Review
In our first blog post article, we taught you how to access Project for the web, how to create a new project, how to define a new project, and how to complete the task planning process. In this blog post article, we will teach you how to create your project team, assign team members to tasks, manually enter task progress, and how to use and customize the views available in Project for the web.
Creating Your Project Team
Your project team consists of the people who will perform work in the tasks in your project. Your project team may include the same people on every small, simple project you manage, or you may have a project team consisting of different people on every project. To create your project team using Project for the web, click the Group members button in the upper right corner of the page, such as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Click the Group members button
Project for the web displays the Group dialog, such as the one shown in Figure 2. The dialog includes two tabs: the Create group tab and the Add to a group tab. By default, the software selects the Create group tab initially.
Figure 2: Group dialog
The Create group tab allows you to create a new group (aka your project team). The new group can either be associated specifically with your project, or it can be a group that you can reuse with other projects you manage. The Add to a group tab allows you to use an existing group as the project team for your project.
Creating a New Group Specific to Your Project
By default, Project for the web selects the Create group tab in the Group dialog and sets the name of the project as the name of the new group. To add team members to the new group, begin typing the name of the first team member in the Enter a name to add a member field. The system searches through the list of Project for the web users and then displays a pick list of names that match the text you typed. For example, notice in Figure 3 that we began typing the name, Aaron, and the dialog displays a pick list with the name, Aaron Painter, on the list. Select the name of the first team member in the pick list of names.
Figure 3: Type a name and select a team member
Continue typing the names of team members in the Enter a name to add a member field and selecting the team member names in the pick list. After assembling your project team, click the Create button to create the new group associated specifically with your project. Notice in Figure 4 that we are ready to create a new group associated with my project with five team members in the group.
Figure 4: Create the new group
When you click the Create button, Project for the web creates a new Office 365 group. The new group automatically includes you, along with the team members you selected in the Group dialog. In the upper right corner of the project, Project for the web changes the Group members button to an X Group members button, where X shows the current number of team members in the group, such as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5: New group associated with my project
To add a new team member to the group after creating the group, click the X Group members button to display the Group dialog again. In the Group dialog, you can add new team members using the steps documented previously.
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Figure 6: Access Outlook Web App
Creating a New Group to Reuse with Other Projects
If you want to create a group that has a different name than the name of the project, such as for a group that you can reuse with other projects, then click the ⌄ button to the right of the group name in the Group dialog, such as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7: Click the ⌄ button
Project for the web expands the Group dialog to reveal additional fields, such as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8: Expanded Group dialog
In the Group Name field, delete the name of the project and enter the new name of the group. For example, a project manager named Mickey Cobb might name her reusable group something like Mickey Cobb Project Team. In the Description field, enter a brief description of the group. Click the Privacy pick list and select either the Private or the Public item. If you select the Private item, the group remains private to you only. If you select the Public item, everyone in your organization can see and use your group. Figure 9 shows the setup of the Group dialog for the new, reusable group.
Figure 9: Setup of the Group dialog for the reusable group
To add team members to the new group, begin typing the name of the first team member in the Enter a name to add a member field. The system searches through the list of Project for the web users and then displays a pick list of names that match the text you typed. Select the name of the first team member from the pick list, such as shown previously in Figure 3.
Continue typing the names of team members in the Enter a name to add a member field and selecting the team member name in the pick list. After assembling your project team, click the Create button to create the new group.
Adding an Existing Group
To add an existing group of project team members to your project, such as a reusable group you created previously, click the Add to a group tab in the Group dialog, and then click the Select group button. Project for the web displays a list of Private and Public groups to which you have access, such as shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10: Available groups
In the list of available groups, click the name of the group of team members you want to use in your project. In the Group dialog, click the Add button, such as shown in Figure 11. Project for the web adds the group of team members to your project.
Figure 11: Add the existing group to the project
Assigning Team Members to Tasks
By default, the current configuration of Project for the web only allows you to assign team members to work full-time on tasks. This means that when you assign a team member to a task with a 5-day duration, the software automatically calculates 40 hours of work for the team member. The software does not currently allow you to assign team members to work part-time on a task, such as assigning a team member to work 10 hours over a 5-day duration. However, this behavior could change in future updates that Microsoft applies to Project for the web.
Customizing the Layout of the Grid View
Before you begin assigning your team members to tasks, we recommend you change the layout of the columns displayed in the Grid view of your project. Because it is very easy to hide, add, and move columns in Project for the web, we recommend you include the following columns in this order:
The Effort column, by the way, displays the amount of work assigned to the team member on the task, measured by default in hours. Project for the web automatically calculates the Effort value, based on the number of team members you assign to the task, and the Duration value for the task.
To hide a column you do not want to display in the Grid view, click anywhere in the column header of the column you want to hide, and then click the Hide Column item on the menu. For example, notice in Figure 12 that I am hiding the Depends on column.
Figure 12: Hide a column
To insert a column in the Grid view, click the + Add Column button and select the column you want to display from the menu of available columns. Notice in Figure 13 that we are adding the Effort column.
Figure 13: Add the Effort column
Figure 14 displays the custom layout of the columns in the Grid view. The columns in this custom layout will assist you with the process of assigning your team members to tasks in your project. We believe it is important for you to display the Start and Finish columns when assigning team members, just in the case the team member you want to assign to a task depends on the schedule of the task. For example, if the task is scheduled in February, we want to assign Calvin Baker; however, if the task is scheduled in March, we want to assign Cindy McNair instead.
Figure 14: Customized layout of the Grid view
Assigning Team Members to Tasks
Project for the web allows you to assign one or more team members to each non-summary task in your project schedule. The software will not allow you to assign any team members to a summary task, and even warns you with a tooltip in its Assigned to field if you attempt to do so.
To assign team members to a task, float your mouse pointer over the Assigned to cell for the task to which you want to assign team members, and then click the Assign task to resource icon in the cell. The software displays a pick list of your project team members, such as shown in Figure 15.
In the pick list of team members, individually click the names of the team members you want to assign to the task. For example, if we want to assign Molly Dempsey to the selected task, such as shown in Figure 15, all we need to do is to click her name. To complete the assignment process for a task, click anywhere outside of the pick list to hide the pick list. Continue assigning team members to each non-summary task until you have assigned at least one team member to every task.
Figure 15: Assigning team members to a task
To remove an assigned team member from a task, float your mouse pointer over the Assigned to cell for the task and then click the Assign task to resource icon in the cell. In the pick list of your project team members, click the X button to the right of the team member you want to remove from the task, such as shown in Figure 16. Click anywhere outside of the pick list to hide the pick list.
Figure 16: Remove an assigned team member
When you assign a single team member to a task, Project for the web displays the photo of the team member (if available) along with the name of the team member in the Assigned to field for the task. If you assign multiple team members to a task, the software displays only the photos of the assigned team members in the Assigned to field for the task. If you see only photos of the assigned team members on a task, you can float your mouse pointer over the photos and Project for the web will display the names of the team members in a tooltip.
When you assign team members to a task in your project schedule, Project for the web calculates the amount of work for the task, measured in hours, and displays this value in the Effort column. The work calculation is based on a standard 8-hour work day. The software also calculates the total Effort values for every summary task as well. Notice the Effort values for each task and summary task, as shown in Figure 17.
Figure 17: Effort calculated for each task
Manually Entering Task Progress
Project for the web does not offer any type of timesheet system that allows your team members to report task progress to you. Because of this, you must manually enter task progress in your project schedule.
Customizing the Layout of the Grid View
To optimize the process of entering task progress in your project schedule, we recommend that you change the layout of the columns displayed in the Grid view of your project. Because it is very easy to hide, add, and move columns in Project for the web, we recommend you include the following columns in this order:
For the purpose of brevity, we will not repeat the steps needed to hide a column, insert a column, or move a column. Refer back to Part 1 of this blog post series to refresh your memory, if needed. Figure 18 shows my project schedule, with the Grid view customized and ready for me to begin entering task progress.
Figure 18: Ready to begin entering task progress
Manually Entering Task Progress
When you meet with your team members to discuss the project status, they will need to report their task progress to you about the tasks on which they worked recently, such as during the previous week. We recommend you ask the following questions of the team members assigned to tasks on which they should have worked recently:
Asking your team members for the dates they actually started and finished their tasks will give you a better idea about the current Finish date for the project. For example, if a task was scheduled to start on a Monday, but the team member did not actually start until Wednesday, this could likely make the project Finish date slip by 2 days.
If this is method proves too demanding for you and your team, there is a simpler method for entering task progress. Instead, ask the following question of team members assigned to a recent task: “Did you finish the task last week?”
Figure 19: Click the Mark task as complete button
When you click the Mark task as complete button for a task, Project for the web does the following in response:
Figure 20 shows a completed task in my project schedule. By the way, notice that Project for the web calculated a % Complete value of 50% for the Pre-Shipping Activities summary task as well.
Figure 20: Completed task
Using Views in Project for the Web
In Project for the web, a “view” can be described as “a way of looking at your project data.” The software offers your three views in which to see your project data: the Grid, Board, and Timeline views. You can see links for these three views displayed at the top of your project page, such as shown in Figure 21.
Figure 21: Views in Project for the web
Using the Grid View
By default, Project for the web applies the Grid view in each new project you create, and applies the Grid view each time you reopen an existing project. The Grid view is a “spreadsheet” view, similar to Microsoft Excel, that displays task data in a grid of rows and columns. As documented previously, you can move rows using “drag and drop” or “cut and paste”, and you can also insert columns, hide columns, and move columns into a different display order. You can use the Grid view to plan and manage your project from start to finish, if desired.
Using the Board View
Click the Board link to apply the Board view to your project, such as shown in Figure 22.
Figure 22: Board view of a project
The Board view displays each task in your project as a “card”, and you can organize the cards into “buckets”, where each bucket includes one or more cards. You can create your own buckets to give meaningful and logical organization to the task cards. For example, if we wanted to organize the task cards by where the work takes place, we could create two buckets named Warehouse Activities and Store Activities, and drag the cards into the appropriate bucket.
When you create a new project, Project for the web initially creates only one bucket named Bucket 1. If you want to use the Board view with buckets, click anywhere in the Bucket 1 field to place it into editing mode, such as shown in Figure 23. Delete the existing text in the field, enter the new name for the first bucket, and then press the Enter key on your computer keyboard.
Figure 23: Rename Bucket 1
To add additional buckets, click the Add bucket button. In the blank field, enter the name of the new bucket, and the press the Enter key on your computer keyboard. Figure 24 shows the Board view of my project after creating two buckets named Warehouse Activities and Store Activities.
Figure 24: Two new buckets created
After creating your buckets, you will need to “drag and drop” each task card into the appropriate bucket. By the way, Project for the web displays the task cards in Descending order, from the task with the latest Finish date to the task with the earliest Finish date. If you float your mouse pointer over any visible task card, the system reveals a hidden scroll bar, such as shown in Figure 25.
Figure 25: Hidden scroll bar revealed
Use the scroll bar to scroll to the first task card that you want to “drag and drop” into another bucket. Place your mouse pointer over the card you want to move, click and hold the mouse button to “grab” the card, drag it to its new location, and release the mouse button to “drop” it into place. Figure 26 shows the Board view of my project after moving task cards into their appropriate buckets. Please notice that I also dragged the task cards into Ascending order by their Finish date, with the earliest tasks appearing at the top of each bucket.
Figure 26: Cards in their correct buckets
If you click the name of the task in any card, Project for the web displays the Details dialog for the task, such as shown in Figure 27. In this dialog, you can see all of the relevant information about the task, and you can even enter task progress in this dialog, if desirable. Click the Close dialog button (the X button) in the upper right corner to close the dialog and return to the Board view.
Figure 27: Details dialog for a task
If you want to use a simple method of entering task progress with the Board view, you can mark tasks as completed simply by clicking the Mark task as complete button to the left of the task name in the card. When you click the Mark task as complete button in the Board view, Project for the web does the following:
Figure 28 shows the Completed section at the bottom of the Warehouse Activities bucket. Notice that there are currently two cards in this section, indicating two completed tasks in the project.
Figure 28: Completed section of the Warehouse Activities bucket
Project for the web offers you grouping in the Board view, a feature not available in the other two views. In the upper right corner of the page, click the Group by pick list button, such as shown in Figure 29. The pick list offers you three grouping options: Bucket, Progress, and Finish date. By default, Project for the web applies the Group by Bucket grouping option to each new project initially.
Figure 29: Group by grouping options
Click the Group by pick list and select the Progress item to apply the Group by Progress grouping option. Project for the web organizes the task cards into three buckets: Not started, In progress, and Completed, such as shown in Figure 30. You cannot customize the names of these buckets, nor can you add additional buckets. Instead, Project for the web automatically places each task card into the appropriate bucket using the following rules, based on the task progress you have entered so far for the task:
Figure 30: Group by Progress grouping option
Click the Group by pick list and select the Progress item to apply the Group by Progress grouping option. Project for the web automatically creates buckets and places each task card into its appropriate bucket, based on the Finish date of each task compared to the current date, along with the current % Complete value for the task. Though not shown with a screen capture in this blog post article, the Group by Progress grouping option will create some or all of the following buckets, as needed:
Project for the web also places task cards for completed tasks in a Completed section at the bottom of the Late bucket.
Using the Timeline View
Click the Timeline link to apply the Timeline view to your project, such as shown in Figure 31. The Timeline view includes the task list on the left side of the view, along with the team members assigned to teach task. The right side of the Timeline view displays a timeline of the project with a bar representing the schedule of each task. Dark blue bars indicate completed tasks, while light blue bars indicate unstarted tasks. Bars with both dark blue and light blue colors indicate in-progress tasks.
Figure 31: Timeline view of a project
When you float your mouse pointer over the bar for any task in the Timeline view, Project for the web displays a tooltip that reveals the schedule of the task. The tooltip shows the Start date at the left end, the Finish date at the right end, and the Duration of the task in the middle of the tooltip. For example, notice in the task tooltip shown in Figure 32 that the Start date of the task is August 17, the Duration of the task is 10 days, and the Finish date of the task is August 28.
Figure 32: Tooltip displays the task schedule
By default, Project for the web displays the Timeline view at the daily level. Depending on the time span of your project, you may want to zoom the Timeline view to monthly level so that you can see the bars for every task in your project schedule. To zoom the timeline, click the hold the Zoom slider button and drag it to the left end of the slider, such as shown in Figure 33. Project for the web zooms the Timeline view to the monthly level. By the way, if you drag the Zoom slider button at the halfway point in the slider, Project for the web zooms the Timeline view to the two-week level.
Figure 33: Timeline view zoomed to monthly level
Conclusion
In this two-part blog post series, we taught you every aspect of using Project for the web. At this point, you are now ready to use Project for the web to manage small, simple projects and to succeed in the process!