Microsoft Project Professional 2016

Microsoft Project Professional 2016: Plan projects efficiently

Implementing projects is part of everyday life in many companies. If a specific event is coming up, if a new product is to be developed or if internal processes are to be optimized, it makes sense to group the tasks involved together as a project. Appointing a project manager creates clear areas of responsibility. Formulating the project goals creates precise specifications and often leads to special motivation. In order to successfully implement a project, it is important to plan it down to the last detail.

MS Project for efficient appointment management

Deadlines form the basic framework of most projects. There is usually a fixed deadline by which the entire project must be completed. However, many small intermediate steps are necessary to meet this deadline. It is also useful to specify precise deadlines for this. It is also important to plan time reserves in order to be prepared for any delays that may occur. Microsoft Project makes it easy and efficient to plan the necessary deadlines for a project. The program automatically takes into account the selected deadlines, time buffers, holidays and other restrictions.

Planning resources with Microsoft Project

In order to make a project successful, it is not only necessary to meet the set deadlines. In order to complete all work steps, it is also necessary that the necessary resources are available. This is why Microsoft's Project software also allows for very detailed resource planning. This is divided into three sub-areas: labor, materials and costs. This makes it very easy to ensure that all resources are available at the desired time.

Monitor projects and write reports

Once the planning is complete, the project can begin. It is important to closely monitor whether all plans are being adhered to. The project team can enter all work results into this software. The software then automatically compares the results with the specifications. This quickly alerts the project manager to any problems with the schedule. In addition, the program uses this data to create automatic reports that can be used for lectures and presentations, for example.

Standard or Professional: the differences between the editions

Project 2016 is available in two different editions: Standard and Professional. These have major differences. The standard version is suitable for a single workstation computer. It is therefore primarily suitable for small projects in which only a few people are involved. For professional users, however, the Professional Edition is recommended. This allows connection to the Microsoft Project Server. This makes collaboration with the other team members much easier. In addition, several practical additional functions are included - for example for multi-project management, risk management and central resource planning.

Easy connection to additional Microsoft services

The Project software is part of the Office family. Even if you purchase it separately, you benefit from the fact that it is very easy to connect to other Office functions. For example, if you use Skype for Business, you can make calls or send messages to other team members without leaving the Project user interface. It is also very easy to integrate other Office programs in order to use the relevant documents for planning or to share them with the whole team.

What-if scenarios: Prevent problems at the outset

Microsoft Office Project allows you to play through different scenarios. For example, you can test how it would affect the entire project if a supplier did not meet their delivery deadline. You can also find out what would happen if a key employee were to fall ill. These scenarios help you to deal sensibly with such deviations from your schedule. This way, you can prevent many problems from occurring.