Microsoft Project 2016 for dummies

**The easy way to take control of project timelines, resources, budgets, and details**Project manager, meet your new assistant! Once you discover Project 2016 you'll be amazed at how efficient and effective the project management process can be. Written by an expert author who knows project management processes backward and forward, this friendly, hands-on guide shows you how to get started, enter tasks and estimate durations, work with resources and costs, fine-tune your schedule, set baselines, collect data, analyze progress, and keep your projects on track. How many times have you heard people in the office mutter under their breath, 'These projects never run on time?' Well, now they can! __Project 2016 For Dummies__ shows you how to use the latest version of Microsoft Project to create realistic project timelines, make the most of available resources, keep on top of all those pesky details, and, finally, complete your project on time and on budget. Easy! * Fully updated to reflect the latest software changes in Microsoft Project 2016 * All-new case studies and examples highlight the relevance of key features of Microsoft Project 2016 * Exposes the correlation between what project managers do and how Microsoft Project 2016 supports their work * Covers working with calendars, using and sharing resources, budgeting, gathering and tracking data, and more If you're a time-pressured project manager looking to make your life—and your projects—easier, __Project 2016 For Dummies__ shows you how to get things done! Title Page......Page 3 Copyright Page......Page 4 Table of Contents......Page 7 About This Book......Page 15 Icons Used in This Book......Page 16 Where to Go from Here......Page 17 Part I Getting Started with Project 2016......Page 19 Introducing Project Management......Page 21 Defining project manager......Page 22 Identifying what a project manager does......Page 23 Introducing Project 2016......Page 24 Getting to Know You......Page 25 Navigating file tabs and the Ribbon......Page 28 Displaying more tools......Page 31 Tell Me What You Want to Do......Page 32 Chapter 2 Starting the Project......Page 33 Creating the Project Charter......Page 34 Introducing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)......Page 35 Organizing the Work......Page 36 Entering project information......Page 38 Weighing manual scheduling versus automatic scheduling......Page 40 Entering the WBS......Page 42 Entering tasks......Page 44 Importing tasks from Outlook......Page 46 Promoting and demoting: The outdent‐and‐indent shuffle......Page 49 Saving the Project......Page 50 Creating Summary Tasks and Subtasks......Page 53 The project summary task......Page 55 Moving Tasks Up, Down, and All Around......Page 57 Moving tasks with the cut‐and‐paste (or copy‐and‐paste) method......Page 58 Now You See It, Now You Don’t: Collapsing and Expanding the Task Outline......Page 59 Showing Up Again and Again: Recurring Tasks......Page 62 Setting Milestones......Page 63 Deleting Tasks and Using Inactive Tasks......Page 64 Making a Task Note......Page 65 Chapter 4 The Codependent Nature of Tasks......Page 67 Dependent tasks: Which comes first?......Page 68 Dependency types......Page 69 Allowing for Murphy’s Law: Lag and lead time......Page 71 Adding the dependency link......Page 72 Words to the wise......Page 75 Understanding that things change: Deleting dependencies......Page 76 Chapter 5 Estimating Task Time......Page 79 Tasks come in all flavors: Identifying task types......Page 80 Effort‐driven tasks: 1 + 1 = 1⁄2......Page 81 Estimating techniques......Page 84 Setting the task duration......Page 86 Understanding how constraints work......Page 87 Establishing constraints......Page 88 Setting a deadline......Page 89 Starting and Pausing Tasks......Page 90 Entering the task’s start date......Page 91 Taking a break: Splitting tasks......Page 92 A Project with a View......Page 95 Navigating tabs and views......Page 96 Scrolling around......Page 98 Reaching a specific spot in your plan......Page 99 Home base: Gantt Chart view......Page 100 Getting your timing down with the Timeline......Page 102 Going with the flow: Network Diagram view......Page 103 Calling up Calendar view......Page 104 Customizing Views......Page 105 Working with view panes......Page 106 Modifying Network Diagram view......Page 110 Resetting the view......Page 114 Part II Managing Resources......Page 115 Resources: People, Places, and Things......Page 117 Understanding resources......Page 118 How resources affect task timing......Page 119 Estimating resource requirements......Page 120 The Birth of a Resource......Page 121 Creating one resource at a time......Page 122 Identifying resources before you know their names......Page 123 Many hands make light work......Page 124 Estimating and setting availability......Page 125 When a resource comes and goes......Page 126 Skimming from resource pools......Page 128 Importing resources from Outlook......Page 130 Mastering Base, Project, Resource, and Task Calendars......Page 133 How calendars work......Page 134 How one calendar relates to another......Page 135 Setting calendar options......Page 136 Setting exceptions to working times......Page 138 Setting resource calendars......Page 140 Making the change to a resource’s calendar......Page 141 Creating a Custom Calendar Template......Page 143 Sharing Copies of Calendars......Page 144 Finding the Right Resource......Page 147 Needed: One good resource willing to work......Page 148 Custom fields: It’s a skill......Page 149 Making a Useful Assignation......Page 150 Making assignments......Page 151 Shaping the contour that’s right for you......Page 154 Benefitting from a Helpful Planner......Page 156 Chapter 10 Determining a Project’s Cost......Page 159 Adding up the costs......Page 160 When will this hit the bottom line?......Page 161 You can’t avoid fixed costs......Page 162 Entering hourly, overtime, and cost‐per‐use rates......Page 163 Assigning material resources......Page 165 How Your Settings Affect Your Costs......Page 166 Part III Before You Baseline......Page 169 Everything Filters to the Bottom Line......Page 171 Setting predesigned filters......Page 172 Putting AutoFilter to work......Page 173 Creating do‐it‐yourself filters......Page 175 Applying predefined groups......Page 177 Devising your own groups......Page 178 Inspecting tasks......Page 180 Handling task warnings and suggestions......Page 181 It’s about Time......Page 185 Applying contingency reserve......Page 186 Completing a task in less time......Page 188 The Resource Recourse......Page 190 Checking resource availability......Page 191 Deleting or modifying a resource assignment......Page 192 Finding help......Page 193 Leveling resources......Page 194 Rescheduling the Project......Page 197 Looking Good!......Page 199 Formatting taskbars......Page 200 Zeroing in on critical issues......Page 203 Restyling the Gantt chart......Page 204 Formatting Task Boxes......Page 205 Adjusting the Layout......Page 206 Modifying Gridlines......Page 209 Recognizing When a Picture Can Say It All......Page 211 Creating a Custom Text Field......Page 212 All about Baselines......Page 215 Saving a baseline......Page 216 Saving more than one baseline......Page 217 Clearing and resetting a baseline......Page 219 In the Interim......Page 220 Saving an interim plan......Page 221 Clearing and resetting an interim plan......Page 222 Part IV Staying on Track......Page 225 Developing a Communications Management Plan......Page 227 Gathering data......Page 228 Applying a tracking method......Page 229 Using the tracking tools......Page 230 For everything, there’s a view......Page 231 Tracking Work for the Record......Page 232 Specifying the status date......Page 233 Determining the percent complete......Page 234 Knowing what to do when John works three hours and Mary works ten......Page 236 Uh‐oh — we’re in overtime......Page 238 Specifying remaining durations for auto‐scheduled tasks......Page 239 Entering fixed‐cost updates......Page 241 Moving a Task......Page 242 Update Project: Sweeping Changes......Page 243 Tracking Materials......Page 245 Consolidating projects......Page 246 Updating consolidated projects......Page 248 Changing linking settings......Page 249 Chapter 16 Project Views: Observing Progress......Page 251 Baseline versus actual progress......Page 252 Lines of progress......Page 253 Delving into the Detail......Page 256 Tracking Progress Using Earned Value Management......Page 258 Calculating Behind the Scenes......Page 260 Earned‐value options......Page 261 An abundance of critical paths......Page 262 Using Project with Risk and Issue Logs......Page 265 Printing interim plans and baselines......Page 266 Printing task notes......Page 267 What‐If Scenarios......Page 268 Sorting tasks......Page 269 Filtering......Page 270 Examining the critical path......Page 271 Determining which factors are driving the timing of a task......Page 273 Hurrying up and making modifications......Page 274 Throwing people at the problem......Page 275 Shifting dependencies and task timing......Page 276 Taking the time you need......Page 278 Finding ways to cut corners......Page 279 Chapter 18 Spreading the News: Reporting......Page 281 What’s available......Page 282 Overviewing the dashboard reports......Page 283 Creating New Reports......Page 284 Gaining a new perspective on data with visual reports......Page 285 Creating a visual report......Page 286 Dragging, dropping, and sizing......Page 287 Looking good!......Page 288 Spiffing Things Up......Page 290 Call the Printer!......Page 292 Working with Page Setup......Page 293 Getting a preview......Page 297 Printing, at last!......Page 298 Adding tasks to the Timeline......Page 299 Customizing the Timeline......Page 301 Enhanced Copy and Paste......Page 302 Reviewing the Project......Page 303 Learning from your mistakes......Page 304 Debriefing the team......Page 305 Comparing Versions of a Project......Page 306 Creating a template......Page 308 Mastering the Organizer......Page 310 Part V The Part of Tens......Page 313 Roll with It......Page 315 Put Your Ducks in a Row......Page 316 Don’t Put Off until Tomorrow . . .......Page 317 Delegate, Delegate, Delegate......Page 318 Keep the Team in the Loop......Page 319 Maintain a Flexible Strategy......Page 320 Learn from Your Mistakes......Page 321 Task Information......Page 323 Frequently Used Functions......Page 324 Subtasks......Page 325 Hours to Years......Page 326 Quick Find......Page 327 Appendix Glossary......Page 329 Index......Page 339 EULA......Page 363

The easy way to take control of project timelines, resources, budgets, and details

Project manager, meet your new assistant! Once you discover Project 2016 you'll be amazed at how efficient and effective the project management process can be. Written by an expert author who knows project management processes backward and forward, this friendly, hands-on guide shows you how to get started, enter tasks and estimate durations, work with resources and costs, fine-tune your schedule, set baselines, collect data, analyze progress, and keep your projects on track.

How many times have you heard people in the office mutter under their breath, 'These projects never run on time?' Well, now they can! Project 2016 For Dummies shows you how to use the latest version of Microsoft Project to create realistic project timelines, make the most of available resources, keep on top of all those pesky details, and, finally, complete your project on time and on budget. Easy!

• Fully updated to reflect the latest software changes in Microsoft Project 2016
• All-new case studies and examples highlight the relevance of key features of Microsoft Project 2016
• Exposes the correlation between what project managers do and how Microsoft Project 2016 supports their work
• Covers working with calendars, using and sharing resources, budgeting, gathering and tracking data, and more

If you're a time-pressured project manager looking to make your life—and your projects—easier, Project 2016 For Dummies shows you how to get things done!

The easy way to take control of project timelines, resources, budgets, and details Project manager, meet your new assistant! Once you discover Project 2016 you'll be amazed at how efficient and effective the project management process can be. Written by an expert author who knows project management processes backward and forward, this friendly, hands-on guide shows you how to get started, enter tasks and estimate durations, work with resources and costs, fine-tune your schedule, set baselines, collect data, analyze progress, and keep your projects on track. How many times have you heard people in the office mutter under their breath, 'These projects never run on time?' Well, now they can! Project 2016 For Dummies shows you how to use the latest version of Microsoft Project to create realistic project timelines, make the most of available resources, keep on top of all those pesky details, and, finally, complete your project on time and on budget. Easy! Fully updated to reflect the latest software changes in Microsoft Project 2016 All-new case studies and examples highlight the relevance of key features of Microsoft Project 2016 Exposes the correlation between what project managers do and how Microsoft Project 2016 supports their work Covers working with calendars, using and sharing resources, budgeting, gathering and tracking data, and more If you're a time-pressured project manager looking to make your life—and your projects—easier, Project 2016 For Dummies shows you how to get things done! Getting Started with Project 2016. Project management, Project 2016, and you ; Starting the project ; Becoming a task master ; The codependent nature of tasks ; Estimating task time ; Check out this view! Managing Resources. Creating resources ; Working with calendars ; Assigning resources ; Determining a project's cost Before You Baseline. Fine-tuning your plan ; Negotiating project constraints ; Making the project look good ; It all begins with a baseline Staying on Track. On the right track ; Project views: observing progress ; You're behind, now what? ; Spreading the news: reporting ; Getting better all the time The Part of Tens. Ten golden rules of project management ; Ten cool shortcuts in Project 2016. "Take control of your projects with the project manager's top assistant, Microsoft Project 2016. Whether you're managing your first project or juggling several large and complex projects, Project 2016 is like an assistant that works 24/7. This guide walks you through the basic functions of the software, helping you use it to create realistic functions of the software, helping you use it to create realistic timelines, maximize resources, budget, collect and track data, and successfully complete your project,"--page [4] of cover. "Take control of your projects with the project manager's top assistant, Microsoft Project 2016. Whether you're managing your first project or juggling several large and complex projects, Project 2016 is like an assistant that works 24/7. This guide walks you through the basic functions of the software, helping you use it to create realistic functions of the software, helping you use it to create realistic timelines, maximize resources, budget, collect and track data, and successfully complete your project, "--Page 4 of cover