Project Management Course Description:

This course focuses on developing effective project schedules. Proven techniques are applied to each of the following: work breakdown structure creation, realistic estimate development, functional dependency definition, task constraint management, resource assignment, schedule optimization, baseline creation, and variance tracking. Extensive hands-on exercises!

Prerequisite:

Experience working on or leading projects, Experience using Microsoft Project.

Format: 2 days 12.0 PDUs

Objectives:

After completing this course, students will know how to:

• Understand project management terminology
• Create a model of a project using Microsoft Project
• Set up project options and calendars
• Configure the Microsoft Project database to effectively process tasks, estimates, dependencies, constraints, deadlines, resources, and assignments
• Optimize the schedule to meet deadlines and budget restrictions
• Balance resource workloads through the application of advanced resource-driven scheduling techniques
• Create project state reports and custom project views
• Manage baselines and update project actuals
• Crash or fast-track a project schedule

Course Outline:

Lesson 1: Concepts of Project Management

Understand the project context. Apply the PMI® Project Management Body of Knowledge. Recognize the driving forces of a project. Explore the purposes of scheduling. Appreciate the advantages and limitations of project management software.

Lesson 2: Setting Up A Project

Detailed orientation to Microsoft Project, including the database, the user interface, algorithms, options, and configurations. Overview of Project Server 2002, including the details of setting up and using an enterprise resource pool. Microsoft Project Web Access features and functions. Understand and use server-based project management

Lesson 3: Entering Tasks

Create a work breakdown structure (WBS). Manage summary and detail tasks. Determine the appropriate level of WBS detail. Use milestones and deadlines. Advanced task editing techniques

Lesson 4: Entering Estimates

Cost and duration estimating approaches and techniques. Dealing with the problem of incomplete or imperfect information. Editing techniques in Microsoft Project with respect to estimates. How to work with estimated values in Microsoft Project. Differentiating among effort (work), duration, and elapsed duration.

Lesson 5: Entering Dependencies

Understanding the difference between network logic diagrams and the precedence diagramming method (PDM). Special features of Microsoft Project Gantt charts with respect to precedence. Managing the logic of multiple task dependencies. Checking and editing dependencies. Standard and advanced techniques for managing leads and lags. Practical reality checks, formatting tips, and special limitations in Microsoft Project.

Lesson 6: Entering Deadlines and Constraints

Know the difference between a constraint and a deadline. Explore the various types of schedule constraints. Understanding scheduling regimes, and how they influence "hard" and "soft" constraints. Managing the project model in Microsoft Project. Formatting an informative Gantt chart.

Lesson 7: Entering Resources

Differentiate types of resources: labor, facilities, machines, and materials. Database entry and information management of resources. How to represent temporary, part-time, and overtime availability. Resource calendars, and how they interact with standard, base, and task calendars. Resource report creation and formatting

Lesson 8: Entering Assignments

Cleary understand the differences among fixed duration, fixed unit, and fixed work tasks, and when and how to use each. Assign resources to tasks, and effectively control the variables of effort-driven scheduling. Assign part-time resources. Change and update assignments. Organize and report task assignments.

Lesson 9: Optimizing the Schedule

Optimize the project schedule for time using the critical path method. Resolve fragmented critical paths. Understanding the difference between crashing and fast-tracking a schedule, and how to do each. Optimizing for time, cost, and resource availability. Determining the resource critical path. Advanced techniques of tracking actuals, and managing the impact on the project schedule.

Lesson 10: Updating the Schedule

Setting the project baseline in Microsoft Project. Tracking and viewing actual project state. Updating the project schedule at the task level and at the resource level. Understanding total float and free float. Managing task slippage. How to achieve effective project status communication to sponsors, project stakeholders, and executive management.

Lesson 11: Reporting

Working with standard and customized reports