Microsoft

Project 2013

Quick Reference Guide

Master the Basics in Microsoft Project 2013

TABS

Navigate Microsoft Project 2013

The TABS on the ribbon are organized to present the relevant features
for most of the work youll do in Project 2013.

View Bar

The VIEW tab is the quickest way to move among Views.

Choose the FORMAT tab in any View to customize the View.

TIP!

To show or hide the View Bar,

click on the left edge of your pane
using your right mouse button.
Use the View Bar to change views.

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Set Up Your Project

1. Set the Project Calendar

a. On the PROJECT tab, click
Change Working Time in the
Properties group.
b. In the Change Working Time
dialog, identify non-working time
on the Exceptions tab and
identify default working time on
the Work Weeks tab.
2. Set Project Information
a. On the PROJECT tab, click
Project Information in the
Properties group.
b. Set the project Start date,
Schedule from and Calendar.

1 A New Project
Set Project Defaults

TIP!

Path: FILE > Options > Schedule

Use Manually Scheduled

tasks when you want
to schedule every task
yourself. These tasks
ignore Projects scheduling
engine.

Format the Task List

On the FORMAT tab, in the Show/Hi

group, check the box for:

Outline Number - to show the outl

number next to the task name.

Project Summary Task - to show t

summary task for the project.
The most
important
Scheduling
Options
decisions

Summary Tasks - to display or hid

summary tasks in the list.

Use the Network Diagram View

to Visualize the Schedule

1. Select the Network Diagram from the View Bar.

2. To format the Network Diagram, right-click in th

a. Select Box Styles - to format Style settings, B
b. Select Layout - to format Layout Mode, Link s
NOTE: We strongly recommend that these Project Default Options be
identified and standardized across your company and/or departments.
Every company is different and standard Project Default Options can
vary from one department to another. These options must be set prior to
scheduling a project. Failure to set these Project Defaults Options could
result in inconsistent data among reports and users! Please contact us if
you need more specific information concerning Project Default Options.
Projects@VersatileCompany.com
(866) 417-2290

Create the Task List

Create Task Relationships

Create a task list that breaks the project into Summary Tasks
and tasks. This hierarchical list is also known as a Work
Breakdown Structure (WBS).

Task relationships show sequence constraints among tasks.

1. Create task relationships:
a. Select the Predecessor task.
b. Hold the Ctrl Key down and select the Successor task.
c. On the TASK tab, in the Schedule group, click Link the
Selected Tasks.

1. Begin by typing Tasks into the Task Name column.

2. Insert additional Tasks, Summary tasks and Milestones using
the Insert group on the TASK tab.
3. Indent / Outdent Tasks to show task hierarchy:
a. Select the task.
b. On the TASK tab, in the Schedule group, click Indent
Task or Outdent Task arrows.

2 Build a Schedule

Indent &
Outdent
Tasks

2. To Remove dependencies on Tasks: repeat 1a and 1b above

and click Unlink Tasks.

3. An alternative approach is to enter the Task ID of the

Predecessor task in the Predecessors column.

TIP!

Add or
Remove Task
Relationships

Scroll to Task helps you find the task

bar on the schedule. Select the task
on the list and click Scroll to Task.

Click to insert
on the Task list

ide

ine

he

Add vertical lines to the Gantt

Calendar for Current Date,
Status Date, etc.

he Network Diagram area to display the menu.

Borders, and Background information.
styles, Link colors, and Diagram options.

Format the
Task List

Use a different
color for
critical tasks

Format the Gantt Chart

Control the colors, lines, and text on the chart:
1. In the Gantt Chart view, select the FORMAT tab,
then in the Bar Styles group use check boxes for:
a. Critical tasks to show critical tasks in red.
b. Slack to show a line to represent slack (float).
c. Late Tasks to show late tasks in black.
2. To format the Gantt Chart, right-click in the Gantt
Chart area to display the menu.
a. Select Bar Styles to format Gantt Chart text and
bar information.
b. Select Layout to format Gantt Chart bar Links,
Date format, and Bar height.

Add Resources for

the Project on the
Resource Sheet
1. On the VIEW tab, in the
Resource Views group,
click Resource Sheet.
2. Enter the name of the new
resource in the Resource
Name column.
3. In the resource Type column, select Work, Material, or Cost resource.
a. Use Work for people, equipment, and other resources that are paid by time,
such as hourly, daily, weekly.
b. Material resources are assigned a cost by unit of purchase, such as gallon of
gas or cubic yard of concrete.
c. A Cost resource is a cost category. The actual value of the cost is assigned
within the task.

3 Manage Resources
Create a Split View
1. Select Gantt Chart from the View Bar.
2. On the VIEW tab check the box for
Details (this splits the view into an
upper pane Gantt Chart and a lower
pane Task Form).

Assign Resources to
Tasks in a Split View
After adding resources to the Resource
Sheet, assign resources to tasks using
the Split View of Details.
1. In the upper pane Gantt Chart view,
select the task by clicking the Task ID
to select the task row to assign the
resource.

Task Types Determine Schedule Calculations

Task Types change the assumptions about how adding resources will affect the cost
and schedule of a task.
Project uses the formula Work = Duration x Units. Select a Task Type to hold one
of the three variables constant.
1. Fixed Units
2. Fixed Duration
3. Fixed Work
It is essential to understand how Project uses the task type setting!
This table demonstrates how Project recalculates these three variables when the
user makes a change to one of the variables.

2. In the lower pane Task Form view:

a. Click into the first empty row
under the Resource Name field
and select the Resource Name
from the drop-down list.
b. Enter Units to set the resource
level. 50% of a Work resource
means the resource will be
working half-time on the project.
c. The Work field shows the planned
hours for this task.

Task Type

If Units are Changed

If Duration is Changed

If Work is Changed

Fixed Units

Duration is recalculated

Work is recalculated

Duration is recalculated

Fixed Work

Duration is recalculated

Units are constant

Duration is recalculated

Fixed Duration

Work is recalculated

Work is recalculated

Units are constant

For Project Management resources visit www.VersatileCompany.com

Track Schedule
Progress Against
a Baseline
The Baseline saves a copy of
current cost and schedule.
Capture the baseline when the
plan is complete and before
beginning to update status.
Save the current baseline:
1. On the PROJECT tab, in the
Schedule group, click Set Baseline and select
Set Baseline to open the dialog.
2. In the Set Baseline dialog, select Baseline
Options and click OK.
View the schedule baseline on the Gantt Chart view:
1. Select the FORMAT tab.
2. In the Bar Styles group, click Baseline and select
the Baseline to display.

Clear the Project Baseline

1. On the PROJECT tab, in the
Schedule group, click Set Baseline
and select Clear Baseline to open
the dialog.
2. In the Clear Baseline dialog, select
baseline to clear in the Clear
Baseline Plan menu.

4 Manage the Schedule

Update Task Progress

in the Tracking Gantt view

TIP!

Tables control which columns you see.

Manage the schedule using the Tracking
Table. Select a Table using the VIEW tab
and the Tables button.

For Project Management resources visit www.VersatileCompany.com

Select the Tracking Gantt view and Tracking

table to update % Complete.
1. Select the Tracking Gantt from the View Bar.
2. Update Task Progress by using % Complete.
a. Select the task by clicking the Task ID to
select the task row.
b. On the TASK tab, in the Schedule
group, select the % Complete value.

The Timeline View

TIP!

TIP!

To add a task to the Timeline,

right click on a task name.

Format the Timeline

To format a task bar,

right click on the bar.

Add or Remove the Timeline

Select the Gantt Chart view. On the VIEW tab, in the Split
View group, use the check box for Timeline.

Add a task to the Timeline:

1. Select the task clicking the Task ID or Task Name.
2. Right-click and select Add to Timeline from
the menu.
3. Repeat to add Summary and Milestone tasks.
Format a Task Bar or Milestone on the Timeline:
1. Right-click on the Task Bar or Milestone on the
Timeline to display the Font and Timeline menus.
2. Edit Font Type, Size, or Color and to Display as
a Callout.
Format the Timeline using the contextual FORMAT
Ribbon and TIMELINE TOOLS tab.
1. Click into the Timeline to display the contextual
Format Ribbon and TIMELINE TOOLS tab.
2. The contextual Format Ribbon and TIMELINE
TOOLS tab now displays commands used to
format the Timeline.

The Versatile Company

delivers hands-on training
in project management,
Microsoft Project, SharePoint
and Project Server.
Our Mastering Microsoft
Project 2013 course is
recommended by Microsoft.

3. Click into the Gantt Chart to remove the

TIMELINE TOOLS tab, replaced by GANTT
CHART TOOLS tab.
Attend Public, Private,
Online or On-site Classes.

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