MS Project Lab 2a and 3

Lab Aim
To add milestones to the project, which enable the project manager to check the project progress.
The lab also deals with time management, as it changes the start times of some tasks.

Lab Notes
Milestones: setting points in the project for progress checking.
Time management: adjusting task times

The Lab
1) Continuing on from last week

a) Open prac1.mpp from last session. Ensure that the Gantt chart view is on the screen.
b) Save as prac2.mmp
c) Change the timescale back so that the units of measurement on the middle tier are weeks
and on the bottom tier are days.

Change the Gantt change timescale

First select Timescale from the Format menu:

Change the settings as shown below:

Middle Tier TAB Bottom Tier TAB
2) Add Name to printouts
Before going any further, make sure that your name will appear on any printouts.
a) From the File menu, choose properties
b) Select the Summary tab

Type your name in the Author cell

c. Click OK

Add your name as the Author of the document

From the File menu, select Properties, then change like shown below

Align the Footer (for the printout):

a) From the File menu, choose Page Setup

b) Select the Footer tab
Select the Alignment section
Select the Left tab
In the General cell, select Author from the drop-down list
Click the Add button

c. Click OK
Check that you have done this correctly by clicking on the Print Preview button. Close
the print preview and close the Page Setup window.
3) Lag time
Although our project is happening in Hamilton, our business is actually run by a Chief Executive Officer who
is based in Wellington. He has now told us that once we have selected the options (WBS 1.4) we need to
refer them to him for the final OK.
He has promised us the go-ahead within two days of the options being selected. We could add another
task, with duration of 2 days, but the CEO is not really part of our project, so we will measure this delay in
another way: add in lag time between tasks 1.4 and 1.5.
Note:
Lag time refers to changing the start time of a task, so it starts later than previously decided.

Changing the lag time:

a. Select task 1.5
b. Select Task Information
right mouse click to select
c. Select the Predecessors tab
In the Lag column, type 2d (for 2 days delay)

d. Click OK

Changing Lead time

You need to make the Lag column a negative value when you want a task to start earlier

Note
Look in the Predecessors column for task 1.5
Check that it has recorded the lag time correctly.

You should now realise, when looking at the Gantt chart, that three other tasks have 1.4 as their
predecessor.
Changing the lag time:
a. Add the same lag time of 2 days to all of these tasks (1.6 & 1.7)

Result:
4) Lead time
In looking for ways to make up time for these two days that we have lost, we have realised that
task 2.2 Construct partitions can actually get started from day 3 of the predecessor task, 2.1 Lay
carpets. We will add Lead time to task 2.2. Lead time is the opposite of lag time, and it is
expressed as a negative lag time.

Note:
Lead time refers to changing the start time of a task, so it starts earlier than previously decided.

Changing the lead time:

a. Select task 2.2
a. Select Task Information
use the button on the toolbar (see below)
b. Select the Predecessors tab
In the Lag column, type -2d (to start 2 days earlier)

c. Click OK

Changing Lag time

Click the Task Information button like shown below

You need to make the Lag column a positive value when you want a task to start later

Result:
5) Milestones
You have already seen a milestone it is task 3.7 Move complete. Giving a task a duration of 0 days
automatically makes it a milestone that is, a marker that indicates a particular section of the project is
complete.
(Note that tasks with a duration can also be set as milestones but this is not recommended.)

Note:
A milestone is a task that triggers a checkpoint in the project. It lets the project manager know that
they need to check if tasks are being completed on time.
If tasks arent on track, the project manager can explore why and fix it.
They have 0 days duration

Add a milestone to the Construction section of our Gantt chart

It must have a predecessor of the latest-finishing task in that phase (the last task)

Add a milestone:
a. Insert a row after task 2.6
b. Name the task
Construction complete

Setting the milestone predecessor:

a. Click task 2.6 then 2.7 (new task)
b. Link the tasks together

Lab 2a Result:
MS Project Lab 3

Lab Aim
To add Resources to your project, this enables the project manager to view who is doing the task.
Later you will see how resources are related to costs and project scheduling.

Lab Notes
Creation of Resources is part of Human Resource Management.
Assign resources to the project tasks

The Lab
6) Continuing on from last week

d) Copy & paste prac2.mmp

e) Rename the file prac3.mmp
f) Open prac3.mpp and ensure that the Gantt chart view is on the screen.

7) Resources
The resources area of MS project refers to resources the Project will need in order to be completed.
In most cases these resources are people, however, there is the ability in this program to identify
material resources as well.

Notes
Adding a column in the resource sheet will show more information about the resources (people
involved in the project).

Open the Resource Sheet view:

c) From the View menu, choose Resource sheet

Or choose the Resource sheet button on the View Bar

Notes
A quick way to flick back & forth from different views, is to right mouse click on the blue bar (view
bar) that is placed to the extreme left of the screen.
8) Next you need to add a column to hold the job title information for the project
resources

Add a column:

a) In the Resource Sheet, click the Column labeled Type

b) From the Insert menu, choose Column
c) In the column definition dialog box which appears, enter values as shown:

d) Click OK

9) Add the projects resources

Notes
Resources can be people or equipment. They need to be added before assigning the resource to the
tasks in the Gantt chart.
If the column is not shown before, just leave it with the defaulted value.

Inserting the resources:

a) In the Resource Sheet, add the resources in the table below:

Resource Name Job Title Work Initials Std Rate Cost/Use Accrue At

Jim Bradley Manager work JB $50.00 $0 Pro Rata

Kate Williams Office Work KW $30.00 $0 Pro Rata

Manager

Fred Webby Builder Work FW $25.00 $0 Pro Rata

Rob Grant Builder Work RG $25.00 $0 Pro Rata

A1 Carpets Ltd Contractor Work A1 $500/d $0 Pro Rata

PC Install Ltd Contractor Work PCI $100.00 $0 Pro Rata

Ward Furniture Contractor Work Ward $100.00 $0 Pro Rata

Telecom Contractor Work Telecom $199 Start

Jones Transport Contractor work Jones $95.00 $0 Pro Rata

10) Assign resources to tasks method 1

Notes
Once the resources have been created, they need to be assigned against the project tasks.
There are at least 2 different ways to assign resources to the project tasks.
The first is shown below and the other is shown in task 8.

Assign resources to tasks:

a) Switch back to the Gantt chart view

Jim Bradley will do tasks 1.1 and 1.2, and Kate Williams will do task 1.3
b) To assign the task:
Click on task 1.1
Right mouse click on the task
select Task Information
c) Click the Resources tab
d) Click once in the first cell under Resource Name
e) From the drop-down list, choose the resource that you want (Jim or Kate)
f) Click OK
g) Repeat for the other tasks stated above

Notes

When more than 1 resource is allocated to a task, the resources must be selected before
clicking OK.
11) Change the names to initials

Notes
By default, MS Project attaches the full name of a resource to a task. It is often better to use just
initials, particularly on a small project, so the Gantt chart doesnt look too cluttered.

On the Gantt chart, the persons name appears next to the task.
It is possible to change the name to the persons initials.

Assign resources to tasks:

a) From the Format menu choose Bar styles

b) Make sure that Task is selected in the top half of the Bar Styles window.
c) Then in the bottom half of that window, click on the Text tab and see that Resource
Names are alongside Right (meaning that they are printed to the right of each task bar)

d) From the drop-down list in that cell, select Resource Initials

e) Click OK
 Result:

12) Assigning resources against tasks

Notes
Where you have several tasks together done by the same resource, it is possible to enter them against
the task at the same time.

Assign multiple resources to tasks:

a) Select all tasks 1.5 to 1.8

b) Right mouse click
c) Select & fill in the Task Information sheet just once
(notice that the window is now called Multiple Task Information)
d) Assign these tasks to Kate Williams
e) Click OK
Enter all the other Tasks shown below:

1.4 Select options Jim Bradley

2.1 Lay carpet A1 Carpets Ltd
2.2 Construct partitions Fred Webby, Rob Grant
2.3 Install cables PC Installers Ltd
2.4 Deliver furniture Ward Furniture
2.5 Install PCs PC Installers Ltd
2.6 Install phones Telecom

Notes
Task 2.2 has 2 resources assigned to it.
13) Assign resources to tasks method 2

Notes
You will assign resources to tasks using a different method.

Assigning resources to tasks:

a) In the Gantt chart view, select task 3.1

b) Click the Assign Resources button on the toolbar

c) Click on Jones Transport in the Assign Resources window and then click Assign

d) Leaving the window open, click on task 3.2 and assign Jones Transport again
e) Then continue on through the tasks listed below, until finished

Tasks:

3.3 Move desk contents Jones Transport

3.4 Install signage Fred Webby, Rob Grant
3.5 Order party food and drink Kate Williams
3.6 Party time! Jim Bradley, Fred Webby, Rob Grant

Notes
It is possible to select multiple resources at one time. This is shown in task 3.4 below.
Just click the 1st resource, then cntrl click the 2nd resource.

f) Close the Assign Resources window