At its most basic level, Microsoft Project 2003 is a database. It’s like the digital version of a filing cabinet: you can use it to store, find, and share information. Unlike a filing cabinet, however, Project 2003 has a brain. This means you can also use it to manage, plan, and analyze information.

As you might guess, Project 2003 is aimed towards project management, which is the art of aligning resources and schedules to accomplish all of the tasks.

Let’s say you’re the head writer for the Acme Widget Company. You have to prepare the company’s annual report, which has a big budget, requires co-operation from many departments, and is going to take about six months to plan. You can use Project to manage all the tasks that must be performed to make sure they are assigned, completed, and stay on budget. You can also use Project to generate reports and calendars for others, to show them how great your project is coming along.