Mastering Microsoft Project 2010 Made Easy Training Tutorial

Master basic Microsoft Project 2010 tasks: create and open project files, manage multiple projects, and use the open dialog to access saved, network, or server locations, including recent projects.

Close the current project file via the file tab and close command, or click the X in the project window; the red X exits the application and closes open projects.

Save your project after changes with the save as dialog to choose location and a descriptive name, then click save; future saves overwrite the same file.

Learn how to create a project plan in Microsoft Project 2010 by setting the start date, selecting calendars, and entering enterprise custom fields, then schedule tasks from the chosen date.

Edit tasks by selecting a row, typing in the cell or using the task information dialog, and saving with Enter or OK; delete by selecting the row and pressing Delete.

Enter durations in the duration column or Task Information dialog using minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months; schedule in standard calendar and use elapsed duration with e for nonworking times.

Attach task notes in Microsoft Project 2010 by selecting a task, opening notes tab, and saving to show a note icon in the Gantt chart, with text, images, or hyperlinks.

Identify and manage people, equipment, materials, and costs as project resources, creating them in the resource sheet view and assigning availability and costs to track time and budget.

Learn how to create and manage work resources in Microsoft Project 2010, including entering names, groups, costs, and assigning resources via the Resource Sheet view and Resource Information dialog box.

Learn to create cost resources in Microsoft Project 2010, track task costs like travel for client meetings (no default cost), and distinguish them from work and material resources.

Learn how effort driven scheduling assigns work resources to tasks, updates durations and costs, and tracks allocations through the Gantt chart, task form, and resource form.

Assign material resources to tasks to track costs without affecting durations, since materials do not perform work. Use assign resources dialog or task form view to enter units and save.

Learn how to assign cost resources to tasks to track costs such as client entertainment or travel, without affecting scheduling, using the assign resources dialog box and cost column.

Learn how to use the team planner in Microsoft Project 2010 to assign tasks to resources, view allocations, and drag-and-drop scheduling while automatically resolving over-allocations.

Create and save a project baseline to capture the original plan before tracking progress, then compare actual durations and work to the baseline in Gantt views and reports.

Update project progress by marking multiple tasks as complete as of a chosen date, using the Update Project dialog to update all tasks or selected tasks in the Gantt chart.

Update tasks individually in Microsoft Project by recording percent complete or actual work as progress occurs, and let software adjust start, finish, duration, and costs for front-loaded or back-loaded tasks.

Learn to format and manage columns in the Gantt chart view, insert and arrange columns, wrap text, hide columns, and customize field settings and alignment.

Adjust the gantt chart timeline increments from the view tab. Format the top tier, middle tier, bottom tier, and non-working time in the time scale dialog box, then click Ok.

Open the reports dialog from Gantt Chart view, choose a category like overview or current costs, customize settings, and use print preview to adjust layout before printing the project report.

Create custom views in Microsoft Project 2010 using the more views dialog, combine elements from existing views, format, save, and overwrite the global template, then apply the view across projects.

Edit task relationships to add lead time or lag time between tasks. Enter predecessors with Fs, using negative values for lead time and positive or percentage options for lag.

Mastering Microsoft Project 2010 explains the scheduling formula: work equals duration times units, with task types determining the constant element. Default is fixed units, with options for fixed duration or fixed work.

Set deadlines in Microsoft Project 2010 by using the as soon as possible constraint and a deadline date to keep scheduling flexible, with the Gantt chart showing the deadline indicator.

Use the split task feature in Microsoft Project to interrupt work, drag to set the second segment’s start date in Gantt Chart, and split multiple times within the smallest increments.

Create a recurring task in the project file to repeat a weekly meeting by using the Gantt chart view, setting the recurrence pattern and range, then saving.

Identify the critical path and critical tasks in Microsoft Project 2010, learn how delaying them extends project end date, and use tracking Gantt to crash the path and monitor slack.

apply multiple cost rates to a work resource using cost rate tables in the resource information dialog, switch to task usage view, and assign the correct rate for each task.

Learn to use work contours in Microsoft Project 2010 to distribute uneven workloads across task duration, front loaded or backloaded tasks, via task usage view and assignment information.

Learn to avoid inflexible constraints in Microsoft Project by using deadlines with the as soon as possible constraint, enabling flexible rescheduling and clear deadline indicators in the Gantt chart.

Delay the start of a resource on a multi-resource task by entering a start date and time in the assignment information dialog from the task usage view, then click ok.

Learn to view resource usage, manually correct overallocated resources, and automatically level resources by delaying starts, splitting tasks, or adjusting assignments within Microsoft Project 2010.

Explore how to monitor project costs by using the cost table in the Gantt Chart view and switching views to reveal baseline, current, actual, and remaining costs.