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No two organizations view information (let alone project information) the same way. A simple list of tasks and a few bars isn't always the best way to see what is going on in your project.
Project 2010 has new features that help you not only view critical elements of your project, but also manage your schedule and resources more efficiently.
This article is one of many project management goals on the Project Road Map.
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In this article
Step 1: Find the right view
The classic way to view Project information has always been the Gantt Chart view (Gantt Chart view: A predefined view that displays project tasks on the left side of the view, and graphical bars corresponding to the task's durations on the right side of the view.). However, Project 2010 has many other views to help you see only that data that interests you. You can also use these new views to help you manage tasks and the people on your team in ways that wasn't possible with earlier versions of Project.
Examples from project management . . .
The following process can help you choose the right view to see project data in the most efficient and clear way
- Resources or Tasks? Decide first whether you need to look at task information or resource information. For example, the Gantt chart will display information about tasks. Team Planner is best for displaying information about resources assigned to tasks. The Calendar view displays tasks in a familiar monthly calendar format.
- Customize the view Once you know what view you want, learning how to customize the view to suit how you like to view things is the next important step.
- Outline the tasks in your project Deciding which tasks belong together helps you organize your project into meaningful phases.
- View project information without Project The number of ways to view project information without Microsoft Project range from the simple to the complex. Simple solutions involve pasting the Timeline view into another application. Complex solutions involve exporting Project information to data base programs.
| Display a view |
First things first — you need to find some views to display. The Ribbon will help you find either a task for resource view. |
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Orchestrate work using Team Planner
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The team planner helps you assign work to resources and move work around by dragging and dropping. Managing your team's work has never been so easy. |
| See a video on the Timeline feature in Project 2010 |
See a video illustrating how to use the new Timeline feature. The timeline view gives you a graphic display of your entire project for easy printing and reporting. |
| Learn the Project 2010 ribbon |
Let the ribbon help you find the right view. Everything you need to do in Microsoft Project is much closer to your fingertips than ever before. |
| Shrink and move the Gantt bars quickly (video) |
Use the new zoom slider to control exactly how much of your project’s timescale view you want to see. Find it in the lower right corner of the Project program window. |
| Outline tasks into subtasks and summary tasks |
A project isn't a simple list of tasks. The substance of projects is task relationships. Learn how to outline tasks to set up the relationships that reflect project work. |
| View project information without Project 2010 |
Sometimes, you don't need Project (yes, it's true). Other applications, like Excel or Visio, can also be brought in to help you with basic project needs. |
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Step 2: Fine-tune the view
One thing is certain about project views: you're bound to want to change them as you learn more about your project and team. Here are some things to consider when you want to fine-tune your view.
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Add a column to a view
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Adding columns to a project view gives you control over the information you see. You can also hide a column to protect any sensitive information. |
| Inspect task scheduling problems with Task Inspector |
Even with the ease-of use of Project 2010, projects can still get complicated. Learn ways to inspect scheduling problems by either hovering over a task or by using the task inspector on the Task tab. |
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Filter your view
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Filtering a view helps you remove all the clutter in a schedule so that you can focus on specific task or resources |
| Sort project information (link to come) |
Sorting allows you to arrange tasks or resources numerically or alphabetically to help you spot scheduling issues through trends that you can create. |
| Group tasks and resources in your project (Video) |
Grouping allows you to categorize tasks or resources so that you see related information in one place. |
| Print a view or report |
Of course you want to print the view. Everybody does. Project makes printing a view or report much easy. |
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Step 3: Use another program to view Project data
Sometimes, Microsoft Project isn't enough. Fortunately, Project 2010 makes it easy to use other programs to view Project information.
Top of Page | Return to the Project Road Map
