Depicting S-Curve in MPP

Project Pro: Leveraging the Resource Graph
The Resource Graph provides some interesting functionality in Microsoft Project, functionality that most users are never aware of. Here’s a couple of ways to modify it to make it easier to use.

This post will show you how to:
1) Modify the Resource Graph to show multiple resources
2) Depict a Cost S-Curve
3) Export your graph to other applications
Visit Catapult Systems blog for full article

Microsoft Project Companion Products - MPP Viewers

Here is an article on MS Project companion products - MPP Viewers available in market
Microsoft Project Companion Products

Highly Developed - MPP Viewer

HD Projette is the cheapest solution when you simply need to view an MPP file. Print functionality is provided once the product is registered.
HD Projette can read files created by Microsoft Project™ 2000 - 2007. The software supports international language packs, and is compatible with Windows Vista™.
To use Projette you will need to have Microsoft's free .NET Runtime 2.0 installed.
You can download the installable at HD Projette

MPP Viewer

eGantt - No desktop installation required, may be insecure as we need to upload the MS Project to their site. Here is url: MPP Viewer

Plan for Windows - MPP Viewer

Plan for Windows
Plan is a project planner which is similar to, and compatible with, Microsoft Project. Plan for Windows is supported on Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista based desktop PCs.
Plan for Windows can be used in various ways:

• As a viewer for Microsoft Project files - it can directly read and write Microsoft Project files (MPP/MPD/MPX can be read, MPD/MPX can be written)*.
• As an inexpensive alternative to Microsoft Project. Plan doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Microsoft Project, but this makes it much easier to use. This makes it a highly cost effective alternative to Microsoft Project.
• As a stand-alone project planning tool - it is a fully functional project estimation tool. It supports creation and editing of project plans, including recalculation of a project schedule.
  Use in conjunction with Pocket Plan on a Pocket PC or Handheld PC. This allows you to access and update your project plans anywhere - at your desktop or in a meeting or anywhere else via your Pocket PC.

Project Viewer Central - MPP Viewer

Project Viewer Central

• With HPV Web/Server installed on a Windows2000/2003 server, users access the application via a website link. HPV Web/Server looks and feels the same as MS Project.
• Users can open their mpp files quickly, viewing project information in their browser.
• HPV Web/Server can also retrieve project data from MS Project ODBC databases or from Share Point/Project Server 2003 website repositories

MPP Viewers

MPP Viewers: Visit the following url for MPP Viewers available in the market.
http://pmstuff.net/MS_Project_Viewers.html

LiveProject - MPP Viewer

LiveProject

LiveProject Free Project Viewer Features

• A free stand-alone viewer for Microsoft Project ® plans (aka. MPP Viewer)
• Support for Microsoft Project 98, 2000, 2003 and 2007 project files (.mpp files)
• Microsoft Project ® not needed to view projects.
• Task views are color-coded to indicate task status at-a-glance.
• Gantt chart includes zoom, timescale and layout options.
• LiveProject shows critical path and deadlines in Gantt charts.
• Almost all MS Project columns are supported, including custom fields.
• Open project file views are restored at next session.
• Changes to project files are automatically detected, and your views are updated accordingly.
• Configurable columns per view.
• Quick-select visible columns for specific data analysis.
• View Bugzilla databases "live."
• Customize Bugzilla filters to show the bugs you need.
• Quick-switch between filters for your bugzilla views.
• Launch Bugzilla attachments directly from mpp viewer

Steelray - MPP Viewer

SteelRay
Features

• Steelray Project Viewer is a software application that lets you open, navigate, print, and export Microsoft Project mpp files and view the information in them without requiring Project.
• Steelray is the right tool for your users who want to view, navigate, print and export project files.Using a Microsoft Project viewer will save your organization a lot of money, and Steelray is the smart choice

Project Reader - MPP Viewer

Project Reader
Features

• Project Reader Professional is the one Viewer for Microsoft Project in the world which is able to open the most popular Microsoft Project format!
• The Professional edition of Our Viewer for Microsoft Project is able to open the projects saved on MPP file format, MPT file format, XML file format, MPD/MDB file format (Access), DBMS SQLServer and DBMS Oracle

Pricing details: visit http://www.projectreader.com/priceseng.htm

Seavus Project Viewer - MPP Viewer

Seavus Project Viewer
Features:

• Displays the views exactly as they appear within Microsoft® Project
• Supports the views, charts and tables available within Microsoft® Project.
• Provides critical information about project tasks, defined milestones, resource allocation, resource usage etc.
• Opens embedded documents in the Notes field
• Allows the user to configure and change the tool bar menu and much more
• Easy to use - requires little to no training
• Seavus Project Viewer is a certified product in Microsoft's Solution Directory

5 Compelling Reasons to upgrade to MS Project 2007: Cost and Budget resources

Refer Sam Huffman Article at ...

Mid Point Scheduling - Start to Finish task type

Often I used to puzzle about the tasks having Start-to-Finish task types, I found a good article on this. Here is the pointer.....
Mid-Point Scheduling

Limitations of CPM (Critical Path Methodology)

Know the Limitations of Critical Path Methodology
Critical Path Methodology (CPM) was developed by DuPont over 50 years ago as an effective method to identify activities with no tolerance for delay. You can use the Gantt Chart Wizard function to display the critical path in Microsoft Project. One significant limitation with the Critical Path Method is that it doesn't account for resource constraints, only task dependencies. Project managers who are dealing with limited resources often find that not all projects can be managed to the critical path schedule. Incorporating the Resource Leveling feature can help a project manager identify resource bottlenecks in addition to the critical path. Using the Leveling Delay column and the critical path helps to pinpoint which resources and tasks are the ones to focus on first when optimizing the schedule.

Use Remaining duration over %complete field

Once an effective planning process is completed and a good baseline is set, the Tracking Gantt View and Tracking Table can be used to collect actual status and provide quality decision-making data for corrective actions. Fields like Actual Start, Actual Duration, and Remaining Duration are far more effective than % Complete. Team members are much more accountable to task updates when asked for remaining duration or work as opposed to % complete. Good project managers will go around and gather actual status from team members prior to any status meetings and then use the team meetings for more important activities such as problem solving, risk management, scope change control, and additional planning.

Crtical task in Program is not same as Critical task in CPM

Q: I have a very important task that my boss thinks is critical to the project outcome, and it is not showing up as red. How can I make it critical?
The fact that your boss believes the task is critical does not mean that it is a Critical task in the schedule, based on Total Slack (TS). A "Program-Critical" task is different from a "CPM-Critical" task. If your workflow logic is correct, then that program-critical task may have slack, and therefore not found on the critical path.
If the boss believes the task to be a program-critical task, find out what the risks are that may cause it to be Program-Critical. Assess a duration relative to that level of risk and add a "Risk Contingency" task, within that logic-flow, that may prove to be greater than or equal to the difference between the task TS and Critical Path (CP) TS. In other words, if the program-critical task has a TS of 5d and the CP TS is 0d then add a risk-contingency task of five or more days. This will cause that logic-path to become red.