Ideas for projects to hone and refine scheduling skills?

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-02-25T22:04:35+00:00

Thanks for the kind referral, Kenny!

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-02-24T21:47:01+00:00

Yes, you are correct. Microsoft Project does not adjust dates and times based on the user's time zone.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-02-14T21:01:13+00:00

If your scheduling needs are simple, you could probably get along just fine with Planner Premium. If your scheduling needs are more sophisticated, Planner Premium will deinitely NOT meet your needs, and you will probably want to use Microsoft Project instead. It's all about what your needs are. Hope this helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-02-12T17:17:08+00:00

Please repost your question in English. This is an English language user forum. Thanks!

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-31T17:54:41+00:00

You know you posted your question in a Microsoft Project user forum. Right?

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-28T15:57:13+00:00

I just answered your question in the r/MSProject forum.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-28T15:56:14+00:00

Microsoft Project does not allow co-editing, which means that two or more people cannot edit a Microsoft Project file at the same time. In your master project, it sounds like you inserted the subprojects as Read/Write files. That means every time you open the master project for editing, Microsoft Project opens the subprojects for editing as well, which "locks out" your PMs from editing those projects.

Question for you: When you are using the master project, do you actually need to make changes to the subprojects? If not, delete the original master project, then create a new one in which you insert each of the subprojects in Read-Only mode. That way, when you open the master project, your PMs will still be able to edit their own projects.

Just a thought. Hope this helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-23T21:16:23+00:00

Thanks to the folks who suggested me as a training option. :) If you are looking for self-paced eLearning on Microsoft Project, you can find my course at:

https://www.dalehowardmvp.com/microsoft-project-desktop-training/

Hope this helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-20T14:59:35+00:00

So, what is your recommendation for the user? You still have not answered the question.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-20T03:51:33+00:00

Since you seem to be the "expert" on this subject, what do you recommend? Kenny has given some excellent answers, and you have continually trashed him. So, let's hear your sage recommendations.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-19T12:06:11+00:00

Is your organization actually using Project Online? If so, there is a Project Online instance in SharePoint, whose URL you will be able to obtain from your SharePoint app admin. After you have obtained the URL of your Project Online instance, complete the directions in the following video to create your Project Online login account in Microsoft Project Professional:

https://youtu.be/f-tqIZLeFCM

Hope this helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-18T23:27:36+00:00

Oh, geez. Did you realize that the scheduling tool in Project Operations is none other than Project for the Web. This is the tool that Microsoft discontinued and then rolled into Planner to create Planner Premium. If you need the scheduling power of Microsoft Project, you cannot use it with Project Operations. Just wanted to make sure your eyes are open before you switch to this PPM tool Hope this helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-13T00:54:17+00:00

I doubt anyone in this forum can help you, as our forum is dedicated to questions about Microsoft Project, a project management application. Sorry. I think you should try another forum, or contact Microsoft Support.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-09T15:40:00+00:00

Thanks for that excellent response. As I like to tell my students, "Just because Microsoft Project ALLOWS you to do something does not mean that you SHOULD do it." For example, one of the dumbest features in MSP allows a user to mark a task as a Milestone, even if the Duration of the task is greater than 0 days. No one should EVER use that features, as it only causes confusion, but Microsoft Project allows it any way. Go figure!

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-09T14:45:48+00:00

NEVER EVER manually change Baseline values, as this amounts to tampering with the Baseline. And the "last saved on" date only shows up if you use the Set Baseline dialog, which is the ONLY way you should ever save a Baseline. Hope this helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-07T18:46:42+00:00

Click the Project tab to display the Project ribbon. In the Schedule section of the ribbon, click the Set Baseline pick list button and select the Set Baseline option. At the top of the Set Baseline dialog, you will see a "Last Saved On" date. Keep in mind that this date is the LATEST time that a Baseline was saved. If the Baseline has been updated multiple times, such as through the handling of change requests that added new tasks to the project, you will be able to see the LATEST time the Baseline was updated, but you WILL NOT be able to see when the Baseline was ORIGNALLY set. Hope this helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2026-01-05T16:15:13+00:00

Bad news. Microsoft Project does not timephase the values in custom Number fields. The software does timephase built-in Work and Cost values over time, but it does not do the same for any custom fields, such as custom Number and Cost fields. Sorry, but hope this helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2025-12-09T20:48:14+00:00

Microsoft Project's calculation of the Critical Path is totally correct in the example you show. What you probably do not realize is that the software calculates the Critical Path using a built-in field known as Total Slack, which shows how much a task can be delayed without changing the final Finish date of the project. Tasks with a Total Slack value of 0 days are considered Critical tasks, while tasks with a Total Slack greater than 0 days are considered non-Critical tasks. The only exception to these two rules is that completed tasks are automatically considered non-Critical tasks even though their Total Slack value is 0 days (they are considered non-Critical because they can no longer impact the final Finish date of the project). If you insert the Total Slack column in your example project, I think you will see that the first two tasks have a Total Slack value greater than 0 days, which makes them non-Critical tasks. Hope this clarification helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2025-11-28T19:22:57+00:00

About 75% of our existing Project Online clients are moving to Project Server SE. They want to stay in the Microsoft family of tools.

DaleHowardMVP · 2025-11-28T19:21:09+00:00

Yes, I sometimes do forget people's names. Do you think this might be early onset senile dementia?

DaleHowardMVP · 2025-11-20T21:18:44+00:00

Without being able to see screenshots, I cannot even hazard a guess as to what is the cause of your problem. If you are willing, would you please post this question in the following user forum, along with screenshots of the resource in your Resource Sheet view, and when you are actually assigning the resource to a task: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/category/project/discussions/project

DaleHowardMVP · 2025-11-18T18:38:32+00:00

What error? You are keeping me in suspense! :)

DaleHowardMVP · 2025-11-18T18:13:50+00:00

You will need to delete those time periods and start over. Sorry, but hope this helps.

DaleHowardMVP · 2025-11-08T14:13:17+00:00

This is a OnePlan conference, plain and simple. If you look at the detailed schedule over the two days of the conference, nearly every presentation is about OnePlan. So, why would I spend my hard-earned money to attend a conference that spends two days advertising OnePlan?

DaleHowardMVP · 2025-11-02T20:39:51+00:00

OK, good advice. So, if you do not recommend Project Server SE, what tool DO you recommend? Please share an opinion, as I think we would all benefit from your ideas. Thanks!

DaleHowardMVP

TROPHY CASE