Microsoft Project 2010 - Module 1

CHAPTER 2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

INFOCUS

WPL_J401

While this session cannot replace more formal project management

theory you do need to be introduced to some aspects of the
theoretical side of project management, especially as it applies to
Microsoft Project.
Project management is the process of planning, organising and
managing tasks and resources to accomplish a defined objective,
usually within the constraints of time, resources and cost.
Each project is unique, and although two projects may appear the
same, it is highly unlikely that they will be managed the same way.
A project is a sequence of tasks that leads to a specific objective or
accomplishment. A project is different from everyday routine events
in that it usually originates when something non-standard must be
achieved. For example, moving office, building a factory,
implementing a new computer system, are all examples of non-
routine events that could be defined as projects.
A project usually is made up of one or more non-routine tasks that
lead to a specific objective, has a start and finish date or time and is
accomplished with a limited or measurable set of resources.

In this session you will:

 gain an understanding of the two key elements of a

project
 gain an understanding of the importance of planning a
project
 gain an understanding of project management tools
 gain an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses
of Microsoft Project.

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 Microsoft Project 2010 - Module 1

TASKS AND RESOURCES

A project comprises a sequence of tasks that finished. Other tasks may be independent in that
culminate in the completion of the project. These they can be completed simultaneously or without
tasks may be dependent, in that some can only needing to wait until another task has been
be started when their predecessors have been completed.

Tasks
The following diagram shows tasks listed in a typical project in Microsoft Project.

When building a house, for example, you may need to seek council approval, prepare the site works,
lay the slab, erect the walls, and so on. These are the tasks required to construct the house. The
time taken to complete each task is called its duration. The project is completed when all of the
tasks have been accomplished.
Resources
Tasks can only be accomplished by providing resources. Resources can take the form of people,
money, equipment, facilities or supplies. The following diagram shows resources listed in a typical
project in Microsoft Project.

The duration of tasks may be affected by the number or resources that can be directed towards it.
For example, it may take one painter three days to paint your house. Three painters however, may
take only one day. This type of task is known as resource driven, because the number of resources
influences the duration of the task.
Other tasks are fixed in duration. For example, when building a house on a concrete slab you may
need to wait five days for the concrete to cure before erecting the frame. No matter how many
resources you provide, you will still need to wait the five days.
Your project therefore, is made up of tasks and resources.

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 Microsoft Project 2010 - Module 1

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING

Since a project is non-routine it can only be and how long it will take. It is used to predict the
managed effectively with a plan. Planning is the outcome. When the plan has been produced you
most important step in project management as it will have a schedule with which to work. It should
formalises what you will do, how it will be done, detail tasks, timeframes and resources.

The Project Plan

Planning involves specifying:
 what you will do – the tasks needed to complete the project
 when you will do it – the duration required for the tasks
 how you will do it – the resources required to undertake the tasks.
The plan can be used as a baseline to measure actual performance. When the actual performance
is compared to the baseline the variance can be examined to determine the extent and nature of
corrective action required to ensure that targets are met. As a consequence, the schedule will
change to reflect changing circumstances.
While the plan remains fixed as a yardstick, the schedule is constantly updated using actual data.
Your project needs to be rescheduled regularly to reflect actual circumstances.

Steps In Project Management

The steps of project management therefore involve the:
1. formulation of a plan
2. creation of a schedule based on the plan
3. monitoring of actual circumstance and comparison against the plan
4. revision of the schedule based on actual circumstance.

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 Microsoft Project 2010 - Module 1

PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Two specific tools have been developed over the packages use a technique known as critical path
years to assist you in project management. method (CPM) to help you track your project. The
These are the Gantt chart and the Network critical path is displayed in Microsoft Project using a
chart. Most project management software Gantt chart.

Gantt Chart and Critical Path

CPM was originally developed by DuPont and Remington Rand in the 1950s to improve scheduling
of projects. CPM requires you to define all of the tasks in a project that are critical to the project
being completed on time. CPM then passes through these tasks to calculate scheduled start and
finish dates for each task, and therefore also for the project as a whole.
In CPM two calculations are made to the schedule. CPM first works forward through each task
calculating respective start and end dates. CPM then passes backwards through the tasks from the
latest finish dates. This allows it to calculate earliest and latest start and finish times. The time
between these dates is slack which is the amount of time a task can be delayed without delaying the
overall project. The critical path is that sequence of tasks which represents the longest total time
required to complete the project.
The following diagram shows a Gantt Chart for CPM in Microsoft Project.

The Gantt chart uses horizontal bars to represent task duration across a period referred to as the
timescale. Any tasks that are on the critical path appear with red horizontal bars, whilst those tasks
that have slack time appear in blue.
Network Diagram
A Network Diagram chart is used in Microsoft Project to display the task relationships graphically.
Each task is shown as a part of a network of nodes. Their relationships are drawn using connecting
lines and arrows. The following diagram shows an example of a Network Chart in Microsoft Project.

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 Microsoft Project 2010 - Module 1

USING A COMPUTER FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The most time consuming aspect of project resources at hand. If the second task in the project
management is calculating the schedule. The slips behind, subsequent tasks need to be
schedule is based on the duration and rescheduled. This tedious job of calculating the
dependencies of the tasks and the amount of critical path is best done by the computer.

Computerised Project Information

The advantages of using a computer:
 the schedule is created and revised quickly and accurately allowing you to make faster
decisions to get the project back on track
 the total resource costs can be summed and calculated instantly
 printed output can be created uniformly, quickly and regularly
 project information can be presented on screen or in reports in a variety of ways
 you have access to what-if testing to try various scenarios to overcome potential problems.
To use a computer system you will need to input:
 the tasks required to complete the project
 the task sequences and their interdependence
 the resources required
 special information such as working hours and fixed costs.
As your project begins you will need to enter:
 actual start and completion dates
 actual costs.
As the actual data is entered a computer can be used to:
 provide information showing variance to plan
 check and reschedule resources if necessary
 check budget expenditure
 look at alternatives to decide how to keep the schedule on track.

The Pros and Cons of Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is extremely useful for project management for many reasons. It enables you to
plan your project objectives, enter individual tasks and milestones, assign resources and track your
progress, to name a few. However, there are several aspects of Microsoft Project that you need to
consider carefully.
The Pros The Cons
Microsoft Project is a powerful tool for project You need to consider carefully the following
management because you can: characteristics when using Microsoft Project:
 easily create plans and schedules and  Microsoft Project does not easily
compare the two lend itself to working with routine
 track progress and record actual information operations – it is a project tool
 easily allocate resources (remember a project is made up of non-
routine tasks, and has a defined start
 work with different calendar timeframes for
and end date)
resources (this is useful for projects where
labour works in various timeframes - e.g.  Microsoft Project is more complex in
shiftwork) operation than a spreadsheet or word
 link data between other applications processing package and therefore
requires more initial learning
 easily change presentations and views of
your data  The schedule needs to be monitored
 filter out unwanted data and create custom constantly as subtle changes to a task or
views resource can have a rippling effect
through your scheduled dates.
 sort the data in various ways
 automate tedious and/or repetitive steps
with macros.

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NOTES:

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