Christmas. A time for family, for sharing, for the colourful glint of flickering lights upon miles of supermarket tinsel, for the warmth of the fireplace whilst all outside is frozen and unforgiving. A time for gathering together to remember the year and years gone by; a time for genial discourse to be fuelled by a vast spread of meat, veg, stuffings, sauces and desserts.

If the responsibility for this midwinter repast rests with you and your kitchen, you need to plan out your work - so much has to be done, all at various points along the way, in order for it all to be ready for the table at the same time. Everything needs to be prepared and cooked for its own length of time, and oven space and pans will need to be apportioned carefully to ensure the feast befits the occasion.

The same principles apply for any major business project. Time, money and resources need to be allocated efficiently and accurately in order to produce the most beneficial result, and for the least wastage. Projects have to be kept on track, they must remain within the boundaries set for them, and keep to the time apportioned. Otherwise, the organisation will run the risk of a serious setback, and potentially, long-term harm. Scope creep can lead to overspending and squandered resources, inefficient usage of those resources can lead to the project being completed in an unsatisfactory manner.

It probably comes as no surprise that Microsoft Office has an application to help with project management (and as no surprise, indeed, that it is called Project). As would be expected, it provides a wide range of tools to help make your project run that much more smoothly:
Gantt charts, for visually allocating to tasks amounts of time within a project schedule;
Budget management tools;
Clear, visual analysis and reporting of progress and issues;
Identification and tracking of problems and concerns, allowing you to follow a chain of factors to find the cause of any delay;
Running possible future scenarios to see the outcome of any change before you make the decision;
Sharing schedules and other information amongst other staff, contractors or stakeholders.

So, yes, there's a lot that you can do with Microsoft Project, it's a powerful and versatile application. But in such a busy environment, have you the time to get to grips with a complicated piece of software, when you're already putting so much into the project you're managing?

Fortunately, Microsoft Project makes it easy. Intuitive and visually clear toolbars and menus make navigation around the tools simple and easily comprehensible for even the most hardened technophobe, while built-in online help can keep you heading in the right direction with the answers and hints you need. To simplify the process further, a myriad of templates can be downloaded and slotted in, allowing you to quickly and easily place your project details around established models.

Project 2007 also comes with Project Guides. These offer an interactive step-by-step planning aide, helping you rapidly to get to grips with project management and are fully customisable, so can fit with whatever project methodology you may need. Each guide leads you through the process of creating, tracking and analysing a project, managing time, resources and budgets, and helping you get to know the range of tools available to make managing your project more effective and efficient.

Sharing of the diagrams and analyses you create couldn't be easier, too. Project's Copy Picture to Office Wizard provides the simplest process to transfer your information to formats that are easy to distribute amongst those who need to know. Tailor-made charts from Excel, appealing and professional documents from Word, engaging and slick presentations from Powerpoint - all can be created easily from Project information, helping you to ensure that all concerned with stay focused on what needs to be addressed.

Microsoft Project offers an easy solution to what can otherwise be a very difficult and troublesome process. It takes little time to get to grips with all the tools offered - and you can pick up all the more, and more quickly, with a short training course - and the benefit to your business, to ensuring that you get the most out of projects that need to be carried through, can make a tremendous difference. Progress is all-important for any organisation; Project has the tools to make it a reality.