Project is not part of the standard Office package but is part of the Microsoft suite of main line business applications.
It is a very useful tool that can be used for project planning and scheduling and so “runs rings” around Excel in this area.

Project isn’t a particularly easy package to train yourself in from scratch as there are a number of key initial steps that you need to do before you can create your plan; unlike Excel and Word where you can pick up some basic skills in these packages without training.

If you are ever involved with any of the following areas, Project could be just the package for you:

• Responsible for the success of projects going in on time
• Managing people and projects (big or small)
• Involved with scheduling of tasks of any kind
• Managing a set of tasks which are time or cost or resource dependent
• Want to be work smarter and neater for control of your work tasks

Excel has no scheduling capabilities for tasks, resources or costs and Outlook Tasks are very basic and do not offer the same kind of analyses and so in these areas especially, Project offers much more in the creation of your plans.

Take a look below at some hints and tips that are found in our Project courses.

Five features to do first in Microsoft Project!

Before you start to build your project plan, always begin with the following set up activities:

1. Set a start date
2. Set working hours
3. Turn on auto scheduling
4. Setup working time and calendars
5. Switch on auto link on options

Creating links from Project to Excel

If you create a project plan in MS Project then you can export it to Excel so at least those without MS Project can see a basic outline of your tasks and resources and dates.

To find out more on Microsoft Office Training Project and about the 2 day MS Project course we offer, please contact us on johnlegge@jplcomputer.co.uk or browse our website for course content.

Why not take a look at our previous post on symbols in Excel?

The post Microsoft Office Training Project – why use it? Plus some hints and tips! appeared first on JPL IT Training Ltd.

MS Project is not part of the standard Microsoft Office packages that most people buy but it is part of the whole Microsoft suite of main line business applications. It is very useful for project planning and scheduling and “runs rings” around Excel in this area. It is not particularly easy to train yourself in from scratch as there are various key initial steps to develop before a plan (called a Gantt chart) can be built.

If you are ever involved with any of the following areas it could be for you:

• Managing people and projects (big or small)
• Managing a set of tasks which are time or cost or resource dependent
• Involved with scheduling of tasks of any kind
• Responsible for the success of projects going in on time
• Want to be work smarter and neater for control of your work tasks

Would Outlook Tasks or Excel work instead?

Outlook Tasks are very basic and do not offer the same kind of analyses. Excel has no scheduling capabilities for tasks, resources or costs. So even though you could use either of these packages, the features they have on offer are not as flexible and would not necessarily automatically adjust. Whereas a lot of the features in Project, as long as the initial steps are done, will automatically adjust if details are changed, for example dates or the length of time a task would take.

To find out more on this package and about the 2 day MS Project course we offer please contact us on johnlegge@jplcomputer.co.uk or browse our website for course content.

We have also written a number of hints and tips on all of the Microsoft Office packages including Project, looking at the interesting features that they all contain and how you can use them in your work. You can browse through any of these posts by looking on the hints and tips page or the news page on our website.

We hope you liked this post, why not take a look at our previous one on some lesser known features in Word?

The post Microsoft Project – why is it better than Excel for certain jobs… appeared first on JPL IT Training Ltd.