In the figure above, a schedule was resource leveled using Project (left Gantt chart). It was resource smoothed using Excel (right Gantt chart). Both results are resource-feasible, but the schedule on the right has a smoother resource allocation. To contrast the resource optimization techniques of leveling and smoothing, I will share how both schedules…

  Download the Presentation Slides   Project Management Institute (PMI)® Professional Development Units (PDUs): This Webinar is eligible for 1 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle.   Event Description: Sequencing activities is a critical process within the Schedule Management knowledge area. It is a key component to building in logic –…

Problem Description I answered an interesting question recently in the Microsoft Answers user forum for Microsoft Project users. The user who asked the question stated that she was new to Microsoft Project. She indicated that she is managing a construction project and wanted to know the latest possible date she could order wood flooring so…

Or How to Trust Alice Some of us may remember the early childhood bedtime story of Alice stepping through the looking glass. She finds that, just like a reflection, everything is reversed, including logic (running helps you remain stationary, walking away from something brings you towards it). As a scheduler, have you ever been asked…

Any project manager knows that as soon as their project begins, there’s a need to start re-planning the project schedule. SharePoint makes managing a project schedule incredibly easy. Depending on the size or complexity of your project, tracking your project plan with the out-of-the-box SharePoint Tasks List might do the trick. If you’re an experienced…

  Project Management Institute (PMI)® Professional Development Units (PDUs): This Webinar is eligible for 1 PMI® PDUs in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle.   Event Description: This presentation is on the NEW textbook ‘Forecast Scheduling with Project Online 2018’ by Eric Uyttewaal. The author invented the ‘Principle of Dynamic Scheduling’ stating: If one…

Background Information Several months back, a user posted an interesting question in my company’s Microsoft Project user forum. The user was managing a project in which there were tasks that needed to be scheduled to occur on the first working day of each month. He indicated that he knew he could use a Start No…

Yes, we know ‘Project Online 2018’ does not exist, but I thought it the best way to refer to the recent build of Project Online (April 2018) that keeps changing (or, so they say…). My new textbook ‘Forecast Scheduling’ shows you how you can forecast your project with just the project schedule, even without advanced…

Project Management Institute (PMI)® Professional Development Units (PDUs): This Webinar is eligible for 1 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle. *This is an MPUG Vendor Session. Presenter will discuss Microsoft Project add-ons and how they can streamline the integration of various applications and Microsoft Project in a no pressure, stress-free environment. These add-ons are not out-of-the-box…

Dear Elizabeth: I’m project managing 100 projects (seriously), and struggling. The main thing is deadlines – we have a fixed project deadline, but it’s largely in the control of our customers as we require information/feedback from them during the project. How can I set a deadline so that I can see the original due date…