At the start of the collaboration, the management of Novos Development sought to improve the manageability of their project portfolio, enhance the predictability of timelines and resources, and implement a unified digital system for maintaining project data.
Project Objective
The company approached me to deliver a two‑day corporate training course, “Project Management Using MS Project Professional 2016 and MS Project Online.”
Key goals:
- train employees in modern project management methods;
- implement a technological approach to planning timelines, resources, and costs;
- develop practical skills in using MS Project and MS Project Online;
- teach the team to efficiently monitor project execution progress;
- improve the accuracy of calculations, forecasts, and management reporting;
- implement the use of corporate project tools as a daily operational standard.
Training Format and Content
The training took place in October 2018 in the format of hands‑on practical sessions focused on the company’s real projects.
The program included a set of thematic modules:
1. Developing a Standard Project Structure in MS Project Pro
Participants learned how to:
- create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS);
- properly build a task hierarchy;
- establish logical dependencies between tasks;
- calculate task duration and the critical path.
2. Resource and Cost Planning
This module covered:
- methods for calculating task and resource costs;
- working with labor and material resource rates;
- determining the project budget;
- analyzing possible cost variances.
3. Controlling Actual Progress
Special attention was given to:
- recording actual task progress;
- identifying deviations from the baseline plan;
- adjusting timelines and recalculating the critical path;
- updating baselines and preparing transparent reports.
4. Managing the Corporate Project Portfolio in MS Project Online
Employees were trained in:
- working with the centralized corporate project repository;
- publishing projects and collaborating with team members;
- configuring access rights and supporting team coordination;
- using reporting, analytics, and monitoring dashboards.
The training combined in‑depth study of functionality with practical exercises. The company’s team worked with real project cases, modeled real‑life scenarios, and practiced the skills required for daily operations.
My Role and Contribution
As an invited MS Project expert, I provided:
- analysis of the company’s current project management maturity level;
- adaptation of the training program to the specifics of construction projects;
- development of training materials, practical examples, and demonstrations;
- delivery of live training sessions with detailed analysis of individual participant cases;
- consulting on MS Project Professional and MS Project Online setup;
- recommendations on standardizing project management and implementing methodological approaches.
The main task was not only to explain the tool’s functionality, but to build a deep understanding of how methodology and software together improve project management quality.
Project Results
As a result of the collaboration, Novos Development achieved:
- A systematic approach to planning and control. Employees learned to create accurate, structured project schedules reflecting real construction processes and work stages.
- Improved accuracy of timeline and cost calculations. Using MS Project helped reduce planning errors, strengthen forecasting, and lower schedule‑related risks.
- Effective resource management. The team acquired skills in workload distribution, eliminating overloads, and increasing the efficiency of project teams.
- Project execution transparency. Thanks to regular progress monitoring and MS Project Online analytics, company management began receiving accurate, up‑to‑date information on the status of all projects.
- A unified corporate project management standard. The company introduced a consistent approach to planning and managing projects, which improved predictability, coordination, and execution quality.
- Growth in employee competencies. Training participants developed confident MS Project skills that were integrated into real daily project practices.
