MS Project has very powerful scheduling functionality, if you set up and use it appropriately.
The triple constraints of project management (Time, Resources, Scope) are represented in MS Project with the following:
- Time: Duration
- Scope: Work (effort)
- Resources: Units
These are the drivers for the magical formula that MS Project uses for its scheduling calculation where
W = D * U
W: Fixed Work (how much effort is required to do a task)
D: Fixed Duration (how much time we have to do the task)
U: Fixed Units (how many people are required for the task)
Always start with what you know (duration or work). Ensure the default task type is set as advised under Setting Basic Options (above).