Getting Started

As shown on the "Welcome" screen below, you can create your project plan in 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Enter Tasks. In the Data Grid area on your left, you will see a column called "Task Name". Click on the first task called "Start entering tasks here" and enter your first task name. Then click on the row beneath it and enter your next task name, and so forth. You can quickly and easily list your tasks in the Task Name field and when you do this, you will notice that the columns to the right will be pre-populated with data as you go.

Step 2: Schedule Your Tasks. With your task list created, the next step is to schedule your tasks to take place on the correct dates. To do this, click on the task bar (shown in the picture above) and drag it to the left or right. As you drag it, the start and end dates will change. If you want to change its duration, then click on the right hand edge and drag it to the left or right. And if you want to link 2 tasks together, then click on one task bar and drag it onto another task bar. When you do this, it will create a link between one task and another.

Step 3: Assign Your Resources. With your schedule created, you're now ready to assign resources. Click on the resource button on the Button bar (as shown in the image above) and create one or many resources. As you create each resource, it will automatically be assigned to your task. You can use the checkboxes to assign / unassign resources from your tasks, as you wish.

You now have a task list, a schedule and resources assigned. You have completed all of the basic steps you need to take to create a professional project plan for your project.

Entering Tasks

The first step to take when creating a new project plan is to enter your task list. Click in the data cell which says "Start entering tasks here" and type in your task name. Then click on the cell beneath it and enter the next name, etc.

Just to the right, you can see a vertical window bar. You can click on it and drag it to the right to increase the number of columns displayed. You can then click on the column title (e.g. "Task Name") and you will see the list of columns displayed. You can show / hide data columns to customize your view.

With your task list entered, the last step is to use the indent button (as shown below) to create a task hierarchy.

Scheduling Your Tasks

After entering all of your tasks in the Data Column area, the next step is to schedule your tasks.

Here's how to do it:

• Click on a task bar (shown above) and click and drag it to the left and right to change the start and end dates.
• If you click on the right hand edge of the task bar and drag it to the right, then it will increase the task duration.
• If you click on the left hand edge of the task bar and drag it to the right, then it will increase the percent complete.

Assigning Resources

At any time when you have created or edited a task, you can assign resources to it. Simply click on the Resources button (shown below) and complete the information provided to assign resources to your task.

If there are currently no resources assigned to the project, then you will need to create new resources using the panel provided. As you create each new resource, it will automatically be added to your list and assigned to your task. In this way, you can create resources quickly and easily, and assign them to complete your tasks as required.