Information technology has revolutionized almost every aspect of business operations, and workers are now expected to demonstrate, at the very least, a basic level of computer literacy. In addition to understanding how to use word processing programs and master internet basics such as email and search, workers can expand their career potential by mastering more advanced computer applications intended for communication, business analysis and project planning.
IHRDC’s new Computer Applications series is being offered as part of the company’s expanding Business Essentials e-Learning library. Focusing on the durable tools in Microsoft’s Office software suite, the ten courses provide a solid foundation for mastering popular applications such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Microsoft Project. Learning how to deploy these tools represents a key step in developing managerial “literacy” in today’s oil and gas industry.
Let’s say you are envisioning a project that requires creating schedules, project plans, resource allocations and milestones. You need a project roadmap, a team dashboard with file sharing and a task management system to track progress and enable team members to communicate and collaborate as the project unfolds. All this becomes possible when you deploy Microsoft Project. The software offers managers a proven way to see a project through the natural lifecycle of planning, tracking and reporting.
The “Microsoft Project Basics” course introduces learners to Microsoft’s project management software, and aspiring project managers are provided with a step-by step tutorial on managing the basic functions required for any project. You learn how to develop schedules, allocate resources, manage budgets, and track team progress. The “Microsoft Project Intermediate” course builds on that knowledge to show how to deploy more advanced features such as variance analysis and tracking multiple projects. In both the Basics and Intermediate courses, the focus is on using the 2019 version of the MS Project software.
Once you’ve got your plan, the next step might be to present the details to your management. PowerPoint is a powerful, easy-to-use presentation graphics software program that allows you to present professional-looking electronic slide shows. You can incorporate a variety of elements into your presentation including graphs, tables, photos, charts, and video clips to help narrate or illustrate your story. With PowerPoint, you can create a presentation from scratch or select a template, add text images, art and videos, select a professional design and then add transitions, animations and cinematic motion. It’s a powerful tool for making your case to an audience whose support you need to succeed.
As part of your presentation you will logically need to use a spreadsheet application – in this case Microsoft Excel – for organizing and managing data relating to your project. It’s a software app for analyzing and visualizing your data, while also serving as the principal tracking tool for all the accounting information impacting your company’s bottom line. You can learn how to use the software by taking the “Excel Basics” course, and then move on to “Excel Advanced Skills” if you want to master data analysis features like style templates, conditional formatting and data manipulation.
Finally, you’ll need to know how to communicate the launch of your project using a word processing program, and “Microsoft Word Basics” can help you master the fundamental tasks such as writing, proofing, finalizing and printing documents. You’ll also likely want to get acquainted with “Google Drive Basics,” which focuses on the internet-based storage service that enable users to create, share, and store files that are accessible from anywhere.
Each of these innovative, self-paced courses is designed to help you master the critical business skills required for success in today’s competitive oil and gas industry. Learn them and you will immediately brighten your career path and add value to your team.
- Microsoft Project Basics
- Microsoft Project Intermediate
- PowerPoint Basics
- PowerPoint for Business
- Visual PowerPoint
- Excel Basics
- Excel Advanced Skills
- Excel Tips & Tricks
- Microsoft Word Basics
- Google Drive Basics