microsoft project ?????????? - Page 2

Tricky · 10-09-2004, 07:35

I'll second that...It's a beast of a package...Just try changing the length of a working day from the standard 7.5 hours to 7 hours when you have 1000 tasks in a plan!!!

I use Project 2000 which at one point was connected to project server so multiple people all updating the same plan at the same time (veerrrryyyy ssssllllloooooooowwwww). There are so many features in the product that I don't know what half of them do but I quite happily create gnatt charts and assign resources to the tasks sometimes I even link tasks to create dependendancies - Been known to add the odd milestone everynow and then!!!

Woah - Sound like a project manager!!! (runs and hides!)

paulyoung666 · 10-09-2004, 14:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencreeper

All about them is chaos and yet the planners keep tweaking the plan and thinking it's all under control

If you have to keep altering the plan, bin it and start again - a plan should be altered infrequently.

Key things - be realistic with your planning (know how long things will take), build in plenty of milestones, and monitor the plan - the sooner you know things are going tits up, the sooner you can allocate more resources, scream at contractors... Keep activities as atomic as possible, and run as many activities simultaneously as you can.

I'm not big on planning to be honest - IME too much time goes into planning and not enough into the doing. I once attended a meeting to decide the date for the meeting at which we'd decide what we're going to do!

that sounds like where i work

thanks for the posts guys

10-09-2004, 14:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulyoung666

that sounds like where i work

thanks for the posts guys

6703 posts and you have time to WORK

ahhh project manager

paulyoung666 · 10-09-2004, 17:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary_580

6703 posts and you have time to WORK

ahhh project manager

oi git

, all the posts were made in my own time thank you , it was funny at work the other week , the bloke in charge of i.t. is an american in america , he reckoned that everyone at work should be allowed internet access

, now knowing some of the ppl at our site the local i.t. manager had a

and it lasted 3 days before it was removed

Georgeh · 11-09-2004, 13:12

I have been a project planner for 10 years, using MS Project now for the past 5 years.

Can I recommend strongly that you speak to your boss and get on a basis training course. There are tons of places that do them. This must last about 3-5 days. This will teach you good habits so you can avoid the problems other people are coming up with. The you need to practise, practise, practise. Sorry MS Project is easy to use but hard to master. Or rather Project Management is hard to master.
A top tip is to regularly speak to the doers, who ever they are, and get them to own the plan.

Enjoy

George

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulyoung666

i was wondering if anyone uses this program at work , as i am now officially an engineering planner at work ( well apprentice anyway

) , i will have to use this program at some point , i was wondering if it is easy to use or a right ****

paulyoung666 · 11-09-2004, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georgeh

I have been a project planner for 10 years, using MS Project now for the past 5 years.

Can I recommend strongly that you speak to your boss and get on a basis training course. There are tons of places that do them. This must last about 3-5 days. This will teach you good habits so you can avoid the problems other people are coming up with. The you need to practise, practise, practise. Sorry MS Project is easy to use but hard to master. Or rather Project Management is hard to master.
A top tip is to regularly speak to the doers, who ever they are, and get them to own the plan.

Enjoy

George

they have already mentioned training , but not said whether it will be in house or not , i will have to wait and see , thanks for the advice

Brainbug71 · 12-09-2004, 10:01

When i started using project200 i bought a Microsoft book complete with a CD. the book is great for reference and the CD has the program itself and step by step tutorials that go with the book to plan out a whole project from timeline to resources and all items associated with these things.
As someone has already said its pretty easy to learn but can be a devil to master.