Microsoft Project 2002 Sessions 2-4

Questions???? Has the first tape been filmed?  Yes, and should have been sent to everyone Can I use 2000 instead of 2002?  For this class we need to all be on the same page so we will use 2002 and I have some copies ordered for those of you who indicated they wanted to buy it  Evaluation copies are on the way for others

Administrative Chat Line/Lab  Tuesday evenings 8:30~9:00pm MST First one on Sept. 17th  Friday afternoons 12:00pm MST First one on Sept. 20th URL 

Administrative (cont) All assignments are out of 2000 Step by Step  1 st assignment was Chapter 2 (20 min)  2 nd assignment is Chapter 3 (45 min) Projects  Please me with what you plan on doing for the project

2002 Changes Icon Buttons  Tasks, resources and track report  Show/Hide the Project Guide  Next Steps & Related Activities Views are from the toolbar now and step by step help is where the different views were (left side panel)

Organizational Structures

What Caused the Organizational Revolution? Wallace identifies four major factors: Technology revolution Competition & the profit squeeze The high cost of marketing The unpredictability of consumer demands

Is the Traditional Structure Adequate? Management is satisfied with its technical skills, but projects are not meeting time, cost, and other project requirements High commitment to getting project work done, but great fluctuations in how well performance specs are met

Is the Traditional Structure Adequate? (cont) Highly talented specialists involved in the project feel exploited & misused Particular tech groups or individuals constantly blame each other for failure to meet specs or delivery dates Projects are on time & to specs, but groups & individuals aren’t satisfied with the achievement

Organizational System Composed of Both Human & Nonhuman Resources Sociotechnical Subsystem  Org’s personnel & their group behavior Technical system  Technology, materials, & machines necessary to perform the required tasks

Definition of Organizations Groups of People who Must Coordinate Their Activities in Order to Meet Organizational Objectives  Is there a good or bad organizational structure?

Organizational Change Requirements (1) continuous and open access between individuals and groups (2) free, reliable communication, where (3) independence is the foundation for individual & departmental cohesiveness and

Organizational Change Requirements (4) trust, risk-taking and helping each other is prevalent so that (5) conflict is identified & managed so the win-lose stances are minimized

Is the Organization Structured to Manage People or to Manage Work?

Organizational Work Flow Whatever organizational form is finally selected, formal channels must be developed so that each individual has a clear description of the authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary for the flow of work to proceed

Definitions Authority is the power granted to individuals so that they can make final decisions for others to follow

Definitions Responsibility is the obligation incurred by individuals in their roles in the formal organization in order to effectively perform assignments

Definitions Accountability is the state of being totally answerable for the satisfactory completion of a specific assignment

What is an Effective Span of Control? Executives feel five to seven people Consider a company that has fifteen projects going on at once. There are three projects over $5 mill, 7 are between $1 & $3 mill, & 5 are under $700,000. Each project has a full-time project manager. Can all fifteen project managers report to the same person? HOW WOULD YOU SOLVE THIS?

Computer Functions Review the interface Define the project Calendar Creating Tasks …..