Chapter Ten Review

Lesson Summary

Viewing Project Statistics

To View Project Statistics: Select Project Statistics button.

Viewing Project Costs

To View Project Costs: Select View Task Sheet view, and click Apply. Select Tools View tab. Click the Show Project summary task checkbox and click OK. Select View Viewing the Project's Critical Path

To View the Critical Path: Select View Detail Gantt, and click Apply.

To View Only Critical Tasks: Select Project Checking Duration Variance

To Check Duration Variance: Select View Task Sheet, and click Apply. Select View Start Var. and Finish Var. fields to see the amounts of variance calculated for the start and finish of the task.

Checking Work Variance

To Check Resource Work Variance: Select View View Variance field to view variance in the resource work.

Checking Cost Variance

To Check Cost Variance: Select View View Variance field to view variance in cost.

Identifying Slipped Tasks

To Fix Project Trouble Spots: Select View View Saving an Interim Plan

To Save an Interim Plan: Select Tools Save interim plan option. Click the Copy list arrow and select the name of the current interim plan. Click the Into list arrow and select the name for the next interim plan. Click the Entire project option and click OK, or click Selected Tasks to save a portion of the schedule.

Quiz

1. Actual cost is the project cost as it is right now. (True or False?)

2. Tasks that affect the overall project length more than other tasks do are called what?

   1. Subtasks

   2. Major tasks

   3. Critical tasks

   4. All tasks affect the project equally

3. Variance is the difference between baseline information and actual information in a field. (True or False?)

4. Project displays variance as _______.

   1. scrambled or sunny-side-up

   2. dangerous or safe

   3. daily or weekly

   4. positive or negative

5. By checking cost variance, you can (select all that apply):

   1. see if there are any tasks that cost more than you budgeted for.

   2. catch cost overruns before they become serious.

   3. check how much total work a resource is accomplishing.

   4. identify resource overallocation.

6. In order to identify any slipped tasks, you must be in __________ view.

   1. Gantt Chart

   2. Tracking Gantt

   3. Task Form

   4. Resource Sheet

7. An interim plan records how the entire project looks before any progress is recorded. (True or False?)

8. An interim plan saves what two types of information?

   1. The start and finish date of a task

   2. Positive and negative values

   3. Critical and noncritical tasks

   4. Simple and complicated equations

Homework

1. Start Microsoft Project 2003.

2. Navigate to your practice files and open the Homework 10 project.

3. Check the project's statistics.

4. View the costs of the project as a whole.

5. View this project's critical path, and then go back to the default view.

6. Open the Variance table in Gantt Chart view, and then find the summary task with negative variance.

7. Now, change the table from Variance to Work and find which task has work variance.

8. Close the Homework 10 file without saving any changes.

Quiz Answers

1. False. Actual cost is the cost that has been added up to the current date.

2. C. Critical tasks affect the project more than other tasks do.

3. True. Variance is the difference between baseline information and actual information in a field.

4. D. Project displays variance as positive or negative.

5. A and B. By checking cost variance, you can see if there are any tasks that cost more than you budgeted. You can catch cost overruns before they become serious and adjust your schedule or budget accordingly.

6. B. You must be in Tracking Gantt view in order to identify slipped tasks.

7. False. An interim plan is a snapshot of your project as it progresses.

8. A. An interim plan saves two pieces of information: the start date and finish date of a task.