Copyright: This file © Robert Kochem 6/12/2002


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yesyesnononoMinuteMan - Quick Start Instructions31qstartyesyes12/06/02


This will serve as a quick introduction to using MinuteMan Project Management Software. For more details, please refer to the Help File using the Menu for Help and MinuteMan Help.

Table of Contents

1.) Starting the Program

2.) Adding a Linked Task

3.) Adding a Non-Linked Task

4.) Adding and Removing Links

5.) Task Editing

6.) The Gantt Chart or TimeLine

7.) The PERT Chart

8.) Resources, Expenditures, and Cost Tracking

9.) The Work Calendar

10.) Reports


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1.) Starting the Program

When you first start MinuteMan you will see a screen as follows;

The grid serves as an area for entering tasks. You can have multiple tasks in the same row. The “Work Outline” on the left allows you to assign an overall title to the group of tasks in the same row. Typically you will put groups of similar, related, tasks in the same row. There are also provisions for assigning outline numbers to tasks. That will be described later.

By default there is one Task provided called “Start”, in the upper left hand corner of the Task grid. When you position the cursor above a task, a yellow box will appear showing the Description, Start, and End for the task. This will become more useful later when you have a number of tasks entered.

There is a Hint bar running across the bottom of the screen;

As you move the cursor around the screen the Hint bar will provide information about whatever Button or Field it is passing over.


2.) Adding a Linked Task

Position the cursor above the blue box for the task “Start”. Press the left mouse button down and drag to the grid cell to the right. Release the left Mouse Button. A new task will be created, initially called “New”. That part of the screen should now look like this;

The line between the tasks indicates that these tasks are “linked”. That means that if the end of the task “Start” changes, the beginning (and end) of task (New” will move with it. This is very useful in planning out a project where you have inter-related tasks.


3.) Adding a Non-Linked Task

Click the empty grid directly below the “start” Task. Now click the button “Add Task” labeled “+T” near the center-top of the screen. A new task will appear at that location.

Note that the tasks in the first row are Red and the new one is Blue. This is the way the program indicates the sequence of tasks that results in the latest-ending task in the program, called the “Critical Path”. If you click the two new tasks and look at the End Date for each, you’ll see that the task in the first row ends after the task in the second row.

In many projects you will want to arrange you work to minimize the overall end date – studying the Critical Path is a good way to do this.


4.) Adding and Removing Links

Place the cursor directly over the last task in the first row. Press down on the left  mouse button, and drag to the task in the second row. The task in the second row will be moved over and lnked to the second task in the first row. The screen should look like this;

The task in the second row is now linked to the end of the last task in the first row. Note that itsstart and end date  have been moved out. Also note that it is now Red also, since it is now part of the Critical Path.

To remove the link, click/highlight the task in the second row. Then click the button marked Links  [image]  near the top of the grid area. The following menu should appear

Click the row labeled “1.0.2  New” and click Delete and click Done. The link will be removed.

You can also use this menu as another way to add links to tasks.


5.) Task Editing

To delete any task, click the task and click the “-T” button at the top-center of the screen.

To move a task to a new location, position the cursor over the task, and press down the right mouse button, drag to the new location, and release the mouse button.

You can change the Description or Duration of any task by clicking the task to highlight it, and then clicking and editing the field in the box at the top of the screen. When you edit the Duration of a task, its End Date will be changed.  Durations are entered as days (whole or factions are acceptable.) You can also enter in hours by just entering “4.0H” for example. (0.5D will get back to using Days.)

IMPORTANT ; Always use the Enter key on your keyboard after making such an edit, before moving to another task, or the edit may be lost.

To edit the Start or End of a task, Click the one of the 4 Start/End Day/Hour fields. A pop-up calendar or menu will appear to select the date/time as follows

Make a selection, and then click Select.

When you change the Start, the End moves based on the Duration. If you change an End, the Duration is changed to agree with the Start.


6.) The Gantt Chart or TimeLine

On the Toolbar click the button for Timeline [image] or use the menu entry for View and Timeline – Tasks. (You can return to the main entry screen at any time using the toolbar button for Outline View [image] or using the menu entry for View and Outline View.) In Timeline View you will see a screen as follows;

Each task is shown on one row. You can change the Timescale using the ZoomIn and ZoomOut buttons, from as short as one day to as long as 2 years. You can “slide” the timescale right/left using the butons for + or – D(ay), W(eek), M(onth), Q(uarter = 3 months) or Y(ear).

In Timeline View you can edit individual task information but you can’t add or remove tasks.


7.) The PERT Chart

The PERT Chart is a standard way of presenting a map of the tasks in a project and their relationship. Click the button on the Toolbar for PERT Chart [image] or use the menu entry for View and PERT Chart. You can return to the main entry screen at any time using the toolbar button for Outline View [image] or using the menu entry for View and Outline View.

In PERT Chart View you will see a screen as follows;

In Pert Chart View you can edit individual task information and you can add or remove tasks the same way as in the main screen.


8.) Resources, Expenditures, and Cost Tracking

For some projects you may need to add resources (people) to tasks or note that certain expenditures are associated with a task.

You must first create a list of available resources. Use the Toolbar button for Resources  [image]  and the following screen will appear;

Once you have created a list of resources, you can assign them to a task by clicking/highlighting the task and then clicking the Toolbar button for Costs [image] . The following screen will appear;

From this screen you can add one or more of a resource to a task, define expenditures associated with the task, record a “% Complete” for the task, and see the calculated total cost of the task.

For more details on defining resources and assigning costs to a task, please see the full Help file.


9.) The Work Calendar

The program defaults to a 5-day/40-hour  work week.. However, you can easily change this. Click the toolbar button for Calendar [image] or use the menu entry for Options and Overall and Set Calendar and the following will appear;

From this screen you can

- set any day as working or not-working,

- set multiple working shifts per day

- define holidays

- define individual days that have non-standard work schedules (i.e. half-days)

As a common example; to make all Saturdays work days, Click the word “Sat” at the head of the column. The click the box that says “Make Standard Work Day” and the Sat column will be changed to all-white to indcate Saturdays are standard work days.

Please see the full Help file for details


10.) Reports

The Report Generator is accessed via the Menu Entry for Reports and Report Generator. It provides a number of standard or customizable reports. It has the ability to add/remove appropriate fields to certain reports, as well as the ability to filter in/out tasks based on meeting certain criteria such as “done vs. not started”, “on critical path”, etc.