Microsoft Project Software

Training

By:- Dejene Tsegaye

(MSc. In Construction Technology and Management)

July 2024 G.C

What is Microsoft Project?
• Microsoft project is a project management
software designed to assist project managers in
• Developing plans
• Assigning resources to tasks
• Tracking progress
• Managing budgets and
• Analyzing workloads
What is Microsoft Project?
• What is a Project?

• A project is a unique, temporary endeavor,

undertaken to achieve planned objectives.

• A project is success if it achieves the objectives

according to their acceptance criteria (quality),
within an agreed timescale and budget.
What is Project Management?
• Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills,
knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according
to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters.

• Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite

timescale and budget.

• A key factor that distinguishes project management from just 'management'

is that it has this final deliverable and a finite timespan,
Project Planning?
• Adequate planning leads to the proper completion of the work.

• Inadequate planning leads to frustration towards the end of the

project & poor project performance.

Project Start Not Planning Is Planning To Fail!!! Project End

 Developing Construction Plan
• Construction plan is of crucial importance in C
onstruction Project Management whether the project small
or large and complex.
• Proper and thorough construction planning greatly
increases the likelihood of a successful project by
attaining project objectives such as completing on budget,
time and quality required via optimum utilization of
resource.
 Developing Construction Plan
• A construction plan is a set of documents that
defines the requirements for a construction project,
such as
• the activities
• resources,
• schedule and
• budget.
 Construction planning steps
• Step 1. Define the project

• What are the purpose and objectives of the construction project? Who are the
stakeholders? How are you planning to execute it?
• Step 2. Identify the project activities or deliverables

• Use a work breakdown structure to visualize your project scope and define all
the activities needed to produce the deliverables and reach the milestones of
your construction project.
• Step 3. Define the resource requirements

• Allocate resources for each activity. What materials and equipment will be
needed? What are the labor requirements?
 Construction planning steps
• Step 4. Create a schedule

• Create a timeline to procure the resources (materials, Manpower, and

Machineries or equipment) and execute the activities.
• Step 5. Create a budget

• To create a budget, prepare cost break down structure (CBS) and add all the
construction costs. This includes materials, labor, equipment and overhead
costs.
• Step 7. Create Organizational Work Breakdown Structure

• Select the team that meet the project objectives best.

• Define who is leading the project, and who will make up the teams executing
Construction planning steps
Microsoft Project Settings
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 1: Launching the Microsoft project software
• Alternative 1: Right click on desktop Select “New” Select and click
on Microsoft Project Document ”Rename” project document name
Open the document by Double click on the document Click on “Blank
Project Tab”
• Alternative 2: Click on “Start Menu” Microsoft office 2013 Scroll and
select “Project 2013” Open the document by Double click on the document
Click on “Blank Project Tab” ”Rename” project document name.
Windows 7 − Click on Start menu, point to All Programs, click Microsoft Office, and then click
Project 2013.
Windows 8 − On the Start screen, tap or click Project 2013.
Windows 10 − Click on Start menu → All apps → Microsoft Office → Project 2013.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 1: Launching the Microsoft project software
 Blank Project Views
• The major parts of MS Project interface are: −
• The Quick Access Toolbar is the interface to add your favorite used commands
“Customizing Project”.
• Tabs on the ribbon replace the pull-down menus and toolbars that you might be
familiar with Tabs group high-level focus areas of Project together.

• The ribbon contains the commands you use to perform actions in Project

• Groups are collections of related commands. Each tab is divided into multiple
groups.
 Blank Project Views
• The major parts of MS Project interface are: −
File → Project Options → General tab → Project view → Change “Default
view” and “Date format” to preferable format.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
a) Set “default view”, “Date format” as per project stakeholders preference. The step
will be Go to “ File Tab” then click on “Option” Under “ project option tab”
select “General” Adjust “default view” to “ Gantt with timeline” and “Date
format”

b) Set “Calendar Type”, “Currency option for the project” as per project
stakeholders preference. The step will be Go to “ File Tab” then click on “Option”
Under “ project option tab” select “Display” Adjust “Calendar Type” to “
Gregorian Calendar” and “Currency” to “ETB” or as per contract agreement
File → Options → Display tab
 Adjust Calendar Type: (Gregorian Calendar, Hijri Calendar, Thai Buddhist Calendar)
 Currency Options for this project:- Adjust “decimal digit” to “2” and “Currency” to “ETB”
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
c) Under “ File Tab” “Option” “ project option tab” select “Schedule” then
• Set “Week start on” to “Monday”

• “Fiscal year starts in” to “ September”

• “Default start time” to “8:00 AM”. Some project their default start is at “7:00 AM”.

• “Default end time” to “5:00 PM” as per your project working time per day.
File → Project Options → Schedule tab
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
c) Under “ File Tab” “Option” “ project option tab” select “Schedule” then
• Set “Hours per day” to “8”. When you consider over time one hour daily to “9”

• Set “Hours per week” to “40” if you work 5 days per week with “8 hours per day”. But
on “Friday” off times at lunch time is from “11:30 AM to 1:00 PM” which is “7
hours”. As a result “Hours per week” is “39 hours|”. This condition also varies from
project to project because of their working days in the week. For example, if they work on
Saturday the working hours per day will be “47 hours” and so on.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
c) Under “ File Tab” “Option” “ project option tab” select “Schedule” then

• Set “Days per month” is depends on the number of non-working days per year. It
can be computed as : the average days per month is computed by deducting non-
working days in the year from 365 days and dividing the result by 12 months. Non-
working days in the year can be computed taking in to consideration such as holidays
in a year, Sundays (365/7=52 days), Saturdays (365/7=52 days), rainy seasons,
festival in a company, etc.
• Days per month= [365-Non working days in a year]/12
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
c) Under “ File Tab” “Option” “ project option tab” select “Schedule” then
• The holidays in the year 2016 E.C is 8 days which do not align with Sundays and
Saturdays. In this project environment Saturdays and Sundays considered as non-working
S.No. Non-working days in the year Number of days
days.
1 Holidays 8
2 Saturdays 52
3 Sundays 52
Total 112
• Days per month= [365-Non working days in a year]/12= [365-112]/12=253 days/12
month =21.08 days per month. Days per month approximately is 21.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
c) Under “ File Tab” “Option” “ project option tab” select “Schedule” then
• Show Assignment Units: Choose either “percentage” or “Decimal” from the dropdown
box.
• Assignment Unit in “Percentage” indicates that One daily laborer working 8 hours per
day is considered as “100%”
• Assignment unit in “decimal” indicates that One daily laborer working 8 hours per day is
considered as “1”
• New Tasks Created: Choose either “Manually Scheduled” or “Auto Scheduled” from
the dropdown box.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
c) Under “ File Tab” “Option” “ project option tab” select “Schedule” then
• If you choose “Manually Scheduled” any new activity entered in the Microsoft project
start date and finish time is to be entered by the planner not by the software.
• In case of “Auto Scheduled” the software will generate start date taking the
predecessor’s finishing date or project start date when there is no predecessor.
• Auto Scheduled Tasks scheduled on: choose either “Project Start Date” or “Current
Date” from the dropdown box.
• Duration entered in: You can enter task duration in terms of different dimensional units
of time, namely minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
Entering project information which is the bases for planning
• Project planers have to clearly understand the project variable (agreed by
the parties via contract document such as the legal part, technical part and
financial part of the contract) a head of entering information in to
Microsoft project software.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
Entering project information which is the bases for planning using
Microsoft project software. The information is found in the contract
document that includes
• contract agreement which express mobilization time, project start date,
project completion time, etc.,
• specifications, drawings and bill of quantities, cost breakdown which
describes basic cost estimation assumptions such as crew productivity,
required materials, manpower and equipment/ machineries in unit rate
analysis.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
1. Adjust basic setting for new project document using the following the
following procedures
Entering project information
a) Start Date
• Click Project tab → Properties Group → Project Information” A dialog box
appears.
• Change “Start date” to contract agreement start date of the project. In the start
date box, type, or click the down arrow to display the calendar, select the date of your
choice. Click OK to accept the start date.
• Change “schedule from” to “Project Start Date or Project Finish Date”
 For a project scheduled forward from the start date, enter only the start date.
 If you schedule backward from the finish date, enter a finish date.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Entering project information

Fig.:-The Project Information dialog box

 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Entering project information
(b) Set Up Calendar
Click Project tab → Properties Group → Project Information.
Click the arrow on the Current Date dropdown box. The list that appears contains
the three base calendars included with Project:
 24 Hour − A calendar with no non-working time.
 Night Shift − Covers 11 PM to 8 AM, night shifts covering all nights from
Monday to Friday, with one hour breaks each day.
 Standard − Regular working hours, Monday to Friday between 8 AM to 5 PM,
with one hour breaks each day.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Entering project information
(b) Set Up Calendar
Click Project tab → Properties Group → Project Information.

Select a Standard Calendar as your project Calendar. Click “Cancel” or “OK” to close the dialog box.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Entering project information
 Calendar: Select from this drop down list the Base calendar template
to use for the Project calendar.
 Priority: This field is useful if your organization has many projects
and you create links among them. If you use a tool such as resource
leveling to resolve conflicts, it can consider this project priority
setting when calculating what to delay and what to keep on track.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Changing Working Time
( c) Adding Exceptions to Calendar
• Click on “Project Tab” in the Properties group, Click on “Change Working
Time” to contractors working time that is planned to completion the project on the
date specified under special condition of contract agreement with client, Change
Working Time dialog box appears. .
• Exceptions are used to modify a Project calendar to have a non-standard workday
or a non-working day, which could be because of a holiday or office celebrations.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Working times adjustments include:
 Recurring holidays or other times off that follow a known pattern, such as
weekly, monthly, or annually.
o To set up recurring nonworking times, click the Details button on the
Exceptions tab in the Change Working Time dialog box.
o In this type of setting we use to set, how many days the holiday or idle time will take. Most
of the time for holidays like “New Year” most of the workers on the project celebrate with
their families such that they need additional transportation time besides the holiday day.
Hence, the occurrence of this holiday is not one day, in minimum it requires two additional
days
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Work Week adjustments include:
• To set the working times of the week Monday to Friday to “Use project default
times”, “Set days to non-working times” and “set day(s) to specific working
times”
• To set up work week, click the Details button on the Exceptions tab in the
Change Working Time dialog box.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
• Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Adjustments Work Weeks

In working weeks adjustment the

days in the week can be set to :-
1. Use the project default times for
these days or
2. Days to nonworking time or
3. Day (s) to these specific working
times of your company
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Work Weeks adjustment used to set the days in the week to the following
working options:-
1. Use the project default times (morning session from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
and afternoon session from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM) for these days or
2. Days to nonworking time (all hours in the day) are off time or
3. Day (s) to these specific working times of your company. Example the
working time in Tigray region (morning session from 7:00 AM-12:00 PM
and afternoon session from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM)
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Work Weeks adjustment used to set the days in the week to the following
working options:-

1. Day (s) to these specific working

times of your company. Example
the working time in Tigray region
(morning session from 7:00 AM-
12:00 PM and afternoon session
from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM)
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Perform work breakdown structures ( Tasks, Activities Duration And
Planned Resource
• Once your project is created, add tasks and activities to your project. In order
to do this one can choose either alternative methods:
1. Copy the specification in the description column of the bill of quantity to
the task name column of Microsoft project software column and create
work breakdown structures (WBS). The WBS simplifies project
management tasks Clear organization, Better planning, Improved
communication, Simplified tracking, Enhanced focus and Cost estimation .
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Perform work breakdown structures ( Tasks, Activities Duration And
Planned Resource
2. First clearly understand the scope of the work which is expressed via design
documents. These step demands thoroughly investigation of contractual
documents such as design drawings, specifications, the bill of quantities in a
such away that minimize omission and addition of tasks during construction.
Then carryout WBS by encoding data in task name column of Microsoft
project software column.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Enter activities and perform WBS
Enter Task
This is simple. In Gantt Chart View, just click a cell directly below the Task
Name column. Enter the task name.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Enter activities and perform WBS

In order to categorize the activities in similar category or create

summary tasks, click on Task tab the click on “indent in”.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
 Activities Duration And Planned Resource
1. Formula to compute Activity Duration

Duration of the task is the estimated amount of time it will take to complete a task. As a project manager you
can estimate a task duration using expert judgment, historical information, analogous estimates or
parametric estimates.
Where
• Quantity of work found in bill of Quantity of contract document
• Number of crew will be decided by the planner taking into account the
contractual time to complete the project, availability of resource in a
company and availability of enough space to carry out the work efficiently
• Output per day used in unit rate analysis during tendering.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
 Activities Duration And Planned Resource
To compute duration of activities you need you have to have the following construction
documents:
• The bill of quantities from technical part of construction agreement made between
the contractor and project owner or client. Under bill of quantities you will find
quantity of work to be executed.
• The cost breakdown or cost analysis at which the contractor fixed while entering
in to contract during bidding. Under cost breakdown you will find resource
(required material per unit, man power (crew formation) per day and
machineries or equipment or tools) and crew productivity or output per day.
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
 Activities Duration And Planned Resource
For example: Let us compute duration and Assign resource for “site Clearance”
In this labor intensive site clearance work the crew is one daily laborer working full
time while one Forman that devote only 10% of his/ her effort working time per day.
A crew is taken as Forman [0.1] and Daily Labor [1] with Productivity 10 m2/ day
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
 Activities Duration And Planned Resource
For example: Let us compute duration and Assign resource for “site Clearance”
In this labor intensive site clearance work the crew is one daily laborer working full
time while one Forman that devote only 10% of his/ her effort working time per day.
A crew is taken as Forman [0.1] and Daily Labor [1] with Productivity 10 m2/ day

If the site clearance to be executed is 100 m 2 using 10 number of crew (Forman [0.1]
and Daily Labor [1]) the duration is
Duration ===1 day
Therefore, the planned resource is Forman [1] and Daily Labor [10]
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
 Activities Duration And Planned Resource
If the site clearance to be executed is 100 m 2 using 10 number of crew (Forman [0.1]
and Daily Labor [1]) the duration is
Duration ===1 day
Therefore, the planned resource is Forman [1] and Daily Labor [10]
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Add new Column and Customizing the field
In order to add new column and customizing the field using Microsoft project the above computation
Adding new column
1. Go into column titled “Add new column” and right click on the column
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Add new Column and Customizing the
field
In order to add new column and
customizing the field using Microsoft
project the above computation
Adding new column
2. Click on Custom Fields, the custom
field dialog box appears. Then click on
“type” drop down box and select Number
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Add new Column and Customizing the
field
3. Next, rename the field titled “Number
1”, “Number 2”, etc., to the required
variables used to compute duration as
follow in the table “Custom Fields” and
then click on “OK”:
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
Add new Column and Customizing the
field
Add formulas to title such as “Calculated
4.
duration”, “Efficiency”, and “Expected
Productivity”
Add formulas by clicking on field titled
“Calculated Duration” and then click on
“formulas” and
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule

Add new Column and Customizing the field

5. Click on “formulas” and insert the formulas by
clicking on “field”, “Number”, “Custom Number”,
“ Quantity”, insert divide “/”, open bracket “(”,
insert similarly the field “Number of Crew”, insert
times “ * ”, insert the field “Output per day or
productivity”, close the bracket “)” and click on
“OK” button to complete the command as follows:
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule

Add new Column and Customizing the field

5. Click on “formulas” and insert the formulas by
clicking on “field”, “Number”, “Custom Number”,
“ Quantity”, insert divide “/”, open bracket “(”,
insert similarly the field “Number of Crew”, insert
times “ * ”, insert the field “Output per day or
productivity”, close the bracket “)” and click on
“OK” button to complete the command as follows:
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule

Add new Column and Customizing the field

5. Click on “formulas”
 Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
 Adding Planned Resource required for each activity in project to MS project
Go into the ‘Resource” column and click on “Site Clearance” row in the ‘Resource” column, then type
or add the planned resource (Forman [1], Daily Labor [10]).
Developing plans Using Microsoft Project?
Step 2: Create a New Project Schedule
 Activities Duration And Planned Resource
Go into the ‘Resource” column and click on “Site Clearance” row in the ‘Resource” column, then type or add the
planned resource (Forman [1], Daily Labor [10]).
 Construction planning steps
• Step 3. Define the resource requirements
• Allocate resources for each activity. What materials
and equipment will be needed? What are the labor
requirements?
 Construction planning steps
• Step 4. Create a schedule
• Create a timeline to procure the resources (materials,
Manpower, and Machineries or equipment) and execute the
activities.
• Step 5. Create a budget
• To create a budget, prepare cost break down structure
(CBS) and add all the construction costs. This includes
materials, labor, equipment and overhead costs.