Project Knowledge

Displaying the Critical Path within a Gantt Chart view

Did you know you can quickly display the Critical Path within a Microsoft Project Gantt Chart view?

The Critical Path within a project plan indicates the series of tasks which must be completed on time for a project to finish on schedule.  Each task on the critical path is a Critical Task.  Any delay to the Critical Path would directly result in the delay the overall project's schedule.  

To display the Critical Path - Gantt Chart View

• for Microsoft Project 2003/2007
• for Microsoft Project 2010

 

If you are using Microsoft Project 2003/2007, to display the Critical Path within the Gantt Chart view you can use a quick formatting function called ‘Gantt Chart Wizard’.

1. From the Format menu, select Gantt Chart Wizard (or click on ).

2. Go through the steps, making changes to dialog boxes where necessary, confirmed with the NEXT button.

3. To display the Critical Path on the Gantt Chart:

4. Move to the end of the wizard with .

5. Click  to apply the chosen formatting and then  to leave the wizard.    

Hint & Tip:  For a shortcut menu, Right-Click in the Gantt Chart background area:

 

If you are using Microsoft Project 2010, to quickly display the Critical Path within the Gantt Chart view you can access a check box using the context sensitive ribbon:

1. On the Format tab, in the Bar Styles group, click the Critical Tasks check box.

2. Critical tasks are displayed with red-coloured bars (by default).

Hint & Tip:  Criticality formatting is not applied to summary tasks or milestones.

 

 

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Create and customise your own view components within Microsoft Project

Did you know that you can create and customise your own view components within Microsoft Project? Did you also know that when developing Microsoft Project components there is a very useful function which allows you to copy project components from one project to another.  This function is Organizer.

All project plans can contain a number of view components for many different purposes such as data inputting or for reporting purposes for example.  Within Microsoft Project, a new view component can be created from scratch, edited from an existing view component or a copy taken of an existing view component to create a new view from. 

To create a new view component

• for Microsoft Project 2003/2007
• for Microsoft Project 2010
   

If you are using Microsoft Project 2003/2007, to copy an existing view to create a new view component:

1. From the View menu, select More Views…Displaying the More Views dialog box.

2. The active view component you wish to copy from will be highlighted by default, within the More Views list:

3. Select  to copy the active view component.

4. Within the View Definition dialog box, enter your own view name to create a new view:

5. Select  to confirm.

6. Within the More Views dialog box, the ‘My Gantt Chart View’ will now appear within the view list and has been created as a new view component which is saved by default, within the current plan:

7. Select  to apply the changes and to activate this view within the project plan.

8. Various view customisations can now take place without overwriting the original default view.

 

If you are using Microsoft Project 2010, to copy an existing view to create a new view component:

1. On the View tab, in the Task Views group, select More Views from the Other Views: drop down… Displaying the More Views dialog box.

2. The active view component you wish to copy from will be highlighted by default, within the More Views list:

3. Select  to copy the active view component.

4. Within the View Definition dialog box, enter your own view name to create a new view:

5. Select  to confirm.

6. Within the More Views dialog box, the ‘My Gantt Chart View’ will now appear within the view list and has been created as a new view component which is saved by default, within the current plan:

7. Select   to apply the changes and to activate this view within the project plan.

8. Various view customisations can now take place without overwriting the original default view.

 

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Entering Task Duration Values

Did you know if Microsoft Project supports other task duration values other than inputting task durations in days?  The answer to this question is YES….

Microsoft Project supports task durations to be entered in Days (default), Weeks, Hours, Months and Minutes.  When you are aware of this, a short-cut can be used to specify the required duration units, when entering at the same time the task duration values.  This also allows Microsoft Project users the flexibility of having a complete mix of duration values contained within one project plan, if the project requires it.

Here is an example of five duration unit values supported within Microsoft Project 2010:

Where are these supported default duration units stored within Microsoft Project?
If you are using Microsoft Project 2003/2007 to access these default duration options:

1. From the Tools menu, select Options.  Select Schedule tab.  

2. Click on the drop down list to reveal listed default duration values:

If you are using Microsoft Project 2010, to access these default duration options:

1. From the File tab, select Options from the Backstage view.

2. Select Schedule Tab within the Project Options dialog box.

3. Click on the drop down list to reveal listed default duration values:

 

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Perform a search on task information within Microsoft Project

Did you know there is a very useful toolbar button available on the Microsoft Project Standard Toolbar which allows you to perform effectively a search on task information within a number of Microsoft Project views?

• When using Microsoft Project 2003, this invaluable toolbar function is called ‘Go To Selected Task’.
• When using Microsoft Project 2007, the equivalent toolbar function is called ‘Scroll to Task’.  
• Within Microsoft Project 2010, the ‘Scroll to Task’ function can be found on the context sensitive Ribbon by selecting the Task tab, within the Editing group.

 

When using Microsoft Project 2003

1. Within the default Gantt Chart view, select a required task within the Task Name column.
2. Click on Go To Selected Task (  ) button available on the Standard Toolbar.
3. This will now automatically display the task bar for that selected task within the Gantt Chart view:

 

When using Microsoft Project 2007

1. Within the default Gantt Chart view, select a required task within the Task Name column.
2. Click on Scroll to Task (  ) button available on the Standard Toolbar.
3. This will now automatically display the task bar for that selected task within the Gantt Chart view:

 

When using Microsoft Project 2010

1. Within the default Gantt Chart view, select a required task within the Task Name column.
2. Select the Task tab, within the Editing Group available on the context sensitive Ribbon.
3. Now click on Scroll to Task (  ) button.
4. This will now automatically display the task bar for that selected task within the Gantt Chart view:

 

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Microsoft Project Usage Survey 2011

We're pleased to announce the launch of the 2011 Microsoft Project Usage Survey.

As with our 2009 survey, we will be providing an analysis of the findings and opening up the anonymised data set to the Microsoft Project community. 

The survey consists of 18 questions and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete, so please take the survey now

Spreading the Word
Any web site, blog or twitter that sends more than 3 visitors who complete the survey will get a thank you in the reports appendix, along with a link to their web site.

Our surveytool SurveyGizmo will try and detect the site that contained the link to the survey, but to make things even easier, you can tell us using a link field as is explained below

The standard link for the survey is 
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/699279/Microsoft-Project-Usage-Survey-Nov-2011

by adding ?link= to the end of it we can identify which site sent the visitor

For example the link for this blog would be
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/699279/Microsoft-Project-Usage-Survey-Nov-2011?link=www.projectknowledge.net

for a twitter feed
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/699279/Microsoft-Project-Usage-Survey-Nov-2011?link=www.twitter.com/charlesmeaden

If you are emailing the link, please add the site you would like to link back to

Two things to note

1. Please don't add http:// at the beginning 
2. Please don't put spaces in 

If both these cases we wont be able to track your visits and credit you accordingly

Finally, thank you for spreading the word

 

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Create your own Base Calendar within Microsoft Project

Did you know that you can create your own Base Calendar within Microsoft Project? 

This new Base Calendar can then be applied directly to an individual task to control the scheduling of this one task within the project plan.  For example, a 24/7 Calendar could be created which defines a 7 working day week, 24 hours per day and these calendar definitions can then be directly applied to a process task such as ‘Paint Drying’ or ‘Concrete Curing’.

To create a new Base Calendar

All projects contain at least one calendar.  The base calendar is known as the ‘Standard’ (project) calendar.  In addition, each resource and task can have its own calendar, based upon the standard calendar by default. 

If you are using Microsoft Project 2003/2007, to access the standard calendar:

(View instructions for Microsoft Project 2010)

1.    From the Tools menu, select Change Working Time.
2.    Displaying the Change Working Time dialog.
3.    Click on Create New Calendar button:

4.    Select the following within the dialog box:

Once the calendar definitions have been defined as appropriate, this calendar and its associated definitions can then be applied to an individual task within the project plan.

To achieve this:

1.    Double Click on the Task Name for the individual task you wish to apply the calendar definitions to.
2.    Select the Advanced tab within the Task Information dialog box as below.

3.    Select OK to confirm.

 

 

If you are using Microsoft Project 2010 to access the standard calendar:

1.    On the Project tab, in the Properties group, click Change Working Time.

2.    Displaying the Change Working Time dialog:

3.    Select the following within the dialog box:

Once the calendar definitions have been defined as appropriate, this calendar and its associated definitions can then be applied to an individual task within the project plan.

To achieve this:
1.    Double Click on the Task Name for the individual task you wish to apply the calendar definitions to.
2.    Select the Advanced tab within the Task Information dialog box as below:

 3.    Select OK to confirm.

 

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Copying Components Between Projects within Microsoft Project

Did you know that when developing Microsoft Project components there is a very useful function that allows you to copy project components from one project to another?

If the project documents already exist, project components can be copied from one project to another or indeed from a project to a template plan.  This function is called Organizer.

Copying components between projects

If you are using Microsoft Project 2003/2007, to access Organizer use the following steps:

1.    From the Tools menu, select Organizer.

2.    Ensure that the project to copy from and the project to copy to are both open in memory.

3.    Select appropriate from and to project using dropdowns at the base of the dialog.

4.    Select a component from an appropriate list, then click  to copy left to right or  to copy right to left.

Please Note:  DO NOT delete components in GLOBAL.MPT unless there is a compelling reason to do so.
 
If you are using Microsoft Project 2010, to access Organizer use the following steps:

1.    Click the File tab and then click Organizer from the Info tab.

2.    Ensure that the project to copy from and the project to copy to are both open in memory.

3.    Select appropriate from and to project using dropdowns at the base of the dialog.

4.    Select a component from an appropriate list, then click to copy left to right or to copy right to left.

5.    Click the Close button when done.

Please Note:  Use the Delete button to remove unwanted components from a project document.

 

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Using Templates to Create Project Plans in Microsoft Project

Did you know that you can create new project plans from templates and it also is a good way to introduce standardisation and consistency for both planning and reporting between projects?

Template plans may contain the following:

• Base calendars
• Common settings from the Options dialog
• Common reporting components which include: Views; Tables; Reports; Filters; Export Maps

In addition, templates may contain:

• Resource pools
• High-level summary tasks
• High-level milestone tasks

Saving projects as templates

When a project document is stored on disk, it can be in a number of different file formats, dependant upon how the file will be used.  If the project is saved as a template, settings local to the current project will be saved to the template. 

When using Microsoft Project 2003/2007, to create a template:

1. From the File menu, select Save As.
2. Enter an appropriate name for the template file, and then click .

3.    Select appropriate project data NOT to be saved to the template, then .

New templates can be found using the File New command, then selecting the On Computer hyperlink within the Task Pane:

Please Note:  The location of saved templates is defined on the ‘Save’ tab within the Options dialog box.

 

When using Microsoft Project 2010, to create a template:

To create a template:

1. From the File tab, select Save As from the Backstage view.
   
2. Choose the Template option, then enter an appropriate name for the template file, and then click the Save button.
   
3. Select appropriate project data NOT to be saved to the template and then click Save once more.
    

New templates can be found using the New tab within the Backstage view:

Please Note:  Templates will be saved to a folder specified on the Save tab of the Project Options dialog.

 

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Saving projects as templates 

When a project document is stored on disk, it can be in a number of different file formats, dependant upon how the file will be used.  If the project is saved as a template, settings local to the current project will be saved to the template. 

When using Microsoft Project 2003/2007, to create a template:

1.               From the File menu, select Save As.

2.               Enter an appropriate name for the template file, and then click.

How to customise the Network Diagram View in Microsoft Project

Most Microsoft Project users generally use the Gantt Chart view when planning a project, however sometimes users like to use the Network Diagram view as well when planning and reporting. 

Did you know that the Network Diagram view can be highly customised and improved quickly?
One simple improvement is to place ‘Link Labels’ on the view to indicate the dependency type and any lag time applied between tasks within the project plan.

How to display Link Labels on the Network Diagram View
Although the Gantt chart allows the display of task links, a clearer way to express task relationships is to use Microsoft Project’s network diagram view.  By default, the network diagram displays summary tasks, subtasks and milestones with a logical left-to-right sequence. 

Microsoft Project’s network diagram provides a number of ways to configure its appearance.

If you are using Microsoft Project 2003/2007 you can achieve this as follows:

1.    Select Network Diagram from the View menu.

2.    Selecting Layout from the Format menu will configure the general appearance of the view.

3.    Now select ‘Show link labels’, then OK to confirm.

With ‘Show link labels’ checkbox activated, this allows you to view the dependency type and lead/lag times applied between tasks within your project plan.

A highly customised network diagram can be displayed as:

If you are using Microsoft Project 2010 you can achieve this as follows:

1.    On the View tab, in the Task Views group, click Network Diagram

2.    Selecting Layout from the Format group of the Format tab will configure the general appearance of the view.

3.    Now select ‘Show link labels’, then OK to confirm.

 

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How To Move Tasks Within An Existing List with Microsoft Project

Have you wanted to quickly move tasks around your project plan within an existing task list?

In the past, you may have had to delete an existing task, and then have to re-insert the task where you wish it to be placed within the project plan.  Not now.  You can use the ‘Drag and Drop’ facility to move your tasks effortlessly around your task list.

 

How to move tasks within an existing list

Tasks, or groups of tasks often need to be moved up or down the task list, either within their own summary tasks or to within other summary tasks.

Within Microsoft Project 2010, to move one task above another:

1.    Select the entire task with a click on its row heading:

2.    Drag the task to its desired position, indicated by a line cursor:

3.    Then drop the task at its new position:

 

 

General tips in moving tasks

1.    Move tasks before linking them.
2.    Selecting a cell and not a row will ONLY move (cut/paste) that cell’s contents.
3.    Use Undo (   ) to move the task back to its original row if required.

 

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