As projects unfold, project collaboration tools have sprung up. Here, Huihui will focus on the project software launched by Microsoft. Microsoft Project not only creates project plans quickly and accurately, but also helps project managersControl, analyze and optimize the schedule, cost and resources of the project, so as to greatly shorten the project duration, improve the efficiency of resource utilization, and bring economic benefits。And in Microsoft Project 2019, various features have been enhanced. Especially in terms of project collaboration, it integrates the latest agile iteration of project work methods, and project managers, members and other project stakeholders can dynamically track through network collaboration tools, break through the limitations of time and space, keep abreast of project progress and current status, ensure the smooth progress of the project, and support the enterprise to achieve its strategic goals.
How to create a plan in Project 20191. Steps to create a project using a template
a) Open the MS Project2019 software. If you're already working on a project plan, click it"files", and then select"New"。
b) In the window that opens, you can choose to use an existing template, or in the"Search for online templates"Enter a keyword in the dialog box and press the Enter key to search. If you're willing to create a project from scratch, you have options"Blank items"。If you've selected a template, select the option you want, then click on it"Create"。You can modify the resources, tasks, and durations in the template as needed for your project.
2. Add tasks to the project
a) Select "View" > "Task View" > "Gantt Chart" in the menu.
b) Enter the task name in the first blank "Task Name" field and press Enter.
c) Repeat steps 2 and 3 to enter the required tasks. If adding tasks one by one is too time-consuming, you can also quickly create task entries by creating a mapping in Excel or exporting through MindManager.
3. Further improvement of the project plan
The following steps can be followed:
Set a duration for each task: In the project schedule, enter a duration for each task, which is the time it takes for the task to complete. This gives people a clear idea of when each task starts and ends.
Set the logical relationship between tasks: Based on the dependencies between tasks, use logical relationships such as FS (Finish-Start), SS (Start-Start), SF (Start-Finish), and FF (Finish-Finish) to set pre- or post-relationship between tasks. These relationships provide a clear sequence of tasks and ensure that the project is on track.
Assign Resources: In the Resource Name column, assign the appropriate human resources to each task. This ensures that each task is held accountable by the right people and that resources are allocated more rationally and efficiently.
Generate Gantt Charts: You can quickly generate Gantt charts for projects based on the duration, relationships, and resource allocation of tasks. Gantt charts show the project's timeline and task schedule in a graphical way, giving you a clear idea of how the project is progressing.
By following these steps, you can fully display the key elements of your project, such as tasks, resources, schedules, and cost budgets, in a single interface view. The sequence of each activity will be clearly visible, making the entire project plan more concise, fast and efficient.
Tracking and reporting in Project 2019
Depending on the needs of the project, we need to manage progress updates and cost reporting. Before doing this, we need to save the project plan prepared in the early stage: administrative saving and file computer disk saving.
1. Set a baseline
In order to get a snapshot of the original schedule, we can do so by setting and saving a baseline. This makes it easy to see how the project is progressing compared to the original plan.
a) Select "Project", then "Schedule", then "Set Baseline", and then "Set Baseline". Select the baseline you want to set from the Set Baseline list. Select "Full Project" and finally click "OK".
Tip: You can set up to 11 baselines in a project to get frequent snapshots of project progress.
2. Keep track of the project
With Project tools, you can update completed or partially completed tasks in real-time.
Follow these steps to update a task:
Select Tasks> Tagging While Tracking> Update Tasks.
In the Update Task dialog box, enter the actual completion percentage, for example, 50%.
Fill in the actual start time and end time. If you enter the actual time, it means that the task has been fully completed, that is, 100% completed.
After you click the OK button, the Gantt chart in the graphics area on the right will display a solid area that represents the progress of the task. If you customize the color, the color block will not match the base color.
If you need to update multiple tasks at the same time, you can do so in View > Tracking to make updates to multiple tasks.
3. Reporting and output
After a period of project execution, in order to gain the support and continuous attention of relevant parties.
The information needs to be aggregated and submitted to them. To do this, we can create a project report.
First, select the Reports tab, then select the type of report you want in the View reports group, and then select a specific report.
For example, if you want to view the Project Overview report, click Reports> Dashboards, > Project Overview.
Click on the active report content, and you can select "Copy Report" to copy the report to other Office documents for sharing with other stakeholders.
The preparation materials are shared as follows: