Project 2013 Absolute Beginner's Guide

Book excerpt: Make the most of Project 2013—without becoming a technical expert! This book is the fastest way to take control of Project 2013, and use it to efficiently manage every phase of your project, from up-front planning through project completion and post-mortems. Even if you’ve never used Microsoft Project before, this book will show you how to do what you want, one incredibly clear and easy step at a time. Project 2013 has never, ever been this simple! Who knew how simple Project® 2013 could be? This is the easiest, most practical beginner’s guide to running real projects with Project 2013... simple, reliable instructions for doing everything you really want to do! Here’s a small sample of what you’ll learn: • Master today’s best project management techniques • Use Project 2013 to solve many key project management problems • Master Project’s revamped interface, from Start screen to Backstage • Leverage Project 2013’s best new features in your day-to-day work • Get comfortable with the Project Window and its powerful views • Set up realistic project schedules and calendars • Add new tasks, dependencies, and resources • Create budgets, track costs, and quickly resolve cost overruns • Smoothly reflect changes in your project • Report on progress, from completed work to anticipated finish dates • Strengthen decision-making with dashboards, plans, and timelines • Streamline processes by integrating Project with SharePoint and Office • Securely share project data with team participants and stakeholders • Improve efficiency by customizing Project’s interface to your needs • Coherently manage complex project portfolios • Extend project management to smartphones, tablets, and the cloud Brian Kennemer, Microsoft MVP for Project and Project Server, has worked with Project since 1997. He served on the Microsoft Consulting Services Global Enterprise Project Management team for five years, and has helped several Microsoft Partners design and deploy Project Server-based systems. Sonia Atchison has worked with Microsoft Project since 1999. In 2006, she joined Microsoft’s writing team, producing extensive help content, videos, and content for Office.com and TechNet.