The ideal on-the-job reference guide for project managers who use Microsoft Project 2010 This must-have guide to using Microsoft Project 2010 is written from a real project manager's perspective and is packed with information you can use on the job. The book explores using Project 2010 during phases of project management, reveals best practices, and walks you through project flow from planning through tracking to closure. This valuable book follows the processes defined in the PMBOK Guide, Fourth Edition, and also provides exam prep for Microsoft's MCTS: Project 2010 certification. * Explains Microsoft Project 2010, the leading software tool for project managers * Shows working project managers practical ways to use Project 2010 on the job * Delves into project planning, tracking, reporting, and project closure, and explores best practices for all phases of planning * Reveals new software features, including tools that show what factors are affecting the schedule, a "what-if" scenario builder, and how slippages affect other aspects of the project * Follows processes and procedures from The Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), Fourth Edition * Covers the skill set required for the MCTS: Microsoft Project 2010, Managing Projects certification, so you can use this book for exam prep This valuable book follows the processes defined in the PMBOK Guide, Fourth Edition, and also provides exam prep for Microsoft's MCTS: Project 2010, Managing Projects certification. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Table of Contents:
Introduction xxiii Part I Getting Started the Right Way 1 Chapter 1 Project 2010 as an Enabling Tool for Project Managers 3 Why Do People Think Project Is Hard to Use? 4 Accidental or Not, Knowledge Is Important 4 Credentials Will Help Close the Gap 5 Is It Me, or Is It the Software? 6 When to Use Project 7 Projects Are Supposed to End Really 9 Projects vs. Product Life Cycles 9 Consider the Impact 10 Strategic Importance of Project 2010 12 Strategy Drives Projects 12 Working on the Right Projects in the Right Way 13 Improving Results with a Proven, Effective Approach 15 Planning, Communicating, and Tracking 16 Proven Effective over Time 16 Summary 17 Key Terms 18 Chapter 2 Mapping the Project-Management Process Groups to Microsoft Project 2010 19 Mapping Project to Your Methodology Will Increase Effectiveness 20 An Overview of the PM Process Groups 21 Initiating Processes and Project Usage 23 Planning Processes and Project Usage 26 Executing Processes and Project Usage 30 Monitoring and Controlling Processes and Project Usage 33 Closing Processes and Project Usage 35 Summary 38 Key Terms 38 Chapter 3 Overview of Enterprise Project Management 39 What Is EPM? 40 Enterprise Project Management Overview 40 Enterprise Standards and Controls 42 EPM as a Central Repository for Resources and Projects 44 Enterprise Resource Capabilities 44 Central Repository for Projects 47 When to Consider EPM 48 Understanding Roles within EPM 50 Executives and EPM 50 Resource or Functional Managers and EPM 50 Team Members and EPM 52 Project Managers and EPM 52 Portfolio Managers and EPM 54 Mapping EPM to PMBOK 55 Summary 56 Chapter 4 Getting Started and Setting Up the Microsoft Project Environment 57 Getting Started, and Moving Around Project 58 Welcome to the Ribbon 59 The Default Gantt Chart with Timeline View 62 Other Views 64 Using Project Templates to Get Started 67 Importing Plans from Excel 69 Key Options and Settings You Need to Know About 71 Manual or Automatic Scheduling 71 Project Summary Task and Outline Number 71 Scheduling Approaches and Default Task Types 74 Other Options 79 Working with Calendars 79 Creating New Calendars 79 Controlling Conversion Factors 81 Project Start- and End-Date Options 82 Displaying the Project Start and Current Dates in a Gantt Chart 83 Summary 84 Hands-On Exercises 86 Part II Planning Essentials 89 Chapter 5 Creating and Entering the Work Breakdown Structure and Task Arrangement 91 What Is a WBS, and Why Is It Important? 92 What Is a WBS? 92 Creating a WBS, and Its Importance to Project 93 Right-Sizing Your Plan 96 Progressive Elaboration and Defining Project Phases and Milestones 97 Determining Your Project Tasks and Milestones 99 Entering Your WBS: Phases, Tasks, and Milestones 100 Getting to Know the Task Name Column 100 Outlining (Indenting and Outdenting) Tools 102 Collapse and Expand: Show Outline 106 Managing Your WBS 107 Using the WBS Coding Tool 107 Conducting What-if Scenarios with Multilevel Undo 109 Summary 111 Hands-On Exercises 112 Chapter 6 Estimating and Entering Duration or Work 115 Estimating Duration vs. Estimating Work What s the Difference? 116 Estimating Duration for a Project 117 Entering Duration Estimates for a Project 118 Using the Task Information Dialog Box 125 Estimating Work for a Project 126 Program Evaluation and Review Technique 127 What Is PERT? 128 Summary 130 Hands-On Exercises 131 Chapter 7 Setting Dependencies and the Critical Path 133 Setting Dependencies 134 Understanding Dependencies 134 Dependency Types 135 Dependency Scenarios and Creating Networks 136 Impact of User-Controlled (Manual) Scheduling on Dependencies 139 Setting Dependencies in Project 143 Using Constraints and Deadlines 150 Constraints 150 Deadlines 154 Understanding and Viewing the Critical Path 156 What Is the Critical Path? 157 Calculating the Critical Path 158 Viewing the Critical Path and Slack in Project 159 Summary 162 Hands-On Exercises 163 Chapter 8 Assigning Resources and Costs 167 Setting Up Your Resource Pool 168 Using the Resource Sheet View 168 Sharing Resources across Projects 178 Assigning Resources and Costs 180 Using the Resource Names Column 180 Split-Screen View and Details 181 Assign Resources Function 187 Task Information 187 Team Planner (Project Professional Only) 189 Analyzing Resource Usage and Resource Leveling 191 Analyzing Resource Utilization 191 Resource Leveling 194 Summary 199 Hands-On Exercises 201 Chapter 9 Understanding the Calculation Engine for Automatic Scheduling 203 Six Factors that Drive the Calculation of Time (Dates and Duration) for Automatic Scheduling 204 Project Start Date 204 Calendars 206 Task Constraints and Deadlines 207 Task Durations 210 Task Dependencies 210 Resource Assignments and Task Types 211 Four Factors that Affect the Calculation of Cost 212 Standard and Overtime Rates 213 Cost Per Use 214 Fixed Cost 214 Resource Assignment Level 215 Switching from Manual Scheduling to Automatic Scheduling 217 Task Level 217 Summary-Level Impact 218 Summary 222 Hands-On Exercises 223 Part III Communicating and Reporting Essentials 225 Chapter 10 Understanding Views 227 Understanding Major View Components 228 Data Group 230 Other View Commands 234 Task Views 235 Accessing Other Views from the Gantt Chart 237 Timeline View 238 Task-Usage Views 240 Network Diagram 242 Calendar View 244 Resource Views 246 Team Planner View (Project Professional) 247 Resource Sheet View 247 Resource Usage View 249 Resource Form 250 Resource Graph 251 Summary 252 Hands-On Exercises 253 Chapter 11 Using Tables and Custom Fields 255 Creating Custom Fields 256 Custom Text Fields 257 Other Custom Fields 265 Using Tables and Creating Custom Tables 267 Using Existing Tables 267 Creating Custom Tables 271 Summary 279 Hands-On Exercises 280 Chapter 12 Using Filters, Groups, and Sorts 283 Using Filters and Highlights 284 Using Predefined Filters 284 Using Highlights 287 Creating Custom Filters 288 Using Groups 291 Built-in Groups 291 Custom Groups 296 Using Sorts and Auto-filters 298 Sorts 298 Auto-Filters 299 Summary 301 Hands-On Exercises 302 Chapter 13 Creating Custom Views, Formatting, and Reporting 305 Creating Custom Views 306 Key Elements of a View 306 Creating a Custom View 307 Formatting Text and Bar Styles 311 Formatting Text Styles 311 Formatting Bar Styles 313 Sharing and Sending Project Information and Reports 318 Enhanced Copy and Paste 319 Copy Picture 320 The Organizer and the Global.MPT Template 320 SharePoint Synchronization 323 File Types 324 Visual Reports 325 Summary 327 Hands-On Exercises 328 Chapter 14 Creating Master Schedules with Inserted Projects 331 Creating Master Schedules 332 Setting Up a Master Project File 332 Setting Up Cross-Project Links 335 Cross-Project Linking Options and Showing Links Between Projects 337 Critical Path Across Projects 340 Default Settings 340 Changing the Settings 341 Reporting and Analyzing Across Projects 342 Sharing Resources Across Projects 342 Analyzing Resources Across Projects 345 Roll-Up Reports 346 Summary 348 Hands-On Exercises 349 Part IV Tracking and Analyzing Essentials 351 Chapter 15 Setting and Maintaining Baselines 353 Understanding and Setting Baselines 354 Understanding Baselines 354 Setting a Baseline 355 Viewing Baselines 356 Tracking Gantt View and the Variance Table 356 Formatting the Gantt Chart to Display the Baseline 358 Maintaining Baselines 359 Clearing a Baseline 360 Rolling-Wave Planning with Baselines 361 Adding New Tasks After a Baseline Has Been Set 362 Resetting a Baseline 363 Multiple Baselines 364 Summary 366 Hands-On Exercises 367 Chapter 16 Updating and Tracking Status 369 Understanding and Entering Percent Complete 370 Different Types of Percent Complete 370 Entering Percent Complete 373 Understanding and Entering Actuals 375 Current and Status Date 375 Using the Status Date for Automatic Updates 378 Entering Actuals 380 Summary 389 Hands-On Exercises 390 Chapter 17 Variance Analysis and Taking Corrective Action 391 Understanding Variance 392 Types of Variance 392 Viewing Variance 393 Analyzing Variance and Taking Corrective Action 398 Understanding Slippage 398 Earned-Value Analysis 402 Understanding Earned-Value Techniques and Values 402 Using Earned-Value Analysis in Project 407 Summary 409 Hands-On Exercises 410 Appendix A Microsoft s Certification Program 411 How Do You Become Certified on Project 2010? 412 Tips for Taking a Microsoft Exam 413 Certification Objectives Map 413 Appendix B About the Companion CD 419 What You ll Find on the CD 420 Video Walkthroughs 420 PDF of the Book 420 Adobe Reader 420 System Requirements 420 Using the CD 421 Troubleshooting 421 Customer Care 421 Index 423