Microsoft Project 13/16/19 - Like a Boss (Exam 74-343 prep)

Set up a new project in Microsoft Project by configuring the start date, scheduling from the project start date for maximum flexibility, and saving the house move file.

List and name tasks in Microsoft Project, assign task IDs, and manage manually scheduled versus auto scheduled tasks in a home move scenario, including editing, deleting, and adjusting Gantt chart.

In Microsoft Project 13/16/19, configure task duration by setting start, finish, and duration in the Gantt chart, using calendar settings, constraints, and optional descriptive text for stakeholders.

Add milestones in Microsoft Project by creating zero-duration tasks with no resources, shown as diamonds on Gantt chart; insert or convert tasks to milestones with start as soon as possible.

Learn to link tasks and milestones in a project, set finish-to-start or start-to-start relationships, view constraints in the Gantt chart, and adjust task timing while preserving flexibility.

Learn to schedule with the Gantt chart by using the task list and spreadsheet view to set durations and start and finish dates, while noting drag-and-drop limits.

Document task information using the task information dialogue to set duration and notes, rename tasks, and view indicators; add hyperlinks to documents or web resources and open them.

Discover how to track project duration and completion dates with the timeline, Gantt view, and project statistics, including non-working days and vacations.

Configure and assign working time in Microsoft Project to define task duration, using backstage options to set calendars, workdays, and hours per day, including standard eight-to-five or twenty-four hour calendars.

Create and customize an alternate calendar in Microsoft Project by copying the calendar, adjusting work weeks for a Tuesday–Saturday schedule, and applying it to a project with change working time.

Configure a project calendar exception for time off via the exceptions tab, name it Tax Day, and see shaded nonworking days shift task end dates in the Gantt chart.

Delete an alternate calendar using the project organizer to clean up working times and streamline calendars, then set the standard calendar as the global template for new projects.

Switch to the resource sheet view to list work, cost, and material resources. Identify people, equipment, and consumables like moving supplies; note fixed costs.

Configure resource capacity and type in a project by setting cost or material resources, adjusting maximum capacity and calendars, and applying the standard rate and cost per use for budgeting.

Configure standard and overtime rates in the resource sheet, choosing hourly or weekly pay and time-and-a-half, and automate defaults in project options for easier resource management.

Define material resource costs with standard rate and cost per use, explain accrual options, and show assigning these costs to tasks; note cost resources perform no work.

Explore how to add and view notes for resources in Microsoft Project, using the resource sheet, notes tab, and details or format commands to access and manage notes efficiently.

Microsoft Project uses the scheduling formula—duration times units equals work—to determine task duration, work hours, and cost, with examples of single vs multiple assignees.

Learn two techniques to assign resources to tasks in Microsoft Project: use the assign resources dialog or drag-and-drop from the assigned resources pane; monitor cost, duration, and scheduling effects.

Assign multiple resources to tasks using the assign resources dialog, selecting from an alphabetical list and moving assigned resources to the top. Track project cost as resources accrue.

Explore the task form in the details view of the Gantt chart to assign resources, view work and cost, and learn how adding resources can shorten duration.

Configure a resource-specific calendar exception using the change working time dialog, marking PTO or personal time off, which lengthens a task from 3.5 to 4.5 days.

Learn to configure part-time resources in Microsoft Project by creating a part-time base calendar, adjusting max units, and applying afternoon or morning shifts to control availability.

Learn how to delete a resource from the resource sheet, undo deletions, and replace a resource using assign resources to keep tasks on track.

Switch from manual to automatically scheduled tasks to harness the scheduling engine, letting start and finish dates adjust with task relationships. Learn to auto schedule single or multiple tasks.

Create a summary task in Microsoft Project by inserting and indenting subtasks under a top task; the summary duration is driven by subtasks, with a toggle to view the summary.

Master finish-to-start task relationships by configuring predecessors and successors, linking summary tasks, and using drag-and-drop and the information dialog to align durations, milestones, and automatic scheduling in a Gantt chart.

Change task dependencies in Microsoft Project by using the task information dialog to switch relationship types (finish-to-start, start-to-start) and adjust lag or delay in predecessors.

Configure lag times and lead times within a finish-to-start task relationship to create overlap, guided by the planning wizard and balancing auto scheduling with manual scheduling.

Change a placeholder task's duration to a fixed value and schedule it in the gantt chart, exploring auto schedule vs manual scheduling, and linking tasks with a finish-to-start relationship.

Master cut, copy, and paste in Microsoft Project, recognizing that copying a task includes task mode, duration, start, and finish, and beware scheduling conflicts with predecessors and resources.

Explore task constraints in project management by learning flexible, semi flexible, and inflexible constraint types, with examples like as soon as possible, finish no later than, and must finish on.

Configure and manage task constraints in Microsoft Project, including semi flexible, flexible, and inflexible types, and set as soon as possible, as late as possible, or must finish on dates.

Learn how to mitigate date constraints in project scheduling by converting constrained tasks to manual scheduling, enabling flexible rescheduling to meet deadlines.

Configure task deadlines in microsoft project, using deadlines instead of must finish on constraints, so tasks start as soon as possible and overruns are visible in the gantt chart.

Learn to change the default task entry from manual to auto scheduled in Microsoft Project, using the status bar toggle or backstage options, with changes reflected in project options.

Understand how effort-driven tasks keep work fixed while changing resource allocations automatically shorten or extend task duration, with the effort-driven checkbox affecting the project’s start, finish dates, and overall schedule.

Set all tasks to be effort driven by default in project options, and override this behavior for individual tasks while managing work, duration, and costs as resources change.

Learn to assign a fixed cost resource in Microsoft Project by updating the cost during assignment, using the Gantt view, and reviewing project statistics for the new total.

Learn to assign material resources like moving boxes in the resource sheet and Gantt chart, using a 7.95 rate to update project cost without changing duration or work.

Explore how to keep project information front and center by using the timeline, the project summary task, and data tables to view start and finish dates, duration, and costs.

Learn to create and manage recurring tasks in Microsoft Project, set weekly patterns, track three occurrences, and assign resources with cost updates reflected in the project plan.

Learn to set baselines in Microsoft Project, create multiple baselines, apply them to the whole project or selected tasks, and use variance views to compare progress with the baseline.

update actual work and costs by setting progress through the update project dialog or per-task controls, compare against baseline, and reschedule uncompleted work when needed.

Update actual task values in the Gantt chart by using the worktable to see baseline, variance, and actuals, then adjust percent complete and start dates via the update tasks dialog.

Format the gantt chart to communicate project information with color coding and milestone highlighting, using the format tab to mix scheduling and presentation styles and distinguish automatic from manual tasks.

Learn to highlight task paths, predecessors, and successors in a Gantt chart using bar styles, with quick reset to default and practical limits on formatting options.

Enable and customize the timeline in Microsoft Project by selecting tasks and milestones, choosing display styles, and integrating it with the Gantt chart for focused project snapshots.

Discover how timeline pan and zoom links the timeline with the Gantt chart to adjust a project's time scale. Pan and zoom to focus, and reset the time scale tool.

Annotate the gantt chart with draggable text boxes attached to tasks. Position, size, and attach notes via the format tab and properties to keep information with tasks as they move.

Adjust the Gantt chart time scale from days to hours using the View tab, then fine-tune with the time scale dropdown and two-tier timeline.

Explore how the task inspector in Microsoft Project lets you inspect tasks, view suggestions and warnings. Reschedule tasks or change working time from the left pane to resolve overallocated resources.

Create and assign a task-specific calendar, like weekend availability, to schedule a task only on weekends. Understand how calendars affect duration when task and resource calendars align.

Learn to change task types in Microsoft Project to control duration and work by adjusting fixed units, fixed duration, or fixed work, and see how resource assignments impact the schedule.

Explore the task usage view to see how assigning resources affects work and cost while duration stays fixed for a fixed duration task, with availability and edits shaping the schedule.

Identify the critical path that drives the project finish date and how changes affect timelines. Use the Gantt view and detail Gantt to highlight critical tasks and dependencies.

Manually schedule a summary task in Microsoft Project by selecting subtasks, setting durations, and linking predecessors, so the Gantt chart shows the subtasks and the summary phase.

Inactivate a task to remove it from the plan while preserving data and freeing resources from affecting the schedule, then reactivate later to reapply relationships and run what-if scenarios.

Use the split button in the schedule tab to interrupt a task, drag to reschedule without changing duration or assignments, and rejoin by dragging left.

Configure multiple resource availability by assigning two college students to two tasks with 200 percent max units. Use calendar constraints to manage overtime and avoid overallocation.

Set up multiple pay rates for resources in Microsoft Project, including standard, overtime, and cost per use, with effective dates to forecast project costs.

Set up and apply multiple cost rate tables to a resource, switching between standard and alternative rates to adjust task costs in the task usage view.

Apply a contour to a task assignment to vary the hours per day for a resource on a fixed duration task, using flat, backloaded, or bell curve.

Learn to delay the start of a task by adjusting assignments and hours, keeping the original duration while redistributing work across days and additional resources.

Learn to manage resource capacity in Microsoft Project by switching to resource usage view, identifying over allocations, adjusting hours, and reassigning resources to keep schedules on track.

Update the project baseline to reflect changes in duration, work, and cost, and verify the updated baseline against current statistics in project information.

Create an interim plan and multiple baselines in Project, assign resources to a two-day task, adjust work versus duration, and snapshot start and finish dates for optimistic and pessimistic tracking.

Update task progress and percent complete to track remaining work in Microsoft Project, then use the task usage view to compare work and actual values against baselines.

Track remaining cost by switching to the task usage view and the cost table to compare planned costs against actual costs, using the project summary task for a big picture.

Enter manual costs for a task in the task usage or resource usage views, noting planned versus actual costs in the cost table.

Identify slack in the Gantt chart by enabling the Slack bar style, which shows slack as a black underline in linked tasks and affects the project end date.

Reschedule incomplete work to start after a date, for a selected task or the entire project, choosing to move, split, or do nothing based on percent complete.

Identify slipped tasks by comparing baseline and actual progress in Gantt views, track variance, and generate reports to pinpoint late finishes and rescheduling.

Learn to compare baselines by adding a baseline one cost field in the task sheet, switching from the gantt chart to task usage, and reviewing multiple baselines side by side.

Explore and customize project reports in Microsoft Project from the report tab, viewing a dashboard overview of tasks and costs and adjusting charts and styles.

Master print options in Microsoft Project by printing the on-screen Gantt chart with its legend in landscape, using print preview and settings to print specific dates or pages.

Adjust printing by using page breaks in report design tools, resize margins, and drag elements to produce a clean, print ready report with properly aligned charts.

Learn to customize printed Gantt charts with page setup, including portrait or landscape, margins, and a configurable legend showing project title, date, and baseline cost.

Copy a picture of the Gantt chart or timeline from Microsoft Project into WordPad, a text document, or email to quickly share project status with stakeholders.

Highlight task relationships in the Gantt chart using the TASC Path feature to reveal predecessors and successors, and toggle driving or driven relationships to see related tasks.

Explore the calendar view, switch from the Gantt chart, customize bar styles and date ranges, and highlight critical tasks; double-click a date to view task details.

Navigate the network diagram view in Microsoft Project to focus on task relationships, access it via the task tab, and customize data templates, box styles, progress marks, and milestone indicators.

Create a custom report from a blank template, insert a pie chart of baseline costs, and fine-tune fields, filters, outline level, and data labels for a tailored cost overview.

Learn to create, customize, and manage custom reports in Microsoft Project using the design tab, report tools, and organizer. Copy, rename, and move reports between project and the global template.

Compare projects by selecting two versions to generate a new comparison report that shows data differences in tasks and resources alongside a Gantt chart.

Use one project as a template by time-shifting dates and saving with a new name, while avoiding 'must start on' constraints to preserve schedule flexibility.

Create a dedicated resource pool by saving a project as a resource pool, clear tasks, verify resources in the resource sheet, and define max units, rates, and overtime rates.

Create Sheirer plans that pull resources from a resource pool, open multiple projects like Open restaurant, and switch between Gantt chart and resource sheet views.

Connect to a resource pool by sharing resources from an open pool and set precedence to govern resource and rate data, avoiding duplicate resources.

Open and use a resource pool to assign resources across multiple projects, checking for over allocations in the information column, and manage read/write access and backstage settings for shared work.

Use the resource pool to quickly identify over allocated resources across projects and switch views to pinpoint conflicting assignments. Reallocate tasks, adjust calendars, and reschedule to balance workloads.

Create a blank master project and insert subprojects to consolidate across the enterprise, using the resource pool to track assignments, costs, and progress in a unified view.

Learn to link projects in Microsoft Project using external tasks and a resource pool, establishing predecessor–successor finish-to-start relationships and managing manual vs auto scheduling and lag.

Sort, filter, and group data using column headers to highlight critical tasks, milestones, and summary tasks, then print or share a Gantt chart update for stakeholders.

Create a customized closeout report for your project using text boxes and tables, include cost and baseline data, then export to pdf or xps for stakeholders without project installed.

Learn how to archive project data by exporting tasks and resources to Excel, using visual reports templates, and mapping data with the Project Excel template in the backstage export workflow.

Import data from an Excel workbook to create a new Microsoft Project project, building a quick task list with headers, durations, and start and finish dates via the import wizard.