Microsoft Project is a powerful, flexible project management tool that can be used to control simple or complex projects. It assists with the scheduling and tracking of all project activities so that the project manager and team members can stay on top of their progress. It is a tool that enables the progress of a project to be viewed as either a Gantt or PERT chart. These two elements are tools that can be used to manage projects.
Getting Started
At the start of Microsoft Project the following screen will appear:
Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation
During the project-planning phase, which will span a significant length of time or involve many people, it is important to define the objectives, assumptions, and constraints of the project. The planning phase is also the time to prepare a scope management plan for handling changes to the project's goals. After initial planning, you can start your project file, enter your preliminary project data, and attach your planning documents to the file.
CREATING A NEW SCHEDULE
The first step in creating a new schedule is opening a new file and designating a project start date or finish date, as well as other general project information. If you do not enter a start date or finish date, Microsoft Project automatically uses the current date as the start date.
EXAMPLE: Project Tracking Database
* Enter system name under task name * Enter the following phases under the task name; Initiating Tasks, Planning Tasks, Executing Tasks and Closing Tasks * Highlight the tasks and indent
Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation
Save the file as dbscope.mpp, selecting the without a baseline option.
Row No | Task | Duration | Predecessor | 1 | Start Project | 0 days | | 2 | Initiating Tasks | | 1 | 3 | Initial meeting with project sponsors | 1 day | | 4 |