Microsoft Project
Encyclopedia
Microsoft Project is a project management software
program, developed and sold by Microsoft
, which is designed to assist a project manager
in developing a plan
, assigning resources
to tasks, tracking progress, managing the budget
, and analyzing workloads.
The application creates critical path
schedules, and critical chain
and event chain methodology
third-party add-ons also are available. Schedules can be resource leveled
, and chains are visualized in a Gantt chart
. Additionally, MS Project can recognize different classes of users. These different classes of users can have differing access levels to projects, views, and other data. Custom objects such as calendars, views, tables, filters, and fields are stored in an enterprise global which is shared by all users.
MS Project was the company's third Microsoft Windows-based application, and within a couple of years of its introduction it became the dominant PC-based project management software.
Although branded as a member of the Microsoft Office
family, it never has been included in any of the Office suites (like Visio
). This also was the case with Office 2010. It is available currently in two editions, Standard and Professional. MS Project's proprietary file format is .mpp.
Microsoft Project and Microsoft Project Server are the cornerstones of the Microsoft Office
Enterprise Project Management
(EPM) product. Microsoft Project 2010 features the Ribbon user interface
.
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Microsoft Project was initially proposed by Microsoft's Manager of Product Development, Alan M. Boyd
as an internal tool to help manage the huge number of software projects that were in development at any time inside the company. Boyd wrote the specification and engaged a local Seattle company to develop the prototype.
The first commercial version of Project was released for DOS
in 1984. Microsoft bought all rights to the software in 1985 and released version 2. Version 3 for DOS was released in 1986. Version 4 for DOS was the final DOS version, released in 1986. The first Windows
version was released in 1990, and was labelled version 1 for Windows.
In 1991 a Macintosh
version was released. Development continued until Microsoft Project 4.0 for Mac in 1993. In 1994, Microsoft stopped development of most of its Mac applications and did not offer a new version of Office until 1998, after the creation of the new Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit the year prior. The Mac Business Unit never released an updated version of Project, and the last version does not run natively on Mac OS X
.
Microsoft Project 95 was the first to use common Office menus.
Microsoft Project 98 was the first to use Tahoma font in the menu bars and to contain Office Assistant
, like all Office 97 applications. Project 98 SR-1 was a major service release addressing several issues in Project 98.
Versions were released in 1992 (v3), 1993 (v4), 1995 (4.1a), 1998 (9.0), 2000 (10.0), 2002 (11.0), 2003 (12.0), 2007 (13.0) and 2010 (14.0). There was no Version 2 on the Windows platform; the original design spec was augmented with the addition of macro capabilities and the extra work required to support a macro language pushed the development schedule out to early 1992 (Version 3).
Project creates budgets based on assignment work and resource rates. As resources are assigned to tasks and assignment work estimated, the program calculates the cost, equal to the work times the rate, which rolls up to the task level and then to any summary tasks and finally to the project level. Resource definitions (people, equipment and materials) can be shared between projects using a shared resource pool. Each resource can have its own calendar, which defines what days and shifts a resource is available. Resource rates are used to calculate resource assignment costs which are rolled up and summarized at the resource level. Each resource can be assigned to multiple tasks in multiple plans and each task can be assigned multiple resources, and the application schedules task work based on the resource availability as defined in the resource calendars. All resources can be defined in label without limit. Therefore it cannot determine how many finished products can be produced with a given amount of raw materials. This makes MS Project unsuitable for solving problems of available materials constrained production. Additional software is necessary to manage a complex facility that produces physical goods.
, Microsoft Project's capabilities were extended with the introduction of Microsoft Office Project Server
and Microsoft Project Web Access. Project Server stores Project data in a central SQL
-based database, allowing users to display and update this data over the Internet. Web Access allows authorized users to access a Project Server database across the Internet
, and includes timesheets, graphical analysis of resource workloads, and administrative tools.
Microsoft Office suite, the later versions also provide for cross-functionality with products like PowerPoint
and Visio
.
Project management software
Project management software is a term covering many types of software, including estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to...
program, developed and sold by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, which is designed to assist a project manager
Project manager
A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing of any project, typically relating to construction industry, architecture, computer networking, telecommunications or software...
in developing a plan
Plan
A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with timing and resources, used to achieve an objective. See also strategy. It is commonly understood as a temporal set of intended actions, through which one expects to achieve a goal...
, assigning resources
Resource (project management)
In project management terminology, resources are required to carry out the project tasks. They can be people, equipment, facilities, funding, or anything else capable of definition required for the completion of a project activity. The lack of a resource will therefore be a constraint on the...
to tasks, tracking progress, managing the budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
, and analyzing workloads.
The application creates critical path
Critical path method
The critical path method is an algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities. It is an important tool for effective project management.-History:...
schedules, and critical chain
Critical chain
Critical chain project management is a method of planning and managing projects that puts the main emphasis on the resources required to execute project tasks. It was developed by Eliyahu M. Goldratt. This is in contrast to the more traditional critical path and PERT methods, which emphasize task...
and event chain methodology
Event chain methodology
Event chain methodology is an uncertainty modeling and schedule network analysis technique that is focused on identifying and managing events and event chains that affect project schedules...
third-party add-ons also are available. Schedules can be resource leveled
Resource management
In organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed. Such resources may include financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology...
, and chains are visualized in a Gantt chart
Gantt chart
A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. Terminal elements and summary elements comprise the work breakdown structure of the project. Some Gantt charts...
. Additionally, MS Project can recognize different classes of users. These different classes of users can have differing access levels to projects, views, and other data. Custom objects such as calendars, views, tables, filters, and fields are stored in an enterprise global which is shared by all users.
MS Project was the company's third Microsoft Windows-based application, and within a couple of years of its introduction it became the dominant PC-based project management software.
Although branded as a member of the Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
family, it never has been included in any of the Office suites (like Visio
Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio , formerly known as Microsoft Office Visio, is a commercial diagramming program for Microsoft Windows that uses vector graphics to create diagrams.- Features :...
). This also was the case with Office 2010. It is available currently in two editions, Standard and Professional. MS Project's proprietary file format is .mpp.
Microsoft Project and Microsoft Project Server are the cornerstones of the Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
Enterprise Project Management
Enterprise Project Management
Enterprise Project Management , in broad terms, is the field of organizational development that supports organizations in managing integrally and adapting themselves to the changes of a transformation....
(EPM) product. Microsoft Project 2010 features the Ribbon user interface
Ribbon (computing)
In GUI-based application software, a ribbon is an interface where a set of toolbars are placed on tabs in a tab bar. Recent releases of some Microsoft applications have embraced this form with a modular ribbon as their main interface. The Ribbon is a contextual interface that offers functionality...
.
History
Alan M. Boyd
Alan Boyd, born Kilwinning, Scotland, 1951, is a pioneer of the personal computer software industry through the 1970s and 1980s. Leaving Scotland in 1968 he studied Physics and Mathematics at the University of Bath in England and later Columbia University in the USA...
as an internal tool to help manage the huge number of software projects that were in development at any time inside the company. Boyd wrote the specification and engaged a local Seattle company to develop the prototype.
The first commercial version of Project was released for DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
in 1984. Microsoft bought all rights to the software in 1985 and released version 2. Version 3 for DOS was released in 1986. Version 4 for DOS was the final DOS version, released in 1986. The first Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
version was released in 1990, and was labelled version 1 for Windows.
In 1991 a Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
version was released. Development continued until Microsoft Project 4.0 for Mac in 1993. In 1994, Microsoft stopped development of most of its Mac applications and did not offer a new version of Office until 1998, after the creation of the new Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit the year prior. The Mac Business Unit never released an updated version of Project, and the last version does not run natively on Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
.
Microsoft Project 95 was the first to use common Office menus.
Microsoft Project 98 was the first to use Tahoma font in the menu bars and to contain Office Assistant
Office Assistant
The Office Assistant was a Microsoft Office feature to assist users by way of an interactive animated character, which interfaced with the Office help content. It used technology initially from Microsoft Bob and later Microsoft Agent, offering advice based on Bayesian algorithms...
, like all Office 97 applications. Project 98 SR-1 was a major service release addressing several issues in Project 98.
Versions were released in 1992 (v3), 1993 (v4), 1995 (4.1a), 1998 (9.0), 2000 (10.0), 2002 (11.0), 2003 (12.0), 2007 (13.0) and 2010 (14.0). There was no Version 2 on the Windows platform; the original design spec was augmented with the addition of macro capabilities and the extra work required to support a macro language pushed the development schedule out to early 1992 (Version 3).
Features
Enhancements
In later versions of Microsoft OfficeMicrosoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
, Microsoft Project's capabilities were extended with the introduction of Microsoft Office Project Server
Microsoft Office Project Server
Microsoft Office Project Server is a project management server solution made by Microsoft. It uses Microsoft SharePoint as its foundation, and supports both a web interface and Microsoft Project as the client application.- Versions for Windows :...
and Microsoft Project Web Access. Project Server stores Project data in a central SQL
SQL
SQL is a programming language designed for managing data in relational database management systems ....
-based database, allowing users to display and update this data over the Internet. Web Access allows authorized users to access a Project Server database across the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, and includes timesheets, graphical analysis of resource workloads, and administrative tools.
Microsoft Office suite, the later versions also provide for cross-functionality with products like PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint, usually just called PowerPoint, is a non-free commercial presentation program developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite, and runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X operating system...
and Visio
Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio , formerly known as Microsoft Office Visio, is a commercial diagramming program for Microsoft Windows that uses vector graphics to create diagrams.- Features :...
.
External links
- Official Microsoft Project team blog
- Official Microsoft Project Programmability blog
- The Project Roadmap, introduced in 2001, was developed to lead users from broad PM concepts to MS Project functionality.
- Microsoft Project for government