Re: is there any class I can take re: ms project?

www.iil.com offers training for MS Project


Dale Howard [MVP] (dot at dot) wrote:
davegb --

The "experts" in the group knew about the autolink feature, but didn't
consider it nearly as important as you do. I teach my students how to
handle the autolink situation WITHOUT changing the Options setting, and
guess what? They get along just fine. I simply think you overestimate the
importance of that one little feature. And I think the Project Summary Task
feature is WAY MORE important that you do. I think we'll need to "agree to
disagree" about this one. Thanks for sharing! :)

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
http://www.projectserverexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"


"davegb" <davegb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1155665685.318404.80850@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wiley wrote:
Interesting debate. You both make good points. However, if I had one
question to ask someone to get a feel for the MSP proficiency, I would
ask
them to explain Task Type and how to use the different types. This is
something that is not well expplained in a lot of books and articles.
Those
without significant hands on experience in manipulating Task Type to
control
Units, Duartion, and Work will have trouble here. As I have frequented
this
forum in the last few months, I see so many users who would not have to
post
questions if they understood what went on behind the scenes when one of
the
Task Types is selected or changed.

I agree that this is also a good indicator, and if I were conducting 1
- 2 hr interviews to hire a Project instructor, it would be one of the
questions I'd ask. But if I were looking for a good instructor to take
a class from, and didn't want to spend a great deal of time with every
candidate, I'd use the autolink question. It's a matter of trying to
find out as quickly as possible if someone has the knowledge to teach
it. I might want to ask other questions to find out if the person is a
good instructor or not, but that's another matter.

I think the reason I'm getting so much heat on this is that I've picked
a question that some of the experts here didn't know the answer to the
first time I posted this idea. I probably should have caveated myself
by saying that you can still be an "expert" and not know this. For what
ever reasons, maybe some people just hadn't stumbled across it, though
it's hard for me to imagine. It was the first major obstacle I found in
applying Project when I was first learning it. I kept finding these
"mystery links" in my schedules. I finally spent an hour and a half
going through menus and combing the manual finding the cause. And I was
stunned when I found it! The idea that the software knows what tasks
should be linked. Absurd!

When I spoke with one of the 5 senior scheduling consultants that MS
hired while they were developing Project for Windows some years ago, he
told me that all of them were agast when they saw what MS had done, and
tried, in vain, to advise against it. But that discussion is part of
the reason why I consider this to be a very important key to
understanding Project. Even Pyron recommends against using this feature
in his books.

My intent is not to insult anyone, but if others are embarrassed by the
fact they failed to discern this issue, I can't help it. My intent is
only to help the OP, and others, to find an instructor who is not a
"button pusher", but someone who can really help their students to
implement Project in the real world. I certainly did not mean to imply
that any of the regular contributors to this NG weren't qualified to
teach Project. If they feel that I have implied that, they need to look
inward, not toward me.

Hope this helps in your world.


"davegb" wrote:


Dale Howard [MVP] (dot at dot) wrote:
davegb --

Oh, and by the way, I do not have a PMP certification. I'm only a
Microsoft
Project MVP. I guess I would not qualify as an instructor under your
conditions and criteria.

Seems like you're taking offense at something I didn't say. I said,
"The tricky part is finding one of those. I suggest you inquire as to
whether or not the instructor has
a PMP or at least has some knowledge of CPM scheduling."

See the "or" following the suggestion of a PMP? If you're going to
argue with my posts, Dale, please read them first.

Oh, and by the way, I don't have a PMP either.

Isn't it more important that an instructor have
years of "hands on" experience with the software, in practical
project
management situations, and not merely know the features of the
software by
learning it out of a book?

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
http://www.projectserverexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"


"davegb" <davegb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1155577108.579932.164580@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

camille wrote:
I live in WA and am trying to fugure out ms project. It looks
like a
great
program, I just think it would be helpful to take a class on it.
Can you help me?

There are a lot of people giving classes in MS Project.
Unfortunately,
only a few of them really understand it. The tricky part is finding
one
of those. I suggest you inquire as to whether or not the instructor
has
a PMP or at least has some knowledge of CPM scheduling. Another
criteria would be to ask the instructor if they know what feature
to
turn off in order for Project to do CPM scheduling properly. If
they
don't know to turn off "Autolink inserted or Moved tasks", they
don't
really understand how Project is supposed to work.

Hope this helps in your world.





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