BOOK – Technical Project Management
PDU Of The Day is starting a series of postings on Eric Uyttewaal’s bestselling book – Forecast Scheduling with Microsoft Project 2013. This powerhouse reference book features the best practices to implement a real-world project schedule.
As you work through the book and the exercises, you will learn how to enter the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), create task dependencies and calendars, add resources, optimize the schedule and present the project schedule to stakeholders.
This Book Is A Must Read For Every PM
Working With MS Project!
In Forecast Scheduling with Microsoft Project 2013, Eric describes MS Project features from a PMBOK perspective.
If you attend a 1 hour webinar on MS Project it is often just a taste of what MS Project can do for you. Using Eric’s book will give you a full 12 course meal, (pun intended) – covering everything from from soup to nuts.
Today, we feature 2 of the 12 chapters from the book:
- Chapter 7 covers Entering Resources
- Earn up to to 2 Category C PDUs for Reading Chapter 7 (52 pages)
- Chapter 9 covers Finding the Optimal Schedule.
- Earn up to 4 Category C PDUs for Reading Chapter 9 (136 pages)
- Forecast Scheduling with Microsoft Project 2013 (Entire Book)
- Earn up to the allowable 15 Category C PDUs for reading the book & working the Exercises (737 pages)
Together, these 2 chapters will help you put together a balanced and working schedule for your project team.
In this book, Eric Uyttewaal explores and explains how to use MS Project to develop the project schedule using MS Project 2013. Eric places the emphasis on MS Project as a tool for delivering a complete project schedule and the role of the project schedule in the project planning process.
Eric ensures that you understand the basics of each MS Project feature and then he dives into the details and covers advanced use of the feature.
Entering Resources – Chapter 7
In the book, Chapter 7 is titled “Entering Resources.” [Editor’s note: Don’t be distracted by Eric Uyttewall’s chapter names.] Chapter 7 is a COMPLETE discussion about Resources in MS Project 2013.
Seasoned MS Project users will learn new tricks and tips about Resources from this very knowledgeable Microsoft Project MVP!
In Chapter 7, Resources, Eric covers:
- What is a resource and what types of resources can you define in MS Project
- How you should use generic resources
- Defining and entering resources
- Resource calendars and resource availability
- Cost Budgeting – how to assign costs to resources. Eric shows the best way to enter various types of cost associated with resources.
Finding the Optimal Schedule Chapter 9
In Chapter 9, Finding the Optimal Schedule, Eric covers:
- 3 different approaches for optimizing your schedules
- Optimizing for Time
- Using the Critical Path Method, and Monte Carlo simulation
- Optimizing for Time and Cost
- To lower the cost of the project
- Optimizing for Time, Cost and Resources
- Eric shows how to do Workload Leveling and includes how to make automatic leveling work for you. He then defines the Resource Critical Path, which will help you understand the effect on the schedule from project resource constraints.
Through the use of a sample project that is built upon through every chapter, Eric gives you the theory you need to understand the feature and the knowledge you need to use the tool.
PDU Category C documentation details:
Process Groups: Planning
Knowledge Areas: 4 – Integration
- 6.1 Plan Schedule Management
- 6.4 Estimate Activity Resources
- 6.6 Develop Schedule
- 9.3 Develop Project Team
As a Category C ‘Self Directed Learning Activity’ remember to document your learning experience and its relationship to project management for your ‘PDU Audit Trail Folder’
About the Author
Eric Uyttewaal (LinkedIn profile) is Canadian and the author of the book Forecast Scheduling with Microsoft Project 2013 He founded ProjectPro that specializes in Microsoft Project and Project Server. Eric has been involved in large programs at the Canadian Forces, IBM Cognos, Northrop Grumman, SanDisk and Investors Group. He was President of the PMI Ottawa Chapter in 1997. Eric is president of the MPUG-Ottawa chapter and board member again 2016. Eric received awards from MPUG in 2012 (Community leader), from Microsoft since 2010 (MVP) and from PMI in 2009 (‘Significant Contributions to the Scheduling Profession’). Eric is currently the only Microsoft Project MVP in Canada.
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