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Microsoft Project is a popular tool for project managers and developers who want to keep their software projects on track and stay organized. In this guide, we offer some tips and tricks that can help you increase your productivity and user experience when using popular project management software.
Best tips for Microsoft Project
Below are some of the best tips and tricks to get the most out of Microsoft Project:
Create a manual task list in MS Project
You should have a detailed list of project tasks on hand before using MS Project to avoid schedule clutter caused by forgotten tasks that you have to insert in the middle of a project.
While it can be difficult to list every task that must be completed for a project, this essential step can save you headaches later. To make this easier, try starting with a high-level to-do list and breaking it down into smaller sub-tasks. When you’re ready, you can enter tasks into Microsoft Project and let it complete the schedule calculations for you.
When making a list of tasks, focus on their overall structure and their relationship. Avoid worrying about their dates or durations, since MS Project can do these calculations automatically as long as the task relationships are defined correctly. In fact, many suggest not entering dates or task durations when starting Microsoft Project, as this can only complicate things.
Create a work breakdown structure for project schedules
Project managers can simplify the tedious task of coming up with a project schedule by first creating work breakdown structure (WBS). This can help you break down a complex job into manageable tasks and more accurately estimate how long it will take you to complete those tasks. A WBS can also help project managers set task dependencies and determine which roles are needed to complete each task.
To create a work breakdown structure in Microsoft Project, do the following:
- Go to Project service.
- Choose Projects option.
- Click on the desired project.
- Go to the bar at the top of the screen.
- Click on down arrow next to the project name.
- Click on The structure of the work breakdown or WBS.
- Click Add task.
- Add a task by filling in all the required fields.
- Click Save.
- Keep adding tasks until you’re done WBS it’s over.
As you create your WBS, you can indentation and extraordinary tasks to move them below each other or to another level to create the desired hierarchy.
Switch to automatically assigned tasks in Microsoft Project
Users can avoid potential scheduling problems in Microsoft Project by making one minor setting adjustment. Because PM software manually schedules tasks by default (you define start/end date and duration) and doesn’t calculate task dates automatically when a change is made to the predecessor, you’ll need to make the change yourself.
There may be occasions when you want tasks to be manually scheduled, but if you’re starting out with Microsoft Project, it’s best to ensure that new tasks are automatically scheduled to avoid conflicts down the road. In doing so, you can leverage the power of the software to schedule tasks based on calendars, constraints, dependencies, and so on.
To avoid problems from Manually scheduled default task mode in MS Project, do the following to change all new tasks to Automatically scheduled:
- Go to Task tab.
- Go to Schedule group and click on Task mode.
- Click on Automatic layout.
Read: Project management software for developers
Set the foundation for your projects
Most projects don’t go exactly as planned. That’s why project managers need a The baseline, because it gives them something to compare the progress or actual state of the project to. You can set up to 11 baselines in Microsoft Project to see if you’re going in the right direction. The software gives you the ability to set baselines for specific tasks or entire projects.
Once your project tasks and dates are set, do the following to establish a baseline:
- Go to Project tab.
- Go to Schedule group.
- Click on Set a baseline.
- Click on Set a baseline again in the drop-down menu.
- Once Set a baseline window appears, you can select your baseline.
When setting a baseline, make sure your Basic start and Completion of the baseline of columns has been added. From there:
- Right click on your chart.
- choose Show/Hide Bar Styles.
- choose The baseline.
- Select the baseline you just set.
Gray bars should appear that represent your baseline and can be used to view any deviations.
Choose the right view for your project needs
Microsoft Project provides project managers with several views so they can gain instant insight into the progress of their software development team and make the necessary adjustments on the fly to optimize their workflow. Because these views offer different insights and meet different needs, you’ll need to make sure you choose the right ones for optimal performance.
Here’s a breakdown of what some of the views in Microsoft Project have to offer that should make them easier to navigate, including Calendar display, Timeline view, Display of the network diagramand Gantt chart display.
Display of the calendar in MS Project
Microsoft Project Calendar display breaks down the project into parts according to dates. Use it to see what needs to be completed and when.
Timeline view in Microsoft Project
True to its name, Microsoft Project Timeline view schedules tasks on a timeline so project managers can see the status of the project and determine any schedule conflicts. The Timeline view it lets you insert notes and milestones into individual tasks, and you can manually edit them by dragging and dropping, adding colors, and so on.
Display of the network diagram
If you prefer to analyze data graphically, use Display of the network diagram. It offers a graphical representation of project and task dependencies, allowing you to see potential places where changes may be critical. The Display of the network diagram uses boxes or nodes to represent tasks. Each is connected by an arc or line to show how one task must be completed before another can begin. If you need to see task dependencies and critical paths so you can allocate resources according to deadlines, Display of the network diagram is right for you.
Gantt chart display in MS Project
The Gantt chart display in Microsoft Project provides a quick overview of the project. Breaks down tasks into specific phases and puts them on a timeline with start and finish dates. Project managers in charge of complex projects can use Gantt chart display for project monitoring, accurate determination of possible delays and rapid adjustment of allocated resources. To gain further insight into your project’s progress, Microsoft Project lets you filter Gantt chart data by resource, status, duration, etc. And you can customize your Gantt chart by color-coding it to help you differentiate between different tasks.
Am I using all the features of Microsoft Project?
Project managers, lead developers, and programmers can benefit from Microsoft Project by using its most popular features, which include:
- ganttograms
- Task lists
- Timelines
- Task distribution
- Project progress monitoring
- Budget management
- Load analysis
You can also use PM software to collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders, allowing them to see project status updates, provide feedback, access documents and reports, and more. To make sure you’re using the full list of Microsoft Project features, we recommend checking out our Microsoft Project review.
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Final thoughts on Microsoft Project tips and tricks
In this Microsoft Project guide, we’ve learned some tips and tricks to help project managers manage their software development teams and developers more effectively. These tips included choosing the right view, how to set project baselines, how to switch to auto-assigned tasks, what a work breakdown structure is and what the steps are for creating a WBS, and finally, why it’s important to create a task list ago to set up your new project.
Looking for an alternative project management tool to Microsoft Project? For more options, check out our roundup of alternatives to Microsoft Project.