Microsoft Project Server 2007 for Enterprise Project Management: Hands-On

Frequently Asked Questions

Who will benefit from this course? Project and program managers who want to maximize the capabilities of Microsoft Project Server within their organizations. In addition, team leaders that manage multiple projects and team members across the enterprise benefit from this course. What is this course about? Microsoft Project Server 2007 enables you to better organize and execute projects ranging from the simple to complex across the entire project life cycle. In this course, you gain the skills to apply Microsoft Project Server to manage enterprise projects and portfolios. You learn how to centralize project plans throughout your enterprise, harmonize organizational processes, streamline communication, and control critical performance factors. You also learn to visualize and control the progress of multiple projects through portfolio management. What background do I need? Experience with Microsoft Project at the level of Course 299, Microsoft® Project: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction, is beneficial, but not required. For example, it is helpful to know how to: Create a Microsoft project plan from a blank view or from a template Use a resource sheet to assign resources to project tasks Update project status by entering information on resource work, accomplishments and completion Knowledge of project management principles at the level of those covered in Course 296, Project Management: Skills for Success, is also helpful, but not required. How does Project Server 2007 relate to SharePoint? Project Server 2007 relies on Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 (WSS) as the core platform. So in short, without WSS, Project Server 2007 cannot function. Upon installation of Project Server 2007, it will first install WSS and than all the extended components of Project Server 2007 will be installed. There is no need to purchase a separate server product and license for WSS. How does this course differ from Courses 299 and 249? This course features the Microsoft Project Server product and is designed for intermediate/advanced project users who need to track multiple projects and connect many team members to an end user interface to enhance communication and collaboration. Course 299, Microsoft® Project: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction, is an introductory course featuring the desktop product. The course is designed for project managers and team members new to Microsoft Project or working on a single project. Course 249, Hands-On Microsoft® Project: Managing Multiple and Complex Projects, is intended for managers using the standalone version of Microsoft Project. Specifically, Course 249 is for those who want to collaborate with their colleagues and are typically working in groups of ten managers or fewer on complex or multiple projects. What is the difference between Microsoft Project Server 2003 and Microsoft Project Server 2007? The core functionality of both versions to plan, track and control enterprise projects remains constant making this course beneficial for project professionals using both Project Server 2003 and 2007. Key new features and benefits of Project Server 2007 include: Proposal Management and Activity Plans to initiate projects from the Project Web Access (PWA) OLAP cubes and the Reporting Data Service to provide enhanced reporting Business Alignment Framework to synchronize organizational objectives with projects Improved collaboration capabilities to leverage SharePoint with Microsoft Project Server How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Microsoft Project Server 2007 Overview 2.0 Initiating enterprise projects 3.0 Planning the project schedule 3.0 Executing the project plan 3.5 Monitoring and controlling project work 3.0 Completing projects and documenting work 2.5 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. How much time is devoted to hands-on exercises? Exercises account for nearly 60 percent of this course and offer significant experience in working with all details of running and maintaining Project Server as well as establishing enterprise standards. Exercises include: Creating, tracking and updating multiple project plans with Microsoft EPMS Working with project proposals and activity plans Migrating project plans from Project Professional 2007 Implementing enterprise custom fields Connecting Project Professional, Project Server and Outlook Populating the Enterprise Resource Pool and resourcing tasks How does this course help me to manage projects that are in trouble? This course gives you the skills to structure projects, collaborate with geographically dispersed team members, and create consistency across the enterprise. For a course specifically addressing troubled projects, you might be interested in Course 921. In Course 921, Recovering Troubled Projects, through an extensive case study you learn how to diagnose troubled projects, structure and perform an assessment plan, and implement a strategy for recovery. You also learn how to apply analytics to evaluate root causes and continuously monitor project performance. Does this course offer PMI Professional Development Units (PDUs)? This course is beneficial to anyone working toward PMI's PMP certification. For those who are currently certified, or maintaining a certification, completion of this course will count as 17 professional development units (60 units must be completed every three years to maintain certification.) For more details, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A. If you are an experienced project manager intending to take the PMP exam, you should take Course 276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Exam. In this course you learn essential PMBOK® Guide terminology, tools and techniques. You gain practical test-taking experience through PMI-style practice exams and create your own personal study plan for continued use after the course. Why should I attend this course instead of one offered by Microsoft? This course has been developed independently from Microsoft Corporation and is objective in its approach. This independence from Microsoft (and every other vendor) allows us to give an unbiased view of which features are especially well supported by Project Server 2007 to help you solve your real-world business problems. This course applies the industry's best practices in project management in conjunction with leveraging the features of Project Server 2007. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? This course is one of many Learning Tree Management courses. You may also find these courses of interest: 249, Hands-On Microsoft® Project: Managing Multiple and Complex Projects  299, Microsoft® Project: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction  296, Project Management: Skills for Success  340, Project Management for Software Development  921, Recovering Troubled Projects  287, Strategic Project Management: Achieving Organizational Goals  286, Project Risk Management  919, SharePoint® for Project Management  346, Project Leadership: Building High-Performance Teams  294, Influence Skills: Getting Results Without Direct Authority  315, Developing User Requirements: The Key to Project Success

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