PROJECT PLANNING MANAGMENT

Project Planning Managment

Project Planning Managment

Assessment Part A

1. Use Microsoft Project to develop the project schedule

Note: [MS Project file is attached]

2. Critical Path Method

The most widely used scheduling technique is the critical path method (CPM) for scheduling, often referred to as critical path scheduling. This method calculates the minimum completion time for a project along with the possible start and finish times for the project activities. Indeed, many texts and managers regard critical path scheduling as the only usable and practical scheduling procedure. Computer programs and algorithms for critical path scheduling are widely available and can efficiently handle projects with thousands of activities.

With an activity-on-branch network, dummy activities may be introduced for the purposes of providing unique activity designations and maintaining the correct sequence of activities. A dummy activity is assumed to have no time duration and can be graphically represented by a dashed line in a network. Several cases in which dummy activities are useful are illustrated in following figure. In fig (a), the elimination of activity C would mean that both activities B and D would be identified as being between nodes 1 and 3. However, if a dummy activity X is introduced, as shown in part (b) of the figure, the unique designations for activity B (node 1 to 2) and D (node 1 to 3) will be preserved. Furthermore, if the problem in part (a) is changed so that activity E cannot start until both C and D are completed but that F can start after D alone is completed, the order in the new sequence can be indicated by the addition of a dummy activity Y, as shown in part (c). In general, dummy activities may be necessary to meet the requirements of specific computer scheduling algorithms, but it is important to limit the number of such dummy link insertions to the extent possible.

3. a)

Additional Miles stones

i)

Additional Project Milestone Log

Task

Milestone

Completion Date

Task 1

Personal and project calendars

March 2012

Task 2

Description of project scope

May 2012

Task 3

Project risks

June, 2012

Task 4

Lists of activities and resource requirements

August, 2012

ii)

Additional Project Milestone Log

Task

Milestone

Completion Date

Task 1

analyze and document the specifications for the required functionality

June 2012

Task 2

design, implement, test and operate the entire system

August 2012

3. b)

i) latest date when you need to contact is 2/28/2012

ii) latest date when you need to contact is 5/25/2012

4) Memo

To Mr. Brown ,

The expected completion date of the project (M9) is 8/3/2012. The duration of the project is approx. 149 working days. Holidays are excluded. The factors that cause the project to require the estimated length of time includes:

Lack of Clarity in the Scope of the Project

The Scope Statement, once completed, becomes the basis for future project decisions including, in particular, the criteria used to determine if the project (or phase of the project) has been completed successfully. Essentially, this document will form the basis for an agreement between the project team, the project customer and the project sponsor, by identifying ...