LESSON TWO
Lesson Objectives
1. Create Tasks
2. Enter Task durations and dates
3. Enter milestones tasks
4. Create summary tasks to outline the plan
5. Link tasks to create dependencies
6. Switch task scheduling from manual to automatic
7. Check a plan’s duration and finish date
8. Document task information.
1). Create Tasks
Tasks represents the work to be done to accomplish the goals of the project. Every task ina plan is given an
ID number but the number does not necessarily represent the order inwhich it [Link] task in project
has one of two scheduling modes that controls how the task is scheduled; manual (the default) or
automatically scheduled.
To enter task names
Click an empty cell in the Task Name column.
Enter your task names and then press the enter key after each one.
To insert a new Task within a task list
Click in the Task Name column where you want to insert the new task.
On the Task Tab in the Insert group, click Task.
# Project inserts a row for a new task and renumbers the subsequent [Link] names
the new task<New Task>.
With<New Task >selected, enter the task name and then press Enter.
To delete a task
Right-click the task name and then click Delete Task.
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2. Enter Task Durations and Dates
A task duration represents the amount of time you expect it to be completed. Project usesstandard values
for minutes and hours for duration;1 minute equals 60 seconds and 1 hour equals 60 minutes & 1 day
equals 8 hours.
To enter Task Duration
Click a cell in the duration column for a task.
Enter a duration value.
#you can also click the Up and Down arrows in the cell to enter or change the value in theduration field.
3. Enter Milestones
Select a task name
On the Task tab in the properties group, click Information.
In the Task Information dialog box, click Advanced.
Select the mark Task As milestone check box
4. Create Summary Task to Outline the PlanTo
promote a task to a summary
Select the Tasks directly below the task that you want to make a summary task.
On the Task Tab in the schedule group.
Click the indent Task Button.
To insert a new Summary Task within a Task list
Select the name of the tasks that will become subtasks.
On the Tasks tabs, in the insert group, click summary.
#Project inserts a row for a new task, indents all the selected tasks directly below itand renumbers
the subsequent tasks. Project Names the new task<New SummaryTask>.
With<New summary Task> selected.
Enter the summary task name.
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To demote a Summary Task to a Task
Select all subtasks below the summary task
On the Task Tab in the schedule group, click the outdent task button.
5. Link Tasks to Create dependencies
When you link tasks, you create scheduling relationships between the tasks. These task relationships are
called dependencies. When you create task dependencies (also called links),project can automatically adjust
the scheduling of linked tasks as changes occur in your plan. The task relationship includes; -
Finish -to -Start (FS)
The finish date of the predecessor task determines the start date of the successor task. Thisis the default
task relationship.
Start -to-Start (SS)
The start date of the predecessor task determines the start date of the successor task.
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Finish-to-Finish (FF)
The finish date of the predecessor task determines the finish date of the successor task.
Start -to-Finish (SF)
The start date of the predecessor task determines the finish date of the successor task.
To link Tasks
Click on the Task you want to link (i.e A to B)
Drag and Drop on B
Double click on the link -string.
Select the dependencies type you want.
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6. To change the default scheduling mode that project applies to all new plans
On the file tab, click options and then in the project options dialog box, click theschedule tab.
In the scheduling options for this project box, click All new Projects and then in theNew Tasks
created box.
Click Auto Scheduled.
Click Ok.
7. Check a plan’s Duration and Finish date;
Project determines’ the plans’ duration by counting the working days between the earliest start date and the
latest finish date of the plans’ tasks. Some handy ways to view the plans’ duration and scheduled start and finish
dates include; -Timeline view, the project summary task and the project statistics dialog box.
To Check a plans’ finish date in the Timeline; -
In the Timeline View above the Gantt Chart view, note the plans’ current start andfinish dates.
N/B; If the Timeline view is not shown, on the view tab, in the split view group, selectthe Timeline
check box.
To Check a plans’ duration, finish date and more in the statistics dialog box
On the project tab in the properties group, click the project information button.
In the project statistics dialog box, click statistics.
To display the Project Summary Task
Click anywhere in a Gantt Chart view
N/B; When the focus is on a Gantt Chart view, the label of the Format tab is Gantt ChartTools.
On the Format Tab, in the show/hide group, select the project summary task checkbox.
N/B; Project displays the project summary task at the top of the Gantt chart view with anID of 0
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8. Document Task InformationTo
add a note to a Task
Select the name of the task to which you want to add a note.
On the Task tab in the properties group.
Click the notes button.
Or
Right-click the task name and then click Notes.
In the notes box, enter the note text you want and then click ok.