MS Project Formula: Custom Field for Checking Logic

Posted: February 11, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: MS Project Custom Fields, MS Project Formulas | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

A custom field that I use constantly when building project schedules is for checking if the task is missing either a predecessor or successor.  I call this field Logic, and I find it handy because the last thing you want on your hands is a project schedule with spaghetti logic.  The best practice for network logic is that every task has a predecessor or successor, except for the first task or the last task.  Of course, each project has it’s own quirks and you might find this doesn’t make sense.  That will have to be something you need to decide whether to not follow this, but make sure you clearly document it in your project plan assumptions.

Define Custom Field: Logic

The first thing to do is to create a custom field named Logic.  I will build it using Flag1.  

Step 1 – Highlight your first column by clicking on the title name of your column.

Step 2 – Right-click and choose Insert Column.

 Step 3 – Scroll down or start typing Flag1.  Choose Flag1.  Once the Flag1 column is in your Gantt Chart view highlight the whole column and right-click.

Step 4 – Rename Custom Field. Make sure you have Flag1 chosen.  Then click on Rename, change the name from flag1 to Logic, finally click OK.

Now we have created the field Logic.  Don’t close the Custom Fields menu yet.  Now we are going to build the formula to show us where we are mission a predecessor or successor (or both).  Then we will add a graphical indicator to quickly spot our missing logic.

Step 5 –  Click on the Formula button in the Custom Fields menu.  Type in the following formula in the Edit Formula box.

 

IIf(([Predecessors]="" Or [Successors]=""),True,False)

Here is the project image below

Don’t close your Custom Fields menu yet!  The last part is to put a graphical indicator (image).  It’s easier to spot this way instead of seeing yes and no all over the column.

Step 6 – Click on Graphical Indicators… button towards the bottom of the Custom Fields menu.  In the test for logic field type equals, in values enter True, and in image choose the image that you best like.  Then click OK, and OK again.  You are done.


If all is working correctly you should see where you might be missing logic on your Logic column shown with an image in each row that has missing logic.

That should do it!  You now can quickly see where you need predecessors or successors.  You can customize it into two different custom fields if you want to check one or the other.  Have fun building custom formulas!

MS Project VBA/Formulas – Intro

Posted: February 9, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: MS Project 2010, Program Management | Tags: | Leave a comment

Since my work has recently increased exponentially, I have been playing around with writing formulas for custom fields and also writing small programs using VBA to simplify my work.  I have used VBA with MS Excel in the past, but not so much with project.  The problem I find is that it’s hard to find any examples of Project VBA anywhere.  There is only one book available called VBA Programming For MS Project ’98 through 2010 with an Intro to VSTO by Rod Gill. (I have no affiliation and first link leads you to two free chapters).  If you look hard enough you can find some examples, but mostly learning Project VBA is just trial and error.  You have to do it, then run the code to see how it works and to learn how to use it.  I plan to have a section somewhere in this site where I have recommendations to books and sites/blogs where you can explore more of these ideas.

Anyway, when I write about formulas for custom fields or snippets of VBA, I can’t promise it will work for everyone.  You can take my ideas and implement them to your projects.  Play around with them until you get the desired effect.  If you have questions and I have the bandwidth to answer, I will gladly help!  I plan to name the help titles clearly so it is easy to navigate.  Most of this code and formulas I have tested only in MS Project 2010 and 2013 and MS Excel 2010.  I’m pretty sure they can be worked somewhat successfully from MS Project 2003 through 2013.  As for Excel, I can’t venture to guess.  But never fear, unlike MS Project, there is lot’s of VBA information about MS Excel on the internet.

Hopefully my journey through MS Project VBA and my documentation here will help you out!  Cheers!  🙂

Managing Multiple Program Schedules

Posted: February 2, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Program Management | Tags: | Leave a comment

Recently I’ve been tasked to manage more programs in addition to the programs I’m currently managing.  Although I could have used a little bit more work, it feels like now the work has quadrupled what I used to do.  If you have been a scheduler with complex program schedules for a while, you know that just adding one more program can be a challenge.  Add to that, now I have more than three program managers I have to coordinate and status.  Let’s just say I’m feeling a little overwhelmed right now.

I’m a time manager, so how do I manage my time?  The first thing I did was lay down boundaries.  Everyone’s program is priority to them.  They have to realize there is only one of me and a finite amount of time.  So, I began by explaining how my workload has exploded and that I am trying to get a handle on it.  Once I get a handle, I can better commit to a percentage of my time per program.  I was clear that eventually we might need to hire more schedulers.  I’m pretty sure they realized this, but it was just a matter of timing.

Although it surprised them that I was vocal about my time commitment, it showed that I can handle the work and will let them know when it gets to be too much.  It also showed that I don’t like to make promises that I cannot keep.  Being straight forward with your stakeholders is very important.  They need to know what they can and can’t realistically expect from you.

So how am I going to deal with the increase of workload?  I’m going to have to immerse myself in all details of each program.  By really diving deep and understanding what is the end goal and how we plan to get there, I can build more robust schedules.  I already have several templates to streamline the process of building new schedules.  The challenge right now is the schedules I’ve inherited that have not been optimized.  Schedules should not be too short or too long.  They should be the right size for the program/project at hand.  Wherever I can, I will re-design and implement scheduling best practices.  If the schedules are already baselined, I will have to live with it and do my best.

Finally, I will have to win the trust of each of my new teams.  I have to show that they can trust my skills.  The best way I have found that works for me is to actively listen, ask a lot of questions, and show that I care about their program.  Having everyone’s trust is the key to not only building great schedules, but getting accurate status.  People need to know I’m not out there to get them in trouble, I’m there to ensure our program is a success and we deliver on time and on budget.  Don’t forget to communicate!  Let the team know at all times when there are major changes, and when you need something from them.

To recap, these are the main ideas of managing multiple programs:

1. Be clear of what you can and can’t do as a scheduler.

2. Get the trust of your team.

3. Really listen and show that you care.

4. Ask a lot of questions.  Make sure everything is clear in your mind.

5. Communicate as often as necessary.

If you find yourself in the same situation I’m in right now, just hang in there.  Once you figure out and straighten out the schedules, I find that it is smooth sailing.  Or almost.

MS Project 2010 – How to Show and Hide Columns

Posted: January 26, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: MS Project 2010, MS Project Formatting | Tags: , | Leave a comment

I am frequently asked how to add and remove columns in Microsoft Project.  I help people who use MS Project 2010 and 2013, so it should work for both.  As I’ve mentioned before, for these examples I’m using MS Project 2010 because that’s what I have installed on my PC.  At work I use MS Project 2010 and 2013.

Show/Hide a Column

Let’s talk about removing columns first.  When I say remove column, I mean remove it from view or hide it.  MS Project acts like a database and stores all our hidden columns and all the information as long as we don’t delete data on purpose.  So how do we do it?

  • Option 1 – Select the whole column you want remove (hide) and click delete on your keyboard.  That’s it, the column is hidden from view.  But don’t fret, the column is still within the MS Project database which is your file.
  • Option 2 – Select the whole column you want remove (hide) and right-click on your selected column.  Choose Hide Column and your column will be hidden.

 

 

 

  • Option 3 – If option 1 scares you a little, that’s okay.  You can hide your column from options on the ribbon located at the top of MS Project.  First select a cell or the whole column you want to hide, then go to Gantt Chart Tools -> Format -> Column Settings -> Hide Column

 

 

Presto!  Your column is now hidden.

Show/Insert a Column

So you’ve hidden the columns you didn’t need.  But suddenly your boss calls you and tells you he wants to see the column you just hid!  How to show it again?  Well, as with most actions in MS Project, there are a few ways to do this.  Be patient, the solution is coming up!

  • Option 1 –  The easiest way to add a new column, at least for me, is to highlight (select) the column that is going to be to the left of the column you want to insert.  For example, if you want your new column to be the first column, then select the whole first column.  Then press the Insert key on your keyboard, then scroll down the menu until you find the column you want to add.  You can also start typing the name and it will start scrolling by itself.
  • Option 2 – This option is similar to option 1 where you select the column you want your new column to be at.  You right-click on this selected column and choose Insert Column from the menu that pops open.  Now scroll down and find the column you want to insert.

 

 

 

  • Option 3 –  If you prefer to use the ribbon, you can go to Gantt Chart Tools -> Format -> Insert Column.  Then scroll down until you find the column you need.

 

 

 

  • Option 4 – Believe it or not, there is a fourth way to add a new column into your project schedule.  In your current view, scroll to the last column and the last column should be a column that says Add New Column.  If it’s not visible and you really want to use this method, you can add it by going to your Gantt Chart Tools -> Format -> Custom Settings and choose Display Add New Column

 

 

 

 

That should do it!  Now you know how to manipulate your schedule to show/hide any column within the schedule.  Customizing new columns is for another post!  Enjoy your new knowledge.

MS Project 2010 – How to Zoom in and out Using Timescale in Gantt

Posted: January 23, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: MS Project 2010 | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Have you ever inherited a project where the Timescale of your Gantt does not show anything useful?  It may only show a couple of days worth for a year-long project?  Fear not.  There are a couple of ways you can adjust it, either through the ribbon, or directly through the Timescale area.

Have you seen a Gantt that looks like this?

 

 

It shows nothing in the Gantt area because the Timescale is in hours, while the project spans weeks.  So how can we fix this?

Option 1 –  Go to the ribbon on the top part of MS Project.  Select the View tab, then look for the Zoom group. You can quickly see the whole project by selecting Entire Project.

 

 

Once you click Entire Project you should be able to see your whole project in the Gantt chart.

 

 

You can play around with the buttons within the Zoom group to get your Gantt looking how you want it to look.

Option 2 –  Another way to change your timescale is to actually right-click on the timescale.  You will then see several options

 

 

To zoom the timescale to show all the tasks you can choose Zoom and then choose to zoom to Entire Project.

 

 

You can also do a custom zoom to see different time periods on your Gantt.

Have fun changing the settings!  Do you have other ways you adjust zoom in your project?

MS Project 2010 – How to easily spell check your project schedule

Posted: January 22, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: MS Project 2010 | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Recently one of my coworkers asked me how to do spell check in Microsoft Project.  Although I usually create new schedules, I usually export them to MS Excel to do other calculations.  There I easily check my spelling.  But how in the world do you spell check in MS Project 2010?  You would think that just by highlighting a column and then right click you would easily find the spell checker in the options.  Unfortunately it’s not there, but there is no need to worry.  There are two ways to quickly run the spell checker. I did all the digging, you just need to scroll down and read some more.

  • Option 1 – Press F7.  Yes, it’s that easy (and you can find this in my MS Project Shortcut List).
  • Option 2 – Go to the ribbon on the top part of MS Project and click on the Project tab (shown below).  Then go all the way to the right and you will find  the ABC button for the spell checker.

 

Then make sure that you pick the right language.  I’m not sure why mine was set up to a language other than English  You can see in the image below:

 

 

If you do need to change the language, be prepared to reset the spell checker and you will need to restart it.