Project 2016 - Introduction

Lesson – Organizing Tasks

Project 2016

O UTLINING T ASKS



Discussion

Tasks can be organized into an outline in any view that includes a task sheet. Creating an outline allows you to view easily a project’s structure. Group related tasks together to identify the project’s major phases.

When you arrange tasks in an outline, you create summary tasks and subtasks. Summary tasks summarize the cost, work, and scheduling information of other tasks. The duration of a summary task is the span of time between the earliest start date and the latest finish date of all subtasks. The Gantt bar for a summary task has inverted triangles at both ends and extends from the earliest start date to the latest finish date of its subtasks. Subtasks are tasks that are indented below a summary task. When you indent a task, the task above the indented tasks becomes the summary task. When subtask information changes, the summary task changes as well.

In addition to creating summary tasks to represent phases in a project, you can display a project summary task. A project summary task summarizes information for all project tasks.

You can view only the summary tasks or expand them to view all subtasks. Link the summary tasks to clearly see the project relationships. In addition, you can view the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The WBS is a hierarchical organization of tasks that use codes to show which tasks are required to complete the next highest level of tasks.

I NDENTING AND O UTDENTING T ASKS



Discussion

To create an outline, you need to decide which tasks are subtasks and which are summary tasks. Subtasks are related tasks indented below a summary task. The summary task summarizes information about the subtasks, and is usually a critical step or phase in a project. In addition to subtasks, summary tasks can include other summary tasks, called a subphase.

Page 58

OFFICEPRO, Inc.