Learning Microsoft Project 2019: Streamline project, resource, and schedule management with Microsoft's project management software

Explore detailed explanations and examples to get up and running with the five phases of the project management lifecycle and integrate project management principles in a variety of projects

Key Features

• Explore various algorithms and the latest features of MS Project to organize and keep track of your projects
• Understand Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to improve productivity
• Apply real-world best practices and discover the tips, tricks, and pitfalls of schedule management

Book Description

Microsoft Project is one of the most popular project management tools for enterprises of all sizes thanks to its wide variety of features such as project scheduling, project budgeting, built-in templates, and reporting tools. Learning Microsoft Project 2019 will get you started with the basics and gradually guide you through the complete project life cycle.

Starting with an overview of Microsoft Project 2019 and a brief introduction to project management concepts, this book will take you through the different phases of project management – initiation, planning, execution, control, and closure. You will then learn how to identify and handle problems related to scheduling, costing, resourcing, and work allocation. Understand how to use dynamic reports to create powerful, automated reports and dashboards at the click of a button. This Microsoft Project book highlights the pitfalls of overallocation and demonstrates how to avoid and resolve these issues using a wide spectrum of tools, techniques, and best practices. Finally, you will focus on executing Agile projects efficiently and get to grips with using Kanban and Scrum features.

By the end of this book, you will be well-versed with Microsoft Project and have the skills you need to use it effectively in every stage of project management.

What you will learn

• Create efficient project plans using Microsoft Project 2019
• Get to grips with resolving complex issues related to time, budget, and resource allocation
• Understand how to create automated dynamic reports
• Identify and protect the critical path in your project and mitigate project risks
• Become well-versed with executing Agile projects using MS Project
• Understand how to create custom reports and make them available for future projects

Who this book is for

If you use Microsoft Office and are looking to use MS Project to manage your projects efficiently, this book is for you. Project managers or anyone interested in project management will also find this book useful. Basic knowledge of Windows UI and MS Office products is required.

Table of Contents

1. Project Management - the Essential Primer
2. Fundamentals of Microsoft Project
3. Initiating projects with Microsoft Project
4. Underlying Concepts of Microsoft Project
5. Resource Management with Microsoft Project
6. Work Breakdown Structure - the Single Critical Factor
7. Tasks - under the Microscope
8. Mastering Link Dependency and Constraints
9. Extended Customization - Tasks and Gantt Formatting
10. Executing Agile Projects with MS Project
11. Overallocation - the Bane of Project Managers
12. Baselines – Techniques and Best Practices
13. Project Tracking Techniques
14. Views, Tables and Customization
15. Resource and Cost Management
16. Critical Path Monitoring and Advanced Techniques
17. Project Reports 101
18. Reviewing Projects and Creating Templates for Success
19. Advanced Custom Reports and Templates
20. Book Conclusion and Next Steps
21. Appendix A - Using this Book as a Textbook
22. Appendix B - Available Fields Reference
23. Appendix C - Keyboard Shortcuts
24. Appendix D - Glossary

Srikanth Shirodkar leads online courses relating to Microsoft Project, on which more than 50,000 professionals from 150 countries have enrolled. With a broad range of experience in software delivery management, project and program management, and the design and architecture of software solutions, spanning high-transaction, enterprise-level applications to standalone product development, he has worked with a variety of software development methodologies, including ISV Product Lifecycle, traditional Waterfall, and Agile (Scrum and DSDM).

He has managed global projects and software applications, including one of the world's largest learning management system implementations for online structured higher education, with more than 400,000 students pursuing master's/bachelor's/certificate programs.