When one is assigned the role of Project Manager, Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003 can be an invaluable tool. A Project Manager can use this tool to create an entire project plan by incorporating the templates provided and one's knowledge of best practices. One can use Project to match specific tasks to specific team members with the skills to best complete them, automate task updates from team members, design a tracking system to adjust the project plan to keep everyone on track, and generate reports based on this information for distribution to any concerned party. It can even be valuable when working offsite by using Microsoft Office Project Web Access through a Web browser connecting to a Project Server. For those times when one can't be at one's desk, team communication can still be maintained by requesting and receiving task progress and status reports online. One can also monitor those potential project delays and rate them according to level of concern. Finally, one can even monitor and evaluate one's own performance and project status with the scorecard function.
In the role of Resource Manager, one can utilize Microsoft Office Project Web Access to identify qualified team members available for specific tasks within a project and forward this information to the Project Manager for matching and assigning. A Resource Manager can also use Project to monitor other resources available for a project and keep management informed as to resource usage. There is also a workload forecasting function that can be utilized for early identification of any potential need for shifting or adding resources. .
A Team Member, who may be assigned to multiple projects at a given time, can use Microsoft Office Project Web Access to coordinate his/her activities with other team members who may not be able to complete their assigned portion of the project until (s)he is finished with his/her portion.
