What is Microsoft Project?

Produced by Kandy Shaw  |  1 November 2017

What is Microsoft Project?

Microsoft Project is a project management software tool developed and sold by Microsoft.  The program assists users in developing an initial project plan, assigning resources, tracking progress, managing budgets and analysing workloads.  As a planning tool, it aids project managers to keep track of projects and to remain organised.

Why Choose Microsoft Project?

With over 20 million users, Microsoft Project is a globally recognised project management software that is capable of handling multiple projects simultaneously. It can be utilised within any organisation or industry and gives the capacity to work under financial, resource and time constraints. The use of such software is a tool to boost your CV and enhance your employment prospects.

What Microsoft Project facilitates is:

• The creation and management of a budget
• The creation of schedules
• The allocation of resources
• The tracking of progress
• The analysis of workload

What project areas this software helps maintain

• Automated scheduling
• Reduction of inefficiency
• Optimisation of tasks (Ability to run what-if scenarios)
• Management of resources
• Ability to create visual data
• Alignment of stakeholders to the project

Microsoft Project: The Course

Competence in this software programme ensures that candidates can enter into any project and be able to execute that project in time and on budget.  So, Microsoft Project is a course worth taking and there are no real prerequisites for it.  Having said that, a knowledge of Windows and/or Microsoft Office would be an advantage.  The course is of two-days duration, at the end of which there is no examination (did I hear you say “greaaaat”?).  You will receive a certificate upon full attendance and completion of the course which you can use to enhance your CV and as I said earlier, it will greatly increase your career opportunities and your employability.

If however you did wish to show you Microsoft Project skills and go on to achieve a full certification, there are a number of options available, such as the Managing Projects with Microsoft Project examination.

As a final aside, NILC have recently launched a series of Microsoft Project videos, which, until the end of 2017 will be included in the price of the class-based Microsoft Project training.  You can see previews of these videos if you click on ‘Online Courses’ link above.  If, once you have seen the previews, you would like to know the value of the combination of these videos with the class-based training, then have a little look at my post entitled ‘NILC Launches Online Training Courses’ for further information.

I think, at least for the present, we have exhausted the subject of project management, although I will keep you updated on any future developments or information that may be of use.  It is now time, however, to start exploring a new topic; that of Cyber Security.