From the course: Managing Projects with Microsoft 365

Building your project plan

From the course: Managing Projects with Microsoft 365

Building your project plan

- [Instructor] Once you create a project, The next step is to add tasks. I've found the easiest way is to think of the big pieces first, and then fill in the details later. In this lesson, you'll be able to use Microsoft Project to add tasks, assigned tasks, and set start and end dates. In this example, I'll create a client wedding project. I'll start from Office.com Select the app launcher in the top-left corner and open Project. Note that using Project for the web requires an active subscription to Microsoft Project. Next, I'll select new blank project. On the Project main page, you can see the project name, and three options for grid, board and timeline. And on the right there's filters, and group members and more actions. Grid view shows the list of tasks for the project and the common task properties. Name, quick look, assigned to and duration. To rename the project, I'll select untitled project in the upper-left corner, and I'll enter client wedding. I'll set the start date to the first day of next month. Select the X in the upper right corner to close. Next, I'll add some tasks by selecting add new task and name them. I'll now switch to the board view by selecting board in the top menu, and I can see all the tasks are in bucket one. I'll select bucket one to rename this bucket to catering. I'll then add another bucket for venue by selecting add bucket. I'll drag the venue-related tasks into the venue bucket. Now that the project buckets are set with tasks, I can assign them to members of my team. First, I'll switch back to grid view by selecting grid on the top. Now I can assign tasks using the assigned to column. For the finalized venue task, I'll select the assigned to column, and enter Isaiah, and select them from the dropdown list. A dialogue appears asking whether I want to add Isaiah to the project group. Select add a group, then select create and assign. I'll assign identify a caterer to Lynne by entering her name in the assigned to column, and selecting assign and add. The next I need to add is the duration of each task. The duration is how long I expect the task to take. I'll select the duration column for the have a tasting task, and enter one to set the duration to one day. I'll do the same for the other tasks. Now, when I go back to the board view, I see each task, who it's assigned to, and the number of days to complete. Next, I want to set the start dates. Select timeline on the top menu, and notice that each task begins on the first day of next month. And that the length of the box is set by the duration I entered. I can drag each task to the correct start date, or select it and enter it in the start field, and select X in the upper-right corner to save. Before you start your next project, explore how project can map your tasks, and help you collaborate with your team.

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