Using Filters to select key data

This quick question comes from Guy Rouleau of Canada:

How can I create a report for summary tasks only?

This question has a quick and simple answer.  Within the Formatting Toolbar of Microsoft Project, there is a drop down list of Filters that can be used to select key data.  One of these Filters is entitled “Summary Tasks”.

Guy’s question echoes many we receive in training courses in that Filters within Microsoft Project are not fully used or understood.  When we take time to explain how filters work, together with their benefits, people wonder how they’ve managed without them before.  Some useful default filters to consider are:

• When planning a project: Critical (just selects tasks on the project’s critical path); Milestones (just Milestone tasks); Tasks with Deadlines (only tasks that have deadline dates); Tasks With Fixed Dates (tasks that have constrained dates applied e.g. ‘Start No Earlier Than’).

• When a project is underway: Completed Tasks (equals 100% complete); Cost Overbudget (Cost > Baseline Cost); In Progress Tasks (tasks that have an Actual Start date but no Actual Finish date); Slipping Tasks (Finish > Baseline Finish).
  
  There are many more filters available for both tasks and resources.  Don’t forget that you can also create your own custom filters (for example against custom fields) using AutoFilter.

Notes for Project Mentor users

See "Reference F1.1 Using global filters" and "Reference F1.2 Creative use of AutoFilter" for a comprehensive explanation about this topic.

Posted by: Andy Jessop