 |
|
|
Project Tracking
Microsoft® Office Project 2007 gives you the control and tools you need to effectively track projects: create your baseline; update tasks and costs; measure progress; monitor and adjust schedules; and manage workload resources. If you are using Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Project Web Access, administrators maintain baselines in enterprise projects when using Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007. Keep up to date with automated gathering and entry of actual updates. Tailor fields shown in team members' electronic task progress pages and timesheets to help you track and update assignments.
|
| |
|
| |
Baseline
The project plan, having been adjusted to perfection, is considered your baseline. Think of it as your original plan. It represents the most ideal balance between scope, schedule, and cost. Save your first set of baseline information for your project plan by clicking Tools, Tracking, Set Baseline.
Even after you initially set the baseline, you can still add tasks to it.
With fixed baseline information saved, you can compare the current or actual project plan against your original baseline. |
 |
If you're using Office Project Professional 2007 with Office Project Server 2007 and the enterprise project management features, your project server administrator controls the rights to set baselines in enterprise projects.
|
| |
|
Updating Tasks
Updating task progress has never been easier. Office Project 2007 clearly displays the critical path and budget. Office Project 2007 utilizes an intuitive tracking toolbar that allows you ultimate control of the progress of your project. Many of your tracking functions are available on the Tracking toolbar. To display the Tracking toolbar, click View, Toolbars, Tracking.
| Office Project 2007 allows you to track progress in a number of different ways: |
 |
by manually entering complete percentages on tasks; by entering actual and remaining duration; using resources assigned; remaining work; or by time period. Whether you are tracking based on budget, time or resources, your project will be automatically updated when you input information.
Office Project Server 2007 with Web Access allows you to automate team members reporting by utilizing several different fields to create live progress on your projects. Additionally, you can automate the gathering and entry of actual updates, and tailor fields shown in team members' electronic task progress pages and timesheets to help track and update assignments. |
| |
|
| |
Updating Costs
| If your assigned work resources (people and equipment) |
 |
are associated with cost rates on a per-use basis, when you enter progress information on their tasks or assignments, not only is actual work calculated, but actual costs are as well. Updating costs manually is also an option: click Tools, Options and then click the Calculation tab. Remember to clear the following check box: Actual Costs Are Always Calculated by Microsoft Office Project. |
| |
|
| |
| Monitoring and Adjusting Schedules
By utilizing task information in Office Project 2007, you can track your project according to finish date, critical path, start and finish dates of critical tasks, and current progress of critical tasks. Office Project 2007 can calculate and predict the effects of any schedule changes, and whether the changes come as a result of entering actual data or what-if information.
Project statistics allow you to keep a broad view of your project status against the baseline. Tracking Gantt charts allow you to track progress, percentage complete, baseline, and critical path within one view. Progress lines allow you to determine if you are ahead or behind schedule.
|
| |
|
| |
Workload Resources
Resource managers have several options to help monitor and adjust the schedule to achieve a balanced resource workload:
- Review resource workloads
- Adjust resource availability
- Adjust assignments
- Split tasks to reschedule remaining work for when resources have available time
- Level assignments
|
|
|
|
|