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

Standard techniques for creating a WBS

The WBS is created with input from multiple documents generated in the project initiation stage, such as the project charter, Statement of Work (SoW), scope statement, and so on. An iterative decomposition using a top-down approach is utilized. Refer to the following flowchart for the WBS creation process:

Figure 6.3 – Creation of a WBS

Here are some important observations to be made about this flowchart for WBS creation:

  • This top-down iterative decomposition is also known as the divide and conquer algorithmic technique in computer science parlance, if you are familiar with it. The directional arrows in the flowchart capture the iterative nature of the technique. In simple language, you break down the deliverables into smaller and smaller components until you decide to stop.
  • How far should a WBS be decomposed? Effort and cost, among other parameters, can help you make this critical decision.
  • When...