Introduction to Spreadsheets in Project Planning Bent Thomsen

Project Planning Use SLP methods to identify project tasks –Project diagrams –Activity diagrams List project tasks Estimate durations Estimate resources required. Use your own judgment.

Example Tasks Project Start-up Team training & briefing Set up computer system Define input requirements Source input requirements Trial with manual input Develop interfaces Trial run thru’ interfaces Produce draft reports Business review meeting Develop documentation Handover of system Debrief Consultants Dur’n in Weeks Project: Operational Reporting System Implementation

Layout project tasks in a table Weeks Project Start-up Team training & briefing Set up computer system Define input requirements Source input requirements Trial with manual input Develop interfaces Trial run thru’ interfaces Produce draft reports Business review meeting Develop documentation Handover of system Debrief Task People

Time Phase the tasks according to logical relationships (dependencies & precedence) Weeks Project Start-up Team training & briefing Set up computer system Define input requirements Source input requirements Trial with manual input Develop interfaces Trial run thru’ interfaces Produce draft reports Business review meeting Develop documentation Handover of system Debrief Task People

Determine resources required for each planned unit Weeks Project Start-up Team training & briefing Set up computer system Define input requirements Source input requirements Trial with manual input Develop interfaces Trial run thru’ interfaces Produce draft reports Business review meeting Develop documentation Handover of system Debrief Task People

Draw resource histogram Weeks Project Start-up Team training & briefing Define input requirements Trial with manual input Develop interfaces Trial run thru’ interfaces Produce draft reports Business review meeting Handover of system Debrief Tasks People Set up computer system Source input requirements Develop documentation Weeks

Planning and control tools Gantt chart can be set up on Excel spreadsheet; Draw schedule bars using cell shade function; Add up columns and using graphing function to plot resource histogram;

Example:Project Gantt Chart & Resource Histogram in Excel Schedule bars are drawn using the cell pattern function Float drawn using the cell borders function.

Project Plan Updates and Reporting “Tricks of the Trade” For neat single page print-outs of large plans, cut and paste from Excel to PowerPoint and resize the pasted object to fit on a page. (Paste as Picture Enhanced Metafile or as Device Independent Bitmap); Use every second row for the plan, then use the other row to plot progress (shade in a different colour or using a different pattern); Changes to plan, growth in scope etc. can be accommodated by inserting rows and columns; Always keep a separate copy of the original plan for reference.