Microsoft Project Essentials
This two day course is designed for individuals who will use Microsoft Project as a tool to assist them in managing projects. The topics in this course cover the critical skills necessary to create and modify a project plan file that contains tasks, resources, and resource assignments.
- 2 Days
- Online or in person
- Private courses available
Course Objectives
- Set up a new project using Microsoft Project
- Enter tasks including the different durations involved
- Build a schedule containing tasks and linked tasks
- Add constraints and deadlines to a project
- Manage lag and lead times
- Add and assign resources and deal with resource over-allocation
- Set up and assign calendars to resources and tasks
- Use scheduling to control and manipulate multiple task types
- Use resource / cost / time management, including manual contouring
- Handle master projects, insert sub projects, linked or detached
- Use Project Tracking methods
- Customise The Project Environment. Customise project views, sheets, tables, forms and fields
- Print standard reports and customise reports
- Export reports to Excel and Visio
Prerequisites
- Delegates should have a working knowledge of Windows or they should have completed the Introduction to Windows course. Delegates should feel at ease performing tasks such as arranging, sizing, switching between windows. Previous use of a mouse is assumed on this course.
Included
- Lunch and refreshments when training is delivered at our training venues
- Comprehensive course materials and exercises
- Telephone and Email Support
Course content Back to top
-
Overview of Microsoft Project
Exploring views in Microsoft Project
Tables, forms and charts
Menus and toolbars
Gantt chart and task entry views -
Creating a New Plan
How to start a project from scratch
Setting a project finish date or a start date, which is best?
Setting the default working times for the project
Entering properties for the project -
Adding Tasks to your plan
Entering tasks into your project
Using the change highlighting feature
Adding task notes
Editing, deleting and rearranging tasks
Using outlining to create summary tasks
When to use estimated durations for tasks -
Linking Tasks
Linking tasks using various different methods
Understanding different link types and which one to use
How to alter links between tasks
Recurring tasks
Splitting tasks -
Sorting and filtering
Sorting and filtering tasks into a specified order
Using highlights to find specific tasks easily -
Using Constraints Efficiently
Lag and lead to control tasks
Adding deadlines and constraints
Understanding constraint types such as flexible (soft) and Inflexible (Hard) types
Problems with placing constraints on tasks
How to view tasks with constraints and what the symbols mean -
Project Resources
Adding resources to your project
Using the correct resource type
Assigning resources to tasks
Assigning resources to work part time on tasks
Dealing with a resource over-allocation
Viewing Resource usage -
Calendars and Time
Setting up the standard calendar
Changing the default working time and adding holidays
Using calendars to control different working patterns
Controlling tasks by assigning a task calendar
Sharing your calendars with other projects -
Costs
Entering costs for resources
Entering costs for tasks independent of resources
Costs and summary tasks -
Custom Tables
Understanding custom fields
Naming a custom field
Creating a formula to calculate field values
Calculating formula values for summary tasks
Displaying field values graphically
Formatting task bars based on custom field values -
Formatting Gantt Charts
Adding notes and lines to the gantt chart
Alter how the working and non-working time is displayed
Display a project summary bar -
Tracking your Project
Setting the baseline
When or if you should clear the baseline
The concepts involved when tracking a project
Updating the tasks that went to plan
Rescheduling tasks that are running late
Entering actual task information
Current date feature
Viewing statistics for your project
Comparing you project against what was planned
Viewing how much tasks have slipped
Tips on tracking a project -
Planning Techniques
Network Diagrams
New shapes and outline symbols
Viewing and understanding the critical path
How to view slack time (float)
Should tasks be dependent on resources or should they have the duration fixed? -
Printing Charts and the Calendar
Create headers and footers using the project properties
Add project-level fields to headers, footers or legends
The options for printing legends
Print setting for the different views -
Reports
How to use the standard reports
How to print a report of the costs over time
Exporting your reports to Excel or Visio -
Master or Consolidated Projects
Master projects (Consolidating)
Creating master projects
Master / sub project properties
Mixing master / sub project tasks
Public dates and prices Back to top
Prices are per delegate and exclude VAT.
-
Tuesday 27 October 2026
£890+ VAT
-
Wednesday 9 December 2026
£790+ VAT
-
Thursday 25 March 2027
£790+ VAT
-
Thursday 13 May 2027
£790+ VAT
-
Wednesday 21 July 2027
£790+ VAT
-
Monday 11 October 2027
£790+ VAT
-
Wednesday 8 December 2027
£790+ VAT
Can't make these dates? Ask about a private course on a date that suits you.
Training a team?
Run this course privately, on your dates
What delegates say Back to top
“Went away with a good understanding of the software as I have never used it before”
“Clear, easy to follow and was delivered at the right pace. Excellent overall would book through this company again”
“Good use of time, well paced delivery”
“Its a good overview of the whole programme”
“Thank you very much very helpful training. Great environment and lovely lunch.”
“Really enjoyed the training and the session”
What were the most useful aspects of the course
“Set up and reporting”
“Excellent training course!”
Which part of the course did you find particularly valuable
“Learning how to set up various working calendars to interlink with a project and creating visuals for reporting on the project.”
What other courses would you like to attend
“Would strongly recommend this to fellow colleagues in my current company”
Which part of the course did you find particularly valuable
“Allocating resources to tasks. Linking tasks and balancing workload”
Following this training what are you going to do differently
“Use software more efficiently”
Which part of the course did you find particularly valuable
“Understanding the capabilities and structures of a project”
Following this training what are you going to do differently
“This course has given me the skills needed to use microsoft projects in my workplace from having no knowledge of how to use it”
Please select the words that best describe your learning experience
“Good to learn the right way to do things and also what project is capable of doing.”
“The whole thing was an excellent introduction to scheduling”
Are there any aspects of the course which you feel require improvement
“No, I feel that the pace was good and the way that the training was setup with a 'lecture' period followed by a 'practical' period is a good way of learning.”
Which part of the course did you find particularly valuable
“It was all new skills for me, so I found the whole course valuable.”
“Very useful training for the role out of our project cost control and resource planning initiatives.”
Which part of the course did you find particularly valuable
“The ability to have questions answered during the course. Cost allocation process very useful as most people don’t know this is possible”
“I can now use Project to generate reports for weekly meetings, presentations etc. More generally confident in my use of Project.”
“Overall a well structured and well presented course which was very informative”
“All parts of the course were useful”
Any other comments or recommendations
“Thanks to Rob for spending the time to patiently take us through the course”
“I was a complete beginner, but able to keep up with all the coursework so have experienced a lot of content. I will be using project going forward to manage my timelines so the overall understanding has helped.”
“Very good course”
“Would thoroughly recommend this course. I feel much more confident to now use MS Project for the benefit of my company.”
Following this training what are you going to do differently
“Ensure we all use MS Project for live project programming so that I can use it to create an overall programme. I will then use the project overview for reporting.”
Following this training what are you going to do differently
“I made a lot of notes based on the useful tips the trainer shared, it will certainly assist with improving sharing schedules with clients, especially where client driven delays are experienced.”
“Great couple of days”
Which part of the course did you find particularly valuable
“The instructor was a great communicator, went at a good pace for all to follow. Covered some good content and I feel I’ve learned some great new skills to bring to the job.”
“The course was very informative”
“I will definitely be saving a baseline now and using it to track my project.”
“All teachings were valuable. I appreciated that I was able to ask questions and use examples specific to my job.”
“Very good, patient presentation. The trainer was very knowledgeable and very helpful”
“Great course, well presented, training facilities are excellent.”
Following this training what are you going to do differently
“Create more accurate project plans.”
Please contact us to discuss your Microsoft Project Essentials course, we have many solutions available to ensure you receive the best training possible.
Your Microsoft Project course can be delivered online or in-person. You can choose your learning path and delivery style. Learn in-person or online with our virtual classrooms. Your course can be delivered online, at your office or at one of our training venues, it's your choice. Small course sizes. Course materials included. Flexible Microsoft Project Essentials course content. Expert trainers and tried & tested training methods. Many course materials available online using your personal training account. You can master Microsoft Project, please contact us to book a place or get a quote for your Microsoft Project Essentials course.
Oakville, 14 Durham Road West, Bowburn, Durham, DH6 5AU
0191 377 8377
ittrainingsolutions.co.uk
Printed: 10/20/2026 10:57:46 PM