A tutorial on MS Project
James Burns
Outline
 Setting up MS Project
 Defining Tasks (activity definition)
 Activity Subordination (WBS)
 Activity Sequencing (network chart)
 Determining durations
 Determining costs
Setting up MS Project
 Your first task should be a PROJECT meta-task
 Everything (every other task) should be
subordinate to it
Must start with
 A list or tasks
 Or
 A Work Breakdown Structure
Defining Tasks
 This process is called Activity Definition
Can do it by developing the WBS down to work
packages
Can do it by use of template
Can do it by use of a list
Or just off the top of your head
Bring up MS Project
 Start in the Gantt View
 Set start date in Project Information box
Can do forward or backward scheduling
 Enter task detail in the entry table to the left
 Subordinate tasks appropriately
 Link Tasks as appropriate
Working from the WBS
 WBS’s utilize a standardized numbering scheme
 WBS Subordination is indicated to MS Project
through indentation
Use the indentation arrow
Click on Project and then Project
Information
 Brings up this window
Can download add-ons from
CriticalTools.Com
 To delineate (draw) the WBS
 To do PERT
 (Neither of which are available within MS
Project)
Setting hard and fast task dates
 Normally, this is not a good idea
 Do this on the entry table
Adding resources
 Resource sheet
Determining cost and duration
 Must enter the hourly rates of the PROJECT
PLAYERS into the RESOURCE SHEET
Tables
Reports
Microsoft Project
 Popular software package for project
management and CPM/PERT analysis
 Relatively easy to use
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Microsoft Project
Click on “Tasks”
First step;
Start Date
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Microsoft Project
Click on “Format” then ”Timescale”
to scale Gantt chart.
Create precedence
relationships;
click on predecessor
activity, then
holding “Ctrl” Key,
click on successor
activity.
Precedence
relationships
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Gantt chart;
click on “View”
to activate
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Microsoft Project
Click on “View” then
Network Diagram
Critical path
in red
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Microsoft Project – Zoom View
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Microsoft Project – Task
Information
Enter % completion
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Microsoft Project – Degree of
Completion
Activities 1, 2 and 3
100% complete
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Black bars show
degree of completion
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PERT Analysis with Microsoft Project
Click on PERT Entry
Sheet to enter 3
time estimates
Click on PERT
calculator to compute
activity duration
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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PERT Analysis with Microsoft Project
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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PERT Analysis with Microsoft Project
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Project
Crashing Crashing

reducing project time by expending additional resources

Crash time
an amount of time an activity is reduced

Crash cost
cost of reducing activity time

Goal
reduce project duration at minimum cost
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Project Network – Building a House
4
2
8
12
7
4
1
12
3
4
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
5
4
6
4
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Normal Time and Cost
vs. Crash Time and Cost
$7,000 –
$6,000 –
Crash cost
$5,000 –
Crashed activity
Slope = crash cost per week
$4,000 –
$3,000 –
$2,000 –
Normal activity
Normal cost
$1,000 –
Normal time
Crash time
–
0
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
8
|
10
|
12
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
|
14
Weeks
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Project Crashing
ACTIVITY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
NORMAL
TIME
(WEEKS)
CRASH
TIME
(WEEKS)
NORMAL
COST
12
8
4
12
4
4
4
7
5
3
9
1
1
3
$3,000
2,000
4,000
50,000
500
500
15,000
$5,000
3,500
7,000
71,000
1,100
1,100
22,000
$75,000
$110,700
CRASH
COST
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TOTAL
ALLOWABLE
CRASH TIME
(WEEKS)
5
3
1
3
3
3
1
CRASH
COST PER
WEEK
$400
500
3,000
7,000
200
200
7,000
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$500
$7000
4
2
8
FROM …
$7000
12
7
4
1
Project Duration:
36 weeks
12
$400
3
4
$3000
6
4
5
4
$200
$200
$7000
$500
TO…
Project Duration:
31 weeks
Additional Cost:
$2000
4
2
8
$7000
12
7
4
1
7
$400
3
4
$3000
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
5
4
6
4
$200
$200
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Time-Cost Relationship
• Crashing costs increase as project duration
decreases
• Indirect costs increase as project duration
increases
• Reduce project length as long as crashing costs
are less than indirect costs
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Time-Cost Tradeoff
Minimum cost = optimal project time
Total project cost
Cost ($)
Indirect cost
Direct cost
Crashing
Time
Project duration
Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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