Excel & MS Project Essentials for IT Project Management

Course Description

This comprehensive 5-day course equips IT project managers with essential skills in Microsoft Excel and Project. Participants will learn to leverage Excel for data analysis and visualization, and master MS Project for efficient project planning and tracking. The course combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on practice to ensure practical application of learned concepts.

Learning Objectives

• Develop proficiency in Excel formulas and functions for project data analysis
• Create effective data visualizations and dashboards in Excel
• Master MS Project for creating and managing project schedules
• Learn resource allocation and cost tracking techniques in MS Project
• Understand integration between Excel and MS Project for comprehensive project management
• Apply best practices for IT project planning and monitoring using both tools

Course Modules

Day 1: Excel Fundamentals for Project Managers

• Excel interface and basic functions
• Data entry and formatting techniques
• Essential formulas for project calculations
• Creating and managing project budgets in Excel

Day 2: Advanced Excel for Project Analysis

• PivotTables and PivotCharts for project data analysis
• Data validation and conditional formatting
• Advanced functions: VLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, and IF statements
• Creating project dashboards in Excel

Day 3: Introduction to Microsoft Project

• MS Project interface and navigation
• Creating a new project and defining project properties
• Task creation, sequencing, and dependencies
• Resource allocation and assignment

Day 4: Advanced Microsoft Project Techniques

• Working with calendars and constraints
• Tracking project progress and updating tasks
• Managing costs and budgets in MS Project
• Creating and customizing project reports

Day 5: Integrating Excel and MS Project

• Importing and exporting data between Excel and MS Project
• Creating custom reports using both tools
• Best practices for IT project planning and monitoring
• Case study: Applying learned concepts to a real-world IT project

Practical Wins for Participants

• Ability to create comprehensive project plans using MS Project
• Proficiency in using Excel for project data analysis and visualization
• Skills to generate insightful project reports and dashboards
• Improved efficiency in managing IT projects using integrated Excel and MS Project techniques