Lecture Notes: Microsoft Excel Training for Project Planning &

Scheduling

Introduction to Microsoft Excel and Its Applications

Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet program widely used for a variety of purposes,
including project management. It allows users to organize data, perform complex
calculations, create visual representations of information, and manage project timelines
effectively.

Key Applications in Project Planning & Scheduling:

● Task Management: Excel can help create and track project tasks, timelines, and
dependencies.
● Data Analysis: Excel tools such as formulas, charts, and pivot tables assist in
analyzing project data to measure progress.
● Scheduling: Excel can be used to create Gantt charts and task lists for project
scheduling.

Excel Interface Overview:

● Workbook vs. Worksheet: A workbook is a file containing multiple worksheets (or

tabs). Each worksheet is like a page in the workbook where you can input and
analyze data.
● Tabs and Ribbons: The ribbon at the top contains various tabs (Home, Insert, Page
Layout, etc.) which organize Excel's tools into groups for easy access.
● Cells, Rows, and Columns: Data is entered into individual cells organized into rows
and columns. Each cell can contain text, numbers, or formulas.

Basic Excel Functions and Tools

1. Formulas and Functions:

○ SUM: Adds values from a range of cells.
■ Example: =SUM(A1:A5) adds the values in cells A1 to A5.
○ AVERAGE: Calculates the average of selected cells.
■ Example: =AVERAGE(B1:B10) gives the average of values in B1 to
B10.
○ COUNT: Counts the number of numeric entries in a selected range.
○ MIN/MAX: Finds the minimum or maximum value in a selected range.
2. Practical Use: These functions are crucial in project planning for calculating total
budgets, resource allocations, and task durations.
3. Formatting Techniques:
○ Merging Cells: Useful for creating headers that span multiple columns.
○ Cell Styles and Colors: Color coding tasks or data based on categories or
priority.
 ○ Conditional Formatting: Automatically highlights cells based on set rules
(e.g., highlighting overdue tasks in red).
4. Hands-on Example: Create a simple task list for a project. Include task names, due
dates, assigned personnel, and status updates using basic formatting and functions.

Advanced Excel Functions for Project Planning

1. VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP:

○ These functions allow you to search for specific data in your spreadsheet
and display relevant information.
■ Example: Use VLOOKUP to pull task details based on a task ID.
2. Application in Projects: Useful for referencing data across different sheets,
especially when tracking large projects with multiple components.
3. Pivot Tables:
○ Pivot tables are a powerful tool for summarizing data from large datasets.
○ You can organize your data into categories (e.g., project phase, assigned
team, completion status) and quickly generate reports that update as new
data is added.
4. Hands-on Exercise: Create a pivot table to summarize project tasks by status (e.g.,
In Progress, Completed, Not Started).
5. Creating Gantt Charts:
○ Gantt charts visually represent project timelines and milestones.
○ In Excel, you can create a Gantt chart by formatting a bar chart.
■ Steps: List tasks in a column, add start and end dates, and represent
task duration as bars on a timeline.
6. Hands-on Exercise: Build a Gantt chart showing the timeline for a simple project
with 5 tasks.
7. Data Validation:
○ Data validation helps ensure consistency in data entry. For instance, you can
restrict data entry to certain ranges or formats (e.g., dates, numbers).
○ Example: Ensure that task start dates are not after their due dates.

Data Analysis and Reporting

1. Charts and Graphs:

○ Charts are essential for visually representing project progress, resource
utilization, or cost tracking.
○ Common Chart Types:
■ Bar Chart: Useful for comparing different aspects of project
performance (e.g., task completion).
■ Pie Chart: Represents the distribution of resources or tasks.
2. Practical Example: Create a bar chart to show the number of tasks completed in
each project phase.
3. Working with Large Data Sets:
○ Use filters to narrow down data (e.g., filter by task status or team member).
 ○ Sorting allows you to order data by specific criteria (e.g., task due date, task
priority).
○ Grouping Data: Useful for organizing tasks by phases or departments.
4. Hands-on Exercise: Create a report that summarizes key project metrics (e.g.,
percentage of tasks completed, total project budget) using charts.

Automation and Macros

1. Introduction to Macros:
○ Macros are recorded sets of instructions that automate repetitive tasks.
○ You can record a sequence of actions (e.g., applying formatting or calculating
formulas) and run the macro to perform those actions automatically in the
future.
2. Practical Example: Record a macro to automate task status updates in a project
tracker.
3. Creating and Running a Macro:
○ Navigate to the Developer tab (enable this from the Excel options if it's not
visible).
○ Record a macro that performs a repetitive task (e.g., formatting a project
report) and assign it to a button for easy access.

Q&A and Wrap-Up

● Discussion Points:
○ What Excel features did you find most useful for project management?
○ How can Excel automation (macros) streamline your project tasks?
○ Which Excel functions would you like to explore further?
● Key Takeaways:
○ Excel is a versatile tool for project planning, scheduling, and data analysis.
○ By mastering Excel’s advanced functions, such as pivot tables and macros,
you can significantly improve project management efficiency.
○ Consistent use of Excel in projects helps keep tasks organized and provides a
clear overview of timelines and resources.

Conclusion:
This session has equipped participants with essential skills to use Microsoft Excel in
managing and planning projects. Participants are encouraged to continue practicing these
skills and applying them in real-world scenarios to streamline their project management
processes.

Assignment:
 ● Create a project plan using Excel, including task lists, timelines, and a Gantt chart.
Submit this as part of your project planning portfolio for review.

Slide 1: Title Slide

● Title: Microsoft Excel Training: Project Planning & Scheduling
● Subtitle: Digital Skills Training – Week IV
● Your Name/Instructor Name
● Date

Slide 2: Objectives of Microsoft Excel Training

● By the end of this session, participants will:
○ Understand basic and advanced Excel functions for project planning.
○ Use Excel to create and manage task lists, Gantt charts, and reports.
○ Leverage data analysis tools such as pivot tables to track project progress.
○ Create visualizations (charts/graphs) to present project data.
Slide 3: Introduction to Microsoft Excel
● Microsoft Excel Overview:
○ Spreadsheet program for organizing, calculating, and analyzing data.
○ Commonly used for project management, budgeting, and scheduling.
○ Offers tools for task tracking, reporting, and timeline management.
● Applications in Project Planning:
○ Task management.
○ Data analysis.
○ Scheduling.

Slide 4: Excel Interface Overview

● Excel Basics:
○ Workbook vs. Worksheet.
○ Tabs and Ribbons: Key functions available under different tabs (Home,
Insert, Data, etc.).
○ Cells, Rows, and Columns: Basic data organization.
● Visual Example: Show an image of the Excel interface with callouts to key sections.

Slide 5: Basic Excel Functions for Project Planning

● Key Functions:
○ SUM: Add values.
○ AVERAGE: Calculate average.
○ MIN/MAX: Find the smallest/largest value.
○ COUNT: Count numeric entries.
● Hands-on Example:
○ Create a simple task list with task names, due dates, and completion status.
○ Use SUM to total completed tasks.

Slide 6: Formatting for Project Management

● Key Formatting Techniques:
○ Merging cells.
○ Color coding tasks.
○ Conditional formatting: Highlight overdue tasks.
● Example:
○ Color-code project phases (e.g., Initiation, Execution, Closing).
Slide 7: Advanced Excel Functions for Project Planning
● VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP:
○ Find specific data in large datasets.
○ Example: Search for project details based on task ID.
● Pivot Tables:
○ Summarize project data (e.g., completion status, assigned personnel).
○ Example: Create a pivot table to track tasks by team members.
● Hands-on Exercise:
○ Build a pivot table summarizing task completion status.

Slide 8: Creating Gantt Charts

● What is a Gantt Chart?
○ Visual representation of project timelines.
● How to Create a Gantt Chart in Excel:
○ Enter tasks, start dates, and durations.
○ Format bar charts to represent task progress.
● Hands-on Exercise:
○ Build a Gantt chart for a 5-task project.

Slide 9: Data Validation & Automation

● Data Validation:
○ Prevent data entry errors by restricting input types (e.g., dates, numbers).
○ Example: Restrict task start dates to avoid conflicts.
● Automation with Macros:
○ Automate repetitive tasks.
○ Example: Record a macro to apply consistent formatting to a project report.

Slide 10: Data Analysis & Reporting

● Charts and Graphs:
○ Bar Charts for task comparisons.
○ Pie Charts for resource distribution.
● Hands-on Example:
○ Create a bar chart showing task completion by phase.
● Using Filters and Sorting:
○ Filter tasks by status.
○ Sort tasks by due date.
Slide 11: Q&A and Wrap-Up
● Key Takeaways:
○ Excel provides powerful tools for project management.
○ By using functions like pivot tables, charts, and Gantt charts, you can manage
projects efficiently.
○ Automating repetitive tasks with macros saves time and ensures
consistency.
● Assignment:
○ Create a project plan in Excel including a task list, timeline, and Gantt chart.

Formulas and Functions: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN/MAX

Formatting Techniques: Merging Cells, Adjusting Column Width, Cell Colors

Conditional Formatting: Highlighting Tasks Based on Priority and Deadlines

Hands-on Exercise: Creating and Formatting a Simple Task List

VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP and XLOOKUP (only in Office 365): Searching for Data Across Sheets

Pivot Tables: Summarizing Project Data

Creating Gantt Charts: Visualizing Project Timelines and Milestones

Using Data Validation: Ensuring Consistency in Data Entry

Hands-on Exercise: Building a Gantt Chart for a Sample Project

Data Analysis and Reporting (25 minutes)

Charts and Graphs: Visualizing Project Progress and Data Trends

Working with Large Data Sets: Filters, Sorting, and Grouping Data

Hands-on Exercise: Creating Reports with Charts for Key Stakeholders