Microsoft Project – efficient use of the program, effective supervision and control of projects

Training process

Training needs analysis

If you have specific requirements regarding the training programme, we will carry out a training needs analysis for you. This will guide us on which aspects of the programme should receive greater emphasis, so that the training programme meets your specific needs.

What will you gain?

Confident use of MS Project - You will navigate MS Project with confidence, understand its key functions, and build schedules faster, so you can prepare and update project plans more efficiently in day-to-day work.

Practical WBS creation - You will structure your project into a clear work breakdown structure, making it easier to define scope, assign ownership, and connect the schedule with other project documentation.

Realistic schedule building - You will learn how to define tasks, dependencies, constraints, and activity types in a Gantt chart, so your plan reflects real execution and supports better project decisions.

Reliable progress tracking - You will learn how to measure progress, manage data dates and baselines, and organize input data, so you can assess project status accurately and keep reporting under control.

Stronger deadline control - You will understand how to identify the critical path, analyze task dates, and interpret delays, helping you spot activities that put the project completion date at risk.

Better resource allocation - You will learn to distinguish resource types and assign them correctly to project work, helping you reduce overloads, plan availability better, and improve schedule feasibility.

Variance and KPI analysis - You will master the meaning of SV, CV, AC, BAC, EV, EAC, and ETC, so you can evaluate cost and schedule variance on your own and report project performance more accurately.

Clear reports and plan presentation - You will learn how to format schedules, prepare printouts, and use cost and progress curves, so you can present clear project materials to the team, management, and stakeholders.

Training programme

1. Introduction to the basic functions and objectives of project management in MS Project

areas of application of MS Project,
sources of documentation,
versions and architectures,
glossary of planning terms,
MS Project graphical interface.

2. Creating and organizing the work breakdown structure

the significance of WBS/SPP from the perspective of planning software and project management,
the use of WBS/SPP beyond scheduling,
WBS/SPP conventions,
WBS/SPP repositories and data exchange with MS Project.

3. Detailed presentation of the project schedule in the form of a Gantt chart, showing tasks, deadlines and dependencies

introduction to CPA, PERT, PDM, AON, AOA graphic notations,
types of activities, including LOE, discrete activity, apportioned activity and introduction to EV management,
activities, entering their dependencies and constraints.

4. Techniques for monitoring and evaluating task implementation in a project

strategies and conventions for measuring progress:
explanation of types of progress indicators,
overview of the administrative cycle of activity progress,
administration of data dates and baselines,
administration of input data with and without the use of external applications.

5. Identification of the project's critical path

introduction to the concept of CPA,
overview of activity date categories,
explanation of types of delays.

6. Managing the allocation of resources (human, material, etc.)

resources and their types for work.

7. Methods of analyzing differences between planned and actual results and key performance indicators (KPI) in the project

schedule variance (SV) analysis and cost variance (CV) analysis – definitions and formulas,
actual cost (AC), budget at completion (BAC), earned value (EV), estimate at completion (EAC) and estimate to completion (ETC),
interpretation of variance charts.

8. Methods of calculating performance indicators related to the schedule

9. Using curves, such as cost curves and progress curves, to analyze project dynamics over time

10. Planning and management of events that may disrupt project progress

11. Project plan formatting techniques and printing options

What are the prerequisites for participating in the training?

Basic computer skills - You should be comfortable using a Windows computer, saving files, working with folders, and handling basic office software functions before joining the training.

Project work awareness - You should understand what tasks, deadlines, dependencies, and resources mean in a project, so you can relate MS Project features to real project execution.

Ability to read schedules - You should be able to read a simple project schedule and understand the sequence of activities, because the training focuses on plan control and analysis.

Basic data analysis - You should feel comfortable working with numbers and simple indicators, as you will interpret variances, costs, and project progress during the training.