Project Management Events for April

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April-May 2009 Events

Keeping Users of Microsoft® Office Project Connected.

Upcoming MPUG Global Chapter Events and WebNLearns!

Featured Event
WebNLearns
Chapter Events
Sponsored Events
Note to Members

Sponsored by IIL

Featured Event: Apr 30, 2009 Manchester, UK: Reporting Using Microsoft Project and Project Server

Bob Walker, Technical Solutions Professional EPM for Microsoft, will demonstrate how to leverage reporting in Project 2007 and Project Server 2007. He'll cover what you can do out of the box, what you can accomplish with a bit of SharePoint, and what you can achieve with a bit of business intelligence. We'll have free t-shirts for anyone who can stump Bob with a good question.

MPUG Global WebNLearns!

Finding it hard to attend meetings in person right now? Hone your Microsoft Office Project skills and stay up with professional networking through MPUG WebNLearns -- delivered via LiveMeeting on your computer and an Internet connection.

Apr 15, 2009 WebNLearn: Microsoft Project for the Intermediate User --
Learn from the MVP
As a Microsoft Project user do you keep telling yourself, “There must be an easier way to…”? In this session, we'll explore ways to use Microsoft Project to become more efficient at managing your projects. We will also look at some ways to better visualize your projects with reporting. Topics include: shortcuts for updating your project plan; creating calculated fields and indicators to easily find areas for improvement on your plan; creating views and tables that will automate managing your schedule; creating custom fields that let you filter, sort, and group tasks to manage work packages and deliverables; and creating visual reports of your schedule using Excel and Visio. Presented by Pcubed.

Apr 24, 2009 WebNLearn: More Tips and Tricks from Gary Chefetz, MVP
Please join us for another round of Microsoft Project and project management tips and tricks, presented by lively and engaging trainer Gary Chefetz, Microsoft Project MVP.

May 7, 2009 Northeast Connection WebNLearn: Visual Reports Unleashed!
Are you interested in improving the effectiveness of your communication with project stakeholders? Could you benefit from drawing attention to and justifying focus on project risks, issues, and resources? Project 2007 allows you to effectively communicate and present project information through the new Visual Reports feature. The new Visual Reports feature is a flexible solution that uses Office Excel and Microsoft Office Visio to produce great-looking charts, graphs, and diagrams based on Office Project 2007 data. Please join us for this special WebNLearn on how you can unleash the power of Visual Reports to your advantage

May 20, 2009 WebNLearn: Microsoft Project for the Advanced User --
Learn from the MVP
If you've been using Microsoft Project for some time and consider yourself an advanced user, it may be time to look at how you can leverage your existing skills and boost collaboration with your team. Microsoft Project Server can allow you to store your projects in a central database, enable a single centralized resource pool, and allow members of your team to view and update their status on a website. The following topics will be covered in this presentation: a brief overview of Project Server; adjustments you will need to make to your project plan before making the leap to Project Server; how to use the Enterprise Resource Pool; requesting -- and receiving -- status updates from your team members; configuring Project Server views so others on your team can see -- and understand -- the Gantt chart; creating visual OLAP Cube reports on PWA that show project and resource progress. Presented by Pcubed.

MPUG Global Chapter Events

Apr 10, 2009 Paris: 3ème réunion du groupe utilisateurs Microsoft Project
Réconcilier Microsoft Project avec les démarches agiles par Ian Stokes, de IIL. La gestion des livrables dans SharePoint par Rolland David, PCubed. La Fédération Française de Voile surfe sur la vague EPM par Philippe Gouard, DTN de la Fédération Française de Voile; et Vincent Capitaine, M7.

Apr 16, 2009 Connecticut: Project Management Process Better Practices
In this networking event, you'll have the chance to meet with other Microsoft Project users throughout the state and learn about great local and online resources available to members of MPUG. Refreshments will be provided. Attendees will earn one PDU (good toward PMP recertification).

Apr 17, 2009 Twin Cities: Leveraging Microsoft Project Baselines and Critical Path
During execution of your project schedule, are you struggling with which tasks you should be focusing on? Are the tasks on the critical path the only important ones for making the project deadlines? In this informative session Tina Mariani from Milestone Consulting Group will present on capturing a baseline and ways to monitor critical path and critical tasks to ensure you are on the correct path of successfully delivering your project scope, on time, and within budget. Lunch will be provided.

Apr 21, 2009 Atlanta: Project Estimating with Microsoft Project
This session focuses on how Microsoft Project can be used to more effectively apply task estimating best practices and processes, processes that successfully add value to each of PMI's five Process Groups: Initiate, Plan, Execute, Monitor/Control, and Close. Presented by Lee Cash, Senior IT Project Manager for the CDC's Office of Workforce and Career Development, who will share real-world examples on how to use Microsoft Project to systematically improve task estimating practices, processes, and results.

Apr 21, 2009 Puget Sound: Driving Out Costs with Portfolio Management
Pcubed's Bert Velasco will present "Drive the cost out of your business using portfolio and program management." With reference to recent commerce and government case studies from the current recession, this discussion focuses on using lean techniques to drive out the cost of operations and applying portfolio and program management techniques to lower the cost and risk of essential programs. Then Ben Chamberlain with Microsoft will share an innovation management solution built on SharePoint and Microsoft Project.

Apr 28, 2009 London: Microsoft Project Support -- How and Where to Get Some;
Plus, Effective and Simple Reporting
First, join Microsoft's James Grainger, Business and Escalation Manager, for a presentation and Q&A on support for Microsoft Project. Second, a true expert will share effective and simple reporting techniques with Microsoft Office Project and Project Server. If you've ever seen project data in a pivot table report, you'll know how powerful this tool can be for analysis, organization, and cool reporting. This session will show you how to create simple visual reports that you can customize and quickly modify without having to regenerate it from within Project 2007. You'll also learn how to create simple reports using Microsoft Excel and SQL Reporting Services.

Apr 30, 2009 Sydney Chapter Meeting
First up: Responding to economic challenges through Project Portfolio Optimization, presented by Dan Stopher, EPM Partners. Dan will lead a discussion/demonstration of the youngest member of the EPM product family, Microsoft Portfolio Server 2007, and how this tool can help organizations respond to the current economic climate through strategic optimization of project portfolios. Then Ian Sharpe, Planpower, will share "Project 2007 -- Step by Step." Review sessions are a regular feature of MPUG meetings, providing an insight into the latest guides on using Microsoft Project and Portfolio products. Third, Pcubed's David Wells will offer "Project Surgery,” the top 10 challenges for Project Server deployments, along with recommendations.

Apr 30, 2009 San Francisco: Quality Verification of Project Schedules and
Version Control and Project Server
Mark Read will present "Version Control and Project Server: More Options." A deft handling of the many baseline and version options included in Project Server 2007 can provide a robust look at the past, present, and future of your projects. Add in some reporting services snapshots, and there's little you won't know about your projects. Also, what Project 4 and 14 have in common, and what Project 15 could help with. Then Aviva Carmen presents "Quality Verification of your Project Schedules.” In this session you'll learn what you should look for when trying to determine and improve the quality of your project schedule. Is there a checklist you can use? How do you make sure your project schedule is reflective of today’s current reality on your project?

Apr 30, 2009 Manchester, UK: Reporting Using Microsoft Project and Project Server
Bob Walker, Technical Solutions Professional EPM for Microsoft, will demonstrate how to leverage reporting in Project 2007 and Project Server 2007. He'll cover what you can do out of the box, what you can accomplish with a bit of SharePoint, and what you can achieve with a bit of business intelligence. We'll have free t-shirts for anyone who can stump Bob with a good question.

May 5, 2009 Melbourne: Microsoft EPM Solution Delivery -- Real World Lessons
From solution deployment to operational running, what are the key focus areas for encouraging an organizational EPM success story? This session will be a mixture of presenter-led and group discussion on what to look for, what lessons can be learned, and how to better ensure a successful EPM initiative.

May 5, 2009 Central Indiana: Leveling Your Portfolio -- Are You Crazy?
Leveling your company’s portfolio of projects can be done! What are the benefits to leveling your company’s portfolio? How do individual projects need to be structured in order to work with portfolio leveling? What are the limitations or drawbacks to portfolio leveling? How and where do you begin? This presentation will cover those topics as well as the processes used at Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance that may help your organization begin to tackle your portfolio leveling. Presented by Erika Kelly and Christie Rassel. Also available as a WebNLearn presentation on the same day.

May 12, 2009 Chicago: Simple and Effective Project Reporting, Plus, Microsoft Project and Portfolio Management, Which Tools Support Which Processes
First, if you’ve ever seen project data in a pivot table report, you’ll know how powerful this tool can be for analysis, organization, and cool reporting. Consultant Chris Oxtoby, MCP, will demonstrate how to create simple Visual Reports that you can customize and quickly modify without having to regenerate it from within Project 2007. Chris will also demonstrate how to create simple reports using Microsoft Excel and SQL Reporting Services. Next, Rob Hirschmann from Projility will provide insight into the project portfolio management lifecycle, covering how to identify an organization’s core needs. A short demonstration will be provided with insight into the different Microsoft solutions in this area, including Project Professional, Project Server, and a discussion on Project Portfolio Server

May 13, 2009 St. Louis: EPM & TFS from a PM Perspective
This breakfast meeting will feature an informative presentation on enterprise project management and Team Foundation Server and how to leverage what may already be in use with developers.

May 15, 2009 Twin Cities LunchNLearn: Managing Programs using Microsoft Project
This lunchtime presentation provides you with the tools to manage a large program schedule, without the large headache that comes along with it. You will learn the benefits and best practices of consolidating projects, master projects, resource pools, and external links. This session is applicable to both Project 2003 and Project 2007. Additional advantages of integration with Project Server will also be demonstrated. Presented by Larry Christofaro, PMP, MCITP, with Digineer.

May 19, 2009 Atlanta: Schedule Quality
As schedule size and complexity increases, it is harder to maintain the quality of the schedule. How can you tell that best practices are being followed? Conversely, are practices that are frowned upon being employed? For example, is your critical path fundamentally sound? How do you systematically inspect how the schedule itself has changed over time? This presentation will delve into the emerging art and science of schedule quality. In addition to discussing best practices, we will demonstrate how Steelray Project Analyzer (a companion product that works with Microsoft Project) can quickly identify potential quality issues with project schedules.