Using MS Project Templates to Estimate Next Project

Sadly, template feature of Microsoft Project obtains good dusty from require of use and it is one aspect that can make large variation in Project Managers career. Choose template in Microsoft Project up, dust it off and put it to work.

Instructions

Step 1

Start finished project in Microsoft Project. This must be like one you want to guess. By like I mean deliverables, many task to deliver, and sequencing of task must be close to project you would like to estimate.

Step 2

In File menu and choose save as. Once "Save as" dialogue box appears, modify "save as type" to Template. This permits to save all data from now fulfilled project to utilize repeatedly for next projects.

Step 3

Click Save and "Save as Template" dialogue box appears with some check boxes asking if you desire to delete some parts of data from template.

Step 4

Check the box "Values of baselines and "Actual Values". Delete baseline as new project have dissimilar start and finish dates. Delete real data as there will not be any growth made on tasks in starting of new project.

Step 5

If you do not delete data then take further steps in all projects that utilize this template to clear and reset baseline for all and deleting progress data. Now click save again and voila, you have template file. Now have template with estimates that are depend on newly finished project. This is major time savers that run upon yet by project management tools in professional project management career.

Step 6

Make Project File from Template. Now this template file to function with, make the project file. To make project file depending on this new template, do again step 2 and save file as type Project rather than type Template.

Step 7

We can apply old 80/20 rule when using templates to save time. Thus, if organization has 100 projects in flight, then those can usually be represented by set of 20 or so templates. This is why using them is excellent practice. Using Templates based on completed projects is precise ways to predict what it takes to effectively finish project.