Assessment Part A
1. You have been asked by Billy the Banker at ANZ , to use Microsoft Project to develop the project schedule. Note that he has also asked you to include the milestones at the end of the task list in your schedule. These will be used for monitoring the cash flow of the project.
Based on the information in the case study description above, use Microsoft Project 2013 to produce a "Part A" schedule. Make sure that you:
a) Include the milestones grouped together at the end of the task list.
b) Include the resource allocation details on the schedule.
c) Have the project name (CQConstruction Supplier's Business upgrade) as the top of the task list and have all other tasks and summary tasks indented according to the given WBS.
d) Make sure that the holidays described in the "additional information" are not included in the available working days for your project.
e) Use the Microsoft Project software to make sure that the critical path(s) are automatically displayed in red on the bars of the Gantt chart view of you schedule.
At this point there may be resource over allocation issues. Do not attempt to resolve these before answering question 2. Save this version of your schedule in ms project file called CQContructionSupplysPartA1.mpp. You will be required to submit this file as part of your assignment submission.
2. At this point ignore any resource over allocations. Based on your CQContructionSupplysPartA1.mpp schedule (and assuming that you would have no resource constraints):
a) How long would the project take?
b) What are the start and finish dates of the project?
c) List all the tasks that are on the critical path.
d) Did the annual holidays make any difference to the end date of your project? Explain why/why not.
e) If you were asked to complete the project 3 weeks earlier by reducing the duration of some of the tasks in the project, what tasks would you target for reduction and why?
In your answer, include specific suggestions about how you could reduce the duration of those tasks.
3. Create a copy of CQContructionSupplysPartA1.mpp in another file called CQContructionSupplysA2.mpp. If there were any resource over-allocation issues resolve these in this new CQControllersPartA2.mpp without adding any additional resources. Save the "modified" version of CQContructionSupplysPartA2.mpp.
a) Describe how you used/would use Microsoft Project to resolve any resource over allocation issues?
b) In your Word document, list the tasks that are now displayed as "critical".
c) Do the resource constraints have any impact on your project duration and end date? Explain.
d) Sometimes it is possible to resolve resource over-allocation issues by levelling within available slack. What impact does this have on your project schedule?
4. CQContruction Supply's Purchasing department require 6 clear working days notice to authorise any purchase over $10,000 dollars. You have four such purchases that will require such notification falling within the project period. Answer the following questions based on your CQContructionSupplysPartA2.mpp schedule:
a) List the dates you expect to require the Delivery of robotic arms, Delivery of hydraulics, Geo Logistics Mapping Hardware and Software purchase for work on the project.
b) Add a "milestone" as a reminder of the last date you need to give notice to the Purchasing department for each of these acquisitions. Add this at the start of your list of milestones and highlight the milestone in the task list using the "background colour" icon on the task ribbon. This will make it easier for your marker to check your work.
c) According to your schedule, when is the last date you need to give notice to the purchasing for material for the project?
5. Write a memo to George Readymix outlining:
a) the expected completion date of the project, assuming it commences at M1 (5/10/15);
b) the total duration of the project;
c) an explanation of the main factors that cause the project to require that length of time and any recommendations that you might make if time was a priority for the project;
d) The estimated direct labour cost of the project (excluding the cost of your project management consultancy. Present the costs in a table showing the costs for the following:
|
Cost |
| Robotics Pump System |
|
| CRM |
|
| Geo Logistics Mapping |
|
| Customer Mobile Portal Design & Deployment |
|
| Total for the Project: |
|
Assume that you will send the project schedule (CQContructionSupplysPartA2.mpp) as an attachment to the memo. The information in the memo should correspond to the attached schedule.
6. You have summarised the direct labour costs and some of the key hardware and software costs in question 5. What additional costs are associated with this project? Be as specific as possible in your answer.
7. Are there any other project related supporting activities, plans, events or tasks that your team might have overlooked? If they were overlooked describe how this could impact on the project. (Aim to identify and discuss at least two.)
Assessment Part B
Your project has now travelled forward in time and the project has now been underway for 2 months. To achieve this time travel in MS Project you must first set a baseline for the day of the Kick-off meeting and set a Status Date to 23/11/2015 Additional settings should be made under MS project Options as shown below.
You are required to update your project plan in accordance with the progress the project has made in the first 2 months. You contact all the key stakeholders and receive the following status update information for the tasks completed and those currently in progress up to the 23/11/2015.
| Outline Number |
Task Name |
Percentage complete |
Actual duration where different from the plan |
| 1.1 |
Project Kick off |
100 |
- |
| 1.2.1.1 |
Truck mechanical requirements |
100 |
5 weeks |
| 1.2.1.2 |
Truck Information Platform requirements |
100 |
- |
| 1.2.1.3 |
Requirements specification Document |
100 |
- |
| 1.2.1.4 |
DVLA Approval |
20 |
- |
| 1.3.1.1.1 |
Understanding the Q & A, CRM implementation templates |
100 |
3wks |
| 1.3.1.1.2 |
Documenting & Reviewing Answers |
100 |
2wks |
| 1.3.1.2.1 |
Prepare Solution Draft |
50 |
- |
| 1.4.1 |
Purchase Hardware |
100 |
- |
| 1.4.3 |
Purchase Software |
100 |
- |
| 1.4.4 |
Configure and install |
100 |
8 days |
1 a. Update the project file and Save this version of your schedule in CQontructionSupplysPartB1.mpp. You will also be required to submit this file (CQontructionSupplysPartB1.mp) as part of your assignment submission.
b. Describe the impact the delays in the schedule has had on your project.
c. Based on the progress as of 23/11/2015 calculate the CV, SV, SPI and CPI for the project.
d. Using CPI and SPI explain how the project is progressing
e. Give a forecast for the estimated completion cost of the project. Explain how you arrived at your forecast figure.
You have been advised by Ang Jolli the Business Analyst with VAR's r US that there will be a delay in the delivery of the requirements for the CRM system. She cites the belligerence of CQConstuctions Operation Manager as the cause. TASK 1.3.1.2.2 Final Process Confirmation is to be delayed one week. Ang Jolli has informed you that she has the backing of her management in insisting that all blue print tasks are too double in duration to relieve pressure on the project and to compensate for the stand idle time. Around this time you pick up an answer phone message from Gloria Jeans saying she needs to schedule a 2 day software upgrade before CRM integration testing can be conducted.
2. Create a copy of CQontructionSupplysPartB1.mpp in another file called CQontructionSupplysPartB2.mpp. Amend the project schedule in CQontructionSupplysPartB2.mpp incorporating the requested changes from Ang and Gloria Highlight all the changes (including changes to predecessor relationships in other tasks).
This is to aid your marker.
If necessary, resolve any resource over-allocation. You will also be required to submit this file (CQontructionSupplysPartB2.mp) as part of your assignment submission.
3. Describe the impact(s) of each the following on the project schedule:
a. The delay in Final Process Confirmation.
b. The change in duration of the Blue Print Tasks.
c. The requirement for the software upgrade. Explain your answers.
4. Describe the impact(s) of each the following on the project budget:
a. The delay in Final Process Confirmation.
b. The change in duration of the Blue Print Tasks.
c. The requirement for the software upgrade.
Assessment Part C
Concerned that the Customer mobile portal may become the critical bottle neck in the delivery of the project, your team investigate options for crashing that section of the project. Following a series of meetings with the mobile portal developers Bret Whitelee and Dot Perkins of "Web Moves" your team has ascertained that it is possible to crash the mobile portal deliverable portion of the project. As well as the following information about each task and the cost of assigning extra resources you have been informed that Web Moves will apply an indirect cost per day for their services for the duration of their contract. That is charged at $500 per working day. Table 7 Crash Costs
You may have used difference durations in Part and A and B to represent work effort of the tasks and derive a different critical path. For the purpose of this exercise use those discussed with Web Moves here.
1. Develop a table of costs for each task showing the slope. Then list the tasks in order that you would crash showing the total actual cost after any savings for each task crashed
2. State what duration you would choose for this deliverable and explain your answer.
3. Complete the stakeholder analysis template for each of the projects stakeholders adding any you feel may have been missed. Draw a Interest / Power grid matrix for these stackholders.
4. Write a report, seeking approval to crash this part of the project, to those stakeholders you think need to be informed. Mark it clearly for their attention. Explain the reason for crashing and sell the financial and non-financial benefits of your recommendation. Address the potential individual concerns of your stakeholders.
Attachment:- assessment item.rar