Microsoft Project: 10 steps to a successful project plan
Microsoft Project: 10 steps to a successful project plan
Some projects are so complex that you can’t just shake all the individual tasks and phases out of your hand. In order not to lose the overview, a well-structured project plan helps and Microsoft Project. It helps all those involved to plan and complete individual work steps precisely and to stick to a timetable.
For whom a project plan is important
Both Microsoft Project 2016 and Microsoft Project 2019 are important for all project staff involved. This is because the programme brings a clear structure to all the small, sometimes highly branched activities that are necessary to successful complete a project. Another advantage: everyone can see where the project is and where it should be according to the project plan. But clients also wonder when the project will start, how long it will take and how much the whole thing will cost in the end.
How to easily create a project plan with Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project 2016 and the more recent Microsoft Project 2019 make it possible to create a project plan that meets all requirements in just a few steps.
The individual steps involved:
Define project start
Once the software is open, you set the start date via the „Project“ tab with the „Project Information“ command. This date is the default for all further steps, but it can always be changed later.
Create tasks
The individual tasks of the project can then be precisely defined using task names. Here it is important to consider the priority of the individual steps.
Structure contents
By indenting the tasks, you can structure the project content more clearly. This further subdivides the content logically.
Set duration and milestones
The working days that you spend on the project are defined in the project calendar. Here you should work with consecutive days, free days are marked with the abbreviation „f“ in front of the unit „T“ (for day). If intermediate goals, so-called milestones, are to be determined, the programme indicates their duration with „0“ in the unit days.
Show dependencies
Microsoft Project shows the dependencies of certain intermediate goals on upstream activities through task links. They make it possible to display logical relationships in terms of content, the sequence of which does not necessarily have to be chronologically structured. The relationship to the beginning and end (abbreviation: EA) is the standard link in Microsoft Project. In addition, there are other types of relationships that can be linked.
Plan workload
In the next step, the project manager enters the expected or planned workload in hours in the column „Work“. Employees who are involved in the project will later find the note „planned“ in the feedback screen.
Allocate resources
In the local resource pool, one now creates the labour, cost, employee or also material resources under „Resource: Table“. These resources can be assigned to individual employees, team leaders or cost centres.
Fix deadlines
In order to be able to set time limits for tasks and, above all, for intermediate goals, it is possible to define constraints on the one hand and deadlines on the other with Microsoft Project. Constraints are fixed and cannot be moved if, for example, time changes occur. Deadlines, on the other hand, are flexible.
Show project summary
Via the „Project“ tab you can view the project collection process in Microsoft Project. This brings together all the values at project level and quickly shows what duration has been set, how the total effort is planned or even who is involved in the project.
Set baseline
At the end of the planning phase, you have to determine the actual data. This is saved in a base plan. With the command „Set base plan“ in the „Project“ tab, the corresponding data is saved with the current creation date. The base plan can also be used to check which changes have been made to the project plan in the course of time due to feedback or similar.
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Windows 10 Key: Mail from the public prosecutor's office because of illegal licences
Windows 10 Key: Mail from the public prosecutor's office because of illegal licences
Well, have you looked in the letterbox today? It’s possible that you’ll find a letter in there whose sender will make your blood pressure soar. It could be a summons from the public prosecutor. And if, when reading the contents, you remember that you bought a „super-cheap“ Windows 10 key at an „absolute bargain price“ at some point in the past, it might put you in a worse mood. The question is: Was everything legal at the time of purchase – or was it illegal? Windows Key illegal? And above all: What are the bona fide buyers facing now?
The subpoena is about the Windows key
In the past few years, Windows Keys were repeatedly offered on well-known sales and auction platforms, some of which were considerably below the normal sales price Buyers of such cheap Windows 10 licences are now to make statements to the public prosecutor’s office about the facts of the case. This concerns both the version Windows 10 Home as well as Windows 10 Pro.
The question is: Did one commit a criminal offence by purchasing it?
First of all, the subpoena is about clarifying whether the suspicion of „criminal copyright infringement“ or „reckless money laundering“ is justified .
The argument:
Looking at the actual price of a Windows 10 Key (starting at about 145 euros), as offered by Microsoft, everyone should have noticed immediately that something could be wrong and that the Windows Key might be illegal. After all, neither Windows 10 Pro nor Windows 10 Home can be had for a price of just 10 euros. However, the public prosecutor’s office mainly wants to get on the trail of those behind the scenes who are selling Windows 10 keys or Microsoft applications extremely cheaply. If you are affected, you should still contact a lawyer in the event of a summons.
Is my Windows 10 Key illegal?
Yes and no. Because the trade in second-hand software is basically legal in Europe (unlike in the USA, for example) The problem is that quite a few dealers acquire the Windows keys illegally and then resell them on Ebay or Amazon, for example. It is also forbidden to use the keys more than once. The prerequisite for a legal sale, for example of a Windows 10 key, is that the dealer provides certified proof of the origin of the Windows key. Above all, the product key must have been properly deactivated before the sale. If these basics are met, the Windows 10 licence is legal. If not, then it is illegal software.
How to recognise a legally resold Windows 10 Key
Who would have thought that not only Windows, Office and other Microsoft applications can be legally sold? Even OEM or system builder versions of Windows can be resold without any problems as long as they are legal licences. Unfortunately, there are also many black sheep on the marketplaces. These tips help you to recognise whether the seller of the Windows 10 key is a reputable provider – or someone with whom you run the risk of being dragged before the judge:
- The packaging of the boxed Windows or Office licence must be complete, i.e. it must also contain the official product card including the product key.
- The dealer must be able to provide proof of where he himself acquired the used licence keys.
- The Windows key must be activated directly at Microsoft and not via a third-party website
- In addition, the product key may not be activated more than once by different users.
Additional tip: If you are unsure – Microsoft itself offers the product information service to check whether the software is legal. Here, after entering some data, you can quickly see whether you will soon have to expect unpleasant mail from the public prosecutor.
Header image: © monticellllo, stock.adobe.com
Microsoft Office Update 2021: What we already know
Microsoft Office Update 2021: What we already know
Millions of users work with Microsoft’s Office package every day. Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint have become indispensable in both private and business applications. For 2021, the company has a number of innovations in store. In part, these updates are really practical and sensible, especially in the professional sector – but in part they are likely to cause annoyance. Here is everything you need to know about the Microsoft Office You need to know about the update.
This is what the new update brings with it
After the update, there will be two versions when you start the download: one for home use and one for business, but both versions will support both 32-bit and 64-bit.
- Office LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) for larger companies and government users.
- Office 2021 for private users and small businesses. Here, support has been shortened from seven to five years. In addition, Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint can now only be used on a PC or Mac.
It is likely that the price of Microsoft Office will rise with the update. Users should expect a price increase of around 10 per cent on individual purchases, according to unconfirmed rumours. As already Microsoft Office 2016 and Microsoft Office 2019 there is no obligation to link the application to the internet after the update. So there is no need to take out a subscription or work via a cloud for the single purchase.
Some innovations in Microsoft Office
- Microsoft has announced new features in both Office 2021 for home users and Office LTSC for the corporate sector:
- Better Accessibility.
- Excel now gets functions like Dynamic Arrays and XLOOKUP
- Multiple apps can be used better thanks to the supported dark mode.
- Standard apps like Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint get performance improvements.
- The new packages come with the Microsoft Teams app. In return, the Skype for Business client is no longer available.
Examples, with which service plus Microsoft binds customers
New Outlook functions:
In future, there will be wording suggestions when creating messages, and a new booking environment for conference rooms will also be available with additional functions. The new drop-down menu in the search area makes searching easier – a click switches between the current folder and the current mailbox. Messages from Outlook can now be shared directly with a person or channel in Microsoft Teams, and a new dictation toolbar, extended voice commands and automatic punctuation make composing messages easier.
Enhancements to the Teams function:
When sharing a PowerPoint file, the speaker view is also possible. With Microsoft Forms, one can start direct polls among the participants of a meeting In the Desktop Client, it is easy to return to the last places visited using the history menu, and depending on the administrator setting, telephone numbers can be masked in future, which leads to more Privacy anonymity.
Word becomes simpler:
Due to the revision of the editor, it is now easy to take over writing and spelling suggestions directly with a click and HEIC pictures from iPhones or iPads can also be inserted without conversion. For new documents, folders can be pinned withthe shortcut Ctrl+S , eliminating tedious searches for the correct location.
Summary of the changes in the Microsoft Office Update
- Microsoft has so far finally confirmed the following editions Office 2021 Standard and Office 2021 Professional Plus.
- These will come with OneNote and Teams delivered
- The packages are available as purchase licences and perpetual licences
- A price increase for Office packages and individual apps or products is to be expected.
- The Office versions are available for Windows and Mac.
- 32- and 64-bit editions are still available
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