This Microsoft Project Intermediate course will enable you to deepen your knowledge and skills in the use of this powerful project management software. In this course, you’ll start by reviewing the basics of MS Project, including project creation, task scheduling and resource allocation. This is followed by advanced project customization, including the creation of custom views, the use of advanced tables and filters, and the configuration of project options for more precise planning.

The first part of the course will focus on reviewing the basics of MS Project. You’ll revisit fundamental concepts such as project creation, task planning and resource allocation. This review will enable you to consolidate your existing knowledge and gain a better understanding of the initial stages of project management with MS Project.

Then you can move on to advanced project customization. This includes creating custom views to display relevant data, using advanced tables and filters to analyze information in specific ways, and configuring project options for precise adaptation to your project’s needs.

Another important part of the training will be advanced task management. You’ll explore the use of advanced constraints such as start/due dates and resource constraints, the management of recurring tasks and sub-projects, as well as the integration of deadline management and task suspensions for more robust planning.

Optimized resource management will also be at the heart of the training program. You’ll learn how to allocate resources efficiently, balance workloads, resolve conflicts and use shared resource pools to make optimum use of available resources, while analyzing utilization rates and associated costs.

Cost and budget management will also be covered, using resource pricing, tracking and analyzing planned and actual costs, and creating advanced financial reports to assess project profitability. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of potential changes on costs and lead times.

The course concludes with sessions on collaboration and sharing, where you’ll learn how to use MS Project’s collaboration features, manage permissions and control access to projects, while discussing good communication and collaboration practices in project management. Finally, a review of the course’s key points, a course evaluation and question-and-answer sessions will enable you to consolidate what you’ve learned and exchange experiences with other participants.

Intermediate

• Knowledge of MS Project – Basics
• Have access to a computer and Microsoft MS Project (versions 2013, 2016 or OFFICE 365)
  

• Deepen your understanding of the advanced features of MS Project.
• Know how to effectively manage complex projects using advanced techniques.
• Master Resource and Schedule Optimization in MS Project
• Be able to analyze and solve common problems encountered in project management

Basics Review

• Summary of MS Project Basics.
• Review project creation, task planning, and resource allocation.
• Analyze the specific use cases encountered by the participants since the basics training.

Advanced Project Customization

• Customize views: create custom views, use advanced tables and filters.
• Configure project options: advanced scheduling settings, field customization.
• Create project templates for reuse.

Advanced Task Management

• Use of advanced constraints: start/due dates, resource constraints.
• Management of recurring tasks and sub-projects.
• Integration of time management and task suspension.

Resources optimization

• Advanced resource allocation: workload balancing, resource conflict resolution.
• Use of shared resource pools and virtual teams.
• Analysis of resource utilization rates and associated costs.

Cost & Budget Management

• Use of resource pricing: fixed costs, variable rates, indirect costs.
• Cost tracking and management: comparison of planned and actual costs, variance analysis.
• Advanced financial reporting: cost statements, business cases.

Analytics & Reporting

• Use custom dashboards and reports.
• Analysis of critical paths and margins of maneuver.
• Use of sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of changes.

Collaboration & Sharing

• Use collaboration features: project sharing, synchronization with SharePoint.
• Manage permissions and control access to projects.
• Discussion on best practices for communication and collaboration in project management.

Advanced Calendar Planning

• Use project-specific calendars and exceptions.
• Plan vacations, holidays, and flexible schedules.
• Manage resource and task calendars for multiple projects.

Risk & Issue Management

• Integration of risk management into project planning.
• Use custom fields to track risks and issues.
• Implementation of contingency plans and mitigation strategies.

Conclusion and Review

• Review of the key points of the course and advanced techniques of MS Project.
• Discussion on the challenges encountered and the solutions proposed by the participants.
• Training evaluation and participant feedback.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS