MS Project Assessment

Unit VII AssignmentMS Project 2010 ExerciseComplete Exercise A-3: Software Training Program, 1-3 on pages A.74- A.76 of the textbook. Use the suggested task list as a guide, and use your own judgment for entering task durations. Submit one or more screen shots of your MS Project 2010 file including tasks, durations, predecessor tasks, and completed resource sheet with costs for grading as one Word document.

A.74

Appendix A

d.

e.
f.

g.

h.

i.

Develop a template for the customer to review (background color for all pages,
position of navigation buttons, layout of text and images, typography, including

basic text font and display type, and so on).
Create a site map or hierarchy chart showing the flow of Web pages.
Digitize the photographs and find other images for the Web pages; digitize hard-

copy text.
Create the individual Web pages for the site.

Test the pages and the site.
Implement the Web site on the customer’s Web server.

j. Get customer feedback.
k. Incorporate changes.
\. Create training materials for the customer on how to update the Web pages.

m. Train the customer’s staff on updating the Web pages.

2. Project Time Management
a. Enter realistic durations for each task, and then link the tasks as appropriate.

Be sure that all tasks are linked (in some fashion) to the start and end of the proj-
ect. Assume that you have four months to complete the entire project. Hint: Use

the Project Tracking Database as an example.
b. Print the Gantt Chart view and Network Diagram view for the project.
c. Print the Schedule table to see key dates and slack times for each task.

3. Project Cost Management
a. Assume that you have three people working on the project and each of them

would charge $20 per hour. Enter this information in the Resource Sheet.
b. Estimate that each person will spend an average of about five hours per week

for the four-month period. Assign resources to the tasks, and try to make the final

cost in line with this estimate.
c. Print the budget report for your project.

4. Project Human Resource Management
a. Assume that one project team member will be unavailable (due to vacation) for

two weeks in the middle of the project. Make adjustments to accommodate this
vacation so that the schedule does not slip and the costs do not change. Docu-

ment the changes from the original plan and the new plan.
b. Use the Resource Usage view to see each person’s work each month. Print a

copy of the Resource Usage view.
5. Project Communications Management

a. Adjust the timescale on your Gantt chart to enable the chart to fit on one page.
Then paste a copy of the Gantt chart in PowerPoint. You can use your Print
Screen button to copy the image and paste it into PowerPoint. Also add key
milestones to the Timeline and copy it into a second PowerPoint slide. Copy and

print out both slides in PowerPoint on the page.
b. Print a ‘To-do List” report for each team member.
c. Create a “Who Does What Report” and print it out.

Exercise A-3: Software Training Program
ABC Company has 50,000 employees and wants to increase employee productivity by setting

up an internal software applications training program. The training program will teach

employees how to use Microsoft software programs such as Vista, Word 2010, Excel 201 o,
powerPoint 2010, Access 2010, and Project 2010. Courses will be offered in the evenings and
on Saturdays and taught by qualified volunteer employees. Instructors will be paid $40 per
hour. In the past, employees were sent to courses offered by local vendors during company
time. In contrast, this internal training program should save the company money on training
as well as make people more productive. The Human Resources department will manage the
program, and any employee can take the courses. Employees will receive a certificate for com-
pleting courses, and a copy will be put in their personnel files. The company is not sure which
vendor’s off-the-shelf training materials to use. The company needs to set up a training class-
room, survey employees on desired courses, find qualified volunteer instructors, and start offer-
ing courses. The company wants to offer the first courses within six months. One person
from Human Resources is assigned full time to manage this project, and top management has

pledged its support.

1. Project Scope Management
Create a WBS for this project and enter the tasks in Project 201 0. Create milestones
and summary tasks. Assume that some of the project management tasks you need
to do are similar to tasks from the Project Tracking Database example. Some of the

tasks specific to this project will be to:
a. Review off-the-shelf training materials from three major vendors and decide

which materials to use.
b. Negotiate a contract with the selected vendor for its materials.
c. Develop communications information about this new training program. Dissemi-

nate the information via department meetings, e-mail, the company’s intranet,

and flyers to all employees.
d. Create a survey to determine the number and type of courses needed and

employees’ preferred times for taking courses.

e. Administer the survey.
f. Solicit qualified volunteers to teach the courses.

g.
h.

Review resumes, interview candidates for teaching the courses, and develop a

list of preferred instructors.
Coordinate with the Facilities department to build two classrooms with 20 per-
sonal computers each, a teacher station, and an overhead projection system

(assume that Facilities will manage this part of the project).

i. Schedule courses.
j. Develop a fair system for signing up for classes.
k. Develop a course evaluation form to assess the usefulness of each course and

the instructor’s teaching ability.

I. Offer classes.
2. Project Time Management

a. Enter realistic durations for each task and then link appropriate tasks. Be sure
that all tasks are linked in some fashion to the start and end of the project. Use
the Project Tracking Database as an example. Assume that you have six months

to complete the entire project.
b. Print the Gantt Chart view and Network Diagram view for the project.
c. Print the Schedule table to see key dates and slack times for each task.

A.75

Guide to Using Microsoft Project 201 0

A.76

Appendix A

3. Project Cost Management
a. Assume that you have four people from various departments available part time

to support the full-time Human Resources person, Terry, on the project. Assume
that Terry’s hourly rate is $40. Two people from the Information Technology

department will each spend up to 25% of their time supporting the project. Their
hourly rate is $50. One person from the Marketing department is available 25%
of the time at $40 per hour, and one person from Corporate is available 30% of
the time at $35 per hour. Enter this information about time and hourly wages into
the Resource Sheet. Assume that the cost to build the two classrooms will be
$100,000, and enter it as a fixed cost.

b. Using your best judgment, assign resources to the tasks.

c. View the Resource Graphs for each person. If anyone is overallocated, make
adjustments.

d. Print the budget report for the project.
4. Project Human Resource Management.

a. Assume that the Marketing person will be unavailable for one week, two months
into the project, and for another week, four months into the project. Make adjust-
ments to accommodate this unavailability so the schedule does not slip and
costs do not change. Document the changes from the original plan and the new
plan.

b. Add to each resource a 5% raise that starts three months into the project. Print
a new budget report.

c. Use the Resource Usage view to see each person’s work each month. Print a
copy.

5. Project Communications Management
a. Adjust the timescale on your Gantt chart to enable the chart to fit on one page.

Then paste a copy of the Gantt chart in PowerPoint. You can use your Print
Screen button to copy the image and paste it into PowerPoint. Also add key
milestones to the Timeline and copy it into a second PowerPoint slide. Copy and
print out both slides in Power Point on one page.

b. Print a “To-do List” report for each team member.
c. Review some of the other reports, and print out one that you think would help

in managing the project.

Exercise A~4: Project Tracking Database
Expand the Project Tracking Database example. Assume that XYZ Company wants to create a
history of project information, and the Project Tracking Database example is the best format for
this type of history. The company wants to track information on 20 past and current projects and
wants the database to be able to handle i 00 projects total. The company wants to track the follow-
ing project information:

Project name
Sponsor name
Sponsor department

o Type of project