Microsoft Project is a popular tool for project managers and developers looking to keep their software projects on track and organized. In this guide, we provide some tips and tricks that can help you maximize your productivity and user experience when using popular project management software.
Top Tips for Microsoft Project
Below are some of the best tips and tricks to get the most out of Microsoft Project:
Create a manual task list in MS Project
You should have a detailed list of project tasks on hand before using MS Project to avoid scheduling clutter caused by forgotten tasks that you need to insert in the middle of a project.
While it can be difficult to list all the tasks that need to be completed for a project, this essential step can save you headaches later. To make it easier, try starting with a list of top-level tasks and breaking them down into smaller subtasks. Once you’re ready, you can enter the tasks into Microsoft Project and let it complete the scheduling calculations for you.
When making your to-do list, focus on their overall structure and how they relate. Avoid worrying about your dates or durations, as MS Project can perform those calculations automatically as long as the relationships between tasks are defined correctly. In fact, many suggest not entering dates or task durations into Microsoft Project when starting out, as it can only complicate things.
Create a work breakdown structure for project schedules
Project managers can simplify the tedious task of creating a project schedule by first creating a work breakdown structure (WBS). Doing so can help you break down complex work into manageable tasks and more accurately estimate how long it will take to complete those tasks. The WBS can also help project managers establish task dependencies and determine what roles are needed to complete each task.
To create a work breakdown structure in Microsoft Project, do the following:
- Navigate to Project service.
- Select the Projects option.
- Click on your desired project.
- Navigate to the bar at the top of the screen.
- Click on the down arrow next to the project name.
- Click on Work breakdown structure either EDT.
- Click Add task.
- Add the task by completing all the necessary fields.
- Click Save.
- Continue adding tasks until your EDT It’s finished.
When creating your WBS, you can bleed and exceed tasks to move them one below the other or to a different level to create the desired hierarchy.
Switch to automatically scheduled tasks in Microsoft Project
Users can avoid potential scheduling issues in Microsoft Project by making a small adjustment to the settings. Since PM software manually schedules tasks by default (you define the start/end date and duration) and does not calculate task dates automatically when you make a change to a predecessor, you will need to make the change yourself.
There may be times when you want to schedule tasks manually, but if you’re getting started with Microsoft Project, the best thing you can do is ensure that new tasks are scheduled automatically to avoid conflicts in the future. By doing so, you can harness the power of the software to schedule tasks based on calendars, constraints, dependencies, etc.
To avoid problems on the part of the Manually programmed default task mode in MS Project, do the following to change all new tasks to Automatically programmed:
- Go to Task eyelash.
- Navigate to the Schedule group and click Task mode.
- Click on Automatic programming.
Read: Project management software for developers
Establish a baseline for your projects
Most projects don’t go exactly as planned. This is why project managers need a baseas it gives them something to compare the progress or actual status of a project to. You can set up up to 11 baselines in Microsoft Project to see if you’re going in the right direction. The software gives you the option to set baselines for specific tasks or entire projects.
Once your project tasks and dates are established, do the following to establish a baseline:
- Navigate to the Project eyelash.
- Go to Schedule cluster.
- Click on Establish baseline.
- Click on Establish baseline again in the dropdown menu.
- Once he Establish baseline The window appears, you can select your baseline.
When setting your reference point, make sure your Reference Home and End of baseline Columns have been added. From that:
- Right click on your graph.
- Select Show/hide bar styles.
- Select Base.
- Select the baseline you just established.
Gray bars should appear representing your baseline and can be used to view any deviations.
Choose the right view for your project needs
Microsoft Project makes multiple views available to project managers so they can get instant insights into their software development team’s progress and make necessary adjustments on the fly to optimize workflows. Because these views offer different insights and meet different needs, you’ll want to make sure you choose the right ones for optimal efficiency.
Below is a breakdown of what some of the Microsoft Project views have to offer that should make them easier to browse, including Calendar view, Timeline view, Network diagram viewand Gantt chart view.
Calendar View in MS Project
Microsoft projects Calendar view Breaks down a project into sections based on dates. Use it to see what needs to be completed and when.
Timeline view in Microsoft Project
True to its name, Microsoft Project Timeline view organizes tasks on a timeline so project managers can see where a project is and identify any scheduling conflicts. He Timeline view allows you to insert notes and milestones into individual tasks, and you can edit them manually by dragging and dropping, adding colors, etc.
Network diagram view
If you prefer to analyze the data graphically, use the Network diagram view. Provides a graphical representation of projects and task dependencies, allowing you to see potential points where changes may be critical. He Network diagram view uses boxes or nodes to represent tasks. Each is connected by an arc or line to show how one task must be completed before another can begin. If you need to see task dependencies and critical paths so you can allocate resources accordingly to meet deadlines, the Network diagram view is right for you.
Gantt Chart View in MS Project
He Gantt chart view in Microsoft Project provides a quick overview of the project. It divides tasks into specific phases and places them on a schedule with start and end dates. Project managers in charge of complex projects can use the Gantt chart view to track projects, identify potential delays, and quickly adjust allocated resources. To get more information about the progress of your project, Microsoft Project allows you to filter Gantt chart data by resource, status, duration, etc. And you can customize your Gantt chart by color coding to make it easier to differentiate between different tasks.
Am I using all the features of Microsoft Project?
Project managers, developer leaders, and programmers can benefit from Microsoft Project by using its most popular features, including:
- Gantt charts
- To Do Lists
- Timelines
- Task assignment
- Track project progress
- Budget management
- Workload analysis
You can also use PM software to collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders, allowing them to view project status updates, provide feedback, access documents and reports, and more. To ensure that you are using the full list of Microsoft Project features, we recommend that you check out our Microsoft Project Review.
Final Thoughts on Tips and Tricks for Microsoft Project
In this Microsoft Project guide, we learned some tips and tricks to help project managers more effectively manage their programmers and software development teams. Those tips included choosing the right view, how to set baselines for projects, how to switch to automatically scheduled tasks, what is a work breakdown structure and what are the steps to create a WBS, and finally, why it’s important to create a list of tasks previous to configure your new project.
Looking for an alternative project management tool to Microsoft Project? See our summary of Alternatives to Microsoft Project for more options.
