Book Image

Learning Microsoft Project 2019

By : Srikanth Shirodkar
Book Image

Learning Microsoft Project 2019

By: Srikanth Shirodkar

Overview of this book

Microsoft Project is one of the most popular project management tools for enterprises of all sizes thanks to its wide variety of features such as project scheduling, project budgeting, built-in templates, and reporting tools. Learning Microsoft Project 2019 will get you started with the basics and gradually guide you through the complete project life cycle. Starting with an overview of Microsoft Project 2019 and a brief introduction to project management concepts, this book will take you through the different phases of project management – initiation, planning, execution, control, and closure. You will then learn how to identify and handle problems related to scheduling, costing, resourcing, and work allocation. Understand how to use dynamic reports to create powerful, automated reports and dashboards at the click of a button. This Microsoft Project book highlights the pitfalls of overallocation and demonstrates how to avoid and resolve these issues using a wide spectrum of tools, techniques, and best practices. Finally, you will focus on executing Agile projects efficiently and get to grips with using Kanban and Scrum features. By the end of this book, you will be well-versed with Microsoft Project and have the skills you need to use it effectively in every stage of project management.
Table of Contents (32 chapters)
1
Section 1: The Iron Triangle – a Quick Primer for Project Management
3
Section 2: Project Initiation with Microsoft Project
8
Section 3: Project Planning Like a Pro!
13
Section 4: Project Execution – the Real Deal
15
Chapter 11: Overallocation – the Bane of Project Managers
18
Section 5: Monitoring and Control with Microsoft Project
23
Section 6: Project Closure with Microsoft Project
Appendix A: Using This Book as a Textbook
Appendix C: Keyboard Shortcuts
Appendix D: Glossary

Summary

Rigidly following any Agile framework to a T defeats the very first statement of the Agile Manifesto: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. Understanding the philosophy of Agile is more important than evangelizing any specific process. Importance should be given to customization and choosing the right tool for the job. With this understanding, we can appreciate the ability of Microsoft Project to seamlessly merge Waterfall, Scrum, and Kanban.

We have seen how Scrum and Kanban features in Project can be like Yin and Yang in your Agile project. With all the feature changes in the Agile section in recent years, Project is finally getting the narrative right. Whether you are an avid Agile expert or a newbie, you can customize the Agile features to your own style. Underlying this flexibility is the same scheduling firepower, should you just want to slay the scheduling beast. There is no doubt that Microsoft will continue to improve these offerings.

In the...