Initialize a Project
- Create a project using template, existing template, task list, or Excel workbook.
- Create and maintain calendars.
- Apply calendars to project, task and resource levels.
- Create custom fields using basic formulas, graphical indicator criteria, lookup tables, and task and resource custom fields.
- Customize option settings, set default task types, manual versus auto-scheduling, project options, calendar options, customized ribbon, and quick access toolbar.
Create a Task-based Schedule
- Defining project start date, apply calendars and current date, enter project properties, and display the project summary task on a new project
- Create and modify a project task structure, summary tasks and subtasks, create milestones, create manually scheduled tasks, outline, set tasks as active or inactive
- Set date constraints, deadlines, dependencies, links, duration equations, effort-driven tasks, and formulas and choose a task type
- Create a user-controlled schedule and set or change the task mode and use estimated durations and user-controlled summary tasks
- Manage multiple projects that share the same resource pool. Create links between projects and resolve conflicts.
- Work with master projects and sub-projects and summarize data in master projects
Manage Resources and Assignments
- Edit resource information
- Assign multiple resources to tasks and edit assignments.
- Manage resource allocation and view task resource usage, availability
- across multiple projects.
- Manage unassigned tasks using Team Planner
- Manage Model project costs and apply a resource rate table
Track & Analyze a Project
- Use multiple baselines to baseline an entire project and selected tasks.
- Update actual progress percentage
- Use actual work and usage views to reschedule uncompleted work and cancel an unneeded task
- Compare progress against a baseline.
- Learn how to show variance of the current plan against baseline (tracking Gantt)
- Resolve potential schedule problems by using Task Inspector and Task Path
- View the critical path in single or master projects.
Communicate Project Information
- Import and Export data from and to Excel, attach documents or link hyperlinks to supporting information.
- Create and generate visual reports in Excel and export a timeline view to email
- Configure and display reports and dashboards to report progress status
- Customize dashboards and reports
Fine-tune Task Schedule
- View task relation by using task path
- Adjust task link relationships
- Control task scheduling by using constraints
- Interrupt work on a task
- Adjust working time for individual task
- Control task scheduling by using types
- View task schedule details by using the task inspector
Fine-tune Task Details
- Enter deadline dates
- Enter fixed costs
- Create a recurring task
- View the plan’s critical path
- Schedule summary tasks manually
Fine-tune Resource & Assignment Details
- Change resource availability over multiple date ranges
- Work with multiple resource pay rate
- Change resource pay rate over different ranges
- Delay the start of assignments
- View resource capacity
- Adjust assignment in team planner
Fine-tune the Project Plan
- Examine resource allocation over time
- Resolve resource overallocations manually
- Level overallocated resources
- Check the plan’s cost finish date
- Inactive tasks
Organize Plan Details
- Sort plan details
- Group plan details
- Filter plan Details
- Create new tables
- Create new views
Track Progress Detailed Techniques
- Update a baseline
- Track actual and remaining work for tasks and assignment
- Track time phased actual work for tasks and assignment
- Reschedule incomplete work
View and Report Project Status
- Examine a plan’s variance
- Identify tasks that have slipped
- Examine task costs
- Examine resource costs
Format Reports: in-depth Techniques
- Create a custom report
- Customize charts in a report
- Customize tables in a report
