Process: PM Project Planning

This tutorial describes best practices for the project planning process

Project Planning using native ]po[ features

a) Define your project by creating project and sub.projects.

b) Assign resources to your main project

c) Create tasks within you project/sub-project and set task attributes such as 'name', 'start/end date', 'Planned Units', 'Billable Units', etc.

Project Planning and scheduling using 3rd party tools MS Project/OpenProj/GanttProject

Projects planned using Microsoft Project Open (MS Project) or other tools can be imported into ]po[. ]po[ also allows you export projects to MS Project, OpenProj and GanttProject. 
Advantages of this round trip are:

• Project planning using 3rd Party Desktop solutions is usually more user friendly because of teh tools drag/&drop features and other amenities a desktop application can provide best
  
• Project Managers can keep their their tool of choice for Project Management but the organization can benefit at the same time from a central project repository without the need to purchase additional licenses from Microsoft.

Best practice for round trips from and to 3rd party PM Tools:

b) Assign resources to your project ("Add member")

c)  Use the "Download GanttProject/OpenProj" link and export the project

d) Use OpenProj/GanttProject and create additional tasks, dependencies and resource assignments comfortably with the "Drag-and-Drop" features provided by the 3rd party applications

e) Import the structure back to ]project-open[ using the link "Upload Gantt OpenProj File"

Find here more information which versions of MS Project/OpenProj/GanttProject are currently supported by ]po[