The Project Plan

IT Project ManagementCOSC 3500

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What is a Project?

“A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.”

•Series of Interrelated Tasks to Achieve a Goal.•Requires Resources to Complete.•Within a given timeframe.•Rolling Wave

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What is a Project Plan?

“The project plan is an Active Guide to Project Execution.”

The Project Plan is a tool used to measure, track, control & communicate:

• Scope• Time• Cost• Resources• (Quality)

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Why Create a Project Plan?

“Plan the Work, Work the Plan”

• Clarity• Accountability & Buy-in (Client, Management

& Project Staff)• Transparency - “Window into the project”• Foresight - “Window into the future”• Lessons Learned / Best Practices

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The Project Plan?

• Who is responsible for generating / managing the Plan?– Project Manager, Management, Suppliers, SME’s, Client

• What is included / required in the project Plan?– Inputs: Business Processes – Internal & External,

Resources, Deliverables, Milestones, Deadlines, Costs• Where do you start?– Contract, Proposal, Requirements, Staff Roster, WBS

• When is the project plan developed?– After (in some cases before) the project has been

approved and/or contract has been signed

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Project Processes/Phases

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Project Processes/Phases• Initiating – the project is authorized– Business needs are Identified & Project is defined

• Planning – project objectives are determined as well as how to reach those objectives

• Execution – the project is executed utilizing acquired resources

• Monitoring & Controlling – project performance is monitored and measured

• Closing – the project, it’s phases, and contracts are brought to a formal end.

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Case Study WEMBA Brochure

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Important Terms• Milestone:– A milestone marks the completion of a work package or

phase.– E.g., a high level event such as completion, endorsement

or signing of a deliverable.• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):– The WBS is a deliverable-oriented collection of project

components– Work that isn’t in the WBS isn’t in the project.– The point of the WBS is to organize and define the project

scope.– Decomposition: the process of breaking down

activities/deliverables into more manageable components.

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WBS

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WBS

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Assignment 1• Indicate what Phase of the project each of the

Activities fall under.– Initiating– Planning– Executing– Monitoring & Controlling– Closing

• Identify whether the Activities are:– Stages– Tasks– Milestones– Recurring Activities

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MS Project

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Why use Project Management Software?

• Organize Task Lists• Estimate Timeframes• Budget Tasks & Resources• Overview of all activities to deliver the project

within Cost, Scope & Budget.• Easily Communicate and Track project

progress.

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Terms to Know

• Dependencies• Constraints: any influence on the project that

may limit the options of the project team in performing the project work.

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What is MS Project?

• An application used to assist Project Managers in:– Sequencing Activities– Analyzing Task Dependencies– Attributing Resources to Tasks– Estimating Resource Requirements & Workloads– Tracking & Reporting Project Progress– Managing Budgets

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MS Project Agenda

1. Before Starting2. Basics3. Setting Up the Project4. Entering Tasks5. Resources6. Costs8. Baselines9. Updating & Tracking the Plan10.Reporting

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Before Starting

• Make sure to evaluate the following prior to entering tasks:– Project Documentation: e.g., Contract, Proposal, Brief,

Staff Roster, Budget, Deadlines– Project Management Plan: e.g., Risk, Change,

Communication plans– Deliverables– Requirements– Process Diagrams

• Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):

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Basics 1

• Title Bar• Menu Bar• Entry Bar: mirrors what is entered into the task

pane• Task Pane: input tasks, durations, start/end

dates, predecessors, resources• Gantt Chart• Indicator Column: placeholder for notes &

documents

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Basics 2

• Project Guide Pane & Toolbar: MS Project Wizard step-by-step guide to develop the project plan.– “Tasks”: lists links related to setting up and

planning tasks.– “Resources”: define & build the project team.– “Track”: track project, compare baselines, check

progress of the project– “Report”: develop project reports (budget,

assignments)

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Setting up the Project

• Set Start Date: “Define the Project”• Work Schedule: “Define General Work Times”• Close out Project Guide (learn independence)

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Entering Tasks 1• Tasks:

1. Begin by entering tasks from “Task List” in Project Overview document.

2. Insert, Copy & Move Tasks• Subtasks:

1. Click on “Indent” icon (green arrow on tool bar)• Notice that the Tasks are now BOLD.• Collapse & Expand Tasks to view Task outline

• Durations:– Task Durations can be entered in manually or by using the

up/down arrows.– Note: Try not to Hard-code any dates – If you must, then do

not include dependencies for that task.

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Entering Tasks 2• Notes:– General Comments– Files

• Deadlines:1.Open the “Task Information” window (double click on

the task)2.Click on “Advanced Tab”3.“Constraint Task” field (set the Deadline date)

• Milestones:– Milestones are indicated automatically when the

Duration of the task is set to “0 days”.

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Entering Tasks 3

• Recurring Tasks:1. Select the task which you would like to repeat.2. Then select “Insert” on top tool bar.3. Then select “Recurring Tasks”4. Enter the Task Name and set the parameters.– Note: Use this setting instead of entering the

same task over and over again.

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Entering Tasks 4

• Dependencies:1. Enter Dependencies in “Predecessors” column.• Based on task numbers on far left column.• Tip: MS Project allows you to maintain task related

dependencies after the predecessor has been identifies.

2. Types of Dependencies include:• FS – Finish-Start (Default)• SS – Start-Start• FF – Finish-Finish

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Entering Tasks 5

• Constraints:– ASAP (As Soon As Possible): Default Constraint– ALAP (As Late As Possible: Prevents delaying the

start of successor tasks.

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Resources 1• Select the “Resource Sheet “ Icon on the far left

column to input Resources.• Entering Resources:

1. Enter Resources Names into “Resource Column”2. Enter “Type” of Work

• Work: (Variable) People that spend time on a project (Hourly Rate)

• Material: (Variable) Units of Measure – E.g., Paper, Food for work crew

• Cost: All Fixed Costs– E.g., Print, Transportation

3. Enter Resource Initials (space saver on Gantt Chart)

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Resources 2

• Enter Resource Costs (Rates )• Std. Rate: Standard Rate• Ovt. Rate: Overtime Rate

• Assigning Resources:1. Return to the “Gantt Chart” view.2. Click on “Assign Resources” Icon on tool bar.3. Select the Resource for that Particular Task.

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Costs 1

• Types of Costs– Fixed– Variable

• Entering Fixed Costs:1.Have the “Gantt Chart” View open.2.Select a task which requires a Fixed Cost (e.g., Print

German Brochure)3.Click on the “Assign Resources” Icon.4.Select the appropriate “Resource Name” (e.g., Print)5. Insert cost of Resource (e.g., $7,000)

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Costs 2

• Viewing Task Costs:1. Have the “Gantt Chart” View open.2. Highlight “Predecessor” column in Task Pane.3. Select “Insert Column”4. Scroll down the “Field Name” field and select

“Cost”5. Then select “OK”

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Assignment 2

• Open MS Project File: “ASSIGNMENT_2”• Using the Project Task List Document and

enter the following information:– Recurring Tasks– Dependencies– Resources

• Using the Project Overview Document insert Fixed and Variable Costs.

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Baselines• Baselining the project enables you to track what

actually happened against the plan – Actuals vs. Estimates.

• It is a snapshot of the project at a particular point in time.

• Baselines are set at the end of critical phases of the project.

• Includes:• Tasks• Resources• Costs

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Baselines 2

• Setting the Baseline:1. Have the “Gantt Chart” View open.2. On the “Tools” menu, point to “Tracking”, and

then click “Set Baseline”. 3. Then select the baseline that you want to set.

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Updating the Plan

• Updating the Current Status of the Plan:1. Right click on upper left-hand corner of Task Pane

(the “select all” function)..2. Select “Tracking”3. Select the particular task you would like to update.4. Update the task by either:

• Changing the “Actual Start Date” or “Actual Finish Date”• Change the “% Complete”• Change the “Actual Duration”• Change the “Actual Work”

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Updating the Plan 2

• Why Track Progress?– Provides benchmarks– Shows progress– Improves Planning of Subsequent Projects

• Track Project Variance (forecast vs. actual):1.Right click on upper left-hand corner of Task Pane

(the “select all” function).2.Select “Variance”

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Reporting

• Viewing Reports:• On the “Report” menu, point to “Reports”.

• Types of Reports:• Overview• Current Activities• Costs• Assignments• Workload

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Assignment 3

• Open MS Project File: “ASSIGNMENT_2”• Baseline the project• Present the Variance Screen

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