If you use Microsoft Excel, you can export your plan from Project KickStart to Excel in a click of a button. Your project appears in an Excel worksheet in a .xls file. You can add task details, perform calculations, and share your project data with other Excel users.

To export to Microsoft Excel:

1. In the Schedule step, click the Export to list arrow below the Gantt chart, click Microsoft Excel, and then click the Go button. You can also click File on the menu bar, point to Export to, and then click Microsoft Excel.

Your tasks, days, start and finish dates, % done, costs, assignments, and notes (excluding attachments) appear in an  Excel worksheet in an .xls format.

2. When you're done, select File/Save As to save the Excel file under a new name. For convenience, you might want to save it under the same name as your Project KickStart project name.

To manually import Gantt chart images into Microsoft Excel:

1. In Excel, click Sheet2 and select Tools/Options on the menu bar and unclick the box for Gridlines.
2. Then, select Insert on the menu bar, point to Picture, click From File, and then browse to the folder containing the Gantt chart images you saved. By default, this is  c:\My Documents\Project KickStart Projects\PKSGanttImages in a folder named for your project.
3. Select one Gantt chart image at a time to bring it in.
4. You can manipulate the size of the image in Excel.

Benefits of using Project KickStart and Excel

Project KickStart is very good at scoping out a schedule, but there are a few reasons why you might want to use both programs.

• Data sharing: A Project KickStart user might want to share the information with other Excel users who don't have Project KickStart. They could change, enhance or redistribute their portions of the schedule.
• Add more task details: Excel users can add new columns of task data that can't be added in Project KickStart.
• Sort task lists: For example, you could show your project's tasks sorted by each resource's name, then see each resource's tasks sorted by the task's start date.
• Filter tasks: Excel can show tasks that meet certain criteria. For instance, show tasks with the word "testing" in the task name.

See Also

  Save Gantt Chart Images