What are the 4 Most Important Features of Microsoft Project?

Microsoft (MS) Project is a powerful project management tool used by project managers worldwide to plan, track, manage, and communicate the status of their projects. Its various features have become an essential tool for project management professionals. However, with so many features, it can take time to determine which ones are the most important.  I was recently asked what I considered the four most significant elements of MS Project.  These are Gantt Charts, Task Management, Resource Management, and Reporting.

Gantt Charts

The Gantt chart is the most iconic feature of MS Project. It visually represents a project's schedule, showing each task’s start and end dates and dependencies. The Gantt chart is essential because it allows project managers to monitor progress and track the completion of tasks. It also enables them to adjust schedules and timelines, ensuring the project stays on track.

To create a Gantt chart in MS Project, project managers must utilize the task and resource management features. First, they must input all the tasks required to complete the project, their start and end dates, and any dependencies. Then, once the project resources are entered and assigned to tasks, the software automatically creates the chart, making it easy to visualize the project's timeline. Additionally, the Gantt chart can be customized to show different views, such as critical path, resource allocation, and more, making it an extremely flexible and versatile tool for project management.

Gantt charts can display a project timeline, a condensed high-level view of the project plan, which can be shared with other Office applications such as PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook. With the timeline, you can easily zoom in or change the time displayed for your project, select which parts of the plan to include, and format them in various ways. In addition, one click makes the timeline available on the clipboard for other applications.

Creating a proper Gantt chart using MS Project also facilitates the maintenance of the project schedule.  If changes are made to any aspects of the tasks, MS Project can recompute the entire schedule automatically. In this manner, a small change impacting a thousand tasks does not require the project manager to update every task.  Instead, MS Project will do that work.

Task Management

Task management is one of the most critical features of MS Project. This feature allows project managers to break down a project into smaller, manageable tasks and assign them to team members. In addition, the task management feature includes monitoring and tracking progress and making necessary adjustments to keep the project on track.

With MS Project, project managers can track the progress of each task and compare it against the project schedule, determining the variance from the project plan. This allows project managers to identify tasks behind schedule and take corrective action to keep the project on track. Project managers can also use task tracking to monitor team members’ workloads and ensure everyone is working on the right tasks.

Resource Management

Resource management is another critical feature of MS Project. It enables project managers to track and manage the resources required for a project, such as personnel, equipment, and materials. With this feature, project managers can ensure that resources are allocated appropriately, avoiding overallocation or underutilization.

MS Project offers various resource management tools, such as resource leveling, resource allocation, and resource pools. Resource leveling enables project managers to balance resource allocation, ensuring that resources are not overallocated or underutilized. Resource allocation enables project managers to assign specific resources to tasks, ensuring they have the necessary skills and knowledge to complete the task successfully. Finally, resource pools allow project managers to create groups of resources, making resources easier to manage and allocate to tasks.

Since MS Project incorporates all resource information, such as individual resource calendars and costs, it is possible to use MS Project for budget estimates and tracking. A project manager can also ensure resources are available for the right tasks at the right time and be able to look for alternatives if a resource is unavailable.

Reporting

Reporting is the fourth most important feature of MS Project. It enables project managers to generate reports on project progress, budget, resource utilization, and more. In addition, reports visually represent a project's status, making it easy to identify areas of concern and take corrective action if necessary. MS Project offers various reporting tools like graphical reports, pivot tables, and dashboards. In addition, each standard report can be customized to meet all project reporting needs.

To start project execution, a simple, tabular, Who Does What When report aids project managers in informing teams of their agreed-upon tasks. The software provides various reports that show the status of tasks, such as completed tasks, tasks in progress, and tasks that are behind schedule. Project managers can use these reports to communicate the project status to stakeholders, such as team members, sponsors, and clients. Task reporting is also valuable for project managers to identify trends and make informed decisions to keep the project on track.

Graphical reports visually represent project data, such as task completion status and resource utilization. Pivot tables enable project managers to analyze project data in various ways, such as by resource or task. Finally, dashboards provide an overview of project progress, highlighting areas of concern and allowing project managers to take corrective action if necessary.

In conclusion, Microsoft Project is an essential tool for project management professionals. Whether you are using traditional, agile, or hybrid project management methods, MS Project is a valuable tool. For example, Gantt charts can map sprints, and the reporting module includes templates for burndown charts.

The four most significant features are the Gantt chart, task management, resource management, and reporting. These features enable project managers to monitor progress, track resource allocation, and generate reports on project status, making it easier to ensure project success. By utilizing these features effectively, project managers can ensure that their projects are completed on time, within budget, and to stakeholders’ satisfaction.

PPC Group, LLC offers a variety of free and for-pay courses in MS Project. This includes a self-paced YouTube video course covering all MS Project basics and selected advanced features.  Contact us today for details.