50267 - Microsoft Office Project 2007 – Exam Prep Boot Camp 70-632

This course shows the project manager how to drive the tool through each stage of the project management life cycle and offers multiple best practices for using the software while defining, planning, executing, and closing a project.

Although framed around PMI’s project life cycle, the course content is methodology-agnostic and focuses on hands-on learning methods. As the project manager learns how to manage projects properly using Microsoft Office Project 2007, he/she will also master the knowledge needed to pass the challenging Microsoft 70-632 certification exam.

As preparation for this exam, each student receives the following materials:

• A copy of the 902-page Ultimate Learning Guide to Microsoft Office Project 2007 book, which serves as both the course manual and a valuable reference book
• A detailed Preparation Guide document detailing the competencies and knowledge required to pass the certification exam
• An in-class practice exam that simulates the actual certification exam

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the stages of the project management process
• Understand the Microsoft Project user interface
• Understand the Microsoft Project Data Model as it relates to Views, Tables, Filters and Groups
• Define a new project
• Perform all required task planning and understand how to use task dependencies and task constraints properly
• Add resources to a project and assign resources to tasks
• Save a baseline for a project
• Enter task progress using three different methods of tracking progress
• Analyze project variance
• Create custom Views, Tables, Filters and Groups
• Revise a project based on project variance
• Change a project based on change control methodologies and rebaseline the project using multiple methods
• Report on project progress by printing Views and Reports, and by using Visual Reports with Microsoft Office Excel and Visio
• Close a project
• Define a custom Outline Code field to contain hierarchical data
• Create and use Cost resources
• Perform Earned Value Analysis (EVA) on a project
• Import and export project data with another application
• Create a shared Resource Pool file for a master project
• Register for and take the Microsoft 70-632 certification exam (Microsoft Office Project 2007, Managing Projects)

Module 1: Project Management Overview
This module sets the stage for the proper use of Microsoft Office Project 2007 by focusing on the definition of a project and the major steps in the project management life cycle.

Lessons
• What is a Project?
• Understanding the Project Management Process

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Define the term “project.”
• Understand the project management life cycle as it applies to the use of Microsoft Office Project 2007.

Module 2: Microsoft Office Project 2007 Overview
This module introduces the student all aspects of the Microsoft Office Project 2007 user interface, teaches the student how to navigate effectively within a project, and helps the student to understand the meaning of all the symbols used in the Gantt Chart view of a project.

Lessons
• Introducing the Global.mpt File
• Using the Project Guide
• Understanding the Planning Wizard
• Navigating in Microsoft Office Project 2007
• Understanding Gantt Chart Symbols

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand the purpose of the Global.mpt file.
• Display, use, and hide the Project Guide.
• Understand the purpose of the Planning Wizard.
• Define the features shown in the Microsoft Office Project 2007 user interface.
• Use tips and tricks to navigate in a project in Microsoft Office Project 2007.

Module 3: Inside Microsoft Office Project 2007
This module explains the simplified Microsoft Project Data Model as it applies to Views, Tables, Filters, and Groups in Microsoft Office Project 2007. This module introduces the student to the most commonly used Views, Tables, Filters, and Groups in the application.

Lessons
• Understanding the Microsoft Project Data Model
• Understanding Views
• Understanding Tables
• Understanding Filters
• Understanding Groups

Lab : Inside Microsoft Office Project 2007
• Exercise 3-1: Apply task and resource Views in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Exercise 3-2: Apply task and resource Tables in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Exercise 3-3: Apply a standard Filter in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Exercise 3-4: Apply a Highlight Filter in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Exercise 3-5: Apply task and resource Groups in Microsoft Office Project 2007.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Explain the simplified Microsoft Project Data Model as it applies to Views, Tables, Filters, and Groups.
• Apply task and resource Views.
• Apply a combination View.
• Apply task and resource Tables.
• Apply task and resource Filters.
• Use Cell Background Formatting with a Highlight Filter.
• Apply task and resource Groups.

Module 4: Project Definition
This module begins the process of learning to use Microsoft Office Project 2007 by following the project management life cycle. This module teaches the student how to define a new project using a six-step process and how to create new base calendars for specific scheduling needs.

Lessons
• Defining a New Project
• Step #1 – Set the Project Start Date
• Step #2 – Enter the Project Properties
• Step #3 – Display the Project Summary Task
• Step #4 –Set the Project Working Schedule: Setting the Daily Working Schedule; Creating a New Base Calendar
• Step #5 – Set Options Unique To This Project
• Step #6 – Save the Project

Lab : Project Definition
• Exercise 4-1: Set the project Start date.
• Exercise 4-2: Enter the Properties of the project.
• Exercise 4-3: Display the Project Summary Task in the project.
• Exercise 4-4: Set company holidays as nonworking time on the Standard calendar.
• Exercise 4-5: Create two new base calendars to specify unique working schedules.
• Exercise 4-6: Specify options settings for the project.
• Exercise 4-7: Save the project.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Define a new project using a six-step method.
• Create a new base calendar.

Module 5: Project Task Planning
This module teaches the student all of the steps necessary to complete the task planning process, which is the first wave of the Planning process in the project management life cycle.

Lessons
• Understanding the Task Planning Process
• Understanding Change Highlighting
• Using Basic Task Planning Skills
• Using Task Dependencies
• Setting Task Constraints and Deadline Dates
• Assigning Task Calendars
• Understanding Duration-Based and Effort-Based Planning: Estimating Task Durations
• Understanding Task Drivers
• Creating Recurring Tasks

Lab : Project Task Planning
• Exercise 5-1: Enter new tasks and edit an existing task.
• Exercise 5-2: Rearrange the task list into a meaningful order.
• Exercise 5-3: Insert a new task between two existing tasks.
• Exercise 5-4: Delete an existing task.
• Exercise 5-5: Create summary tasks and subtasks to show the WBS for the project.
• Exercise 5-6: Create Milestone tasks.
• Exercise 5-7: Add a Note and Cell Background Formatting to highlight a task of interest.
• Exercise 5-8: Set each of the four types of task dependencies.
• Exercise 5-9: Set Lag time and Lead time on task dependencies.
• Exercise 5-10: Edit existing task dependencies using various methods.
• Exercise 5-11: Set task dependencies in the class sample project.
• Exercise 5-12: Set Constraints and Deadline dates on tasks.
• Exercise 5-13: Assign a Task Calendar to a task.
• Exercise 5-14: Estimate the Duration for several tasks.
• Exercise 5-15: Determine the driver for any task using the Task Drivers tool.
• Exercise 5-16: Create a Recurring Task.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand all aspects of the task planning process.
• Understand Change Highlighting.
• Create and edit tasks.
• Insert one or more new tasks between two existing tasks.
• Delete an existing task.
• Build the Work Breakdown Structure by creating summary tasks and subtasks.
• Create Milestone tasks.
• Add Notes and Cell Background Formatting to a task.
• Understand how to use the four types of task dependencies, and add Lag time or Lead time as needed.
• Edit an existing task dependency.
• Set Constraints and Deadline dates on tasks.
• Assign a Task Calendar to a task.
• Estimate task Durations.
• Use the Task Drivers tool to determine the driver for any task.
• Create a Recurring Task.

Module 6: Project Resource Planning
This module teaches the student all of the steps necessary to complete the resource planning process, which is the second wave of the Planning process in the project management life cycle.

Lessons
• Defining Project Resources
• Entering Basic Resource Information
• Entering Custom Resource Information: Entering General Information; Changing Working Time;Setting an Alternate Working Schedule; Entering Nonworking Time; Setting Working Schedule Changes; Entering Cost Information; Entering Resource Notes; Using the Custom Fields Page

Lab : Project Resource Planning
• Exercise 6-1: Enter basic resource information for project team members.
• Exercise 6-2: Enter general and working schedule information for project team members.
• Exercise 6-3: Enter cost information and notes project team members.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Explain the different types of resources available in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Create Work, Material, and Generic resources.
• Enter basic and custom resource information for project team members.

Module 7: Project Assignment Planning
This module teaches the student all of the steps necessary to complete the assignment planning process, which is the third and final wave of the Planning process in the project management life cycle.

Lessons
• Understanding Assignments
• Using the Task Entry View
• Understanding the Duration Equation
• Setting the Cost Rate Table
• Assigning Material Resources
• Using Effort Driven Scheduling
• Using the Assign Resources Dialog
• Understanding Resource Overallocation
• Leveling Overallocated Resources

Lab : Project Assignment Planning
• Exercise 7-1: Assign resources to tasks using the Task Entry view.
• Exercise 7-2: Learn about the Duration Equation by changing Units, Work, and Duration.
• Exercise 7-3: Learn about Task Types by changing Units, Work, and Duration for various Task Types.
• Exercise 7-4: Learn about the Programming Biases in Microsoft Office Project 2007 by changing the fixed variable in the Duration Equation for various Task Types.
• Exercise 7-5: Specify an alternate Cost Rate for a resource assignment on a task.
• Exercise 7-6: Assign a Material resource to a task.
• Exercise 7-7: Use Effort Driven scheduling to shorten the Duration of a task.
• Exercise 7-8: Learn more about Effort Driven scheduling by adding a resource to a task where the existing resource has completed some Actual Work on the task.
• Exercise 7-9: Assign resources to a Recurring Task using the Assign Resources dialog.
• Exercise 7-10: Use the Filtering features in the Assign Resources dialog to do skill matching between a Generic resource and available human resources.
• Exercise 7-11: Use the resource substitution feature in the Assign Resources dialog to replace a Generic resource with a human resource.
• Exercise 7-12: Locate resource overallocations and then level overallocated resources.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand that the complete Microsoft Project Data Model includes task, resource, and assignment data.
• Understand work estimation techniques.
• Assign resources to tasks using the Task Entry view and the Assign Resources dialog.
• Change the Cost Rate Table for an assignment.
• Understand and use Task Types.
• Use Effort-Driven scheduling to shorten task Duration.
• Assign a Material resource to a task.
• Use filtering and graphing in the Assign Resources dialog.
• Locate and level resource overallocations.

Module 8: Project Execution
This module teaches the student how to view the Critical Path in a project, to baseline a project, and to track progress using one of three available tracking methods.

Lessons
• Understanding the Execution Process
• Viewing the Critical Path
• Working with Project Baselines: Saving a Project Baseline; Saving a “Rolling Baseline”; Saving Over a Previous Baseline;  Viewing the Project Baseline; Clearing the Project Baseline; Using Additional Baselines
• Tracking Project Progress: Entering % Complete; Entering Actual Work and Remaining Work; Using a Daily Timesheet
• Rescheduling Uncompleted Work

Lab : Project Execution
• Exercise 8-1: Use the Gantt Chart Wizard to view the Critical Path in a project.
• Exercise 8-2: Save an original Baseline in a project.
• Exercise 8-3: Save a duplicate copy of a Baselined project for later use a project closure.
• Exercise 8-4: Enter task progress using the % Complete method.
• Exercise 8-5: Enter task progress using the Actual Work and Remaining Work method.
• Exercise 8-6: Enter task progress using the daily timesheet method.
• Exercise 8-7: Enter a task Note to document additional task tracking information.
• Exercise 8-8: Enter task progress on a Recurring Task.
• Exercise 8-9: Reschedule uncompleted work from the past reporting period into the current reporting period.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand each aspect of the Execution stage of the project management life cycle.
• View the Critical Path for a project.
• Save an original baseline for a project.
• Understand the proper use of the multiple Baseline fields in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Understand the three primary methods for entering project progress.
• Reschedule uncompleted work from past reporting periods into the current reporting period.

Module 9: Variance Analysis
This module teaches the student how to analyze Work, Cost, Date, and schedule variance. This module also teaches the student to create custom Views, Tables, Filters, and Groups to further analyze variance and to view custom project information.

Lessons
• Understanding Variance: Understanding Variance Types; Understanding Actual vs. Estimated Variance
• Analyzing Project Variance: Analyzing Date Variance; Analyzing Work Variance; Analyzing Cost Variance
• Using Custom Views to Analyze Variance: What Is A View?; Creating a New Custom View
• Creating a Custom Table
• Creating a Custom Filter
• Creating a Custom Group
• Creating a New Custom View: Creating a Combination View
• Using the Organizer

Lab : Variance Analysis
• Exercise 9-1: Analyze schedule variance, along with Date, Work, and Cost variance.
• Exercise 9-2: Create a new custom Table to show Duration variance.
• Exercise 9-3: Create a new Table to show all project task variance in a single location.
• Exercise 9-4: Create a new custom Filter that displays only Estimated Variance for Work (as opposed to Actual Variance).
• Exercise 9-5: Create a custom Filter to locate tasks whose Duration exceeds their Baseline Duration.
• Exercise 9-6: Create a new custom Group to group tasks by their Duration Variance in descending order in 1-day intervals.
• Exercise 9-7: Create a custom View that shows all tasks whose Duration Variance is greater than 0 days, grouped by the Duration Variance field, and displayed with the Task Sheet screen.
• Exercise 9-8: Create a new custom Tracking Gantt view that shows all five types of variance, and highlights tasks with estimated Work over budget.
• Exercise 9-9: Use the Organizer tool to copy custom Views, Tables, Filters, and Groups from a project file to the Global.mpt file.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand the different types of project variance.
• Understand the difference between “estimated” variance and “actual” variance.
• Analyze Work, Cost, Date, and schedule variance.
• Create custom Views, Tables, Filters, and Groups.
• Use the Organizer to manage custom Views, Tables, Filters, and Groups in Microsoft Office Project 2007.

Module 10: Plan Revision and Change Control
This module teaches the student how to revise a project to bring it back on track against its original goals and objectives, to manage changes to a project using a change control process, and to rebaseline a project after a major change control procedure.

Lessons
• Revising a Project Plan: Potential Problems with Revising a Plan
• Using a Change Control Process
• Inserting New Tasks in a Project
• Rebaselining Your Project: Rebaselining the Entire Project; Backing Up an Original Baseline; Rebaselining Only Unstarted Tasks; Saving a Baseline for Selected Tasks
• Viewing Multiple Baselines

Lab : Plan Revision and Change Control
• Exercise 10-1: Revise a project by adding resources to Effort Driven tasks and by adjusting resource availability for project team members.
• Exercise 10-2: Add a new task to a project using a Change Control process.
• Exercise 10-3: Back up the original project baseline information in the Baseline1 set of fields.
• Exercise 10-4: Rebaseline only the unstarted tasks in a project.
• Exercise 10-5: View the new project Baseline after rebaselining a project.
• Exercise 10-6: View alternate Baseline schedule information in a project.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Define plan revision and change control.
• Understand how to revise a project plan in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Understand Baseline issues relating to change control.
• Understand how the AutoLink feature works when you insert a new task in a project with dependencies.
• Use change control procedures to add a new task to a project in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Baseline a new task added through a change control procedure.

Module 11: Project Reporting
This module teaches the student report on all types of data in a Microsoft Office Project 2007 plan by printing Views, by printing default Reports, by creating and printing custom Reports, and by using the Visual Reports feature to export project information to Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft Office Visio.

Lessons
• Reporting in Microsoft Office Project 2007
• Printing Views: Using Page Setup; Creating a Header or Footer; Using the Print Dialog
• Printing Reports: Understanding Report and View Interaction
• Understanding Report Definition
• Creating Custom Reports: Creating Custom Monthly Calendar Reports; Creating Custom Crosstab Reports
• Using Visual Reports: Viewing a Visual Report; Customizing a Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Visual Report; Customizing a Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Visual Report; Saving Local OLAP Cube Data
• Creating Visual Report Templates: Editing Visual Report Templates; Managing Your Visual Report Templates

Lab : Project Reporting
• Exercise 11-1: Use the Page Setup dialog to print a specific number of columns in a View.
• Exercise 11-2: Use the Page Setup dialog to add a Notes page when printing the Gantt Chart view.
• Exercise 11-3: Use the Page Setup dialog to create a custom Header for the Gantt Chart view.
• Exercise 11-4: Use the Print dialog to print a selected date range for a View.
• Exercise 11-5: Print Preview the various default Reports included in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Exercise 11-6: Troubleshoot printing problems with the Cash Flow report.
• Exercise 11-7: Troubleshoot printing problems with the Who Does What When report.
• Exercise 11-8: View the definition of a Task Report and a Resource Report.
• Exercise 11-9: Create a custom task Report based on the new Table and Filter used in a previously created custom View.
• Exercise 11-10: Create a custom Monthly Calendar Report to show the tasks assigned to any resource.
• Exercise 11-11: Create a monthly version of the Cash Flow report that displays both tasks and assignments.
• Exercise 11-12: View Visual Reports in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Exercise 11-13: Customize the PivotTable in a Visual Report in Microsoft Office Excel 2007.
• Exercise 11-14: Customize the PivotChart in a Visual Report in Microsoft Office Excel 2007.
• Exercise 11-15: Create the PivotTable and PivotChart sections of a new Visual Report Template.
• Exercise 11-16: Format the PivotChart section of a new Visual Report Template.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand reporting features in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Print default and custom Views and Reports.
• Create custom Reports.
• View and modify Visual Reports.
• Create custom Visual Reports.

Module 12: Project Closure
This module teaches the student how close out a completed project, to clean up and save a completed project as a template, and to compare the final completed project with the original baselined project using the Compare Projects tool in Microsoft Office Project 2007.

Lessons
• Project Closure
• Using Project Closure Methodologies
• Closing a Project: Cancelling Unnecessary Tasks; Marking Milestones as Complete
• Saving a Completed Project as a Template: Creating a New Project from a Template
• Using the Compare Project Versions Tool

Lab : Project Closure
• Exercise 12-1: Cancel an unneeded task.
• Exercise 12-2: Set the Remaining Work to 0 hours for a task that finished early and then mark all Milestone tasks complete to close a completed project.
• Exercise 12-3: Clean up a completed project before saving it as a project template.
• Exercise 12-4: Save a completed project file as a project template.
• Exercise 12-5: Create a new project from the new project template saved in Exercise 12-4.
• Exercise 12-6: Use the Compare Project Versions tool to compare the baselined and completed versions of a project.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand and use project closure methodologies.
• Close a completed project in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Save a completed project as a project template.
• Compare a completed project with the original project using the Compare Projects tool.

Module 13: Working with Fields
This module teaches the student how to create custom Fields and Outline Codes to track custom task and resource information.

Lessons
• Understanding Custom Fields
• Defining Custom Fields
• Defining Custom Outline Codes

Lab : Working with Fields
• Exercise 13-1: Create a series of custom fields to manage the Change Control process.
• Exercise 13-2: Create a custom field containing a formula to calculate the percentage of Work variance, and display graphical indicators instead of data in the new custom field.
• Exercise 13-3: Create a custom resource outline code to track each resource’s geographical location in the organization.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Understand and use the six types of Fields in Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• Define custom Fields and Outline Codes to track task and resource information.

Module 14: Project Costing
This module teaches the student how create, assign, and use Cost resources in a project, and to perform Earned Value Analysis (EVA) to analyze variance in a project.

Lessons
• Using Cost Resources: Using Expense Cost Resources
• Understanding Earned Value Analysis: Setting Up Microsoft Office Project 2007 for EVA
• Viewing Earned Value Fields: Changing the EVA Calculation Method

Lab : Project Costing
• Exercise 14-1: Create a custom Table with which to track project Budget and Actual Costs using Cost resources.
• Exercise 14-2: Create a custom View in which to track project Budget and Actual Costs using Cost resources.
• Exercise 14-3: Create Cost resources to track project Budget and Actual Costs.
• Exercise 14-4: Assign Cost resources to tasks in a project.
• Exercise 14-5: Set a budget for a project and enter Actual Cost for the first Phase of the project.
• Exercise 14-6: Study the Earned Value Analysis (EVA) fields in a project.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Create Budget Cost and Expense Cost resources.
• Use Cost resources for budgeting and expenses.
• Understand Earned Value Analysis (EVA).

Module 15: Importing and Exporting Project Data
This module teaches the student how to import and export Microsoft Office Project 2007 data with Microsoft Office Excel.

Lessons
• Exporting Project Data: Exporting to an Excel Workbook
• Importing Project Data: Importing from an Excel Workbook File

Lab : Importing and Exporting Project Data
• Exercise 15-1: Export project data to a Microsoft Office Excel workbook file.
• Exercise 15-2: Import project data from a Microsoft Excel Workbook file.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Export Microsoft Office Project 2007 data to Microsoft Office Excel.
• Import Microsoft Office Project 2007 data from Microsoft Office Excel.

Module 16: Using Master Projects
This module teaches the student how to create a shared Resource Pool file and to create a master project consisting of other projects as subprojects.

Lessons
• Master Project Defined
• Creating a Shared Resource Pool: Connecting to a Shared Resource Pool File; Using a Shared Resource Pool; Unlinking from a Shared Resource Pool
• Creating a Master Project

Lab : Using Master Projects
• Exercise 16-1: Create a shared Resource Pool file from two existing projects.
• Exercise 16-2: Edit a shared Resource Pool file.
• Exercise 16-3: Connect a new project containing no resources to a shared Resource Pool file.
• Exercise 16-4: Create a master project from a shared Resource Pool file.
• Exercise 16-5: Manually create a master project consisting of three subprojects.

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Define a master project.
• Create a shared Resource Pool file.
• Create a master project.

Module 17: Microsoft 70-632 Certification Exam Preparation
This module prepares the student to register for and take the Microsoft 70-632 certification exam (Microsoft Office Project 2007, Managing Projects).

Lessons
• Certification Exam Information: Certification Exam Overview; Registering for the Certification Exam; Review of Certification Exam Knowledge and Competency Requirements; Tips for Taking and Passing the 70-632 Certification Exam
• Microsoft 70-632 Certification Exam Practice

Lab : Microsoft 70-632 Certification Exam Preparation
• Exercise 17-1: Test your knowledge by taking a simulated 70-632 certification exam

After completing this module, students will be able to:
• Register with Prometric to take the Microsoft 70-632 certification exam
• Take the Microsoft 70-632 certification exam