Master Microsoft Project - Project from Beginner to Advanced

1. Exercise Files - the exercise files are provided for you to practice what you've learned after watching the training videos. The exercise files are numbered, and are the exact same as the instructor uses in the video
2. Instructor Notes - are quick notes about the main points covered in the training videos, and are typically used to reference a point quickly without having to watch the entire training video over again
3. Quiz & Answers - there are two separate .pdf files: Quiz and Answers. The Quiz has one question for each video to test yourself on what was presented, and of course the answers to compare

Microsoft Project training video on the First Look at Project.

Microsoft Project training video on how to change the Office Theme, Default View, Date Format and User name and initials.

Microsoft Project training video on how to customize the Quick Access Toolbar by adding, and removing commands.

Microsoft Project training video on how to customize the Ribbon including: hiding the Ribbon, add and removing Tabs, groups and commands.

Microsoft Project training video on how to begin planning a project including: scheduling from Start or Finish date.

Microsoft Project training video on how to create a calendar for your project including: Standard (M-F, 8-5 with a 1-hour lunch break), 24 Hours and Night Shift (Monday night- Sat Morning, 11pm-8am with 1 hour lunch break).

Microsoft Project training video on how to schedule Exception Days, which are used to block out time for events like Holidays and Vacation during a typical work week.

Microsoft Project training video on how to setup a Nondefault Work Week, or how to edit the hours outside of the typical "default" work hours of 8-5pm.

Microsoft Project training video on how to set the Project's Calendar, or assign a new calendar as the project's base calendar.

Microsoft Project training video on how to set the Task Mode, or choose between two options to schedule your tasks either: manually, or automatically. Manually, is after you enter a Task Name, later on you'll have to manually enter in the Duration and Start Date.  Automatically, means when you enter a Task, Project will automatically enter a Duration (with a ? mark, means that Project entered in the Duration), and adjust the Start & Finish Dates, based upon dependencies, constraints, calendar and other factors. 

Microsoft Project training video on how to add Tasks, and the two covered here are Summary Tasks and Subtasks.

Microsoft Project training video on how to add a Project Summary Task, which is a task name that summarizes the project's goal.

Microsoft Project training video on how to enter in a task's duration, which can include: minutes, hours, days, weeks and months.

Microsoft Project training video on about the four different types of resources including: Work, Material, Cost and Budget.

Microsoft Project training video on how to enter in your Work, Cost and Material resources.

Microsoft Project training video on how to outline your tasks, which is where you organize your tasks into manageable chunks or groups.  And each group is summarized by a Summary Tasks, and then all Tasks falling under the Summary Task are then referred to as Subtasks.

Microsoft Project training video on how to enter in the Work Breakdown Structure, or WBS (a more detailed outline # format) - is a hierarchy of tasks represented by numbers that identify the unique place of each task in the structure.

Microsoft Project training video on how to work with the Timeline, which is a high-level view of your project that is used to display key tasks so it doesn’t become too crowded.

Microsoft Project training video on how to link Tasks, which is a way to create a relationship from one task to another, and that relationship defines between the tasks when the next task can start.

Microsoft Project training video on how to edit the Timescale, which is a way to scale the view of your tasks in hours, days and months.

Microsoft Project training video on how to set a Task's Priority, which has a rating of 0-1000, with the higher number being most important, and can be used on how to assign resources.

Microsoft Project training video on how to make a Task Inactive, or remove a Task from the project plan without deleting it.

Microsoft Project training video on how to modify Relationships between Tasks.

Microsoft Project training video on Lag and Lead times, or times where you want to be able to delay time in between your Tasks, or use a Lead time to start one Task before it's predecessor has finished.

Microsoft Project training video on how to add Tasks Constraints, which are conditions or limitations placed on the Start or Finish date of a Task, and because it limits a Project’s flexibility by altering its schedule, it should only be used when absolutely necessary.

Microsoft Project training video on how to add a Task Deadline, which is used to indicate in the Gantt chart a target date for a task’s completion, without affecting your scheduling if it goes past the target date.

Microsoft Project training video on how to add Task Notes, and so if you want to keep track of notes that go to a specific task, you can use the notes feature; and the type of notes you can leave include text, hyperlinks, objects and Microsoft files like Excel or Word.

Microsoft Project training video on how to add a Milestone, which is a task that acts as reference point, marking a major event & typically used to mark beginning and ending of your project.  Note: you can convert a task into a milestone without changing its duration to 0.

Microsoft Project training video on how to add a Recurring Task, which is a task that occurs over and over again at regular intervals over the course of the project.

Microsoft Project training video on three Calendar Types including: Project, Resource and Tasks.

Microsoft Project training video on how to add General Details about the Work and Material resources including: Booking Type, Email, Generic and Budget.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Change Working Time for a resource, change the working times for a resource from the resource's calendar like making it so that the resource is only available part-time from 1-5pm, and only available the first part of October through November.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Assign Resources to a Task and the four benefits for doing so including: who's working on a Task, accurate scheduling and assignment as well as it will account for our resources time and cost, from which we’ll be able to print reports, accounting reports of where our time and costs are and how much we have left.

Microsoft Project training video on how add a Fixed Cost as another way of applying a Fixed Cost to a Task without formally creating a resource and assigning it to the Task, and/or you can assign Fixed Cost in addition to any other assigned cost to a Task.

Microsoft Project training video on the Three Time Fields including: Duration, Units and Work that can be used when assigning a resource to a Task through the Task Form.

Microsoft Project training video on how to use Effort Driven feature, which is where the more Work Resources that are assigned to a Task, the less time or effort it takes to complete it, and hence reduces the time fields.

Microsoft Project training video on the Task Types in conjunction with Effort Driven and non-Effort Driven Tasks.

Microsoft Project training video on how to enter Resource Costs, which can include fuel, airfare, hotel etc.

Microsoft Project training video on how to enter Budget Resources, which includes a budget set aside for your Cost, Work and Material Resources.

Microsoft Project training video on Overallcoated Resources, which are Work Resources that are either: working more hours than their assigned hours of like full-time 8 hour days or if part-time 4 hours a day, or working on “Nonworking Days” or “Exception Days” or a time period in which they are not available.

Microsoft Project training video on Resource Leveling, which is used to delay and/or split the task to avoid conflict for overallocated resources, and as a result can delay your Project’s finish date.

Microsoft Project training video on the Critical Path, which is a series of tasks that determines the calculated finish date of the project; or if any non-critical series of linked tasks slips its dates enough, this series of task will become the critical path. In other words, a series of tasks that must finish on time so project can finish on time.

Microsoft Project training video on how to use Slack and Slip, which Slack time is used to set the amount of time a Task can be delayed before affecting its successor, and Slip time is how far a Task has slipped from original Start.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Shorten Project's Finish Date, which one way can be done either by: assigning additional resources to a Task on the critical path to shorten Task’s Duration and hence shorten, move up project’s Finish Date, delete a Task, or remove any Slack time by removing Constraints.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Divide Tasks, which is used to break up a Task and assign them to others using a Start-to-Start relationship.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Set a Baseline, which is is your original Project’s Plan and is used to compare against or track changes made when the Project has begun and includes: Task, Resources, Assignment and Cost Estimates.  In other words, after you complete your Project Plan, and before you actually begin entering in your “Actuals” or starting the project you can save a Baseline, to track specifically all Tasks Duration, Start and Finish Dates and Costs.

Microsoft Project training video on how to generate the most commonly used, or popular Reports in Project including: Project Overview, Resource Overview and Critical Tasks.

Microsoft Project training video on how to generate Custom Reports including: Chart and Table formats.

1. Exercise Files - the exercise files are provided for you to practice what you've learned after watching the training videos. The exercise files are numbered, and are the exact same as the instructor uses in the video
2. Instructor Notes - are quick notes about the main points covered in the training videos, and are typically used to reference a point quickly without having to watch the entire training video over again
3. Quiz & Answers - there are two separate .pdf files: Quiz and Answers. The Quiz has one question for each video to test yourself on what was presented, and of course the answers to compare

Microsoft Project training video on how to share your Projects with others through Email or SharePoint.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Import Excel, which is helpful is someone created a list of Tasks for you Project in Excel to import it into Project.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Export your Project into a PDF or Excel file for those who don't have Project installed on their computer.

Microsoft Project training video on how to take a Snapshot, or picture of your Project Plan view to save as an image to paste into a document, or an email message.

Microsoft Project training video on how to set a Status Date, which is used to check the Project’s Status at a specific point in time; and is typically used to enter or view your Project's progress on a past date.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Mark on Track, which is marking Tasks that are exactly where they should be as of the Status Date; or in other  words, the Actual Start, Finish & Duration are the same as when planned.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Update Task, which is an option you can use if the Task is not where it should be as of the Status Date, and you can add notes why Task is not on track.

Microsoft Project training video on how to generate the Earned Value BCWP, or Budgeted Cost of Work Performed Table and Report. Earned value is the budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) at a specific point in time, or status date.  In other words, it asks the question with the amount work done thus far, how much money should we have spent; which is very helpful with monitoring: scope (only the work needed to be done, not adding any more), time & cost.

Microsoft Project training video on how to enter in a Task's Progress including entering in your Actuals, and using the Percent Completion field.

Microsoft Project training video on how to use the Variance Table to check to see if your project is on track, and that there is no difference or "variance" between the Baseline and Actual Dates.

Microsoft Project training video on how to use the Tracking Table to enter in Actuals.

Microsoft Project training video on the Progress Bar, which is a black bar in the middle of Taskbar in Gantt Chart indicating the completed part of the Task.

Microsoft Project training video on Tracking Tasks Baseline, which shows where Tasks actually should be with the Baseline.

Microsoft Project training video on how to insert a Progress Line, which is a line drawn on the chart that is based upon either the: Status or Current Date.

Microsoft Project training video on the Status Indicator, or Status Indicator columns that shows the status of a Task as: completed, on schedule, late or in the future.

Microsoft Project training video on how to enter in Overtime Work, which can be entered in the Task or Resource Usage Views, and Split Window.

Microsoft Project training video on how to turn on or off the Autolink feature, which by default this option is turned on so when you cut, move or insert a Task it’s automatically linked to any Successor or Predecessor Task.

Microsoft Project training video on how to insert and delete Tasks including how to insert between Tasks.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Split Tasks, which is typically used when a Task experiences a delay, or interruption, where it has to be stopped for a time.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Move and unlink Tasks.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Create a Network Diagram, which is used when the focus needs to be more on sequencing (order) of Tasks than scheduling.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Reschedule Tasks, which is taking a Task that has already started, even if it’s only 1% complete, and rescheduling that part that hasn’t been completed yet, to a specified later date.

Microsoft Project training video on how to apply a Filter to your Tables, which is a temporary display of data based upon selected criteria.

Microsoft Project training video on how to create Interim Plan, which takes a snapshot, or a copy of my Start & Finish dates of all the Tasks I have in my Project, after my Project has begun, and up to 10 Interims can be saved and set as stages to compare against the Baseline, and even other Interims.

Microsoft Project training video on how to create Custom Tables.

Microsoft Project training video on how to create Custom Text Fields, which can be used to hold data, perform calculations, as a lookup Table for more accurate entry, for more attention grabbing graphical indicators or hierarchical coding structures, or for deliverables.

Microsoft Project training video on how to create a Custom Formula Field including Functions like the IF.

Microsoft Project training video on how to create Custom Flag Fields, which is nothing more than just a field you can customize and create and insert as a column based upon Yes, and No values.  So if it’s Yes you can have an icon, or indicator of something in the color of green, signifying that it’s complete, or if it’s No you can leave it empty or give it a red flag.

Microsoft Project training video on how to use the Costs Rate Table, which is  provided for Work and Material Resources, and are used either: when multiple rates are to be charged by Resources working on Tasks, or future rates of Resources need to be specified i.e. variable costs could include: salaries increase during a project, rise and/or fall of material costs, different grades of material that charge different rates on certain Tasks & different rates charged by same resource on different Tasks.

Microsoft Project training video on how to Group Costs, which can include grouping costs by “Type” or create a custom “Budget Type” field for your Resources and group them by that.  Groups are a way to organize data in a view according to specific criteria; and more specifically it displays the data in categories with summarized information for each category.

Microsoft Project training video on how to do Multiple Criteria Grouping.

Microsoft Project training video on how to insert and work with Hyperlinks.