Microsoft Project 2010 Step by Step

Authors: Carl Chatfield, PMP (Project Management Professional) and Timothy Johnson, MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional)
Publisher: Microsoft Press (www.microsoft.com/mspress)
For more information about the book, visit http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/Book.aspx?ID=13816&locale=en-us
Published: June 2010
ISBN 10: 0-7356-2695-2
ISBN 13: 9780735626959
Format: Soft cover, 560 pages (plus companion Web page from where practice files can be downloaded)
Price: $27.99

Successful Management of IT Projects with Microsoft Project 2010

In order to deliver IT projects on time and within budget, it is imperative that you have a practical system is in place for the ongoing management of those projects from their conception. One popular IT management system is Microsoft Project, and that particular system is covered in detail in the book appropriately titled "Microsoft Project 2010 Step by Step.” This book is suitable reading for either IT professionals new to Microsoft Project 2010 or those practitioners who have some experience with Project but who now want to increase their knowledge of it.

The book's two authors, Carl Chatfield and Timothy Johnson, both have the credentials and background necessary to write a book such as this. Chatfield is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and the User Assistance Manager for Project at Microsoft Corporation while Johnson, a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), is a technical editor with the Project User Assistance group (in addition, he is a former Project support professional).

The book begins with an introduction to Microsoft Project 2010 and contains an overview of the sorts of results you can expect to achieve with it. Examples include the capability to produce project plans at the level of detail required; the successful management of different aspects of projects such as tasks, costs, work, and resources; the flexibility to view data associated with a project in a number of different ways; and the functionality built into Microsoft Project 2010 that allows project data to be collaborated upon and shared with other professionals in your company or organization. This part of the book also highlights the new features that you will encounter if upgrading from either Project 2007 or Project 2003. It is reassuring too to read here that the book's two authors have "been working with Project since it debuted for Windows, and each version has offered something that made project planning and management a little easier. Project 2010 is a substantial update for desktop project management, and we look forward to showing you around."

Whilst reading about a subject, such as Microsoft Project 2010, undoubtedly increases your knowledge, it is much more empowering too if you can also put that knowledge into practice simultaneously. To that end, a collection of practice files accompanies this book – these files are available as Web downloads. These practice files can be used with both the Professional and Standard versions of Microsoft Project 2010. Note though that the Microsoft Project 2010 software itself has to be purchased independently of the book. Once you have purchased the book, you can then gain access to an electronic version of the book, for free, via a unique book access code that has been included towards the back of the book.

The remainder of the "Microsoft Project 2010 Step by Step" book is then divided into four major parts, with the first two parts respectively devoted to simple scheduling of projects and advanced scheduling of projects. The simple scheduling part of the book contains everything you will need to know to get started with Project 2010. After a guided tour of the software, you are then shown how to create a task list; how to set up resources and then assign those resources to tasks; how to format and share your project plan; and most importantly, how to track progress on tasks. However, if you are already using Project 2010, and therefore familiar with most of its features and functions, it is likely that you will want to skim the first part of the book and instead focus on the second part. This is where you can learn how to extract more out of the software, by reading the various chapters that explain how to "fine tune" task details, resource details, assignment details, and the project plan. There is also a "must-read" chapter that discusses getting a wayward project back on track.

The third part of the book has been reserved for specialized subjects. For example, in the chapter devoted to the application of advanced formatting and printing, you are shown how to format four different types of view: a Gantt Chart view; a Timeline view; a Network Diagram view; and a Calendar view. In the chapter about customizing Project, you can read about setting up different aspects of the software so that it matches your own preferred ways of interacting with it. For instance, by utilizing macros to capture keystrokes and mouse actions for later playback, you can significantly reduce a number of repetitive activities. Or you could take up the suggestion by the book's authors, Chatfield and Johnson, to "customize the Quick Access toolbar and ribbons in Project to include the commands and features that interest you the most." IT professionals working in larger companies and organizations will also want to tap into advice, contained in one of the chapters in this part of the book, that focuses on the consolidation of projects and resources. Two examples of topics discussed there include first, creating a resource pool to share resources across multiple projects, and second, looking at resource allocation across multiple projects.

The fourth, and final part of the book, consists of a series of four appendices. The titles of, and subject matter discussed in those appendices, are as follows:

• "A short course in project management": Before you can successfully manage a project, it is vital that you are fully conversant with the underlying principles of project management. In this part of their book, its authors, Chatfield and Johnson, have focused, as they say, "on the basics of project management, regardless of any software tools you may use to help you manage projects. While project management is a broad, complex subject, in this appendix we focus on the project triangle model. In this model, you consider projects in terms of time, cost, and scope." They emphasize that "succeeding as a project manager requires that you complete your projects on time, finish within budget, and make sure your customers are happy with what you deliver. That sounds simple enough, but how many projects have you heard of (or worked on) that were completed late, cost too much, or didn't meet the needs of their customers?"

• "Roadmap for developing your project and project management skills": It would be unwise, even foolhardy, to venture off on a major excursion without having a map to guide you. Likewise, it would be foolish to "jump straight into a project management role" without having a concrete plan in mind as to how you are going to fine tune your IT project management skills. In this appendix, Chatfield and Johnson offer some advice as to how to achieve that goal, for instance, by becoming involved in one of the many Microsoft Project User Groups (MPUGs) around the world. Or you may decide to formalize your project management skills via an industry recognized certification such as becoming a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) in the area of project and enterprise project management solutions.

• "Using the practice files if connected to Project Server": make sure to read through this appendix if your company is running Microsoft Project Professional and connected to Microsoft Project Server. It offers advice about changing account settings in regard to the book's practice files, as well as containing a short introduction that highlights the major differences between desktop project management (as detailed in this book) and Project Server-based enterprise project management.

• "Using 'Microsoft Project 2010 Step by Step' in a classroom: suggestions for instructors": this last appendix contains useful advice for IT instructors wanting to integrate the content of this book into an existing syllabus or lesson plans.

The book ends with a glossary in which descriptions are supplied for both commonly used project management terms and phrases as well as those that are specific to Microsoft Project 2010. Examples of these terms include "automatically scheduled task"; "inflexible constraint"; "project triangle"; "Standard base calendar"; and "throughput metric.”

In conclusion, I am in agreement with the book's authors when they state they designed their book to "lead you step by step through many of the tasks you're most likely to want to perform in Microsoft Project Professional 2010 or Microsoft Project Standard 2010. If you start at the beginning and work your way through all the exercises, you will gain enough proficiency to be able to create and work with a wide range of Project features. However, each topic is self contained.” In coming to terms quickly with software that contains lots of features and functionality, such as Microsoft Project, it is reassuring to have a practical guide nearby that you can turn to for insights and advice. The text, "Microsoft Project 2010 Step by Step", fulfills that role when it comes to helping you successfully manage projects with Microsoft Project 2010.