Fine-Tuning Task Details

Core Training for Microsoft Office Project 2003

Adjusting Tasks

1	To begin changing task relationships, on the Project Guide toolbar, click Tasks, and then click the Show/Hide Project Guide button.
2	To view information about a task, in the Gantt Chart view, in the Task Name column, double-click Reserve camera equipment.
3	To view the predecessors for this task, in the Task Information dialog box, click the Predecessors tab.
4	To enter a lead time, in the Predecessors table, click the Lag field for task 8, and then, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR, wait as -50% is typed for you, and then click OK.
5	To see how the lead time affects the scheduling of the successor task, on the Standard toolbar, click the Go To Selected Task button, as indicated.
6	Notice in the Gantt Chart that task 9 is now scheduled to start when task 8 is half complete. To change another task relationship, in the Task Name column, double-click Reserve sound equipment.
7	Notice that this task has a finish-to-start relationship with task 9. To change this, in the Task Information dialog box, click the Type field for predecessor task Reserve camera equipment, and then click the Type arrow.
8	To indicate that Reserve camera equipment and Reserve sound equipment should begin at the same time, in the list of relationship types, click Start-to-Start, and then click OK.
9	To begin creating a new recurring task, click the Insert menu, and then click Recurring Task.
10	To name the recurring task, in the Task Name box of the Recurring Task Information dialog box, press SPACEBAR, wait as Staff planning meeting is typed for you, and then press TAB.
11	To change the duration of the recurring task, press SPACEBAR and 2h will be typed for you in the Duration box.
12	To schedule this task to occur every Monday, under Recurrence pattern, note that Weekly is already selected, and click the Monday check box.
13	To change the date when the meetings will start, under Range of recurrence, click the Start arrow, and in the March, 2005 calendar, click 14.
14	To specify the number of recurrences of the meeting, click End after, and then in the occurrences box, point to the Down arrow and hold down the mouse button until 10 displays, and then click OK.
15	To see the first occurrences of the recurring meeting in the Gantt Chart, on the Standard toolbar, click the Go To Selected Task button.
16	To assign resources to the selected recurring task, on the Standard toolbar, click the Assign Resources button.
17	In the Assign Resources dialog box, click below the scroll box on the scroll bar, in the Resource Name column, click Clair Hector, and then click Assign.
18	To assign two more resources, click three times below the scroll box on the list scroll bar, click Lori Penor, hold down the CTRL key, and then click Syed Abbas.
19	To finish assigning the resources, in the Assign Resources dialog box, click Assign.
20	To close the Assign Resources box, click Close.
21	To view the individual occurrences of the recurring task, in the Task Name column, click the plus sign (+) next to Staff planning meeting.

Setting Task Constraints

1	To set task constraints, in the Tasks pane, click Set deadlines and constrain tasks.
2	To select the task for which you will set constraints, in the Gantt Chart view, in the Task Name column, click Scene 3 setup.
3	To choose the constraint type, in the Deadlines and Constraints pane, under Constrain a task, click the arrow next to As Soon As Possible, and in the list, click Start No Earlier Than.
4	To scroll down in the Deadlines and Constraints pane, click below the scroll box on the Project Guide scroll bar.
5	To select the date to which Start No Earlier Than will apply, in the Deadlines and Constraints pane, click the arrow in the constraint date box.
6	In the May, 2005 calendar, click 30 and then click Done.
7	To display the constraint details in a ScreenTip, hold the mouse pointer over the symbol in the Indicators field for Scene 3 setup.
8	To close the Project Guide, click the Show/Hide Project Guide button on the Project Guide toolbar.
9	To display the project’s critical path, click the View menu, and then click More Views.
10	In the More Views dialog box, click Detail Gantt, and then click Apply.
11	To display the Gantt bar for the Production summary task, in the Task Name column, click the Production summary task, and then on the Standard toolbar, click the indicated Go To Selected Task button.
12	In the Gantt Chart, critical task bars are red, and noncritical task bars are blue. To display the Gantt bars for tasks in Scene 7, click the plus sign (+) next to the Scene 7 summary task.
13	To display Gantt bars for the Scene 7-process dailies task, click the Down scroll arrow, click Scene 7-process dailies, and then on the Standard toolbar, click the Go To Selected Task button.
14	In the Gantt Chart, notice the indicated line, and the number next to it, which represent the task’s free slack. To display more information about the task’s slack, hold the mouse pointer over the indicated slack line.

Adjusting Work Times

1	To split a task, in the Task Name column, click Develop production boards, and then on the Standard toolbar, click the Split Task button, as indicated.
2	To locate the date when the task will be interrupted, move the mouse pointer over the Gantt bar of task 4, until Mon 3/21/05 displays in the ScreenTip.
3	To split the task, click the Mon 3/21/05 section of the task 4 Gantt bar, and drag to the right until Wed 3/23/05 displays in the ScreenTip.
4	To create a new base calendar so that you can apply it to a task that occurs at a nonstandard time, click the Tools menu, and click Change Working Time.
5	To create the new calendar, in the Change Working Time dialog box, click New.
6	To name the calendar, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR and the name will be typed for you in the Name field of the Create New Base Calendar dialog box.
7	To base this calendar on the standard calendar, note that the Make a copy of Standard option is selected, and click OK.
8	To change the working time for all dates from Monday to Friday, in the Change Working Time dialog box, in the Select Date(s) calendar, click on M and then drag the pointer to F.
9	To specify a new starting time in the calendar, in the upper From box, drag from left to right to select 8:00 AM, press SPACEBAR and wait as 5:00 PM is typed for you, and then press TAB.
10	To enter a new end time, press SPACEBAR, wait as 11:00 PM is typed for you in the To box, and then press TAB.
11	To delete time in the lower From box, note that the default text is selected, and then press the DELETE key.
12	To delete the time in the lower To box, drag from left to right to select the text and then press the DELETE key.
13	To finish creating the new base calendar, in the Change Working Time dialog box, click OK.
14	To display a task that must be done in the evening, click below the scroll box on the vertical scroll bar until Scene 2 shoot displays.
15	To display the Gantt bar for the Scene 2 shoot task, in the Task Name column, click Scene 2 shoot, and then on the Standard toolbar, click the Go To Selected Task button.
16	To apply the Evening Shoot calendar to the selected task, on the Standard toolbar, click the indicated Task Information button.
17	In the Task Information dialog box, click the Advanced tab, and then in the lower part of the dialog box, click the Calendar arrow, and in the list of calendars, click Evening Shoot.
18	To ensure that Project schedules resources according to the task calendar and not the resources’ own calendars, click the Scheduling ignores resource calendars check box, and then click OK.

Changing Task Types

1	To change the scheduling formula value, on the Project Guide toolbar, click Track, and in the Track pane, click Make changes to the project.
2	To change the duration for the task Review script, click the Duration field for that task, click the Up arrow until the field displays 1 wk, and then press ENTER.
3	Notice that a leveling indicator appears in the Task Name field for the task. Click on the indicator, and then click Resources will work fewer hours per day, so the task will take longer.
4	Note the assignment units value of each resource assigned to this task decreases to 50 percent. To change a task type, click the Edit menu, and then click Go To.
5	To enter an ID, in the Go To dialog box, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you, and then click OK.
6	On the Standard toolbar, click the indicated Task Information button, and in the Task Information dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
7	To select a task type, in the Task Information dialog box, click the Task type arrow and select Fixed Duration.
8	To adjust the assignment values for some resources, click the Resources tab, click the Units field for Mark Hassall, click the Down arrow until 50% displays, and then press ENTER.
9	In the Units field for Syed Abbas, click the Down arrow until the field displays 50%, and then to confirm the assignment values in the Task Information dialog box, click OK.

Entering Deadline Dates and Fixed Costs

1	To begin entering an ID, note that the milestone task, Pre-Production complete is selected, and in the Tasks pane, click the Set deadlines and constrain tasks link.
2	To ensure that the pre-production tasks conclude by May 27, 2005, in the Deadlines and Constraints pane, under Set a deadline, click the date box arrow.
3	Click the right Calendar arrow until you reach May, 2005, and then click 27.
4	Note that Project displays a deadline indicator in the Chart section of the task. To enter a deadline date for another task, select Production in the Task Name column.
5	In the Deadline and Constraints pane, under Set a deadline, click the date box arrow, and click the right Calendar arrow until August, 2005 displays, and then click 19.
6	Project inserts a deadline date marker for the summary task. To view it in the Gantt Chart, click to the right of the scroll box on the horizontal scroll bar until August 21, ‘05 displays.
7	To finish setting a deadline, click below the scroll box on the Deadline and Constraints pane scroll bar, and click Done.
8	To close the Project Guide, click the Show/Hide Project Guide button, indicated on the Project Guide toolbar.
9	To assign a fixed cost to a task and specify its accrual method, click the View menu, and then click More Views.
10	In the More Views dialog box, click below the scroll box on the scroll bar of the Views list until you see Task Sheet.
11	To select a view, click Task Sheet, and then click Apply.
12	To view costs, click the View menu, point to Table: Entry, and then click Cost.
13	To assign a cost for a task, click in the Fixed Cost field for the task, Apply for filming permits.
14	To enter the fixed cost, press SPACEBAR and wait as 500 is typed for you, and then press TAB.
15	To specify that the fixed costs are to be charged at the start of the task, in the Fixed Cost Accrual field for the task, click the arrow, select Start, and then press ENTER.