Brief Guide to Microsoft Project

Appendix A:
Brief Guide to Microsoft Project
Professional 2016
Note: This guide was written using the free trial of Microsoft Project Professional 2016 and Windows 10 in
2016. Your screens may appear slightly different. The files and instructions in this guide will work with
Project Online Professional. The purpose of this guide is to provide current or future project managers with
hands-on experience in using a popular and powerful project management software tool.
June 2018 update: Check with your instructor about using Microsoft Project. Microsoft changes which free
trials are available and updates software frequently. As of June 2018, you can access a 30-day free trial of
Project Online Professional. Many schools may provide access as well.
Published by Schwalbe Publishing in Minneapolis, MN, April 2016, with slight changes made in June 2018.
Permission is granted to Cengage to provide this edition for instructors and students using Information
Technology Project Management, Ninth Edition by Kathy Schwalbe. This appendix is also available free from
Schwalbe Publishing at www.kathyschwalbe.com or www.pmtexts.com along with the link to Microsoft’s
site, files mentioned in this appendix, and many other resources.
Detailed Table of Contents
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
Project Management Software……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
Basic Features of Project Management Software …………………………………………………………………………………. 2
What’s new in Project Professional 2016……………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Using Project Professional 2016 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Before You Begin……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Using the 60-day Trial of Project Professional 2016: ………………………………………………………………………. 5
Overview of Project Professional 2016 …………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Getting Started and Finding Help………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Understanding the Main Screen Elements …………………………………………………………………………………. 7
Exploring Project Professional 2016 Using a Template File ………………………………………………………………… 8
Project Professional 2016 Views…………………………………………………………………………………………………….11
Project Professional 2016 Reports …………………………………………………………………………………………………13
Project Professional 2016 Filters ……………………………………………………………………………………………………15
Creating a New File and Entering Tasks in a Work Breakdown Structure ………………………………………….16
Creating a New Project File……………………………………………………………………………………………………………16
Creating a Work Breakdown Structure Hierarchy ………………………………………………………………………….17
Creating Summary Tasks ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….19
Numbering Tasks…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20
Saving Project Files without a Baseline ………………………………………………………………………………………….20
Developing the Schedule…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….21
Calendars……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….21
Entering Task Durations ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….23
Manual and Automatic Scheduling ……………………………………………………………………………………………23
Duration Units and Guidelines for Entering Durations…………………………………………………………….24
Entering Task Durations ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….26
Establishing Task Dependencies ……………………………………………………………………………………………………29
Gantt Charts, Network Diagrams, and Critical Path Analysis ………………………………………………………..33
Project Cost and Resource Management …………………………………………………………………………………………….36
Entering Fixed and Variable Cost Estimates………………………………………………………………………………….36
Entering Fixed Costs in the Cost Table…………………………………………………………………………………….36
Entering Resource Information and Cost Estimates …………………………………………………………………37
Using the Team Planner Feature……………………………………………………………………………………………….40
Using the New Resource Engagement Feature …………………………………………………………………………42
Entering Baseline Plans, Actual Costs, and Actual Times ………………………………………………………………42
Viewing Earned Value Management Data…………………………………………………………………………………………..45
Integrating Project Professional 2016 with Other Applications and Apps for Office …………………………46
Copying Information between Applications…………………………………………………………………………………..46
Creating Hyperlinks to Other Files ………………………………………………………………………………………………..48
Using Project Professional 2016 Apps …………………………………………………………………………………………..49
Synching with Project Server and Project Online…………………………………………………………………………..50
Discussion Questions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………51
Exercises …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….51
End Notes ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….52
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INTRODUCTION
There are hundreds of project management software products on the market today. “The Project Portfolio
Management (PPM) market size is expected to grow from USD 2.52 Billion in 2015 to USD 4.63 Billion by
2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.9%.”1 Leading vendors include Microsoft, CA
Technologies, HP, Oracle (who acquired Primavera), Planview, and SAP. Many smaller companies also
provide their own products. Unfortunately, many people who own this type of software have little idea how
to use it. It is important to understand basic concepts of project management, such as creating a work
breakdown structure, determining task dependencies, assigning resources, setting up project portfolios, and so
on before making effective use of PPM software. Many project teams still use spreadsheets or other familiar
software to help manage projects. However, if you can master a good project management software tool, it
can really help in managing projects. This appendix summarizes basic information on project management
software in general. It also provides a brief guide to using Microsoft Project Professional 2016, the latest
version of this popular software.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
As described at the end of Chapter 1, there are three basic categories of project management software based
on their capabilities: low-end, midrange, and high-end tools. The market size mentioned by Gartner is for
Project Portfolio Management (PPM) software, or the high-end category. It is often used across large
organizations to manage thousands of projects while also providing portfolio management features. Low-end
tools today are often free or very inexpensive, and most are available online. For example, popular tools
include Basecamp, Trello, Zoho Projects, and Wrike, to name a few. Several low-end tools focus on project
team collaboration and coordination and may not have features like critical path analysis, resource allocation,
and status reporting, like mid-range and high-end tools do.
Microsoft Project Professional 2016 is considered to be a midrange tool. It is only one of Microsoft’s
offerings in the project management realm as of 2016. Figure A-1 provides a summary of the “plans” or
options for project management software available just from Microsoft. Notice that the options focus on who
will be using the software and what type of features are needed. Often an organization needs a combination
of tools. For example, project managers might focus on using Project Professional synced with Project
Online, team members might use Project Lite, and PMO staff and executives might use Project Online. Now
more than ever, deciding what project management software to use is a project in itself!
Because this text focuses on work done by project managers and the software is available as a free
trial, this Appendix provides a guide for using Project Professional 2016.
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Figure A-1. Microsoft Project Options, Source: Microsoft, April 2016
(https://products.office.com/en-us/project/compare-microsoft-project-management-software)
BASIC FEATURES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
What makes project management software different from other software tools? Why not just use a
spreadsheet to help manage projects?
You can do a lot of project management planning and tracking using non-project management
software. You could use a simple word processor to list tasks, resources, dates, and so on. If you put that
information into a spreadsheet, you can easily sort it, graph it, and perform other functions. A relational
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database tool (such as Microsoft Access) could provide even more manipulation of data. You can also use
email, social media, and other tools to collaborate with others.
However, project management software is designed specifically for managing projects, so it normally
includes several distinct and important features not found in other software products:
• Creating work breakdown structures, Gantt charts, and network diagrams: As mentioned in this text, a
fundamental concept of project management is breaking down the scope of the project into a work
breakdown structure (WBS). The WBS is the basis for creating the project schedule, normally shown
as a Gantt chant. The Gantt chart shows start and end dates of tasks as well as dependencies between
tasks, which are more clearly shown in a network diagram. Project management software makes it
easy to create a WBS, Gantt chart, and network diagram. These features help the project manager
and team visualize the project at various levels of detail.
• Integrating scope, time, and cost data: The WBS is a key tool for summarizing the scope of a project, and
the Gantt chart summarizes the time or schedule for a project. Project management software allows
you to assign cost and other resources to activities on the WBS, which are tied to the schedule. This
allows you to create a cost baseline and use earned value management to track project performance
in terms of scope, time, and cost in an integrated fashion.
• Setting a baseline and tracking progress: Another important concept of project management is preparing a
plan and measuring progress against the plan. Project management software lets you track progress
for each activity. The tracking Gantt chart is a nice tool for easily seeing the planned and actual
schedule, and other views and reports show progress in other areas.
• Providing other advanced project management features: Project management software often provides other
advanced features, such as setting up different types of scheduling dependencies, determining the
critical path and slack for activities, working with multiple projects, and leveling resources. For
example, you can easily set up an activity to start when its predecessor is halfway finished. After
entering dependencies, the software should easily show you the critical path and slack for each
activity. You can also set up multiple projects in a program and perform portfolio management
analysis with some products. Many project management software products also allow you to easily
adjust resources within their slack allowances to create a smoother resource distribution. These
advanced features unique to project management are rarely found in other software tools.
As you can see, there are several important features that are unique to project management software
that make them worth using. Next you’ll learn what’s new in Project Professional 2016 and how to use basic
features.
WHAT’S NEW IN PROJECT PROFESSIONAL 2016
If you are familiar with Project Professional 2013 or earlier versions, it may be helpful to review some of the
new features in Project Professional 2016. An easy way to do this is by using one of the new features – a tab
on the ribbon called “Tell me what you want to do.” Figure A-2 shows the results after typing in “What’s
new” and then selecting “Get started.” Figure A-3 summarizes the results after selecting “What’s new in
Project 2016.”
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Figure A-2. Finding what’s new with the Tell me what you want to do feature
More flexible timelines
With Project 2016, not only can you leverage multiple timelines to illustrate different phases or
categories of work, but you can also set the start and end dates for each timeline separately, to paint
a clearer overall picture of the work involved.
Better control over resource scheduling
Some resources have limited availability, and may have their time scheduled by a resource manager.
With Project Professional 2016 and Project Online, project managers and resource managers can
negotiate an agreement, called a resource engagement, to make sure that resources are being used
appropriately and effectively throughout your organization.
Do things quickly with Tell Me
You’ll notice a text box on the ribbon in Project 2016 that says Tell me what you want to do. This is a
text field where you can enter words and phrases related to what you want to do next and quickly get
to features you want to use or actions you want to perform. You can also choose to get help related
to what you’re looking for.
New themes for Project
There are now three Office themes that you can apply to Project 2016: Colorful, Dark Gray, and White.
Figure A-3. What’s New in Project 2016
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Next, you will learn some basic information about Project Professional 2016 and explore the main
screen elements and Help facility.
USING PROJECT PROFESSIONAL 2016
Before you can use any project management software effectively, you must understand the fundamental
concepts of project management, such as creating a work breakdown structure (WBS), establishing
dependencies between activities, entering duration estimates, assigning resources, and so on. This Appendix is
included with several project management text books by the author. Make sure you review these concepts
before using Project Professional 2016 so you understand what you are doing.
Before You Begin
This appendix assumes you are using Microsoft Project Professional 2016 with Windows 10 and are familiar
with other Windows-based applications. Check your work by reviewing the many screen shots included in the
steps, or by using the solution files that are available for download from the companion website for this text
or from your instructor. Project Online Professional will also work with these instructions.
NOTE: You need to be running Windows 7 or later to use Project Professional 2016 and an up-to-date browser. Certain
features require internet connectivity. You can read more detailed system requirements and download a free trial
from Microsoft. This powerful software is very expensive. Microsoft sells Project Professional 2016 on its
website for $1,159.99 as of April 2016. Many colleges and universities provide the software to students either
on campus or through remote access. If you can use remote access, the main requirement is high speed
internet connectivity. Check with your instructor for details or for alternatives if you do not have easy access
to the software. Project Online Professional is available as a free trial as of June 2018.
This appendix uses several template files and a fictitious project to illustrate how to use the software.
The WBS for the fictitious file uses the five project management process groups as level 2 items (initiating,
planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing). Standard deliverables under each of those
process groups are included. Each section of the appendix includes hands-on activities for you to perform.
NOTE: To complete some of the hands-on activities in the appendix, you will need to download files from
www.intropm.com or www.pmtexts.com to your computer. When you begin each set of steps, make sure you
are using the correct file. Save the files you create yourself in a different folder so you do not write over the
ones you download.
In addition, you will create the following files from scratch as you work through the steps:
• 2016wbs.mpp
• 2016schedule.mpp
• 2016actuals.mpp
You will also use the following file to create a hyperlink:
• stakeholder register.doc
Using the free Trial of Project Online (as of June 2018):
If you plan to download the free trial, perform the following steps:
1. Go to Microsoft’s website for free trials (https://products.office.com/en-us/project/comparemicrosoft-project-management-software?tab=1) as of June 2018) and click on the Try button under
Project Online Professional. If that link does not work, check for updates on www.intropm.com
or www.pmtexts.com. Also, be sure to read the preinstall information, including the FAQs.
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2. Enter your account information. You do need a Microsoft account. It used to be called a Windows
Live account, so you may already have one if you set it up for Xbox, SkyDrive, Office 2013, Office
365 or other items. If you do not have a Microsoft account, set one up for free.
3. Install Project Professional 2016. Try the 32-bit option first. After downloading the exe file, run it
and enter the product key Microsoft provides when prompted. If you have problems, contact your
instructor or Microsoft support. Follow instructions for the Project Online Professional trial.
Next you will learn how to start Microsoft Project Professional 2016 and open a Blank Project.
Overview of Project Professional 2016
The first step to mastering Project Professional 2016 is to become familiar with the major screen elements
and the Help facility. This section describes each of these features.
Getting Started and Finding Help
To start Project Professional 2016:
1. Open Project Professional 2016. There are slightly different methods for opening Project Professional
2016 depending on your operating system. For example, in Windows 10, click the Start button on
the taskbar, All Apps, and then click Project 2016 or type it in the search bar. Alternatively, a
shortcut or icon might be available on the desktop; in this case, double-click the icon to start the
software.
2. Start a Blank Project. Click on Blank Project, the first option as shown in Figure A-4. The left part of
the screen shows recent files (if you have any) and allows you to open other projects as well. The
current date is the default project start date.
Figure A-4. Project Professional 2016 initial options – access Blank Project
3. Learn about basic tasks in Project. Click the Tell me what you want to do tab, type Help, click Get
started, and then click Basic tasks in Project, as shown in Figure A-5.
NOTE: The term “tasks” is used in Project Professional 2016, while PMI prefers to use the terms
deliverables and activities. Also, the name of the software is often referred to as just Project or Project 2016.
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Figure A-5. Help on basic tasks in Project
4. Explore the basic tasks information. Click on Add tasks. Scroll down to read about the other options.
You can also type in the search bar to explore other Help topics. When you are finished, close the
Help window.
Understanding the Main Screen Elements
Review the main screen elements, as shown in Figure A-6. Look at some of the elements of the screen.
• The Ribbon, tabs, and Quick Access toolbar are similar to other Office applications.
• The timeline view is displayed below the ribbon. It shows a high-level view of the project
schedule. You can easily copy the timeline into other software, as most of your stakeholders may
want to see it and not the detailed schedule.
• The default manual scheduling for new tasks is on the lower left of the screen. You can click that
option to switch to automatic scheduling.
• The default view is the Gantt chart view, which shows tasks and other information in a calendar
display. (Recall from the note on the previous page that Microsoft uses the term tasks instead of
deliverables or activities.) You can access other views by clicking the View icon on the far left
side of the ribbon.
• The areas where you enter information in a spreadsheet-like table are part of the Entry table. For
example, you can see entry areas for Task Name, Duration, Start, Finish, and Predecessors.
• You can make the Entry table more or less wide by using the Split bar. When you move the
mouse over the split bar, your cursor changes to the resize pointer. Clicking and dragging the
split bar to the right reveals columns for Resource Names and Add New columns.
• The first column in the Entry table is the Indicators column. The Indicators column displays
indicators or symbols related to items associated with each task, such as task notes or hyperlinks
to other files.
• The file name displays centered at the top of the screen. When you open a Blank Project after
starting Project 2016, it opens a new file named Project1, which is shown in the title bar. If you
open a second Blank Project, the name will be Project2, and so on, until you save and rename
the file.
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Indicators column Tabs Entry table Gantt chart view (default view)
Figure A-6. Project Professional 2016 main screen
Many features in Project Professional 2016 are similar to ones in other Windows programs. For
example, to collapse or expand tasks, click the appropriate symbols to the left of the task name. To access
shortcut items, right-click in either the Entry table area or the Gantt chart. Many of the Entry table operations
are very similar to operations in Excel. For example, to adjust a column width, click and drag between the
column heading titles.
Next, you will get some hands-on experience by opening an existing file to explore various screen
elements. Project Professional 2016 comes with several template files, and you can also access templates from
various websites.
EXPLORING PROJECT PROFESSIONAL 2016 USING A
TEMPLATE FILE
To open a template file and adjust screen elements:
1. Open a template file. Click the File tab, select New, click Market Research Schedule, and then
click Create. These screen shots were taken on April 7, 2016, so you can enter that date if you
like or leave the default as “Today” or the current date. Your screen should resemble Figure
A-7. (Note: If you cannot find the template, you can download it from www.intropm.com
and open it. To open an existing file, click the File tab, then select Open, and browse to find
the file.)
2. Move the Split Bar. Move the Split Bar to the right so the Task Name and Duration columns are
visible.
3. Expand a WBS item. Click on the arrow to the left of Initiation Phase in the Task Name column to
reveal the activities under that WBS item.
4. View the second Note: Move your mouse over the yellow Notes symbol in the Indicators column for
Task 7 to read it. You can insert notes for any task by using the Notes icon on the ribbon.

AssignmentTutorOnline

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Figure A-7. Market research schedule template file
To show different WBS levels and adjust the timescale:
1. Select Outline Level 1 to display WBS level 2 tasks. Click the View tab and then the Outline button’s list
arrow, and then click Outline Level 1. Notice that only the level 2 WBS items display in the Entry table.
The black bars on the Gantt chart represent the summary tasks. Recall that the entire project is normally
referred to as WBS level 1, and the next highest level is called level 2.
2. Adjust the timescale. Click the Zoom out button (minus sign) on the left side of the Zoom slider on
the lower left of the screen, as shown in Figure A-8, until you see all of the symbols on the Gantt chart
(click it three times). Notice the timescale is now showing quarters instead of weeks. It is often easier to
read the schedule when all of the symbols are visible. You can also Zoom in when more details are
needed.

Figure A-8. Showing level 1 of the WBS and adjusted timescale
3. View all tasks. Click the Outline button and select All Subtasks to see all of the items in the Task
Name column again. Remember that you can expand or collapse tasks as desired.
Split bar
Notes
indicator
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To adjust, add multiple timelines, share, and print the timeline:
1. Remove the timeline and display it again. Click the Timeline checkbox on the Ribbon to unselect it. Click it
again to display it. The timeline is different than the time scale as it shows a high-level schedule on one
line while the timescale adjusts the time units for symbols on the Gantt chart.
2. Add a new timeline: Click anywhere on the current timeline (toward the left side of the screen), click
the Format tab, and then click Timeline Bar button under the Timeline Tools. Drag the line between the
Timeline and Gantt Chart to reveal the second timeline. Your screen should resemble Figure A-9.
Drag to see second timeline Timeline bar button
Figure A-9. Adding a second timeline.
3. Add tasks to the new timeline. Right-click on Task 2, Requirements Gathering & Analysis, then click Add
to Timeline. Scroll down to also right-click on Task 7, Project Charter Development, and then click Add
to Timeline to add it as well.
4. Adjust the dates and format of the new timeline. Right-click anywhere in the second timeline, click Date
Range, and then click Set custom dates. Enter 4/1/04 for the Start date and 5/1/04 for the finish dates.
(Remember that this is a template file from Microsoft, and it had the dates entered as 2004).
5. Display a task as a callout on the timeline. Right-click on Project Charter Development in the second
timeline, and then click Display as callout. Click and drag on the callout to move it down and to the right,
as shown in Figure A-10. You can also right-click on a task to change its color or font, if desired.
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Figure A-10. Second timeline with callout.
6. Close the file without saving. Click the Close icon in the upper right of the window, and select No when
prompted to save the file.
Project Professional 2016 Views
Project Professional 2016 provides many ways to display or view project information. In addition to the
default Gantt chart, you can view the network diagram, calendar, and task usage views, to name a few. These
views allow you to analyze project information in different ways. The View tab also provides access to
different tables that display information in various ways. In addition to the default Entry table view, you can
access tables that focus on data related to areas such as the Schedule, Cost, Tracking, Variance, and Earned
Value tables.
To access and explore different views:
1. Explore the Network Diagram for the Market Research Schedule file. Open the Market Research Schedule
file again. Click the View tab, the Outline button, and All Subtasks again. Click the Network Diagram
button, and then move the Zoom slider on the lower right of the screen all the way to the left. Your
screen should resemble Figure A-11. Critical tasks automatically display in red in the Network Diagram
view.
2. Explore the Calendar view. Click the Calendar button (under the Network Diagram button). Notice
that the screen lists tasks each day in a calendar format.
3. Change the table view. Click the Gantt Chart button on the ribbon, click the Tables button, and then
click Schedule. Figure A-12 shows the tables view options.
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Network Diagram
Figure A-11. Network diagram view
Figure A-12. Tables view options
4. Examine the Schedule table and other views. Move the Split bar to the right to review the Total Slack
column. Notice that the columns in the table to the left of the Gantt chart, as shown in Figure A-13,
now display more detailed schedule information, such as Late Start, Late Finish, Free Slack, and Total
Slack. Remember that you can widen columns by double-clicking the resize pointer to the right of that
column. You must do this for the Start, Finish, and Late Start columns to remove the #### symbols.
You can also move the split bar to reveal more or fewer columns. Experiment with other table views,
then return to the Entry table view.
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Figure A-13. Schedule table view
5. Close the file without saving. Click the Close icon in the upper right of the window, and select No when
prompted to save the file. You can also close Project Professional 2016 if you want to take a break.
Project Professional 2016 Reports
Project Professional 2016 provides many ways to report project information as well. In addition to traditional
reports, you can also prepare visual reports, with both available under the Report tab. Note that the visual
reports often require that you have other Microsoft application software, such as Excel and Visio. Project
Professional 2016 automatically formats reports for ease of printing.
To access and explore different reports:
1. Open another template file. With Project 2016 open, click on the File tab, click New, then double-click
on the template called Earned value. Read the information on the initial screen to learn more about the
concept of earned value. Click on the View tab, then click the Gantt chart icon.
2. Explore the reports feature. Click the Report tab to see the variety of reports available in Project
2016, as shown in Figure A-14.
Figure A-14. Report options
3. View the Project Overview report. Click Dashboards, and then double-click Project Overview. Review
the report, noting that the project is 17% complete. You must have entered some actual information and cost
data to take advantage of this report. Also notice the new options on the ribbon, as shown in Figure A-15.
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Figure A-15. Project Overview report
4. Open the Resource Overview report. Click the Report tab again, click Resources, and then click
Resource Overview. Review the report, as shown in Figure A-16.
Figure A-16. Resource Overview report
5. Examine other reports. Click on the Report tab, click In Progress, and then click Critical Tasks to
display the Critical Tasks report, as shown in Figure A-17. Examine other reports.
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Figure A-17. Critical tasks report
6. Return to the Gantt chart. Click the View tab, and then click on Gantt Chart to return to the Gantt
chart view. Next, you will use this same file to explore filters.
Project Professional 2016 Filters
Project Professional 2016 uses a relational database to filter, sort, store, and display information. Filtering
project information is very useful. For example, if a project includes thousands of tasks, you might want to
view only summary or milestone tasks to get a high-level view of the project by using the Milestones or
Summary Tasks filter from the Filter list. You can select a filter that shows only tasks on the critical path if
that is what you want to see. Other filters include Completed Tasks, Late Tasks, and Date Range, which
displays tasks based on dates you provide. As shown earlier, you can also click the Outline button on the
toolbar to display different levels in the WBS quickly.
To explore Project Professional 2016 filters:
1. Access filters. Click the Filter list arrow, as shown in Figure A-18. The default filter is No Filter, which
shows all tasks.
Filter list arrow
Figure A-18. Using a filter
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2. Filter to show milestones. Click Milestones in the list of filters. Notice that the Gantt chart only shows
the summary tasks and milestones for the project. Your screen should resemble Figure A-19. Recall that
milestones are significant events.
3. View other filters. Click the Filter list arrow, and then click Critical. Now only the critical tasks appear
in the WBS (which happens to be all of the tasks in this file). Experiment with other filters.
Figure A-19. Milestones filter applied
4. Close the file without saving. When you are finished reviewing the Earned value file, click the Close
icon for the window, and select No when prompted to save the file.
5. Exit Project 2016. Review other template files, if desired. When you are finished, click the Close
icon for Project 2016.
Now that you are familiar with the main screen elements, views, reports, and filters, you will learn
how to use Project Professional 2016 to create a new file.
CREATING A NEW FILE AND ENTERING TASKS IN A WORK
BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
To create a new Project Professional 2016 file, you must first enter the start date, and then enter the tasks.
The list of tasks, if entered properly, show the deliverables for the project in a work breakdown structure
(WBS) format. Deliverables can be broken down into activities to show more specific actions required to
complete the work. The file you create in the following steps could be used for a class project which lasts
approximately three months. It uses the project management process groups to reinforce use of several
project management deliverables described in this text.
NOTE: In this section, you will go through several steps to create a new Project Professional 2016 file
named 2016wbs.mpp. If you want to download the completed file to check your work or continue to the next
section, a copy is available on the companion website for this text at www.intropm.com. Try to complete an
entire section of this appendix (entering tasks in a work breakdown structure, developing the schedule, and so
on) in one sitting to create the complete file.
Creating a New Project File
To create a new project file:
1. Create a blank project. Open Project 2016 and click on Blank Project. A blank project file opens with a
default filename of Project1, Project2, and so on. (If Project 2016 is already open and you want to open
a new file, click the File tab, select New, and then Blank Project.)
2. Open the Project Information dialog box. Click the Project tab, and then click Project Information to
display the Project Information dialog box, as shown in Figure A-20. This dialog box enables you to set
dates for the project, select the calendar to use, and view project statistics. The project start date will
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default to the current date. Note that in Figure A-20 the file was created on 4/11/16 and a Start date of
5/2/16 was entered.
NOTE: All dates are entered in month/day/year or American format. You can change the date format by
selecting Options from the File tab. Click the date format you want to use in the Date Format box under the
General settings. You can also customize the Ribbon, change default currencies in the display, and so on
under Project Options.

Figure A-20. Project information dialog box
Creating a Work Breakdown Structure Hierarchy
A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a fundamental part of project management. Developing a good WBS
takes time, and it will make entering tasks into the Entry table easier if you develop the WBS first. For this
example, you will use the project management process groups as the main WBS categories and add some key
deliverables, activities, and milestones under each one. You will use the information in Figure A-21 to enter
tasks. For the first task, enter your name, not the text “enter your name.” Note that Microsoft Project uses
the term tasks instead of deliverables or activities or milestones, so it is also used in this appendix.
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Figure A-21. Task list for 2016wbs file
To develop a WBS for the project:
1. Enter task names. Enter the 30 items in Figure A-21 into the Task Name column in the order
shown. To not have the text wrap, click on the Format Tab, click Column Settings, and then click
Wrap Text to turn it off. Do not worry about durations or any other information at this time. Type
the name of each item into the Task Name column of the Entry table, beginning with the first row.
Press Enter or the down arrow key on your keyboard to move to the next row.
HELP: If you accidentally skip a row, highlight the task row, right-click, and select Insert Task. To edit a task
entry, click the text for that task, and either type over the old text or edit the existing text. Entering tasks into
Project Professional 2016 and editing the information is similar to entering and editing data in an Excel
spreadsheet. You can also easily copy and paste text from Excel or Word into Project, such as the list of
tasks.
2. Adjust the Task Name column width as needed. To make all the text display in the Task Name column,
move the mouse over the right-column gridline in the Task Name column heading until you see the
resize pointer , and then click the left mouse button and drag the line to the right to make the column
wider, or simply double-click to adjust the column width automatically.
This WBS separates tasks according to the project management process groups of initiating,
planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. These categories will be the level 2 items in the
WBS for this project. (Remember the whole project is level 1.) It is a good idea to include all of these process
groups because there are important deliverables that must be done under each of them. Recall that the WBS
should include all of the work required for the project. In this example, the WBS will be purposefully left at a
high level (level 3). You will create these levels, or the WBS hierarchy, next when you create summary tasks.
For a real project, you would usually break the WBS into even more levels and then enter activities to provide
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more details to describe all the work involved in the project. For example, each deliverable would probably
have several levels, activities, and milestones under it. You can review other texts, template files, or other
WBSs for more information. This appendix focuses on the mechanics of using Project Professional 2016.
Creating Summary Tasks
After entering the items listed in Figure A-21 into the Entry table, the next step is to show the WBS levels by
creating summary tasks. The summary tasks in this example are Tasks 1 (initiating), 9 (planning), 14
(executing), 21 (monitoring and controlling), and 27 (closing). Task 15 (Deliverable 1) under executing is also
a summary task with Activity D1 and Activity D2 under it. You create summary tasks by highlighting and
indenting their respective subtasks.
To create the summary tasks:
1. Select lower level or subtasks. Click on the Task tab. Highlight Tasks 2 through 8 by clicking the cell for
Task 2 and dragging the mouse through the cells to Task 8.
2. Indent subtasks. Click the Indent Tasks button on the ribbon (or press Alt + Shift + right arrow) so
your screen resembles Figure A-22. After the subtasks (Tasks 2 through 8) are indented, notice that Task
1 automatically becomes boldface, which indicates that it is a summary task. A collapse symbol appears to
the left of the new summary task name. Clicking the collapse symbol (filled triangle sign) will collapse the
summary task and hide the subtasks beneath it. When subtasks are hidden, an expand symbol (unfilled
triangle sign) appears to the left of the summary task name. Clicking the expand symbol will expand the
summary task. Also, notice that the symbol for the summary task on the Gantt chart has changed from a
blue to a black line with arrows indicating the start and end dates. The Task Mode has also changed to
make this task automatically scheduled. You’ll learn more about this feature later. For now, focus on
entering and indenting the tasks to create the WBS.
Expand or collapse symbols by
Summary tasks Indent Task Summary task symbol
Figure A-22. Indenting tasks to create the WBS hierarchy
3. Create other summary tasks and subtasks. Create subtasks and summary tasks for the other process
groups by following the same steps. Indent Tasks 10 through 13 to make Task 9 a summary task. Indent
Tasks 15 through 20 to make Task 14 a summary task. Indent Tasks 22 through 26 to make Task 21 a
summary task. Indent Tasks 28 through 30 to make Task 27 a summary task. Widen the Task Name
column to see all of your text, as needed.
4. Create another level in the WBS. Indent Tasks 16 and 17 to make Task 15 a summary task. Notice that
Task 15 is indented even further. On a real project, you would also break down the activities for other
deliverables.
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TIP: To change a task from a subtask to a summary task or to change its level in the WBS, you can
“outdent” the task. To outdent the task, click the cell of the task or tasks you want to change, and then
click the Outdent Task button (the button just to the left of the Indent Task button). You can also press
Alt + Shift + Right Arrow to indent tasks and Alt + Shift + Left Arrow to outdent tasks.
Numbering Tasks
To display automatic numbering of tasks using the standard tabular numbering system for a WBS:
1. Show outline numbers. Click the Format tab, and then click the Outline Number checkbox on the
right side of the ribbon. Project Professional 2016 adds the appropriate WBS numbering to the task
names. Note that you can customize the numbering format as desired.
2. Show project summary task. Click the Project Summary checkbox just below the Outline Number
checkbox. Scroll to the top of the file to see that a new task, Project 1, the name of the file, has been
added under row 0. Your file should resemble Figure A-23.
Outline Numbers Outline Number and Project Summary Task check boxes
Figure A-23. Adding automatic outline numbers and a project summary task
Saving Project Files without a Baseline
An important part of project management is tracking performance against a baseline, or approved plan. It is
important to wait until you are ready to save your file with a baseline because Project Professional 2016 will
show changes against a baseline. Since you are still developing your project file for this project, you want to
save the file without a baseline, which is the default way to save a file. Later in this appendix, you will save the
file with a baseline. You will then enter actual information to compare planned and actual performance data.
To save a file without a baseline:
1. Save your file. Click the File tab and then click Save, or click the Save button on the Quick Access
toolbar.
2. Enter a filename. In the Save dialog box, type 2016wbs in the File name text box. Browse to the
location in which you want to save the file, and then click Save.
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3. Close Project Professional 2016. Click the Close icon to exit.
HELP: If you want to download the file 2016wbs.mpp to check your work or continue to the next section, a
copy is available on the companion Website for this text, the author’s Website, or from your instructor.
DEVELOPING THE SCHEDULE
Many people use Project Professional 2016 for its scheduling features. The first step in using these features,
after inputting the tasks for the project, is to change calendars, if needed, and then enter durations for tasks or
specific dates when tasks will occur. You must also enter task dependencies in order for schedules to adjust
automatically and to do critical path analysis. After entering durations and task dependencies, you can view
the network diagram, critical path, and slack information.
Calendars
The standard Project Professional 2016 calendar assumes that working hours are Monday through Friday,
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with an hour for lunch from noon until 1:00 p.m. In addition to the standard
calendar, Project also includes a 24 Hours calendar and Night Shift calendar. The 24 Hours calendar assumes
resources can work any hour and any day of the week. The Night Shift calendar assumes working hours are
Monday through Saturday, from 12:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m. 8 a.m., and 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. You can
create a different base calendar to meet your unique project requirements.
To create a new base calendar:
1. Open a new file and access the Change Working Time dialog box. With Project Professional 2016 open, click
the Project tab, and then click the Change Working Time button under the Properties group. The
Change Working Time dialog box opens, as shown in Figure A-24.
2. Name the new base calendar. In the Change Working Time dialog box, click Create New Calendar. The
Create New Base Calendar dialog box opens. Click the Create new base calendar radio button, type
Fiscal as the name of the new calendar in the Name text box, and then click OK.
3. Change the fiscal year start. In the Change Working Time dialog box, click Options at the bottom of the
screen. Change the fiscal year to start in October instead of January. Review other options in this
screen, and then click OK twice.
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Figure A-24. Change Working Time dialog box
You can use this new calendar for the whole project, or you can assign it to specific resources on the project.
To assign the new calendar to the whole project:
1. Open the Project Information dialog box. Click the Project tab, and then click the Change Working Time
button.
2. Select a new calendar. Click the For calendar list arrow to display a list of available calendars. Select
your new calendar named Fiscal from this list, and then click OK.
To assign a specific calendar to a specific resource:
1. Assign a new calendar. Click the View tab, and then click the Resource Sheet button under the
Resource Views group. Type Adam in the Resource Name column, and then press Enter.
2. Select the calendar. Click the cell under the Base column that says Standard on the right part of the
screen for Adam. Click the list arrow to display the options, and then select Fiscal as shown in Figure A-
25.
Figure A-25. Changing calendars for specific resources
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3. Block off vacation time. Double-click the resource name Adam to display the Resource Information
dialog box, and then click the Change Working Time button, located on the General tab in the
Resource Information dialog box. You can block off vacation time for people by selecting the
appropriate days on the calendar and marking them as nonworking days. Click OK to accept your
changes, and then click OK to close the Resource Information dialog box.
4. Close the file without saving it. Click the Close box, and then click No when you are prompted to save
the file.
Entering Task Durations
Recall that duration includes the actual amount of time spent working on an activity plus elapsed time.
Duration does not equal effort. For example, you might have an activity that you estimate will take one
person 40 hours of effort to complete, but you allow two weeks on a calendar for its duration. You can
simply enter 2w (for two weeks) in the Duration column for that activity (called a task in Project Professional
2016).
Manual and Automatic Scheduling
If you have used older versions of Project, you may have noticed that when you entered an item in the Task
Name column, it was automatically assigned a duration of one day, and Start and Finish dates were also
automatically entered. This is still the case in Project 2016 (and Project 2013) if you use automatic scheduling
for a task. If you use manual scheduling, no durations or dates are automatically entered. The other big
change with manual scheduling is that summary task durations are not automatically calculated based on their
subtasks when they are set up as manually scheduled tasks. Figure A-26 illustrates these differences. Notice
that the Manual subtask 1 had no information entered for its duration, start, or finish dates. Also note that the
duration for Manual summary task 1’s duration is not dependent on the durations of its subtasks. For the
automatic summary task, its duration is dependent on its summary tasks, and information is entered for all of
the durations, start, and end dates. You can switch between automatic and manual scheduling for tasks in the
same file, as desired, by changing the Task Mode.
Figure A-26. Manual versus automatic scheduling
When you move your mouse over the Task Mode column (shown in the far left in Figure A-26)
Project Professional 2016 displays the following information:
• A task can be either Manually Scheduled or Automatically Scheduled.
• Manually Scheduled tasks have user-defined Start, Finish and Duration values. Project will
never change their dates, but may warn you if there are potential issues with the entered
values.
• Automatically Scheduled tasks have Start, Finish and Duration values calculated by Project based on
dependencies, constraints, calendars, and other factors.
Project Help provides the following example of using both manual and automatic scheduling. You
set up a preliminary project plan that’s still in the proposal stage. You have a vague idea of major milestone
dates but not much detail on other dates in various phases of the project. You build tasks and milestones
using the Manually Scheduled task mode. The proposal is accepted and the tasks and deliverable dates
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become more defined. You continue to manually schedule those tasks and dates for a while, but as certain
phases become well-defined, you decide to switch the tasks in those phases to the Automatically Scheduled
task mode. By letting the software handle the complexities of scheduling, you can focus your attention on
those phases that are still under development.
Duration Units and Guidelines for Entering Durations
To indicate the length of a task’s duration, you normally type both a number and an appropriate duration
symbol. If you type only a number, Project Professional 2016 automatically enters days as the duration unit.
Duration unit symbols include:
• d = days (default)
• w = weeks
• m = minutes
• h = hours
• mo or mon = months
• ed = elapsed days
• ew = elapsed weeks
For example, to enter two weeks for a task’s duration, type 2w in the Duration column. (You can
also type wk, wks, week, or weeks, instead of just w.) To enter four days for a task’s duration, type 4 or 4d in
the Duration column. You can also enter elapsed times in the Duration column. For example, 3ed means
three elapsed days, and 2ew means two elapsed weeks.
You would use an elapsed duration for a task like “Allow cement to dry.” The cement will dry in
exactly the same amount of time regardless of whether it is a workday, a weekend, or a holiday. Project’s
default calendar does not assume that work is done on weekends. You will learn to change the calendar later
in this appendix.
It is important to follow a few important rules when entering durations:
• To mark a task as a milestone, enter 0 for the duration. You can also mark tasks that have a nonzero duration as milestones by checking the “Mark task as milestone” option in the Task
Information dialog box on the Advanced tab. You simply double-click a task to access this dialog
box. The milestone symbol for those tasks will appear at their start date.
• You can enter the exact start and finish dates for activities instead of entering durations in the
automatic scheduling mode. To enter start and finish dates, move the split bar to the right to
reveal the Start and Finish columns. You normally only enter start and finish dates in this mode
when those dates are certain.
• If you want task dates to adjust according to any other task dates, do not enter exact start and
finish dates. Instead, enter durations and then establish dependencies to related tasks.
• To enter recurring tasks, such as weekly meetings, select Recurring Task from the Task button
under the Task tab, Insert group. Enter the task name, the duration, and when the task occurs.
Project Professional 2016 will automatically insert appropriate subtasks based on the length of
the project and the number of tasks required for the recurring task.
• Remember to change the default calendar if needed, as shown earlier.
Next, you will set task durations in the file that you created and saved in the previous section. If you
did not create the file named 2016wbs.mpp, you can download it from the companion Website for this text.
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Use the information in Figure A-27 to enter durations. The Project Professional 2016 row number is
shown to the left of each task name in the table.

Figure A-27. Task durations
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Entering Task Durations
To enter task durations:
1. Enter the duration for Task 2. Open the 2016wbs file, and move the split bar to the right, if needed, to
reveal the Duration, Start, and Finish columns. Click the Duration column for row 2, Stakeholder
identification, type 1w, and then press Enter. Notice that the duration for the first task, Initiating, also
changed since it is a summary task and is an Automatically scheduled task, as shown in the Task Mode
column. When you created summary tasks earlier, the software changed their scheduling mode to
Automatic. Also notice that the Start and Finish date for Task 2 remain blank, since that task is a
Manually scheduled task.
2. Enter the duration for Task 3. In the Duration column for row 3, Stakeholder register completed, type
0, and then press Enter. Remember that a task with zero duration is a milestone. Notice the milestone or
diamond symbol next to the date 8/1 that appears on the Gantt chart, as shown in Figure A-28.
Remember that you can adjust the Task Name column width to see all of the text and use the Zoom
slider to change the length of the Gantt chart bars.
Task Mode column
Figure A-28.
Entering task durations
3. Make all tasks automatically scheduled tasks. To save time because you do want most of the tasks to be
automatically scheduled, select all of the tasks by clicking the Task Name column heading, and then
click the Auto Schedule button under the Task tab, as shown in Figure A-29. Most of the durations
change to 1.
4. Enter remaining task durations. Continue to enter the durations using the information in Figure A-27 or
Figure A-30. Do not enter durations for tasks not listed in the figure. Notice that the Planning Wizard
dialog box displays when you make the same entry several times in a row, such as after task 20. Click OK
to close the dialog box. You can adjust the column widths and Zoom, if desired.
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Figure A-29. Auto scheduling tasks
Figure A-30. Entering more durations
5. Insert a recurring task above Task 26, Team meetings. Click Team review meetings (Task 26) in the Task
Name column to select that task. Click the Task tab, and click the Task button drop-down box, and
then click Recurring Task. The Recurring Task Information dialog box opens.
6. Enter task and duration information for the recurring task. Type Team review meetings as the task title in
the Task Name text box. Type 15min in the Duration text box. Select the Weekly radio button under
Recurrence pattern. Make sure that 1 is entered in the Recur every list box. Select the Thursday check
box. In the Range of recurrence section, click the End after radio button, and then type 12 in the
occurrences text box, as shown in Figure A-31. The new recurring tasks will appear indented below Task
26 when you are finished.
7. Delete row 39 to avoid redundancy. Right-click on row 39, then click Delete Task.
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Figure A-31. Recurring task information dialog box
TIP: You can also enter End by date for a recurring task instead of a number of occurrences. You might
need to adjust the entry after you enter all of your task durations and dependencies.
8. View the new summary task and its subtasks. Click OK. Project Professional 2016 inserts 12 team review
meetings subtask in the Task Name column. Notice that the recurring tasks appears on the appropriate
dates on the Gantt chart.
9. Adjust the columns displayed and the timescale. Move the split bar so that only the Task Name and Duration
columns are visible, if needed. Click the Zoom Out button on the Zoom slider in the lower left of the
screen to display all of the symbols in the Gantt chart. Your screen should resemble Figure A-32.
Figure A-32. All task durations and recurring task entered
10. Save your file and name it. Click File on the Menu bar, and then click Save As. Enter 2016schedule as
the filename, and then save the file to the desired location on your computer or network. Notice that all
non-recurring tasks still begin on 8/1/16. This will change when you add task dependencies. Keep this
file open for the next set of steps.
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Establishing Task Dependencies
To use Project Professional 2016 to adjust schedules automatically and perform critical path analysis, you must
determine the dependencies or relationships among tasks. There are several different methods for creating
task dependencies: using the Link Tasks button, using the Predecessors column of the Entry table or the
Predecessors tab in the Task Information dialog box, or clicking and dragging the Gantt chart symbols for
tasks with dependencies. You will use the first two methods in the following steps.
To create dependencies using the Link Tasks button, highlight tasks that are related and then click
the Link Tasks button under the Task tab, Schedule group. For example, to create a finish-to-start (FS)
dependency between Task 1 and Task 2, click any cell in row 1, drag down to row 2, and then click the Link
Tasks button. The default type of link is finish-to-start. In the following steps, you will also set up some other
types of dependencies and use the lag option to set up overlaps between dependent tasks.
TIP: To select adjacent tasks, click and drag the mouse to highlight them. You can also click the first task,
hold down the Shift key, and then click the last task. To select nonadjacent tasks, hold down the Control
(Ctrl) key as you click tasks in order of their dependencies.
When you use the Predecessors column of the Entry table to create dependencies, you must
manually enter the information. To create dependencies manually, type the task row number of the preceding
task in the Predecessors column of the Entry table. For example, Task 3 has Task 2 as a predecessor, which
can be entered in the Predecessors column, meaning that Task 3 cannot start until Task 2 is finished. To see
the Predecessors column of the Entry table, move the split bar to the right. You can also double-click on the
task, click the Predecessors tab in the Task Information dialog box, and enter the predecessors there.
Next, you will enter the predecessors for tasks as indicated. You will create some dependencies by
manually typing the predecessors in the Predecessors column, some by using the Link Tasks button, and the
remaining dependencies by using whichever method you prefer.
To link tasks or establish dependencies:
1. Display the Predecessors column in the Entry table. Move the split bar to the right to reveal the full
Predecessors column in the 2016schedule.mpp file you saved in the previous section. Widen the Task
Name or other columns, if needed.
2. Highlight the cell where you want to enter a predecessor, and then type the task number for its predecessor task.
Click the Predecessors cell for Task 3, Stakeholder register completed, type 2, and press Enter.
Notice that as you enter task dependencies, the Gantt chart changes to reflect the new schedule. Also
notice that several cells become highlighted, showing the Visual Change Highlights feature of Project 2016.
3. Enter predecessors for Task 4 and view the Task Path. Click the Predecessors cell for Task 4, type 2,
and press Enter. Click the Format tab, and then click the Task Path button under the Bar Styles
group. Experiment with the options to highlight Predecessor, Driving Predecessors, Successors, and
Driven Successors, and then click Remove Highlighting. Click the Tasks tab.
4. Establish dependencies using the Link Tasks button. To link Tasks 5 and 6, click the task name for
Task 5 in the Task Name column and drag down through Task 6. Then, in the Task tab, click the
Link Tasks button (looks like a chain link) under the Schedule group. Notice that the result is the
same as typing 5 in the Predecessors column for Task 6, as shown in Figure A-33.
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Link Tasks icon Predecessors Changes in Gantt chart
Figure A-33. Entering predecessors
5. Enter dependencies and lag time using the Task Information dialog box. Double-click on the Task Name for Task
5, Project charter, and then click on the Predecessors tab in the Task Information dialog box. Click in the cell under
Task Name, and then click the Task Name down arrow and select Stakeholder identification. Click the Type
drop down arrow to see the various types of dependencies. For this task, you will keep the default type of finish-to-start.
Click the cell under the Lag column, then type -50% and press Enter. (Lag means there is a gap between tasks,
and lead or negative lag means there is an overlap). Your screen should resemble Figure A-34. Click OK to close the dialog
box. Notice that the Predecessor column for task 5 displays 2FS-50%, meaning there is a finish-to-start relationship with
task 2 and a lag of -50%, meaning the task can start when task 2 is 50% completed.
Figure A-34. Entering predecessor information using the task information dialog box
6. Enter remaining dependencies. Link the other tasks by either manually entering the predecessors into
the Predecessors column, by using the Link Tasks button, or using the Task Information dialog box. Use
the information in Figure A-35 to make your entries, being careful to leave some of the predecessors
blank, as shown. If you have entered all data correctly, the project should end on 11/11, or November
11, 2016.
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Figure A-35. Predecessor information
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7.
Adjust several dates. You know that you have to deliver the two progress reports on specific dates. Click
on the Start dates for Tasks 24 and 25 and change those dates to September 2 and October 7. Also
change the Finish dates for tasks 22 and 23 to November 10 to be more realistic. Project 2016 will
display a yellow warning symbol to remind you that you are changing default dates, which is fine in these
examples.
8. Review the file. If needed, click the Zoom Out button on the Zoom slider to adjust the timescale so all
of the information shows on your screen. Collapse the recurring tasks for the Team review meetings.
When you finish, your screen should resemble Figure A-36. Double-check your screen to make sure you
entered the dependencies correctly.
Figure A-36. File with durations and dependencies entered
9. Preview and save your file. Click the File tab, and then select Print to preview and print your file.
Click Page Setup, and then click the option to Fit to 1 so it will print on one page, as shown in
Figure A-37. Be careful before printing any Project 2016 files so you do not waste a lot of paper. When
you are finished, click Save to save your file again. Keep the file open for the next set of steps.
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Figure A-37. File set up to print on one page
Gantt Charts, Network Diagrams, and Critical Path Analysis
Project Professional 2016 shows a Gantt chart as the default view to the right of the Entry table. As described
earlier in this text, network diagrams are often used to show task dependencies. This section explains
important information about Gantt charts and network diagrams and describes how to make critical path
information more visible in the Gantt Chart view.
Because you have already created task dependencies, you can now find the critical path. You can view
the critical tasks by changing the color of those items in the Gantt Chart view. Tasks on the critical path will
automatically be red in the Network Diagram view. You can also view critical path information in the
Schedule table or by using the Critical Tasks report.
To make the text for the critical path tasks appear in red on the Gantt chart:
1. Change the critical tasks format. Using the 2016schedule.mpp file you previously saved, click the Format tab,
and then click the Critical Tasks check box in the Bar Styles group, as shown in Figure A-38.
Notice that the critical tasks display in red in the Gantt chart. You can also quickly change the Gantt
Chart Style by clicking one of those options.
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Critical Tasks check box Gantt Chart Styles
Figure A-38. Formatting critical tasks
2. View the network diagram. Click the View tab, and then click the Network Diagram button under
the Task Views group. Click the Zoom Out button on the Zoom slider several times and watch the
view change. Figure A-39 shows all of the tasks in the network diagram. Note that milestone tasks,
such as Stakeholder management strategy completed, the fourth box on the top, appear as pointed
rectangular boxes, while other tasks appear as rectangles. Move your mouse over that box to see it in
a larger view. Notice that tasks on the critical path automatically appear in red. A dashed line on a
network diagram represents a page break. You often need to change some of the default settings for
the Network Diagram view before printing it. As you can see, network diagrams can be messy, so you
might prefer to highlight critical tasks on the Gantt chart as you did earlier for easier viewing.
Figure A-39. Network diagram view
3. View the schedule table. Click the Gantt Chart button under the View tab to return to Gantt
Chart view. Right-click the Select All button to the left of the Task Mode column heading and select
Schedule. Alternatively, you can click the View tab and click the Tables button under the Data
group and then select Schedule. The Schedule table replaces the Entry table to the left of the Gantt
Chart. Your screen should resemble Figure A-40. This view shows the start and finish (meaning the
early start and early finish) and late start and late finish dates for each task, as well as free and total
slack. Right-click the Select All button and select Entry to return to the Entry table view.
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Select All button Schedule table
Figure A-40. Schedule table view
4. Open the Project Overview report. Click the Report tab, and click the Dashboards button under the
View Reports group, and then click Project Overview to open the Overview Reports, as shown
in Figure A-41. Note that the report shows the milestones due and % complete. Examine other
reports, as desired.
5. Close the report and save your file. When you are finished examining the reports, return to the Gantt
chart view, and then click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar to save your final
2016schedule.mpp file, showing the Entry table and Gantt chart view. Close Project 2016 if you are
not continuing to the next section.
Figure A-41. Project Overview report
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HELP: If you want to download the file 2016schedule.mpp to check your work or continue to the next
section, a copy is available on the companion Website for this text at www.intropm.com.
Next you will explore some of the cost and resource management features of Project Professional
2016.
PROJECT COST AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Many people do not use Project Professional 2016 for cost or resource management. Some organizations
have more established cost management software products and procedures in place, and many people simply
do not know how to use the cost or resource management features. However, these features make it possible
to integrate total project information more easily. This section offers brief instructions for entering fixed and
variable cost estimates, assigning resources to tasks, viewing resource histograms, and entering actual cost and
schedule information after establishing a baseline plan. It also explains how to use Project Professional 2016
for earned value management. More details on these features are available in Project Help, online tutorials, or
other texts. See other chapters of this text for information on some of these concepts.
Entering Fixed and Variable Cost Estimates
You can enter costs as fixed or variable. Fixed costs include costs like a specific quantity of materials or costs
for consultants hired at a fixed cost. Variable costs vary based on the amount of materials or hours people
work. On many projects, human resource costs are the largest percentage of total project costs.
Entering Fixed Costs in the Cost Table
The Cost table allows you to easily enter fixed costs related to each task. You will enter a fixed cost of $200
related to Task 15, Deliverable 1.
To enter a fixed cost:
1. Display the Cost Table view. Open the file 2016schedule.mpp, if necessary. Right-click the Select All
button to the left of the Task Mode column heading and select Cost. The Cost table replaces the
Entry table to the left of the Gantt chart. Widen the Task Name column and then move the Split
bar to the right, as needed, until you see the entire Cost table.
2. Enter a fixed cost. In the Fixed Cost column for Task 16, Activity D1, type 200, and press Enter.
Notice that the Total Cost and Remaining Cost columns reflect this entry, and changes are made to
several summary tasks and the entire project as well. Your screen should resemble Figure A-42.
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Select All button Fixed Cost column of cost table
Figure A-42. Entering a fixed cost
Entering Resource Information and Cost Estimates
Several methods are available for entering resource information in Project Professional 2016. The Resource
Sheet allows you to enter the resource name, initials, resource group, maximum units, standard rate, overtime
rate, cost/use, accrual method, base calendar, and code. Once you have established resources in the Resource
Sheet, you can assign those resources to tasks in the Entry table with the list arrow that appears when you
click a cell in the Resource Names column. The Resource Names column is the last column of the Entry
table. You can also use other methods for assigning resources, such as using the Assign Resources button or
using the split window, which is the recommended approach to have the most control over how resources are
assigned because Project Professional 2016 makes several assumptions about resources assignments that
might mess up your schedule or costs. Next, you will enter information for three people and assign them to a
few tasks using various methods.
To enter basic information about each person into the Resource Sheet and assign them to tasks using
the Entry table and toolbar:
1. Display the Resource Sheet view. Click the View tab, and then click the Resource Sheet button
under the Resource Views group.
2. Enter resource information. Enter the information from Figure A-44 into the Resource Sheet. The
three resources names are Kathy, Dan, and Scott. The Std. Rate and Ovt. Rate for Kathy is 40, and
the Std. and Ovt. Rates for Dan and Scott are 30. Type the information as shown and press the Tab
key to move to the next field. When you type the standard and overtime rates, you can just type the
number, such as 40, and Project Professional 2016 will automatically enter $40.00/hr. The standard
and overtime rates entered are based on hourly rates. You can also enter annual salaries by typing the
annual salary number followed by /y for “per year.” Your screen should resemble Figure A-43 when
you are finished entering the resource data.
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Figure A-43. Resource sheet view with resource data entered
TIP: If you know that some people will be available for a project only part time, enter their percentage of
availability in the Max Units column of the Resource Sheet. Project Professional 2016 will then automatically
assign those people based on their maximum units. For example, if someone can work only 50% of his or her
time on a project throughout most of the project, enter 50% in the Max Units column for that person. When
you enter that person as a resource for a task, his or her default number of hours will be 50% of a standard
eight-hour workday, or four hours per day. You can also enter the number of hours each person is scheduled
to work, as shown later.
3. Assign resources to tasks. From the View tab, select the Gantt Chart button under the Task Views
group, and then click the Select All button and switch back to the Entry table. Move the Split bar to
reveal the Resource Names column, if needed.
4. Assign Kathy to task 2, Stakeholder identification. Click in the Resource Names cell for row 2. Click
the list arrow, click on the checkbox by Kathy, and then press Enter or click on another cell. Notice
that the resource choices are the names you just entered in the Resource Sheet. Also notice that after
you select a resource by checking the appropriate checkbox, his or her name appears on the Gantt
chart, as shown in Figure A-44. To assign more than one resource to a task using the list arrow,
simply select another checkbox. Note that Project Professional 2016 will assume that each resource is
assigned full-time to tasks using this method since the task is in automatically schedule mode. Also
note that you can use filter by Resource Names to only show tasks assigned to specific resources
after you enter the resources.
Filter Resource Names
Figure A-44. Resource assigned using the entry table
5. Assign two resources to a task. Click in the Resource Names cell for row 5 (Project charter). Click
the list arrow, then click on the checkbox by Dan and Kathy, and then press Enter. Notice that
both resource names appear in the Resource Names column and on the Gantt chart for this task, and
the task duration remains at 1 week.
6. Change the resource assignments. Click in the Resource Names cell for Task 2, Stakeholder
identification, click the list arrow, and add Dan as another resource. Notice that when you change
an original resource assignment, Project prompts you for how you want to handle the change, as
shown in Figure A-45. Click the Exclamation point symbol to read your options. In past versions
of Project Professional, resource additions would change schedules automatically unless the user
entered them a certain way. Now you have much more control of what happens to your schedule and
costs. In this case, we do want to accept the default of keeping the duration constant.
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Figure A-45. Options when additional resources are added to tasks
7. Review the cost table. Right-click the Select All button to the left of the Indicators column heading
and select Cost. Notice that costs have been added to the tasks where you added resources. Project
assumes that people are assigned full-time to tasks. It is showing a cost of $2,800 each for Task 2 and
Task 5. In the next section, you will see how to control resources entries even more. First, right-click
the Select All button and select Entry to return to the Entry table.
To control resource and work assignments using the Resource details window:
1. Open the Resource Form. Notice the red symbols in the Indicator columns for rows/tasks 2 and
5. Move your mouse over the symbol to read the message about resources being overallocated. Click
the Task Name for row 2, Stakeholder identification, click the Resource tab, and then click on the
Details button under the Properties group. A Resource Form is displayed at the bottom of the
screen, as shown in Figure A-46. Project Professional 2016 assumes every task is assigned full-time,
so since Kathy is scheduled on two tasks on the same day, it says she is overallocated.
TIP: You can right-click on the lower screen to see additional forms/views. You can click the
Select All button at the top right of the screen to view different tables at the top of the screen. You
want to make sure that resource and work hour assignments do not adjust your schedules in ways
you did not intend.
2. Make tasks 2 and 5 manually scheduled. Click the drop-down in the Task Mode column for Tasks 2
and 5 to make them manually scheduled. When you assigned resources, Project Professional 2016
assumed they were working full-time or 40 hours per week on each task. Because these two tasks
have days that overlap, there is an overallocation. You do not expect each resource to work that many
hours, so you can change them by using the Resource Form.
3. Change the number of Work hours. Select Task 2, Stakeholder identification in the top window,
and then click the Work column in the Resource Form window for Kathy in the lower part of your
screen. Type 10h, press Enter, and again type 10h and press Enter for the next task, Task 5, Project
charter, and then click the OK button. Click Next to see Dan’s Resource Form.
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Task mode indicator Change # work hours
Figure A-46. Changing Work hours for tasks
4. Enter additional work hours and review the Gantt chart. Change Dan’s work hours to 10h for Tasks 2
and 5 as well. Notice in the Gantt chart that the duration for Tasks 2 and 5 are still one week. The
overallocation indicator should now disappear because the number of hours has been reduced from
the default of 8 hours per day, or 40 hours for a 5-day task. To remove the Resource Form, click
Details on the Ribbon under the Resource tab.
5. Examine the new cost information. Click the Select All button, and then click Cost to view the
Cost table. Tasks 2 and 5 each show only $700 for Total Cost.
6. Close the file without saving it. Close the file, but do not save the changes you made.
Using the Team Planner Feature
Another way to assign resources and reduce overallocations is by using the Team Planner feature. Assume
you have two people assigned to work on a project, Brian and Cindy, as shown in Figure A-47. Notice that
Brian is assigned to work on both Task 1 and Task 2 full-time the first week. Therefore, Brian is
overallocated. Cindy is scheduled to work on Task 3 full-time the second week, and Task 4, also scheduled
for the second week, is not assigned yet.
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Overallocation indicator
Figure A-47. Overallocated resource
You can click on the Team Planner view under the View tab to see a screen similar to the top section
of Figure A-48. Notice that Brian has both Tasks 1 and 2 assigned to him at the same time. These tasks and
Brian’s name display in red to show the overallocation. Cindy is assigned Task 3 the following week, and Task
4 is unassigned. By simply clicking and dragging Task 4 straight up so it is under Brian in Week 2 and Task 2
straight down so it is under Cindy in Week 1, you can reassign those tasks and remove Brian’s overallocation,
as shown in the bottom section of Figure A-48. Many people will appreciate the simplicity of this feature, first
introduced in Project 2010!
Before moving tasks in the Team Planner View:
After moving tasks in the Team Planner View:
Figure A-48. Adjusting resource assignments using the Team Planner feature
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Using the New Resource Engagement Feature
If you are using Project Professional 2016 with Project Online, then you can take advantage of the new
resource engagement feature. Figure A-49 shows the Help screen explaining how it works.
Figure A-49. Using the resource engagement feature
Entering Baseline Plans, Actual Costs, and Actual Times
After entering information in the Task Name column, establishing task durations and dependencies, and
assigning costs and resources, you are ready to establish a baseline plan. By comparing the information in
your baseline plan to actual progress during the course of the project, you can identify and solve problems.
After the project ends, you can use the baseline and actual information to plan similar, future projects more
accurately. To use Project Professional 2016 to help control projects and view earned value information, you
must establish a baseline plan, enter actual costs, and enter actual durations. In the next series of steps you
will use a new file called 2016actuals.mpp that you downloaded from the companion Website for this text
(www.intropm.com).
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To save a file as a baseline and enter actual information:
1. Open the file called 2016actuals.mpp. The file should be showing the Cost table view. Notice that this
short project was planned to start on January 7, 2013 and end on February 13 of the same year, have
three resources assigned to it, and cost $11,200. Click the Project tab, click the Set Baseline button
under the Schedule group, and click Set Baseline. Your screen should resemble Figure A-50.
Set Baseline
Figure A-50. Saving a baseline
2. Save the file as a baseline. Examine the Set Baseline dialog box. Click the drop-down arrow to see
that you can set up to ten baselines. Accept the default to save the entire project. Click OK. Notice
that the Baseline column changes to have a light blue background color.
3. Display the Tracking table. Click the Task tab, right-click the Select All button and then click
Tracking to view the tracking table. Move your mouse over each tracking button in the Ribbon to
see what it does. Your screen should resemble Figure A-51.
Tracking table Tracking buttons
Figure A-51.
Using the tracking table and tracking buttons
4. Mark Tasks 2 through 4 as 100% complete. Click the Task Name for Task 2, Subtask 1 under
Main task 1, and drag down through Task 4 to highlight those tasks. Click the 100% Complete
button on the Ribbon. The columns with dates, durations, and cost information should now
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contain data instead of the default values, such as NA or 0%. The % Comp. column should
display 100%. Adjust column widths if needed. Your screen should resemble Figure A-52.
Notice that the Gantt chart bars for those three tasks now have a black line through them.
Figure A-52.
Tracking table information
5. Enter actual completion dates for Task 6. Click the Task Name for Task 6, Subtask 1 under
Main task 2, click the Mark on Track drop-down, and then click Update Tasks. The Update
Tasks dialog box opens. For Task 6, enter the Actual Start date as 1/28/13 (the same as the
Current Start date) and the Actual Finish date as 2/11/13 (ten days later than the Current
Finish date), as shown in Figure A-53. Click OK. Notice how the information in the tracking
sheet has changed.
Figure A-53. Update Tasks dialog box
6. View the Tracking Gantt chart. Click the drop-down arrow on the far left of the screen where it
says Gantt chart, and then click Tracking Gantt to quickly switch to that view. Move the split
bar and adjust column widths as needed. Use the horizontal scroll bar in the Gantt chart
window to the right (move the slider to the left) to see symbols on the Tracking Gantt chart. Use
the Zoom slider on the lower right of the screen to adjust the timescale so you can see all of the
symbols. Your screen should resemble Figure A-54. The blue bar for task 6 shows the actual time
you just entered. Notice that the delay in this one task on the critical path has caused the planned
completion date for the entire project to slip (now Feb 25 versus Feb 13). Also notice the
Indicator column to the far left. The check marks show that tasks are completed.
Completion indicator Tracking Gantt chart
Figure A-54. Tracking Gantt chart view
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7. Save your file as a new file named 2016actuals.mpp. Click File on the Menu bar, and then click Save
As. Name the file 2016actuals, and then click Save.
Notice the additional information available on the Tracking Gantt chart. Completed tasks have 100%
by their symbols on the Tracking Gantt chart. Tasks that have not started yet display 0%. Tasks in progress,
such as Task 5, show the percentage of the work completed (35% in this example). The project summary task
bar indicates that the entire project is 57% complete. Viewing the Tracking Gantt chart allows you to easily
see your schedule progress against the baseline plan. After you have entered some actuals, you can review
earned value information for the initiating tasks of this project. Of course you should continue this process of
entering actuals on a real project until it is completed and include the final earned value data in a final project
report.
VIEWING EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT DATA
Earned value management is an important project management technique for measuring project
performance. Because you have entered actual information, you can now view earned value information in
Project Professional 2016. You can also view an earned value report using the visual reports feature.
To view earned value information:
1. View the Earned Value table. Using the 2016actuals file you just saved (or downloaded from the
companion Website), click the Select All button, select More Tables, and double-click Earned
Value. Move the split bar to the right to reveal all of the columns, as shown in Figure A-55. Note
that the Earned Value table includes columns for each earned value acronym, such as PV, EV, AC,
SV, CV, etc. Also note that the EAC (Estimate at Completion) is higher than the BAC (Budget at
Completion) for Task 6, where the task took longer than planned to complete. Task 0 shows a VAC
(Variance at Completion) of ($3,360.00), meaning the project is projected to cost $3,360 more than
planned at completion. Remember that not all of the actual information has been entered yet. Also
note that the date on your computer must be set later than the date of a completed task for the data
to calculate properly.
Select All button
Figure A-55. Earned value table
2. View the earned value chart. Click the Report tab, and then click Costs under the View Reports
group, and then click Earned Value Report, as shown in Figure A-56. You can experiment with
different report options or click the link to Learn more about earned value, as desired.
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Figure A-56. Earned value report
3. Close without saving the file. Click the File tab, click Close, and select No when prompted to save
the file. You can also exit Project Professional 2016 and take a break, if desired.
Next you will use a few more features to help tie your project to other applications.
INTEGRATING PROJECT PROFESSIONAL 2016 WITH
OTHER APPLICATIONS AND APPS FOR OFFICE
Project Professional 2016 provides several features to make it easy to integrate with other applications. For
example, you can copy data between Project Professional 2016 and other applications (including the timeline),
or you might want to create hyperlinks to project documents created in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or other
applications from within your project files. You can also purchase and add new apps to Project 2016 from
Microsoft’s Office Store.
Copying Information between Applications
Most people are familiar with copying information between Office applications. For example, you can
highlight a column of data in Excel, select copy, and then select Paste in Project Professional 2016 or other
applications. You can also create a new Project Professional 2016 file from an existing Excel file by select
New from Excel Workbook. It is also easy to copy a timeline into another application.
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To copy a timeline:
1. Open another Project Professional 2016 template file. Start Project Professional 2016, and open a
template file, such as Residential Construction, as shown in Figure A-57. Notice the timeline near
the top of the screen.
Figure A-57. Residential construction template
2. Copy the Timeline. Click anywhere on the Timeline, and then click the Copy Timeline button in
the Copy group on the Ribbon, as shown in Figure A-57, and select For Presentation.
3. Paste the Timeline into PowerPoint. Open PowerPoint, change the slide layout to Title and Contents,
type “Project Timeline” as the title for the slide, and change the theme, as desired (Main Event is
selected here), and then right-click in the contents section and select Paste picture. Your screen
should resemble Figure A-58, showing the Project Professional 2016 Timeline in your presentation.
You can also paste the timeline into other presentation software, as desired.
4. Close the file without saving it. Click the File tab, click Close, and select No when prompted to save
the file.
Copy Timeline
Figure A-58. Copy Timeline
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Figure A-59. Timeline picture pasted into PowerPoint
Creating Hyperlinks to Other Files
Some people like to use their Project Professional 2016 file as a main source of information for many
different project documents. To do this, you can simply insert a hyperlink to other document files. For
example, you can create a hyperlink to the file with the stakeholder register you listed as a milestone in your
Task Name column earlier.
To insert a hyperlink within a file:
1. Open the 2016schedule.mpp file. Use the file you saved earlier or download it from the
companion Website for this text. The Entry table and Gantt Chart view should display.
2. Select the task in which you want to insert a hyperlink. Click the Task Name for Task 3, Stakeholder
register completed.
3. Open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box. Right-click in that cell, then click Hyperlink. The Insert
Hyperlink dialog box opens, as shown in Figure A-60. You will have different folders visible based on
your computer’s directory structure.
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Figure A-60. Insert hyperlink dialog box
4. Double-click the filename of the hyperlink file. Change the Look in: information until you find where
you have saved the files you downloaded for this appendix. Double-click the Word file named
stakeholder register, and then click OK. A Hyperlink button appears in the Indicators column to
the left of the Task Name for Task 3. (Note: If that column does not display, click the Format tab,
Insert Column, and select Indicators). Move your mouse over the hyperlink button until the mouse
pointer changes to the Hand symbol to reveal the name of the hyperlinked file. If you click on it, the
file will open.
Using Project Professional 2016 Apps
Microsoft has an Office Store where you can download special apps for Project Professional 2016. New apps
are added often.
To explore Project Professional 2016 apps:
1. Access the Office Store. With Project Professional 2016 open, click the Project tab, then click Store
button on the left of the Ribbon under the Add-ins group. The Office Add-ins dialog box opens, as
shown in Figure A-61.
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Figure A-61. Apps for Office dialog box (as of April 2016)
2. Explore the Add-ins. Read information about various apps, as desired.
3. Close Project Professional 2016. Click the Close icon in the upper right of the window to close the
application. Select No when prompted to save the file.
Synching with Project Server and Project Online
Recall from Figure A-1 that Project Professional 2016 is one of six different versions of Project 2016. One of
its features is that it can be synched with Project Server and Project Online to allow collaboration with team
members, PMO staff, and senior executives. Remember that individual projects are often part of programs
and portfolios created to support organizational strategy.
You have really just touched the surface of Project Professional 2016’s powerful features, but you
probably know more than most people who have this software! Consult other books, online resources, and
experts for more detailed information to learn even more about Project Professional 2016 and other versions
of Project 2016.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What are the six different versions of project management software offered by Microsoft? Briefly
describe how they differ and who uses them.
2. What are some unique features of project management software in general?
3. What are the new features of Project Professional 2016?
4. How do you create a WBS in Project 2016?
5. How do you enter task durations and establish dependencies between tasks?
6. How do you establish a baseline in Project 2016 and enter actual information?
7. What type of information do you see in the Earned Value table?
8. What are some of the reports built-in to Project 2016? Which ones do you think are commonly
used?
9. How can you access other application files from within Project 2016?
EXERCISES
1. To make sure you understand the information in this appendix, perform the steps yourself. Print out
the following screen shots or send them to your instructor, as directed. Remember that you can
download required files from www.intropm.com.
a. Figure A-11. Network diagram view
b. Figure A-16. Resource Overview report
c. Figure A-23. Adding automatic outline numbers and a project summary task
d. Create a new Project Professional 2016 file called general-wbs. Make the main categories
survey phase, design phase, and implementation phase. Include at least two deliverables with
at least two activities and one milestone under each of the phases. Use meaningful, fictitious
names for them. For example, you might have a deliverable under survey phase called survey
with activities called create survey and administer survey and a deliverable called survey
completed. Enter 0 for the duration of the milestones, but do not enter any durations for the
other tasks. Be sure to indent tasks and show the outline numbers before printing or
submitting the file.
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2. Continue performing the steps in this appendix, starting with the section called Developing the
Schedule. Print out the following screens or send them to your instructor, as directed:
a. Figure A-32. All task durations and recurring task entered
b. Figure A-39. Network diagram view
c. Figure A-46. Changing Work hours for tasks
d. Figure A-56. Earned value report
e. Continue performing the steps, or at least read them. Write a one-to-two page paper
describing the capabilities of Project Professional 2016 and your opinion of this software.
What do you like and dislike about it?
3. If you are doing a team project as part of your class or for a project at work, use Project Professional
2016 to create a detailed file describing the work you plan to do for the project.
a. Create a detailed WBS, including several deliverables, activities, and milestones. Also
estimate task durations, link tasks, add tasks to the timeline, and enter resources and costs,
assign resources, and so on. Save your file as a baseline and print it out or send it to your
instructor, as directed.
b. Track your progress on your team project by entering actual cost and schedule information.
Create a new baseline file if there have been a lot of changes. View earned value information
when you are halfway through the project or course. Continue tracking your progress until
the project or course is finished. Print or submit your Gantt chart, Project Summary report,
Earned Value table, and relevant information to your instructor.
c. Write a two- to three-page report describing your experience. What did you learn about
Project Professional 2016 from this exercise? How do you think the software helps in
managing a project? You may also want to interview people who use project management
software for their experiences and suggestions.
END NOTES
1Marketsandmarkets.com, “Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Market by Platform Type (Software and
Services), Deployment Type (On-Premises and Cloud), End User, Business Solutions, Industry Vertical, and
Region – Global Forecast and Analysis to 2020,” February 2016). Note: USD means U.S. dollars.