Project 2016 - Introduction

Lesson – Exploring Project

Project 2016

W ORKING WITH P ROJECT

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Discussion

Microsoft Project 2016 is a complete project management package. Use it to organize a plan, schedule tasks, assign resources and costs to tasks, adjust the plan to satisfy constraints, monitor actual performance, revise the plan to meet contingencies, and prepare reports to communicate the plan and keep everyone informed about current project status. A project is a unique undertaking with set start and end dates with the goal of providing or fixing a product or services to improve a company’s overall position. Projects are temporary in and constrained by time, resources, and costs. Project management involves the processes of initiating, planning/design, execution/production, managing and controlling, and closing a project. To achieve a successful outcome, it is critical to execute all five processes.

At the start, you define a project, state the overall objective, describe the desired outcome, and explain the project scope.

Planning/designing a project involves identifying tasks and estimating the amount of time needed to perform each task. In addition, you list available resources and the costs associated with each one during project planning. After identifying the tasks, resources, and costs, you can create a schedule. Schedule tasks based on factors like resource availability, time limitations, and the relationships between tasks.

Execution/production involves following the plan.

Managing and controlling a project means monitoring the progress of the project by making adjustments when necessary and communicating progress. The initial plan, called the baseline, is compared to actual events. The project manager evaluates the project for potential problems and prepares to offset any negative consequences. The project manager must continually ask questions such as:

• What delays have occurred? What can be done to minimize their impact on the project’s goals? • Are the resources completing the tasks in the allotted time? • Are the costs within budget?

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