Basics and Tools in MS Excel and MS Project for Project Managers

DIXONTECH introduces the Basics and Tools in MS Excel and MS Project for Project Managers course, designed to equip professionals with the essential skills to plan, track, analyze, and report project performance efficiently. This program focuses on practical applications of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project to enhance decision-making, resource management, and project scheduling. Delegates will learn how to transform project data into insights, manage timelines, and control project deliverables with confidence.

TRAINING TOPICS

• PROJECT DATA ANALYSIS AND DASHBOARDS IN MS EXCEL
• FORMULAS, FUNCTIONS, AND AUTOMATION TOOLS
• PROJECT PLANNING AND SCHEDULING IN MS PROJECT
• RESOURCE ALLOCATION, TRACKING, AND COST MANAGEMENT
• REPORTING, MONITORING, AND PERFORMANCE CONTROL

BY THE END OF THIS TRAINING COURSE, DELEGATES WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Use MS Excel and MS Project effectively to plan, monitor, and control project performance.
• Build and manage professional project schedules.
• Apply Excel functions for project analytics.
• Create dashboards and performance reports.
• Track tasks, resources, and budgets.
• Automate reporting using Excel and Project tools.
• Align project tracking with organizational objectives.

TRAINING IS TAILORED TO

• Professionals and project managers seeking to enhance productivity using Microsoft tools.
• Project Managers and Coordinators.
• Team Leaders and Project Planners.
• Engineers and Business Analysts.
• PMO Specialists and Reporting Officers.
• Operations and Planning Managers.
• Professionals preparing for PMP or CAPM certifications.

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

This training combines guided instruction, real project simulations, and interactive exercises. Delegates work on practical case studies using Excel and MS Project to design schedules, manage resources, and visualize project progress through dynamic dashboards and reports.

DAY 1:

PROJECT DATA ANALYSIS AND DASHBOARDS IN MS EXCEL

• Introduction to Excel for project managers.
• Structuring project data and datasets.
• Using tables, charts, and pivot tables.
• Creating interactive dashboards for progress tracking.
• Conditional formatting and project visuals.
• Case exercise: building a project tracker.

DAY 2:

FORMULAS, FUNCTIONS, AND AUTOMATION TOOLS

• Core Excel functions for project management.
• Logical, lookup, and date/time functions.
• Scenario analysis and what-if tools.
• Using macros and automation features.
• Data validation and error management.
• Exercise: advanced formula-based reporting.

DAY 3:

PROJECT PLANNING AND SCHEDULING IN MS PROJECT

• Introduction to Microsoft Project interface and tools.
• Creating a new project and defining tasks.
• Setting milestones, dependencies, and constraints.
• Building and adjusting Gantt charts.
• Managing task relationships and critical paths.
• Lab: building a project plan from scratch.

DAY 4:

RESOURCE ALLOCATION, TRACKING, AND COST MANAGEMENT

• Assigning resources and workload balancing.
• Managing costs and budgets effectively.
• Tracking task progress and performance indicators.
• Using baselines and variance analysis.
• Integrating Excel with MS Project data.
• Hands-on: resource optimization case study.

DAY 5:

REPORTING, MONITORING, AND PERFORMANCE CONTROL

• Customizing reports and dashboards.
• Exporting and sharing performance data.
• Using Excel for advanced analytics on project status.
• Forecasting completion and financial performance.
• Monitoring key metrics and variance reports.
• Final project: integrated Excel and MS Project dashboard.

FORMATTING NOTES:

• Font: Poppins
• Size: 12
• Headings: Uppercase + Bold
• DAY titles: Bold + separate line
• Main titles: Bold + separate line
• Bullets: Standard, one line each (5–10 words)
• Spacing and alignment: Clean professional layout.