Step-by-Step in MS Project 2016

• By Engr. Waqar Qayyoom Khokhar
• August 25, 2025August 25, 2025
• Business Plan, Hour 7 – Team & Task Management, Management, Project Management, team building
• baseline management MS project 2016 project

A) One-time setup (before execution)

1. Set project calendar
   • Project → Change Working Time → choose/modify the calendar (e.g., Standard 8h/day, 40h/week).
   • If needed, create resource/task calendars.
2. Enter/verify all tasks & logic
   • Add tasks, durations, predecessors, constraints (avoid hard constraints where possible).
   • Identify milestones (Duration = 0d).
3. Assign resources & costs
   • View → Resource Sheet → add resources (Std Rate/Cost).
   • Assign resources on the Gantt Chart (Resource Names column).
4. Choose Earned Value method
   • File → Options → Advanced → Earned value options for this project
     • Earned value method: % Complete (or Physical % Complete if you will enter physical progress).
     • Baseline for EV: Baseline (default).
5. Set the Baseline (lock the plan)
   • Project → Set Baseline → Set Baseline…
   • Select Set Baseline and Entire project → OK.
   • (Optional) Keep Baseline1… for future re-baselines.

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B) Weekly tracking cycle

6. Set the Status Date (every reporting week)
   • Project → Project Information → Status date → pick the week-ending date (e.g., Fri).
7. Switch to Tracking views & tables
   • View → Tracking Gantt (shows baseline vs actual bars).
   • View → Tables → Tracking (adds Actual Start/Finish, % Complete, Actual/Remaining Duration).
8. Collect & enter actuals
   • For quick updates when a task is progressing as planned:
     • Select task(s) → Task → Mark on Track.
   • For precise updates:
     • Select task → Task → Update Tasks (little sheet icon) → enter:
       • Actual Start (if started), % Complete or Physical % Complete,
       • Actual Duration, Remaining Duration, or Actual Finish (if done).
   • For work-driven tracking (resources):
     • View → Task Usage or Resource Usage → right timescale → Timescale… → Units: Weeks.
     • Enter Actual Work by week if you track hours.
9. Reschedule incomplete work past the Status Date
   • Project → Update Project → Reschedule uncompleted work to start after: [Status Date] → Entire project → OK.
   • This cleans “in the past” work that didn’t happen.
10. Check variances
    • View → Tables → Variance → review Start/Finish Variance and Cost Variance.
    • Tracking Gantt → Format → Bar Styles / Progress Lines (optional) to visualize slippage.
11. Review resource loading
    • View → Resource Usage (weekly timescale) to see per-resource hours and overallocations (red).
    • If needed: Resource → Level Resource (use carefully).
12. Run weekly reports
    • Report → Dashboards → Project Overview / Cost Overview / Resource Overview.
    • Report → In Progress / Critical Tasks / Who Does What When → set Timescale: Weeks (Report → Design → Date Range/Timescale).

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C) Monthly management review (deep-dive)

13. Earned Value analysis
    • Project → Project Information → Status date (confirm set).
    • View → Tables → More Tables → Earned Value → Apply.
    • Review PV (BCWS), EV (BCWP), AC (ACWP), SV, CV, SPI, CPI.
    • Thresholds (e.g., ±10%) → trigger corrective actions/change control.
14. Trend & milestone reporting
    • Report → Dashboards → Milestone Report.
    • (Optional) Create a custom dashboard: Report → New Report → Dashboard → add Table/Chart and fields like % Complete, SPI, CPI, Variance.
15. Baseline protection
    • Do not overwrite the original Baseline. If a re-plan is approved, Project → Set Baseline → Set Baseline → Baseline1 (keep Baseline for original).

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D) Change control (when something big changes)

16. Record the variance
    • Capture current actuals and variances (Reports/EV table).
17. Apply approved change
    • Update tasks/durations/logic/resources as per the approved change.
18. Re-forecast, then save to a new baseline slot
    • Set Baseline → Baseline1 (or next) for changed scope; keep Baseline intact for historical comparison.

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E) Optional productivity tweaks

19. Create a “Weekly Tracking” custom view
    • View → Other Views → More Views → New… (Single view → based on Tracking Gantt).
    • Attach Tracking table, Critical filter (optional), and a Group by: Status to highlight Late/On Schedule.
20. Save common fields in your table
    • Add columns you’ll always need: % Complete, Physical % Complete, Actual Start/Finish, Actual/Remaining Duration, Baseline Start/Finish, Cost, Baseline Cost, CV, SV, SPI, CPI.
    • Right-click header → Save Field Settings (persists formatting).

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Quick Weekly Checklist (print this)

• Set Status Date
• Enter Actuals (Update Tasks / Usage views)
• Reschedule incomplete work after Status Date
• Review Variances (schedule & cost)
• Check Resources (overallocation)
• Generate Reports and share

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