IMPORTANT UPDATE: Microsoft Project Online Retirement scheduled for September 30, 2026. From this date Project Online will no longer be accessible, however we can help you transition to Planner Premium and the Wellingtone Accelerator+ or to Project Server Subscription Edition.
What is Microsoft Project?
98% of desktop planning software used worldwide is Microsoft Project. It is a powerful, scalable platform for managing work—from team projects to the most complex portfolio and resource management initiatives. Project managers have routinely used it for as long as we can remember. Most people use Microsoft Project to schedule tasks, some attempt to assign resources, and a very limited number of users take the final step to track costs.
In this article, we aim to provide help, guidance and shortcuts, as well as things you may not know you can do with Microsoft Project for users with any level of experience to save you time and, hopefully, any potential feelings of frustration!
What are the fundamentals of Microsoft Project?
Before you start creating your schedule in Microsoft Project, I suggest creating a high-level plan using Post-it notes with your team. Gather everyone in a virtual room and discuss the tasks that need to be done and their order. Making a high-level Plan On A Page (POAP) can help illustrate the work packages and key milestones for your project. Keep it simple! Make sure to involve all key stakeholders so that they are on board with your plan. Once you have the high-level plan, you can then translate it into a Microsoft Project schedule. Keep an eye on the Planning Horizon and make adjustments to your schedule as needed.
Before creating your schedule in MS Project:
- Know your context: What are you trying to plan: a sub-project, a project or a programme? What’s your starting point? Do you have Key Milestones that MUST be achieved? [These may require a constraint] Or a Start / Finish Date that must be achieved?
- Project Start Date: Before creating your plan, have a defined Project Start Date.
- Default Task Setting: Before you begin creating your plan, make sure that the Default Task Setting is Auto-Scheduled
- Project Calendar: Before you start creating your plan, make sure that the appropriate Project Calendar has been selected
- Know Your WBS: Determine how you intend to structure your plan; what are your Summary Tasks and Key Milestones?
5 Microsoft Project scheduling best practices
- Create logical WBS by indenting & outdenting tasks as appropriate
- Focus on creating all Summary and Normal Tasks first, then add Duration and Constraints
- Define Task Relationships: All Tasks should have Task Relationships, excluding the first and last task in your schedule
- Make sure you Baseline at appropriate times
- Set the Status Date to today when updating the % complete
5 things you shouldn’t do in Microsoft Project
There are many common pitfalls that we see time and time again. Here are the 5 mistakes we would strongly recommend you avoid:
- Do NOT adjust the Start and/or Finish Dates of Tasks and/or Milestones
- Avoid having any manually scheduled tasks
- Do NOT adjust any part of the Summary Task apart from the Task Name
- Limit the use of Constraints
- Inactivate Tasks, don’t delete Tasks
Handy Microsoft Project shortcuts
It’s always helpful to know a handy shortcut or two to speed up working on Microsoft Project:
Useful Microsoft Project shortcuts
| Function | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Indenting & outdenting to create WBS | Shift + Alt + Left/ or Right Arrow |
| Collapses a Summary Task | Shift + Alt + Minus |
| Expands a Summary Task | Shift + Alt + Plus |
| Expand all of the schedule | Shift + Alt + * |
| Access the “Build Team” Dialog Box[Project Online only] | Crtl + T |
| Go to the top row in the plan | Ctrl + Up Arrow or Ctrl + Home |
| Insert | Insert a blank row above |
| Use the “View” Bar | Right-click on the left side of MSP |
| Access more features | Right-click anywhere in MSP! |
| Adjust the formatting of a type of task | Format>Text Styles |
| Autosave | File>Options>Save |
Books to support Microsoft Project Learning
What’s the problem with MS project?
As much as it is widely used, it is also hugely under-utilised in its functionality. In fact, most users of Microsoft Project don’t know that some functionality even exists, so rather than utilizing its full power, the schedules become a ‘task list’ of sorts.
Here are the top functionality questions we receive as one of the top four Microsoft Partners globally when using Microsoft Project for scheduling projects and programmes. We hope it helps!
Microsoft Project frequently asked questions
Can I update my whole project in one go if I am rushed?
Yes. Using the Mark on Track to update progress allows the plan owner to mark their project on track. Pressing this button completes tasks appropriately up to (today’s) date to show that everything is going well. A real time-saver!
How can I make it clear when I am reporting up to?
By setting the Status Date gridline in the Gantt, you can quickly and easily demonstrate a specific (typically today) date with a line that appears from top to bottom for the entirety of the project. This also helps if you are planning to be away and are preparing an update for a future time period. It’s a great little trick!
My plan is so big; how can I get a concise view?
Using Scroll to Task on the Task ribbon is a handy way to refocus your view. Pressing this button will bring your selected task into your gantt chart so you can easily visualise where you are. A nifty way to stop scrolling forever!
I get lost in the ribbons. Is there an easier way to find things?
By adding functionality to the Quick Access Toolbar, which is available in all MS desktop applications, you can add any items that you utilise a lot to save time using the ribbon. You can find it at the top left of Microsoft Project.
My gantt chart seems to be going crazy, can I get a cleaner look?
Using the Entire Project icon on the View ribbon lets you see your entire project in the gantt chart view (from left to right), helping you to avoid scrolling and zooming to get the view you want.
How can I tell if my plan has changed?
Paying attention to the Change Highlights provides an ongoing view of the latest changes to your schedule, including whether the project end date has changed. This provides a quick and easy way to see if you need to take action or escalate a problem.
My plan looks really boring. Can I make it more user-friendly?
Using the Wrap Text and other formatting options allows you to format the text within each line of your schedule. No more losing sight of the content or what each task is supposed to say. Check out the other features in the same ribbon that help to change the way your schedule looks.
Can I use filters and groups to focus on specific areas of my project in Microsoft Project?
Using the filter to focus on tasks will do this for you. Users of Microsoft Project don’t tend to filter much, even though it provides easy access to groups of tasks. Use it like you do in Excel!
What are the different views available in Microsoft Project, and how do I use them?
One of the perceived problems with Microsoft Project is the lack of flexibility in the format that can be shared, but actually, there are lots of views available and built-in, including:
- Task usage
- Resource information
- Calendar
- Network diagram
- And even a kanban board (yes, really!)
I’m worried that my scheduled task(s) is going to end late
The FNLT Constraint, which stands for Finish No Later Than, helps you get warning signs earlier. It is a great tool because it constrains tasks to their end date, giving you a warning if you are forecast to go past that end date. You can find it in the Advanced tab of your Task Information.
Not sure how to get to it? Right-click on the task name.
I seem to have documents and schedules in different places. Can I do anything about the plan itself to make it easier?
Adding Hyperlinks to tasks gives easy access. You can add hyperlinks to documents and websites to your task names. This doesn’t slow down the functionality and is a great way to give quick access to supporting information.
Can I have time to move things around in MS Project?
Adding the Total Slack column to get visibility of time tells the project team how many days are needed to claw back if the project is forecast to overrun its end date. A handy tool to be able to escalate to your Sponsor.
Can I customise reports to suit my project’s specific needs and communicate effectively with stakeholders?
The reporting toolkit is probably the most under-utilised part of Microsoft Project. Not only are the reports available as standard, but it is also possible to configure them yourself. Sure, they are not as fancy as PowerBI, but they do the job of putting the right data in front of the right people to drive decisions.
Microsoft Project evolution
This application has been around for many years. When utilised correctly, it has evolved to become a huge tool.
Nowadays, we are seeing the rise of MS Project for the Web and Planner, which bring a lot of functionality to the web and connect the things the new apps cannot do with other apps such as PowerBI, Power Apps, and more.
For those project and programme managers who still like the control that Microsoft Project gives them, maybe this will help provide a few more magic tricks that will save time and effort and drive positive project decisions.
