A Glossary of Useful Terminology for Microsoft Project Management

The purpose of this article is to go through the main components and terms used in Microsoft Project and make them easier to understand. Project planners speak in a short hand that often excludes even computer literate individuals.

Project software and project management is very jargon laden this article will attempt to simply key project jargon for a new user. I for one have seen a dozen people sitting around a project plan discussing whether the new WBS might help the variance between the baseline plan and the project actual only the project planner who was talking really knew what was going on.

What is a Project?

A project is any discrete set of interconnecting task with a defined start and end date. For example moving an office from location A to B would have a defined start date and a finish date culminating in a final launch party.

What are Tasks?

A task is any piece of work requiring effort. For example moving offices might require 4 hours of work effort.

Durations

Work and duration is not always the same thing. Monday to Friday I may have a five day task in duration writing a report but my intention is too only spend 50% of my time (work effort) on it.

Milestones

Some tasks have no duration. Mile stone tasks have zero duration. Let's say that during a project moving an office from A to B a decision needs to be made between two similar sites. This meeting to decide the location would be described as a stage or milestone. Milestone tasks are displayed by default in MS Project with a diamond shape.

Linking Tasks

Everyone understands the concept that one task finishes; let's say distributing boxes and the next one begins packing files. This is a linear of the world. The reverse is also true one task cannot finish until another has begun. For example the canary down the coal mine cannot retire until the new air monitoring system is up and running. It is also possible that two tasks could start at the same time. In the new offices one tradesman could be laying carpet tiles in the same room at the same time as a painter tackling the ceiling. Similarly two tasks could have a finish to finish relationship packing the furniture and computer might have a finish to finish relationship with each other in readiness for the next task of moving everything to the new office. A final possibility might be that two tasks have no logical relationship with each other but just need to be independently completed before the project is completed.

Format Time-scale

If a hospital was creating a template for the perfect heart bypass operation they would be working in hours and minutes but if London Underground were replacing an escalator they would be working in day, weeks and months.

Network Diagram

It is possible to view your project plan in many ways one is a network diagram which is a flow diagram to show how the tasks relate to each other

Gantt chart

This few shows the task names on the left hand side of the screen and displays the tasks as bars on the right hand side underneath a time scale. Gantt charts were initially named after a planner called Henry Laurence Gantt who worked as a mechanical engineer famous for his highly visual scheduling and monitoring diagram. Gantt Charts are drawn to display planned and actual project progress. A commonly accepted project management instrument these days, it was an innovation of world-wide significance in created while ship building during World War 1. Gantt charts were subsequently used to monitor large construction projects like the Hoover Dam started in 1931 and Terminal 5 at Heathrow in London.

Critical Path

The shortest route through a series of interrelated tasks. Should a task on the critical path slip then the end date of the project would be jeopardized.

Critical Path

Most projects contain a large number of tasks. The critical path is the order of tasks that must be finished for the project to be considered complete. This path dictates the final finish date of your project plan.

The critical path is not primarily a list of vital tasks. It is a specific sequence of tasks, each task depending on the last.

As the project progresses, different sequences might be named as critical. Consider a project with two vital task sequences which we'll call selecting the new office site and Moving in to new offices. At the onset, the first task is projected to take 9 months and the second is projected to take 6 months. Since the first task will take longer and is deemed as being on the critical path.

After three months work, should the first task perform ahead of schedule with a new estimate of 5 additional months more while the second has been delayed by three moths the latter task would now be on the critical path?

What is a Critical Task

The definition of a critical task is any task that with a change of duration may positively or negatively affect the end date of the project if delayed

Tracking the Critical Path

The Gantt chart and network diagram two classic views in MS Project will display critical tasks and links in red automatically to make these tasks easier to observe and report.

Slack Time

Total slack is the amount of time that lies off the critical path. In other words changes to the duration of these tasks may or may not affect the critical path.

Slack is the amount of time a task can be delayed and still be on schedule. A 5 day task with a 10 day deadline has 5 days of slack. A task with no slack is automatically critical. Imagine two tasks due to finish at the same time. Packing computer equipment with one day of duration and packing files with four days duration. If they both started at the same time the pack equipment tasks would have three days of slack.

Project Calendar

At its simplest this means remember to put in the bank holidays. Otherwise at a meeting when someone notices a task that may be should have happened on a Monday slips to the

Task Constraints

There are two main types of constraint in project called soft constraints and hard constraints. An example of a cost constraint would be when moving an office from A to B disconnect the computers as late as possible so people can still send and receive emails. No specific date in mind. As an example of a hard constraint imagine that when the office has moved the computers need setting up and you need to book in a network engineer. This would be an example of a hard constraint the work must be executed on that booked day.

Splitting Large Tasks

Some times a task name might be too general to manage. You might have a task called Selecting the site (duration 20 days). However, this could by split down into smaller tasks known as subtasks i.e. within the larger task Plan the move there might be smaller task to talk to a solicitor, draw up site layouts for prospective sites, check transport links etc. When linked din this way the major task is referred to as a summary bar.

Project Resources

These are the people, rooms, equipment, Materials that will be used or consumed by the project. These resources can be prioritized so that if for example a solicitor was over allocated work and expected to complete to reports each taking ( 8 hours) on the.

It would be possible to use different techniques to level out their workloads 

Resources also have calendars which can be used to enter their holidays and also any delays in their schedule caused by sickness for example.

Lags leads and Delays

When moving an office from A to B half way through the task of distributing boxes presumably some one has a box therefore packing could begin. Or you could say 1 hour into the task distributing boxes the task of packing could begin.

An alternative could be the new office is being painted so a lap or gap of 2 days might be left for the paint to dry before the new carpets are laid.

A delay is different to a lag. Imagine the painter were due to start painting on the Monday but didn't arrive on site to scheduling error until Tuesday this would be an unforeseen delay

Resource Driven v Fixed Duration

If it takes 1 day for a driver to get from London to Glasgow how long would it take two driver? Of course the answer is the same maybe longer if they chat. However, if two people are packing files instead of one you would expect the task to be complete quickly, the first example is fixed duration and the other is resource driven

Tracking & Baseline Plans

If you imagine your project plan is a boat race between Oxford and Cambridge. Your Boat is Oxford (the schedule what you have told your colleagues will happen) tracking allows you to create a second boat Cambridge which is what actually happened. Every task in your schedule is a boat with an alter ego boat to track what actually happened. You can see which tasks started and finished earlier or later than expected. This is called tracking the variance between the base line plan (the schedule you have set or announced and the actual outcome

Project Costings

It is also possible add cost information to both tasks and resources. It could be that distributing boxes as a task has a fixed cost of £1000 but the

WBS

Work breakdown structure is just a notation eg 1.1, 1.2 a number sequence next to the tasks to make it easier to understand.

This article is written by John Caulfield
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How to Speed Up Your Project Work By Using Project Management Templates

Project management is definitely not an easy task as one has to keep a lot of things in mind. Managing a big and complex project is no child's play and you need to manage and coordinate many things at the same time. You can face a lot of unexpected problems even if you try to keep everything organized. However, there is an easy way to keep all the work updated and coordinated so that everything remains organized making the work less hectic. You can use project templates to keep the work organized and reduce your burden. You will not have to keep a constant and regular check on the small details and this will save a lot of time for other important things. It is also known as the advanced planning stage before you start implementing the actual project. You will be able to plan the work in the right way and take it in the right direction without any kinds of issues if you use the templates on a regular basis.

Planning is considered to be the first and most important step of any project. Improper planning can lead to many problems and issues which can spoil the whole work. Many people tend to ignore planning which gives rise to problems like incomplete project or increase of the project cost and budget. Thus, it is important that you prepare a proper plan before starting the actual project work. Always make a list of all the important factors that you need to consider while implementing the project. There might be certain unexpected problems or circumstances and you need to make certain conclusions to deal with these problems which might come up at a later stage. Another advantage about planning is that it helps you work on the budget and eventually reduces the cost of the project.

There are many ways in which you can create an interesting plan for the project. You can do it with the help of flow charts and diagrams which makes the whole process less hectic. However, sometimes planning can also become a lengthy process as you have to consider many factors. You might also forget certain small details which will spoil the plan. The best way to solve this problem is using the readymade project management templates. You just need to fill out the information and distribute the copies amongst the team members. The templates are very beneficial for the planning process and help you plan out things like project completion in the stipulated time, delegation of work and remedies for the various issues that might come up during the project. There are many different types of templates available and you can choose one according to your requirements. Project management templates have many advantages and speed up the whole PM process.

We offer 184 Project Management Templates to Download & Free Samples. Visit the Offer Here

Benefits Of PRINCE2 And Other Project Management Templates

The Prince2 project is a form of a project management template program to help reduce the workload of employees. It is an integrated program that is divided into 45 different sub-processes that help to manage a project effectively and in a timely manner. The 45 sub-processes are mainly categorized into eight divisions that make up the entire template. These divisions are SU, PL, IP, DP, CS, MP, SB and CP stages. These are the Start Up, Planning, Initiating Project, Controlling Stage, Manage Project, manage Stage Boundaries and Closing Project stages respectively. Each of these stages helps to keep a desired project on track and help the employees to give quality work with comparatively less stress.

The benefits of using Project  management templates are many and thereby using such a template helps a lot. The main feature is that it helps give clarity and structure. Basically when working with too many projects at once you might not be able to give all the projects the same amount of attention. This can greatly affect your work. Also there are times when you might just completely forget about a project altogether. But by using a template you can easily keep track of all your assigned projects and the clarity achieved from that can help you figure out how much time will be required for each one giving you a sense of structure.

These can also hugely assist in the decision making process of any project. The templates, when finished, give a clear view of all the work done. Thus with everything clear and simple and all the data being in front of you, you are better equipped to make an informed decision. They also help to build self-confidence and morale. To see all the work finished in the assigned time frame helps the employee to feel that he or she is easily capable of doing all the work assigned. Also since the quality of the work is really good it further improves their feelings of self worth. When the employers see the work not only done but done well, their confidence in their employees increases substantially thus they are able to delegate better improving the quality of the overall output of the company.

The excess amount of work you have the more the pressure on you builds. In a high pressure situation you are more likely to make terrible mistakes. These errors can really hurt the project. But by using templates you are able to find a way to reasonably manage your time so that you are not stretched too thin yet you are able to give your 100% to all the projects.

We offer 184 Project Management Templates to Download & Free Samples. Visit the Offer Here

Three Basic Project Management Tools

The three basic tools we have as Project Managers to accomplish our project time, cost and objectives are Planning, Scheduling and Controlling.

While all are used in each phase of the Project Management Lifecycle, there are different degrees of intensity of each tool in each phase.

Project Planning begins the moment someone has a vision of your project. This could be yesterday by someone you know, or a team five years ago you have never met.

This then makes project management planning a touchy subject in many circles. Some say it's all about the task management after you get the project, and some say it's about how you go about your project management business.

I say all of the above, but let's also add that project planning has to include the documentation, communication and organization of how you need to manage a project within the culture of your organization.

It seems every organization has a business process that is considered a project management process by the senior management, but in fact, it's a business process that is designed as a vehicle for senior management to make decisions and follow your project's status.

That means that when the project is assigned to the Project Manager, the job is to implement the decisions of management within the time and cost given.

I have no problem with this kind of assignment, as long as management allows the Project Manager to take a few steps back and understand what had been decided and how the decisions were made. Fat chance though, if committees and matrix are part of the organization - and which organizations today are exempt from these resident evils to all projects!

Ok then Project Managers, we have to realize that a ton of planning has been done to our project prior to us getting it and we simply are not privy to all of the information. This then makes it imperative that our project management planning includes discovering what has been planned, who has planned it, why decisions were made and (with any luck) what politics were involved.

The first thing we must do is define who our Project Customer is, and as you know, that is the person (singular) who is accountable to the organization for our project and agrees with us to all time cost and objective issues.

This makes the Project Customer the owner of our project so that we can own the work of managing their project.

Now we must plan and execute an "understanding" meeting with our Project Customer to unearth all we can about the project.

Some questions to ask and get answered:

- Who's vision was the project? 

- Who's objectives are the project? 

- Is the time strategic, or has it been well defined? 

- Is the budget strategic, or has it been well defined? 

- Which of the three scope constraints (time, cost, objectives) is considered a variable? 

- What is the re-agreement process as objectives change? 

- Etc.

All these questions (and anything else you can think of) are fair game to the Project Customer as you strategically plan your Phase One - Concept/Feasibility.

After you get a better "understanding" of the project, your planning needs to move toward the functional team you have been assigned.

One-on-one meetings with all team members are mandatory because you will need to begin building a relationship of some trust with each member. Don't just rely on the fact that they have been assigned to your team to insure they will follow through with their tasks.

Plan on asking each of them the follow questions:

- Do you have time to be on this project? 

- Are you able to prioritize this project as asked? 

- Do you feel you have the skills necessary to accomplish your tasks? 

- Are you willing to be honest to your progress on your tasks? 

- Will you let me know immediately if your commitment to this project changes?

As a Project Manager, we must realize that our team members are more important than their tasks. Simply, if they don't do the task, for any reason, the task won't get done and the project will be late. The time you spend up front individually with each of the team members, involves each member into the decision making process and in turn creates commitment.

Now our planning calls for some objective definition.

Set a meeting with your Project Customer and your Project Team together and begin the discussion that will lead to your project's deliverables.

Poor communication is the number one reason projects fail, and can be the number one reason projects succeed. This is where it all begins, long before we start the execution phase.

What we have discussed today is how project planning has to include how we are going about our project management business. Many people argue that project planning is only about the tasks. I absolutely disagree.

A solid project management foundation will steer the project through a process that includes documentation, communication and organization that compliments any organizational business process.

It just takes a bit more planning on the Project Managers part to make it all work together.

We offer 184 Project Management Templates to Download & Free Samples. Visit the Offer Here

How to Speed Up Your Project

Project Handling in not an easy task especially if the project is a big one. You might try to keep yourself organized but there are chances when you can get messed up. However, there is an easy and efficient way to keep your work well updated and organized and that is using project management templates. Project templates can ease your burden of keeping a regular check on every small single detail of the project. It is a symbol of advance and intelligent planning and organization. Your project management work will seem to be very simple and you will be able to handle it in the right way with the help of templates.

Planning is the most important aspect of any work or project. Lack of planning can lead to many problems which might ruin the whole project. Some people simply overlook or ignore the whole planning process which leads to problems like incomplete project or their project work exceeds the estimated budget. Thus, it is important that you plan your work well in advance before starting any project. Take a piece of paper and make a list of all the important things you have to implement in the project. You might come across some problems while planning however, you will figure out some way to deal with them later. Planning will also help you save your resources and work in your budget which will eventually lead to a successful completion.

There are many ways to create a plan for the project like creating diagrams or flow charts. However, it can become very hectic as there are many aspects you have to plan for. Instead you can use ready made project templates where you just have to fill in the information just like you fill a form and distribute copies amongst your staff or members. These templates will help you in planning out important aspects of the project like completion of the project before the deadline, delegation of work and coming up with solutions in case you have any problems. There are several websites who offer these templates. You have to find out which template suits your requirements the best.

There are many advantages of project templates. They give a strong base and a good structure to your planning process. It is better to prepare it in a simple format so that everyone understands it. A well prepared template will boost the confidence level of the staff and members and also enable decision making. It will maintain your focus on the project and guide you the next level if you have lost track of what you were doing. It will also speed up the entire process which will save a lot of time. The templates will also help in ensuring that there is proper communication between the members and the staff as lack of communication can affect the project adversely.

We offer 184 Project Management Templates to Download & Free Samples. Visit the Offer Here

Top Ten Tips For Project Managers

A project manager is the person responsible for accomplishing the stated project objectives. Key project management techniques include creating and attainable project objectives, building the project requirements, and managing the triple constraints for projects, which cost time, money and quality. A project manager is often a client representative and has to determine and implement the exact needs of the client based on the knowledge the firm they are representing. The term ‘project manager’ has come to be used generically to describe anyone given responsibility to complete a project. However it is used more aptly to describe a person with full responsibility and having the level of authority that is required to complete a project. Here we look into some tips for the project managers. These tips are designed to provide them with an insight how to handle projects and a project team. This articles throws light on to how best to handle a project team and the best methods to illicit the best result from them.

Know your role: 

Project managers must understand truly what their role in the group is. Even though you may be the leader of the group, your primary concern must be the group itself.

Understanding the value of your employees: 

Project manager must realize that you are not a one man team, but that all of the employees must work as a group to create a successful project. Try to provide all the requirements that your employees need. Remove the obstacles they might be facing. So all in all work hard to help your employees complete their jobs.

Keep fairness in mind: 

Avoid playing favorites to certain people of your group or even putting your ambitions above that of the group. It is very important to keep up the morale of the group. If not, it will destroy the project management completely.

Respect your employees: 

Give due respect to your employees. Treating them badly or even criticizing in public is enough to undermine respect and confidence in them. In project management mistakes will occur, but you have to be tactful in handling these mistakes.

Utilization of your employee’s potential: 

Evaluate your employee’s potential and the areas in which he is strong in. Project managers utilize them in such a way that their strengths are used more, so that not only does your team benefit from this but also your employee’s confidence sky rockets.

Encourage success: 

When any member of your team achieves a very tough task, make sure that you appreciate it. Let the others know of this achievement so that it will be an incentive for them to achieve such accomplishments.

Give prompt feedbacks: 

Project managers must always be in touch with the progress that your employees make and respond to their work. This will blood better communication and productivity.

Make small changes: 

In a group, disparities between members are expected. Don’t expect people to change overnight. Change small things here and there, and you will achieve long term solutions.

Make mistakes as a stepping stone: 

When your team makes mistakes, support them and rectify it. Also take effort in pointing out where and how the mistake occurred. Make sure they learn how to recognize the mistake in the future.

Pull down your ego: 

If someone is better than you in your group, it is not a reason for jealousy. Project managers must understand that it is more helpful for your team. Ego and insecurities could shred apart your entire team and project apart.

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What Are The Good Things of Being a Good Project Manager

If you want to be a good PM then there are certain good rules that you must follow to be one. First of all if your company has its own project management techniques then follow it effectively, if not, read upon the latest advancements and choose the management technique that has been tried and successful in similar projects like the one you are working on. It is better that you have a person as your mentor who will be able to guide you in tricky situations, it is not weak to ask for help, on the other hand it is really beneficial to your project and your team. You should make ready every element like the necessary software systems ready so as to make your work better. You must not go in search of these elements when you are concentrating on the project. Templates can be useful too if you have already worked on such projects.

A project manager is a really high post where many people suffer because of the lack of leadership skills and also because they have a very bad team who will not listen to one word they are saying. PMs also have another problem, bosses who think they are superior and do not consider the PM or the project experts. In such cases the project management becomes weak and this leads to the failure of the project. In other cases when there is a good PM he will think of new ways to make his way with his team and also deal with the bosses in such a way which is beneficial for both of them. Being a PM comes with a very high social responsibility and it also comes with a level of dignity and respect among the team members. The leadership skills of a good PM spreads in the market like wildfire and his market value is constantly on the rise giving him a competitive edge over other competitors.

Create a plan that will be better for your project. This plan must be creative and also efficient in the same way. If you are making a plan it must not be superficial make it to believable terms. The next step is to communicate your plan to the stakeholders of the project like the clients, government, the management etc. Once these stakeholders give their consent for the project your job as the PM is to carefully manage and track the progress of the project. In case there is any problem in the project it should be reported to the project management immediately.

As the project manager one of your most important duties is to manage all risks and issues correctly. If you are fretting in the wrong moment with a problem it would destroy the whole project. The next step is that you should maintain the progress report of the project process carefully and constantly and submit it to the project management from time to time. This serves as evidence. The final and the most important thing is deliver the project on time and also just the way they like it.

We offer 184 Project Management Templates to Download & Free Samples. Visit the Offer Here