A tutorial on MS Project James Burns

Outline  Setting up MS Project  Defining Tasks (activity definition)  Activity Subordination (WBS)  Activity Sequencing (network chart)  Determining durations  Determining costs

Setting up MS Project  Your first task should be a PROJECT meta-task  Everything (every other task) should be subordinate to it

Must start with  A list or tasks  Or  A Work Breakdown Structure

Defining Tasks  This process is called Activity Definition Can do it by developing the WBS down to work packages Can do it by use of template Can do it by use of a list Or just off the top of your head

Bring up MS Project  Start in the Gantt View  Set start date in Project Information box Can do forward or backward scheduling  Enter task detail in the entry table to the left  Subordinate tasks appropriately  Link Tasks as appropriate

Working from the WBS  WBS’s utilize a standardized numbering scheme  WBS Subordination is indicated to MS Project through indentation Use the indentation arrow

Click on Project and then Project Information  Brings up this window

Can download add-ons from CriticalTools.Com  To delineate (draw) the WBS  To do PERT  (Neither of which are available within MS Project)

Setting hard and fast task dates  Normally, this is not a good idea  Do this on the entry table

Adding resources  Resource sheet

Determining cost and duration  Must enter the hourly rates of the PROJECT PLAYERS into the RESOURCE SHEET

Tables

Reports

Microsoft Project  Popular software package for project management and CPM/PERT analysis  Relatively easy to use Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-15

Microsoft Project Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-16 Click on “Tasks” First step; Start Date

Microsoft Project Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-17 Precedence relationships Click on “Format” then ”Timescale” to scale Gantt chart. Gantt chart; click on “View” to activate Create precedence relationships; click on predecessor activity, then holding “Ctrl” Key, click on successor activity.

Microsoft Project Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-18 Click on “View” then Network Diagram Critical path in red

Microsoft Project – Zoom View Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-19

Microsoft Project – Task Information Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-20 Enter % completion

Microsoft Project – Degree of Completion Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-21 Activities 1, 2 and 3 100% complete Black bars show degree of completion

PERT Analysis with Microsoft Project Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-22 Click on PERT Entry Sheet to enter 3 time estimates Click on PERT calculator to compute activity duration

PERT Analysis with Microsoft Project Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-23

PERT Analysis with Microsoft Project Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-24

Project Crashing  Crashing reducing project time by expending additional resources  Crash time an amount of time an activity is reduced  Crash cost cost of reducing activity time  Goal reduce project duration at minimum cost Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-25

Project Network – Building a House Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Normal Time and Cost vs. Crash Time and Cost Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-27 $7,000 – $6,000 – $5,000 – $4,000 – $3,000 – $2,000 – $1,000 – – ||||||| Weeks Normal activity Normal time Normal cost Crash time Crashed activity Crash cost Slope = crash cost per week

Project Crashing Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-28 TOTAL NORMALCRASHALLOWABLECRASH TIMETIMENORMALCRASHCRASH TIMECOST PER ACTIVITY(WEEKS)(WEEKS)COSTCOST(WEEKS)WEEK 1127$3,000$5,0005$ ,0003, ,0007,00013, ,00071,00037, , , ,00022,00017,000 $75,000$110,700

Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-29 Project Duration: 36 weeks $400 $500 $3000 $7000 $200 $ FROM … $400 $500 $3000 $7000 $200 $ Project Duration: 31 weeks Additional Cost: $2000 TO…

Time-Cost Relationship Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-30 Crashing costs increase as project duration decreases Indirect costs increase as project duration increases Reduce project length as long as crashing costs/day are less than indirect costs/day

Time-Cost Tradeoff Copyright 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9-31 Cost ($) Project duration CrashingTime Minimum cost = optimal project time Total project cost Indirect cost Direct cost