Snyder - Project 2016 for dummies

Project 2016 For Dummies

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2016932541

ISBN 978-1-119-22451-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-22452-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-22453-2 (ebk)

1. Table of Contents

Over the years, project management has evolved from a discipline that began with index cards and yarn to one that now uses sophisticated analyses, techniques, projections, reporting, and time and money tracking. Project management software brings functionality to project management that makes planning and tracking the complex projects we undertake a little more manageable.

Microsoft Office Project 2016, the most recent incarnation of the worlds most popular project management software, offers a tremendous wealth of functionality to users. In the beginning, however, as with most software, mastering it can seem like a daunting process. It helps to understand how Projects features relate to what you do every day as a project manager.

In Project 2016 For Dummies, my goal is to help you explore Project 2016, providing information on relevant project management concepts while also offering specific procedures to build and track a Project schedule. More important, I offer advice on how to make all these features and procedures mesh with what you already know as a project manager to ease the transition to using Project 2016.

Here are some broad topics that I help you explore in this book. You can

• Start out in Project 2016 by entering tasks and dependencies, estimating durations, and working with views
• Work with resources, calendars, and costs
• Negotiate constraints, fine-tune the schedule, and set a baseline
• Gather data, analyze progress, take corrective actions, and report project status

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If youre reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as its noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesnt exist. If youre reading this as an e-book, youve got it easy just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Ive made some assumptions about you, gentle reader. I figure that youre computer-literate and that you know how to use the mouse, the keyboard, software menus, and toolbars. I assume that you know how to use most common Windows functions (such as the Clipboard), as well as many basic software functions, such as selecting text and dragging and dropping items with the mouse.

I also assume that you have experience in managing projects. Whether you manage very large projects that are several years long or you have been a team lead on a project, the information in this book is more accessible if you have a background in project management.

I do not assume that youve used Project or any other project management software. If youre new to Project, youll find what you need to get up to speed, including information on how Project works, finding your way around the Project interface, and building your first Project plan. If youve used an earlier version of Project, youll find out about Project 2016 and all the new features it provides.

One picture is worth well, you know. Thats why For Dummies books use icons to provide visual clues to whats going on. Essentially, icons call your attention to bits of special information that may well make your life easier. The following icons are used in this book.

The Remember icon signals either a pertinent fact that relates to what youre reading at the time (but is also mentioned elsewhere in the book) or a reiteration of a particularly important piece of information thats, well, worth repeating.

Tips are the advice columns of computer books: They offer sage advice, a bit more information about topics under discussion that may be of interest, or ways to do things a bit more efficiently.

Warning icons spell trouble with a capital T: When you see a warning, read it. If youre not careful, you might do something at this point that could cause disaster.

In addition to the material in the print or e-book youre reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web:

• Cheat Sheet: The cheat sheet has lots of shortcuts and other nifty tips and tricks. You can find the Cheat Sheet at