Project Management Help
To get started using ProjectManager.com read this section. You will learn how to create a brand new project, build a task list, track your project and report on progress. There are a lot of steps to take when creating a new project from scratch, but if you complete each step in the order described in the Project Help section, then you will be well on your way to controlling your project delivery.
Creating a new project
You can create a new project by either; clicking the big round "Main Menu" button in the top left and then selecting "New Project" or clicking the small "page" icon on the tab bar and then selecting "Create a new project". When the "Create a new project" panel becomes visible, you will be prompted to fill in the information to define your project. This includes the start and end dates for the project, the budget and the standard rate that each resource will be charged at, so that you can calculate the cost of your project resource. Having created your new project, the next step is to create your task list.
Building a task list
After you select to create a new project, the next step in Getting Started in this Project Management Software is the creation of a task list. This step helps you to plan out the phases, activities and tasks required to deliver your project on time and under budget. There are three options for creating a task list for your project:
- "Create a blank task list": This option allows you to go straight to the Task panel and start entering new tasks from scratch. The list will be empty initially, so that you can customize your task list as you wish. You will also be able to assign resources to your tasks, add links between tasks and set milestones and even a baseline, if you wish.
- "Copy an existing project's tasks": If you select this option, then you will be able to choose from one of the existing projects within your account. And when you select an existing project and click "OK", then the entire task list for that project will be copied over to your new project. This option is frequently used by Project Managers that manage similar types of projects. It allows them to take a prior project and copy the task list into a new project, so that they don't have to start from scratch.
- Import an MS Project plan: If you use MS Project to plan your projects and you want to import a plan from MS Project into your project here, then you can use this option. You will be able to select an MS Project plan from your PC or file server, and upload it into ProjectManager.com immediately. The entire task list will be imported, along with the resources, durations and links.
Tracking your project
Tracking a project is all about entering project data that helps you view the actual progress of the project to date. If you really want to track every aspect of your project, then there are a number of places that you can begin entering actual data in the Task panel:
- Column Selector: The first place is to enter "actuals" information by clicking on the small tick icon above the "ALL" icon shown below. This will allow you to see all of the columns that can be made visible, in the column area of your Task panel. If you tick the "Actual Effort", "Actual Duration", "Actual Start Date" and "Actual Finish Date" items, then these fields will appear immediately. Click the small red cross to close the panel. You may need to use your scroll bars to see the fields available.
- Task Information Panel: The second way to enter "actuals" is in the Task Information panel at the bottom. You can enter the actual start and finish dates, duration and effort fields, for every task in the project. When you have completed these fields, your project dashboard will immediately be populated with this information, allowing you to see your "actual" progress against "planned".
Reporting on your project
After completing your task list and entering planned and actual project data, you have enough information to be able to use the intelligent reporting features. Click on the "Reports" tab and then select the project you wish to run. There are 5 reports provided, a brief description of each is provided below:
- Portfolio Status: The "portfolio" level is the summary level which spans across all of your projects. It allows you to see how your entire portfolio of projects is progressing, and whether they are on track. If you want detailed portfolio level information, then click on the "Portfolio Status" report.
- Project Status: Almost every Project Manager is required to complete a regular Project Status Report for their Sponsor or Customer. Take the hassle out of creating your status report, by customizing and running this report on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. You can view, print or email the report as you wish.
- Project Plan: If you want to view a complete list of all of the tasks in your project plan, then this is the perfect report for you. You can view the entire task list, as well as the timeframes, resources and related risks, issues and changes.
- Project Variance: Knowing you're on track is a critical part of project management. This report helps tell you whether you're on track, based in the variance between your planned progress and your actual progress. And if you have baselined your project, then it will also tell you the variance against baseline as a well.
- Resource Plan: Use this report to tell you whether your staff are under or over loaded. It tells you this by calculating the variance between the available capacity of each staff member, and the amount you have allocated them to tasks.
- Want further Project Management Help? Contact us.