Succeed with Microsoft Project - Comprehensive Training and Resources
Microsoft Project Training when you need it
Microsoft Project is a project management software application that typically displays information in a Gantt chart.
It is used to assist project managers to develop project plans, assign resources to tasks, track progress, maintain schedules and analyse workloads.
Resources such as materials, equipment and people, such as tradespeople or developers, are assigned to tasks.
Once the project has been set up and is underway, Microsoft Project can then be used to produce progress reports and various other reports.
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Training
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We’ll work around you. Course times are completely negotiable but are typically
9:00am – 4:00pm.
Standard 1 Day Microsoft Project Courses
Standard 1 Day
Microsoft Project Course
Comprehensive training manual with exercise files. Lifetime post-course support.
Pricing from: $385 / per participant for Public courses.
Get up and running with the fundamentals of Microsoft Project, including creating a project, entering tasks, durations, constraints, resources and tracking of your project. You will also fine tune and report on the progress of the project.
Public Courses
Do you need Microsoft Project
Training for a Group ?
Any of our Microsoft Project training courses can be tailored to the unique requirements of your team. Our Off the Shelf courses are modularised with this option in mind, which means that you could mix and match from a selection of existing topics, or we can work with you to develop something specific to your organisation. Either way, we are here for advice on the best way to structure your customised training course.
To help you with your customised Project option, you can choose from our extensive list of course topics. We can then help you to assign the appropriate amount of content based on your training timeframe, and the best order of topics to ensure your training flows well.
Our aim is to help every participant gain valuable knowledge and skills.
Microsoft Project FAQ's Frequently Asked Questions
Microsoft Project FAQ's
Who uses Project and what is it used for?
Anyone who needs to manage, support and report on one or multiple projects.
Scheduling is one of the most critical tools required to manage a project to its conclusion. Microsoft Project allows you to schedule a project based on information you input about the overall project, the resources available and the individual tasks required to complete the project.
Project allows for budgets to be created at the task level, for such items as equipment, travel, and labour, and provides tracking of actual costs against estimates.
By assigning resources you create an association between specific tasks and the resources required to complete them. These resources can include the work resources (staff and equipment) and material resources (materials and supplies).
Some significant aspects of Project are:
- Scheduling
- Cost Control and Budget Management
- Resource Allocation
- Critical Path Analysis
- Quality Management
These are just some of the features of Microsoft Project.
Should I buy a Project for Dummies book or attend a Training Course?
Have you ever wondered why the Dummies books are so popular? Well, it’s probably because so many of us are self-taught, using Google to find out how to use a function, or we are shown how to use software by someone at work.
Although this can be useful, it also means we tend to spend a lot of time with trial and error, or we are just picking up somebody else’s bad habits.
Trial and error, unfortunately, involves a lot of error, and the bad habits you pick up will probably be passed on to the next person, so soon they spread across the business, meaning entire teams can end up working inefficiently.
At this point, you might head to the bookstore or do an online search to find a Microsoft Project for Dummies book to help solve some of those tricky issues.
That’s a step in the right direction, and we sometimes use reference manuals ourselves. The problem is that trying to learn by trial and error may cost you many times the cost of a good training course.
Our Project courses are designed to target the key features and tools included in the application to help you get back to work and apply them right away.
Why should I attend a Microsoft Project Training Course?
Attending a Microsoft Project course can help you to save time right away. You will be shown the best ways to use the application and you will learn shortcuts and tips that will continue to be of use long after your training course with Keystroke Learning has finished.
Typically, one of our experienced trainers will walk you through the features and functions of the software, then you will try them out on your own, with tips and guidance on getting the best out of the features.
We also encourage participants to ask lots of questions to help you get the most out of your learning experience.
You’ll receive a manual to take away at the end of the course, as well as exercise files so you can practice later, or just to jog your memory when you need.
What is a Gantt Chart?
A Gantt Chart is a timeline used as a project management tool to illustrate how the project will run.
Individual tasks can be viewed along with their duration’s, as well as the sequence of these tasks. You can also zoom out to view the overall timeline of the project and the expected completion date.
As the project moves forward, the Gantt Chart will adjust automatically based on the data input to display up-to-date project information. This can include new start and finish dates for incomplete tasks tracked against the original baseline of the project plan.
Gantt Charts can be used to communicate with your clients to give them a better understanding of the project and key milestones.
When should I start my project plan?
The process of creating a project begins before any work is done on a project, before the project schedule is set, and before tasks are even identified.
Creating a new project using Microsoft Project sets up the framework for the project plan and allows you to make decisions about how the project will be carried out when people will be working on it, and what factors are most critical during the project.
Building a project schedule is usually a team effort. For example, if you need a list of detailed tasks you will probably get input from your team. The same applies to create the links between the tasks, the duration, and estimates of work, as well as resource assignments.
What are Resources?
Resources include anything that is used to complete a project, including, equipment and other materials.
Microsoft Project uses three types of Resources:
Work Resources these are people and machines, and the time they require (hours, days, weeks, etc.) to perform the Tasks. Resources typically have rates associated with them.
Material Resources these are consumables such as bricks and mortar, fuel, concrete etc. These resources are time independent.
Cost Resources these are time-independent resources, such as airline tickets or work permits. Regardless of the length of time, the resource is used, it will be defined as a single charge per task.
What’s the difference between lead and lag?
Lead and Lag have a significant impact on the project schedule. Lag describes a required time between tasks.
In the Finish to Start relationship, this means that the second task cannot be commenced until a specified period of time has elapsed after the completion of the first task.
The most common example is concrete, in which a lag is inserted between tasks to allow the concrete time to cure before the next task can proceed.
A lead has the opposite effect on the schedule. Lead is the amount of time that a task can start before the completion of the first task. Schedulers sometimes refer to lead as a negative lag.
What are Base Calendars?
Microsoft Project uses calendars to identify working times and determine the availability of resources for work on your project tasks.
Project uses base calendars as a starting point for creating the other types of calendars. They can be thought of as templates.
Base calendars are used to enter details such as holidays, typical working hours, and any other organisation-wide calendar items.
If you enter a holiday or a change of working hours in your base calendar, those changes are automatically reflected in any other calendars using that base calendar.
Where to from here?
Your learning doesn’t stop once you have completed your course.
We hope you will continue your experience by taking some time to practice what you have learned and apply it to your own situation and environment.
If we have done our job well, you may be inspired to learn even more by attending another course. If you are looking for something other than Microsoft Project, we have a comprehensive range of courses available for you to choose from.
We are here to help, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any further advice.
