Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan

Dr. R. RocklandChair and Professor, Department of Engineering Technology

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Agenda

Understand what a project isUnderstand the basics of project managementUtilize Microsoft Project as a visual teaching toolUtilize Microsoft Project as a visual teaching tool

Main topics (overview of each)Planning a projectAssigning resources and costUnderstanding and managing critical tasksWhen to develop a baselineWhen to develop a baselineTrackingReport generation

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What is a Project?

A series of related tasks that you need to completeA series of related tasks that you need to completeto reach a goal, and having a specific start and end time

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Why Project Management?

Companies look for students who have:Communication skillsProject management skillsProject management skillsPeople skills

Responsible for people and costsHow do you know if project will succeed or fail?

Help identify problems early onF l t k i h?For example, are you on track in your research?

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What is Project Management?

Managing and directing time, materials, personnel and cost to complete a project

Meet objectives of time cost and technical resultsMeet objectives of time, cost and technical results

Three phasesPlanning – What work has to be done

Development of tasks and relationships

Scheduling – When the work has to be doneRefinement of plan and allocation of resourcesRefinement of plan and allocation of resources

Controlling – Monitoring and managing the plan

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Developing a Project

Identify tasks and estimated durationIdentify milestonesR l t th t k i l i l f hiRelate the tasks in a logical fashionAllocate resources (people, equipment) to tasksIdentify and fix potential problems (time/resources)Identify and fix potential problems (time/resources)Fix baselineMonitor, manage and report, g p

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Microsoft Project

Tool to enter project based dataEnter via spreadsheets

Obtain different combinations of this dataObtain different combinations of this dataGraphs, charts, reports

View different scenariosSee effects of various changes

Need person’s knowledge of project management

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Different views - Basic

Gantt ChartBasic viewEach task is a horizontal bar across timescaleEach task is a horizontal bar across timescale

Length of bar is the time for the task

Can also see links and resources

Network DiagramUsed to be known as PERT chart

Each task is node – size not dependent on timeEach task is node size not dependent on timeInformation in each node

Calendar

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For non-project people

Other views

Series of charts and tablesTracking Gantt, Resource graph/sheet/usage are the most common other viewsmost common other viewsCan also modify combinations of charts and tablesShow Product Launch fileShow Product Launch file

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Defining tasks

Start with date – Project…Project InformationSchedule from decision

Organize them in hierarchal structureOrganize them in hierarchal structureCalled WBS (Work breakdown structure)Various relationships such as finish to start, start to start

Duration of the tasksHistoricalP ti i tiParticipativeEducated guessCan be in weeks, days, hours or minutes

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, y ,Why not years?

Milestones

Event or condition that marks the completion of a group of tasks

Can also be used for starting and ending the projectCan also be used for starting and ending the project

Zero timeProduces different shape and date

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Linking tasks

Tasks need to be linked togetherHow are they related

Talk about building a houseTalk about building a house

Can easily do that with a tool

Once linked, need to think about relationshipsHave four different combinations (three make sense)Can change them, and affect project deadlineWhat makes sense?What makes sense?

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Lead and Lag

Describe example with pouring concreteCan be used to make it more “real life”

Don’t al a s ait ntil one task completel ends befo eDon’t always wait until one task completely ends before starting another

Very useful in changing deadlines

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Planning Methods of a Project

Top downHave basic top level tasksInsert tasks as needed then create summary tasksInsert tasks as needed, then create summary tasks

Bottom upList of all taskMove tasks around, and relate themCreate summary tasks

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Summary Tasks

Use indent button to create themCan show or hide subtasksSh d ti f ll bt kShows duration of all subtasksDo not relate to other tasks

Relate subtasks to subtasksRelate subtasks to subtasksIn some cases use milestone as end of summary tasks

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Timeline

Can modify the timeline Can zoom in an out

Adding mo e tasks ill p sh p oject o t f theAdding more tasks will push project out further

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Calendar – Project

Use Tools… Change Working TimeWant to modify the standard calendar

Holida s and co ect o king timeHolidays and correct working time

Could make a copyWill affect project scheduleWill affect project schedule

Initial calendar doesn’t have any holidays other than weekends

Will t t l d f hWill create separate resource calendar for each resource

Based on this base calendar

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Constraints

Many times cannot float taskDependent on date for finishing or starting

Put constraint in Task Information dialog boxPut constraint in Task Information dialog boxIn Advanced tab

Limit the flexibility of Microsoft Project when using y j gconstraints

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Resources - Types

PeopleManagers, programmers, engineers, technicians

EquipmentEquipmentComputers, trucks, copying machines

FacilitiesConference rooms, warehouses

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Resources – Identify for your project

Use general titles rather than nameCan assign to groupsIdentify costsIdentify costsIdentify specific calendars

Identify equipmentOnly equipment needing special arrangements

Identify facilities

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Critical Path

Want to observe what tasks are on critical pathDefine itDefine why these tasks are importantDefine why these tasks are important

Can use Tracking Gantt to show red boxesTasks on critical pathAs opposed to Gantt Chart Wizard (on toolbar)

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Problems - Resource

Key one is over allocation of resourceMay need resource leveling

By delaying a task until the assigned resource has time toBy delaying a task until the assigned resource has time to work on itBy splitting a task, so that part of a task is done when planned, and the rest of it is done later when the assignedplanned, and the rest of it is done later when the assigned resource has time

Identify with Resource Graph or Resource UsageC h bl ith t i tCan have problems with constraintsDelaying tasks might delay project

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Problems – Deadline/Cost

Exceeded deadline or costDeadline

Need to look at elationships ith tasksNeed to look at relationships with tasksAllocating additional resourcesDuration of tasks realistic

CostDelay projectAlt tiAlternative resources

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Baseline

When all problems resolved, create BaselineTools…Tracking

Baseline should be fixedBaseline should be fixedMoving baseline has no meaning

Want to compare future progress against baselinep p g gTracking Gantt and Tracking toolbar

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Tracking

As tasks are completed, need to mark themCan show partially completed tasksWill see costs as they are incurredWill see costs as they are incurred

Might have to reschedule work if delayedTracking Gantt is very important

Shows how you are doing vs. baseline

Will see effect on cost and deadline

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Reporting

Large number of standard reportsOverview, costs, assignments and workload

Can customizeCan customizeCan use filters to view or reportCan copy Gantt chart into Word documentCan copy Gantt chart into Word documentCan save project as web page

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