Microsoft Project is the industry-standard project management software developed by Microsoft for planning, scheduling, resource allocation, and tracking projects of any size. Used across construction, IT, manufacturing, and professional services, it provides powerful tools for critical path analysis, earned value management, and multi-project coordination through desktop, web, and cloud-based versions (Project Desktop, Project for the web, Project Online). The software operates on a core scheduling formula: Work = Duration × Units, where understanding how task types and constraints interact determines whether your schedule reflects reality or wishful thinking. Master the distinction between auto-scheduled and manually-scheduled tasks, and you'll avoid the most common pitfall: fighting the tool instead of leveraging its calculation engine.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers
This topic spans 20 focused tables and 94 indexed concepts. Below is a complete table-by-table outline of this topic, spanning foundational concepts through advanced details.
Table 1: Task Scheduling Modes
| Mode | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
Task set as auto-scheduled; changes to duration update start/finish dates automatically | • Project calculates start and finish dates based on dependencies, calendars, and constraints • most commonly used for schedule-driven projects where the engine enforces logic. |