Synopses & Reviews
Experience learning made easy--and quickly teach yourself how to manage project resources, schedules, and scope with Project 2003. With STEP BY STEP, you can take just the lessons you need, or work from cover to cover. Either way, you drive the instruction--building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them Learn how to develop and present your project plan Master the tools for managing schedules and resources effectively Identify critical paths and manage multiple dependencies Track progress and costs--and make real-time adjustments Work better together--coordinating projects online with Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Plus, sharpen your project management skills with the quick course in the Appendix
Practice your skills using the files on CD
Your Microsoft Office System Reference Pack on CD includes: Twenty-five templates straight from the Microsoft Office team Microsoft Office System Quick Reference eBook Insider's Guide to Microsoft Office OneNote 2003 eBook--describes new notetaking features in Office Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition, eBook--10,000+ entries Introducing the Tablet PC eBook Complete STEP BY STEP eBook Skill-building practice files
A Note Regarding the CD or DVD
The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via OReilly Medias Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit OReillys web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to [email protected].
Synopsis
Experience learning made easy—and quickly teach yourself how to manage project resources, schedules, and scope with Project 2003. With STEP BY STEP, you can take just the lessons you need, or work from cover to cover. Either way, you drive the instruction—building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them!
- Learn how to develop and present your project plan
- Master the tools for managing schedules and resources effectively
- Identify critical paths and manage multiple dependencies
- Track progress and costs—and make real-time adjustments
- Work better together—coordinating projects online with Microsoft Office Project Server 2003
- Plus, sharpen your project management skills with the quick course in the Appendix!
Practice your skills using the files on CD!
Your Microsoft Office System Reference Pack on CD includes:
- Twenty-five templates straight from the Microsoft Office team
- Microsoft Office System Quick Reference eBook
- Insider’s Guide to Microsoft Office OneNote 2003 eBook—describes new notetaking features in Office
- Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition, eBook—10,000+ entries!
- Introducing the Tablet PC eBook
- Complete STEP BY STEP eBook
- Skill-building practice files
For customers who purchase an ebook version of this title, instructions for downloading the CD files can be found in the ebook.
About the Author
Carl Chatfield and Timothy Johnson are the authors of every version of the popular Microsoft Project Step by Step going back to Project 2000.
Carl is a principal content project manager at Microsoft, where he oversees development of user assistance material, UI text, and web content for a range of products and services.
Carl Chatfield and Timothy Johnson are the authors of every version of the popular Microsoft Project Step by Step going back to Project 2000.
Tim is a program manager at Microsoft who has extensive experience with Microsoft Project, going back to Project 3.0. He is a former member of the Project User Assistance team.
Table of Contents
Whats New in Microsoft Office Project 2003; Getting Help; Getting Help with This Book and Its CD-ROM; Getting Help with Microsoft Office Project 2003; Using the Books CD-ROM; Whats on the CD-ROM; System Requirements; Installing the Practice Files; Using the Practice Files; Uninstalling the Practice Files; Conventions and Features; Quick Reference; Chapter 1 Getting Started with Project; Chapter 2 Creating a Task List; Chapter 3 Setting Up Resources; chapter 4 Assigning Resources to Tasks; Chapter 5 Formatting and Printing Your Plan; Chapter 6 Tracking Progress on Tasks; Chapter 7 Fine-Tuning Task Details; Chapter 8 Fine-Tuning Resource and Assignment Details; Chapter 9 Fine-Tuning the Project Plan; Chapter 10 Organizing and Formatting Project Details; Chapter 11 Printing Project Information; Chapter 12 Publishing Project Information Online; Chapter 13 Sharing Project Information with Other Programs; Chapter 14 Tracking Progress on Tasks and Assignments; Chapter 15 Viewing and Reporting Project Status; Chapter 16 Getting Your Project Back on Track; Chapter 17 Applying Advanced Formatting; Chapter 18 Customizing Project; Chapter 19 Measuring Performance with Earned Value Analysis; Chapter 20 Consolidating Projects and Resources; Chapter 21 Planning Work with Project Server; Chapter 22 Tracking Work with Project Server; Chapter 23 Managing Risks, Issues, and Documents with Project Server; Part I: Managing a Simple Project; Chapter 1: Getting Started with Project; Managing Your Projects with Project; What Can a Scheduling Engine Do for You?; Starting Project Standard; Starting Project Professional; Exploring Views; Exploring Reports; Creating a New Project Plan; Project Management Focus: Project Is Part of a Larger Picture; Setting Nonworking Days; Entering Project Properties; "A Database That Knows About Time"; Key Points; Chapter 2: Creating a Task List; Entering Tasks; Project Management Focus: Defining the Right Tasks for the Right Deliverable; Estimating Durations; Project Management Focus: How Do You Come Up with Accurate Task Durations?; Entering a Milestone; Organizing Tasks into Phases; Project Management Focus: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Planning; Linking Tasks; Documenting Tasks; Checking the Plans Duration; Key Points; Chapter 3: Setting Up Resources; Setting Up People Resources; What Is the Best Way to Enter Resource Names?; Setting Up Equipment Resources; Setting Up Material Resources; Comparing Work and Material Resources; Entering Resource Pay Rates; Project Management Focus: Getting Resource Cost Information; Adjusting Working Time for Individual Resources; Documenting Resources; Key Points; Chapter 4: Assigning Resources to Tasks; Assigning Resources to Tasks; The Scheduling Formula: Duration, Units, and Work; Assigning Additional Resources to a Task; Project Management Focus: When Should Effort-Driven Scheduling Apply?; Assigning Material Resources to Tasks; Key Points; Chapter 5: Formatting and Printing Your Plan; Creating a Custom Gantt Chart View; Drawing on a Gantt Chart; Formatting Text in a View; Formatting and Printing Reports; Key Points; Chapter 6: Tracking Progress on Tasks; Saving a Project Baseline; Tracking a Project as Scheduled; Entering a Tasks Completion Percentage; Entering Actual Values for Tasks; Project Management Focus: Is the Project on Track?; Key Points; Part II: Advanced Project Scheduling; Chapter 7: Fine-Tuning Task Details; Adjusting Task Relationships; Setting Task Constraints; Viewing the Projects Critical Path; Interrupting Work on a Task; Adjusting Working Time for Individual Tasks; Changing Task Types; Task Types and Effort-Driven Scheduling; Entering Deadline Dates; Entering Fixed Costs; Setting Up a Recurring Task; Key Points; Chapter 8: Fine-Tuning Resource and Assignment Details; Entering Multiple Pay Rates for a Resource; Setting Up Pay Rates to Apply at Different Times; Setting Up Resource Availability to Apply at Different Times; Delaying the Start of Assignments; Applying Contours to Assignments; Applying Different Cost Rates to Assignments; Entering Material Resource Consumption Rates; Key Points; Chapter 9: Fine-Tuning the Project Plan; Examining Resource Allocations over Time; Project Management Focus: Evaluating Resource Allocation; Manually Resolving Resource Overallocations; Leveling Overallocated Resources; Examining Project Costs; Checking the Projects Finish Date; Key Points; Chapter 10: Organizing and Formatting Project Details; Sorting Project Details;;;;;; Grouping Project Details; Filtering Project Details; Customizing Tables; Customizing Views; Key Points; Chapter 11: Printing Project Information; Printing Your Project Plan; Project Management Focus: Communicating with Stakeholders; Printing Views; Printing Reports; Key Points; Chapter 12: Publishing Project Information Online; Copying Project Information as a GIF Image; Saving Project Information as a Web Page; Changing the Look of a Project Web Page; Key Points; Chapter 13: Sharing Project Information with Other Programs; Copying and Pasting with Project; Generating a Project Summary Report for Word, PowerPoint, or Visio; Opening Other File Formats in Project; Saving to Other File Formats from Project; Working with Project File Formats; Charting Data in Excel with the Analyze Timescaled Data Wizard; Key Points; Chapter 14: Tracking Progress on Tasks and Assignments; Updating a Baseline; Saving Interim Plans; Tracking Actual and Remaining Values for Tasks and Assignments; Manually Entering Actual Costs; Tracking Timephased Actual Work for Tasks and Assignments; Project Management Focus: Collecting Actuals from Resources; Rescheduling Incomplete Work; Key Points; Chapter 15: Viewing and Reporting Project Status; Identifying Tasks That Have Slipped; Project Management Focus: Getting the Word Out; Examining Task Costs; Examining Resource Costs; Project Management Focus: What About All Those Other Costs?; Reporting Project Cost Variance with a Stoplight View; Key Points; Chapter 16: Getting Your Project Back on Track; Troubleshooting Time and Schedule Problems; Troubleshooting Cost and Resource Problems; Troubleshooting Scope-of-Work Problems; Key Points; Part III: Special Subjects; Chapter 17: Applying Advanced Formatting; Formatting Bar Styles in a Gantt Chart View; Formatting the Network Diagram View; Formatting the Calendar View; Key Points; Chapter 18: Customizing Project; Working with the Organizer; Recording Macros; Editing Macros; Customizing a Toolbar; Key Points; Chapter 19: Measuring Performance with Earned Value Analysis; Viewing Earned Value Schedule Indicators; Viewing Earned Value Cost Indicators; Changing How Project Calculates Earned Value Numbers; Key Points; Chapter 20: Consolidating Projects and Resources; Creating a Resource Pool; Creating a Dedicated Resource Pool; Viewing Assignment Details in a Resource Pool; Updating Assignments in a Sharer Plan; Updating a Resources Information in a Resource Pool; Updating All Projects Working Times in a Resource Pool; Linking New Project Plans to a Resource Pool; Opening a Sharer Plan and Updating a Resource Pool; Working with Consolidated Projects; Creating Dependencies Between Projects; Key Points; Part IV: Introducing Project Server; Chapter 21: Planning Work with Project Server; Understanding the Key Pieces of Enterprise Project Management; Building a New Plan from an Enterprise Template; Staffing an Enterprise Project with Resources; Publishing a Plan to Project Server; Key Points; Chapter 22: Tracking Work with Project Server; Reporting Actual Work Through Project Web Access; Reporting Actual Work Through Outlook; Handling Actuals from Resources; Keeping Stakeholders Informed; Key Points; Chapter 23: Managing Risks, Issues, and Documents with Project Server; Managing Risks; Managing Issues; Managing Documents; Key Points; Part V: Appendixes; Appendix A: A Short Course in Project Management; Understanding What Defines a Project; The Project Triangle: Seeing Projects in Terms of Time, Cost, and Scope; Time, Cost, and Scope: Managing Project Constraints; Managing Your Projects with Project; Appendix B: Whats Next?; Joining a Project Learning Community; Joining a Project Management Learning Community; Final Words; Appendix : About the Authors; Carl S. Chatfield; Timothy D. Johnson; Acknowledgments;