Author: MPUG

Microsoft Community Leader Awards

What sets the Microsoft Project Community apart? Those individuals who are willing to stand out and take the time to share what they’ve learned with others. MPUG community leaders turn what could be just another product information site into a vibrant user community.For that reason, MPUG and Microsoft were proud to present the second annual MPUG Community Leader Awards (MCLA). Presented during the Microsoft Project Conference 2012, MCLA recognizes the work and dedication of a number of individuals that have contributed generously to the MPUG community.Please find the list of 2012 leaders below. We hope you join us in recognizing these leaders. Larry Christofaro, PMP, MCITP Awarded Community Leader for his dedication in helping other users via informative in person events, community building and his excellent contributions to the MPUG discussion forums. Larry Christofaro is a senior consultant for Tribridge, with over 20 years of project management experience. Larry has combined his strengths in EPM architecture and project management to successfully manage Microsoft Project deployments for clients ranging from 50-2000 users. Larry is a Microsoft Certified IT Professional and a Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist for MS Project and Project Server. _____________________________________________________________________________ Matthew T. Davis, PMP, MCITP Awarded Community Leader for his contributions to the Compelling Project Talk Series. Matthew has been an active member of the Project Management Community for more than 20 years. Mr. Davis has managed development and delivery of PMO’s, EPM deployments, project delivery methodologies, strategic change programs, training seminars, organizational maturity assessments, and other strategic initiatives for clients of all kinds. Mr. Davis has provided consulting services to a variety of well-known companies, including Fidelity Investments, Estee Lauder, Reuters News, John Hancock Insurance, Iron Mountain, Mead Johnson, Mohegan Sun Casino, and AARP. He has also provided consulting services to leaders in the medical and healthcare industries including Smith & Nephew, Biogen-Idec, and Hewlett-Packard Medical Products Group. Mr. Davis is Vice-President for Consulting Services at PM Providers, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)®, a Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional (MCITP) in Project & Portfolio Management, and President of the Microsoft Project Users Group (MPUG) Boston Chapter. _____________________________________________________________________________ Jacques Goupil, PMP, MCP, MCTS Awarded Community Leader Award for his excellence in training. Jacques is Director of Business Development at PPM Works, Inc. PPM Works runs their business on Project Server 2013 and have completed several Project Server implementations and upgrades. Jacques was the Lead SME and writer for the Microsoft Project Certification Exam 70-178, Project 2010, Managing Projects, a board member of the Boston and South Florida MPUG Chapters, and an MPUG Project 2010 Certification Instructor. He has over 15 years of professional experience with very strong background in project management, specializing in developing and improving Project Management processes for clients, and training. He has considerable experience in creating and delivering instructor-led, PMI aligned, Project Management training in both the commercial and public arenas including several speaking engagements, training sessions, webcasts, and sessions for both PMI and MPUG. He was recognized by MSFT for his blogs covering Project 2010 and as speaker at the Microsoft Project Conference 2012. He also was a moderator and speaker at the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Project Summit roundtable sessions and most recently received an MPUG Community Leadership Award for his unending contributions to the Project community. _____________________________________________________________________________ Ben Howard, MVP Awarded Community Leader for his very popular and comprehensive UK web training series. Ben Howard has over 20 years experience of implementing enterprise solutions such as MRPII, ERP, and latterly Microsoft’s EPM (Project and Project Server) solution. During that time hes worked for IBM, DELL, and Microsoft, as well as several smaller organisations. He now runs his own EPM consultancy (Applepark Ltd), providing Project Server implementation and training services. _____________________________________________________________________________ Ellen Lehnert, PMP, MVP, MCT, MCITP Ellen Lehnert, Community Leader Author Award for the popularity of her, “Ask the Expert” articles. Ellen Lehnert is a Microsoft Project MVP with over 20 years of corporate training and consulting experience. Ellen teaches customized classes as well as develops customized processes for using MS Project and MS Project Server. She is the author of “Managing Projects using MS Project 2010 desktop” courseware, a contributor to many reference books, writes the monthly “Ask the Expert” column for the Microsoft Project User Group (MPUG) newsletter, a developer of the 70-178 MS Project 2010 certification test, and frequent meeting speaker. Ellen brings a unique combination of licensed teacher, programming background and real world consulting experience to her classes and her clients. _____________________________________________________________________________ Gerald Leonard, PMP, MCSE, MCTS Awarded Community Leader for his individual chapter leadership and his recruitment of an excellent chapter board. The team has made the Washington DC, Baltimore and Virginia chapter one of the strongest in terms of community, compelling events and content. Gerald Leonard attended Central State University for a Bachelor in Music and Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for a Master in Music as a classical bassist. After receiving his master, Gerald lived in New York City where he worked as a professional bassist and studied with David Walters (Juilliard / Manhattan School of Music). Gerald then worked in the ministry for the New York City Church of Christ as a full time minister and musician. After coming out of the ministry to pursue his music career with a family, Gerald was introduced to the world of Network computing and Project Management. During the last 17 years Gerald has worked as a IT Project Management consultant and earned the PMP®, MCSE, MCTS, CQIA, COBIT Foundation and ITIL foundation certifications. He has also earned certifications in Project Management and Business Intelligence from University of California, Berkeley as well as an Executive Leadership Certification from Cornell University. Gerald Leonard is currently the Director of Portfolio Strategies and Governance Solutions at Edwards Project Solutions. He loves to play golf and you may still find him playing his upright bass on special occasions. _____________________________________________________________________________ John Riopel, PMP, MCP, MCTS Awarded Community Leader for his contributions to the Compelling Project Talk Series. John has over 24 years of experience as a Program and Project Manager in government services and commercial industry implementing and managing internal, civil, commercial, and government projects. John has provided Program and Project management expertise to the US Navy, Army, banking, telecommunications, retail, and entertainment industry clients. Using a disciplined approach aligned to the Project Management Institute, John has lead teams in the delivery of strategic initiatives throughout his career. Johns technical background in Microsoft project management technologies spans the entire evolution of the Microsoft Project toolset, with a deep understanding of how to apply these technology constructs and concepts to real-world project management challenges. Mr. Riopel is President and CEO of the project and portfolio management consulting firm PM Providers. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)®, a certified Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) in Project & Portfolio Management. _____________________________________________________________________________ Eric Uyttewaal, PMP, Microsoft MVP for Project Awarded Community Leader for his excellence in training. Eric is one of the foremost experts on management software from Microsoft. He authored the book “Forecast Scheduling with Microsoft Project 2010” and “Dynamic Scheduling with Microsoft Office Project 2000/2002/2003.” He is president of ProjectPro Corp, a company specializing in Microsoft Project and Project Server (www.ProjectProCorp.com). Eric has been involved in large programs: Canadian Forces Supply System Upgrade, Cognos (IBM) BI Suite release and Northrop Grumman Airplane Upgrade. In 2010, Eric was named most valuable professional in Microsoft Project by Microsoft. In 2009, Eric received an award from PMI for his contributions to the scheduling profession. In 1997, he presided over the Ottawa Chapter of The Project Management Institute (PMI)®. Since 2009, he is president of the MPUG-Ottawa chapter. _____________________________________________________________________________ Kevin Watson, PMP, MCT, MCTS Awarded for his article, The Seven Deadly Sins of Project Schedules With over 25 years of project management experience, Kevin Watson, PMP, MCT, MCTS, is a black belt in Microsoft Project and Microsoft Project Server. Kevin brings a unique combination of project management and project server to the field, where he is a Senior Consultant with Microsoft. Kevin has spent 5 of his six years at Microsoft deploying project server to large government agencies and is currently the national EPM community lead within Microsoft. Contact him at kevinw@microsoft.com.

11 Reasons You Should Attend the Microsoft Project Conference

If you’re immersed in Microsoft Project and Project Server for your work, you’ll definitely want to head to Microsoft’s Phoenix bash, the Microsoft Project Conference 2012taking placeMarch 19-22. Here are 11 reasons to attend: 1. You’ve been working with Project 2010 for a year or two now, and it’s time to take your usage to the next level. This event is packed with experts on the product line — people from Microsoft and a bunch of other independent companies that work with Project day in and day out and have plenty to teach you. 2. At the same time, this is your chance to take your career to the next level. Refine your project management skills, add to your LinkedIn list, get answers to those gnarly Project questions, and invest in your future as a project manager. 3. Here’s your chance to network with MPUG members from around the globe. We’ll be hosting a private party from 4 to 6 on Monday afternoon, that includes cocktails, appetizers, fabulous prizes, and MPUG members, chapter leaders, and Microsoft experts. Register today to reserve your spot since attendance is limited. 4. Then you can move from that to the Microsoft Monday evening reception that includes more free drinks and appetizers. How often do you get to end Monday nights at home that way — especially now that Monday Night Football is a near-distant memory! 5. Still haven’t had much time to work with Project 2010 Not to worry! There will be computer labs on site and instructor-led training sessions to teach you about managing projects with Project Professional 2010 and configuring Project Server 2010. 6. If you’ve been meaning to get Microsoft Project certified, here’s your chance. Prometric will have a testing center on site where you can finally tackle that Project exam you’ve been meaning to take. No more excuses! 7. If you love trains like we love trains (or you just like saving money), then you can take advantage of Phoenix’s light rail system that will take you from the airport to downtown hotels for $1.75. (Yes, there’s a quick bus ride between the airport and the light rail system, but don’t worry — there’s plenty of room on the bus for your luggage.) 8. On Wednesday night, Microsoft’s taking all of us off to the Arizona Science Center, where you’ll have the chance to enjoy plenty of kid-free fun on the “Sky Cycle,” rock wall, planetarium, and dozens of other geeky exhibits. Plan to wear your playing shoes! 9. The exhibit hall will be packed with vendors demonstrating their latest products. If you’re looking for a specific tool to help you in some aspect of your project portfolio, we guarantee you’ll find potential solutions here. 10. The MPUG global team will be there all week long — and we’d love to meet you. Our booth will have experts on hand to answer your Project questions while you wait! Plus, we’ll make you YouTube famous! Share a tip you’ve just learned with the rest of the MPUG community on the MPUG YouTube channel to earn your place in a future newsletter. 11. Finally, there’s no place more beautiful than Phoenix in mid-March. It’ll be sunny enough in this desert oasis to sip margaritas by the pool. Waiter! What are you waiting for Sign up now on the Microsoft Project Conference 2012 site. We’ll see you there!

Chapter Spotlight: 4 Questions with Houston’s Vicki Eaker

Vicki Eaker with MPUG’s Houston Chapter currently works at Shell Trading via her employer Sogeti USA LLC. She’s the application readiness project manager for the Global Shell Trading Vista Migration Project. Prior to joining Sogeti two years ago, Eaker spent three years managing projects in healthcare (including one Project Server implementation as well as SharePoint strategic planning) and five years as a PM in the retail industry focusing on point of sale and infrastructure. Here Eaker answers four questions… What are your biggest goals for your chapter this year Glad you asked! Our primary goal is to recruit new board members. We have all of our board members moving on to new opportunities. We so very much want to find three board members to carry the torch and support the Houston Chapter in it new growth. We have a great plan drafted for 2009 with most events planned and/or speakers committed to present. We are heavily recruiting enthusiastic new professionals who have a passion for spreading the word about MPUG and bringing the chapter to an even higher level of service to our project management and Microsoft Project community. In your experience, what tends to be the hardest project management challenge to eradicate Balancing the real story by communicating project risks or challenges transparently to high-level stakeholders, while still maintaining the appropriate perspective on the state of the project and preventing stakeholders’ fears from getting out of hand. Managing up, while managing down is always my favorite challenge. What do you like best about attending MPUG chapter meetings The professional networking and social aspects. It’s great to see professionals come together due to a very specific commonality — Microsoft Project tools — and connect and even partner in their related efforts. Name a restaurant in your city we absolutely have to check out next time we’re in Houston. You came to the right person since I don’t cook much. The short answer: anything Pappas (there are several types of them and they are a reliably good regional chain). However, to name a few restaurants that you may not otherwise hear of, Thai Pepper, Uptown Sushi, Goode Co. for fab seafood or BBQ, El Tiempo for Tex-Mex (order the grilled specials and only have one margarita), The Flying Saucer or The Gingerman for a plethora of beers, or any of the new wine bars on Washington Avenue just off of downtown. Catch you at a chapter meeting!

A Microsoft Project Beta Exam Experience

If you haven’t scheduled your free Microsoft beta exam for test 71-178, “Microsoft Project 2010: Managing Projects,” you still have a little time to get into the testing center and tackle that before Microsoft closes the beta program. Check your email inbox for a message from MPUG with details on registration. Recently, an MPUG member shared this tale of his beta test-taking experience so that you’ll know what to expect when you head to the Prometric testing center… I scheduled the exam for December 16 at 9 a.m. I arrived to the testing center at 8:30 and I was able to go in early to start the exam. When I arrived, I checked in at the front desk. The person led me into a room off the lobby where I stored all of my valuables and my computer. (Leave them at home if you’re able to.) Then I was guided to a room with 10 to 15 computers. I was given an erasable pen and an erasable type of paper for jotting notes down or doing calculations. (Both items are taken away at the end of the test.) The proctor sat me down and activated my test, which started about 8:45. There’s an optional 15-minute practice exam in the beginning, which doesn’t count for your score but does give you practice at taking the test. It shows non-Project-related multiple choice questions where you’re supposed to select one answer, two of four answers, or the best response based on an exhibit. This latter type of question shows a pop-up exhibit, from which you answer the question. For example, you might need to order several choices as they’d actually transpire in real work. Once you finish that practice test, you start the Project exam, and the countdown timer begins. As with the short practice test, the beta offered multiple choice and exhibit questions. Of the 75 questions in the beta, I’d say that about 75 to 80 percent were standard multiple choice. Keep in mind, as you’re taking the beta exam that you can mark questions that you’d like to review later. This feature came in handy for the long and tedious questions. On the last screen of the exam, you’re given the opportunity to return to those questions for review. When I finished going through the questions, I took a break. Although the countdown timer continues clicking, I stepped out of the testing room for a restroom break, returned with a slightly clearer head, and reviewed each question again — whether or not I had marked it for official review — and then clicked finish on the beta exam to submit my final answers. (I actually changed my answer on one question during that review period.) Although in the actual exam, you’ll get your score at the end of the test, this is a beta, which means Microsoft has to analyze the results to determine what the final set of questions will be. That in turn will determine how well you did on the exam. The test shows a screen that explains that your score will be mailed to you. After you’ve clicked Submit, Microsoft gives you the chance to go through the exam once again — though without the ability to change your answers — in order to provide feedback on any of the questions you found confusing or too obvious or too complex. I commented on one question in which I didn’t consider any of the answers very clear. Following that, there’s a brief survey about the Prometric experience, but I opted out of taking that, because I was pretty much surveyed out by that time. I took a little over two hours to get through the entire experience. That included the practice at the beginning, the beta test itself, the review at the end, and the Microsoft comment period. Overall, I felt fairly confident in about 80 percent of the questions I took. In a few cases I had to choose based on the process of elimination. To prepare for the beta test, I went over the list of objectives. Also, locally, we formed a study group to review the list. Combining our efforts this way allowed us to tap others’ knowledge in filling in gaps in our own knowledge. Now that my beta test experience is over, I’ll admit: The night before the exam, I was panicked. But I came to realize that I had studied all that I could and that I simply had to go in and do it. After all, the beta test is free, and it’s a good chance to experience the exam, whether or not I passed it. As for me, I’m looking forward to hearing from Microsoft. Good luck with your own test-taking experience! Ready to Learn More? Want to know more about this new Project 2010 exam Read MPUG’s “Microsoft Project 2010 Certification FAQ.” To learn about the Project 2010 certification, read MPUG’s “How to Get Certified in Microsoft Project 2010.”

MPUG Mega-Guide for Learning Project 2010

Wondering how to start working with Project 2010, whether Professional, Standard, or Server? This MPUG mega-guide provides links to sources on this site and the Microsoft site that you’ll want to check out to help you start the journey. Microsoft Project 2010 Feature Rally We asked 12 of our favorite Microsoft Project experts to share a single feature they find most exciting in Project 2010. Each mini-briefing lays out why the feature is so cool and what it means for your project management work. Sync to SharePoint Manually Scheduled Tasks Microsoft Project 2010 Departmental Fields Inactive Tasks Team Planner Reporting The Ribbon Synching with SharePoint Project Timeline Integrated Portfolio Management No More ActiveX! ROG, the Red Over-allocation Guy WebNLearn Recordings Available to MPUG Members These on-demand recordings with audio, slides, and demonstrations show you how to maneuver through Project 2010. Is Upgrade to Project 2010 Right for Me? MPUG Certificate Program: Microsoft Project 2010 Features Expert – Timeline View  Unleashing the Power of Microsoft Project 2010 Resource Management in Project 2010 SharePoint Integration with Project with Project 2010 Manually Scheduled Tasks with Project 2010 Multiple Version Installation with Project 2010 Compatibility with Project 2010 Project 2010 Macros Creating and Managing Views, Tables, Sorting, and Grouping with Project 2010 The Timeline View in Project 2010 Microsoft Project 2010 Resources Wondering how the versions of Project — 2003, 2007, and 2010 — compare?  This chart explains. Here’s the official blog of the Microsoft Office product development group.

PMI® Keynoters Clinton and Kundra Highly Value PMers

Two American notables — former President Bill Clinton and current Federal CIO Vivek Kundra — appeared separately on stage at The Project Management Institute’s (PMI)® annual Global Congress 2010 taking place this week in Washington, D.C. First up, Kundra, who was appointed as the US chief information officer by President Obama in March 2009. Prior to joining the Obama administration, Kundra served as the chief technology officer for the District of Columbia responsible for technology operations and strategy for 86 agencies and as the dual-role Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Kundra’s talk focused on the need for transparency in the $80 billion of U.S. government IT projects. According to Jesse Fewell, author of the book, Moving Beyond Management, and who posted tweets through jessefewell, Kundra has specific insights into achieving change in government IT. First, there are a few things to recognize: Government has created a culture where process trumps business outcomes. Second, “government projects incur a Gordian knot of growing complexity, spending more time on reporting than executing.” The antidote: Shine the light on CIOs, kill projects that aren’t meeting their goals; and reform federal IT. The latter includes moving from megalithic, multi-year projects to much faster results. The goal, he reminded attendees, “is not a green status; the goal is delivering business results.” The evening keynoter was Clinton, who opened his speech on “Embracing Our Common Humanity” with, “I am fascinated by project management.” His definition of what a project manager does: “Turning good intentions into positive outcomes. That’s what project managers do.” His recommendation when people ask what a PM does: “Tell them you’re in the ‘how’ business.” Clinton has had need of PMs in multiple ways. Projects at the William J. Clinton Foundation, which he established since leaving the White House, include the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (now the Clinton Health Access Initiative, a separate nonprofit organization) which is helping two million people living with HIV/AIDS to gain access to lifesaving drugs. Other efforts — including the Clinton Climate Initiative, the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative, and the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative — are applying a business-oriented approach to fight climate change and develop sustainable economic growth in Africa and Latin America. The Clinton Global Initiative brings together global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the worlds most pressing issues. In America the foundation is working to combat the rise in childhood obesity through the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. In addition to his Foundation work, Clinton has joined with former President George H.W. Bush three timesafter the 2004 tsunami in South Asia, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Hurricane Ike in 2008to help raise money for recovery efforts Recently he was named U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti to assist its people and government as they build back better from recent storm damages and implement their economic vision for the future. Clinton closed his talk pushing attendees to get involved in Haiti’s rebuilding.

Laser Construction Wins PMI®’s Project of the Year Award

National Ignition Facility (NIF), a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), has been awarded the The Project Management Institute’s (PMI)® Project of the Year Award. This award recognizes the work of a project team that shows superior performance, excellent project management execution, and innovation in the use of project management technology.   The NIF, which was constructed at and led by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, CA, is the worlds largest and highest-energy laser. The project brought together representatives from governments, academia, and industry. It’s also the largest scientific construction project ever completed by the DOEs NNSA. The facility has the goal of achieving self-sustaining nuclear fusion in the laboratory for the first time. According to the DOE, fusion power has many of the benefits of long-term renewable energy sources, such as being a sustainable energy supply compared to presently utilized sources and emitting no greenhouse gases. The project took 13 years. It was unitiated in 1996 and completed in March 2009. It consists of 192 giant lasers, housed in a 10-story building the size of three football fields, and capable of delivering at least 50 times more energy than any previous laser system. The facility contains more than 3,000 pieces of amplifier glass, 8,000 large optics, and 30,000 small optics that have been assembled into 6,206 replaceable units. “We had a firm deadline for construction so equipment could be installed and completed,” said Edward Moses, principal associate director for the NIF and Photon Science Directorate at the lab. “It was imperative to have proper processes and standards in place so we could institute a high level of technical and scientific project integration with an international, interdisciplinary consortium of scientists, engineers, vendors and suppliers. We are honored that PMI recognized the hard work, collaboration and dedication of the entire team that worked to create NIF.” The project was completed three weeks ahead of schedule and about $2 million under budget. The award was presented this week during PMI®’s Global Congress in Washington, DC. Photo credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Microsoft Project Certification 2010 Frequently Asked Questions

What is the name of the exam? The exam is called, “Exam 70-178: Microsoft Project 2010, Managing Projects.” Who is this exam intended for? Candidates for this exam use Project Standard 2010 and Project Professional 2010 desktop features (excluding Project Server features) to manage a project schedule and communicate the project to individuals, teams, and the enterprise.To tackle the exam, candidates should have experience in effectively scheduling, communicating, collaborating on, and delivering projects using these two applications. Candidates should also know key project management concepts and terminology as related to scheduling. If someone passes this exam, what credential will he or she earn? The official title of the credential is “Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Microsoft Project 2010, Managing Projects.” How should somebody prepare for the exam? You should study the topics for the exam to make sure you have experience in using those features of the product. What if you’re still new to Microsoft Project 2010 One assessment we received was that you should be “very familiar” with Project 2007 and “somewhat” familiar with Project 2010. You can read the exam objectives, to understand what topics will be covered. What exam preparation resources are available? We recommend these resources: To learn about the Project 2010 certification, read MPUG’s “How to Get Certified in Microsoft Project 2010.” What form do the questions take — multiple choice or something else? This exam uses multiple-choice questions. Your job is to pick the best response given the specific question you’re being asked. How many questions do you anticipate in the final exam? Live exams include about 50 questions. How long will the test-taker have to take the exam? A typical exam takes up to 90-120 minutes. How much will the exam cost? The exam costs $125 in the United States and other prices in other countries. The price of an exam in the United States will rise to $150 starting on July 1, 2011. See Microsoft’s exam pricing by country. Are the results of pass or fail immediate? After answering questions and pressing Submit, you’ll find out immediately if you’ve passed or failed. Is this exam similar to the previous Project exam, 70-632, which was also offered through Prometric? Yes. Exam 70-632 primarily used multiple choice and scenario questions to measure your abilities with the Project 2007 products. Exam 70-178 will be similar, but cover all of the new and relevant topics for Project 2010 desktop products. How I schedule an exam? To schedule an exam, visit Prometric, Microsoft’s testing provider. Is there a title that will be given for somebody who passes this exam along with the new Server exam? Microsoft is still working out the details on that. Stay tuned! To learn more, read “How to Get Certified in Microsoft Project 2010.”  

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