PROJECT MANAGEMENT 3RD YEAR UNDERGRADUATE UNIT U13451 PRMAN DL Tutor: Kathy Parker WEEK FIVE Adapted from slides by Dr Philip J. Scott MSc PhD FBCS CITP University of Portsmouth Adapted by Kathy Parker

Contents  Learning outcomes  Lecture: Project planning (part 2)  Exercise Slide 2 of 8

Learning outcomes  Demonstrate how to construct a project plan using Microsoft Project  Use bespoke resource calendars, task dependencies and timescale options  Explain costing and reporting options Slide 3 of 8

Lecture: Using Microsoft Project  MS Project is the de facto standard  There are commercial alternatives and free/shareware products, or use Excel  Viewing software freely available to read.MPPs  MS Project comes as standalone or Enterprise server  Maintaining it can become an industry!  This lecture is mostly demonstration  Tutorial will give you an opportunity to apply Slide 4 of 8

Lecture: Using Microsoft Project  Introduction to Microsoft Project – walk through an existing plan  Key concepts:  Tasks (summary/detail)  Dependencies  Resources  Calendars  Timescale views  Not covering resource levelling Slide 5 of 8

Lecture: Using Microsoft Project  Example of building a new plan  Define project information (start date, calendar options)  Enter tasks, indent/outdent to demote/promote  Enter task durations and dependencies  Adjust timescale view as necessary  Get print format right  Allocate resources and their calendars and costs  Update % completion  Compare alternative views (PERT, resource sheet) Slide 6 of 8

MS Project: Start Up This is what you get when you open MS Project. If you don’t get the Project Guide (a sort of a wizard tool) on the left hand side of the display and you want to use it then you will need to follow the instructions on the next slide. Otherwise go to slide 9.

MS Project: Getting to Project Guide On the top menu Click on Tools then Options Then click on the Interface tab and tick the Display Project Guide Box

MS Project: Define project information Project -> Project Information Gives this pop-up. Enter the project start date. Leave the Schedule from: Project start Date as it is (helps with initial scheduling) If you need to put in time frame constraints later then fine

MS Project: Define project calendar Tools - > Change working time gives this screen. From here you can define the project working days and hours. If the project will use work the days and weeks as per the ‘Standard’ calendar then use it. Otherwise Create a New Calendar, give it a name and make it a copy of the Standard

MS Project: Define Working times From here you can set default working times for specified days of the week. E.g. I have set working times for Monday to Thursday as 09:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 17:00 and from 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00 on a Friday

MS Project: Define Non-Working times From the Exceptions tab I have defined an exception of Christmas from 20/12 to 3/1/11 as non-working time

MS Project: Assign Calendar to Project Back to Project -> Project Information and select your calendar from the drop down menu to assign the calendar to your project

MS Project: Enter your tasks Enter the tasks Before doing this you should have done the PBS and PFD as per week 4

MS Project: Indent/outdent tasks I have entered higher level tasks: Project Initiation and Determine requirements

MS Project: Indent/outdent tasks I now highlight the sub tasks for each and click on the indent arrow

MS Project: Indent/outdent tasks When I put in a new task it will go in as a sub task under the Determine Requirements unless I outdent

MS Project: Enter Task Durations Under Duration enter the time it will take to complete the task. Only enter the times for the low level tasks. The summary level tasks are calculated Tasks with a time of zero are indicated as milestones

MS Project: Enter Task Dependencies This can be done in one of 3 ways: 1.Highlight the two tasks e.g. Cannot get PID approved until PID is produced Then click on the Link tasks icon The chart shows the tasks linked

MS Project: Enter Task Dependencies 2a 2. Double click on a task to get the Task information window Select the Predecessors tab, click on the down arrow under Task Name and select the task(s) that must precede (be done before) this task. e.g. PID approved milestone cannot happen until the Get PID approved is complete. Click OK

MS Project: Enter Task Dependencies 2b 2. This method is also useful for specifying link type that are not the standard Finish-to- Start and these can be selected under Type A lag can also be specified

MS Project: Enter Task Dependencies 2c 2. Which creates this->

MS Project: Enter Task Dependencies 3 3. Using drag and drop technique. Hover over the predecessor task until you see and a task box appear Then drag to the successor task. A box labelled Finish-to- Start Link will appear Complete the link

MS Project: Changing the GANTT view timescales We now cannot all our project so we may wish to change the timescale at the top Set the middle tier – here we are changing it from Weeks to Months And the bottom tier from Days to weeks

MS Project: Changing the GANTT view timescales Which gives us ->

Lecture: Using Microsoft Project  Keep it manageable:  Limit number of tasks per plan (500?)  Split or create sub-plans or super-plans if necessary  Only add the crucial dependencies  Break down work to sensible level for monitoring  Strict version control: baseline, progress, what-ifs  Don’t try to make it an accounting tool Slide 26 of 8

Tutorial walk-through Slide 27 of 8