Linking Tasks
 

This includes:
1-Relationship between tasks
2-Setting Links

Tasks are linked to each other by any of the following four relationships.
Finish to Start – means for two tasks A and B, B can start only after A finishes. Eg. Walls can be built only after foundations are over.
Start to Start – means B can start only after A has started. E.g. if task A refers to a friend getting paint and Task B refers to you painting the wall, then you can start painting the wall, once the activity of getting paints has started.

Organizing Tasks into Phases

in MS Project 2010

This video includes:

1-Add Phases to Tasks

2-Add Tasks to Phases

3-Outline View

Projects can be planned from top to down or from down to top. In the top- down approach, the major phases are entered first and sub- tasks inside the phases are then entered. In the other way, the detailed tasks are first listed out and then can be grouped into phases or summary tasks. A number of outline view options are available which allow viewing of tasks and phases at different levels.

Entering a milestone

This includes:

1-What is a milestone
2-Automatically marked milestones
3-Marking a new milestone

A milestone is a reference point based on which project progress can be monitored. MS Project defines milestones as tasks with zero duration. When we enter any task with zero duration, it automatically gets marked as a milestone. We can also manually mark the milestones. All milestones are denoted with a symbol in the chart view.

Estimating Durations

MS Project makes calculation based on the following formula:

DURATION = WORK / ASSIGNMENT UNITS

So, if a resource can complete a task by working for 8hrs. full time, i.e. 100% on a task its duration is 8 hrs. If the resource works only half day, i.e . 50%, the task duration becomes 16 hrs.

Entering Tasks

This includes:
1-Create a new task
2-Insert task
3-Adding task in Network Diagram View

The Project Plan is developed task by task. All tasks for a project are identified and entered in the task sheet in order. We can also insert tasks between existing tasks and delete any non-required task. Tasks are easiest to enter in Gantt view but can also be entered, inserted and deleted in other views like Network Diagram.

Entering project Properties
 

This includes:
1- Scheduling from a date
2- Setting Project Calendar
3- Project Priority

The basic information like the Start or Finish date from which we want to schedule a Project is entered in the Project Information Tab. The customized project calendar made for the specific project can also be set here. A priority can be set for the project. This means that if the project shares resources with another project what is the priority which has to be given to this project in sharing resources. If a project priority is set to 1000 (highest) its resources cannot be shared with other projects during resources level. 500 is a medium level setting.

Setting Non-Working Days

This includes: