Microsoft Project Pro – Tips and Tricks

As a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), one of the topics I have the privilege of teaching is Microsoft Project Professional. Through the years, I’ve had many Project Management Professionals (PMPs), business analysts, and other professionals come to class a bit frustrated over how to use this powerful tool. Having spent many years working on technical projects for Hewlett-Packard and now Complete Computing, there are a few tips and tricks I wanted to share to help reduce any frustration with using Microsoft Project Professional – which is essentially a database platform with a scheduling engine. 

1. In most cases, don’t leave the default Task Type as Fixed Units. Pick a task type based on what you know or what you measure. In other words, do you estimate based on time or effort? For most of my customers, changing Microsoft Project to use Fixed Duration (most popular) or Fixed Work (close second) is much more appropriate. To change, Select File ~ Options ~ Schedule ~ Default tasktype (under scheduling options for this project). 
2. Tasks must be actions, or they are not tasks. Do try to build effort driven-based schedules/tasks. Define a common task type approach with your team. Defining tasks in different ways makes sharing and/or rolling up projects challenging. 
3. Never enter actuals in the following fields (Work, Duration, Start, Finish, Cost…). By entering actuals in those fields, you’re essentially using Microsoft Project as a glorified “to-do” list.    Always enter actuals in the Actual Work, Actual Duration, Actual Start, Actual Finish, Actual Cost... fields. 
4. Set up a “Startup View” to display % Complete, Work, Duration, Start, Finish… Create a “Tracking View” to quickly display and enter Actual Work, Actual Duration, Actual Start…  It is considered best practice not to modify the base or built-in tables or views – just customize!
5. Follow the 8/80 rule. Tasks between 8 hours (one day) and 80 hours (10 working days) are generally sized about right. Tasks shorter than one day might be too granular and tasks longer than two week might be too long to manage properly. Each task should reflect your project scope.
6. Avoid using constraints or plugging in hard dates – instead, use deadlines. 
7. Baseline only when planning is done and commitments to schedule, costs, and resources are obtained or contracted. Re-baseline only when changes to schedule, cost, and resources are agreed to (contractually) and only re-baseline those areas (not the entire project). 
8. Keep administrative activities out of your schedule. Place these in a “bucket task” such as a Project Management Task. Estimate how much of your time will be spent managing the project. Set this task as a Fixed Duration, manually assigned task (perhaps the first one).
9. Calculate the mid-point of your project - this is when you need "rally the troops" and recast the vision. The half-way point is where most projects die.  You've done too much work to go back, but you haven't gone far enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Think about it - do you have any half-completed projects at home?  
10. Best practice for getting the most out of Microsoft Project tends to follow this roadmap:

• Setup your “Startup View” and “Tracking View”
• Set Project Information and Calendar(s) (dates and other metadata)
• Create a Resource Sheet/Pool
• Enter Tasks
• Agree and then Baseline
• Track Actuals
• Report (often)