Microsoft: Project 2013 Plain & Simple

Book description

Get the full-color, visual guide that makes learning Microsoft Project 2013 plain and simple! Follow the book’s easy steps and screenshots and clear, concise language to learn the simplest ways to effectively manage all your projects.

Here’s WHAT you’ll learn:

  • Develop a project plan and schedule resources

  • Pull together your team and plan their assignments

  • Understand dependencies and mitigate risks

  • Stay on top of progress, delays, and costs

  • Make adjustments and updates quickly

  • Communicate with clear, customized reports

  • Here’s HOW you’ll learn it:

  • Jump in wherever you need answers

  • Follow easy STEPS and SCREENSHOTS to see exactly what to do

  • Get handy TIPS for new techniques and shortcuts

  • Use TRY THIS! exercises to apply what you learn right away

  • Table of contents

    1. Dedication
    2. Acknowledgments
    3. 1. About this book
      1. No computerese!
      2. A quick overview
      3. A few assumptions
      4. What’s new in Project 2013?
      5. Using a touch-enabled system
      6. A final few words
    4. 2. Getting started with Project 2013
      1. Understanding Project terminology
      2. Understanding how tasks and resources relate to each other
      3. Navigating Microsoft Project
      4. Understanding the Backstage view
        1. Access the Backstage view
      5. Adding commands to the ribbon
        1. Add a command
      6. Collapsing and pinning the ribbon
        1. Collapse and pin the ribbon
      7. Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar
        1. Add a command to the Quick Access Toolbar
        2. Move the position of the Quick Access Toolbar
      8. Understanding views, tables, filters, and groups
      9. Selecting a different view
        1. Select a different view
      10. Displaying the View Bar
        1. Display the View Bar and choose another view
        2. Hide the View Bar
      11. Displaying a different table
        1. Display a different table
      12. Selecting a different filter
        1. Select the Incomplete Tasks filter
      13. Selecting a different group
        1. Select a different group
      14. Working with and inserting columns in a table
        1. Inserting a column
      15. Hiding a column
        1. Hide a column
      16. Moving a column
        1. Move a column
      17. Resizing a column
        1. Resize a column
      18. Saving a modified view
        1. Save a modified view
      19. Displaying the Project Summary Task
        1. Display the Project Summary Task
    5. 3. Getting the Project basics right
      1. Assigning a different calendar as the Project Calendar
        1. Assign a different calendar as the Project Calendar
      2. Setting the calendar’s working week
        1. Set the calendar’s working week
      3. Defining public and organizational holidays
        1. Define public and organizational holidays
      4. Defining the calendar options
        1. Define the calendar options for the project
      5. Entering the project start date
        1. Enter the start date
      6. Setting the project properties and basic options
        1. Set the project properties
      7. Setting the project currency
        1. Set the project currency
      8. Changing the default view and date format
        1. Change the default view and date format
      9. Saving the project to a local drive
        1. Save to a local drive
      10. Saving the project to SkyDrive
        1. Save to SkyDrive
      11. Saving the project to Project Server 2013 or Project Online
        1. Save to Project Server or Project Online
      12. Saving and synchronizing the project to SharePoint 2013
        1. Save and synchronize with a SharePoint task list
    6. 4. Creating and modifying tasks
      1. Understanding and setting the schedule mode
        1. Manually scheduled tasks
        2. Auto scheduled tasks
        3. Define the default schedule mode for a project
        4. Toggle the task mode for an individual task
      2. Entering tasks
        1. Enter a detail task
        2. Enter a milestone task
        3. Enter a summary task
      3. Indenting tasks
        1. Indent a task
      4. Outdenting tasks
        1. Outdent a task
      5. Inserting new tasks into the schedule
        1. Insert a task
      6. Moving tasks around the schedule
        1. Move a single task
      7. Moving summary tasks around the schedule
        1. Move a summary task
      8. Deleting tasks
        1. Delete a task
    7. 5. Setting estimates
      1. Entering duration estimates for detail tasks
        1. Enter duration estimates
        2. Enter elapsed duration estimates
      2. Entering duration estimates for summary tasks
        1. Enter a duration estimate for a summary task
      3. Entering work estimates
        1. Enter the work estimates
      4. Marking tasks that need an estimation review
        1. Mark a task with an estimated duration
    8. 6. Linking the tasks
      1. Linking dependent tasks
        1. Link dependent tasks
      2. Changing the dependency type
        1. Change a dependency type using the Predecessor column
      3. Unlinking tasks
        1. Unlink a task using the Task Dependency dialog box
      4. Adding a lag or lead time to a dependency
        1. Add a lag time by using the Task Information dialog box
      5. Displaying task paths
        1. Display the task path for both predecessors and successors
    9. 7. Assigning and managing resources
      1. Creating work resources quickly in the Gantt Chart view
        1. Create work resources quickly using the Gantt Chart view
      2. Creating resources using the Resource Sheet
        1. Create a resource using the Resource Sheet
      3. Modifying resources
        1. Modify a resource using the Resource Information dialog box
      4. Changing the maximum units for a resource
        1. Change the Max Units for a resource
      5. Changing a resource’s working day
        1. Change a resource’s working day
      6. Entering resource holidays
        1. Enter a resource’s holidays
      7. Assigning a single work resource to a task
        1. Assign a single work resource to a task
      8. Assigning multiple work resources to a task
        1. Assign multiple work resources to a task
      9. Adjusting the work, duration, and assignment units for a task
        1. Adjust the work, duration, and assignment units for a task
      10. Assigning material resources to a task
        1. Assign a material resource to a task
      11. Assigning cost resources to a task
        1. Assign a cost resource to a task
      12. Resolving overallocated resources using the Task Inspector
        1. Resolve overallocated resources using the Task Inspector
      13. Resolving overallocated resources using the Team Planner
        1. Resolve overallocations using the Team Planner
      14. Deleting resources
        1. Delete a resource
    10. 8. Adding external dependencies and deadlines
      1. Adding a deadline to a task
        1. Add a deadline to a task using the deadline column
      2. Changing a start or finish date for manually scheduled tasks
        1. Change the start or finish date for a manually scheduled task
      3. Adding external dependencies for auto scheduled tasks
        1. Add an external dependency for an auto scheduled task
      4. Adding a specific calendar to a task
        1. Create a new calendar and add a calendar to a task
      5. Planning for tasks that might not happen!
        1. Making a task inactive or active
    11. 9. Communicating the plan
      1. Formatting the table area
        1. Format a selection of cells
        2. Format all milestone tasks
      2. Formatting individual bars or a selection of bars
        1. Select and change the format of multiple bars
      3. Formatting all the bars at once
        1. Change the color scheme for all of the Gantt chart
        2. Change the bar styles on the Gantt chart
      4. Viewing the Task Path
        1. Display the Task Path
      5. Displaying the critical path
        1. Display the critical path in the Gantt chart
        2. Display only the tasks on the critical path
      6. Showing and hiding dependency links
        1. Toggle the dependency links on and off
      7. Viewing and printing the Project Overview report
        1. View and print the project overview report
      8. Viewing and copying burndown reports
        1. View and copy the burndown chart
      9. Printing the project schedule
        1. Print a milestone report
      10. Using Visual Reports
        1. Create a Visual Report in Excel
      11. Using the Timeline view
        1. Add a task to the Timeline view
      12. Formatting the Timeline view
        1. Format the Timeline view
      13. Copying the Timeline view to other applications
        1. Copy the Timeline view to PowerPoint
      14. Printing the Timeline view
        1. Print the Timeline view
      15. Sharing the plan using SharePoint
        1. Save a plan to SharePoint
      16. Synchronizing with a SharePoint task list
        1. Synchronize with a SharePoint task list
      17. Emailing the project schedule
        1. Email the project schedule
    12. 10. Updating and replanning
      1. Setting a baseline
        1. Set a baseline for the entire schedule
      2. Clearing a baseline
        1. Clear a baseline
      3. Updating an existing baseline
        1. Update the baseline
      4. Rescheduling the entire plan to start on a new date
        1. Move all the tasks on the plan to a new start date
      5. Updating %Complete for individual tasks
        1. Update individual tasks
      6. Updating %Work Complete for specific tasks
        1. Update individual tasks
      7. Setting and displaying the Status Date
        1. Set and display the Status Date
      8. Updating %Complete for the entire project at once
        1. Update the entire project at once
      9. Updating tasks with Actual Start, Actual Duration, and Remaining Duration
        1. Update a task with Actual Start, Actual Duration, and Remaining Duration
      10. Updating tasks with actual work done per period and remaining work
        1. Update a task with actual work per time period and remaining work
      11. Rescheduling uncompleted work to a future date
        1. Reschedule uncompleted work to a future date
      12. Moving tasks forward or backward in the schedule
        1. Move a task
      13. Amending remaining duration and work estimates
        1. Extend the duration by dragging the Gantt Bar
        2. Amend the remaining work in the work table
    13. 11. Closing the project
      1. Setting any remaining duration or work to zero
        1. Set remaining duration to zero for incomplete tasks
      2. Setting milestones to 100% complete
        1. Set a milestone to 100% complete
      3. Inactivating unnecessary tasks
        1. Inactivate a task
      4. Comparing the final schedule to the baseline
        1. Compare the schedule to the baseline
      5. Comparing different project versions
        1. Compare two projects
      6. Saving a plan as a template
        1. Save a template
    14. A. About the Author
    15. Index
    16. About the Author
    17. Copyright

    Product information

    • Title: Microsoft: Project 2013 Plain & Simple
    • Author(s): Ben Howard
    • Release date: May 2013
    • Publisher(s): Microsoft Press
    • ISBN: 9780735672888