CHEAT SHEET

MICROSOFT PROJECT 2010

FOR DUMMIES CHEAT
SHEET
From Project 2010 For Dummies
By Nancy C. Muir
Project 2010, the most recent incarnation of Microsoft’s popular
project management software, offers a tremendous wealth of
functionality. Microsoft Project 2010, however, probably isn’t like any
other software you’ve ever used, so mastering it can seem a daunting
process. This Cheat Sheet provides you with tips and tricks for doing
what you do every day as a project manager.

HOW TO USE MICROSOFT PROJECT 2010

TO RESOLVE RESOURCE CONFLICTS
When a resource is overallocated, use Microsoft Project 2010 to
ensure your project stays on track. With Microsoft Project 2010, you
can resolve resource conflicts by modifying assignments, changing
scheduling, and more. Consider the following tactics to resolve
resource conflicts:

 Revise the resource’s availability to the project. For example,

change the person’s availability from 50 percent to 100 percent.
  Modify assignments to take the resource off some tasks during
the timeframe of the conflict. The new Team Planner view is
great for this purpose.
 Move a task to which the resource is assigned to a later date
using the Move Task tool or modify the task’s dependency
relationships.
 Add a second resource to a task for which the overallocated
resource is busy. Change the task to auto scheduling and effort-
driven, if needed, to allow the task to be completed sooner and
free up the resource earlier.
 Replace the resource with another on some tasks. Try the
Resource Substitution Wizard for help with this if you’re using
Project Server.
 Select a task and then click the Inspect button in the Tasks
group of the Task tab. The factors driving the timing of the
selected task are provided so you can take whatever steps are
needed to address them: for example if a task dependency is
driving timing and you can modify that dependency, it might
solve your problem.
 Make changes to the resource base calendar to allow the
resource to work more time in a week.

CREATE A PROJECT SCHEDULE WITH

MICROSOFT PROJECT 2010
Creating a project schedule is easy with Microsoft Project 2010.
Following are some handy steps to help you build a Microsoft Project
schedule. After you complete the list, you’re ready to start the project
and track any progress on it. You can then report progress to
management by using Microsoft Project reports, by simply printing
your schedule, or by sharing it on the Web.

 Enter project information (such as the start date).

 Set up your work calendar.
 Create tasks, choosing the scheduling method and task type
settings and entering information about durations.
 Create milestones (tasks with zero duration) in your project.
 Organize your tasks into phases, using Project’s outline
structure.
 Establish dependencies among tasks, adding constraints if
appropriate.
 Create resources, assigning cost/rate and resource calendar
information.
 Assign resources to tasks.
 Resolve resource conflicts.
 Review the total duration and cost of the project, making
adjustments if necessary.
 Set a baseline.

HELPFUL WEB SITES TO HONE PROJECT

MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE
Whether you consider project management an art or skill, Microsoft
Project 2010 helps you do it better. Enhance your Microsoft Project
expertise by visiting Web sites that offer templates and third-party
add-ins for Microsoft Project and other project management
information:

 Microsoft Template Gallery

 Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Solution Overview
 Project Management Institute
 ProjectManagement.com
 American Society for the Advancement of Project
Management
 allPM, International Institute for Learning, The Project
Manager’s Homepage
 International Project Management Association

MICROSOFT PROJECT 2010 SHORTCUT

KEYS
Microsoft Project 2010 maximizes efficiency as you manage projects
— but Project 2010 shortcuts also save you time at the keyboard:
Here are some shortcut keys you’ll use all the time when building and
working with a Project plan.

Keystroke Result

Insert Inserts new task

Ctrl+K Inserts hyperlink

F7 Begins spell check

Alt+F10 Assigns resources

Shift+F2 Opens the Task Information dialog box

F1 Opens Microsoft Project Help

Ctrl+F Displays the Find dialog box

Ctrl+F2 Links selected tasks

Ctrl+G Displays the Go To dialog box

Ctrl+H Displays the Replace dialog box

Ctrl+Z Undoes the previous action

Ctrl+Y Redoes the undone action

Ctrl+P Displays the Print preview in the Backstage

Ctrl+N Opens a new blank Project

Ctrl+O Opens the Open dialog box

Ctrl+S Saves the file

PROJECT MANAGEMENT TIME-SAVING

TECHNIQUES
Project management is all about saving time. But even with
management tools like Microsoft Project 2010, your project might run
longer than you expected. In that case, try the following methods to
tighten the timing:

 Increase the number of auto-scheduled tasks in your project plan

so Project can reschedule them automatically.
 Modify dependencies so that tasks can start sooner, if possible.
 Create overlapping dependencies when appropriate.
 Reduce the amount of slack (but never get rid of it all!) on
individual tasks.
 Add resources to auto-scheduled effort-driven tasks to have
them finish earlier.
 Consider whether your project can do without certain tasks (for
example, a second QA testing phase or a management review of
a package design).
 Outsource a phase of your project when in-house human
resources can’t complete it because they’re busy with other
tasks.