1. Becoming a Great Project Manager Gini Courter Annette Marquis TRIAD Consulting

2. What is a Project? Not just any job, but a job with A beginning and end (timeline) Specified outcome (scope) Stated level of quality (performance) Budget (costs)

3. Project Examples NOT PROJECTS Processing payroll Delivering training Hiring staff Student discipline Lunch PROJECTS Moving offices Developing a new employee training curriculum Preparing for accreditation or certification Developing an intranet

4. What Skills Do You Need? Organization Attention to detail Ability to set and enforce boundaries Precise communication Negotiation Leadership

5. What Tasks Will You Do? Defining and planning the project Entering task, resource and cost information Optimizing the plan Communicating with stakeholders Tracking and managing the project Completing the project Post-project wrap-up, evaluation

6. Project Lifecycle Problem Identification Definition Design Development Implementation Evaluation

7. Problem Identification Deliverable: Initial proposal Define the problem you’re trying to solve High-level overview Who, what, when, where, why Identify stakeholders Project owner(s) Project leader(s) Project resources Methods: Interviews

8. Definition Deliverables: Requirements document, high- level project plan Project Overview Project Scope  Define the project with text and diagrams Timeline, required resources Estimated cost High-level success metrics Other deliverables: funding request Methods: Interviews, research, estimation

9. Design Deliverable: Low-level solution design Details for each component Define the parts with text and diagrams Timelines and required resources Specific costs Low-level success metrics and testing plan Other deliverables: funding request Methods: Research, estimation, planning

10. Development Deliverable: Complete, tested solution Build each part according to design Test each part separately Test all parts together Other deliverables: status reports, implementation plan Methods: based on project type (manufacturing, software coding, graphic design)

11. Implementation Deliverable: Solution “up and running” Phased rollout v. Complete rollout Documentation Training Methods: based on project type

12. Evaluation Deliverable: Project Evaluation Lessons learned for future projects Recommendations for later phases of this project Methods: Evaluation sessions Project team Stakeholders

13. What Software Will You Use? Word Create proposals, reports, and documentation Outlook Communicate about project dates and tasks Excel Create task lists and Gantt charts Project Tasks, charts, project management, reports Project Map – best practices for management

14. Using Word for Projects Download over 200 project templates at www.microsoft.com/office www.microsoft.com/office Examples: Engineering project plan Project Bid Outline of proposed project Proposal for NFP fundraising campaign You’ll also find project-related PowerPoint templates

15. Using Outlook for Projects Tasks Set up a separate task folder. Create all project tasks. Note dependencies. Create a timeline view to see task sequence. Schedule tasks at approximate times. Create task timeline view to display tasks. Email Create an email folder for project. Set team expectations about subjects Use Rules to store and manage project email.

16. Using Excel for Projects Enter high-level tasks in Excel to: Create Gantt charts Create variance reports (over/under hours, budget) Copy/paste from Excel to Project

17. Moving to Project Professional Move to Project Professional for: Projects with complex dependencies Projects with more resources than you can comfortably handle in Outlook Projects with tasks and subtasks that are completed by different groups that don’t communicate Projects with intense tracking and reporting requirements

18. Using Microsoft Project Best selling project management tool Communicates using Outlook or Project Server Supports most phases of project lifecycle Handles task dependency Enterprise tool – can manage resources used on multiple projects

19. Getting Ready Set file properties Establish working times Set project properties

20. File Properties 1. Choose File  Properties 2. Enter Title, Author, Manager 3. Click OK

21. Working Times 1. Choose Tools  Change Working Time. 2. Select the Standard calendar 3. Click Options to change the hours per day.

22. Setting Hours Per Day Hours per day used to convert days to hours Must agree with Calendar

23. Project Properties 1. Choose Project  Project Information to open the Project Information dialog box. 2. Set task scheduling method, priority, and calendar. 3. Click OK.

24. Planning Project Activities Tasks: List all tasks, or plan higher level now and lower levels later List in order if possible Resources: People and materials Costs: for all resources

25. Parts of a Task Task name/description Task duration or work Task notes

26. Enter Tasks Enter tasks in the Gantt Chart or the Task Information dialog box Double click the task to open the dialog box Enter in order when possible

27. Inserting and Deleting Tasks To insert a task: Right click where you want to insert the task Choose New Task from shortcut menu To delete a task: Select the task Right click and choose Delete OR press the Delete key on your keyboard

28. Entering Time Enter either Duration or Work Project is designed to enter Duration Work is often a better measure

29. Duration and Work Work/Units = Duration 32 hours of painting/4 painters = 8 hours 32 hours of painting/2 painters = 16 hours Duration Work Units

30. Inserting a Column 1. Click in column to left of new column 2. Choose Insert  Column from menu 3. Select column (Work) 4. Click OK

31. Enter Duration or Work Click in the column and enter a number: h for hours d for days m for minutes w for weeks mo for months Enter duration or work, not both Don’t worry about time between tasks

32. Milestones 1. Enter the milestone as a task. 2. Set the task Duration to zero (0) OR mark the task as a milestone on the Advanced tab of the Task Information dialog box.

33. Outlining Tasks Use the Promote and Demote buttons to arrange tasks and subtasks

34. Types of Task Relationships Finish-to-Start: (the default): task A must be finished before task B can start. Start-to-Start: task A must start before task B can start. Finish-to-Finish: task A must finish before task B finishes. Start-to-Finish: task A must be started before task B can be completed.

35. Setting Relationships 1. Select the first task 2. Hold Ctrl or Shift and select the next task(s) 3. Click the Link Tasks button to link tasks. 4. Click Unlink Tasks to remove links.

36. Adding Lag 1. Double-click the link line in the Gantt Chart 2. Set lag in the Task Dependency dialog box

37. Adding Resources to a Project 1. Choose View  Resource Sheet or click the Resource Sheet button to open the project resource sheet 2. For each resource, enter name type initials maximum units rates calendar

38. Assigning Resources to Tasks 1. Open the Gantt Chart 2. Select one or more tasks 3. Click the Assign Resources button to open the Assign Resources dialog box

39. Assigning Resources to Tasks 4. Select resources 5. Set % of use 6. Click Assign

40. Printing a Chart 1. Use the View menu to display the view. 2. Choose the data you want to display by selecting a table (View  Table). 3. Adjust the columns and position the timeline. 4. Choose File  Print to open the Print dialog box.

41. Summary The Office applications are good tools for specific project management activities Lots of great templates on microsoft.com Use Project Professional when your project management needs are more than Office will support