Chapter 1: Project 2002 Basics

Overview

If you’re browsing this book, you probably have more than a casual interest in projects and project management. You may have substantial experience with scores of projects, or you may be starting on your very first project as a team member or project manager. Perhaps you already use Microsoft Project or similar project management software, and you want to know about Project 2002’s new features. Whether you’re launching your first or fifty-first project, Microsoft Project 2002—the most widely used project management software—can improve the probability that your project will be a success. Before we begin our examination of Project 2002, however, we’ll spend a few pages on a quick but pragmatic review of project fundamentals. Here’s what’s covered in this chapter:

• Defining a project

• Working with scope, resources, performance, and costs

• Understanding the project cycle

• Understanding the different versions of Microsoft Project 2002

• Discovering what’s new in Project 2002