Develop Lazy Efficient Projects

My work requires me to use several software packages every day. And I have loved them all, because it makes life easy. If software or a computer can do it, why should I do it manually? Hence, MS project is one I used mostly. But I find that most of my friends are not very familiar with MS Project. The following is dedicated to my very close friends Sofi and Hamyd.

10 BENEFITS of MS Project;

1. Develop and maintain project: It allows you to plan, control and oversee all phases of a project. You can start off with establishing a project calendar which dictates the working hours of the project. Resources can be assigned to the tasks to control the effort and duration for each task.

2. Use Templates: Like all other software MS Project allows you to use templates. Even though, every project or business has different needs, common needs are addressed in these templates.

3. Use existing data: Use a list of tasks written down in excel, word or any other program, with few tabs/strokes and copying them into MS project. This can, then be developed to a project and maintained in MS project.

4. Generate Reports and Charts: Overview of the activities, progress and many more reports can be generated with only a few clicks (overview, current activities, workload, costs, assignments and also customized reports) if the data is entered properly. This allows tracking the status of all the activities/tasks.

5. Estimate Timelines: When a timeline is required, by focusing on the creation of tasks with either a low, medium, or high level of effort, you can quickly provide an estimate based on what you feel is the work required for the particular project.

6. Generate Mind Maps: This is very useful for facilitators and people with visual learning skills. When an MS Project file is opened using ‘Mind Maps manager’, a mind map (visual diagram) is generated which helps in facilitation.

7. Effectively communicate information: Easily present information in various formats according to the needs of stakeholders. You can format and print one-page schedules or other reports. Use the Copy Picture to Office Wizard to smoothly export Project data into MS Word for formal documents, Excel for custom charts or spreadsheets, or MS PowerPoint for presentations.

8. Track projects according to your needs: A predefined set of tabs helps you to track data (percent complete, budget versus actual, earned value, and the like) relevant to your needs. You can track project performance over the project lifespan by saving project snapshots in up to 11 baselines.

9. Manage scope of projects: MS Project can help avoid one of the major problems, Scope lags. When your project Sponsor/Customer approves your plan, you can save a Baseline for the project. This Baseline can be compared to the actual progress reports during the life of the project. MS Project draws attention to any lagging tasks and allows you to deal with them appropriately.

10. Comparison with other project: MS project has the ability to make apples-to-apples comparisons of the status of multiple projects and budgets.