# Introduction

For some, starting a new project plan means typing up task lists in a spreadsheet file, keeping a manila folder full of the names and qualifications of team members, and tacking up calendars on an office wall to track progress and workers’ schedules. Information about a project is often spread over the entire office.

With Microsoft Project, starting a new project plan couldn’t be easier. You simply open a new project file, as easily as opening a new file in a word-processing or spreadsheet program. The big difference is that a single project file in Microsoft Project can hold your task list, resource names, group and individual work calendars, and much more. You can put all the information you need for creating, managing, and tracking your project in one file.

Before you start a new project plan, you first need to define your project (which neither Microsoft Project nor any other project management program can do for you). That requires you to define three key project elements: goals, scope, and assumptions. You can then use Microsoft Project to help you stay focused on your goals, reviewing and revising your assumptions and the scope of the project.

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