Microsoft Project Training

“We hired LSA to help 65 key people understand how to better lead critical projects with a very tight turnaround. LSA’s ability to identify the key trends, leverage points, and next steps was great. They really got to the heart of the issues in a constructive and unbiased manner that exceeded my expectations. It was not an easy task with so many skeptical people with different agendas, styles, experience, and perspectives.”
Darrell Gallagher | Head of Studio | Crystal Dynamics

Description:
Our Microsoft® Project curriculum goes beyond point-and-click MS Project training by integrating the project management discipline into the proper use of MS Project. Understanding the principles upon which the software applications are based enables the user to capitalize on the powerful and flexible capabilities that this software can deliver. As with all LSA Workshops, our Microsoft® Project classes can be customized to meet your specific needs.

Our facilitators are truly product experts. Their MS Project knowledge is a result of exhaustive exploration of new features as well as hands-on experience using the tool to manage projects. These same facilitators teach our project management discipline courses – providing you a unique combination of software and professional knowledge.

The focus of our Microsoft® Project training is to teach participants to use this powerful tool to more effectively manage projects by building plans, creating resource-leveled schedules, establishing baselines, producing status reports and making clear task assignments. Project managers and team leaders learn the features of this tool while following the same five-step planning method taught in our Principles of Project Management course to ensure that the project management software is taught within the appropriate context.

Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Understand the discipline of project management as it applies to using MS Project.
Create a Work Breakdown Structure
Identify Task Relationships
Define Resources within MS Project
Make Work Package Estimates
Create an Initial Schedule
Create a Resource Leveled Schedule
Manage and track the project through the software
Format Output and Print Reports
Integrate Multiple Projects

Microsoft® Project Workshop Outline:

Introduction
What’s the value of project management software? How do you use the five-step planning model and the project lifecycle to ensure project success? How do you get a handle on the program’s navigation, buttons, tool bar and views?
Setting up a new project
Introducing the project calendar. How to change work time and use project statistics.
Building a work breakdown structure (WBS)
What is a WBS? How to get a grip on tasks, summary tasks and milestones. What’s the difference between WBS numbering and outline numbering? How do you evaluate the WBS?
Establish task relationships
Introducing task dependencies, networks and PERT charts. What are lag, lead and delay? How to format the network diagram.
Making work package estimates
How to create duration estimates and effort driven schedules. Introducing effort and task types.
Creating an initial schedule
How to use critical path analysis to create a schedule. What are scheduling constraints? How do you “crash” a schedule?
Assigning and leveling resources
How do you define resources? What is realistic resource planning? How to level resources in Microsoft® Project.
Managing the Project
How to track field definitions, create a project baseline and enter actual performance data. Introducing the project Gantt. How to split tasks and reschedule work.
Formatting output and printing reports
How do you use the Gantt wizard? Standard versus custom reports. How do you manage and integrate multiple project?

Target Audience:
Project managers who need to incorporate the discipline of project management with Microsoft® Project software tools.

To speak with an LSA Expert and learn about training program customization and delivery options onsite at your company, please contact us.

Related Information

LSA recently designed and delivered a project post mortem for a highly strategic project with a group of 25 team members from engineering, design, marketing, product management, sales, manufacturing, purchasing, business development, research, and finance. The pre-workshop diagnostic, interviews, and experiential session greatly exceeded our expectations.

We were able to honestly and effectively get everything out on the table, agree upon key lessons, and create a targeted action plan that made sense for our unique situation, team, and culture. The whole process made a very complex and potentially political situation a big success. We could not have done the retrospective without LSA.

Eric Vernon
Director of Operations

We recently designed and implemented two high value Project Management Workshops with LSA. The goal was to improve the fundamental project management skills for less experienced project managers and team members and to prepare our experienced project managers to become PMP certified. The programs were very well received and additional sessions have been requested. Both facilitators were excellent, building strong rapport with our scientists and taking time to encourage & answer questions. Based upon the results and the feedback around the company, the next workshops are already full. I highly recommend LSA to any company looking to take their project management skills to the next level.

Stacey Porter
Senior Manager Learning & Development

Thanks for a great and valuable session. The Project Management expertise and methodology that you brought to the table was perfectly targeted to our needs and our company. You definitely helped us launch an important step in driving best practice company standards around project management. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone looking to improve project management skills and methodologies.

Bill Thayer
VP Field Operations

ServiceSource has relied on LSA Global’s expertise for a variety of core initiatives, from strategy design and implementation, to business sales skills, to sales coaching. We recently engaged LSA Global to create a competency matrix for our inside sales team that will serve as our roadmap for employee on-boarding, development, succession planning, and retention.

This critical project had a tight timeline with high visibility. LSA Global completed the deliverable ahead of schedule and surpassed our expectations.

PMO and Outside Sales Operations
Senior Vice President

LSA did a great job. The project management solution was really well done from both a content and approach perspective. Overall a very positive experience that provided a lot of value. They really understood the art and science of project management and the specifics of our industry.

Laxmi Peri
VP Technology & Product Development

LSA’s Customized Project Management workshop exceeded our expectations. The facilitator was a true expert in both the content and our industry. They really understood our priorities and helped us learn not only the best practices in Project Management, but how to apply them to our specific environment. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to create the foundation for successful projects and project teams.

Dave Musolf
Director Program Management

The project management training program was fantastic. It could not have gone any better. It was extremely helpful to me as a manager to be strategic during a time of explosive growth and change. It was fully customized to our industry and our needs, everyone came out of it with a solid direction of next steps. We are excited to take the next steps with LSA Global and to implement the project management best practices in a way that works for our unique culture.

Karen M. Inzilla
Director, Sales Operations

LSA’s Project Management facilitator is one of the best I have ever worked with. His efforts and work in teaching complex and intensive Project Management principles across all levels and backgrounds within our organization have been of the highest value.

Leslie Guzman
Learning and Development

We have found LSA to be highly responsive to meeting our unique project management training program needs. Their passion for high levels of customer satisfaction and quality align very closely with our core values.

Kudos to LSA Global for the program that they provided my team. It was exactly what I wanted, and your team did a great job of engaging our group and providing the solid Project Management skills that we need.

Laura McHugh
Director

LSA’s ability to do an effective project postmortem and then help us to use those insights to define and plan our next strategic project were invaluable. Their practical approach and built-for-purpose project kickoff and definition methodology have definitely taken our project definition, project planning, and project management skills to the next level.

I bet they helped us to move 4 times faster than we would have without their help.

Elizabeth Smith, PMP
Senior Project & Portfolio Manager

We turned to LSA Global to help us take our project risk management practices to the next level. As we continue to grow and our projects are increasing significantly in complexity, it is imperative that we incorporate risk management best practices deeper into our Delivery and Project Management methodologies to continue to increase productivity, efficiency, and client satisfaction. I am really happy with the results and would recommend LSA to anyone looking to take project risk management to the next level.

Scott Wassmer
US Director of Production

We hired LSA to design and deliver a Project Post Mortem for sixty five key people on a mission critical project with a very tight turnaround. LSA’s ability to identify the key trends, leverage points, and next steps was remarkable.

They really got to the heart of the issues in a constructive and unbiased manner that exceeded our expectations.

It was not an easy task with so many skeptical people with different agendas, styles, experience, and perspectives. But they nailed it. Thank you!

Darrell Gallagher
Head of Studio