Learning Microsoft Project 2019
Streamline project, resource, and schedule management with Microsoft's project management software
Srikanth Shirodkar
- 504 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Learning Microsoft Project 2019
Streamline project, resource, and schedule management with Microsoft's project management software
Srikanth Shirodkar
About This Book
Explore detailed explanations and examples to get up and running with the five phases of the project management lifecycle and integrate project management principles in a variety of projects
Key Features
- Explore various algorithms and the latest features of MS Project to organize and keep track of your projects
- Understand Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to improve productivity
- Apply real-world best practices and discover the tips, tricks, and pitfalls of schedule management
Book Description
Microsoft Project is one of the most popular project management tools for enterprises of all sizes thanks to its wide variety of features such as project scheduling, project budgeting, built-in templates, and reporting tools. Learning Microsoft Project 2019 will get you started with the basics and gradually guide you through the complete project life cycle.
Starting with an overview of Microsoft Project 2019 and a brief introduction to project management concepts, this book will take you through the different phases of project management – initiation, planning, execution, control, and closure. You will then learn how to identify and handle problems related to scheduling, costing, resourcing, and work allocation. Understand how to use dynamic reports to create powerful, automated reports and dashboards at the click of a button. This Microsoft Project book highlights the pitfalls of overallocation and demonstrates how to avoid and resolve these issues using a wide spectrum of tools, techniques, and best practices. Finally, you will focus on executing Agile projects efficiently and get to grips with using Kanban and Scrum features.
By the end of this book, you will be well-versed with Microsoft Project and have the skills you need to use it effectively in every stage of project management.
What you will learn
- Create efficient project plans using Microsoft Project 2019
- Get to grips with resolving complex issues related to time, budget, and resource allocation
- Understand how to create automated dynamic reports
- Identify and protect the critical path in your project and mitigate project risks
- Become well-versed with executing Agile projects using MS Project
- Understand how to create custom reports and make them available for future projects
Who this book is for
If you use Microsoft Office and are looking to use MS Project to manage your projects efficiently, this book is for you. Project managers or anyone interested in project management will also find this book useful. Basic knowledge of Windows UI and MS Office products is required.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Section 1: The Iron Triangle – a Quick Primer for Project Management
- Chapter 1, Project Management – the Essential Primer
Chapter 1: Project Management – the Essential Primer
- Understand the terminology of Microsoft Project – where the concepts have come from, how they have evolved, and how to learn these standards and techniques further.
- Familiarize yourself with the foundational techniques used by MS Project – especially the Work Breakdown Structure, the Critical Path Method, and the Gantt chart.
- Understand what MS Project is all about, and what to expect.
- Understand when to use MS Project and when not to – Project is a very powerful ally by your side, but it is not a silver bullet for every problem.
Projects – what is special about them?
Project – the definition
- Temporary nature: Projects are temporary in nature – there has to be a clear, time-bound start state and end state. Projects cannot go on forever.
- Uniqueness: Pay special attention to this word; it says a whole lot about projects. Manufacturing cars is not a project (because mass-manufactured cars are not unique); it is more of an operation. Similarly, providing a car wash is a service. However, setting up the factory where cars are mass-manufactured is indeed a project. Moreover, exactly because projects are unique, they often face more unknown factors. The customer's reaction to a new shoe may really be unknown; a newly engineered door on the Mir space station may not function properly because the conditions cannot be 100% replicated during engineering. Often called unknown unknowns, this risk with projects is widely acknowledged and implicitly understood.We will discuss risks several times in this book, and how Microsoft Project can help with risks associated with schedules, resources, and budgets.
- Endeavor: Projects are purposeful by nature. They don't happen by accident. Or rather, accidental happenings are not called projects. The word endeavor also implicitly means that something has to be accomplished.
- With defined objectives: This means both the result and the limits it must be achieved within. For example, if you are building a house, you will expect to finish it to an acceptable quality, in a reasonable timeframe, and within a limited cost. NoteDefinitions in this book are not the official or standard definitions. It is my humble attempt to make the definitions as easily understandable and memorable for the reader. For the most definitive reference to all the terminology used in this chapter, please consult Project Management Institute's PMBOK® Guide (A Guide to The Project Management Body of Knowledge). In fact, this chapter is based upon this widely accepted standard.
Project management
- Achieve your business' end goals
- Manage constraints in the project – scope, quality, and costs
- Increase predictability – even for subsequent projects
- Optimize the usage of precious resources – money, people, machinery, and materials
- Recover projects in trouble