Microsoft Project is the number one tool to have when it comes to project management. It is the one tool that every project manager should have in their bag of tricks to ensure that their project will run on time and on budget. To be truly able to utilise Microsoft Project effectively and efficiently there are Seven Essential MS Project Shortcut Keys that all project managers should know.

Essential MS Project Shortcut Keys Number 1

The first MS Project shortcut keys you must know is the [Enter] keystroke. You use this shortcut keystroke to accept the data entered into a cell in a task or a resource. For example if you are working in the Gantt Table and entering a new task name, before the task name is accepted you must select the [Enter] key.

Essential MS Project Shortcut Keys Number 2

Sometimes you will find that the value you have just entered into a cell was not correct. If you want to cancel what you have typed into a cell you simply use the MS Project shortcut key [Esc] (the Escape key). The escape key is located in the top left hand corner of your keyboard.

Essential MS Project Shortcut Keys Number 3

To be able to change the cells of a task you must first activate the cell so just like in Microsoft Excel we have a shortcut keystroke that allows you to that, the shortcut is [F2]

Essential MS Project Shortcut Keys Number 4 -

Sometimes you will find that you need to insert a task whilst you are developing a new project plan. To insert a new task using just your shortcut keystrokes, press the [Ins] key. This key may also be shown as the [Insert] Key.

Essential MS Project Shortcut Keys Number 5

There are many pieces of information that you can enter in Microsoft Project simply using the Gantt table but in some situations there are simply some pieces of information that can only be entered into the Task Information dialog box or the Resource Information dialog box. To open the Task Information dialog box or the Resource Information dialog box using the shortcut keystroke [Shift] + [F2]

Essential MS Project Shortcut Keys Number 6

To link tasks in Microsoft Project you must first select the two tasks you want to link and then you can use the shortcut [Ctrl] + [F2]. Sometimes you will also want to unlink a task, simply select the tasks you wish to unlink and then press [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [F2]

Essential MS Project Shortcut Keys Number 7

To use MS Office Project to its full potential you really need to assign resources to tasks. To achieve this you can bring up the Assign Resources dialog box by using the MS Project Shortcut Key [Alt] + [F10]

To finish off this article, I want to list the seven essential MS Project Shortcut Keys you should know together-

1. Accept Data Entered Into A Cell- [Enter]
2. Cancelling Data Entered Into A Cell [Esc]
3. Insert New Task [Ins]
4. Activate the Entry Area [F2]
5. Open the Task Information Dialog Box [Shift] + [F2]
6. Assign Resources [Alt] + [F10]
7. Link Tasks [Ctrl] + [F2] & Unlink Tasks [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [F2]