You can use the power of Microsoft Project easily and effectively to schedule and control your projects with the Quick Schedule Guide. This manual is an interactive scheduling guide (in PDF format) that serves as a companion guide to any of our scheduling templates and is an alternate to the Master Scheduling Manual.

Available for download or in a printed version w/ CD Rom complete with a heavy duty binder and tabbed reference sections.

Quick Schedule Guide Features:

  Quickly schedule your projects

  Schedule any project of any size at the level of detail you need

  Use our custom features programmed into the scheduling templates

  Use schedules structured for the construction industry - benefit from our experience!

  Create a foundation for scheduling all of your projects

  Use the power of Microsoft Project

The outline, procedures and information is similar and in coordination with the Master Scheduling Manual but has been streamlined to work specifically with individual scheduling template files that we offer in the Scheduling Templates section. 

Note:
The Master Scheduling Manual has 6 template files and 1 Master Project file that is included with the manual while the Quick Schedule Guide does not come with any templates.  All of the templates that come with the Master Scheduling Manual are available individually in the Scheduling Templates section.

This manual will work with Microsoft Project 2000, 2002 and 2003. It is designed to provide instant learning, reference and reinforcement using our scheduling templates, methods and systems.

This Quick Schedule Guide is 420 pages, although the actual process that takes you through Part 1 Organization, Part 2 Planning, Part 3 Control, and Part 4 Multiple Projects is only 48 pages.  These sections have quick links to the Scheduling Basics, Reference section and our Website for learning, reference and reinforcement. 

You can skip over the links for steps that you are familiar with or link to the reference sections and hit the back button to return where you were.  This manual is not to be read - it is to be used!

You can use this manual with the particular type of template desired (available in the Scheduling Templates section on this site) for each project that you schedule;

  Go to the Scheduling Checklist and follow the links to the section you are working on.  You can print out a copy of the checklist for each project as a reminder of what items are left to be completed.

See Scheduling Checklist

  Follow Part 1 Organization, Part 2 Planning and Part 3 Control sequentially to complete the scheduling process.

  Use Part 4 Multiple Projects to get the most out of combining your projects into one Master file so that you can view, filter and report on information across all of your active projects.

All Scheduling Templates and Files are coded with the same custom filters, views and reports to provide information for individual projects or across all of your projects (see Template Customizations).  We have customized the CSI task coding into terminology that is better suited for communication within the construction industry and have broken down summary items into definable construction terms that need to be reported on individually - schedules need to be presented in a structure and format that all team members can view, understand and relate to!

You will be able to schedule any project of any size, create your own templates, combine projects into a master project and communicate them effectively by any method that suits your need.  Most of all, you will create a system that will promote accountability, communication and enable automation in your business that will lead to greater control and increased profits. 

This manual is not designed or intended to take the place of all of the reference books and resources on how to use Microsoft Project, rather it is a supplement to all of the available resources showing how to use the software in a particular way.  In order to maximize results, the content has been kept concise and particular toward a specific objective - custom scheduling systems that lead to successful projects in the construction industry. 

The whole goal of this manual is to Save Time in learning and scheduling and to give you a system to serve as a basis of scheduling for individual projects as well as a global system of communication and planning across all projects. 

Benefits of using the Quick Schedule Guide:

	Instant learning and reference while you are working with our scheduling templates.
	Use the available templates with our predefined filters, views and reports or just use the task list to save input time.
	Maximize and use the features that are customized and coded into our Scheduling Templates.
	Complete flexibility to customize the templates and systems to your particular needs.
	Use our custom coding from the Construction Specification Institute or create your own.
	Quick reference for scheduling methods and insights on scheduling.
	Create a system to serve as the foundation of all of your scheduling.
	Customize Microsoft Project and use the power of filters and views.
	Share files and save input time with others using the same scheduling structure, i.e. coding, filters and views.
	Learn ways to communicate your project files.
	Subcontractors, individuals or others who are not interested or need all of the schedule task items that come with the templates available with the Master Scheduling Manual.

The Quick Schedule Guide is broken down into the following sections:

	Scheduling Basics This section gives a brief outline and instruction on the basic scheduling methods that will be used with our system.  In Microsoft Project there are many ways of entering information.  For simplicity we use certain methods but you can also use the other methods available in Microsoft Project.  If you are an experienced user, you can skip the basic entering information but you should familiarize yourself with the basic methods that we are using.  If you are new to Microsoft Project you can use this section for entering and viewing information.
	Pre-Construction Scheduling The Pre-Construction process is the most important part of structuring a successful project.  Too little attention is given to this early phase; however this process directly affects the outcome of a project.  The organization and communication at the pre-construction phase is critical to the project’s success.  This section serves as a brief emphasis on the importance of Pre-Construction Scheduling.
	Scheduling Checklist This is an outline of all of the steps required to create your project schedules.  You can print the checklist out and use for a reminder of the steps and information required to complete the scheduling process.  In order to benefit from viewing information across several projects, they need to be structured in the same way.  The checklist provides quick links to the sections referenced.
	Part 1: Organization   The Organization process is the foundation of successful scheduling, communication and reporting.  Each project is particular in its nature and requirements.  This section will guide you in structuring and organizing the layout of your schedules.
	Part 2: Planning This process involves estimating task durations and developing a working copy of your schedule.  The Planning phase requires that you communicate with the project team members to insure that you have accurate information.  Communication is the key to preparing a realistic and successful project schedule.
	Part 3: Control The Control phase is the process of maintaining the project communication, constantly updating and distributing the schedule via email, internet or physically in a manner that is understood and used by other team members.  With good control, you will have the opportunity to foresee conflicts and problems to that you can act instead of react after they happen.
	Part 4: Consolidated Projects Consolidating your active projects into a master project gives you unlimited flexibility to communicate multi project information, view workloads, create reports and make intelligent business planning decisions across all projects.  This section will provide you the tools needed to use and create the necessary views and filters to use and or report to general management.
	Reference: The customizations in this manual and in the scheduling templates are listed and outlined within the reference section at the end of the manual.  You will constantly refer back to these sections for task list coding and details on how each scheduling phase is structured so that you can use, modify or recreate the original template settings.

Scheduling is not just for the scheduler - it is for everyone involved with the project!  It must be presented in an easy to read and understandable format.  Our goal is getting the job done with as little effort as possible. 
 

Take control of your projects!

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