Datasheet
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Part I: Setting the Stage for Project
✓ Set the working calendar for your project. You have three default
choices: Standard, Night Shift, and 24 Hours. Base your choice on the
working habits of your organization. For example, if your company uses
resources in three shifts per day — a total of 24 hours of straight work-
ing time — and all those shifts would contribute work to your project,
choose 24 Hours. If you use a day shift and a night shift, choose Night
Shift. If you work a standard 8-hour day, choose Standard. (Most proj-
ects use a standard calendar with a typical 8-hour workday.)
Calendars can get a little confusing. A project calendar that you set in
this dialog box indicates what the usual workday is like in your com-
pany, but you can set up individual calendars for each resource you
create. You can then more easily accommodate both shift workers
and nine-to-fivers in the same schedule. See Chapter 3 for more about
resource calendars.
✓ Assign a priority to your project. Assigning a priority (such as 500
for high priority or 100 for a lower priority) can be especially useful if
you use the same resources across several projects. With your priori-
ties set on all projects, Project tools can then automatically reallocate
resources.
You can also create custom project information fields for your organization in
the Enterprise Custom Fields section of this dialog box. For example, you may
want a field that explains which department in the company is running the
project.
Clicking the Statistics button in this dialog box presents an overview of your
project, as shown in Figure 1-11.
Figure 1-11:
You can
view a sum-
mary of
calculations
about the
project.
Perusing the project schedule
After you choose settings in the Project Information dialog box and then click
the OK button, you’re faced with a blank Project schedule, as shown in Figure
1-12. As a writer, I can tell you that nothing is as daunting — or as inspiring —
as facing a blank page. It’s the canvas on which you create your Project plan.
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