As its name suggests, Microsoft Project is Microsoft’s project management application. The 2010 suite comes with a number of changes and improvements from the previous versions; hence if you wish to know how you can utilise this application to stay on top of your projects, the following section should be of great use!

GETTING STARTED!

Of course the first step is to install the Project 2010 application on your computer. This application does not come included in the standard Office 2010 suite, which means that you will need to purchase it separately. However to test whether Project 2010 is of use to you, you have the option of trying out the free 60-day trial offered by Microsoft. Here is the link for download:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/ee404758.aspx


MANAGING YOUR MS PROJECTS

Once the application is installed, you are pretty much good to go. You can immediately start entering the tasks, and task related information such as start and finish times, duration etc. Once these details have been entered, you will be able to view them in the form of Gantt charts to the right of your screen. Amending the task times can be easily done via the Gantt chart. Even turning a particular task into a sub task, or vice versa, is fairly easy to do.

Another feature that can be quite useful is the ability to manage personnel resources. It is extremely easy to add new people to the projects, as all you need to do is enter their names in the Resource Field. From the ‘details pane’ on the top ribbon you can also add and edit other relevant details pertaining to each member. The application allows you to add details such as their hourly wage, working times etc. You not only can mange your personnel resources effectively with the help of Microsoft Project, but also other resources such as materials etc.

This application also comes with a very handy Task Inspector, which immediately makes you aware of any conflicts or issues with the resource data you have entered. For instance, it may indicate that more personnel is needed, there is over scheduling etc. So with proper insights given by the Task Inspector, you should be able to find appropriate solutions.

You also have the option of generating a number of reports about your projects. And you might be glad to know that these reports can then be converted to PDF format, allowing you to share with your team members, regardless of whether they have Microsoft Project 2010 installed or not!

RELATED INFO ON MS PROJECT 2010

To find out other useful additions in Microsoft Project 2010, the following sourceswill be quite useful:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project-help/what-s-new-in-microsoft-project-2010-HA010354195.aspx?CTT=1

http://www.brighthubpm.com/software-reviews-tips/99407-getting-started-with-microsoft-project-2010/

Aakshey Talwar
Technical Writer