PMF Management Solutions

Transcription

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2 PMF Management Solutions PTY LTD The Copyright Act 1968 of Australia allows for a maximum of one chapter or 10% of this book, whichever is greater, to be copied in any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. For details of the CAL licence for educational institutions contact: Copyright Agency Limited, vie telephone on (02) , or info@copyright.com.au All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, recorded, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher PMF Management Solutions PO Box3494 Loganholme, 4129 Qld ISBN PMF Management Solutions has undertaken self-publishing of this work to ensure all intellectual property rights are maintained by PMF Management Solutions. Every effort has been made to trace and acknowledge copyright. However, should any infringement have occurred, the publisher tender their apologies and invite copyright to contact the publisher. I

3 About this Training Guide: This training guide is neither comprehensive nor an all-inclusive guide to the use of Microsoft Project 2013 (MP2013). Rather, it is a step-by-step beginner s guide to MP 2013 developed to assist new users plan, monitor and control project schedules and budgets. This guide will provide a suitable platform for users to undergo further training at a time when they feel confident. Users of this guide would benefit from having a basic understanding of the practice of Project Management, and competency using other programs within the Microsoft Office suite; however, this is not essential. Although this guide has used a Civil Engineering project as the basis for developing a project schedule and budget, any project (Construction, Business, Information Technology or Events Management) would be developed in a similar fashion. Additional project management training resources are available at the PMF Management Solutions website: II

4 About the Author: Rod Watton is a professional project management practitioner who has extensive theoretical knowledge and practical experience within the field. He holds a Masters of Project Management, Masters of Learning and Development and is a Certified PRINCE2 Practitioner. As a university lecturer, tutor, and vocational trainer, he has found it necessary to develop this practical step-by-step MP 2013 training tool. Utilising his experience in project management and MP 2013, he has developed this guide to assist those with limited or no experience in the use of this program. He aims to assist project personnel understand how to plan, develop, monitor and control a project schedule and budget via this software program. Editor: This training guide was edited by Jessica Noye, who is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in English Literature, at the University of Queensland and will graduate in June Edited Work: Microsoft Project 2013 Step By Step Microsoft Project 2010 Step By Step Microsoft Project 2007 Step By Step III

5 Contents 1. Using Microsoft Project Moving about a Sheet Moving between Sheets Task Entry Split Screen Starting a New Project Project Templates Blank Projects Setting Project Summary Information Setting Project Static Date Setting Day and Week Setting of Routine Work and Non-Work Days Setting of Irregular Non-Work Days Creating a Calendar Setting Calendar (Fiscal / Non-Fiscal Year) Creating Tasks and Activities Entering Tasks Creating Summary Tasks Working with Summary Tasks Deleting Summary Tasks Setting Task and Activity Durations Task Duration Options Task Duration Options Entering Milestones Entering Lag Time Entering Lead Time Task Relationships Creating Task Relationships Using the Linking Tool Creating Task Relationships Using the Predecessor Column Using Task Relationships other than Finish to Start Critical Path No Scheduled Slack (Critical Path) Potential Project Slack (Non-Critical Tasks) Adjusting the Schedule using Relationships Resourcing a Project Creating a Resource Pool Resource Sheet Columns Entering Fixed Costs Assigning Calendars to Resources Adjusting Resources Information Resource Assignment Assigning Resources via Task Entry Assigning Resources via Task Information Assigning the same Information in Multiple Tasks Assigning Resources via Project Sheet Increasing Resource Material IV

6 8.6 Resource Levelling Resourcing Effort Project Calculations Task Types Working with Fixed Unit Assignments Working with Fixed Duration Assignments Working with Fixed Work Assignments Working with the Driver Resource Duration Driven vs Effort Driven Project Plan Complete Projects in a Program Setting the Project Baseline Visualisation of Project Baseline Monitoring a Project Setting Up Monitoring in Microsoft Project Responding to Approved Project Amendments Monitoring and Adjusting Work Monitoring and Adjusting Costs Monitoring Usage Monitoring Variance Monitoring Earned Values Controlling a Project Updating % Complete Updating Durations Creating a New Table Updating Resource Usage Manually Adjusting the Project Schedule Reports Visual Reports Visual Reports New Template Options New Reports Dashboard Reports Resource Reports Cost Reports In Progress Reports Getting Started Reports Custom Reports Printing Printing Visual Reports Printing the Gantt Chart V

7 1. Using Microsoft Project 1.1 Moving about a Sheet A Sheet displays your data in columns and rows under a variety of topics. The columns to the left of the Gantt chart actually represent part of a Sheet. As you scroll around and enter or change data you can sometimes get lost in a Task or Resource Sheet, especially if there are quite a number of rows and columns. Here are some helpful keyboard hints to help you re-orientate the project sheet so you can get your bearings. The brackets below represent keys on your keyboard. [Ctrl] + [Home] takes you back to the top left hand corner of the sheet [Ctrl] + [End] takes you to the bottom right hand corner of the sheet [End] takes you to the last column in the current row [Home] takes you to the first column in the current row [Pg Dn] moves the screen down one screen width [Pg Up] moves the screen up one screen width 1.2 Moving between Sheets To make it easier to move between sheets Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013) enables you to set up a View Bar on the left side of the screen. This allows you to view many of the different Work Sheets that are available and to easily switch between these sheets. To establish the view showing available sheets, right click on the white column on the lefthand side of your screen, if you are in the Task tab you will see the words GANTT CHART written in the column, then select View Bar from the bottom of the dropdown box. The following screen shots will demonstrate the process. 1

8 From the title of the current Work Sheet to a visible View Bar, identifying and providing access to an array of Work Sheets. 1.3 Task Entry Split Screen You can split the Gantt Chart Sheet to enable you to also view the Task Entry Sheet and Gantt Chart Sheet simultaneously. In the View tab click on Other Views then select More Views from the dropdown box. From the More Views box (is in alphabetical order) select Task Entry and then click Apply, as shown in the screens below. 2

9 You can adjust the Work Sheet to view more of the Gantt Chart Sheet or the Task Entry Sheet by manoeuvring the Split Bars. The Split Bars are shown in the screen shot below. To remove the split view from your screen, manoeuvre the mouse icon over the join between the two panes (Horizontal Split Bar) and double click the right mouse button to remove the bottom pane or the Task Entry Sheet. 3

10 2. Starting a New Project 2.1 Project Templates Upon opening the Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013) program you will be offered a number of template files to choose. Each template has been pre-populated to assist in preparing your project schedule and budget more efficiently. To select a project template simply click or double click (depending on your computer settings) on the template of your choice. Below is a full list of the options available. Once you have selected your preferred template you will need to adjust the project dates to coincide with your current project s requirements. Changing the project dates can be performed by selecting the Project Information icon from the Project tab. How to adjust the project date is demonstrated in Setting Project Static Date. 2.2 Blank Projects In order to commence a new project without the use of a project template you must click the Blank Project option. Alternately if you would like to select a current project click on Open Other Projects from the left side of the screen as shown below. 4

11 Once you have selected Blank Project the following screen will be displayed. Please note: When using MP 2013 each new Project must be established: Individually, from the details specific to the project; During the Initiation and Planning Phases of the project; and According to the scheduled static commencement or finish date. Initial planning or estimating may begin during the Initiation Phase of a project. However this initial project plan would be further expanded during the Planning Phase of a project. This will ensure a comprehensive Project Management Plan (PMP) has been developed. 2.3 Setting Project Summary Information A project has specific properties that will appear in a variety of places. Some of them are used as headings whilst others may appear in reports that you generate. To set your project Summary Information, click on File then select Info, the following screen will be displayed. 5

12 Click on the Project Information (dropdown box) and select Advanced Properties the following screen will be displayed. Complete the Summary Information requested with the details of your project before clicking OK. To change the project name SAVE the project, and title the file, with the same name as the project plan. You will need to use the Save As function to change the file name. 2.4 Setting Project Static Date To begin the planning process it is essential to know when your project will commence or, in some cases, when it must be completed. This is done by setting the static commencement or completion date for the project. A project will have only one static date (the static date is the date that cannot be moved). This must be identified and set at the beginning of the project planning process. 6

13 Click on the Project tab and then select Project Information the following screen will be displayed. With each project you must identify the static date to commence planning. Your static date choices include: Static-Date Forward A set commencement date for the project that will provide schedule flexibility by delaying the project delivery date. Static-Date Backward A set completion date for the project that only provides schedule flexibility through additional work hours or increased project resources. To select the static date click on Schedule from : then select the Project Start Date or Project Finish Date (Project Start Date for our purpose) as shown in the following screen. 7

14 Now select the start or finish date that you require. You may also select a range of calendars that may best suit your project. This will be discussed further in the next section. If you are using this guide for training purposes, select a static start date for the first Monday in the second week of the next New Year and the Standard Calendar. This will provide you with sufficient time to complete the training without the project commencing. Click OK. 2.5 Setting Day and Week There are a number of assumptions that have been programmed into MP These assumptions are vital for the operation of MP 2013 and are required to help you keep track of your project. The good news is that you may set some of these assumptions, to accommodate the way that you, your organisation operate or to address the specific requirements of your particular project. Unless you specify otherwise MP 2013 uses a default base calendar, known as the Standard Calendar, to schedule the tasks of your project. This calendar assumes: Workdays Monday to Friday; Hours 8:00 am to 12:00 noon, then 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm; and No holidays (this includes public holidays). One of the most critical options that you will need to determine is the definition of a day and a week. MP 2013 calculates everything based on minutes, so you will need to determine your day = 8 hours (Microsoft Project will then calculate 8 hours = 480 minutes). Click on Change Work Time in the Project tab the following screen will be displayed. 8

15 To change the work hours to meet the project s requirements (remember this could be different to your organisation s work hours) click on the Change Working Time information box Options button the following screen will be displayed. Adjust these settings to meet your, your organisation s or your project s work durations or requirements. For our purposes we will use the default settings. When you have completed adjusting your calendar, click OK. Please note: There are a couple of potential issues to be aware of when dealing with the Work Hours that you may have just changed. Be very careful with the default start time and default end time settings. If you change the definition of a day or a week after you have entered the tasks and the task durations into the program, the definition of a day or week in these tasks will not be redefined. I.e. if you changed the 8 hour day to a 10 hour day Microsoft Project will display the task with the duration of 0.8 days. It is important that this information is set prior to the commencement of entering any information into MP Setting of Routine Work and Non-Work Days After setting your work days you can also identify routine non-work days, such as rostered days off (RDO). It is generally the case that the days of work should be based on the days that the resources will be allocated to the project. I.e. if the project is using a 35 hour a week with an RDO for every second Monday, every second Monday should be recorded as a routine non-work day. 9

16 Click on Work Weeks then select Details the following screen will be displayed. Adjust these settings to meet your, your organisation s or project s work requirements. For our purposes we will use the default settings. When you have completed adjusting the project s Standard Calendar, click OK. Please note: Through the selection of Details the number of occurrences can be selected to represent roster days off or reoccurring days off. 2.7 Setting of Irregular Non-Work Days Once the routine non-work days have been established in the calendar you can enter other irregular non-working days. Irregular non-work days are days upon which no work can or will be undertaken. Such as: public holidays, industry downtime or company closures (between Christmas and New Year). For specific one-off non-work days, select the date from the calendar by clicking on the actual day and then selecting the Exceptions tab the following screen will be displayed. 10

17 Type in the name of the day or reason for the exemption (I.e. Show Holiday) press Enter (on the keyboard) and the day will be highlighted as an Exception day this is demonstrated in the screen below. 11

18 Adjust these settings to meet your or your organisation or project work schedule. If you are using this guide for training, enter the 14th of August as a Show Holiday. When you have completed adjusting the project s Standard Calendar, click OK. 2.8 Creating a Calendar Creating a new calendar (which can be used for a specific project or project resource) can be done by selecting the Create New Calendar button and naming the calendar to represent the project or project resource s specific requirements. Click on Change Work Time in the Project tab, then the Create New Calendar button the following screens will be displayed. 2.9 Setting Calendar (Fiscal / Non-Fiscal Year) Unless you specify otherwise, MP 2013 will not use a Financial Year calendar. If the fiscal year runs across two years, 2013/14, (as it does in Australia) MP 2013 can be adjusted to display the fiscal year in the Gantt chart. Click on Change Work Time in the Project tab - the following screen will be displayed. 12

19 Click on Options, the following screen will be displayed. Select the fiscal year beginning month and tick the Use starting year for FY numbering to enable the Gantt chart to display the Australian fiscal year. Click OK. 13

20 3. Creating Tasks and Activities The planning of tasks is critical to the development of a schedule as they are the activities that define the work required to complete your project. If you omit one of these tasks it won t be scheduled, possibly invalidating a major component of your project. Determining the tasks is usually best done collaboratively with all project team members. It can take the form of an ideas generation session (there are several methods such as brainstorming) to work out the steps you need to complete your project. Entering tasks can be undertaken in one of two ways (all tasks, then notation of the summary tasks or notation of the summary tasks then the subordinate tasks): Top down where specific summary tasks are worked out first and then the subordinate activities that are required to complete the summary tasks. Bottom up where all the tasks and activities are identified and then grouped according to the project lifecycle and work requirements. Please note: It is generally easier to determine a Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) outlining each major component of work before determining the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) prior to entering the tasks in the project. Additional tasks may be entered at a later time. 3.1 Entering Tasks Click on Task Name cell (Row 1), as highlighted below. Populate the Task Name field with each task to meet your project needs. This is done by entering the name of the task and pressing Enter (on the keyboard) after each entry. You can also tab through each field until the cursor reappears is in the Task Name field again. 14

21 To enter a new task after your WBS has been completed, simply click on the Task Name that you would like to add an additional task before, a dropdown box will appear, click on Insert Task. You can now enter the new task name as shown on the screen below. Now enter in your project s full list of tasks and activities, or the WBS. If you are using this guide for training purposes, please insert the following information. Exercise: 1 Property Development 2 Initiation Phase 3 Client briefing 4 Analysis of proposal 5 Market analysis 6 Feasibility report 7 - Feasibility study 8 - Viability study 9 Geotechnical report 10 Develop subdivision plans 11 Finance approval 12 Submit plans to Council 13 Council approval 14 Develop Project Charter 15 Project Charter approval 15

22 16 Planning Phase 17 Survey lot 18 Dial before you dig 19 Develop operational plans 20 - Sewage services 21 - Water services 22 - Stormwater services 23 - Electrical services 24 - Telecommunication services 25 Client approval 26 Submit to council 27 Receive Council approval 28 Develop Project Management Plan 29 Project Management Plan Approval 30 Execution Phase 31 Install temp fencing 32 Deliver equipment 33 Demolish house and concrete pool 34 Install utilities 35 - Sewage services 36 - Water services 37 - Stormwater services 38 - Electrical services 39 - Communication services 40 Activate utilities 41 Construct driveway crossover 42 Survey and identify subdivided lots 43 Fence lots 44 Land remediation 45 Site clearance 46 Remove temp fence 47 Council approval of subdivision 48 Handover to client 49 Finalisation Phase 50 Lessons learned exercise 51 Terminate project team 52 Finalise project budget 53 Post project report 54 Communication project completion 55 Achieve project documents 56 Project Close 16

23 3.2 Creating Summary Tasks Summary Tasks are like headings that represent a Phase or Component of your project. However, as the name suggests they also summarise important information. Each summary task will have subordinate tasks know as activities. These subordinate tasks are indented to the right, noting they are subordinate to the summary task. Select the task or tasks that you would like to make subordinate to a summary task (you may highlight more than one task), then click on the Indent icon (Green East facing arrow) in the Task toolbar. The West facing arrow is the Outdent icon. Indenting subordinate activities will result in the summary task becoming bolded. You will note that the summary task now appears in bold and as a black bracket on the Gantt chart. This bar will identify the duration for all activities reporting to the summary task. Summary tasks may also be subordinate activities to other summary tasks. The following screen shot demonstrate the details outlined for setting of summary tasks. Continue this process to identify all your summary tasks within your project. If you are using this guide for training purposes, please insert the following information. Exercise: 1 Property Development 2 Initiation Phase 3 Client briefing 4 Analysis of proposal 5 Market analysis 6 Feasibility report 7 Feasibility study 8 Viability study 9 Geotechnical report 10 Develop subdivision plans 11 Finance approval 12 Submit plans to Council 13 Council approval 17

24 14 Develop Project Charter 15 Project Charter approval 16 Planning Phase 17 Survey lot 18 Dial before you dig 19 Develop operational plans 20 Sewage services 21 Water services 22 Stormwater services 23 Electrical services 24 Telecommunication services 25 Client approval 26 Submit to council 27 Receive Council approval 28 Develop Project Management Plan 29 Project Management Plan Approval 30 Execution Phase 31 Install temp fencing 32 Deliver equipment 33 Demolish house and concrete pool 34 Install utilities 35 Sewage services 36 Water services 37 Stormwater services 38 Electrical services 39 Communication services 40 Activate utilities 41 Construct driveway crossover 42 Survey and identify subdivided lots 43 Fence lots 44 Land remediation 45 Site clearance 46 Remove temp fence 47 Council approval of subdivision 48 Handover to client 49 Finalisation Phase 50 Lessons learned exercise 51 Terminate project team 52 Finalise project budget 53 Post project report 54 Communication project completion 55 Achieve project documents 56 Project Close 18

25 3.3 Working with Summary Tasks Each summary task, when subordinate activities are visible, will have an angled black arrow in a box alongside the name of the task. This allows you to maximise or minimise the content of summary tasks. Once summary tasks have been allocated you can collapse or expand the summary tasks to review the varying levels of project work. This is a good way to limit the view of the phases or components of the project. To view this, undertake the following: Click on the angled arrow to collapse the subordinate activities. Click on the East facing white arrow to expand the subordinate activities. 3.4 Deleting Summary Tasks Once a summary Task has been set it cannot be deleted until you remove the subordinate tasks that report to the summary task. By using the Outdent icon (Green West facing arrow), on the Task toolbar, you can outdent all the subordinate tasks until the summary task is no longer bold and the black or white arrow has disappeared. Then by selecting the task name (previously the summary task) that you would like to delete, use the delete key on the keyboard to delete the task. The task name will be deleted and a symbol will appear in the cell next to the tasks name cell. Using the mouse, right click on the symbol and select the delete entire task radio button as shown in the screen below. 19

26 Please note: Remember to save your work. 20

27 4. Setting Task and Activity Durations Tasks and activities that you have entered into in order to complete your project should take a defined amount of time to complete; this is known as the Task Duration. Although this training guide refers to summary tasks as tasks and subordinate tasks as activities the setting of task durations will note all tasks and activities as tasks. To create your project schedule you will need to: Assign a durations (time period) to each of the tasks; Enter how the tasks are related to or independent from one-another; and Assign the resources (human, plant and material) required to each of the tasks. The duration of each task must be entered to enable Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013) to calculate the project schedule and identify the critical path and non-critical paths. The critical path is made-up of the tasks that will impact the completion date of the project should there be any movement in their commencement, duration or completion. It is recommended that prior to entering your task durations you reset the default manual scheduling to the automatic scheduling setting. Automatic scheduling is more useful during the preparation or planning of the schedule. To reset all tasks to automatic scheduling, highlight all tasks in the WBS. It is often easier to highlight from the bottom to the top of the worksheet. Once highlighted, in the Task tab click on Auto Schedule as shown below. 21

28 4.1 Task Duration Options The MP 2013 default duration for each task is 1 day?, although you can alter the duration of the task to meet your projects timelines. To ensure that you identify your required durations, MP 2013 has placed a question-mark (?) after the 1 day duration to recognise that the duration has not been entered by the user. However, glitches within some Microsoft Project programs may result in no (?) being displayed. You can enter Task Durations in as minutes (m), hours (h), days (d), weeks (w) or months (mo). MP 2013 will internally convert your duration entries into minutes. Subsequently al hourly, days, weekly or monthly units will be costed appropriately. You can also specify an Elapsed Duration period, where the passing of a period of time is important to that task. Elapsed Durations are based on a day being 24 hours. This is effective for tasks that require curing or drying time (such as allowing concrete to set). You may also use lag time for this purpose as will be discussed later. Elapsed duration can be entered in elapsed minutes (em), elapsed hours (eh), elapsed days (ed), elapsed weeks (ew) or elapsed months (emo). Although elapsed durations may be used to provide un-costed delays to the project, this training manual will not consider this option further. Instead this guide will opt to use lag time for this purpose. Lag time will be discussed later in this section of the guide. 22

29 4.2 Task Duration Options To adjust the duration of the task click on the Duration cell of the task for which you want to set a time period. Enter a numeric number to represent the duration and the duration code, as noted above. Durations cannot be entered in Summary Tasks (the bolded tasks). Summary tasks automatically calculate the duration of all their subordinate tasks (activities). Should you enter a duration in a summary task MP 2013 will automatically switch the summary task from Auto Schedule to Manually Schedule. 4.3 Entering Milestones Milestones are achieved events that occur in your project. A milestone is entered like a normal task except that it is assigned a duration period of zero (0). Milestones can be entered when you first create your project or after you have entered your tasks. Once you enter a zero (0) duration a diamond will be displayed on the Gantt chart indicating this task is a milestone. A diamond is the international symbol to identify a milestone within a Gantt chart. 23

30 4.4 Entering Lag Time In a real project, relationships can be more complicated than the four relationships provided in MP In some project we have to wait for a task to dry, cure or set before we can continue with the next task. So that we don t allocate costed time with the waiting period we can use Lag Time. MP 2013 therefore allows you to delay the start of a task, even though there may be a finish-to-start relationship in place. This delay is known as Lag Time. Lag times are represented numerically, as a direct duration value. For example, waiting for concrete to cure may take 2 days. This would be written as 2d in the Lag Field of the task (because this is the task that lags behind its predecessor). Don t forget the time it takes for something to dry, cure or set will include both work and non-work time. Lag time is used to ensure tasks take the required time to be properly completed without incurring any additional costs to the task, and ultimately the project. To enter lag double click on the task beneath the task you want to delay using Lag Time. Click on the Predecessor tab and then enter the lag time you require. Two day lag would be entered as 2d, as shown in the screen below. The Gantt chart will be updated to show that there is a two day delay before the predecessor task will commence and is visible on the Gantt chart by a long thin blue line, as illustrated in the screen below. 24

31 4.5 Entering Lead Time Lead Time is the exact opposite of lag time. That is, instead of delaying the start of the successor task it allows the successor task to commence early. This is generally used if one task can be started before another task is totally finished, though it cannot commence at the same time. This will still be a finish-to-start relationship, though there will be a slight overlap because one task has been commenced prior to the preceding task being completely finished. I.e. the project budget estimation can commence prior to the full project schedule being developed or completed. Lead Time is entered using the same process as lag time though numerically it is the exact opposite of lag time. Lead Times are represented numerically, as a direct duration value. For example, starting the budget may begin 1 day early, while the schedule is being finalised. This is recorded as -1d in the Lag Field of the tasks (lead time is noted as minus lag time). Following the same process as adding lag time, double click on the task beneath the task you want to add Lead Time to, click on the Predecessor tab and then enter the duration of the lead time you require. Four hours lead would be entered as -4h. 25

32 Please enter your project s durations, milestones, lag and lead time. If you are using this guide for training purposes, please insert the following information. Exercise: ID Task Name Durations Project Process 1 Property Development Project 2 Initiation Phase Project Phase 3 Client briefing 1H = (1 Hour) 4 Analysis of proposal 4H = (4 Hours) 5 Market analysis 3D = (3 Days) 6 Feasibility report Summary Task 7 Feasibility study 1W = (1 Week) 8 Viability study 2D = (2 Days) 9 Geotechnical report 1D = (1 Day)1d 10 Develop subdivision plans 2D = (2 Days) 11 Finance approval 1H = (1 Hour) (1W Lag) 12 Submit plans to Council 2H = (2 Hours) (4W Lag) 13 Council approval 1H = (1 Hour) 14 Develop Project Charter 3 W = (3 Weeks) 15 Project Charter approval 0 Duration = (Milestone) Process Milestone 16 Planning Phase Project Phase 17 Survey lot 3D = (3 Days) 18 Dial before you dig 30M = (30 Minutes) 19 Develop operational plans Summary Task 20 Sewage services 1D = (1 Day) 21 Water services 2D = (2 Days) 22 Stormwater services 1D = (1 Day) 23 Electrical services 2D = (2 Days) 24 Telecommunication services 2H = (2 Hours) (2D Lag) 25 Client approval 1H = (1 Hour) 26 Submit to council 2H = (2 Hours) (4W Lag) 27 Receive Council approval 1H = (1 Hour) 28 Develop Project Management Plan 1 Mo = (1 Month) 29 Project Management Plan Approval 0 Duration = (Milestone) Process Milestone 30 Execution Phase Project Phase 31 Install temp fencing 2H =(2 Hours) 32 Deliver equipment 4H =(4 Hours) 33 Demolish house and concrete pool 1W = (1 Week) 34 Install utilities Summary Task 35 Sewage services 1D = (1 Day) 36 Water services 2D = (2 Days) 37 Stormwater services 1D = (1 Day) (4H Lead) 38 Electrical services 1D = (1 Day) 39 Communication services 3D = (3 Days) 40 Activate utilities 1D = (1 Day) 41 Construct driveway crossover 1D = (1 Day) 42 Survey and identify subdivided lots 4H = (4 Hours) 43 Fence lots 3D = (3 Days) 44 Land remediation 4H = (4 Hours) 45 Site clearance 1D = (1 Day) 46 Remove temp fence 4H = (4 Hours) 47 Council approval of subdivision 4H = (4 Hours) 26

33 48 Handover to client 0 Duration = (Milestone) Process Milestone 49 Finalisation Phase Project Phase 50 Lessons learned exercise 4H = (4 Hours) 51 Terminate project team 4H = (4 Hours) 52 Finalise project budget 1H = (1 Hour) 53 Post project report 4H = (4 Hours) 54 Communication project completion 1D = (1 Day) 55 Achieve project documents 2H = (2 Hours) 56 Project Close 0 Duration = (Milestone) Process Milestone Please note: Manual adjustment of dates often confuses the automotive processes in MP If you are using the automatic scheduling option, it is recommended that you hide the default Start and Finish columns during schedule planning process to prevent any manual adjustment of dates. Hide the Start and Finish columns by highlighting both columns, click right mouse button and select Hide Column from the dropdown box, as shown below. Please note: Remember to save your work. 27

34 5. Task Relationships When you first enter tasks into your project they are not linked in anyway. This is evident from the fact that they all start on the same day and appear in the Gantt chart flush along the left-hand side on the project start date line. In most projects the tasks are interdependent and will relate to one-another. Creating task relationships is also known as sequencing the project tasks to create the project schedule. Sequencing the projects tasks allows you to schedule the project activities in the order in which they will most efficiently produce the project s objectives. However, it also provides the project manager with the opportunity to build into the schedule some breathing space, also known as slack or float, to ensure that the project can manage minor delays. Microsoft Project provides you with four task relationships options that can be established between one or more tasks: Finish-to-Start where a task cannot start until its predecessor has been finished; Start-to-Start where both or multiple tasks commence at the same time; Finish-to-Finish where both or multiple tasks must finish at the same time; or Start-to-Finish where the finish of one task is dependent on another task starting. 5.1 Creating Task Relationships Using the Linking Tool There are a number of ways to create relationships between tasks in MP 2013, though one of the easiest is the use of the Link button in the Task toolbar. This will create a default Finishto-Start relationship between the tasks that have been selected on the screen. Using your mouse, select the Task Names, two or more, that you want to link and then click on the Link icon in the Task toolbar. You will now observe on the Gantt chart that the tasks have been linked. This is indicated via a line with an arrow showing the direction of the task relationship, as demonstrated in the screen below. 28

35 5.2 Creating Task Relationships Using the Predecessor Column The quickest and easiest way to create task relationships is by using the predecessor column. If the predecessor column is not presently observable manoeuvre the mouse icon over the line between the entry sheet and the Gantt chart, the icon arrow will change to parallel lines with east and west arrows. Hold the left mouse button down and move the bar to the right until the Predecessor column becomes visible. Enter the task identification number or task identification numbers; you would like this task to precede. The task identification numbers can be found in the very first column of the Gantt Chart Work Sheet, though the column name is not recorded. If you have more than one task, use a comma between each number. To create a task relationship, enter the successor task number or tasks numbers in the row of the task you want it to follow. The entry must be made in the Predecessor Column. Please note: You may not use the task identification numbers of bolded summary tasks. 5.3 Using Task Relationships other than Finish to Start To assign a different relationship, from the default FS relationship, you must add the prefix (SS, FF or SF) after the task relationship number. If you use a SS, FF or SF relationship you must ensure the task bar, as shown in the Gantt chart, is linked at the task at the beginning and the end of the bar. This can be confirmed by observing lines into and out of the bar shown on the Gantt chart. If a line is not visible at the front and end of the bar, it is considered to be an open task. Open tasks will not indicate the task is holding up the project should it be delayed. Start-to-start (SS) relationships are closed by recording all related tasks in the next proceeding task, as demonstrated below. Review the row with the multiple task numbers. 29

36 Finish-to-finish (FF) relationships are closed by recording the number of the first task of the related finish-to-finish tasks with each other finish-to-finish task, as shown below. Start-to-finish (SF) relationships are closed by entering the predecessor and the successor tasks together with SF in the Predecessor Column, as indicated below. Please note: Selecting the correct relationships is critical to developing a project schedule that can be delivered by the project management team. The over use of start-to-start and finish-to-finish 30

37 relationship can create a tight schedule and place undue pressure on the project team. It also provides limited slack should there be minor delays. It is often advisable to use start-to-start and finish-to-finish relationships to assist in crashing your project schedule during the execution phase of a project to make up for lost time or a change in the deadline. Please enter your project s task relationships. If you are using this guide for training purposes, please insert the following information. Exercise: ID Task Name Durations Predecessors 1 Property Development Project Summary 2 Initiation Phase Phase Summary 3 Client briefing Initial Task 4 Analysis of proposal Finish to Start (FS) 3 5 Market analysis Finish to Start (FS) 4 6 Feasibility report Summary Task 7 Feasibility study Finish to Start (FS) 5 8 Viability study Start to Start (SS) 7SS 9 Geotechnical report Finish to Start (FS) 7,8 10 Develop subdivision plans Finish to Start (FS) 9 11 Finance approval Finish to Start (FS) Submit plans to Council Finish to Start (FS) 11FS+1 wk 13 Council approval Finish to Start (FS) 12FS+4 wks 14 Develop Project Charter Finish to Start (FS) Project Charter approval Finish to Start (FS) Planning Phase Phase Summary 17 Survey lot Finish to Start (FS) Dial before you dig Finish to Start (FS) Develop operational plans Summary Task 20 Sewage services Finish to Start (FS) Water services Finish to Finish (FF) 18,20FF 22 Stormwater services Finish to Finish (FF) 18,21FF 23 Electrical services Finish to Finish (FF) 18,22FF 24 Telecommunication services Finish to Finish (FF) 18,23FF 25 Client approval Finish to Start (FS) 24FS+2 days 26 Submit to council Finish to Start (FS) 25SF,24 27 Receive Council approval Finish to Start (FS) 26FS+4 wks 28 Develop Project Management Plan Finish to Start (FS) Project Management Plan Approval Finish to Start (FS) Execution Phase Phase Summary 31 Install temp fencing Finish to Start (FS) Deliver equipment Finish to Start (FS) Demolish house and concrete pool Finish to Start (FS) Install utilities Summary Task 35 Sewage services Finish to Start (FS) Water services Finish to Start (FS) Stormwater services Finish to Start (FS) Electrical services Finish to Start (FS) 37FS-4 hrs 39 Communication services Finish to Start (FS) Activate utilities Finish to Start (FS) 39 31

38 41 Construct driveway crossover Finish to Start (FS) Survey and identify subdivided lots Finish to Start (FS) Fence lots Finish to Start (FS) Land remediation Finish to Start (FS) Site clearance Finish to Start (FS) Remove temp fence Finish to Start (FS) Council approval of subdivision Finish to Start (FS) Handover to client Finish to Start (FS) Finalisation Phase Phase Summary 50 Lessons learned exercise Finish to Start (FS) Terminate project team Finish to Start (FS) Finalise project budget Finish to Start (FS) Post project report Finish to Start (FS) Communication project completion Finish to Start (FS) Achieve project documents Finish to Start (FS) Project Close Finish to Start (FS) 55 Please note: Remember to save your work. 32

39 6. Critical Path Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013), similar to 2010 does not use the Gantt chart wizard (from 2007 and 2003 versions) to display the Critical Path and Non-Critical Tasks. Using the View Bar on the left-hand side of you screen select Tracking Gantt to view the critical and non-critical paths of your project. The critical path is indicated by the red bars in the Tracking Gantt whilst non-critical tasks are identified by blue bars. 6.1 No Scheduled Slack (Critical Path) The critical path comprises of all the tasks that effect the completion date of the project, while the non-critical path comprises of tasks that have some slack before they would impact the project schedule. When a non-critical task uses all the slack time available it will turn to red and appear on the critical path, as illustrated below by task 8. 33

40 The scheduled start and finish dates represent the dates that MP 2013 will use to calculate the forward view of your tasks, and thus the Critical Path. The Critical Path is determined using the longest task of any group of tasks being conducted simultaneously. Please note: It is only tasks with a start-to-start (SS), finish-to-finish (FF) or start-to-finish (SF) relationship that may appear, in Blue, on the Non-Critical Path. It should also be noted that glitches within MP may result in some non-critical task not being displayed in Blue. 6.2 Potential Project Slack (Non-Critical Tasks) Slack is defined in MP 2013 as the amount of time that a task can slip before it affects either a dependent task or the completion of the project. Free slack is the amount of slippage time before one task delays another, while Total Slack is the amount of time a task can stop before affecting the project completion date. As tasks on the critical path include all the tasks that take the longest time (and also the shortest time, confusing but true), before the next task may begin, there is no Slack available in critical path tasks. Conversely, all non-critical tasks consist of some Slack before movement of the duration will impact the critical path. There is not a non-critical path in MP 2013, rather the finish date of the longest task, from a group of related tasks, is used as the point by which MP 2013 may commence its backward view of the associated tasks. Each task in a group or associated tasks (FF or SS) may have different durations. The task with the longest duration will appear on the critical path while the remaining tasks will appear as non-critical tasks. However, if a non-critical task is delayed and the delay increases the tasks duration beyond that of the longest task in the associated tasks this task will now appear on the critical path. The previous critical task will now become a non-critical task, as shown below. 34

41 Please note: Additional slack can be built into your schedule using lag time to delay the commencement of forward tasks. This is advisable for all tasks that present a high risk of delay. I.e. tasks that are completed outdoors have a risk of being delayed due to poor weather conditions. 6.3 Adjusting the Schedule using Relationships As noted previously, Microsoft Project provides the ability for you to set the schedule to auto or manual. This allows greater flexibility to adjust your project schedule. For example if you need to add a new task but you do not have the ability to stretch the schedule you can: (1) set the schedule to manual; (2) insert the new task; (3) make adjustments to surrounding tasks to keep the schedule on track; and (4) reset the schedule back to auto. Please note: If you need to make adjustments to help meet deadlines, this is where you should start. Review your schedule to identify what tasks can be conducted simultaneously, to save time. This is done by re-entering the number in the Predecessors column and adding SS or FF. Alternately, you can consider the use of lead time to commence some tasks earlier than their originally planned start date, but not at the same time as the preceding task (SS). Remember to save your work. 35

42 7. Resourcing a Project Resources are: (1) People; (2) Plant & Equipment; (3) Facilities; and (4) Materials needed to complete each of the tasks of the project. You can enter resources into Microsoft Project on an individual name basis or as a consolidated group. You may also enter resources as individuals or as a team. The method you use is totally up to you and your project. In Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013) there are three resource types that allows you to allocate costs to a task, and therefore ultimately the project: (1) Work people and equipment, which are costed at an hourly rate; (2) Materials supplies and stock items that are consumed during the project, which are calculated as a cost per unit; and (3) Cost which provides no avenue for you to allocate costs in the resource sheet. However, it will allow you to add costs during the allocation to a task. As this options is more complex this training guide will not discuss this option. There is a variety of information that you can enter into the resources sheet of the project. The most important of these is the cost for using the resource. Allocating costs can be done via: (1) entering the resource details at one time and then assign the resources to their tasks; or (2) entering and assigning the resources as you go along the list of tasks. Additionally, MP 2013 also allows you to allocate a fixed cost to any tasks recorded in the WBS without the need to allocate a resource. This guide will outline the purpose of the columns within the resource sheet though it will have a strong focus on (1) Resource Name; (2) Type; (3) Standard Rate; and (4) Accrue. 7.1 Creating a Resource Pool Entering the project s resources into the Resource Sheet, will enable you to allocate the resources to the tasks. Select Resource Sheet from the View Bar column, running down the left-hand side of the screen the following screen will be displayed. 36

43 To enter resources into the Resource Sheet, click in the first cell of the Resource Name column and type the name of your first resource. Press the tab key to move across to the Type column. Type stands for the type of resource as discussed above: (1) Work; (2) Material; and (Cost). Select the resource Type that best suits your costing requirements for the resource. Then tab across to the Standard Rate column and enter the cost per hour or cost per unit, this may require you to enter the max units available in the Max column. Finally tab over to the Accrue column where you can determine if the costs will be accrued at the beginning, throughout or the end of the task. Please note: In the Resource Information dialog box, available by double clicking the Information icon in the Resource tab, the section labelled Resource Availability, contains a field called Units, this is functionally the same as Max. Max was formally known as Max Units in Microsoft Project 2010 (MP 2010). When you set this field, you re setting the Max units. Once you understand the concept of Max units, Resource Availability will be much easier to understand. 7.2 Resource Sheet Columns Max units for the Work resource type are basically the percentage of the resource s full working day, as defined by that resource s Calendar, which can be allocated to tasks on the project. This determines how much the resource is available to work on the project. If the resource s Calendar says the resource can work eight hours a day, five days a week, and their Max units value is 50%, then the resource s actual availability to work is 20 hours a week, four hours a day, one hour every two hours, or 30 minutes per hour. You use Max units to determine if a resource has been over allocated. MP 2013 will see a resource as over allocated if the resource s scheduled tasks at any point make the resource s total units for any given time period greater than its Max units value. Max units may need to be increased (percentage) to equal the number of people working in that Group. I.e. 100% = 1 person / 200% = 2 persons / 450% = 4.5 persons. Max units, for the Material resource type doesn t note the maximum number of units of a particular product or material available for the project. Allocating the number of product or material units is allocated to the project via the Task Information dialog box. This will be covered in section 9.2 of this guide. 37

44 Standard Rate is the regular time rate for a resource. It can be per hour, week, month, or year. For most projects, this is the prime driver of project cost calculations. However, you should note that if you record a cost beyond a per hour basis it will be automatically calculated at an hourly rate when the resource is allocated to a task or tasks. Basic cost calculations for a task happen at the resource assignment level where: Cost = (Regular Work * Standard Rate) + (Overtime Work * Overtime Rate) + Cost per Use. Overtime Rate is the overtime rate for this resource. Remember that MP 2013 will not know when overtime starts. It calculates overtime cost from values you enter in the Overtime Work field. So if you enter 10 hours of work, Project won t see the first eight hours as regular work and the last two as overtime. If you know that the last two hours are overtime, you need to enter eight hours in Regular Work and two hours as Overtime Work. Cost Use, formally known as Per Use Cost in MP 2010 defines a cost associated with the use of a resource. This might be a contract initiation charge, or you might use it for resources that work on a flat fee or per-job basis instead of by the hour. This value gets added to the cost field of every task to which the resource is assigned. The Use in this case it is not used on the project, but on each task. So if a resource with a Cost Use value of $100 is assigned to three tasks, the project will recognise e a Cost Use for this resource in the amount of $300. Cost Accrual relates to how the cost will be accrued by the project. I.e. if a resource is a consultant who is paid at the completion of an assigned task then the cost will only be accrued at the completion of the task. Your options are: Start accrued upon commencing the task. End accrued upon completion of the task. Prorated accrued as the task is completed (Default). Please note: The resource Type of Cost does not allow for the allocation of costs through the resource sheet, though it can be used to assist in the allocation of cost to a task. This may also be achieved by allocated costs through the Fixed Cost column that can be added to the Gantt chart work sheet. Subsequently this guide chooses not to utilise this avenue for allocating costs and therefore will not provide training on this aspect of MP Please populate your project s resource sheet ensuring you enter all resource names, select the correct resource type, note the max units for work and materials and complete the standard rate. If you are using this guide for training purposes, please insert the following information. 38

45 Exercise: Resource Name Type Material Initials Group Max Std. Rate OT Rate Cost/Use Accrue Base Code Project Manager Work PM 100% $75.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Project Officer Work PO 100% $45.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Admin Officer Work AO 100% $40.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Client Work C 100% $0.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Governance Board Work GB 100% $0.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Main Contractor Work MC 100% $200.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Surveyor Work S 100% $50.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Geoscience Tech Work GT 100% $50.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Civil Engineer Work CE 100% $100.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Electrical Engineer Work EE 100% $100.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Labourer Work L 100% $40.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Fencing Contractor Work FC 100% $100.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Excavator Work EX 100% $150.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Excavator Operator Work EO 100% $50.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Plumber Work PL 100% $75.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Electrician Work ELEC 100% $75.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Concrete Team Work CT 100% $200.00/hr $0.00/hr $0.00 Prorated Standard Demo Contractor Material DC $15, $0.00 Prorated Temporary Fencing Material TF $ $50.00 Prorated Fencing Materials Material FM $4, $0.00 Prorated Demo Contractor Material TP $ $0.00 Prorated Fill Material FIL $8, $0.00 Prorated Electrical Supplies Material ESUP $3, $0.00 Prorated Plumbing Supplies Material PSUP $10, $0.00 Prorated Concrete Supplies Material CSUP $1, $0.00 Prorated Concrete Material C $7, $0.00 Prorated Turf Material TUR $2, $0.00 Prorated Landscape Supplies Material LSUP $3, $0.00 Prorated 7.3 Entering Fixed Costs Fixed costs can be allocated to any task via the Gantt Chart Worksheet. Click on the Gantt Chart Worksheet and then move Horizontal Split Bar to the right to expose the Add New Column column, the following screen should be visible. Click on the dropdown menu and select Fixed Costs the following screen will appear. If you type F this will move the menu down to the F category for easier selection, or you could type Fix to bring up all menu items beginning with Fix. 39

46 You may now enter a Fixed Cost for any task within the project. MP 2013 will recalculate the total cost and project budget to include all Fixed Costs combined with the costs that are associated with the resources allocated to each task. Enter task specific Fixed Cost to the necessary project tasks for your project. If you are using this guide for training purposes, please insert the following information. Exercise: Task ID Task Name Duration Predecessors Resource Names Fixed Costs 12 Submit Plans to Council 2 Hrs 11FS+1 wk $6, Submit to Council 2 Hrs 25SF,24 $17, Activate utilities 1 day 39 $3, Assigning Calendars to Resources For MP 2013 to calculate the level of resources required it needs to know how much time a Resource can work on the project. The time commitments of the resources are controlled through the Resource Calendar. Unless you assign a specific calendar to the resources, MP 2013 will allocate to the default Standard Calendar. If you wish to alter a resource from the Standard Calendar, select the resource and alter the Base calendar field in the Resource Worksheet, as demonstrated below. The Standard Calendar has already been set, as such it is not recommended to adjust it during a project. 40

47 7.5 Adjusting Resources Information MP 2013 can alter the Availability Dates of a resource to record when they can and cannot work on the project. This can be useful in the event that a resource will not be available to work on the project for a specific period of time, such as the resource taking annual leave. This Resource Availability information can be entered through the Resource tab in the Resource Information dialog box. In the Resource Sheet view, double click on the resource that you would like to adjust the following screen will be displayed. Select the dates from the dropdown calendar within Available From/To and adjust the resources availability for the project. You may also change the resource working time through the Change Working Time. Click on Change Working Time within the dialog box, and then select Change Working Time the following screen will display. 41

48 You may want to record the reason for a resources change in availability, through the Notes tab in Resource Information dialog box. I.e. the project manager will be on annual leave from 31 March 2014 until 11 April Once you click OK to save the amendment, an icon will appear in the Information cell on the Resource Sheet to indicate there is a note regarding this resource. This Information cell is labelled with the icon. Please note: Remember to save your work. 42

49 8. Resource Assignment Once tasks and resources have been entered into the project (via the Gantt Chart and Resource Sheet respectively) resources can be assigned to a task or many tasks. This can be done through several methods: (1) Task Entry; (2) Task Information; or (3) Gantt Chart Worksheet. It should also be noted that more than one resource can be allocated to any task. 8.1 Assigning Resources via Task Entry Using the split screen option (detailed in section 1.3 of this guide View tab, More Views icon, select Task Entry) obtain the Task Entry worksheet. Click on the Task that you want to allocate resources. Then click in the cell under the Resource Name to reveal the dropdown box. Click on the arrow in the dropdown box to reveal the available Resources for allocation, the resources are in alphabetical order. The following screen will be displayed. Select the resource, one at a time if you are allocating more than one, from the dropdown box and assign the resource to the task. Click OK to allocate the assigned resources. You can then move on to the next task for resource allocation by clicking on Next. 43

50 Not all resources will be required for each task on a full-time basis. As such you will need to only allocate a resource on a part-time basis. This is done by reducing the Units percentage to represent the period of time that the resource is required for the task, as noted above. To reduce the level of Units of a resource, double click on the resource and the Task Information dialog box will appear. Adjust the Unit percentage (%) and click OK, as demonstrated below. 8.2 Assigning Resources via Task Information In the Gantt Chart Worksheet, double click on the task that you want to allocate resources; this will reveal the Task Information box. Select the Resources tab and click in the first cell under Resource Name. From the dropdown box, displaying all project resources in alphabetical order, select a resource that you would like to assign to the task. Allocate the resource and percentage of Units required of the resource. Remember this is done in the Units column. Confirm the allocation of the resource by clicking OK. 44

51 8.3 Assigning the same Information in Multiple Tasks Highlight the multiple tasks that you would like to input the same information. Using the mouse, right click and select Information, and then select the Resource tab. MP 2013 will enter the same information for all highlighted tasks. Allocate your resources and confirm the input of data via clicking OK. 8.4 Assigning Resources via Project Sheet Highlight the task for which you want to allocate resources. Click in the Resource Names column, this will reveal the dropdown box. The resources will appear in alphabetical order. Allocate the resource by ticking the required resources checkbox and then press Enter. Please note: You can enter multiple resources per task by clicking on each of the resources required, which will then display a tick in the checkbox to indicate the resource will be assigned. 45

52 Please allocate the resources to all project tasks. If you are using this guide for training purposes, please insert the following information. Exercise: ID Task Name Resource Names 1 Property Development 2 Initiation Phase 3 Client briefing Project Manager,Client 4 Analysis of proposal Project Manager,Project Officer,Admin Officer [50%] 5 Market analysis Project Manager 6 Feasibility report 7 Feasibility study Project Manager,Admin Officer 8 Viability study Project Manager,Admin Officer 9 Geotechnical report Geoscience Tech 10 Develop subdivision plans Civil Engineer,Electrical Engineer,Surveyor 11 Finance approval Client 12 Submit plans to Council Admin Officer 13 Council approval Admin Officer 14 Develop Project Charter Project Manager,Project Officer 15 Project Charter approval Client,Governance Board 16 Planning Phase 17 Survey lot Surveyor 18 Dial before you dig Project Officer 19 Develop operational plans 20 Sewage services Civil Engineer 21 Water services Civil Engineer 22 Stormwater services Civil Engineer 23 Electrical services Electrical Engineer 24 Telecommunication services Electrical Engineer 25 Client approval Client 26 Submit to council Admin Officer 27 Receive Council approval Admin Officer 28 Develop Project Management Plan Project Manager,Project Officer 29 Project Management Plan Approval Client,Governance Board 30 Execution Phase 31 Install temp fencing Fencing Contractor,Temporary Fencing [1] 32 Deliver equipment Excavator 33 Demolish house and concrete pool Excavator,Excavator Operator,Tip Fees[1],Demo Contractor [1] 34 Install utilities 35 Sewage services Plumber,Plumbing Supplies [1] 36 Water services Plumber 37 Stormwater services Plumber 38 Electrical services Electrical Supplies [1],Electrician 39 Communication services Electrician 40 Activate utilities Electrician,Plumber,Project Manager 41 Construct driveway crossover Concrete [1],Concrete Supplies [1],Concrete Team 42 Survey and identify subdivided lots Surveyor 43 Fence lots Fencing Contractor,Fencing Materials [1] 44 Land remediation Turf [1] 45 Site clearance Tip Fees[1] 46 Remove temp fence 47 Council approval of subdivision Project Manager 46

53 48 Handover to client Client,Governance Board,Project Manager 49 Finalisation Phase 50 Lessons learned exercise Project Manager,Project Officer 51 Terminate project team Project Manager 52 Finalise project budget Project Officer 53 Post project report Project Manager 54 Communication project completion Governance Board,Project Manager 55 Achieve project documents Admin Officer 56 Project Close Governance Board 8.5 Increasing Resource Material Resource materials can be increased from 1 unit to as many as is required by the project. Double click on the task that you want to increase the units of resource material, and then select the resource. Using the arrows increase the number of units to represent the number of units to be assigned. When you click OK MP 2013 will automatically recalculate the new costs to the project and assign these costs accordingly. Repeat these steps as necessary to increase the units of material for the required tasks in your project. 8.6 Resource Levelling Resource levelling will adjust your project schedule to eliminate the over allocation of project human resources, though it is not always possible to level all over allocations. Over allocation occurs when a series of tasks have time allocations where one or more resources are working in more than one area at the same time. This will generally happen when one resource is working at 100% allocation on numerous tasks. Over allocation is indicated by the shape of a red man in the task information box as shown in the following screen. 47

54 Using the Resource tab, select Levelling Option, and choose automatic levelling or select the levelling options of your choice from the following screen. If you chose the auto levelling option you will now observe the red men, in the information box, have disappeared. However, resource levelling may be a bit of a misnomer as the process simply extends the duration of the tasks allocating more time. Please note: Remember to save your work. 48

55 9. Resourcing Effort Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013) performs a number of internal calculations once all the resources have been assigned. These calculations are different depending on the current settings for a task and whether all the task information has been entered. 9.1 Project Calculations MP 2013 calculates three main elements: (1) Work effort to complete the task; (2) Duration time to complete the task; and (3) Units number of resources required to complete the task. MP 2013 will require one element will be fixed while the other two will be variable. As such MP 2013 will take what you have entered into the fixed element and automatically adjust the other two variable elements: Fixed Work Tasks (Work = duration x units). Fixed Duration Tasks (Duration = work / units); or Fixed Unit Tasks (Units = work / duration); Work in MP 2013 is also known as Effort. In MP 2013 the amount of effort expended on a task by a resource is the amount of work that the resource, which is assigned to the task, will perform in order to complete the assigned task. This means that all the effort performed by each resource must be calculated to understand exactly how much effort is required to complete the task. I.e. two resources doing 1 hour of work is equivalent to 2 hours of effort. 9.2 Task Types Microsoft Project s default position is to make alterations to Duration before Work and finally Units. Simply, if the Duration cannot be changed then Microsoft Project will attempt to change Work before finally changing Units. These default calculations can be manipulated by changing the type of the task that you are working on. There are three types of task. Task Type Usage Impact Fixed Units Change the Duration and the Work will be Default setting. It means that Units will adjusted; change the Work and the Duration not be altered by Microsoft Project will be adjusted. Fixed Duration Use this if the duration of the task must Change the Units and Work will be adjusted; remain constant change the Work and Units will be adjusted Fixed Work Change the Duration and the Units will be Used when the work is to remain adjusted; change the Units and the Duration constant. will be adjusted. 49

56 9.3 Working with Fixed Unit Assignments As the default, new tasks created in MP 2013 are classified as a Fixed Unit. This means that once the task is entered, if the Duration is changed then the Work hours will automatically update, or if Work hours change, the Duration will automatically update. To manually override the default settings open up the split view with the Gantt Chart and Task Entry. Double click on the Duration window and retype the desired duration or click on time allocation in the Work cell and retype the desired time allocation. 9.4 Working with Fixed Duration Assignments In any project there are some tasks that need to have their Duration fixed. This means that if the Duration is fixed, the Units and Work become variable. To manually set a fixed Duration, choose Fixed Duration from the Task type dropdown box. Click OK, click on time allocation in the Work cell and retype the desired time allocation, click OK. 50

57 To adjust the Units percentage you need to double click on the Task Name to access Task Information. Then click on Resources and then enter the desired percentage in the Units cell. Click OK to save the amendment. 9.5 Working with Fixed Work Assignments In some project there are tasks that need to have their Work fixed. Fixed Work tasks means the Work is unchangeable and the Units and Duration are both variable. To manually set Fixed Work select it from the Task Type dropdown box, click OK. Click on time allocation in the Duration cell and retype the desired time allocation, click OK. To adjust the Units percentage you need to double click on the Task Name to access Task Information. Then click on Resources and enter the desired percentage in the Units cell. Click OK to save the amendment. 51

58 9.6 Working with the Driver Resource Every task that has resource assignments will have at least one Driver Resource. This Driver Resource is fully occupied throughout the duration of the task. When there is only one resource in the task the amount of work for that resource determines the duration of the task. I.e. if there are two engineers required to complete the civil engineering plan in 8 days, then one engineer would take 16 days. 9.7 Duration Driven vs Effort Driven When a task is Duration Driven the total effort (Work) will remain constant after a change in resource assignment. A task with 8 hour duration for one person will maintain the 8 hour duration with two, three or four resources. If a task is Effort Driven the Total Effort (Work) will be split among the resources if there is a change in resource assignment. A task with 8 hour duration for one person will become 4 hours with two or 2 hours with four resources. 52

59 Please note: You can allocate the same Work Effort to both resources or different Work Effort levels to each of the resources. Remember to save your work. 53

60 10. Project Plan Complete You have now completed the input of data for your project plan and must now set the project baseline so Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013) can support your ability to monitor the actual project performance against the planned project. Monitoring the performance will enable you to take corrective action to bring the project back on track should it begin to deviate Projects in a Program If you are developing the schedule and budget for a program that involves a number of projects with the same work breakdown structure, schedule and budget, MP 2013 will enable you to copy your original project plan and paste multiple copies and you then can adjust the interconnectedness of the projects. Click on the angled black arrow in the Project s Name, the very first cell and this will minimise the project to one row. Move your mouse into the project row cell; so that the mouse icon becomes a black East facing arrow and the cell turn green. To highlight a column, click in the name of the column, the remainder of the column will turn grey. Right click on the mouse, select Copy, click in the empty cell under number 1, right click on the mouse and select paste. A second complete project will now be visible as demonstrated below Setting the Project Baseline Before setting the baseline ensure that you align the commencement of the project with any project approvals. In the event that you need to adjust the project commencement date, select the Move Project icon from the Project tab. Change the start date and click OK. 54

61 Before setting the project s baseline, select the Tracking Gantt from the View Bar on the left side of the screen and then select the Project tab. This will enable you to observe the changes to the Gantt Chart when the baseline is set. From the Project toolbar select the Set Baseline icon, the following screen will be displayed. Ensure the Set Baseline and Entire Project radio button is selected and then click OK. When you view the Tracking Gantt Worksheet you will now observe a series of brown bars under the original Gantt Chart Bars, this shows the baseline. As you adjust the schedule to meet the actual performance of the project, the brown bars will remain in situ to always identify what the original project baseline schedule. The new Baseline Bars are demonstrated in the screen below. 55

62 10.3 Visualisation of Project Baseline If you would like to alter the format of the default appearance of your project s Gantt chart, click on the Format tab. There are several different types of Bar Styles and Colours that may better suit your needs. If you are managing multiple projects, you may choose to alter the appearance of each project so that they don t clash. If you would like to customise your project s Gantt Chart rather than select one of MP 2013 alternate colour schemes, click on the arrow in the bottom right hand corner of the Gantt Chart Style. This option will allow you to alter your Bar Styles. Simply click in the Appearance column on the bar of your choice and select a new style. Please note: Remember to save your work. 56

63 11. Monitoring a Project Now that you have completed and received approval for your project plan it is important to monitor its progress to ensure that you know when to take appropriate corrective action. Corrective action is only taken if the actual performance of the project moves away from the project s planned performance, though some very minor tolerances should be accepted Setting Up Monitoring in Microsoft Project 2013 To begin this process it is essential to set up Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013) accordingly. As we have finished with the planning phase we now need to hide columns that we will not be widely used during the monitoring and controlling phase of the project. Though, hiding the columns does infer we can regain them later using Add New Column. Select the Tracking Gantt from the View Bar on the left-side of the screen. Use your mouse to move Vertical Split Bar to reveal all the columns along the left side of the Gantt Chart. Move your mouse into the column title names cells so that the mouse icon becomes a black downward facing arrow and the cell turn green. To highlight a column, click in the name of the column, the remainder of the column will turn grey. If you want to highlight more than one column, hold down the Shift key and use the East / West keys Highlight the following columns: Duration, Start, Finish, Predecessors, Resource Names and Fixed Cost if not previously hidden. Right click in the highlighted area and select Hide Column. Now you need to input new columns that will enable you to monitor the progress of the project. To do this you will want to monitor both the project s actual schedule and budget against the planned schedule and budget to identify any variances. 57

64 Using the Add New Column column, listed in alphabetical order, add the following columns: Baseline Duration, Actual Duration, Duration Variance, Baseline Cost, Actual Cost and Cost Variation. If you enter the new columns in this order it will simplify the monitoring of project variations. To save this table for future monitoring, click on the View tab, then click on Tables and then select Save Fields as a New Table, then name this table Project Monitoring" before clicking OK. Once you have developed the custom table you may now reset your Entry Table by reversing the process above. If you want to hide the Add New Column column select the Format tab, select column settings dropdown box and then select the Display Add New Column. Through this section you will be able to hide and unhide the Add New Column column. To view project statistic information, use the Project tab click on Project Information, then click on the statistics button on the bottom of the information box, the following screen outlining the projects statistics will be displayed. 58

65 11.2 Responding to Approved Project Amendments Projects must be able to respond to approved changes; as such you may set new baselines by selecting Baseline 1 (2, 3 and so on). It is recommended that you leave the original baseline in place so during a post project review you can analyse how well the project was initially planned. Once an amendment has been formally approved you can set a new baseline by clicking on the Project tab, selecting the Set Baseline icon, clicking on the dropdown box under the Set Baseline radio button and selecting the new baseline. Click OK to save the new baseline. However, remember to adjust your project to resemble the changed plan first Monitoring and Adjusting Work Monitoring the progress of the project is not an automatic process based on the projects planned activities linking to the date of your computer. As such you will need to use the controls systems within the Project tab to manually update the progress of the project. To update your project you must note the work that has been completed and enter any data that is different from the data recorded in MP If the actual data is the same as the planned data you will simply need to enter the percentage (%) of work that has been completed. Click on the Task tab, then highlight the task or tasks that you want to update and then select the percentage (%) complete or Mark on Track icon from the Task tab. You will note the highlighted tasks have now been amended to show the information that you have just entered, as demonstrated below. 59

66 Monitoring and adjusting your project s work outputs on MP 2013 may also be conducted through a Work table. Click on the View tab, then click on Tables and then select Work, the following table will be displayed. If you adjust the Work or Baseline column MP 2013 you will still see these amendments as variances to the Baseline. You should only adjust the Actual, Remaining or the % Work Complete cell of a task. This will allow you to amend the work that has been completed, and the work still to be completed regardless of the originally planned work Monitoring and Adjusting Costs Monitoring and adjusting your project s costs can be conducted through a Cost table. Click on the View tab, then click Tables and then Cost, the following table will be displayed. The cost for any task can be adjusted by changing the Fixed Cost or Actual Cost cell of a task to make the necessary changes in the actual cost of that task. This also works if you enter a minus amount. The Variance cell will note the alteration to the task s cost, as demonstrated in the screen below from the immediate screen above. 60

67 Please note: You may also go back into the Resource Sheet and adjust the hourly rate for a resource or increase in the cost of materials. These changes will also be noted in the variance column in the cost table. Changing the Project Manager s hourly rate from $75 to $100, for the current work that has been completed has resulted in an increased cost to the project of $ One hour of work changing the previous cost of $575 to $600. This is shown by comparing the screen below with the immediate screen above Monitoring Usage Monitoring work outputs can be conducted through the Usage table. Click on the View tab, select Tables from the dropdown box and then select the Usage table, the following table will be displayed. 61

68 The Work cell details the amount of work that is attached to the task. I.e. if two resources are attached to the tasks and the task duration is 8 hours then the Work cell will show there is 16 hours of work for that task. The Duration cell details the duration of the task. I.e. if the Duration cell indicates 8 hours then the task will take 8 hours to complete Monitoring Variance Monitoring the variance will simply monitor details of the project baseline and the actual data entered to determine the level of change. Click on the View tab, select the Table dropdown box and then click the Variance table, the following table will be displayed. It is important to note that the variance table only shows the variances to the finishing duration of a task or section of the project. Understanding the expected variation to the finish date or dates of a task or section of the project will enable you to take corrective action to bring the project back on schedule. Corrective action does not need to be specific to the tasks that are showing a delay in completion. Completing subsequent tasks early will also achieve this goal Monitoring Earned Values Abbreviations to note as part of the Earned Value monitoring process include: PV = Planed Value (Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled) EV = Earned Value (Budgeted Cost of Work Performed) AC = Actual Cost (Actual Cost of Work Performed). CV = Earned Value Cost Variance SV = Earned Value Scheduled Variance EAC = Estimate at Completion BAC = Budgeted at Completion VAC = Variance at Completion 62

69 Earned Value Analysis enables you to review what has been cumulatively earned up to the current date or a status date of the project. Analyse this data as to what should have been earned at the same time, and identify any variance. Click on the View tab; select Tables and then click on More Tables. The following screen will be displayed. Select Earned Value and then click Apply, the screen below will be displayed. You may need to adjust the screen to observe all the data. The Planned Value and Earned Value columns will populate themselves as the tasks are completed and the project is updated. This will enable you to focus on the current tasks of the project that are being completed. The EVA report can only be run once details have been populated in at least one cell in each column. The Earned Value Analysis (EVA) will only be able to analyse the project once all costs have been allocated and the baseline has been set. Please note: Remember to save your work. 63

70 12. Controlling a Project To control a project you need to ensure that Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013) is routinely updated with accurate and timely data. To be able to know when to take corrective action it is essential to monitor the progress of the project and identify when variances in the schedule and budget occur Updating % Complete To update your project you must note the work that has been completed and enter any data that is different from the planned data recorded in MP If the actual data is the same as the planned data you will simply need to enter the percentage (%) of work that has been completed. Click on the Task tab, then highlight the task or tasks that you want to update and then select the pre-set percentage (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% or 100%) complete or Mark on Track icon from the Task tab. Alternately you can update the % Complete for the whole project or a series of selected tasks, using the Update Project icon. Updating the work complete for the whole project saves having to update each individual task, if the project is going to plan. To update the whole project select the Project tab and then click on the Update Project icon, the following screen will be displayed. To update the % Complete for the whole project, to date, simply select a date from the Date dropdown box. Chose to either update task to the % Complete or update task from 0% - 100% complete radio button, then click OK. If some tasks are starting to slip you may need to enter their % Complete individually. To update an individual task, highlight the task that you would like to update, use the Task tab click on the dropdown arrow in the Mark on Track icon and then select Update Tasks, the following screen will be displayed. 64

71 Update the % Complete data box by entering a number that represents the percentage complete or adjusting the arrows to reveal the correct percentage, then click OK Updating Durations To update tasks via Durations you can only update each task individually. Highlight the task that you would like to update, use the Task tab click on Mark on Track dropdown box and then select Update Tasks. The following screen will be displayed. You will need to subtract the Actual Duration, for work that has been completed, from the Duration to determine the Remaining Duration. Though this can be different if the task is slipping, you will then need to enter both figures and calculate the variance. Once this has been determined you can update the Actual Duration data box and the Remaining Duration data box or use the arrows to select the required numbers. Remember to ensure these figures represent the known durations and click OK. 65

72 12.3 Creating a New Table To assist you in collecting the correct data you can create a New Table that will enable you to identify the information you need to enter. This will provide you with a form to send to the project resources to ensure that you collate current data. To create a new table click on View select Tables, then click on More Tables. Ensure the Task radio button is selected and then click New (on the right hand side of the information box), as demonstrated below. The following screen will be displayed. You may now create a table to meet your organisations or project s monitoring requirements. If you are using this guide for training purposes, please insert the following information. Rename the table (from Table 1 to Work Input) and check the Show in menu button. Please enter the following data and then click OK. The dropdown box under Field Name is in alphabetical order. Exercise: Field Name Align Data Width Title Align Title Header Wrapping Text Wrapping ID Center 4 Center Name Left 22 Task Name Center Yes No Actual Start Left 10 Actual Start Center Yes No % Work Complete Left 10 Work Done Center Yes No Remaining Duration Left 10 Duration of Work Remaining Center Yes No Notes Left 40 Comments Center Yes Yes Once you have created the new table it can now be used to collate the data by Microsoft Project. You can now select the Work Input table from the table menu. You may create other specialised tables to meet your project s specific requirements. Just follow the process noted above and be sure to name your table correctly. The Work Input table is demonstrated below. 66

73 12.4 Updating Resource Usage To update the projects Resource Usage, click on the View tab, click on the Resource Usage icon and then select Resource Usage. The following screen will be displayed. You may need to adjust the dated columns to ascertain the required resources. You can now manually update the Resource Usage data. Select the cell that has the work duration you want to amend and update the work hours accordingly. When you update the resources Duration the Work column will automatically be updated. When you check the Work table you will observe the variance column has been automatically updated with the additional or reduced resource work allocation Manually Adjusting the Project Schedule When a finish static date has been assigned to a project it is important to be able to manually adjust the schedule. This will allow the project scheduler to bring the project in on schedule, through the completion of multiple tasks simultaneously or creating additional work hours. A good project scheduler will make allowances in a project schedule that will assist in the manual adjustment of the schedule during the execution phase of the project. To view the 67

74 slack in a project select Tracking Gantt, click on the View tab, then select Tables and then click on Schedule. The following screen will be displayed. In addition to incorporating slack in the schedule, through the use of lag time, you may also make adjustments to the schedule using lead time. Lead time will enable some tasks to commence early though not as early as its predecessor. You may also adjust the schedule tasks to be performed simultaneously or by using start-to-start (SS) or finish-to-finish (FF) relationships that rely on one another to commence of complete in collaboration. These techniques will assist in bringing the schedule back on track with no or limited additional costs to the project. To adjust the schedule via manually scheduling, select the Tracking Gantt view and double click on the task that you would like to adjust. The following screen will be displayed. You may now select Manual Schedule and adjust the start and/or finish dates. This will mean the resource may need to complete this task using non-work hours or an alternate arrangement has been negotiated. 68

75 To observe the change from auto to manual scheduling click on the Tracking Gantt view to observe that the blue bar in the Task Mode column has been replaced with a light blue drawing pin. While in the Gantt Chart view bar in the Gantt chart itself has been changed to the aqua (manual schedule) colour. This is demonstrated in the screen below. Please note: Remember to save your work. 69

76 13. Reports Microsoft Project2013 (MP 2013) provides a new view for your reporting options. The reporting options also include the ability to customise your own reports and run reports to compare projects. The ability to export reports to Excel or Visio remains unchanged through Visual Reports while the pre-set reports now includes icons for: New Report Dashboards Resources Costs In Progress Getting Started Custom Recent 13.1 Visual Reports One of the changes to MP 2013 is the ability to view reporting options in the Visio format. If Visio is not installed on your computer you will only be able to see reports that can be exported into Excel. To view the Visual Reports available click on Visual Reports in the Report tab and the following screen will be displayed. 70

77 Visual Reports are viewed in a Microsoft Excel or Visio. Click on the tab to select the type of report that you would like to run, select the report from the list, select the level of usage data from the dropdown box and click View. When selecting the Baseline Cost Report with week s usage data in the Excel format. The following report will be presented. To select your preferred report format, simply un-tick the Visio tick box and the report will be provided in Excel format. Or, if you would like the report in Visio, simply un-tick the Excel tick box and the report will be provided in the Visio format, assuming that you have the Visio program installed on your computer Visual Reports New Template Options MP 2013 also provides you with the option to develop your own Visual Report templates to run reports more specific to your organisations or project s reporting requirements. From the Visual Reports Create Report screen select New Template and the following screen will be displayed. 71

78 Select the format by clicking the radio button, Choose the data on which you want to report from the dropdown box, then select the desired fields to report on by clicking on the Field Picker box. The following screen will be displayed. The new report template may now be run. To populate the report you will need to select the desired information from the right side of the screen, by ticking the information you desire. This is demonstrated in the screen below New Reports You may choose to run new reports through the New Reports icon. Click on the New Reports icon and the following screen will be displayed. 72

79 Name the report that you would like to run and click OK. Enter Cost Variances and then click OK to display the following screen. This report may also be adjusted by selecting other Fields noted on the right side of the screen. You will now also notice that the toolbar across the top of the screen has moved to provide you with Report Tools Design options, as shown below. Once you have finished with designing your reports simply click on the Report tab to exit the design features Dashboard Reports The new Dashboard reports provide you with the option to quickly access reports on specific options for your project. This includes: Burndown Cost Overview Project Overview Upcoming Tasks Work Overview More Reports Option 73

80 13.5 Resource Reports The Resource reports provide quick access resource reports Cost Reports The Cost reports provide quick access budget data. 74

81 13.7 In Progress Reports The In Progress reports provide access to a range of useful reports for monitoring progress Getting Started Reports The Getting Started reports provide you with the opportunity to analyse your planning of your project through reports such as Best Practice Analyzer. Through this report you can view possible errors such as unassigned work Custom Reports Custom reports provide you with access to your customised reports. Custom reports are those reports that you will generate to meet the specific needs of your organisation or project. If you have used the New report function to generate a new type of report this report or these reports will appear in the Custom report field. To gain access to any of the reports you may click Custom reports and select More Reports. The following screen will be displayed. 75

82 Please note: As the requirements of reports will vary dramatically from organisation to organisation and project to project, the best way to become familiar with the variety of reports is through practical experience. Take the time to practice running the variety of reports available in order to evaluate their purpose. Remember to save your work. 76

83 14. Printing Printing reports in Microsoft Project 2013 (MP 2013) based on the available reports is quite simple. However, should you wish to print the Gantt chart or the Gantt chart with column data this will require some adjustment of the screen prior to printing Printing Visual Reports Visual reports can be printed from the Microsoft Excel or Visio program. Printing the pre-set reports is as simple as selecting File then Print after selecting and running the desired report, as demonstrated below Printing the Gantt Chart Printing the Gantt chart can provide the project personnel with a hardcopy of the project plan. This may be helpful for use in presentations and other communications. There are several reports that you may find very useful for providing information in conjunction with the Gantt chart. This would be included in the columns shown next to the Gantt chart. For example having planned, actual and variance data may be useful for reporting purposes. To view a report that combines the Gantt chart and desired information, select the columns that you require and adjust the screen to show the information you need from the report. Use the Vertical Split Bar to adjust the screen as demonstrated below. Please be aware that the full column needs to be shown on the screen to view it in a printed report. 77

84 Increase or decrease the columns to minimise wasted space, adjust the Gantt chart using the zoom (in/out) to display the maximum level of information in the Gantt chart for the report. You should now view the report via the print preview panel to confirm you are happy with the data shown. The following screen demonstrates how to set up your screen for printing. You will observe that one column, Baseline Cost, is partly showing, this column will not be printed when you select print. When you are ready to print, review how your document will appear using print preview, shown when you click File and then Print. 78

85 You may now want to customise the page prior to printing. Select Page Setup and tick or untick your options. It is recommended to un-tick Print black pages. Available options are shown below. You may also want to remove the legend from the bottom of each page. To do this select the Legend tab from the Page Setup options. Select the None radio button and then click OK. If you would like to minimise the use of sheets when printing you may also want to consider printing to an A3 paper size. This option is available through printing Setting when you select File then Print. If you would like to print A3 on an A4 sheet, initially print to a PDF copy and then print the report in the A4 format. 79

86 Once you are ready to print, simply select print and the document will appear as demonstrated below. Please be advised that the screen shot below has been printed in the A3 format. Please note: Remember to save your work. 80

87