Core Training for Microsoft Project 2002

Tracking Progress on Tasks

Saving a Project Baseline

1 To display the Track task pane, click the Track button on the Project Guide toolbar.
2 To start saving the current project as the baseline, click the Save a baseline plan to compare with later versions link in the Track pane.
3 In the Save Baseline pane, click the Save Baseline button.
4 Note that Microsoft Project saves the baseline, even though there's no indication in the Gantt Chart view that anything has changed, and click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the Save Baseline pane.
5 To see some of the changes caused by saving the baseline, click the View menu and click More Views.
6 In the More Views dialog box, click twice below the scroll box on the scroll bar of the Views box, click Task Sheet in the list, and then click the Apply button.
7 To apply a different table to the Task Sheet view, click the View menu, point to Table: Summary, and then click Variance.
8 Notice that the Variance table includes both scheduled and baseline start and finish columns, click the View menu, and click Gantt Chart.
9 To start recording project actuals, click the Tools menu, point to Tracking, and then click Update Project.
10 In the Update Project dialog box, make sure that the Update work as complete through option is selected, click and drag from left to right to select the contents of the first date box, and then type 1/12/04.
11 To record the task updates, click OK, and notice that progress bars are drawn on the tasks that have been completed in the chart portion of the Gantt Chart.

Entering Task Completion Percentage

1 To display the Track task pane, click the Track button on the Project Guide toolbar.
2 To start tracking the progress of your project, click the Prepare to track the progress of your project link in the Track pane.
3 In the Setup Tracking pane, make sure that the No option is selected under Entering Progress because you don't want to the use Microsoft Project Server to collect actuals from resources, and click the Save and go to Step 2 link at the bottom of the pane.
4 Under Tracking Method, make sure that the Always track by entering Percent of Work Complete option is selected and click the Save and Finish link at the bottom of the pane.
5 Notice that Microsoft Project updates the Project Guide: Custom Tracking view to the right, and click the Incorporate progress information into the project link.
6 Notice that the Incorporate Progress pane is displayed, and click in the % Work Complete field for task 4 in the Gantt Chart view.
7 To update the status of the selected task, type 100 and press the LEFT ARROW key.
8 To verify that the progress line extends through the length of the Gantt bar, click the Go To Selected Task button on the Standard toolbar.
9 To record the actual work performed on the selected task, type 50 and press the ENTER key.
10 Notice that a progress line is drawn halfway through the Gantt bar for task 5, click below the scroll box on the scroll bar in the Incorporate Progress pane, and then click the Done link at the bottom of the pane.

Entering Actual Values for Tasks

1 To start entering actual values for tasks, click the Prepare to track the progress of your project link in the Track task pane.
2 In the Setup Tracking pane, make sure that the No option is selected under Entering Progress because you don't want to the use Microsoft Project Server to collect actuals from resources, and click the Save and go to Step 2 link at the bottom of the pane.
3 Under Tracking Method, click the Always track by entering the Actual Work Done and Work Remaining option and then click the Save and Finish link.
4 Notice that Microsoft Project updates the Project Guide: Custom Tracking view in the right pane, then in the Track pane, click the Incorporate progress information into the project link.
5 To set the status date so that you are reporting work completed as of January 16, 2004, in the Incorporate Progress pane, under Set the Status Date, double-click the date, and type 1/16/2004.
6 To record the number of hours worked on a specific task, click the Actual Work field for task 5, type 80, and then press the ENTER key.
7 To close the Project Guide, click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the Incorporate Progress pane.
8 To specify that a task started one working day behind schedule, click the Task Name field for task 8.
9 Click the Tools menu, point to Tracking and then click Update Tasks.
10 In the Update Tasks dialog box, click the Start arrow under Actual and click 19 in the January 2004 calendar.
11 To specify the actual duration of the task, click the Actual dur up arrow three times and click OK.
12 Notice that the actual start date and duration of the task are updated in the Gantt Chart, and click the Task Name field for task 9.
13 To specify that the selected task started on time but took longer than anticipated, click the Tools menu, point to Tracking, and then click Update Tasks.
14 To specify the actual duration of the task, click the Actual dur up arrow three times and click OK.