In Why to Use Microsoft Office Diagnostics we discussed the benefits and diagnostics options available. Here we are going to discuss how to use the diagnostics.

Before you start the diagnostics:

• Run the diagnostics when you do not need to use your computer
• Make sure you are connected to the Internet
• Close other programmes
• Make sure you have Microsoft Office installation disk in case there are problems and your program will need an access to the disk to repair

If Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Access are still working then to start the Microsoft Office Diagnostics follow the steps:

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Word Options (or Excel Options or PowerPoint Options or Access Options)
2. Click Resources
3. Click the Diagnose button
4. Click Continue, and then click Run Diagnostics.

If InfoPath, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, Project, SharePoint Designer, or Visio are still working then to start the Microsoft Office Diagnostics follow the steps

1. On the Help menu, click Office Diagnostics.
2. Click Continue, and then click Start Diagnostics.

If any of the above programmes has crashed so badly that they not start, you can run Office Diagnostics from the Start menu.

1. In Windows, click the Start button
2. Point to All Programs, then to Microsoft Office and then to Microsoft Office Tools
3. Select Microsoft Office Diagnostics

To check which tests are available read Tips and Tricks: Microsoft Office 2007 – Why Use Microsoft Office Diagnostics?

Want more tips? Click on Microsoft Tips & Tricks

Timing, teams and resources – a project is a complex mix of these aspects in any setting. That’s why it takes the right tools to manage projects effectively. Microsoft Office Project Standard 2007 is a powerful resource for more successful projects. It puts you in control of the workload, the finances and the people. And it’s designed to work seamlessly with other Microsoft programmes. Now it’s been updated, Microsoft Office Project is even more equipped for getting projects done – from the first task to the final outcome.

Advantages for your projects include:

See the impact of change

Now you can see every potential consequence of change – before you make it. Change Highlights automatically points out all the items that move as a result of the most recent change you make.

Add eyecatching highlights 

Make your information stand out even more by changing the background colour of a cell or row with Background Cell Highlighting.

Get right to the source of the issue

Now it takes less time to work out what’s affecting your task dates. Whether it’s schedule date or holiday time, Task Drivers help you understand what’s behind the start date of a task. Any delays and you can track back and work out exactly what’s holding things up!

Look ahead for your project

Ever wished you could see into the future? Well, you almost can with Multiple Level Undo. It allows you to view the implication of every possible change to your project. Just by undoing and redoing changes to views, data, and options.

Stay in control of your money

We all want more control over our finances right now. With the budget field, you can easily assign budgets to projects and programmes. The new “Cost” resource type gives you a strong grip on your cost estimation and tracking. Other advantages include more predefined fields that map to financial fields in project accounting systems!

Create customised charts and diagrams

Get your point across with impact. With the Visual Reports feature you can create customised PivotTable views, charts, graphs, and diagrams based on Project information. This smart feature uses Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft Office Visio Professional to produce powerful visual information. You can also create your own customised report templates and share these with other Project users.

That’s a lot of advantages for better business or personal project management! And now you know the difference Microsoft Office Project Standard 2007 can make, why not boost the power of your projects with a short Microsoft Project 2007 training course?

We all know success in business can depend on completing projects on time and on budget. But how can you power up your projects using just one IT resource?

As a seriously powerful piece of software, Microsoft Project can be a little daunting for the first time user. But don’t let that put you off. A short Microsoft Project course  will give you the knowledge you need to manage all kinds of projects much more effectively.

It can be tempting to get launched into a new project without taking a good look at all the individual jobs it involves. It can also be far too easy to set down unrealistic timescales. So, before you begin – pause, take a deep breath and start planning.

Let’s go back to basics and talk about defining your tasks. Every project, from developing a new publication to moving offices, breaks down into individual tasks assigned to individual people. Do this clearly and you’ll ensure Microsoft Project works well for the lifetime of your project. Avoid the issue and you’ll find it difficult to stay in control.

Your new best friend – Work Breakdown Structure

If you’re new to project management, the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) might look like just a handy project outline. But it’s actually a great deal more than that.

Wikipedia defines the WBS as “a tree-like structure that permits summing of subordinate costs for tasks, materials, etc., into their successively higher level “parent” tasks, materials, etc. For each element of the work breakdown structure, a description of the task to be performed is generated.”

WBS actually helps you to break down your project into manageable chunks. So you can think in hours – not weeks.

A common mistake for new project planners is set tasks that are much too broad, like “Write content – 3 months”. A vague and oversized goal like that is not likely to get done on time. Plus, with no thought given to the individual steps behind the task, it’s very likely that several steps will be forgotten. This is where WBS makes all the difference.

Large, generalised tasks are difficult to track. When the write content task runs late, the manager will likely have no idea what the problem is, what can be done to speed things up, or when the real finish date is going to be.

The alternative? With WBS you can break down each task into small steps measured in hours – no more than 16 hours or two business days each. This will get you thinking about what’s really involved in that particular project. Then you’ll create a much more realistic estimate of how long the project will really take.

For project managers, WBS is a vital tool for making sure that the project plan contains all the tasks that need to be done and ONLY the tasks that need to be done. Think of your WBS as your map and chapter-by-chapter guidebook to getting your project done on target and on budget!

The skills to stay ahead

You’ll see by now that MS Project is an invaluable resource for business and one worth getting to know and understand over time.

A great start to learning how it can help you is by taking a short course. With the right techniques and knowledge, you’ll power up all your projects!

You can find out more about  Microsoft Project courses here.

Despite the bank holiday weekend and many people being away on holiday, our first seminar – Microsoft Project 2007 – What Can it Do for You, which we held last Tuesday went very well.

After a networking session over the buffet lunch we had a presentation followed by a questions and answers session.

We received some very positive feedback:

‘Good quality of information and Good overview of software.’

Janet Lang

‘The Microsoft Project course was very useful. For a professional who needs the manage one or multiple projects, this software improves organisation and communication.’

Fernanda Rizzo

‘Really helped me to get my head into project management and line management. 10 out of 10 for presentation.’

Lesley Brown

We also had requests to continue seminars and offer other topics. The first in the list to continue is Microsoft Access.

Like many things in life, a project can seem straightforward from the start – and very quickly become a lot more complicated. Even a relatively small project demands careful planning. You’re working to coordinate resources, people and tasks – all to meet specific timescales. No wonder so many projects end up being completed late – and with an excess of stress!

But believe it or not, with the right software and training, pain-free projects are possible. MS Project is the secret to successful project management – from allowing you to see at a glance exactly how a project is going, to helping you to manage every single part of the process. Having the right MS Project training can prepare you to manage all kinds of projects effectively.

Know What Comes Next

Projects are often made up of lots of little tasks. Some flow from one to another and others end up being rather more difficult to plan ahead for! An MS Project training course will show you how to establish project dependencies. Put simply, this means you will be able to see what order tasks should happen in. By applying your MS Office training to your project you’ll be able to spot potential problems and issues as you go along. And you’ll be able to share this information easily with others.

Your Project at a Glance

Need to know at a glance exactly how your project is progressing? MS Project allows you to do just that. Its Gantt charts feature shows you visually how your whole project is going. With just one visual overview you’ll be able to see which activities are moving along nicely – and which are behind schedule. Gantt charts give you an all-in-one perspective, making it easy to recognise potential problems or delays before they start to slow your project down.

MS Project also allows you to respond to the unexpected. And let’s face it, what project ever went exactly to plan? It’s simple to adapt MS Office in response to budget changes, additional tasks or to a specific issue you’ve spotted in your Gannt chart. Seen a possible problem? Just reshape your project plan with simple steps learned on an MS Project training course.

MS Project is so versatile you can apply it to all kinds of projects. Whatever your goal, you’ll find it much easier to achieve with the right tools and training