledge and skills. This can be accomplished by taking the following course; Project Management Foundation to Intermediate Level. Additionally, students should be able to create a new project plan, manage time in a project plan, manage tasks in a project plan, manage resources in a project plan, and share a project plan using Microsoft Office Project 2016. Additionally, students need to have the following knowledge:

• Microsoft® Project 2016: Introduction
• Have basic knowledge and skills for using any current Windows® operating system—preferably Windows 10 or
• Microsoft® Windows® 10 Transition from Windows® 7

This course is designed for students with an understanding of project management concepts who are responsible for creating and maintaining project plans. Target students will be looking to acquire the advanced knowledge and skills a project manager needs to update a project plan in Project 2016 during the execution, monitoring, and controlling phases of a project.

Part 1 - Project Scheduling 

1. Essential Elements of any Project 

• Resources o Help Facilities 
• A Tour of the Screen - Names & Definitions 
• Notice lateral scroll bars at the bottom of both sides of the screen 
• Menu Bar, Tool Bars, Icons, and the View Bar 
• Turning Off Personalized Menus 
• Customizing a Tool Bar -- Adding Some Icons 
• Selecting a Project Start Date 
• Start Date versus End Date Scheduling 
• Entering Tasks - Observe What Project Does 
• Adding and Hiding Columns, and a Quick Discussion of Project's Data Base 
• Milestones 
• Tasks 
• Project the slave, not the master 
• Phases, linkages and time scales 
• Costing 

2. Opening Microsoft Project and Customizing the User Interface 

3. Starting a New Project 

• Duration Defined 
• Elapsed Duration 
• The Time Scale -- Various Ways to Manage It 
• The Third Timescale Level 
• Summary Tasks and Detail Tasks ("Parent" and "Child" Tasks) 
• Properties of Summary Tasks 
• Outline Levels 
• The "Line Zero" Project Summary Task 
• Viewing Outline Numbers 
• WBS Numbers and Outline Numbers -- Differences 
• Viewing Outline Levels - Preview of Filters 
• Standard Links (FS) using the Link and Unlink Icons 
• Selecting Adjoining Tasks with the Shift Key 
• Selecting Non-Adjoining Tasks with the Control Key - The Order Matters! 
• Linking Graphically - Slightly Dangerous 
• Three Other Types of Links (SS, FF, and SF) 
• Entering Links in the Task Information Box and Other Forms 
• Power Linking by Typing Directly into the Predecessors or Successors Columns 
• Linking Summary Tasks -- Controversy and Confusion 
• Lags: Positive, Negative, and Percentage 
• Combining Lags with SS and FF Link Types 
• Documenting the Reasons for Lags with Notes 
• Small Negative Lags versus Large Negative Lags 
• An Alternative to Lags 
• Constraints Frequently Set in Error - By Typing Dates 
• Eight Types of Constraints - Purposes of Each Type 
• When Constraints Conflict with Links - a Switch Determines Who Wins 
• What Types of Tasks are OK to Constrain 
• Documenting the Reasons for Constraints with Notes 
• The Purpose of Milestones - When Are They Useful? 
• The 8/80 rule 
• Conflicting Definitions with Other Applications like MPM 

4. Durations and the Time Scale 

5. Outlining a Construction Project 

6. Linking Tasks 

7. Adding Lags to Links for float 

8. Date Constraints 

9. Milestones – Construction deliverables 

• The Deadline Feature and the Gantt Chart Wizard 
• More About Notes - Capacity and the Ability to Insert Objects 
• Adding Hyperlinks to Tasks, and How they Compare with Notes 
• Recurring Tasks 
• Splitting Tasks 
• Moving Tasks Around in a Schedule - Methods and the Level Problem 
• Moving Columns to New Positions 
• To Autolink or Not To Autolink Inserted or Moved Tasks 
• Saving Work with Autosave, and Version Control Issues 
• The Language of Tasks: When Verbs, When Nouns 
• How Logic Flows Through an Unconstrained Schedule 
• How Detailed Should Schedules Be? 
• Construction project baseline essentials 
• Multiple baselines 
• Understanding The Critical Path 
• Different Views that Show the Critical Path 
• Adding the Critical Path to the Gantt View with a Wizard 
• Microsoft's Critical Path Options in the Tool Box (Tools-Options-Calculation) 
• The Impact of Date Constraints on the Critical Path 
• The Impact of Task Progress on the Critical Path -- The Different Effects of FS and SS Links 
• The Impact of Deadlines on the Critical Path -- A Departure from the Classic Definition of "Critical" 
• Elapsed Durations, ALAP Tasks, and their Effect on Critical Path 
• Filters (1) - The Short List in the Menu 
• Filters (2) - The Long List in "More Filters" 
• Filters (3) - The Power of Autofilters, Singly and in Combination 
• Filters (4) - Total Control - Creating and Saving Custom Filters 
• Applying a Highlight Filter 
• Linking a Filter with a View, and the Permanent Highlight Filter Option 
• When Would Sorting be Useful 
• Sorting (1) - The Quick Sort -- Several Choices in the Menu 
• Problems and Limitations with the Quick Sort 
• Sorting (2) - The Full Sort -- Managing the Two Check Boxes 
• Restoring Original Line Order with the Sort by ID Option 
• The "Grouping" Function - a Kind of Group Sorting with Subtotaling 
• Changing Field Names - 2 Ways 
• The View-Specific Change Technique -- Double Click Column Header 
• The Durable Change Technique -- Customizing the Field Limiting Entries into Optional Fields with Data Validation 
• Adding a Formula to an Optional Field 

10. Working with Project Tasks 

11. The Critical Path 

12. Filters 

13. Sorting and Grouping 

14. Customizing Fields

• Adding "Stoplight" Graphics to an Optional Field 
• Separate Customization Choices for Summary Tasks 
• The Calendar View 
• The Network Diagram View (Originally: "PERT" View) 
• The Relationship Diagram View (Originally: "Task PERT" View) 
• Splitting the Screen, and Managing the Two Split Halves 
• The "Arrange All" Function -- For Managing Multiple Open Projects 
• The Standard Reports 
• Project 2016 Customized Reports 
• S Curves and Earned Value Reports 
• Resource Utilization Reports 
• Burndown Reports 
• Visual Reports 
• Editing and Customizing Reports 
• Using the Gantt View instead of Microsoft Project's Reports 
• Adding a Text Box 
• Adding Clip Art 
• Adding Sound and Video Objects 
• Adding an Excel chart, and making it synchronize with changing data 
• Wrapping Text to Handle Long Task Names 
• What Columns Will Appear in Print -- a Big Problem Resolved 
• Gantt Bar Appearances - the Bar Styles Dialogue Box 
• Adding and Removing Text and Dates from Gantt Bars and Milestones 
• Link Appearances -- Suppressing Links in Large Schedules 
• The Scaling Option - Get More Space with the Percent Scaling Tool 
• Building Headers with Variable Inserts 
• Building Footers with Variable Inserts - a Suggested Standard 
• Turning the Legend On and Off 
• The Final Setup Tab: Showing Notes, Blank Pages, Etc. 
• Last Look at Zooming - Where is the Print Date Range Dialogue Hidden? 
• Extra Polish: Adding Logos to Headers for Special Presentations 
• Formatting Options are Stored in Views 

15. Other Views and Display Options 

16. Reports 

17. Adding Graphics and Multimedia Objects to the Gantt Area 

18. Formatting for Printing 

• Exporting Gantt Views to Word and PowerPoint with the Camera Icon 
• Exporting with the PrintScreen Key and ALT-PrintScreen 
• Exporting Data to Excel -- the Outline Level Problem 
• Exporting Data to Access -- the Choice of Power Users 

19. Exporting Project Images and Data to Other Applications  

• Overview of the Organizer: the 2-Library Concept 
• What Project Does When it Looks For a New View or Filter, etc. 
• Where Modifications are Saved - the Local Library 
• What the Global Library is (GLOBAL.MPT), and Why it is Useful 
• Making Custom Filters, Views, etc. Available to Other Schedules on Your Computer 
• Sharing Custom Filters, Views, etc. with Friends and Colleagues 
• More about Views - What They Contain and What They Don't 
• Entering and Naming Resources - Two Ways 
• Best practices for the construction industry – using cost, material and work resources 
• Maximum Availability -- What it Means 
• Showing Availability as a Percentage or Decimal 
• Human Resources, Fixed Cost Items, and Material Resources 
• Resource Rates and Costs 
• Adding Resource Notes 
• Many Ways to Assign Resources 
• Virtues of the Resource Assignment Icon and Box 
• Adding a Resource at Less than its Maximum Availability 
• Filtering on Resources 
• Look at Project Total Cost as Resources are Added: The Statistics Box 
• Relationships Among Scope, Resources, and Time 
• Creating a Schedule for Each Task Type, With and Without "Effort Driven" 
• Watch What Happens When the Second Resource is Added 
• The "Usage" Views: Resource Usage and Task Usage 
• New Totaling Options When Printing "Usage" 
• Resource Editing and Contours 
• Assignment Information Options 
• Five Cost Schedules 
• Viewing Resource Workloads and Task Assignments 
• The Resource Graph -- Note Peak Units Problem Versus Total Work 
• Analyzing Resource Conflicts with Split Screen Views 
• Replacing a Resource

20. The Organizer 

Part 2 - Working with Resources 

21. The Resource Sheet 

22. Assigning Single Resources to Tasks 

23. Assigning Multiple Resources to Tasks 

24. Special Tools for Resource Assignment and Cost Estimating 

25. Managing Resource Workloads

• Definition and Overview of Leveling 
• Demonstration of Leveling with a Sample Schedule 
• Look at "Leveling Delay" in the Detail Gantt View 
• Leveling Options: Level Within Slack, and Other Options 
• Task Priority and How it Changes Leveling 
• Clearing Leveling - Doesn't Always Remove Splits 
• Discussion: When Leveling Makes No Sense, and When it Might 
• Using Calendars 
• How to adjust a resource calendar as opposed to the standard calendar 
• Creating a New Base Calendar 
• Setting the Overall Project Calendar in Project-Project Information 
• Assigning Resources to Different Base Calendars 
• Customizing Resource Calendars 
• The Options Tab Controls and definitions of “day” 
• Assign Work to a Resource when the Resource Isn't Working (First with Fixed Duration, Then with Fixed Units) 
• Assigning a Calendar to a Task 
• Resource Availability Dates 
• Definition and Use of a Baseline 
• Coping with a continuously shifting baseline – a hazard in the construction industry 
• Saving a Baseline; Saving Interim Plans 
• Multiple Baselines: Why and How to Use 
• Clearing a Baseline -- When and Why 
• Comparing the Baseline to Actual Data - Available Views and Reports 
• Overview of the Percentage Method 
• Using the Percentage Icons 
• Inserting the % Completion Column 
• What is % Work Complete, and How Does it Differ from % Complete 
• Physical % Complete, and How it Differs from % Complete and % Work Complete 
• Summary Tasks Build Averages as Individual Tasks are Tracked 
• Percentages Translate to Costs in the Statistics Box and in Reports 
• Moving Up the Accuracy Curve -- Add the Actual Start, Actual Finish, and Actual Work Columns 
• Still Greater Accuracy -- Track the Hours by Resource, and Remaining Hours, with the Split Screen 

26. Resource Leveling 

27. Working with Calendars 

Part 3 - Tracking Progress 

28. The Baseline 

29. Tracking Progress with the Percent of Completion Method  

• Overview of the Actual Hours Method 
• Working in the Resource Usage and Task Usage Views 
• Why the Plan Changes to Equal the Actuals 
• How the Plan Reschedules Undone Work -- Depends on Task Types 
• Dangers of the Percentage Icons when Using the Actual Hours Method 
• Conclusions about the Actual Hours Method 
• The earned value of a construction project - its importance for cash flow and reporting 
• The Background for Earned Value 
• Cost Variance and Schedule Variance 
• Performance Indexes 
• The Earned Value Data Fields in each version of Project - Continuous Improvement 
• The Additional Earned Value Data 
• How Microsoft Project Handles Earned Value 
• Adding Progress Lines to a Schedule 
• Using the "Update Tasks" Dialogue Box 
• Updating an Entire Project to a Status Date 
• Partially Complete Tasks Preceding Other Partially Complete Tasks 
• Tasks Won't Move Once Started 
• Task Splitting to Reschedule Unfinished Portions 
• All construction projects can share from a single resource pool 
• Overview of Resource Pooling 
• Setting Up a Resource Pool as a Separate Project File 
• Linking into the Pool with Tools-Resources-Share Resources Dialogue Box 
• Split Screen Views in the Resource Pool -- Add the "Project" Column for Clarity 
• Consolidating the Quick Way with "New Window" 
• Observe the Simultaneity of the Consolidation and the Individual Project 
• Consolidating by Inserting Projects 
• The Outline Level Issue -- Can't Promote to the Top 
• What Happens When a File is Moved or Renamed  

30. Tracking Actual Hours with the Usage Views 

31. Earned Value Concepts 

33. Progress Lines and Updating Tools 

34. Issues and Problems Arising With Tracking 

Part 4 - Working with Multiple Projects 

35. Resource Pooling 

36. Consolidating Projects

• Building Links Across Project Boundaries 
• Note the Information in the Predecessor and Successor Fields 
• Revisiting the Individual Projects -- the Ghost Tasks and Line Numbers 
• Regenerating Broken Links with the Multiple Project Dialogue Box 

37. Links Among Projects in a Consolidation