Analyzing the Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project

Give your opinion on how easy or difficult MS Project seems to be from a user experience standpoint

From a user experience perspective, my opinion is that it is quite simple to use MS Project. This is largely based on the fact that using MS Project does not necessitate any previous experience with any other software for project management. In addition, the set up and different tabs included in MS Project are very much equivalent to those in Power Point and Excel. It is quite simple to open and start a new project. Subsequent to creating a new project, the layout that is seen by the user, largely appears similar to that of MS Excel. Therefore, this makes it much easier to input the data. In addition, through the use of the timeline within the MS Project, being a user, it is quite simple and easy to have an overview of the project's schedule and the particular stages and markers encompassed in the project. More so, it becomes easier to see how resources necessitated for the completion of the project in a timely manner are apportioned. However, this does not imply that all aspect of this tool are simple and easy to use. There are more complex features within MS Project that might necessitate training such as scheduling and reporting. These are elements that might be quite challenging for any user while using this particular tool. Therefore, in order for the user to fully experience the features and capabilities of the MS Project tool, there will be a great need to have readings or tutorials, otherwise the user will find it largely challenging.

Suggest at least two (2) challenges you foresee in using MS Project in this course

There are a number of challenges that I can foresee facing during this particular course while using Microsoft Project. One of the main challenges that I can perceive is having issues when monitoring the performance of the project against the main plan. For example, in using the MS Project tool, the user is required to select a particular and predetermined number of hours for every working day and also a predetermined number of hours for every week. Therefore, this implies that owing to having a busy schedule and working different hours in different weeks, this can end up causing the user to experience errors while managing the project (Corker, 2013).

Another challenge that I consider eventually experiencing is managing time. For instance, as a result of time constraints in the course of the months, it implies that I would constantly have to alter and change the calendar as well as the time for working. This generates the problem of whether to use the MS Project tool in a manual or automatic manner. One other challenge that I might face in the course is in the case of having group project assignments. It is imperative to note that MS project is a user tool. Therefore, there can be a challenge in communicating through the correct and up-to-date version of the project. For instance, if the group leader shares the MS Project file in use and another member updates it and fails to send it to all, there can be a great deal of miscommunication while discussing aspects of the project. Therefore, this can generate numerous challenges while trying to effectively complete the group tasks or assignments (Corker, 2013).

Describe why it is important to use a tool like MS Project instead of using other tools (e.g., MS Word, MS Excel) to manage and track your schedule