MPUG - Microsoft Project User Group

Top Project Communications Tools

The top project communication tools and the step-by-step training for how to use these tools effectively. Course includes supporting examples, file downloads and templates. Description: This course will take project managers through the top communication tools they should be using on their projects. So many project managers miss the importance of effectively communicating project information, and because of that, we see significant failure rates in our projects. Project Communications have been a challenge for project managers for years until now. Taking the tools, we use in this class and using them immediately on your projects will give project managers the step in the right direction of leading successful projects. Module One Introduction to the course and how to navigate through the materials. This introductory module will allow you to download the class files and give you access to read the Project Scenario for the course. Module Two The second module begins by looking at Project Failure Surveys and why they are so important. It then introduces the Top Communication Tools to be used in your projects. Module Three The third module looks at what strategies are best when Planning to Use the Communications Tools. The module finishes with a Communication Tools exercise and module summary. Module Four This module begins by looking at specific Project Communication Tools Templates and what templates are a best fit for your project. It then goes onto to describing the Best Practices for Building the Communication Tools with exercises to help explain. Module Five This module provides a course overview and summary of all the modules covered in the course. PMI® PDU This course is eligible for 1.75 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle. Presenter Info: Bill Dow, PMP, is a published author and project management professional with more than two decades of experience in information technology, specializing in software development and project management. Bill has built and operated large project management offices (PMOs) and is the author of three project management books. The latest is Project Management Communication Tools, co-written with Bruce Taylor. Contact Bill at billdow@dowpublishingllc.com.
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Exploring VBA: Microsoft Project’s Macro Language

Description: The initial session will provide an overview of working within the VBA environment, including the basics of recording and editing VBA macros. In the second session Ira will demonstrate how to use VBA to create custom, user-friendly forms as a front end for your VBA functionality. The third session is geared toward a Microsoft Project business user and will provide practical, real-world illustrations for solving common challenges a user faces with Microsoft Project. In this third and final session of this series, you will learn how to use VBA to integrate Microsoft Project with other Microsoft Office applications, including Word and Excel. PMI® PDU This course is eligible for 3 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle. Presenter Info: Ira Brown is a leader in the field of project management and a recognized Microsoft Project expert, Project Widgets is well-known for offering add-on products for Microsoft Project and Project Online, as well as for creating custom solutions that meet their client’s unique business requirements. This company continues to extend the scope and breadth of their offerings, thereby increasing the value they provide to customers, by creating Microsoft Project solutions that are tailored to an organization’s unique needs. They even have several free, downloadable widgets available on their website that you can begin using right away.
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Project Requirements Management

Description: The first session defines different types of requirements and examples for each. Identify where requirements fit within the project lifecycle and how they provide value to project management. The second session reviews how to implement a structured approach to gathering requirements. Create clear and concise project requirements and review examples of complete, comprehensible, and verifiable requirements. The third session explains the importance of traceability and why it is essential to ensure quality is maintained throughout a project’s lifecycle. Provide examples of tools used to trace requirements. PMI® PDU This course is eligible for 2.25 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle. Presenter Info: Walter Stinnett is a project manager and serves as the Learning and Development Delivery Manager for Edwards Performance Solutions. He coordinates training, teaches primarily Microsoft Project courses, and has presented project management tools at various venues. He joined Edwards in 2004 as a Project Coordinator and Scheduler and provided project planning and scheduling support to a variety of commercial and federal government clients, including Swales Aerospace, Department of Justice, Federal Aviation Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Walter’s certifications include the PMP and MCTS.
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Project Performance Measurement

Description: Reporting project progress is paramount to successful communication with Stakeholders and Team members. But, what should we report? What can we measure? These questions need to be examined and answered early in the project. What can be measured across different project types? (Traditional, Agile, Hybrid) . We will discuss these questions and talk about Objective vs. Subjective measurements. How do we track the information within MS Project? We will talk about using custom fields, custom views, and custom filters to enhance our reporting capabilities. How can we use both MS Project reporting and exports to help communicate this information to our stakeholders? We will discuss some do’s and don’ts about creating reports and dashboards. What can, should, and needs to be reported for your project? This is vital in determining what information must be collected. Are we interested in EVM metrics? Resource Allocation? Baseline Performance? In this session, we will look at the different things that can be measured and how to accomplish these measurements. Test your skills after completing the course PMI® PDU This course is eligible for 3 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle. Presenter Info: Fletcher Hearns is the Director of Technology Solutions with Edwards Performance Solutions (www.EdwPS.com). He is responsible for the implementation, of Enterprise Project Management (EPM) solutions for Edwards’ clients, as well as overseeing as well as overseeing the custom application development performed at Edwards around enterprise solutions and Microsoft Project (Desktop & Server) and SharePoint. Fletcher is also one of the leading trainers at Edwards in various aspects of Project Management and the use of project management tools.
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