Earned Value Management Using Microsoft Office Project


Book Description

Schedule and cost management are the most essential parts of project lifecycle management and many projects fail as a result of not managing these critical components effectively. The most commonly used tool for project schedule management is Microsoft Office Project, which is designed to assist project managers in developing schedules, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing budgets and analyzing workloads. The most common technique used for cost management is earned value management (EVM), a project management technique used for measuring project progress in an objective manner that combines measurements of project scope, schedule and cost performance within a single integrated methodology. EVM is becoming the standard across the world for this purpose in both the private and public sector and many organizations are now adopting this technique to manage their projects. In the public sector, EVM is mandated for all government projects in the United States and many other countries are following suit. Earned Value Management Using Microsoft® Office Project is the first reference to effectively combine the most widely used scheduling tool with the most widely accepted cost management technique. It is a practical guide to end-to-end scheduling and cost management using Microsoft Office Project that includes a CD-ROM of a limited version of a unique EVM software tool that will help practitioners more effectively manage their projects, track and report the status and progress of projects, and take necessary action before their projects fail beyond repair. This text is an excellent complement to whatever Microsoft Office Project guide that you may be using and a significant addition to the literature on how to use EVM.




Earned Value Management Using Microsoft Office Project


Book Description

"This book demonstrates how Earned Value Management can be effectively applied to any size project or program with the same rigor as that of a large and critical project. It is a practical guide to complete end to end schedule and cost management using the Microsoft???????? Office Project."










Earned Value Management for Project Management


Book Description

Earned Value Management for Project Management Using Microsoft Office Project is the revision to the author's earlier title, Earned Value Management Using Microsoft Office Project, which currently sells across the world as a good reference book for earned value management. The earlier title was also adopted by PMI for sale through the PMI bookstore. After successfully running the earlier title in print for over four years the author decided to revise his title and include tons of other aspects of project management into this new title. The original title was focused on schedule and cost management aspects of project management. The author has now revised it with this title and included concepts such as what-if analysis, human resource management and project financials management all with the help of earned value management technique and Microsoft Office Project tool. The author has also addressed the comments that he received for his previous title about the contents of the book. The new concepts presented by the author in this title are unique to this title and cannot be found elsewhere in any other book on the market. Throughout the book, the author maintains his claim of project managers being able to use the methods and techniques presented in this book for any size project by keeping the methods and techniques simple and easy-to-use for any project manager who is either from a technical or a nontechnical background. Since the title focuses on project financials management, it will very well appease the senior management audience as well. The techniques presented in this book can very well be adopted by an entire organization for all their projects, and they would help the organizations maintain better control over their projects. This title will serve its purpose for both service-oriented organizations and product-oriented organizations. For outsourced projects scenarios, it would benefit both the customer and the vendor organizations. Salient features• Includes lots of practical examples and illustrations for ease of understanding• Covers all existing versions of Microsoft Office Project• End-to-end project-management handbook, covering scope management, schedule management, cost management, time management, human resource management, financials management, and so forth.• Introduces users to never-before-seen what-if analysis using EVM technique• Project financials management such as gross margins and profitability are introduced




Planning and Control Using Microsoft® Office Project and PMBOK® Guide Fourth Edition


Book Description

This book is principally a Microsoft Project book aimed at Project Management Professionals who understand the PMBOK(r) Guide Fourth Edition processes and wish to learn how to use Microsoft Office Project to plan and control their projects in a PMBOK(r) Guide environment, and discover how to gain the most from the softw




Earned Value Management in easy steps


Book Description

Measuring Project Progress What we are concerned with in project management has been defined as the Iron Triangle of: Time, Cost and Scope. Traditional project management methodology tends to focus on time and cost, as scope is fixed, isn’t it? But the way progress is typically reported is through the Gantt (or bar) chart, and in particular a tracking Gantt chart illustrates where a project currently is against the schedule. Also typically, the accounts department will produce reports on cost against budget, but this just shows what we have spent up to the last accounting period against the total budget. But this doesn’t really tell us exactly where we are in terms of progress today and where we will be at the end of the project. And that is precisely why Earned Value Management was developed. Earned Value Management Earned Value Management (EVM) helps us to determine the real status of a project. As well as telling us how much time and money we have spent, it also shows us how much we have achieved. Further, it tells us how much we still need to do and provides a good indication of final costs and expected completion dates of the project. EVM builds on, and therefore supports good project management practice and underpins good corporate governance. Its introduction can drive the cultural and organizational change key to supporting these objectives. In summary: It provides an objective measurement of what has been achieved on a project It enables accurate forecasting It provides project management information in a format that is easy for all stakeholders to understand and act upon It provides an early warning of problems, which allows the timely identification and analysis of progress and cost issues and corrective actions to be identified It shows stakeholders whether they’re getting value for money It enables detailed project comparisons across programs and portfolios It can be scaled to fit projects of all sizes and complexities It has the ability to combine measurements of scope, time and cost (the Iron Triangle) in a single integrated system In summary EVM provides a set of metrics that will enable you to accurately report on project progress to date and to completion. In addition, research has shown that the areas of planning and control are significantly improved by the use of EVM; and similarly, using the methodology improves both scope definition as well as the analysis of overall project performance. Finally it has shown that the use of EVM is a positive predictor of project success. Earned Value Management in easy steps covers: Introduction to EVM Key Elements of EVM EVM Project Life Cycle EVM Planning Using EVM EVM Reporting EVM Criteria EVM Lite Glossary of EVM Terms




Making Effective Business Decisions Using Microsoft Project


Book Description

A guide to Microsoft Project that focuses on developing a successful project management strategy across the organization to drive better decisions Making Effective Business Decisions Using Microsoft Project goes far beyond the basics of managing projects with Microsoft Project and how to set up and use the software. This unique guide is an indispensable resource for anyone who operates within a Project Management Operation (PMO) or is affected by the adoption of project management within an organization. Its focus is to provide practical and transitional information for those who are charged with making decisions and supporting corporate and strategic objectives, and who face cost and resource constraints. Because more and more companies are aligning project management with their business strategies, the book not only provides guidance on using Microsoft Project and teaching project management skills, but also includes important information on measuring results and communicating with the executive branch. It also provides valuable guidance in using SharePoint Server for social networking and working within a team. Clearly written and presented, the book: Covers work management using Microsoft Project at multiple levels within an organization Focuses on using Microsoft Project 2010 to integrate and support overall organizational strategies Includes hundreds of graphics, screen shots, and annotations that make it the most accessible and usable guide available on the subject Making Effective Business Decisions Using Microsoft Project is a valuable reference for project managers at all levels, and it sets a new standard for training manuals used by businesses that teach courses on project management using Microsoft Project.




Mastering Microsoft Project


Book Description

Introduction Welcome to "Mastering Microsoft Project: A Comprehensive Guide from A to Z for Project Managers." In today's dynamic business environment, effective project management is crucial for success. Microsoft Project is a powerful tool that enables project managers to plan, execute, and track projects with precision and efficiency. However, mastering Microsoft Project requires more than just knowing its features; it requires a deep understanding of project management principles and best practices. In this comprehensive guide, we will take you on a journey through the ins and outs of Microsoft Project, equipping you with the knowledge and skills you need to become a proficient project manager. Whether you're a novice looking to learn the basics or an experienced professional seeking to enhance your expertise, this book is designed to meet your needs. Throughout the chapters, we will explore the key features of Microsoft Project, including task scheduling, resource management, budgeting, and reporting. We will also delve into advanced topics such as earned value analysis, critical path method, and agile project management. Each chapter is packed with practical tips, real-world examples, and hands-on exercises to reinforce your learning. By the end of this book, you will not only be able to navigate Microsoft Project with ease but also apply its functionalities to effectively manage projects of any size and complexity. Whether you're managing construction projects, software development, or marketing campaigns, "Mastering Microsoft Project" will be your go-to resource for achieving project success. So, let's dive in and unlock the full potential of Microsoft Project together!




The Standard for Earned Value Management


Book Description

Earned value management (EVM) is a management methodology for integrating scope, schedule, and resources; objectively measuring project performance and progress; and forecasting project outcome. It is considered by many to be one of the most effective performance measurement and feedback tools for managing projects. The Standard for Earned Value Management builds on the concepts for EVM described in the Practice Standard for Earned Value Management and includes enhanced project delivery information, by integrating concepts and practices from the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition and The Agile Practice Guide. A central theme in this standard is the recognition that the definition for value in EVM has expanded. While the term retains its traditional definition in terms of project cost, it embraces current practice by including the concept of earned schedule. This standard also integrates hybrid methodologies that blend together historical EVM concepts with the needs of the agile practitioner, all with an eye towards aiding the project team in enhancing overall project delivery. This standard is a useful tool for experienced project management practitioners who are seeking to expand and update their knowledge of the field as well as less experienced practitioners who want to learn other approaches for managing project performance. It provides insight and detailed explanations of the basic elements and processes of EVM, and demonstrates how to scale EVM to fit varying project sizes and situations. This standard includes graphical examples and detailed explanations that will enable the reader to establish and implement EVM on projects in almost any environment and of almost every size. When used together with good project management principles, EVM methodology will provide a greater return on any project and results that will directly benefit your organization.