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Microsoft Project Tutorial – Key Features That You Must Understand 

 January 11, 2017

By  Dave Litten

Microsoft Project Tutorial

If you have viewed the YouTube “Learn Microsoft Project 2010 In 16 Minutes Flat!” video, you will already know that the basics of this very flexible and easy-to-use project management planning tool can be easily learned:

But I wanted to give a you a more comprehensive list of the key topic areas that are needed for immediate application in your current projects, so here are these areas:

Microsoft Project 2010 Tutorial

Getting acquainted with Microsoft project 2010 Tutorial 

  • Project 2010 Views
  • Project information dialog box
  • The statistics button
  • File, ribbon, timeline, sheet, chart Area, Gantt bars and timescale
  • Saving a project
  • Getting help

Microsoft project 2010 interface

  • Using the ribbon
  • The backstage view
  • Changing views
  • Panes, sheets, and charts
  • Go To feature
  • The Gantt chart view
  • The resource sheet
  • Team planner view
  • Network diagram view
  • Calendar view
  • View panes
  • Zooming in and out

Using the calendar

  • Base calendar
  • Project calendar
  • Resource calendar
  • Task calendar
  • Calendar options
  • Working time exceptions
  • Modifying task calendars
  • Modifying resource calendars
  • Customizing and sharing calendars

Creating activities or tasks

  • Manual and automatic scheduling
  • Creating a task
  • Task information dialog box
  • Task duration and milestones
  • Fixed duration tasks
  • Fixed units tasks
  • Fixed work tasks
  • Recurring tasks
  • Splitting tasks
  • Effort-driven tasks
  • Setting task constraints and deadlines
  • Task notes

The outline structure

  • Summary tasks, stages and phases
  • The work breakdown structure code
  • Out-denting and Indenting methods
  • Collapsing and expanding tasks

Task scheduling

  • Task dependency types
  • Lead and lag time
  • Building dependency relationships
  • External dependencies
  • The network diagram view

Optimizing resources

  • Work resources
  • Material resources
  • Cost resources
  • Using generic resources
  • Resource pools
  • The resource graph view

Accruing costs

  • Fixed costs
  • Resource rates
  • Unit rates
  • Overtime rates
  • Setting availability
  • Resource availability periods
  • Setting a budget resource

Assigning resources

  • Resources verses timing
  • Past type and calendar impacts
  • Finding the right resource
  • Assigning resources
  • Using contours

Fine tuning your plan

  • Using filters and auto filters
  • The task inspector pane
  • Task mornings and suggestions
  • Highlighting changes
  • Using task slack
  • Reducing project costs
  • Checking resource availability
  • Modifying resource assignments
  • Resource leveling

Using the baseline

  • The tracking Gantt view
  • Saving a baseline
  • Multiple baselines
  • Saving an interim plan

Tracking your progress

  • Task total method
  • Task time phased method
  • Assignment total method
  • Assignments time phased method
  • Using the tracking tools of the task tab
  • The update project tool (and on p 269/270)
  • The move task tool
  • The add progress line tool
  • Using the task sheet and task usage views
  • Using the status date tool
  • Using percentage complete
  • Using the update tasks box
  • Using the task usage view
  • Using the overtime work field
  • Specifying ‘remaining durations’ for auto scheduled tasks
  • Entering fixed cost updates
  • Moving a task
  • Tracking materials usage

Analyzing progress

  • Indicator icons
  • Lines of progress
  • Comparing baseline against actual
  • Using earned value

Taking corrective actions

  • Using baseline information
  • Sorting data
  • Using filters
  • Examining the critical path
  • Resource leveling
  • The task inspector feature
  • Changing resource assignments
  • Changing task scope
  • Changing dependencies and task timing
  • Changing resource costs

Using the project reports

  • Using the overview reports
  • Using report styles
  • Cross-tab reports
  • Customizing reports
  • Visual reports
  • Using graphics
  • Formatting reports
  • Printing reports

Want to know, understand, and apply ALL of the above

Dave Litten


Dave spent 25+ years as a senior project manager for UK and USA multinationals and has deep experience in project management. He now develops a wide range of Project Management Masterclasses, under the Projex Academy brand name. In addition, David runs project management training seminars across the world, and is a prolific writer on the many topics of project management.

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