Building a Work Breakdown

Structure Using Microsoft Project

2019
Dr. Asif Mahmood
 • Build a basic task list into a WBS using the indent and outdent
functions
• Modify and edit the WBS
• Create task dependencies (link tasks) using finish-to-start [FS],
start-to-start [SS], finish-to-finish [FF], and start-to-finish [SF]
link types
• Use the Task Inspector to identify how the scheduling engine
Learning sets task dates
• View task outline numbers
Objectives • Insert and delete tasks
• Understand scheduling
• Import tasks from Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Outlook
• Use the “split screen” (task details option)
• Use the Task Information dialog box
• Enter basic task estimates using the Work and Duration fields
• Use the task types: fixed unit, fixed duration, and fixed units
• Use Manual Task Scheduling
 Building the Work Breakdown Structure
File:Blank project.mpp
Determining the Primary Goal and Creating the Project Shell
• For this exercise, we will use the following project charter:
Following the recent merger of Pan-Trans and Maryland Blue Airlines, our Board of
Directors has decided to hold an east coast company conference in May of next
year. Robin Q. Project is charged with leading the team to arrange the venue,
timing, logistics, and communications required to make this event a success.
• File:Save As to save this new project as PanTransConference.mpp.
• Navigate to Format:Show/Hide and ensure the Project Summary Task is selected
• (From the bottom-left corner of the screen) Select Auto Scheduled – Task dates
are calculated by Microsoft Project.
Organizing the Project
• For our training project, the WBS will be organized by two sequential phases:
1. General planning, which is complete when the Board approves the general plan
2. Detailed planning, which is complete when the final arrangements are distributed and organization is
handed over to the hospitality team
• Begin creating the WBS by entering the two project phases—General planning and Detailed
planning—in the Task Name column of the project.
• Under General planning, in the Task Name field, key in the following tasks:
• Venue Inserting a New Task:
• Attendance • Task:Insert, click the Task icon, or
• Travel arrangements • Right click on a task to see option, or
• Agenda and Scheduling • Simply press ‘Insert’ from the keyboard
• Meeting facilities
• Contingency planning
• Cost planning
• Catering
• Select the nine (9) tasks that follow General planning, and from Task:Schedule,
click the Indent Task arrow
• Under General planning, add a new sub-task, Hold project kick-off
meeting.
• Under Venue, include the following sub-tasks, ensuring you indent the
tasks properly:
 Decide on venue criteria
 Perform brief research on possible venues
 Select top three potential venues
 Perform detailed research on top three
potential venues
 Calculate cost and other criteria scores
 Select winning venue
• Under Agenda and schedule, include the following sub-tasks:
 Develop list of key agenda items.
 Develop draft agenda around key items.
 Prepare list of secondary agenda item
candidates.
 Estimate time required for agenda.
 Prepare list of presenters.
 Develop list of entertainment events.
 Develop draft agenda and schedule.
• At the beginning of your project, add a new top-level task called Project
Management, and include the following two sub-tasks: Project tracking and Issue
management.
• Insert Arrange break-out rooms before the task Contingency plans
 Modifying and Editing the WBS
File TaskDependencies.mpp It easier to use the drag-
and-drop approach than
Moving a Task in Your Task List cut and past
• Click to select the entire task row of Hire mover (Task ID 13) by
clicking the task number.
• Drag the row up until you see a gray line appear
above Select subcontractors (Task ID 11).
Viewing Outline Numbers
• From Format:Show/Hide, select the Outline Number checkbox.
Outline numbers in a separate column
• Right-click Task Name (column) and select Insert Column…
• Then, select WBS as the title of your column. Finally, from
Format:Show/Hide, uncheck the Outline Number checkbox.
 Creating Task Dependencies
File: TaskDependencies.mpp
Setting Task Dependencies
• Click the Task Name column header to select all tasks in the project,
and then from Task:Schedule, click the Link Tasks icon
• The project’s duration jumped from 10 days to 54 days (first row of
Duration)
• You might decide that you could speed up the project by doing Phase
One and Phase Two at the same time. Fast tracking (doing tasks in
• Double-click the black line linking the bars for Phase One and Phase Two. parallel) appears to be less
• Click Delete to remove the link. expensive than crashing.
• Another way to remove the link is to click Phase One and Ctrl-click Phase
Two to select the noncontiguous tasks. Then, from Task:Schedule, click
the Unlink Tasks icon
• The duration has reduced to 36 days
Writing and review of the proposal should be sequential, so
• Click Write proposal (Task ID 2) and Ctrl-click Review proposal (Task ID
7) to select only those tasks, and then click the Link Tasks button to
link them.
 Alternate Ways to Link Tasks

Dragging the Link Line from One Task to Another

• Place your mouse pointer over the Gantt bar for Write proposal (Task ID 2) so that the cursor turns into a four-
way arrow.
• Click and drag the link line to the Gantt bar of Review proposal (Task ID 7)

Linking Tasks in a Split Screen

• From Task:Properties, select Details to see the split Gantt Chart view.
• Right-click in the Task Details Form (bottom pane). Click Predecessors & Successors from the resulting menu.
• Click in the Predecessor Name field and then click the dropdown arrow to see the list of tasks in the project.

• Select Hire architect (Task ID 3) in the Gantt Chart (top

pane). Notice that its predecessor and successor are
listed in the Task Details Form (lower pane). From this
pane, you can delete predecessor or successor tasks or
add new ones.
• Double-click the window divider to remove the split.
Linking Tasks in the Entry Table
• Move the vertical divider bar to the right until you can see the entire Entry
Table. You can assign predecessors by typing the task ID number in the
Predecessors field for a task.

Linking Tasks Using a Dropdown Menu

• You can select the tasks directly in the Predecessors and Successors
columns.
• When you select a cell in one of these columns, a dropdown arrow appears.

Using the Task Information Dialog Box

• Double-click any task name to see the associated Task Information dialog
box, or select a task and click the Information icon found in Task:Properties.
• Select the Predecessors tab to assign a predecessor or modify the type of
dependency. Click OK to close the dialog box.
Establishing Other Types of Dependencies
• For example, Double-click the link line between Negotiate new lease (ID10) and
Finalize drawings (ID11).
• From the Type: dropdown list, select Start-to-Start (SS) and click OK
Adding Lag or Lead Time
• Double-click the link line between Negotiate new lease (ID10) and Finalize drawings
(ID11), then in the Task Dependency dialog box, enter “3d” in the Lag field OK
Even when tasks are linked finish-to-start, it is not always necessary for the first task to
completely finish before the second task can begin.
• To show that two tasks can overlap, you can
specify lead time after establishing a task
dependency such as finish-to-start.
• Lead time is expressed as a negative number in
the lag field.
 • Microsoft Project uses the following formula to
calculate the values of these fields:
Work = Duration × Units
• Work— Resource Effort that will be expended
by a resource to complete the task
Task Types • Units— Percentage of the resource’s working
and time
• Duration— Number of days it will take to
Scheduling complete the task.
• For example, if a resource is assigned 40
hours of work at 100% units, the duration of
the task will be 40 hours, or 5 days. If the
resource is working only 50% of their time on
this task, then the duration is 80 hours, or 10
When units=100%,
then Work=Duration days.
Duration=Work/Units
 • Microsoft Project 2019 defines three different task types:
• Fixed units – The default, unless you change
Microsoft Project’s options; assumes you know each
resource’s % availability for project work. It is typical
for these tasks to have no successors.
Task Types • Fixed work – The most common in a consulting
environment: The size of a fixed work task is driven by
and how much effort is needed to complete it.
• Fixed duration – Determined by the nature of the
Scheduling task: tasks are performed over a specific period of
time, regardless of how hard the resources are
working (e.g., natural processes).
• If one of the three values (work, duration, or units) is
fixed and you change a second value, the third will be
recalculated and changed by Microsoft Project.
• Changing default Option… File:Options:Schedule and
using the Default Task Type dropdown arrow to set the
desired default task type.
 Changing Task Types
Single Task Information
• Double-click Review Proposal (ID6) to view the Task Information dialog box for
this task
• Then, select the Advanced tab and use the dropdown arrow in the Task type
field to select Fixed Duration. Click OK.
Multiple Task Information
• Select Corporate Approval (ID8) and Finalize Drawings
(ID10), and from Task:Properties, repeating the
Summary
process, select Fixed Units. Click OK. Task
• Through Task type column: Right-click in the Duration
column header and select Insert Column. In the new
column, select Type.
• Change the task type to Fixed Work for all remaining
detailed tasks.
 Task Planning Review
Exercise
1. Start a new project to begin one week from
today and save the file as MeetingTasks.mpp in
the exercise directory.
2. Enter “Shareholders Meeting” as the project
title, “2021 Annual Report” as the subject, and
your name as author and manager. Show the
project title as Task 0 in the Gantt Chart view.
3. Enter the following tasks and durations in the
task list:
4. Insert a new task, Reserve conference center,
with a duration of 2 days before Task 2 (Print
letter).
5. Move Task 3 (Print letter) after Task 6 (Get
corporate approval) using drag and drop.
 Task Planning Review Exercise—Cont.
6. Insert a new Task 1, Meeting Details, To insert
“Title”
and make all following tasks part of
this phase (i.e., indent them).
7. Link all tasks in the Meeting Details
phase finish-to-start, and then To display
change the link for Print letter and “Title”
Plan food with caterer to start-to-
start.
8. Show a delay of 2 days between
Reserve conference center and Book
keynote speaker. Overlap Plan food
with caterer and Print catering menu
by 1 day. Your screen should
resemble the following.
9. Save and close your project.