Introduction and Overview

• Microsoft Project, Portfolio and program standards and terms
• Microsoft Project Professional for complex and multiple projects
• Identifying essential project prerequisites
• Using the PMO to establish standards

Establishing a Multiproject Framework

Operating within a shared environment

• Setting standards for Microsoft Project Professional
• Applying a consistent feature set throughout the organisation

Managing the multiproject environment

• Controlling calendars, views and fields
• Adopting a robust multiple-file management system
• Customising the Global Template with Organiser
• Deploying the Global Template

Implementing Master Projects and Subprojects

Developing composite projects

• Compiling composite projects with embedding
• Utilising existing project plans

Building consolidated projects with master projects and subprojects

• Defining project hierarchy by inserting subprojects into a master project
• Linking tasks across projects
• Ensuring consistency between projects inserted in the master project
• Applying best practices for master and subprojects

Scheduling Project Resources Using a Shared Pool

Creating a shared resource pool

• Selecting preferred resource types: named, generic and sets
• Grouping resources to establish management boundaries

Employing a shared pool to your advantage

• Identifying and resolving conflicts
• Viewing assignments across projects
• Resourcing projects based upon availability

Resolving resource over-allocations

• Prioritising subprojects and tasks
• Levelling and smoothing subprojects and tasks using priorities
• Allowing for non-project work

Tracking Progress Across Multiple Projects

Essential skills for tracking

• Meaningful metrics: measuring schedule, deliverable completeness and budget
• Baselining projects and subprojects

Selecting the right tracking methods

• Tracking by tasks, assignments and teams when the schedule is the prime concern
• Tracking assignments when the precision of schedule, work or costs is essential
• Applying team tracking to effectively work with highly dynamic teams
• Evaluating the implications of different tracking methods

Maximising the information

• Analysing and evaluating progress
• Determining schedule slippage
• Making adjustments and taking corrective action
• Practical guidelines for tracking complex projects

Communicating with Project Teams

Developing a communication infrastructure

• Integrating with third-party applications, such as timesheets
• Employing Outlook to improve communication with team members
• Facilitating updates from local or distributed team members
• Transferring data to Access and Excel

Disseminating information to non-Microsoft Project users

• Distributing data from multiple projects
• Reporting schedule and cost progress
• Customising views and reports