Part 2. Answers to Questions in Microsoft Word Read and think through the options and alternatives suggested by these questions before building the Project Plan. When the Project Plan is completed, answer the following questions, and submit them as a Microsoft Word document. “Yes” or “No” answers with no explanations or discussions are not appropriate answers.
1. What are the names of the first and last tasks in the Project Plan? What are their durations?
2. Was the team able to view the Project Plan’s critical path? Explain what it showed.
3. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as manually scheduled ( in the Task Mode column)? If yes, list the task ids and explain what caused that. If not, explain how that was avoided.
4. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as constrained? (Name of the constraint in the Constraint Type column, or date in the Constraint Date column)? If yes, list the task ids and explain what caused that. If not, explain how that was avoided.
5. Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart, tabularly (like a list or table), or something else? Why?
6. Was the team able to find any external reference that disagreed with these assignment instructions? Explain. • Do not over-engineer dependency links • Constraint Dates are not a good thing • Manually scheduled tasks are not a good thing
2
Team 2 Projecteers Charter for Project WBS
Brandon
Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Djenabou Diallo, Mario Martin, & Maureen Johnson
IFSM 438
University of Maryland Global Campus
31 January 2023
Executive Summary
The purpose of this document is to outline a proposed IT system to enhance business operations at Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe in Alexandria, Virginia. The ideal IT framework will be used to conduct point-of-sale, inventory, bookkeeping, accounting, business networking, and host a website so that customers may place orders in advance using debit/credit cards. The framework will also need to be modern, have a customer-friendly UI, and support 3rd party apps for pickup and delivery orders. Mama Mia currently has a 100,000$ budget for the IT system.
Project Scope
The mission of this project is to plan, design, and implement a modernized IT system for Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe. The implementation of this IT system will modernize the bakery by allowing digitalization of all employee records, inventory, and transactions. This system will also streamline business practices and enable online purchasing and third-party compatibility through apps such as Uber Eats and Door Dash. A website for the bakery will also be established to help with marketing and allow customers to view the menu from home. Electronic registers will also be added to the shop to allow customers to purchase via credit/debit card and NFC. Lastly, a windows PC will be setup in the management office to allow Mama Mia a workstation to conduct inventory, pay rolls, scheduling, and other managerial duties. This PC will also allow her to have a direct form of communication to her suppliers (the health department) and other business associates. Next to this PC, a router will be installed and enabled via the local Comcast services.
Excluded from this particular scope will be all furniture upgrades to the establishment, as well as the hiring of new employees. The addition of bakery items and other menu expansions will also be excluded from the scope of this project. This project will focus entirely on the IT aspect of the upgrade.
Project Estimates
Even though the entire shop upgrade is scheduled to be complete in 6 months, the IT portion will likely be complete in 4. The following chart illustrates the deliverables, an estimated cost of that deliverable, and a rough estimate of their forecasted completion dates:
|
Deliverable |
Cost |
Date |
||||||
|
Router Installation |
250$ |
FEB 2024 |
||||||
|
Lan Installation |
6,000$ |
Feb 2024 |
||||||
|
Comcast Wi-Fi |
300$ /month |
|||||||
|
Records/Payroll System Installation |
||||||||
|
Inventory System Installation |
||||||||
|
Electronic Register Installation |
2,400$ |
March 2024 |
||||||
|
Electronic Transaction Tracker |
||||||||
|
Bakery Website |
5,000$ |
April 2024 |
||||||
|
Online Ordering/3rd Party Optimization |
300$ | |||||||
|
Testing/Troubleshooting Issues |
N/A |
May/June 2024 |
||||||
|
Labor |
25,000$ |
As previously mentioned, the IT project is currently being funded by Mama Mia with a 100,000$ budget. As shown in the above chart, the estimate cost of this project will be between 40,000$-50,000$. This will give Mama Mia the ideal IT system for less than half of the estimated price.
Primary Stakeholder(s)
Mama Mia is the primary stakeholder for this project as she is the one funding the project and outlining the system requirements. Other stakeholders would include the customers and employees, as they will be the ones who frequently use the system.
Project Team
The following chart describes the role each team member will fulfill in respects to this IT project:
|
Name |
Role |
| Brandon |
IT manager – Will ensure team members have a detailed understanding of their role in this project and the tasks they are responsible for. Will also provide suspense dates and notify team members of any issues or changes to the project. Will be the liaison between Mama Mia and the team members. |
|
Donatello |
Connectivity – Will work alongside Comcast technician(s) to ensure a router is properly installed and that a functioning LAN is provided. Will setup Wi-Fi and PC. |
|
Michelangelo |
Financial Systems – Will setup both electronic registers and ensure NFC and other functions are online. Will also download and setup inventory and transaction tracking software on PC. |
|
Leonardo |
Security Expert – Will make sure Wi-Fi, LAN, PC, and website are secure. Will brief Mama Mia and other employees on the importance of cybersecurity and ensure all important aspects of the IT system have a secure password. |
|
Rafael |
Web developer – Will focus on the creation and development of the Mama Mia website. Will deliver the perfect website and identify and troubleshoot bugs. |
|
Splinter |
3rd Party Optimization – Will work on optimizing the Mama Mia restaurant with 3rd party apps such as Door Dash and Uber Eats. Will ensure correct menu items are incorporated and that the IT system notifies the shop of orders placed online. |
Project Constraints and Assumptions
The main constraint for this project is that it must be completed within 6-months and that it consists of a 100,000$ budget. The assumption for this project is that all team members will be available for the entire project as well as the assumption that they will complete their portion of the project by the given suspense date. We can also assume that Mama Mia will not make any changes to the IT system requirements prior to the project completion date.
Preliminary Risk Statement
The first potential risk is that one or more team members may not be available for the entirety of their role within the project or lack the skills to complete their portion. This risk can be mitigated by consulting the member in the initial planning phase and verifying they are confident they can perform the task and will be around for the entire project. Also, having other qualified technicians who can step up the job as a backup is another mitigation technique.
Another potential risk is to the successful completion of this project is scope creep. This can also be mitigated in the initial planning phase by communicating with Mama Mia the issues of scope creep and getting a direct end goal of the desired IT system. Communication with the rest of the project team members is also beneficial so that any projected potential issues don’t come as a surprise, increasing the scope.
Preliminary Communication Plan
Each member of the IT team will communicate daily via Microsoft Teams group chat. Each member will be required to submit a small bi-weekly WAR (weekly activity report) stating the progress they made throughout the past 2 week, outlining any milestones or roadblocks. At the end of the 2-week period, the IT manager will review the bi-weekly WARs and provide these updates to Mama Mia. Each team member will be available on Microsoft Teams daily so that they can communicate any updates and collaborate ideas as needed.
Change Threshold
A new project charter would be required if requirements are modified to cause the project to exceed the 6-month timeframe, 100,000$ budget, or require more manpower. With this IT project projected to cost approximately half of the 100,000$ budget, it is highly unlikely that a price threshold will be exceeded. Also, this project is carefully planned out to only require 4 out of the 6 months given. However, in the unlikely event that the scope of this project drastically increases, a new project charter will be drafted.
Definition of Project Complete
The project will be defined as complete upon completion of all the deliverables previously stated, and a confirmation of customer satisfaction with the end product. A functional router, functional LAN, Wi-Fi, records and payroll system, inventory system, electronic register, quality website, and optimization with third party delivery apps are all defined deliverables. Once Mama Mia is satisfied with these deliverables, this project will be complete.
Signatures
Date:
Date:
Sources
· McKeever, C. (2006). The project charter–blueprint for success. CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering, 19(1), 6-9.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=17fb76a8dc535dfd8a08d5d5277905ba7336fb32
· University of Maryland Global Campus. (2022). 4. Framework for Project Management. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/dam/permalink/5cbf4cd2-689d-40dc-8169-ac8f7c832d89.html
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Questions for Project WBS
Brandon Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Mario Martin
University of Maryland Global Campus
IFSM 438
Professor Paul Tomaka
January 31, 2023
Does the Project Schedule include everything in your team’s charter and all deliverables? If the WBS includes tasks that were not part of the Project Charter, explain how the team determined the additional tasks were necessary.
The Project Schedule is the backbone of any project as it outlines the entire scope of work to be performed, along with the timeline and resources required for each of those tasks. It is crucial that the team uses the Project Schedule to reflect all the project objectives, goals, and milestones as defined in the charter. This ensures that all stakeholders are aware and can keep track of what is expected and when. The Project Schedule should also reflect any updates or changes made to the charter along the way to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the project stays on track. A well-structured Project Schedule can help to avoid misunderstandings and minimize the risk of project failure.
Does the WBS include project management tasks necessary to manage the project?
The WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) includes the major project management tasks necessary to manage the project effectively. This includes tasks such as creating a project schedule, meeting with stakeholders, monitoring progress, and making necessary adjustments. By including these tasks in the WBS, the project manager can ensure that the project is well-managed and that the team is able to deliver the project on time and within budget.
Explain the top-down and bottom-up approaches to building a WBS. Which approach did the team decide to use and why did they make that decision?
The top-down approach states the biggest tasks or group and then breaks it down (Simplilearn, 2023). Those are the high-level actions to accomplish the project. The bottom-up approach picks a task that can be easily done and completes it. This is more effective for focusing on details and brainstorming. The team utilized both approaches while building the WBS. One team member began by identifying the largest tasks or high-level actions, the remaining team members identified the tasks that fell within the largest tasks (the bottom-up approach).
Building the WBS as an outline in Word or Excel instead of Project can help team members visualize the order of the tasks and how the tasks might decompose into lower levels. Did the team build an outline outside of Project? If you only used Project, did the team need to rearrange tasks while building the WBS?
The team complete the initial outline in Microsoft Excel. The goal was to establish clear project objectives that cannot be interpreted in deferent ways (Watts, 2014). Tasks were grouped together in work packages; Excel made it easier to rearrange them and organize subtasks. These work packages were then plugged into a Microsoft Project document and by then the need to rearrange tasks were very minimal.
Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or table), or something else? Why?
During part two of this assignment, the team had a tabular approach to the WBS while using Microsoft Excel to create the first draft. The team saw Microsoft Excel as the perfect tool for organization and for setting a foundation without too many complications. Approaching the first draft with the tabular format allowed the team to easily build a solid blueprint of which tasks and subtasks were going to be incorporated in the final WBS.
Did the team work together to determine the major tasks or was only one team member responsible for that? How well did it work?
Initially, one team member determined the major tasks. This team member’s responsibility was to extract the key tasks from the selected project charter meanwhile incorporating the mandatory tasks listed in the rubric. Once a draft was created, the remaining team members all put a considerable amount of effort in deciding which tasks could be added, removed, or reworded. With a collective input from everyone, the team eventually produced a final Excel draft that contained all the major tasks and subtasks and a much higher quality final product than what we began with.
References
Simplilearn. (2023, January 27). WBS Approach in Project Management. Retrieved from Simplilearn.com: https://www.simplilearn.com/wbs-approach-in-project-management-article
Watts, A. (2014). Project Management. Retrieved from BCcampus Victoria, B.C.: file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/Project-Management-2nd-Edition-1665530399
Week 3 – Project WBS Feedback for Team Assignment
Team: Team 2 – Projecteers
Feedback:
• You are on the right track with your WBS but you omitted several key elements and others need to be
updated/expanded.
• I highlighted those in the comments below.
• When building the WBS, you need to think of it as a roadmap for the work that needs to be done. The key is to
include everything in a logical flow that can become a schedule in the future.
• Please make changes to your MS Project file to reflect the input below.
• You may use any part of my WBS or substitute mine as the starting point for the Week 4 assignment.
• Please email me if you have any questions.
For level 2 WBS tasks, please refer to the chart above.
1.0 Manage Project:
• Change the summary task to “Manage Project”. It should not be called “Initial Planning”
• You included some PM tasks, but please ensure you’ve accounted for all of these tasks.
Task Name Duration
Manage Project 1 day?
Project Charter 1 day
Create Charter 1 day
Charter Signed 1 day
Project Management Plan 1 day?
Create Draft 1 day?
Revise Project Management Plan 1 day?
Finalize Project Management Plan 1 day
Direct & Manage Project Work 1 day
Manage Vendors 1 day
Manage Project Team 1 day
Manage Stakeholders 1 day
Manage PM Knowledge 1 day
Monitor & Control Project Work 1 day?
Monitor Budget 1 day
Monitor Schedule 1 day?
Perform Integrated Change Control 1 day?
Manage Scope Changes 1 day
Update Scope 1 day?
• Move PM recurring tasks from “Develop Resource Plan” to this area.
2.0 Design IT Solution:
• You need to include a summary task to account for the system design of your upgrade.
• Add tasks to account for an IT solution design, such as:
Task Name Duration
Design IT Solution (Phase 1) 1 day?
Facilities Layout 1 day?
Dining Area 1 day?
Customer Service Area 1 day?
Admin Area 1 day?
Kitchen Area 1 day?
Network Design 1 day?
Wired Network Design 1 day?
Wireless Network Design 1 day?
Services Requirements 1 day?
Inventory 1 day?
Bookkeeping 1 day?
Website 1 day?
Online Ordering 1 day?
Card Processing 1 day?
Office Automation 1 day?
• You must have a plan before your can order equipment.
3.0 System Hardware:
• This area must account for POS terminals, ordering kiosks, and similar equipment.
• You need to account for vendor selection, ordering, shipping and receiving of equipment.
• The IT Solution summary task will be the key input to this section.
Task Name Duration
System Hardware (Phase 2a) 1 day
Hardware Acquisition 1 day
Determine Hardware Requirements 1 day
Select Hardware Vendor(s) 1 day
Order Hardware 1 day
Order Admin Workstations 1 day
Order Printers 1 day
Order POS Terminals 1 day
Order Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Order Payment Terminals 1 day
Receive Hardware 1 day
Receive Admin Workstations 1 day
Receive Printers 1 day
Receive POS Terminals 1 day
Receive Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Receive Payment Terminals 1 day
Hardware Installation 1 day
Install Admin Workstations 1 day
Install Printers 1 day
Install POS Terminals 1 day
Install Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Install Payment Terminals 1 day
4.0 System Software:
• You need to determine your requirements from the IT Solution section.
• You need to account for vendor selection and shipping.
• Account for other software as needed.
Task Name Duration
System Software (Phase 2b) 1 day?
Software Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Software Requirements 1 day?
Select Software Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Software 1 day?
Receive Software 1 day?
Software Installation 1 day?
Admin Workstation Software 1 day?
Other Software 1 day?
5.0 IT Services:
• You need to determine what services you will need.
• You need to add tasks for IT services, such as:
Task Name Duration
IT Services (Phase 2c) 1 day?
Determine Services Requirements 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services (MS365) 1 day?
Contract for Services 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services 1 day?
• Website design should be included in this section.
• It is likely that a vendor will handle website design and implementation for you.
6.0 System Networking:
• You have some of these tasks in “System Installation”
• You can move those tasks into this section and add others as needed.
• This section needs a logical flow, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Networking (Phase 3) 1 day?
Networking Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Network Equipment Requirements 1 day?
Select Network Equipment Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Network Equipment 1 day?
Receive Network Equipment 1 day?
Install Wired Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Install Wireless Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
7.0 System Validation:
• The “System Implementation” task covers some of this.
• You need to handle testing and training separately.
• Expand your testing section to account for all equipment testing needed, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Validation (Phase 4) 1 day?
Develop Validation Plan 1 day?
Hardware Validation Plan 1 day?
Networking Validation Plan 1 day?
Software Validation Plan 1 day?
Services Validation Plan 1 day?
Conduct System Validation 1 day?
Hardware Validation 1 day?
Networking Validation 1 day?
Software Validation 1 day?
Services Validation 1 day?
8.0 System Transition:
• Move the training tasks to this section.
• Add user acceptance tasks.
Task Name Duration
System Transition (Phase 5) 1 day?
User Training 1 day?
Develop Training Plan 1 day?
Conduct User Training 1 day?
User Acceptance 1 day?
Develop UAT Plan 1 day?
Conduct UAT 1 day?
9.0 Post-Implementation Support:
• Add post-imp support.
Task Name Duration
Post-Implementation Support (Phase 6) 1 day?
Plan Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Conduct Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 1 of 6
Overview
The purpose of this Team assignment is to:
• Extend the team’s Project WBS.
• Enter sub-task durations.
• Create dependencies (predecessor & successor links) between sub-tasks.
• Produce an interim Project Plan.
There are two parts to this assignment.
Part 1 – Build out the WBS into a Project Plan in Microsoft Project
Getting Ready
Read the following:
• “Lecture – Resources and Costs in Microsoft Project”
• “Project Tutorials” (Course Resources → Microsoft Project)
o Project Configuration Settings
o Setting the Project Start Date
o Changing a Task Duration
o Inserting Columns
o Linking Tasks
o Recurring Project Tasks
Be sure to update your Team’s Project WBS file using the instructor feedback. Before entering durations,
set the Project Start date. Do not use an arbitrary date! Logically, this project cannot start until the
customer signs-off on the proposal your team is going to present in Week 7. That means Project Start
will be the day after the due date of the Week 7 assignment.
Duration Estimates
Working as a team, come up with duration estimates for the sub-tasks (but NOT the Summary Tasks),
and enter them into the Project WBS. Do not use 0 for duration – this signifies a milestone task, which
has a special purpose in project scheduling.
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have duration of 0.
2. The final task in the project should be Project Finish and it must have duration of 0.
Try to avoid overly small (micromanaged) or overly large durations (which bite off more than you can
chew). Keep the durations reasonable and realistic. A best scheduling practice is to keep duration for a
sub-task to no more than 80 hours (10 business days).
Be careful not to interfere with Project’s scheduling engine. There are several ways that you can
inadvertently do this. Microsoft Project has several columns that will indicate scheduling problems:
• Indicators
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 2 of 6
Here are some common mistakes that schedulers make. Be sure to avoid them! Only enter activity
durations and let Microsoft Project’s scheduling engine handle all the date calculations.
Manually Changing Duration, Start, or Finish for a Summary Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Task Mode from automatically scheduled (good) to
manually scheduled (not good).
Manually Changing Start or Finish for a Sub-Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Constraint Type from As Soon As Possible (good) to Start
No Earlier Than (or other types) and imposes Constraint Dates (not good).
Dependencies
Next, the team will link all sub-tasks in the Project Plan. Every sub-task should be linked to a predecessor
sub-task (which comes before) and a successor sub-task (which comes after).
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have no predecessors
2. The final task in the project should be Project Complete and it must have no successors.
The default link in MS-Project is a “finish-to-start” relationship (task A must be completed before task B
can start). There are other relationships that can be used, but that is an advanced topic that will not be
covered in this class.
REMINDER: Do not apply predecessors or successors to recurring tasks because that will confound the
critical path. Recurring tasks just happen at points in time. In fact, MS-Project will set up recurring tasks
using constraint dates. If you then apply any dependency links, you are defeating the MS-Project
scheduling engine.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 3 of 6
Each member of the team should now take part in reviewing the project plan. Take a look at the
Network View in Microsoft Project. There may be multiple paths and the paths should flow generally
from left to right. The Gantt Chart View and the Network View should not necessarily look like
waterfalls, where each sub-task has only one predecessor and only one successor. Most projects do not
look like that, as sub-tasks can have multiple successors and/or predecessors. On the other hand, do not
over-engineer the dependency links. Here is an example:
Notice sub-tasks 42 through 46 all have sub-task 48 as a successor. The project manager’s thought here
is, “All five of those sub-tasks have to finish before sub-task 48 can begin”. There is no need to over-
engineer the links to do that. Here is the correct arrangement:
Figure 1: Tasks Linked Correctly
As you can see, removing unnecessary links to sub-task 48 did not change any start/finish dates.
NOTE: The project should be scoped so that it will take 3 to 6 months to complete. If it is less than this,
then you have scoped it too small; if it is more than that, then you have scoped it too large. As a final
step, baseline the Project Plan.
Formatting Your Project Plan
Use the Insert Column function so the Project Plan shows the following columns (in this order):
• Indicators (column shows )
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
• Outline Level
• WBS
• Task Name
• Duration
• Start
• Finish
• Predecessors
• Successors
• Type
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 4 of 6
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Deliverable for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Project File for Project Plan.mpp
Part 2. Answers to Questions in Microsoft Word
Read and think through the options and alternatives suggested by these questions before building the
Project Plan. When the Project Plan is completed, answer the following questions, and submit them as a
Microsoft Word document. “Yes” or “No” answers with no explanations or discussions are not
appropriate answers.
1. What are the names for the first and last tasks in the Project Plan? What are their durations?
2. Was the team able to view the Project Plan’s critical path? Explain what it showed.
3. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as manually scheduled ( in the Task Mode column)? If
yes, list the task ids and explain what caused that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
4. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as constrained? (Name of the constraint in the Constraint
Type column, or date in the Constraint Date column)? If yes, list the task ids and explain what caused
that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
5. Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or
table), or something else? Why?
6. Was the team able to find any external reference that disagreed with these assignment instructions?
Explain.
• Do not over-engineer dependency links
• Constraint Dates are not a good thing
• Manually scheduled tasks are not a good thing
Formatting Your Questions Document
• Create an APA format title page that includes: The title of report (Questions for Project Plan),
your name, Course and Section number and date (use assignment due date); do not include
graphics or themes.
• No running header required for this document.
• The body of the paper should be double spaced (or 1.5″), and no longer than 5 pages.
• Tables should be single-spaced, and use no shading.
• Copy and paste the list of questions (above) into your document.
• Answers should be formatted as normal sentences (no numbering, not a run-on sentence as
part of the question, no indenting).
• Use 1″ margins on all sides.
• Font should be 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times
New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point Computer Modern.
• Font should remain consistent throughout the paper, i.e., not changing from one font to
another.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 5 of 6
• Use at least one external reference and one from the course content (from the class reading
content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself) with APA formatted citation and
reference. For information on general APA format and specifics related to citing from the class
content, refer to Content → Course Resources → Writing Resources. Resources must not use
Wikipedia, general information sites, blogs, or discussion groups.
• The list of References must be its own page at the end of the document and it must be in APA
format, i.e., double spaced, .5″ hanging indent. No more than 10% of the paper may be in the
form of a direct citation from an external source. All in-text citations must appear in the
References list and all entries in the References list must be used as in-text citations.
• Run Microsoft Word’s grammar/spell checker; there should be no errors in grammar, verb
tenses, pronouns, spelling, punctuation, first person usage, or contractions.
• Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Questions for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Questions for Project Plan x
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 6 of 6
Grading Rubric
Criteria
90-100%
Far
Above Standards
80-89%
Above Standards
70-79%
Meets Standards
60-69%
Below Standards
< 60%
Well Below Standards
Possible
Points
Configuration Settings
Needed for producing consistent
results in the Project Plan,
includes Project Start date,
updated Project Plan.
5 Points
All configuration settings
correct, Project Start date is
set to day after proposal
sign-off, Project Plan
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
4 Points
Missed 1-2 configuration
settings.
3 Points
Missed 3-4 configuration
settings Project Plan mostly
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
2 Points
Missed 4-5 configuration
settings.
0-1 Points
Missed 5 or more
configuration settings,
Project Start date is not
correctly set, Project Plan
not updated.
5
Duration Estimates
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine needs Durations in order
to calculate values such as Start
and Finish dates, as well as react
to changes.
9-10 Points
All durations (>0) correctly
loaded for sub-tasks, no
manually scheduled tasks,
no task constraints, Project
Start and Complete are 0
duration.
8 Points
Almost all durations loaded
correctly, very few manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
7 Points
Durations loaded somewhat
correctly, some manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
6 Points
Few durations loaded
correctly, many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
0-5 Points
Almost no durations loaded
correctly, too many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
10
Dependencies
Sub-tasks are “tied” together or
linked as dependencies, allowing
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine to properly calculate start
and finish dates, as well as react
to changes. Columns reveal
specified fields.
27-30 Points
All sub-tasks (and no
Summary Tasks) linked, no
constraint dates show in the
Plan, dependencies are not
over-engineered, Columns
reveal all specified fields.
24-26 Points
Almost all sub-tasks (and 1-2
Summary Tasks) linked, very
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, almost no
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
most specified fields.
21-23 Points
Many sub-tasks (and a few
Summary Tasks) linked, a
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, a few dependencies
are over-engineered,
Columns reveal several
specified fields.
18-20 Points
Some sub-tasks (and several
Summary Tasks) linked,
some constraint dates show
in the Plan, some
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
some specified fields.
0-17 Points
Few sub-tasks (and many
Summary Tasks) linked,
many constraint dates show
in the Plan, many
dependencies are over-
engineered, and specified
fields are not revealed.
30
Questions
Answers appropriately explain
concepts (not yes/no).
18-20 Points
All questions answered with
appropriate explanations.
16-17 Points
1-2 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
14-15 Points
3-4 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
12-13 Points
5-6 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
0-11 Points
Questions not answered or
do not use appropriate
explanations.
20
Research
Use at least 2 references from
academically credible sources
with APA formatted citation (in-
text).
18-20 Points
Required references are
incorporated, used
effectively, and cited using
APA style. References used
are relevant and timely and
contribute strongly to the
analysis.
16-17 Points
Required references are
relevant, and somewhat
support the analysis.
References are appropriately
incorporated and cited using
APA style.
14-15 Points
Only one reference is used
and properly incorporated,
and/or reference(s) lack
correct APA style.
12-13 Points
A reference may be used, but
is not properly incorporated
or used, and/or is not
effective or appropriate,
and/or does not follow APA
style for references and
citations.
0-11 Points
No course content or
external research
incorporated, or reference
listed is not cited within the
text.
20
Format
Uses format provided. Includes
Title Page and References Page.
14-15 Points
Well organized and easy to
read. Very few or no errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, or spelling; double-
spaced, written in third
person, and presented in a
professional format.
12-13 Points
Effective organization. Has
few errors in sentence
structure, grammar, and
spelling; double-spaced,
written in third person, and
presented in a professional
format.
11 Points
Some organization. May
have some errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, and spelling;
double spaced and written in
third person.
9-10 Points
Not well organized, and/or
contains several errors in
grammar and/or spelling,
and/or is not double-spaced
and written in third person.
0-8 Points
Extremely poorly written, has
many errors in grammar
and/or spelling, or does not
convey the information
required.
15
2
Team 2 Projecteers Charter for Project WBS
Brandon
Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Djenabou Diallo, Mario Martin, & Maureen Johnson
IFSM 438
University of Maryland Global Campus
31 January 2023
Executive Summary
The purpose of this document is to outline a proposed IT system to enhance business operations at Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe in Alexandria, Virginia. The ideal IT framework will be used to conduct point-of-sale, inventory, bookkeeping, accounting, business networking, and host a website so that customers may place orders in advance using debit/credit cards. The framework will also need to be modern, have a customer-friendly UI, and support 3rd party apps for pickup and delivery orders. Mama Mia currently has a 100,000$ budget for the IT system.
Project Scope
The mission of this project is to plan, design, and implement a modernized IT system for Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe. The implementation of this IT system will modernize the bakery by allowing digitalization of all employee records, inventory, and transactions. This system will also streamline business practices and enable online purchasing and third-party compatibility through apps such as Uber Eats and Door Dash. A website for the bakery will also be established to help with marketing and allow customers to view the menu from home. Electronic registers will also be added to the shop to allow customers to purchase via credit/debit card and NFC. Lastly, a windows PC will be setup in the management office to allow Mama Mia a workstation to conduct inventory, pay rolls, scheduling, and other managerial duties. This PC will also allow her to have a direct form of communication to her suppliers (the health department) and other business associates. Next to this PC, a router will be installed and enabled via the local Comcast services.
Excluded from this particular scope will be all furniture upgrades to the establishment, as well as the hiring of new employees. The addition of bakery items and other menu expansions will also be excluded from the scope of this project. This project will focus entirely on the IT aspect of the upgrade.
Project Estimates
Even though the entire shop upgrade is scheduled to be complete in 6 months, the IT portion will likely be complete in 4. The following chart illustrates the deliverables, an estimated cost of that deliverable, and a rough estimate of their forecasted completion dates:
|
Deliverable |
Cost |
Date |
||||||
|
Router Installation |
250$ |
FEB 2024 |
||||||
|
Lan Installation |
6,000$ |
Feb 2024 |
||||||
|
Comcast Wi-Fi |
300$ /month |
|||||||
|
Records/Payroll System Installation |
||||||||
|
Inventory System Installation |
||||||||
|
Electronic Register Installation |
2,400$ |
March 2024 |
||||||
|
Electronic Transaction Tracker |
||||||||
|
Bakery Website |
5,000$ |
April 2024 |
||||||
|
Online Ordering/3rd Party Optimization |
300$ | |||||||
|
Testing/Troubleshooting Issues |
N/A |
May/June 2024 |
||||||
|
Labor |
25,000$ |
As previously mentioned, the IT project is currently being funded by Mama Mia with a 100,000$ budget. As shown in the above chart, the estimate cost of this project will be between 40,000$-50,000$. This will give Mama Mia the ideal IT system for less than half of the estimated price.
Primary Stakeholder(s)
Mama Mia is the primary stakeholder for this project as she is the one funding the project and outlining the system requirements. Other stakeholders would include the customers and employees, as they will be the ones who frequently use the system.
Project Team
The following chart describes the role each team member will fulfill in respects to this IT project:
|
Name |
Role |
| Brandon |
IT manager – Will ensure team members have a detailed understanding of their role in this project and the tasks they are responsible for. Will also provide suspense dates and notify team members of any issues or changes to the project. Will be the liaison between Mama Mia and the team members. |
|
Donatello |
Connectivity – Will work alongside Comcast technician(s) to ensure a router is properly installed and that a functioning LAN is provided. Will setup Wi-Fi and PC. |
|
Michelangelo |
Financial Systems – Will setup both electronic registers and ensure NFC and other functions are online. Will also download and setup inventory and transaction tracking software on PC. |
|
Leonardo |
Security Expert – Will make sure Wi-Fi, LAN, PC, and website are secure. Will brief Mama Mia and other employees on the importance of cybersecurity and ensure all important aspects of the IT system have a secure password. |
|
Rafael |
Web developer – Will focus on the creation and development of the Mama Mia website. Will deliver the perfect website and identify and troubleshoot bugs. |
|
Splinter |
3rd Party Optimization – Will work on optimizing the Mama Mia restaurant with 3rd party apps such as Door Dash and Uber Eats. Will ensure correct menu items are incorporated and that the IT system notifies the shop of orders placed online. |
Project Constraints and Assumptions
The main constraint for this project is that it must be completed within 6-months and that it consists of a 100,000$ budget. The assumption for this project is that all team members will be available for the entire project as well as the assumption that they will complete their portion of the project by the given suspense date. We can also assume that Mama Mia will not make any changes to the IT system requirements prior to the project completion date.
Preliminary Risk Statement
The first potential risk is that one or more team members may not be available for the entirety of their role within the project or lack the skills to complete their portion. This risk can be mitigated by consulting the member in the initial planning phase and verifying they are confident they can perform the task and will be around for the entire project. Also, having other qualified technicians who can step up the job as a backup is another mitigation technique.
Another potential risk is to the successful completion of this project is scope creep. This can also be mitigated in the initial planning phase by communicating with Mama Mia the issues of scope creep and getting a direct end goal of the desired IT system. Communication with the rest of the project team members is also beneficial so that any projected potential issues don’t come as a surprise, increasing the scope.
Preliminary Communication Plan
Each member of the IT team will communicate daily via Microsoft Teams group chat. Each member will be required to submit a small bi-weekly WAR (weekly activity report) stating the progress they made throughout the past 2 week, outlining any milestones or roadblocks. At the end of the 2-week period, the IT manager will review the bi-weekly WARs and provide these updates to Mama Mia. Each team member will be available on Microsoft Teams daily so that they can communicate any updates and collaborate ideas as needed.
Change Threshold
A new project charter would be required if requirements are modified to cause the project to exceed the 6-month timeframe, 100,000$ budget, or require more manpower. With this IT project projected to cost approximately half of the 100,000$ budget, it is highly unlikely that a price threshold will be exceeded. Also, this project is carefully planned out to only require 4 out of the 6 months given. However, in the unlikely event that the scope of this project drastically increases, a new project charter will be drafted.
Definition of Project Complete
The project will be defined as complete upon completion of all the deliverables previously stated, and a confirmation of customer satisfaction with the end product. A functional router, functional LAN, Wi-Fi, records and payroll system, inventory system, electronic register, quality website, and optimization with third party delivery apps are all defined deliverables. Once Mama Mia is satisfied with these deliverables, this project will be complete.
Signatures
Date:
Date:
Sources
· McKeever, C. (2006). The project charter–blueprint for success. CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering, 19(1), 6-9.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=17fb76a8dc535dfd8a08d5d5277905ba7336fb32
· University of Maryland Global Campus. (2022). 4. Framework for Project Management. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/dam/permalink/5cbf4cd2-689d-40dc-8169-ac8f7c832d89.html
image1.emf
image2.emf
Questions for Project WBS
Brandon Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Mario Martin
University of Maryland Global Campus
IFSM 438
Professor Paul Tomaka
January 31, 2023
Does the Project Schedule include everything in your team’s charter and all deliverables? If the WBS includes tasks that were not part of the Project Charter, explain how the team determined the additional tasks were necessary.
The Project Schedule is the backbone of any project as it outlines the entire scope of work to be performed, along with the timeline and resources required for each of those tasks. It is crucial that the team uses the Project Schedule to reflect all the project objectives, goals, and milestones as defined in the charter. This ensures that all stakeholders are aware and can keep track of what is expected and when. The Project Schedule should also reflect any updates or changes made to the charter along the way to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the project stays on track. A well-structured Project Schedule can help to avoid misunderstandings and minimize the risk of project failure.
Does the WBS include project management tasks necessary to manage the project?
The WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) includes the major project management tasks necessary to manage the project effectively. This includes tasks such as creating a project schedule, meeting with stakeholders, monitoring progress, and making necessary adjustments. By including these tasks in the WBS, the project manager can ensure that the project is well-managed and that the team is able to deliver the project on time and within budget.
Explain the top-down and bottom-up approaches to building a WBS. Which approach did the team decide to use and why did they make that decision?
The top-down approach states the biggest tasks or group and then breaks it down (Simplilearn, 2023). Those are the high-level actions to accomplish the project. The bottom-up approach picks a task that can be easily done and completes it. This is more effective for focusing on details and brainstorming. The team utilized both approaches while building the WBS. One team member began by identifying the largest tasks or high-level actions, the remaining team members identified the tasks that fell within the largest tasks (the bottom-up approach).
Building the WBS as an outline in Word or Excel instead of Project can help team members visualize the order of the tasks and how the tasks might decompose into lower levels. Did the team build an outline outside of Project? If you only used Project, did the team need to rearrange tasks while building the WBS?
The team complete the initial outline in Microsoft Excel. The goal was to establish clear project objectives that cannot be interpreted in deferent ways (Watts, 2014). Tasks were grouped together in work packages; Excel made it easier to rearrange them and organize subtasks. These work packages were then plugged into a Microsoft Project document and by then the need to rearrange tasks were very minimal.
Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or table), or something else? Why?
During part two of this assignment, the team had a tabular approach to the WBS while using Microsoft Excel to create the first draft. The team saw Microsoft Excel as the perfect tool for organization and for setting a foundation without too many complications. Approaching the first draft with the tabular format allowed the team to easily build a solid blueprint of which tasks and subtasks were going to be incorporated in the final WBS.
Did the team work together to determine the major tasks or was only one team member responsible for that? How well did it work?
Initially, one team member determined the major tasks. This team member’s responsibility was to extract the key tasks from the selected project charter meanwhile incorporating the mandatory tasks listed in the rubric. Once a draft was created, the remaining team members all put a considerable amount of effort in deciding which tasks could be added, removed, or reworded. With a collective input from everyone, the team eventually produced a final Excel draft that contained all the major tasks and subtasks and a much higher quality final product than what we began with.
References
Simplilearn. (2023, January 27). WBS Approach in Project Management. Retrieved from Simplilearn.com: https://www.simplilearn.com/wbs-approach-in-project-management-article
Watts, A. (2014). Project Management. Retrieved from BCcampus Victoria, B.C.: file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/Project-Management-2nd-Edition-1665530399
Week 3 – Project WBS Feedback for Team Assignment
Team: Team 2 – Projecteers
Feedback:
• You are on the right track with your WBS but you omitted several key elements and others need to be
updated/expanded.
• I highlighted those in the comments below.
• When building the WBS, you need to think of it as a roadmap for the work that needs to be done. The key is to
include everything in a logical flow that can become a schedule in the future.
• Please make changes to your MS Project file to reflect the input below.
• You may use any part of my WBS or substitute mine as the starting point for the Week 4 assignment.
• Please email me if you have any questions.
For level 2 WBS tasks, please refer to the chart above.
1.0 Manage Project:
• Change the summary task to “Manage Project”. It should not be called “Initial Planning”
• You included some PM tasks, but please ensure you’ve accounted for all of these tasks.
Task Name Duration
Manage Project 1 day?
Project Charter 1 day
Create Charter 1 day
Charter Signed 1 day
Project Management Plan 1 day?
Create Draft 1 day?
Revise Project Management Plan 1 day?
Finalize Project Management Plan 1 day
Direct & Manage Project Work 1 day
Manage Vendors 1 day
Manage Project Team 1 day
Manage Stakeholders 1 day
Manage PM Knowledge 1 day
Monitor & Control Project Work 1 day?
Monitor Budget 1 day
Monitor Schedule 1 day?
Perform Integrated Change Control 1 day?
Manage Scope Changes 1 day
Update Scope 1 day?
• Move PM recurring tasks from “Develop Resource Plan” to this area.
2.0 Design IT Solution:
• You need to include a summary task to account for the system design of your upgrade.
• Add tasks to account for an IT solution design, such as:
Task Name Duration
Design IT Solution (Phase 1) 1 day?
Facilities Layout 1 day?
Dining Area 1 day?
Customer Service Area 1 day?
Admin Area 1 day?
Kitchen Area 1 day?
Network Design 1 day?
Wired Network Design 1 day?
Wireless Network Design 1 day?
Services Requirements 1 day?
Inventory 1 day?
Bookkeeping 1 day?
Website 1 day?
Online Ordering 1 day?
Card Processing 1 day?
Office Automation 1 day?
• You must have a plan before your can order equipment.
3.0 System Hardware:
• This area must account for POS terminals, ordering kiosks, and similar equipment.
• You need to account for vendor selection, ordering, shipping and receiving of equipment.
• The IT Solution summary task will be the key input to this section.
Task Name Duration
System Hardware (Phase 2a) 1 day
Hardware Acquisition 1 day
Determine Hardware Requirements 1 day
Select Hardware Vendor(s) 1 day
Order Hardware 1 day
Order Admin Workstations 1 day
Order Printers 1 day
Order POS Terminals 1 day
Order Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Order Payment Terminals 1 day
Receive Hardware 1 day
Receive Admin Workstations 1 day
Receive Printers 1 day
Receive POS Terminals 1 day
Receive Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Receive Payment Terminals 1 day
Hardware Installation 1 day
Install Admin Workstations 1 day
Install Printers 1 day
Install POS Terminals 1 day
Install Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Install Payment Terminals 1 day
4.0 System Software:
• You need to determine your requirements from the IT Solution section.
• You need to account for vendor selection and shipping.
• Account for other software as needed.
Task Name Duration
System Software (Phase 2b) 1 day?
Software Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Software Requirements 1 day?
Select Software Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Software 1 day?
Receive Software 1 day?
Software Installation 1 day?
Admin Workstation Software 1 day?
Other Software 1 day?
5.0 IT Services:
• You need to determine what services you will need.
• You need to add tasks for IT services, such as:
Task Name Duration
IT Services (Phase 2c) 1 day?
Determine Services Requirements 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services (MS365) 1 day?
Contract for Services 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services 1 day?
• Website design should be included in this section.
• It is likely that a vendor will handle website design and implementation for you.
6.0 System Networking:
• You have some of these tasks in “System Installation”
• You can move those tasks into this section and add others as needed.
• This section needs a logical flow, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Networking (Phase 3) 1 day?
Networking Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Network Equipment Requirements 1 day?
Select Network Equipment Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Network Equipment 1 day?
Receive Network Equipment 1 day?
Install Wired Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Install Wireless Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
7.0 System Validation:
• The “System Implementation” task covers some of this.
• You need to handle testing and training separately.
• Expand your testing section to account for all equipment testing needed, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Validation (Phase 4) 1 day?
Develop Validation Plan 1 day?
Hardware Validation Plan 1 day?
Networking Validation Plan 1 day?
Software Validation Plan 1 day?
Services Validation Plan 1 day?
Conduct System Validation 1 day?
Hardware Validation 1 day?
Networking Validation 1 day?
Software Validation 1 day?
Services Validation 1 day?
8.0 System Transition:
• Move the training tasks to this section.
• Add user acceptance tasks.
Task Name Duration
System Transition (Phase 5) 1 day?
User Training 1 day?
Develop Training Plan 1 day?
Conduct User Training 1 day?
User Acceptance 1 day?
Develop UAT Plan 1 day?
Conduct UAT 1 day?
9.0 Post-Implementation Support:
• Add post-imp support.
Task Name Duration
Post-Implementation Support (Phase 6) 1 day?
Plan Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Conduct Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 1 of 6
Overview
The purpose of this Team assignment is to:
• Extend the team’s Project WBS.
• Enter sub-task durations.
• Create dependencies (predecessor & successor links) between sub-tasks.
• Produce an interim Project Plan.
There are two parts to this assignment.
Part 1 – Build out the WBS into a Project Plan in Microsoft Project
Getting Ready
Read the following:
• “Lecture – Resources and Costs in Microsoft Project”
• “Project Tutorials” (Course Resources → Microsoft Project)
o Project Configuration Settings
o Setting the Project Start Date
o Changing a Task Duration
o Inserting Columns
o Linking Tasks
o Recurring Project Tasks
Be sure to update your Team’s Project WBS file using the instructor feedback. Before entering durations,
set the Project Start date. Do not use an arbitrary date! Logically, this project cannot start until the
customer signs-off on the proposal your team is going to present in Week 7. That means Project Start
will be the day after the due date of the Week 7 assignment.
Duration Estimates
Working as a team, come up with duration estimates for the sub-tasks (but NOT the Summary Tasks),
and enter them into the Project WBS. Do not use 0 for duration – this signifies a milestone task, which
has a special purpose in project scheduling.
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have duration of 0.
2. The final task in the project should be Project Finish and it must have duration of 0.
Try to avoid overly small (micromanaged) or overly large durations (which bite off more than you can
chew). Keep the durations reasonable and realistic. A best scheduling practice is to keep duration for a
sub-task to no more than 80 hours (10 business days).
Be careful not to interfere with Project’s scheduling engine. There are several ways that you can
inadvertently do this. Microsoft Project has several columns that will indicate scheduling problems:
• Indicators
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 2 of 6
Here are some common mistakes that schedulers make. Be sure to avoid them! Only enter activity
durations and let Microsoft Project’s scheduling engine handle all the date calculations.
Manually Changing Duration, Start, or Finish for a Summary Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Task Mode from automatically scheduled (good) to
manually scheduled (not good).
Manually Changing Start or Finish for a Sub-Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Constraint Type from As Soon As Possible (good) to Start
No Earlier Than (or other types) and imposes Constraint Dates (not good).
Dependencies
Next, the team will link all sub-tasks in the Project Plan. Every sub-task should be linked to a predecessor
sub-task (which comes before) and a successor sub-task (which comes after).
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have no predecessors
2. The final task in the project should be Project Complete and it must have no successors.
The default link in MS-Project is a “finish-to-start” relationship (task A must be completed before task B
can start). There are other relationships that can be used, but that is an advanced topic that will not be
covered in this class.
REMINDER: Do not apply predecessors or successors to recurring tasks because that will confound the
critical path. Recurring tasks just happen at points in time. In fact, MS-Project will set up recurring tasks
using constraint dates. If you then apply any dependency links, you are defeating the MS-Project
scheduling engine.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 3 of 6
Each member of the team should now take part in reviewing the project plan. Take a look at the
Network View in Microsoft Project. There may be multiple paths and the paths should flow generally
from left to right. The Gantt Chart View and the Network View should not necessarily look like
waterfalls, where each sub-task has only one predecessor and only one successor. Most projects do not
look like that, as sub-tasks can have multiple successors and/or predecessors. On the other hand, do not
over-engineer the dependency links. Here is an example:
Notice sub-tasks 42 through 46 all have sub-task 48 as a successor. The project manager’s thought here
is, “All five of those sub-tasks have to finish before sub-task 48 can begin”. There is no need to over-
engineer the links to do that. Here is the correct arrangement:
Figure 1: Tasks Linked Correctly
As you can see, removing unnecessary links to sub-task 48 did not change any start/finish dates.
NOTE: The project should be scoped so that it will take 3 to 6 months to complete. If it is less than this,
then you have scoped it too small; if it is more than that, then you have scoped it too large. As a final
step, baseline the Project Plan.
Formatting Your Project Plan
Use the Insert Column function so the Project Plan shows the following columns (in this order):
• Indicators (column shows )
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
• Outline Level
• WBS
• Task Name
• Duration
• Start
• Finish
• Predecessors
• Successors
• Type
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 4 of 6
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Deliverable for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Project File for Project Plan.mpp
Part 2. Answers to Questions in Microsoft Word
Read and think through the options and alternatives suggested by these questions before building the
Project Plan. When the Project Plan is completed, answer the following questions, and submit them as a
Microsoft Word document. “Yes” or “No” answers with no explanations or discussions are not
appropriate answers.
1. What are the names for the first and last tasks in the Project Plan? What are their durations?
2. Was the team able to view the Project Plan’s critical path? Explain what it showed.
3. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as manually scheduled ( in the Task Mode column)? If
yes, list the task ids and explain what caused that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
4. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as constrained? (Name of the constraint in the Constraint
Type column, or date in the Constraint Date column)? If yes, list the task ids and explain what caused
that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
5. Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or
table), or something else? Why?
6. Was the team able to find any external reference that disagreed with these assignment instructions?
Explain.
• Do not over-engineer dependency links
• Constraint Dates are not a good thing
• Manually scheduled tasks are not a good thing
Formatting Your Questions Document
• Create an APA format title page that includes: The title of report (Questions for Project Plan),
your name, Course and Section number and date (use assignment due date); do not include
graphics or themes.
• No running header required for this document.
• The body of the paper should be double spaced (or 1.5″), and no longer than 5 pages.
• Tables should be single-spaced, and use no shading.
• Copy and paste the list of questions (above) into your document.
• Answers should be formatted as normal sentences (no numbering, not a run-on sentence as
part of the question, no indenting).
• Use 1″ margins on all sides.
• Font should be 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times
New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point Computer Modern.
• Font should remain consistent throughout the paper, i.e., not changing from one font to
another.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 5 of 6
• Use at least one external reference and one from the course content (from the class reading
content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself) with APA formatted citation and
reference. For information on general APA format and specifics related to citing from the class
content, refer to Content → Course Resources → Writing Resources. Resources must not use
Wikipedia, general information sites, blogs, or discussion groups.
• The list of References must be its own page at the end of the document and it must be in APA
format, i.e., double spaced, .5″ hanging indent. No more than 10% of the paper may be in the
form of a direct citation from an external source. All in-text citations must appear in the
References list and all entries in the References list must be used as in-text citations.
• Run Microsoft Word’s grammar/spell checker; there should be no errors in grammar, verb
tenses, pronouns, spelling, punctuation, first person usage, or contractions.
• Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Questions for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Questions for Project Plan x
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 6 of 6
Grading Rubric
Criteria
90-100%
Far
Above Standards
80-89%
Above Standards
70-79%
Meets Standards
60-69%
Below Standards
< 60%
Well Below Standards
Possible
Points
Configuration Settings
Needed for producing consistent
results in the Project Plan,
includes Project Start date,
updated Project Plan.
5 Points
All configuration settings
correct, Project Start date is
set to day after proposal
sign-off, Project Plan
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
4 Points
Missed 1-2 configuration
settings.
3 Points
Missed 3-4 configuration
settings Project Plan mostly
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
2 Points
Missed 4-5 configuration
settings.
0-1 Points
Missed 5 or more
configuration settings,
Project Start date is not
correctly set, Project Plan
not updated.
5
Duration Estimates
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine needs Durations in order
to calculate values such as Start
and Finish dates, as well as react
to changes.
9-10 Points
All durations (>0) correctly
loaded for sub-tasks, no
manually scheduled tasks,
no task constraints, Project
Start and Complete are 0
duration.
8 Points
Almost all durations loaded
correctly, very few manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
7 Points
Durations loaded somewhat
correctly, some manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
6 Points
Few durations loaded
correctly, many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
0-5 Points
Almost no durations loaded
correctly, too many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
10
Dependencies
Sub-tasks are “tied” together or
linked as dependencies, allowing
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine to properly calculate start
and finish dates, as well as react
to changes. Columns reveal
specified fields.
27-30 Points
All sub-tasks (and no
Summary Tasks) linked, no
constraint dates show in the
Plan, dependencies are not
over-engineered, Columns
reveal all specified fields.
24-26 Points
Almost all sub-tasks (and 1-2
Summary Tasks) linked, very
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, almost no
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
most specified fields.
21-23 Points
Many sub-tasks (and a few
Summary Tasks) linked, a
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, a few dependencies
are over-engineered,
Columns reveal several
specified fields.
18-20 Points
Some sub-tasks (and several
Summary Tasks) linked,
some constraint dates show
in the Plan, some
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
some specified fields.
0-17 Points
Few sub-tasks (and many
Summary Tasks) linked,
many constraint dates show
in the Plan, many
dependencies are over-
engineered, and specified
fields are not revealed.
30
Questions
Answers appropriately explain
concepts (not yes/no).
18-20 Points
All questions answered with
appropriate explanations.
16-17 Points
1-2 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
14-15 Points
3-4 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
12-13 Points
5-6 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
0-11 Points
Questions not answered or
do not use appropriate
explanations.
20
Research
Use at least 2 references from
academically credible sources
with APA formatted citation (in-
text).
18-20 Points
Required references are
incorporated, used
effectively, and cited using
APA style. References used
are relevant and timely and
contribute strongly to the
analysis.
16-17 Points
Required references are
relevant, and somewhat
support the analysis.
References are appropriately
incorporated and cited using
APA style.
14-15 Points
Only one reference is used
and properly incorporated,
and/or reference(s) lack
correct APA style.
12-13 Points
A reference may be used, but
is not properly incorporated
or used, and/or is not
effective or appropriate,
and/or does not follow APA
style for references and
citations.
0-11 Points
No course content or
external research
incorporated, or reference
listed is not cited within the
text.
20
Format
Uses format provided. Includes
Title Page and References Page.
14-15 Points
Well organized and easy to
read. Very few or no errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, or spelling; double-
spaced, written in third
person, and presented in a
professional format.
12-13 Points
Effective organization. Has
few errors in sentence
structure, grammar, and
spelling; double-spaced,
written in third person, and
presented in a professional
format.
11 Points
Some organization. May
have some errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, and spelling;
double spaced and written in
third person.
9-10 Points
Not well organized, and/or
contains several errors in
grammar and/or spelling,
and/or is not double-spaced
and written in third person.
0-8 Points
Extremely poorly written, has
many errors in grammar
and/or spelling, or does not
convey the information
required.
15
2
Team 2 Projecteers Charter for Project WBS
Brandon
Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Djenabou Diallo, Mario Martin, & Maureen Johnson
IFSM 438
University of Maryland Global Campus
31 January 2023
Executive Summary
The purpose of this document is to outline a proposed IT system to enhance business operations at Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe in Alexandria, Virginia. The ideal IT framework will be used to conduct point-of-sale, inventory, bookkeeping, accounting, business networking, and host a website so that customers may place orders in advance using debit/credit cards. The framework will also need to be modern, have a customer-friendly UI, and support 3rd party apps for pickup and delivery orders. Mama Mia currently has a 100,000$ budget for the IT system.
Project Scope
The mission of this project is to plan, design, and implement a modernized IT system for Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe. The implementation of this IT system will modernize the bakery by allowing digitalization of all employee records, inventory, and transactions. This system will also streamline business practices and enable online purchasing and third-party compatibility through apps such as Uber Eats and Door Dash. A website for the bakery will also be established to help with marketing and allow customers to view the menu from home. Electronic registers will also be added to the shop to allow customers to purchase via credit/debit card and NFC. Lastly, a windows PC will be setup in the management office to allow Mama Mia a workstation to conduct inventory, pay rolls, scheduling, and other managerial duties. This PC will also allow her to have a direct form of communication to her suppliers (the health department) and other business associates. Next to this PC, a router will be installed and enabled via the local Comcast services.
Excluded from this particular scope will be all furniture upgrades to the establishment, as well as the hiring of new employees. The addition of bakery items and other menu expansions will also be excluded from the scope of this project. This project will focus entirely on the IT aspect of the upgrade.
Project Estimates
Even though the entire shop upgrade is scheduled to be complete in 6 months, the IT portion will likely be complete in 4. The following chart illustrates the deliverables, an estimated cost of that deliverable, and a rough estimate of their forecasted completion dates:
|
Deliverable |
Cost |
Date |
||||||
|
Router Installation |
250$ |
FEB 2024 |
||||||
|
Lan Installation |
6,000$ |
Feb 2024 |
||||||
|
Comcast Wi-Fi |
300$ /month |
|||||||
|
Records/Payroll System Installation |
||||||||
|
Inventory System Installation |
||||||||
|
Electronic Register Installation |
2,400$ |
March 2024 |
||||||
|
Electronic Transaction Tracker |
||||||||
|
Bakery Website |
5,000$ |
April 2024 |
||||||
|
Online Ordering/3rd Party Optimization |
300$ | |||||||
|
Testing/Troubleshooting Issues |
N/A |
May/June 2024 |
||||||
|
Labor |
25,000$ |
As previously mentioned, the IT project is currently being funded by Mama Mia with a 100,000$ budget. As shown in the above chart, the estimate cost of this project will be between 40,000$-50,000$. This will give Mama Mia the ideal IT system for less than half of the estimated price.
Primary Stakeholder(s)
Mama Mia is the primary stakeholder for this project as she is the one funding the project and outlining the system requirements. Other stakeholders would include the customers and employees, as they will be the ones who frequently use the system.
Project Team
The following chart describes the role each team member will fulfill in respects to this IT project:
|
Name |
Role |
| Brandon |
IT manager – Will ensure team members have a detailed understanding of their role in this project and the tasks they are responsible for. Will also provide suspense dates and notify team members of any issues or changes to the project. Will be the liaison between Mama Mia and the team members. |
|
Donatello |
Connectivity – Will work alongside Comcast technician(s) to ensure a router is properly installed and that a functioning LAN is provided. Will setup Wi-Fi and PC. |
|
Michelangelo |
Financial Systems – Will setup both electronic registers and ensure NFC and other functions are online. Will also download and setup inventory and transaction tracking software on PC. |
|
Leonardo |
Security Expert – Will make sure Wi-Fi, LAN, PC, and website are secure. Will brief Mama Mia and other employees on the importance of cybersecurity and ensure all important aspects of the IT system have a secure password. |
|
Rafael |
Web developer – Will focus on the creation and development of the Mama Mia website. Will deliver the perfect website and identify and troubleshoot bugs. |
|
Splinter |
3rd Party Optimization – Will work on optimizing the Mama Mia restaurant with 3rd party apps such as Door Dash and Uber Eats. Will ensure correct menu items are incorporated and that the IT system notifies the shop of orders placed online. |
Project Constraints and Assumptions
The main constraint for this project is that it must be completed within 6-months and that it consists of a 100,000$ budget. The assumption for this project is that all team members will be available for the entire project as well as the assumption that they will complete their portion of the project by the given suspense date. We can also assume that Mama Mia will not make any changes to the IT system requirements prior to the project completion date.
Preliminary Risk Statement
The first potential risk is that one or more team members may not be available for the entirety of their role within the project or lack the skills to complete their portion. This risk can be mitigated by consulting the member in the initial planning phase and verifying they are confident they can perform the task and will be around for the entire project. Also, having other qualified technicians who can step up the job as a backup is another mitigation technique.
Another potential risk is to the successful completion of this project is scope creep. This can also be mitigated in the initial planning phase by communicating with Mama Mia the issues of scope creep and getting a direct end goal of the desired IT system. Communication with the rest of the project team members is also beneficial so that any projected potential issues don’t come as a surprise, increasing the scope.
Preliminary Communication Plan
Each member of the IT team will communicate daily via Microsoft Teams group chat. Each member will be required to submit a small bi-weekly WAR (weekly activity report) stating the progress they made throughout the past 2 week, outlining any milestones or roadblocks. At the end of the 2-week period, the IT manager will review the bi-weekly WARs and provide these updates to Mama Mia. Each team member will be available on Microsoft Teams daily so that they can communicate any updates and collaborate ideas as needed.
Change Threshold
A new project charter would be required if requirements are modified to cause the project to exceed the 6-month timeframe, 100,000$ budget, or require more manpower. With this IT project projected to cost approximately half of the 100,000$ budget, it is highly unlikely that a price threshold will be exceeded. Also, this project is carefully planned out to only require 4 out of the 6 months given. However, in the unlikely event that the scope of this project drastically increases, a new project charter will be drafted.
Definition of Project Complete
The project will be defined as complete upon completion of all the deliverables previously stated, and a confirmation of customer satisfaction with the end product. A functional router, functional LAN, Wi-Fi, records and payroll system, inventory system, electronic register, quality website, and optimization with third party delivery apps are all defined deliverables. Once Mama Mia is satisfied with these deliverables, this project will be complete.
Signatures
Date:
Date:
Sources
· McKeever, C. (2006). The project charter–blueprint for success. CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering, 19(1), 6-9.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=17fb76a8dc535dfd8a08d5d5277905ba7336fb32
· University of Maryland Global Campus. (2022). 4. Framework for Project Management. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/dam/permalink/5cbf4cd2-689d-40dc-8169-ac8f7c832d89.html
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image2.emf
Questions for Project WBS
Brandon Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Mario Martin
University of Maryland Global Campus
IFSM 438
Professor Paul Tomaka
January 31, 2023
Does the Project Schedule include everything in your team’s charter and all deliverables? If the WBS includes tasks that were not part of the Project Charter, explain how the team determined the additional tasks were necessary.
The Project Schedule is the backbone of any project as it outlines the entire scope of work to be performed, along with the timeline and resources required for each of those tasks. It is crucial that the team uses the Project Schedule to reflect all the project objectives, goals, and milestones as defined in the charter. This ensures that all stakeholders are aware and can keep track of what is expected and when. The Project Schedule should also reflect any updates or changes made to the charter along the way to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the project stays on track. A well-structured Project Schedule can help to avoid misunderstandings and minimize the risk of project failure.
Does the WBS include project management tasks necessary to manage the project?
The WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) includes the major project management tasks necessary to manage the project effectively. This includes tasks such as creating a project schedule, meeting with stakeholders, monitoring progress, and making necessary adjustments. By including these tasks in the WBS, the project manager can ensure that the project is well-managed and that the team is able to deliver the project on time and within budget.
Explain the top-down and bottom-up approaches to building a WBS. Which approach did the team decide to use and why did they make that decision?
The top-down approach states the biggest tasks or group and then breaks it down (Simplilearn, 2023). Those are the high-level actions to accomplish the project. The bottom-up approach picks a task that can be easily done and completes it. This is more effective for focusing on details and brainstorming. The team utilized both approaches while building the WBS. One team member began by identifying the largest tasks or high-level actions, the remaining team members identified the tasks that fell within the largest tasks (the bottom-up approach).
Building the WBS as an outline in Word or Excel instead of Project can help team members visualize the order of the tasks and how the tasks might decompose into lower levels. Did the team build an outline outside of Project? If you only used Project, did the team need to rearrange tasks while building the WBS?
The team complete the initial outline in Microsoft Excel. The goal was to establish clear project objectives that cannot be interpreted in deferent ways (Watts, 2014). Tasks were grouped together in work packages; Excel made it easier to rearrange them and organize subtasks. These work packages were then plugged into a Microsoft Project document and by then the need to rearrange tasks were very minimal.
Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or table), or something else? Why?
During part two of this assignment, the team had a tabular approach to the WBS while using Microsoft Excel to create the first draft. The team saw Microsoft Excel as the perfect tool for organization and for setting a foundation without too many complications. Approaching the first draft with the tabular format allowed the team to easily build a solid blueprint of which tasks and subtasks were going to be incorporated in the final WBS.
Did the team work together to determine the major tasks or was only one team member responsible for that? How well did it work?
Initially, one team member determined the major tasks. This team member’s responsibility was to extract the key tasks from the selected project charter meanwhile incorporating the mandatory tasks listed in the rubric. Once a draft was created, the remaining team members all put a considerable amount of effort in deciding which tasks could be added, removed, or reworded. With a collective input from everyone, the team eventually produced a final Excel draft that contained all the major tasks and subtasks and a much higher quality final product than what we began with.
References
Simplilearn. (2023, January 27). WBS Approach in Project Management. Retrieved from Simplilearn.com: https://www.simplilearn.com/wbs-approach-in-project-management-article
Watts, A. (2014). Project Management. Retrieved from BCcampus Victoria, B.C.: file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/Project-Management-2nd-Edition-1665530399
Week 3 – Project WBS Feedback for Team Assignment
Team: Team 2 – Projecteers
Feedback:
• You are on the right track with your WBS but you omitted several key elements and others need to be
updated/expanded.
• I highlighted those in the comments below.
• When building the WBS, you need to think of it as a roadmap for the work that needs to be done. The key is to
include everything in a logical flow that can become a schedule in the future.
• Please make changes to your MS Project file to reflect the input below.
• You may use any part of my WBS or substitute mine as the starting point for the Week 4 assignment.
• Please email me if you have any questions.
For level 2 WBS tasks, please refer to the chart above.
1.0 Manage Project:
• Change the summary task to “Manage Project”. It should not be called “Initial Planning”
• You included some PM tasks, but please ensure you’ve accounted for all of these tasks.
Task Name Duration
Manage Project 1 day?
Project Charter 1 day
Create Charter 1 day
Charter Signed 1 day
Project Management Plan 1 day?
Create Draft 1 day?
Revise Project Management Plan 1 day?
Finalize Project Management Plan 1 day
Direct & Manage Project Work 1 day
Manage Vendors 1 day
Manage Project Team 1 day
Manage Stakeholders 1 day
Manage PM Knowledge 1 day
Monitor & Control Project Work 1 day?
Monitor Budget 1 day
Monitor Schedule 1 day?
Perform Integrated Change Control 1 day?
Manage Scope Changes 1 day
Update Scope 1 day?
• Move PM recurring tasks from “Develop Resource Plan” to this area.
2.0 Design IT Solution:
• You need to include a summary task to account for the system design of your upgrade.
• Add tasks to account for an IT solution design, such as:
Task Name Duration
Design IT Solution (Phase 1) 1 day?
Facilities Layout 1 day?
Dining Area 1 day?
Customer Service Area 1 day?
Admin Area 1 day?
Kitchen Area 1 day?
Network Design 1 day?
Wired Network Design 1 day?
Wireless Network Design 1 day?
Services Requirements 1 day?
Inventory 1 day?
Bookkeeping 1 day?
Website 1 day?
Online Ordering 1 day?
Card Processing 1 day?
Office Automation 1 day?
• You must have a plan before your can order equipment.
3.0 System Hardware:
• This area must account for POS terminals, ordering kiosks, and similar equipment.
• You need to account for vendor selection, ordering, shipping and receiving of equipment.
• The IT Solution summary task will be the key input to this section.
Task Name Duration
System Hardware (Phase 2a) 1 day
Hardware Acquisition 1 day
Determine Hardware Requirements 1 day
Select Hardware Vendor(s) 1 day
Order Hardware 1 day
Order Admin Workstations 1 day
Order Printers 1 day
Order POS Terminals 1 day
Order Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Order Payment Terminals 1 day
Receive Hardware 1 day
Receive Admin Workstations 1 day
Receive Printers 1 day
Receive POS Terminals 1 day
Receive Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Receive Payment Terminals 1 day
Hardware Installation 1 day
Install Admin Workstations 1 day
Install Printers 1 day
Install POS Terminals 1 day
Install Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Install Payment Terminals 1 day
4.0 System Software:
• You need to determine your requirements from the IT Solution section.
• You need to account for vendor selection and shipping.
• Account for other software as needed.
Task Name Duration
System Software (Phase 2b) 1 day?
Software Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Software Requirements 1 day?
Select Software Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Software 1 day?
Receive Software 1 day?
Software Installation 1 day?
Admin Workstation Software 1 day?
Other Software 1 day?
5.0 IT Services:
• You need to determine what services you will need.
• You need to add tasks for IT services, such as:
Task Name Duration
IT Services (Phase 2c) 1 day?
Determine Services Requirements 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services (MS365) 1 day?
Contract for Services 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services 1 day?
• Website design should be included in this section.
• It is likely that a vendor will handle website design and implementation for you.
6.0 System Networking:
• You have some of these tasks in “System Installation”
• You can move those tasks into this section and add others as needed.
• This section needs a logical flow, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Networking (Phase 3) 1 day?
Networking Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Network Equipment Requirements 1 day?
Select Network Equipment Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Network Equipment 1 day?
Receive Network Equipment 1 day?
Install Wired Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Install Wireless Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
7.0 System Validation:
• The “System Implementation” task covers some of this.
• You need to handle testing and training separately.
• Expand your testing section to account for all equipment testing needed, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Validation (Phase 4) 1 day?
Develop Validation Plan 1 day?
Hardware Validation Plan 1 day?
Networking Validation Plan 1 day?
Software Validation Plan 1 day?
Services Validation Plan 1 day?
Conduct System Validation 1 day?
Hardware Validation 1 day?
Networking Validation 1 day?
Software Validation 1 day?
Services Validation 1 day?
8.0 System Transition:
• Move the training tasks to this section.
• Add user acceptance tasks.
Task Name Duration
System Transition (Phase 5) 1 day?
User Training 1 day?
Develop Training Plan 1 day?
Conduct User Training 1 day?
User Acceptance 1 day?
Develop UAT Plan 1 day?
Conduct UAT 1 day?
9.0 Post-Implementation Support:
• Add post-imp support.
Task Name Duration
Post-Implementation Support (Phase 6) 1 day?
Plan Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Conduct Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 1 of 6
Overview
The purpose of this Team assignment is to:
• Extend the team’s Project WBS.
• Enter sub-task durations.
• Create dependencies (predecessor & successor links) between sub-tasks.
• Produce an interim Project Plan.
There are two parts to this assignment.
Part 1 – Build out the WBS into a Project Plan in Microsoft Project
Getting Ready
Read the following:
• “Lecture – Resources and Costs in Microsoft Project”
• “Project Tutorials” (Course Resources → Microsoft Project)
o Project Configuration Settings
o Setting the Project Start Date
o Changing a Task Duration
o Inserting Columns
o Linking Tasks
o Recurring Project Tasks
Be sure to update your Team’s Project WBS file using the instructor feedback. Before entering durations,
set the Project Start date. Do not use an arbitrary date! Logically, this project cannot start until the
customer signs-off on the proposal your team is going to present in Week 7. That means Project Start
will be the day after the due date of the Week 7 assignment.
Duration Estimates
Working as a team, come up with duration estimates for the sub-tasks (but NOT the Summary Tasks),
and enter them into the Project WBS. Do not use 0 for duration – this signifies a milestone task, which
has a special purpose in project scheduling.
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have duration of 0.
2. The final task in the project should be Project Finish and it must have duration of 0.
Try to avoid overly small (micromanaged) or overly large durations (which bite off more than you can
chew). Keep the durations reasonable and realistic. A best scheduling practice is to keep duration for a
sub-task to no more than 80 hours (10 business days).
Be careful not to interfere with Project’s scheduling engine. There are several ways that you can
inadvertently do this. Microsoft Project has several columns that will indicate scheduling problems:
• Indicators
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 2 of 6
Here are some common mistakes that schedulers make. Be sure to avoid them! Only enter activity
durations and let Microsoft Project’s scheduling engine handle all the date calculations.
Manually Changing Duration, Start, or Finish for a Summary Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Task Mode from automatically scheduled (good) to
manually scheduled (not good).
Manually Changing Start or Finish for a Sub-Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Constraint Type from As Soon As Possible (good) to Start
No Earlier Than (or other types) and imposes Constraint Dates (not good).
Dependencies
Next, the team will link all sub-tasks in the Project Plan. Every sub-task should be linked to a predecessor
sub-task (which comes before) and a successor sub-task (which comes after).
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have no predecessors
2. The final task in the project should be Project Complete and it must have no successors.
The default link in MS-Project is a “finish-to-start” relationship (task A must be completed before task B
can start). There are other relationships that can be used, but that is an advanced topic that will not be
covered in this class.
REMINDER: Do not apply predecessors or successors to recurring tasks because that will confound the
critical path. Recurring tasks just happen at points in time. In fact, MS-Project will set up recurring tasks
using constraint dates. If you then apply any dependency links, you are defeating the MS-Project
scheduling engine.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 3 of 6
Each member of the team should now take part in reviewing the project plan. Take a look at the
Network View in Microsoft Project. There may be multiple paths and the paths should flow generally
from left to right. The Gantt Chart View and the Network View should not necessarily look like
waterfalls, where each sub-task has only one predecessor and only one successor. Most projects do not
look like that, as sub-tasks can have multiple successors and/or predecessors. On the other hand, do not
over-engineer the dependency links. Here is an example:
Notice sub-tasks 42 through 46 all have sub-task 48 as a successor. The project manager’s thought here
is, “All five of those sub-tasks have to finish before sub-task 48 can begin”. There is no need to over-
engineer the links to do that. Here is the correct arrangement:
Figure 1: Tasks Linked Correctly
As you can see, removing unnecessary links to sub-task 48 did not change any start/finish dates.
NOTE: The project should be scoped so that it will take 3 to 6 months to complete. If it is less than this,
then you have scoped it too small; if it is more than that, then you have scoped it too large. As a final
step, baseline the Project Plan.
Formatting Your Project Plan
Use the Insert Column function so the Project Plan shows the following columns (in this order):
• Indicators (column shows )
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
• Outline Level
• WBS
• Task Name
• Duration
• Start
• Finish
• Predecessors
• Successors
• Type
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 4 of 6
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Deliverable for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Project File for Project Plan.mpp
Part 2. Answers to Questions in Microsoft Word
Read and think through the options and alternatives suggested by these questions before building the
Project Plan. When the Project Plan is completed, answer the following questions, and submit them as a
Microsoft Word document. “Yes” or “No” answers with no explanations or discussions are not
appropriate answers.
1. What are the names for the first and last tasks in the Project Plan? What are their durations?
2. Was the team able to view the Project Plan’s critical path? Explain what it showed.
3. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as manually scheduled ( in the Task Mode column)? If
yes, list the task ids and explain what caused that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
4. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as constrained? (Name of the constraint in the Constraint
Type column, or date in the Constraint Date column)? If yes, list the task ids and explain what caused
that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
5. Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or
table), or something else? Why?
6. Was the team able to find any external reference that disagreed with these assignment instructions?
Explain.
• Do not over-engineer dependency links
• Constraint Dates are not a good thing
• Manually scheduled tasks are not a good thing
Formatting Your Questions Document
• Create an APA format title page that includes: The title of report (Questions for Project Plan),
your name, Course and Section number and date (use assignment due date); do not include
graphics or themes.
• No running header required for this document.
• The body of the paper should be double spaced (or 1.5″), and no longer than 5 pages.
• Tables should be single-spaced, and use no shading.
• Copy and paste the list of questions (above) into your document.
• Answers should be formatted as normal sentences (no numbering, not a run-on sentence as
part of the question, no indenting).
• Use 1″ margins on all sides.
• Font should be 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times
New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point Computer Modern.
• Font should remain consistent throughout the paper, i.e., not changing from one font to
another.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 5 of 6
• Use at least one external reference and one from the course content (from the class reading
content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself) with APA formatted citation and
reference. For information on general APA format and specifics related to citing from the class
content, refer to Content → Course Resources → Writing Resources. Resources must not use
Wikipedia, general information sites, blogs, or discussion groups.
• The list of References must be its own page at the end of the document and it must be in APA
format, i.e., double spaced, .5″ hanging indent. No more than 10% of the paper may be in the
form of a direct citation from an external source. All in-text citations must appear in the
References list and all entries in the References list must be used as in-text citations.
• Run Microsoft Word’s grammar/spell checker; there should be no errors in grammar, verb
tenses, pronouns, spelling, punctuation, first person usage, or contractions.
• Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Questions for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Questions for Project Plan x
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 6 of 6
Grading Rubric
Criteria
90-100%
Far
Above Standards
80-89%
Above Standards
70-79%
Meets Standards
60-69%
Below Standards
< 60%
Well Below Standards
Possible
Points
Configuration Settings
Needed for producing consistent
results in the Project Plan,
includes Project Start date,
updated Project Plan.
5 Points
All configuration settings
correct, Project Start date is
set to day after proposal
sign-off, Project Plan
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
4 Points
Missed 1-2 configuration
settings.
3 Points
Missed 3-4 configuration
settings Project Plan mostly
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
2 Points
Missed 4-5 configuration
settings.
0-1 Points
Missed 5 or more
configuration settings,
Project Start date is not
correctly set, Project Plan
not updated.
5
Duration Estimates
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine needs Durations in order
to calculate values such as Start
and Finish dates, as well as react
to changes.
9-10 Points
All durations (>0) correctly
loaded for sub-tasks, no
manually scheduled tasks,
no task constraints, Project
Start and Complete are 0
duration.
8 Points
Almost all durations loaded
correctly, very few manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
7 Points
Durations loaded somewhat
correctly, some manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
6 Points
Few durations loaded
correctly, many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
0-5 Points
Almost no durations loaded
correctly, too many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
10
Dependencies
Sub-tasks are “tied” together or
linked as dependencies, allowing
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine to properly calculate start
and finish dates, as well as react
to changes. Columns reveal
specified fields.
27-30 Points
All sub-tasks (and no
Summary Tasks) linked, no
constraint dates show in the
Plan, dependencies are not
over-engineered, Columns
reveal all specified fields.
24-26 Points
Almost all sub-tasks (and 1-2
Summary Tasks) linked, very
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, almost no
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
most specified fields.
21-23 Points
Many sub-tasks (and a few
Summary Tasks) linked, a
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, a few dependencies
are over-engineered,
Columns reveal several
specified fields.
18-20 Points
Some sub-tasks (and several
Summary Tasks) linked,
some constraint dates show
in the Plan, some
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
some specified fields.
0-17 Points
Few sub-tasks (and many
Summary Tasks) linked,
many constraint dates show
in the Plan, many
dependencies are over-
engineered, and specified
fields are not revealed.
30
Questions
Answers appropriately explain
concepts (not yes/no).
18-20 Points
All questions answered with
appropriate explanations.
16-17 Points
1-2 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
14-15 Points
3-4 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
12-13 Points
5-6 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
0-11 Points
Questions not answered or
do not use appropriate
explanations.
20
Research
Use at least 2 references from
academically credible sources
with APA formatted citation (in-
text).
18-20 Points
Required references are
incorporated, used
effectively, and cited using
APA style. References used
are relevant and timely and
contribute strongly to the
analysis.
16-17 Points
Required references are
relevant, and somewhat
support the analysis.
References are appropriately
incorporated and cited using
APA style.
14-15 Points
Only one reference is used
and properly incorporated,
and/or reference(s) lack
correct APA style.
12-13 Points
A reference may be used, but
is not properly incorporated
or used, and/or is not
effective or appropriate,
and/or does not follow APA
style for references and
citations.
0-11 Points
No course content or
external research
incorporated, or reference
listed is not cited within the
text.
20
Format
Uses format provided. Includes
Title Page and References Page.
14-15 Points
Well organized and easy to
read. Very few or no errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, or spelling; double-
spaced, written in third
person, and presented in a
professional format.
12-13 Points
Effective organization. Has
few errors in sentence
structure, grammar, and
spelling; double-spaced,
written in third person, and
presented in a professional
format.
11 Points
Some organization. May
have some errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, and spelling;
double spaced and written in
third person.
9-10 Points
Not well organized, and/or
contains several errors in
grammar and/or spelling,
and/or is not double-spaced
and written in third person.
0-8 Points
Extremely poorly written, has
many errors in grammar
and/or spelling, or does not
convey the information
required.
15
2
Team 2 Projecteers Charter for Project WBS
Brandon
Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Djenabou Diallo, Mario Martin, & Maureen Johnson
IFSM 438
University of Maryland Global Campus
31 January 2023
Executive Summary
The purpose of this document is to outline a proposed IT system to enhance business operations at Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe in Alexandria, Virginia. The ideal IT framework will be used to conduct point-of-sale, inventory, bookkeeping, accounting, business networking, and host a website so that customers may place orders in advance using debit/credit cards. The framework will also need to be modern, have a customer-friendly UI, and support 3rd party apps for pickup and delivery orders. Mama Mia currently has a 100,000$ budget for the IT system.
Project Scope
The mission of this project is to plan, design, and implement a modernized IT system for Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe. The implementation of this IT system will modernize the bakery by allowing digitalization of all employee records, inventory, and transactions. This system will also streamline business practices and enable online purchasing and third-party compatibility through apps such as Uber Eats and Door Dash. A website for the bakery will also be established to help with marketing and allow customers to view the menu from home. Electronic registers will also be added to the shop to allow customers to purchase via credit/debit card and NFC. Lastly, a windows PC will be setup in the management office to allow Mama Mia a workstation to conduct inventory, pay rolls, scheduling, and other managerial duties. This PC will also allow her to have a direct form of communication to her suppliers (the health department) and other business associates. Next to this PC, a router will be installed and enabled via the local Comcast services.
Excluded from this particular scope will be all furniture upgrades to the establishment, as well as the hiring of new employees. The addition of bakery items and other menu expansions will also be excluded from the scope of this project. This project will focus entirely on the IT aspect of the upgrade.
Project Estimates
Even though the entire shop upgrade is scheduled to be complete in 6 months, the IT portion will likely be complete in 4. The following chart illustrates the deliverables, an estimated cost of that deliverable, and a rough estimate of their forecasted completion dates:
|
Deliverable |
Cost |
Date |
||||||
|
Router Installation |
250$ |
FEB 2024 |
||||||
|
Lan Installation |
6,000$ |
Feb 2024 |
||||||
|
Comcast Wi-Fi |
300$ /month |
|||||||
|
Records/Payroll System Installation |
||||||||
|
Inventory System Installation |
||||||||
|
Electronic Register Installation |
2,400$ |
March 2024 |
||||||
|
Electronic Transaction Tracker |
||||||||
|
Bakery Website |
5,000$ |
April 2024 |
||||||
|
Online Ordering/3rd Party Optimization |
300$ | |||||||
|
Testing/Troubleshooting Issues |
N/A |
May/June 2024 |
||||||
|
Labor |
25,000$ |
As previously mentioned, the IT project is currently being funded by Mama Mia with a 100,000$ budget. As shown in the above chart, the estimate cost of this project will be between 40,000$-50,000$. This will give Mama Mia the ideal IT system for less than half of the estimated price.
Primary Stakeholder(s)
Mama Mia is the primary stakeholder for this project as she is the one funding the project and outlining the system requirements. Other stakeholders would include the customers and employees, as they will be the ones who frequently use the system.
Project Team
The following chart describes the role each team member will fulfill in respects to this IT project:
|
Name |
Role |
| Brandon |
IT manager – Will ensure team members have a detailed understanding of their role in this project and the tasks they are responsible for. Will also provide suspense dates and notify team members of any issues or changes to the project. Will be the liaison between Mama Mia and the team members. |
|
Donatello |
Connectivity – Will work alongside Comcast technician(s) to ensure a router is properly installed and that a functioning LAN is provided. Will setup Wi-Fi and PC. |
|
Michelangelo |
Financial Systems – Will setup both electronic registers and ensure NFC and other functions are online. Will also download and setup inventory and transaction tracking software on PC. |
|
Leonardo |
Security Expert – Will make sure Wi-Fi, LAN, PC, and website are secure. Will brief Mama Mia and other employees on the importance of cybersecurity and ensure all important aspects of the IT system have a secure password. |
|
Rafael |
Web developer – Will focus on the creation and development of the Mama Mia website. Will deliver the perfect website and identify and troubleshoot bugs. |
|
Splinter |
3rd Party Optimization – Will work on optimizing the Mama Mia restaurant with 3rd party apps such as Door Dash and Uber Eats. Will ensure correct menu items are incorporated and that the IT system notifies the shop of orders placed online. |
Project Constraints and Assumptions
The main constraint for this project is that it must be completed within 6-months and that it consists of a 100,000$ budget. The assumption for this project is that all team members will be available for the entire project as well as the assumption that they will complete their portion of the project by the given suspense date. We can also assume that Mama Mia will not make any changes to the IT system requirements prior to the project completion date.
Preliminary Risk Statement
The first potential risk is that one or more team members may not be available for the entirety of their role within the project or lack the skills to complete their portion. This risk can be mitigated by consulting the member in the initial planning phase and verifying they are confident they can perform the task and will be around for the entire project. Also, having other qualified technicians who can step up the job as a backup is another mitigation technique.
Another potential risk is to the successful completion of this project is scope creep. This can also be mitigated in the initial planning phase by communicating with Mama Mia the issues of scope creep and getting a direct end goal of the desired IT system. Communication with the rest of the project team members is also beneficial so that any projected potential issues don’t come as a surprise, increasing the scope.
Preliminary Communication Plan
Each member of the IT team will communicate daily via Microsoft Teams group chat. Each member will be required to submit a small bi-weekly WAR (weekly activity report) stating the progress they made throughout the past 2 week, outlining any milestones or roadblocks. At the end of the 2-week period, the IT manager will review the bi-weekly WARs and provide these updates to Mama Mia. Each team member will be available on Microsoft Teams daily so that they can communicate any updates and collaborate ideas as needed.
Change Threshold
A new project charter would be required if requirements are modified to cause the project to exceed the 6-month timeframe, 100,000$ budget, or require more manpower. With this IT project projected to cost approximately half of the 100,000$ budget, it is highly unlikely that a price threshold will be exceeded. Also, this project is carefully planned out to only require 4 out of the 6 months given. However, in the unlikely event that the scope of this project drastically increases, a new project charter will be drafted.
Definition of Project Complete
The project will be defined as complete upon completion of all the deliverables previously stated, and a confirmation of customer satisfaction with the end product. A functional router, functional LAN, Wi-Fi, records and payroll system, inventory system, electronic register, quality website, and optimization with third party delivery apps are all defined deliverables. Once Mama Mia is satisfied with these deliverables, this project will be complete.
Signatures
Date:
Date:
Sources
· McKeever, C. (2006). The project charter–blueprint for success. CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering, 19(1), 6-9.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=17fb76a8dc535dfd8a08d5d5277905ba7336fb32
· University of Maryland Global Campus. (2022). 4. Framework for Project Management. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/dam/permalink/5cbf4cd2-689d-40dc-8169-ac8f7c832d89.html
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Questions for Project WBS
Brandon Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Mario Martin
University of Maryland Global Campus
IFSM 438
Professor Paul Tomaka
January 31, 2023
Does the Project Schedule include everything in your team’s charter and all deliverables? If the WBS includes tasks that were not part of the Project Charter, explain how the team determined the additional tasks were necessary.
The Project Schedule is the backbone of any project as it outlines the entire scope of work to be performed, along with the timeline and resources required for each of those tasks. It is crucial that the team uses the Project Schedule to reflect all the project objectives, goals, and milestones as defined in the charter. This ensures that all stakeholders are aware and can keep track of what is expected and when. The Project Schedule should also reflect any updates or changes made to the charter along the way to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the project stays on track. A well-structured Project Schedule can help to avoid misunderstandings and minimize the risk of project failure.
Does the WBS include project management tasks necessary to manage the project?
The WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) includes the major project management tasks necessary to manage the project effectively. This includes tasks such as creating a project schedule, meeting with stakeholders, monitoring progress, and making necessary adjustments. By including these tasks in the WBS, the project manager can ensure that the project is well-managed and that the team is able to deliver the project on time and within budget.
Explain the top-down and bottom-up approaches to building a WBS. Which approach did the team decide to use and why did they make that decision?
The top-down approach states the biggest tasks or group and then breaks it down (Simplilearn, 2023). Those are the high-level actions to accomplish the project. The bottom-up approach picks a task that can be easily done and completes it. This is more effective for focusing on details and brainstorming. The team utilized both approaches while building the WBS. One team member began by identifying the largest tasks or high-level actions, the remaining team members identified the tasks that fell within the largest tasks (the bottom-up approach).
Building the WBS as an outline in Word or Excel instead of Project can help team members visualize the order of the tasks and how the tasks might decompose into lower levels. Did the team build an outline outside of Project? If you only used Project, did the team need to rearrange tasks while building the WBS?
The team complete the initial outline in Microsoft Excel. The goal was to establish clear project objectives that cannot be interpreted in deferent ways (Watts, 2014). Tasks were grouped together in work packages; Excel made it easier to rearrange them and organize subtasks. These work packages were then plugged into a Microsoft Project document and by then the need to rearrange tasks were very minimal.
Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or table), or something else? Why?
During part two of this assignment, the team had a tabular approach to the WBS while using Microsoft Excel to create the first draft. The team saw Microsoft Excel as the perfect tool for organization and for setting a foundation without too many complications. Approaching the first draft with the tabular format allowed the team to easily build a solid blueprint of which tasks and subtasks were going to be incorporated in the final WBS.
Did the team work together to determine the major tasks or was only one team member responsible for that? How well did it work?
Initially, one team member determined the major tasks. This team member’s responsibility was to extract the key tasks from the selected project charter meanwhile incorporating the mandatory tasks listed in the rubric. Once a draft was created, the remaining team members all put a considerable amount of effort in deciding which tasks could be added, removed, or reworded. With a collective input from everyone, the team eventually produced a final Excel draft that contained all the major tasks and subtasks and a much higher quality final product than what we began with.
References
Simplilearn. (2023, January 27). WBS Approach in Project Management. Retrieved from Simplilearn.com: https://www.simplilearn.com/wbs-approach-in-project-management-article
Watts, A. (2014). Project Management. Retrieved from BCcampus Victoria, B.C.: file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/Project-Management-2nd-Edition-1665530399
Week 3 – Project WBS Feedback for Team Assignment
Team: Team 2 – Projecteers
Feedback:
• You are on the right track with your WBS but you omitted several key elements and others need to be
updated/expanded.
• I highlighted those in the comments below.
• When building the WBS, you need to think of it as a roadmap for the work that needs to be done. The key is to
include everything in a logical flow that can become a schedule in the future.
• Please make changes to your MS Project file to reflect the input below.
• You may use any part of my WBS or substitute mine as the starting point for the Week 4 assignment.
• Please email me if you have any questions.
For level 2 WBS tasks, please refer to the chart above.
1.0 Manage Project:
• Change the summary task to “Manage Project”. It should not be called “Initial Planning”
• You included some PM tasks, but please ensure you’ve accounted for all of these tasks.
Task Name Duration
Manage Project 1 day?
Project Charter 1 day
Create Charter 1 day
Charter Signed 1 day
Project Management Plan 1 day?
Create Draft 1 day?
Revise Project Management Plan 1 day?
Finalize Project Management Plan 1 day
Direct & Manage Project Work 1 day
Manage Vendors 1 day
Manage Project Team 1 day
Manage Stakeholders 1 day
Manage PM Knowledge 1 day
Monitor & Control Project Work 1 day?
Monitor Budget 1 day
Monitor Schedule 1 day?
Perform Integrated Change Control 1 day?
Manage Scope Changes 1 day
Update Scope 1 day?
• Move PM recurring tasks from “Develop Resource Plan” to this area.
2.0 Design IT Solution:
• You need to include a summary task to account for the system design of your upgrade.
• Add tasks to account for an IT solution design, such as:
Task Name Duration
Design IT Solution (Phase 1) 1 day?
Facilities Layout 1 day?
Dining Area 1 day?
Customer Service Area 1 day?
Admin Area 1 day?
Kitchen Area 1 day?
Network Design 1 day?
Wired Network Design 1 day?
Wireless Network Design 1 day?
Services Requirements 1 day?
Inventory 1 day?
Bookkeeping 1 day?
Website 1 day?
Online Ordering 1 day?
Card Processing 1 day?
Office Automation 1 day?
• You must have a plan before your can order equipment.
3.0 System Hardware:
• This area must account for POS terminals, ordering kiosks, and similar equipment.
• You need to account for vendor selection, ordering, shipping and receiving of equipment.
• The IT Solution summary task will be the key input to this section.
Task Name Duration
System Hardware (Phase 2a) 1 day
Hardware Acquisition 1 day
Determine Hardware Requirements 1 day
Select Hardware Vendor(s) 1 day
Order Hardware 1 day
Order Admin Workstations 1 day
Order Printers 1 day
Order POS Terminals 1 day
Order Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Order Payment Terminals 1 day
Receive Hardware 1 day
Receive Admin Workstations 1 day
Receive Printers 1 day
Receive POS Terminals 1 day
Receive Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Receive Payment Terminals 1 day
Hardware Installation 1 day
Install Admin Workstations 1 day
Install Printers 1 day
Install POS Terminals 1 day
Install Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Install Payment Terminals 1 day
4.0 System Software:
• You need to determine your requirements from the IT Solution section.
• You need to account for vendor selection and shipping.
• Account for other software as needed.
Task Name Duration
System Software (Phase 2b) 1 day?
Software Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Software Requirements 1 day?
Select Software Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Software 1 day?
Receive Software 1 day?
Software Installation 1 day?
Admin Workstation Software 1 day?
Other Software 1 day?
5.0 IT Services:
• You need to determine what services you will need.
• You need to add tasks for IT services, such as:
Task Name Duration
IT Services (Phase 2c) 1 day?
Determine Services Requirements 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services (MS365) 1 day?
Contract for Services 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services 1 day?
• Website design should be included in this section.
• It is likely that a vendor will handle website design and implementation for you.
6.0 System Networking:
• You have some of these tasks in “System Installation”
• You can move those tasks into this section and add others as needed.
• This section needs a logical flow, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Networking (Phase 3) 1 day?
Networking Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Network Equipment Requirements 1 day?
Select Network Equipment Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Network Equipment 1 day?
Receive Network Equipment 1 day?
Install Wired Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Install Wireless Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
7.0 System Validation:
• The “System Implementation” task covers some of this.
• You need to handle testing and training separately.
• Expand your testing section to account for all equipment testing needed, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Validation (Phase 4) 1 day?
Develop Validation Plan 1 day?
Hardware Validation Plan 1 day?
Networking Validation Plan 1 day?
Software Validation Plan 1 day?
Services Validation Plan 1 day?
Conduct System Validation 1 day?
Hardware Validation 1 day?
Networking Validation 1 day?
Software Validation 1 day?
Services Validation 1 day?
8.0 System Transition:
• Move the training tasks to this section.
• Add user acceptance tasks.
Task Name Duration
System Transition (Phase 5) 1 day?
User Training 1 day?
Develop Training Plan 1 day?
Conduct User Training 1 day?
User Acceptance 1 day?
Develop UAT Plan 1 day?
Conduct UAT 1 day?
9.0 Post-Implementation Support:
• Add post-imp support.
Task Name Duration
Post-Implementation Support (Phase 6) 1 day?
Plan Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Conduct Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 1 of 6
Overview
The purpose of this Team assignment is to:
• Extend the team’s Project WBS.
• Enter sub-task durations.
• Create dependencies (predecessor & successor links) between sub-tasks.
• Produce an interim Project Plan.
There are two parts to this assignment.
Part 1 – Build out the WBS into a Project Plan in Microsoft Project
Getting Ready
Read the following:
• “Lecture – Resources and Costs in Microsoft Project”
• “Project Tutorials” (Course Resources → Microsoft Project)
o Project Configuration Settings
o Setting the Project Start Date
o Changing a Task Duration
o Inserting Columns
o Linking Tasks
o Recurring Project Tasks
Be sure to update your Team’s Project WBS file using the instructor feedback. Before entering durations,
set the Project Start date. Do not use an arbitrary date! Logically, this project cannot start until the
customer signs-off on the proposal your team is going to present in Week 7. That means Project Start
will be the day after the due date of the Week 7 assignment.
Duration Estimates
Working as a team, come up with duration estimates for the sub-tasks (but NOT the Summary Tasks),
and enter them into the Project WBS. Do not use 0 for duration – this signifies a milestone task, which
has a special purpose in project scheduling.
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have duration of 0.
2. The final task in the project should be Project Finish and it must have duration of 0.
Try to avoid overly small (micromanaged) or overly large durations (which bite off more than you can
chew). Keep the durations reasonable and realistic. A best scheduling practice is to keep duration for a
sub-task to no more than 80 hours (10 business days).
Be careful not to interfere with Project’s scheduling engine. There are several ways that you can
inadvertently do this. Microsoft Project has several columns that will indicate scheduling problems:
• Indicators
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 2 of 6
Here are some common mistakes that schedulers make. Be sure to avoid them! Only enter activity
durations and let Microsoft Project’s scheduling engine handle all the date calculations.
Manually Changing Duration, Start, or Finish for a Summary Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Task Mode from automatically scheduled (good) to
manually scheduled (not good).
Manually Changing Start or Finish for a Sub-Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Constraint Type from As Soon As Possible (good) to Start
No Earlier Than (or other types) and imposes Constraint Dates (not good).
Dependencies
Next, the team will link all sub-tasks in the Project Plan. Every sub-task should be linked to a predecessor
sub-task (which comes before) and a successor sub-task (which comes after).
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have no predecessors
2. The final task in the project should be Project Complete and it must have no successors.
The default link in MS-Project is a “finish-to-start” relationship (task A must be completed before task B
can start). There are other relationships that can be used, but that is an advanced topic that will not be
covered in this class.
REMINDER: Do not apply predecessors or successors to recurring tasks because that will confound the
critical path. Recurring tasks just happen at points in time. In fact, MS-Project will set up recurring tasks
using constraint dates. If you then apply any dependency links, you are defeating the MS-Project
scheduling engine.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 3 of 6
Each member of the team should now take part in reviewing the project plan. Take a look at the
Network View in Microsoft Project. There may be multiple paths and the paths should flow generally
from left to right. The Gantt Chart View and the Network View should not necessarily look like
waterfalls, where each sub-task has only one predecessor and only one successor. Most projects do not
look like that, as sub-tasks can have multiple successors and/or predecessors. On the other hand, do not
over-engineer the dependency links. Here is an example:
Notice sub-tasks 42 through 46 all have sub-task 48 as a successor. The project manager’s thought here
is, “All five of those sub-tasks have to finish before sub-task 48 can begin”. There is no need to over-
engineer the links to do that. Here is the correct arrangement:
Figure 1: Tasks Linked Correctly
As you can see, removing unnecessary links to sub-task 48 did not change any start/finish dates.
NOTE: The project should be scoped so that it will take 3 to 6 months to complete. If it is less than this,
then you have scoped it too small; if it is more than that, then you have scoped it too large. As a final
step, baseline the Project Plan.
Formatting Your Project Plan
Use the Insert Column function so the Project Plan shows the following columns (in this order):
• Indicators (column shows )
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
• Outline Level
• WBS
• Task Name
• Duration
• Start
• Finish
• Predecessors
• Successors
• Type
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 4 of 6
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Deliverable for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Project File for Project Plan.mpp
Part 2. Answers to Questions in Microsoft Word
Read and think through the options and alternatives suggested by these questions before building the
Project Plan. When the Project Plan is completed, answer the following questions, and submit them as a
Microsoft Word document. “Yes” or “No” answers with no explanations or discussions are not
appropriate answers.
1. What are the names for the first and last tasks in the Project Plan? What are their durations?
2. Was the team able to view the Project Plan’s critical path? Explain what it showed.
3. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as manually scheduled ( in the Task Mode column)? If
yes, list the task ids and explain what caused that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
4. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as constrained? (Name of the constraint in the Constraint
Type column, or date in the Constraint Date column)? If yes, list the task ids and explain what caused
that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
5. Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or
table), or something else? Why?
6. Was the team able to find any external reference that disagreed with these assignment instructions?
Explain.
• Do not over-engineer dependency links
• Constraint Dates are not a good thing
• Manually scheduled tasks are not a good thing
Formatting Your Questions Document
• Create an APA format title page that includes: The title of report (Questions for Project Plan),
your name, Course and Section number and date (use assignment due date); do not include
graphics or themes.
• No running header required for this document.
• The body of the paper should be double spaced (or 1.5″), and no longer than 5 pages.
• Tables should be single-spaced, and use no shading.
• Copy and paste the list of questions (above) into your document.
• Answers should be formatted as normal sentences (no numbering, not a run-on sentence as
part of the question, no indenting).
• Use 1″ margins on all sides.
• Font should be 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times
New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point Computer Modern.
• Font should remain consistent throughout the paper, i.e., not changing from one font to
another.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 5 of 6
• Use at least one external reference and one from the course content (from the class reading
content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself) with APA formatted citation and
reference. For information on general APA format and specifics related to citing from the class
content, refer to Content → Course Resources → Writing Resources. Resources must not use
Wikipedia, general information sites, blogs, or discussion groups.
• The list of References must be its own page at the end of the document and it must be in APA
format, i.e., double spaced, .5″ hanging indent. No more than 10% of the paper may be in the
form of a direct citation from an external source. All in-text citations must appear in the
References list and all entries in the References list must be used as in-text citations.
• Run Microsoft Word’s grammar/spell checker; there should be no errors in grammar, verb
tenses, pronouns, spelling, punctuation, first person usage, or contractions.
• Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Questions for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Questions for Project Plan x
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 6 of 6
Grading Rubric
Criteria
90-100%
Far
Above Standards
80-89%
Above Standards
70-79%
Meets Standards
60-69%
Below Standards
< 60%
Well Below Standards
Possible
Points
Configuration Settings
Needed for producing consistent
results in the Project Plan,
includes Project Start date,
updated Project Plan.
5 Points
All configuration settings
correct, Project Start date is
set to day after proposal
sign-off, Project Plan
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
4 Points
Missed 1-2 configuration
settings.
3 Points
Missed 3-4 configuration
settings Project Plan mostly
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
2 Points
Missed 4-5 configuration
settings.
0-1 Points
Missed 5 or more
configuration settings,
Project Start date is not
correctly set, Project Plan
not updated.
5
Duration Estimates
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine needs Durations in order
to calculate values such as Start
and Finish dates, as well as react
to changes.
9-10 Points
All durations (>0) correctly
loaded for sub-tasks, no
manually scheduled tasks,
no task constraints, Project
Start and Complete are 0
duration.
8 Points
Almost all durations loaded
correctly, very few manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
7 Points
Durations loaded somewhat
correctly, some manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
6 Points
Few durations loaded
correctly, many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
0-5 Points
Almost no durations loaded
correctly, too many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
10
Dependencies
Sub-tasks are “tied” together or
linked as dependencies, allowing
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine to properly calculate start
and finish dates, as well as react
to changes. Columns reveal
specified fields.
27-30 Points
All sub-tasks (and no
Summary Tasks) linked, no
constraint dates show in the
Plan, dependencies are not
over-engineered, Columns
reveal all specified fields.
24-26 Points
Almost all sub-tasks (and 1-2
Summary Tasks) linked, very
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, almost no
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
most specified fields.
21-23 Points
Many sub-tasks (and a few
Summary Tasks) linked, a
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, a few dependencies
are over-engineered,
Columns reveal several
specified fields.
18-20 Points
Some sub-tasks (and several
Summary Tasks) linked,
some constraint dates show
in the Plan, some
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
some specified fields.
0-17 Points
Few sub-tasks (and many
Summary Tasks) linked,
many constraint dates show
in the Plan, many
dependencies are over-
engineered, and specified
fields are not revealed.
30
Questions
Answers appropriately explain
concepts (not yes/no).
18-20 Points
All questions answered with
appropriate explanations.
16-17 Points
1-2 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
14-15 Points
3-4 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
12-13 Points
5-6 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
0-11 Points
Questions not answered or
do not use appropriate
explanations.
20
Research
Use at least 2 references from
academically credible sources
with APA formatted citation (in-
text).
18-20 Points
Required references are
incorporated, used
effectively, and cited using
APA style. References used
are relevant and timely and
contribute strongly to the
analysis.
16-17 Points
Required references are
relevant, and somewhat
support the analysis.
References are appropriately
incorporated and cited using
APA style.
14-15 Points
Only one reference is used
and properly incorporated,
and/or reference(s) lack
correct APA style.
12-13 Points
A reference may be used, but
is not properly incorporated
or used, and/or is not
effective or appropriate,
and/or does not follow APA
style for references and
citations.
0-11 Points
No course content or
external research
incorporated, or reference
listed is not cited within the
text.
20
Format
Uses format provided. Includes
Title Page and References Page.
14-15 Points
Well organized and easy to
read. Very few or no errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, or spelling; double-
spaced, written in third
person, and presented in a
professional format.
12-13 Points
Effective organization. Has
few errors in sentence
structure, grammar, and
spelling; double-spaced,
written in third person, and
presented in a professional
format.
11 Points
Some organization. May
have some errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, and spelling;
double spaced and written in
third person.
9-10 Points
Not well organized, and/or
contains several errors in
grammar and/or spelling,
and/or is not double-spaced
and written in third person.
0-8 Points
Extremely poorly written, has
many errors in grammar
and/or spelling, or does not
convey the information
required.
15
2
Team 2 Projecteers Charter for Project WBS
Brandon
Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Djenabou Diallo, Mario Martin, & Maureen Johnson
IFSM 438
University of Maryland Global Campus
31 January 2023
Executive Summary
The purpose of this document is to outline a proposed IT system to enhance business operations at Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe in Alexandria, Virginia. The ideal IT framework will be used to conduct point-of-sale, inventory, bookkeeping, accounting, business networking, and host a website so that customers may place orders in advance using debit/credit cards. The framework will also need to be modern, have a customer-friendly UI, and support 3rd party apps for pickup and delivery orders. Mama Mia currently has a 100,000$ budget for the IT system.
Project Scope
The mission of this project is to plan, design, and implement a modernized IT system for Mama’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe. The implementation of this IT system will modernize the bakery by allowing digitalization of all employee records, inventory, and transactions. This system will also streamline business practices and enable online purchasing and third-party compatibility through apps such as Uber Eats and Door Dash. A website for the bakery will also be established to help with marketing and allow customers to view the menu from home. Electronic registers will also be added to the shop to allow customers to purchase via credit/debit card and NFC. Lastly, a windows PC will be setup in the management office to allow Mama Mia a workstation to conduct inventory, pay rolls, scheduling, and other managerial duties. This PC will also allow her to have a direct form of communication to her suppliers (the health department) and other business associates. Next to this PC, a router will be installed and enabled via the local Comcast services.
Excluded from this particular scope will be all furniture upgrades to the establishment, as well as the hiring of new employees. The addition of bakery items and other menu expansions will also be excluded from the scope of this project. This project will focus entirely on the IT aspect of the upgrade.
Project Estimates
Even though the entire shop upgrade is scheduled to be complete in 6 months, the IT portion will likely be complete in 4. The following chart illustrates the deliverables, an estimated cost of that deliverable, and a rough estimate of their forecasted completion dates:
|
Deliverable |
Cost |
Date |
||||||
|
Router Installation |
250$ |
FEB 2024 |
||||||
|
Lan Installation |
6,000$ |
Feb 2024 |
||||||
|
Comcast Wi-Fi |
300$ /month |
|||||||
|
Records/Payroll System Installation |
||||||||
|
Inventory System Installation |
||||||||
|
Electronic Register Installation |
2,400$ |
March 2024 |
||||||
|
Electronic Transaction Tracker |
||||||||
|
Bakery Website |
5,000$ |
April 2024 |
||||||
|
Online Ordering/3rd Party Optimization |
300$ | |||||||
|
Testing/Troubleshooting Issues |
N/A |
May/June 2024 |
||||||
|
Labor |
25,000$ |
As previously mentioned, the IT project is currently being funded by Mama Mia with a 100,000$ budget. As shown in the above chart, the estimate cost of this project will be between 40,000$-50,000$. This will give Mama Mia the ideal IT system for less than half of the estimated price.
Primary Stakeholder(s)
Mama Mia is the primary stakeholder for this project as she is the one funding the project and outlining the system requirements. Other stakeholders would include the customers and employees, as they will be the ones who frequently use the system.
Project Team
The following chart describes the role each team member will fulfill in respects to this IT project:
|
Name |
Role |
| Brandon |
IT manager – Will ensure team members have a detailed understanding of their role in this project and the tasks they are responsible for. Will also provide suspense dates and notify team members of any issues or changes to the project. Will be the liaison between Mama Mia and the team members. |
|
Donatello |
Connectivity – Will work alongside Comcast technician(s) to ensure a router is properly installed and that a functioning LAN is provided. Will setup Wi-Fi and PC. |
|
Michelangelo |
Financial Systems – Will setup both electronic registers and ensure NFC and other functions are online. Will also download and setup inventory and transaction tracking software on PC. |
|
Leonardo |
Security Expert – Will make sure Wi-Fi, LAN, PC, and website are secure. Will brief Mama Mia and other employees on the importance of cybersecurity and ensure all important aspects of the IT system have a secure password. |
|
Rafael |
Web developer – Will focus on the creation and development of the Mama Mia website. Will deliver the perfect website and identify and troubleshoot bugs. |
|
Splinter |
3rd Party Optimization – Will work on optimizing the Mama Mia restaurant with 3rd party apps such as Door Dash and Uber Eats. Will ensure correct menu items are incorporated and that the IT system notifies the shop of orders placed online. |
Project Constraints and Assumptions
The main constraint for this project is that it must be completed within 6-months and that it consists of a 100,000$ budget. The assumption for this project is that all team members will be available for the entire project as well as the assumption that they will complete their portion of the project by the given suspense date. We can also assume that Mama Mia will not make any changes to the IT system requirements prior to the project completion date.
Preliminary Risk Statement
The first potential risk is that one or more team members may not be available for the entirety of their role within the project or lack the skills to complete their portion. This risk can be mitigated by consulting the member in the initial planning phase and verifying they are confident they can perform the task and will be around for the entire project. Also, having other qualified technicians who can step up the job as a backup is another mitigation technique.
Another potential risk is to the successful completion of this project is scope creep. This can also be mitigated in the initial planning phase by communicating with Mama Mia the issues of scope creep and getting a direct end goal of the desired IT system. Communication with the rest of the project team members is also beneficial so that any projected potential issues don’t come as a surprise, increasing the scope.
Preliminary Communication Plan
Each member of the IT team will communicate daily via Microsoft Teams group chat. Each member will be required to submit a small bi-weekly WAR (weekly activity report) stating the progress they made throughout the past 2 week, outlining any milestones or roadblocks. At the end of the 2-week period, the IT manager will review the bi-weekly WARs and provide these updates to Mama Mia. Each team member will be available on Microsoft Teams daily so that they can communicate any updates and collaborate ideas as needed.
Change Threshold
A new project charter would be required if requirements are modified to cause the project to exceed the 6-month timeframe, 100,000$ budget, or require more manpower. With this IT project projected to cost approximately half of the 100,000$ budget, it is highly unlikely that a price threshold will be exceeded. Also, this project is carefully planned out to only require 4 out of the 6 months given. However, in the unlikely event that the scope of this project drastically increases, a new project charter will be drafted.
Definition of Project Complete
The project will be defined as complete upon completion of all the deliverables previously stated, and a confirmation of customer satisfaction with the end product. A functional router, functional LAN, Wi-Fi, records and payroll system, inventory system, electronic register, quality website, and optimization with third party delivery apps are all defined deliverables. Once Mama Mia is satisfied with these deliverables, this project will be complete.
Signatures
Date:
Date:
Sources
· McKeever, C. (2006). The project charter–blueprint for success. CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering, 19(1), 6-9.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=17fb76a8dc535dfd8a08d5d5277905ba7336fb32
· University of Maryland Global Campus. (2022). 4. Framework for Project Management. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/dam/permalink/5cbf4cd2-689d-40dc-8169-ac8f7c832d89.html
image1.emf
image2.emf
Questions for Project WBS
Brandon Rice, Daniela Bremnor, Mario Martin
University of Maryland Global Campus
IFSM 438
Professor Paul Tomaka
January 31, 2023
Does the Project Schedule include everything in your team’s charter and all deliverables? If the WBS includes tasks that were not part of the Project Charter, explain how the team determined the additional tasks were necessary.
The Project Schedule is the backbone of any project as it outlines the entire scope of work to be performed, along with the timeline and resources required for each of those tasks. It is crucial that the team uses the Project Schedule to reflect all the project objectives, goals, and milestones as defined in the charter. This ensures that all stakeholders are aware and can keep track of what is expected and when. The Project Schedule should also reflect any updates or changes made to the charter along the way to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the project stays on track. A well-structured Project Schedule can help to avoid misunderstandings and minimize the risk of project failure.
Does the WBS include project management tasks necessary to manage the project?
The WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) includes the major project management tasks necessary to manage the project effectively. This includes tasks such as creating a project schedule, meeting with stakeholders, monitoring progress, and making necessary adjustments. By including these tasks in the WBS, the project manager can ensure that the project is well-managed and that the team is able to deliver the project on time and within budget.
Explain the top-down and bottom-up approaches to building a WBS. Which approach did the team decide to use and why did they make that decision?
The top-down approach states the biggest tasks or group and then breaks it down (Simplilearn, 2023). Those are the high-level actions to accomplish the project. The bottom-up approach picks a task that can be easily done and completes it. This is more effective for focusing on details and brainstorming. The team utilized both approaches while building the WBS. One team member began by identifying the largest tasks or high-level actions, the remaining team members identified the tasks that fell within the largest tasks (the bottom-up approach).
Building the WBS as an outline in Word or Excel instead of Project can help team members visualize the order of the tasks and how the tasks might decompose into lower levels. Did the team build an outline outside of Project? If you only used Project, did the team need to rearrange tasks while building the WBS?
The team complete the initial outline in Microsoft Excel. The goal was to establish clear project objectives that cannot be interpreted in deferent ways (Watts, 2014). Tasks were grouped together in work packages; Excel made it easier to rearrange them and organize subtasks. These work packages were then plugged into a Microsoft Project document and by then the need to rearrange tasks were very minimal.
Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or table), or something else? Why?
During part two of this assignment, the team had a tabular approach to the WBS while using Microsoft Excel to create the first draft. The team saw Microsoft Excel as the perfect tool for organization and for setting a foundation without too many complications. Approaching the first draft with the tabular format allowed the team to easily build a solid blueprint of which tasks and subtasks were going to be incorporated in the final WBS.
Did the team work together to determine the major tasks or was only one team member responsible for that? How well did it work?
Initially, one team member determined the major tasks. This team member’s responsibility was to extract the key tasks from the selected project charter meanwhile incorporating the mandatory tasks listed in the rubric. Once a draft was created, the remaining team members all put a considerable amount of effort in deciding which tasks could be added, removed, or reworded. With a collective input from everyone, the team eventually produced a final Excel draft that contained all the major tasks and subtasks and a much higher quality final product than what we began with.
References
Simplilearn. (2023, January 27). WBS Approach in Project Management. Retrieved from Simplilearn.com: https://www.simplilearn.com/wbs-approach-in-project-management-article
Watts, A. (2014). Project Management. Retrieved from BCcampus Victoria, B.C.: file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/Project-Management-2nd-Edition-1665530399
Week 3 – Project WBS Feedback for Team Assignment
Team: Team 2 – Projecteers
Feedback:
• You are on the right track with your WBS but you omitted several key elements and others need to be
updated/expanded.
• I highlighted those in the comments below.
• When building the WBS, you need to think of it as a roadmap for the work that needs to be done. The key is to
include everything in a logical flow that can become a schedule in the future.
• Please make changes to your MS Project file to reflect the input below.
• You may use any part of my WBS or substitute mine as the starting point for the Week 4 assignment.
• Please email me if you have any questions.
For level 2 WBS tasks, please refer to the chart above.
1.0 Manage Project:
• Change the summary task to “Manage Project”. It should not be called “Initial Planning”
• You included some PM tasks, but please ensure you’ve accounted for all of these tasks.
Task Name Duration
Manage Project 1 day?
Project Charter 1 day
Create Charter 1 day
Charter Signed 1 day
Project Management Plan 1 day?
Create Draft 1 day?
Revise Project Management Plan 1 day?
Finalize Project Management Plan 1 day
Direct & Manage Project Work 1 day
Manage Vendors 1 day
Manage Project Team 1 day
Manage Stakeholders 1 day
Manage PM Knowledge 1 day
Monitor & Control Project Work 1 day?
Monitor Budget 1 day
Monitor Schedule 1 day?
Perform Integrated Change Control 1 day?
Manage Scope Changes 1 day
Update Scope 1 day?
• Move PM recurring tasks from “Develop Resource Plan” to this area.
2.0 Design IT Solution:
• You need to include a summary task to account for the system design of your upgrade.
• Add tasks to account for an IT solution design, such as:
Task Name Duration
Design IT Solution (Phase 1) 1 day?
Facilities Layout 1 day?
Dining Area 1 day?
Customer Service Area 1 day?
Admin Area 1 day?
Kitchen Area 1 day?
Network Design 1 day?
Wired Network Design 1 day?
Wireless Network Design 1 day?
Services Requirements 1 day?
Inventory 1 day?
Bookkeeping 1 day?
Website 1 day?
Online Ordering 1 day?
Card Processing 1 day?
Office Automation 1 day?
• You must have a plan before your can order equipment.
3.0 System Hardware:
• This area must account for POS terminals, ordering kiosks, and similar equipment.
• You need to account for vendor selection, ordering, shipping and receiving of equipment.
• The IT Solution summary task will be the key input to this section.
Task Name Duration
System Hardware (Phase 2a) 1 day
Hardware Acquisition 1 day
Determine Hardware Requirements 1 day
Select Hardware Vendor(s) 1 day
Order Hardware 1 day
Order Admin Workstations 1 day
Order Printers 1 day
Order POS Terminals 1 day
Order Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Order Payment Terminals 1 day
Receive Hardware 1 day
Receive Admin Workstations 1 day
Receive Printers 1 day
Receive POS Terminals 1 day
Receive Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Receive Payment Terminals 1 day
Hardware Installation 1 day
Install Admin Workstations 1 day
Install Printers 1 day
Install POS Terminals 1 day
Install Ordering Kiosks 1 day
Install Payment Terminals 1 day
4.0 System Software:
• You need to determine your requirements from the IT Solution section.
• You need to account for vendor selection and shipping.
• Account for other software as needed.
Task Name Duration
System Software (Phase 2b) 1 day?
Software Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Software Requirements 1 day?
Select Software Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Software 1 day?
Receive Software 1 day?
Software Installation 1 day?
Admin Workstation Software 1 day?
Other Software 1 day?
5.0 IT Services:
• You need to determine what services you will need.
• You need to add tasks for IT services, such as:
Task Name Duration
IT Services (Phase 2c) 1 day?
Determine Services Requirements 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services (MS365) 1 day?
Contract for Services 1 day?
Broadband Internet 1 day?
Web Hosting 1 day?
Admin Services 1 day?
• Website design should be included in this section.
• It is likely that a vendor will handle website design and implementation for you.
6.0 System Networking:
• You have some of these tasks in “System Installation”
• You can move those tasks into this section and add others as needed.
• This section needs a logical flow, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Networking (Phase 3) 1 day?
Networking Acquisition 1 day?
Determine Network Equipment Requirements 1 day?
Select Network Equipment Vendor(s) 1 day?
Order Network Equipment 1 day?
Receive Network Equipment 1 day?
Install Wired Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wired Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Install Wireless Network 1 day?
Plan Installation 1 day?
Install Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
Test Wireless Network Infrastructure 1 day?
7.0 System Validation:
• The “System Implementation” task covers some of this.
• You need to handle testing and training separately.
• Expand your testing section to account for all equipment testing needed, such as:
Task Name Duration
System Validation (Phase 4) 1 day?
Develop Validation Plan 1 day?
Hardware Validation Plan 1 day?
Networking Validation Plan 1 day?
Software Validation Plan 1 day?
Services Validation Plan 1 day?
Conduct System Validation 1 day?
Hardware Validation 1 day?
Networking Validation 1 day?
Software Validation 1 day?
Services Validation 1 day?
8.0 System Transition:
• Move the training tasks to this section.
• Add user acceptance tasks.
Task Name Duration
System Transition (Phase 5) 1 day?
User Training 1 day?
Develop Training Plan 1 day?
Conduct User Training 1 day?
User Acceptance 1 day?
Develop UAT Plan 1 day?
Conduct UAT 1 day?
9.0 Post-Implementation Support:
• Add post-imp support.
Task Name Duration
Post-Implementation Support (Phase 6) 1 day?
Plan Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Conduct Post-Implementation Support 1 day?
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 1 of 6
Overview
The purpose of this Team assignment is to:
• Extend the team’s Project WBS.
• Enter sub-task durations.
• Create dependencies (predecessor & successor links) between sub-tasks.
• Produce an interim Project Plan.
There are two parts to this assignment.
Part 1 – Build out the WBS into a Project Plan in Microsoft Project
Getting Ready
Read the following:
• “Lecture – Resources and Costs in Microsoft Project”
• “Project Tutorials” (Course Resources → Microsoft Project)
o Project Configuration Settings
o Setting the Project Start Date
o Changing a Task Duration
o Inserting Columns
o Linking Tasks
o Recurring Project Tasks
Be sure to update your Team’s Project WBS file using the instructor feedback. Before entering durations,
set the Project Start date. Do not use an arbitrary date! Logically, this project cannot start until the
customer signs-off on the proposal your team is going to present in Week 7. That means Project Start
will be the day after the due date of the Week 7 assignment.
Duration Estimates
Working as a team, come up with duration estimates for the sub-tasks (but NOT the Summary Tasks),
and enter them into the Project WBS. Do not use 0 for duration – this signifies a milestone task, which
has a special purpose in project scheduling.
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have duration of 0.
2. The final task in the project should be Project Finish and it must have duration of 0.
Try to avoid overly small (micromanaged) or overly large durations (which bite off more than you can
chew). Keep the durations reasonable and realistic. A best scheduling practice is to keep duration for a
sub-task to no more than 80 hours (10 business days).
Be careful not to interfere with Project’s scheduling engine. There are several ways that you can
inadvertently do this. Microsoft Project has several columns that will indicate scheduling problems:
• Indicators
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 2 of 6
Here are some common mistakes that schedulers make. Be sure to avoid them! Only enter activity
durations and let Microsoft Project’s scheduling engine handle all the date calculations.
Manually Changing Duration, Start, or Finish for a Summary Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Task Mode from automatically scheduled (good) to
manually scheduled (not good).
Manually Changing Start or Finish for a Sub-Task
Overwriting Project’s calculated value changes Constraint Type from As Soon As Possible (good) to Start
No Earlier Than (or other types) and imposes Constraint Dates (not good).
Dependencies
Next, the team will link all sub-tasks in the Project Plan. Every sub-task should be linked to a predecessor
sub-task (which comes before) and a successor sub-task (which comes after).
IMPORTANT: There are two exceptions to the above rule:
1. The first task in the project should be Project Start and it must have no predecessors
2. The final task in the project should be Project Complete and it must have no successors.
The default link in MS-Project is a “finish-to-start” relationship (task A must be completed before task B
can start). There are other relationships that can be used, but that is an advanced topic that will not be
covered in this class.
REMINDER: Do not apply predecessors or successors to recurring tasks because that will confound the
critical path. Recurring tasks just happen at points in time. In fact, MS-Project will set up recurring tasks
using constraint dates. If you then apply any dependency links, you are defeating the MS-Project
scheduling engine.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 3 of 6
Each member of the team should now take part in reviewing the project plan. Take a look at the
Network View in Microsoft Project. There may be multiple paths and the paths should flow generally
from left to right. The Gantt Chart View and the Network View should not necessarily look like
waterfalls, where each sub-task has only one predecessor and only one successor. Most projects do not
look like that, as sub-tasks can have multiple successors and/or predecessors. On the other hand, do not
over-engineer the dependency links. Here is an example:
Notice sub-tasks 42 through 46 all have sub-task 48 as a successor. The project manager’s thought here
is, “All five of those sub-tasks have to finish before sub-task 48 can begin”. There is no need to over-
engineer the links to do that. Here is the correct arrangement:
Figure 1: Tasks Linked Correctly
As you can see, removing unnecessary links to sub-task 48 did not change any start/finish dates.
NOTE: The project should be scoped so that it will take 3 to 6 months to complete. If it is less than this,
then you have scoped it too small; if it is more than that, then you have scoped it too large. As a final
step, baseline the Project Plan.
Formatting Your Project Plan
Use the Insert Column function so the Project Plan shows the following columns (in this order):
• Indicators (column shows )
• Task Mode
• Constraint Type
• Constraint Date
• Outline Level
• WBS
• Task Name
• Duration
• Start
• Finish
• Predecessors
• Successors
• Type
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 4 of 6
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Deliverable for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Project File for Project Plan.mpp
Part 2. Answers to Questions in Microsoft Word
Read and think through the options and alternatives suggested by these questions before building the
Project Plan. When the Project Plan is completed, answer the following questions, and submit them as a
Microsoft Word document. “Yes” or “No” answers with no explanations or discussions are not
appropriate answers.
1. What are the names for the first and last tasks in the Project Plan? What are their durations?
2. Was the team able to view the Project Plan’s critical path? Explain what it showed.
3. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as manually scheduled ( in the Task Mode column)? If
yes, list the task ids and explain what caused that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
4. Do any Summary Tasks or Sub-tasks show as constrained? (Name of the constraint in the Constraint
Type column, or date in the Constraint Date column)? If yes, list the task ids and explain what caused
that. If no, explain how that was avoided.
5. Did the team approach the WBS graphically (like an organization chart) or tabularly (like a list or
table), or something else? Why?
6. Was the team able to find any external reference that disagreed with these assignment instructions?
Explain.
• Do not over-engineer dependency links
• Constraint Dates are not a good thing
• Manually scheduled tasks are not a good thing
Formatting Your Questions Document
• Create an APA format title page that includes: The title of report (Questions for Project Plan),
your name, Course and Section number and date (use assignment due date); do not include
graphics or themes.
• No running header required for this document.
• The body of the paper should be double spaced (or 1.5″), and no longer than 5 pages.
• Tables should be single-spaced, and use no shading.
• Copy and paste the list of questions (above) into your document.
• Answers should be formatted as normal sentences (no numbering, not a run-on sentence as
part of the question, no indenting).
• Use 1″ margins on all sides.
• Font should be 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times
New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point Computer Modern.
• Font should remain consistent throughout the paper, i.e., not changing from one font to
another.
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 5 of 6
• Use at least one external reference and one from the course content (from the class reading
content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself) with APA formatted citation and
reference. For information on general APA format and specifics related to citing from the class
content, refer to Content → Course Resources → Writing Resources. Resources must not use
Wikipedia, general information sites, blogs, or discussion groups.
• The list of References must be its own page at the end of the document and it must be in APA
format, i.e., double spaced, .5″ hanging indent. No more than 10% of the paper may be in the
form of a direct citation from an external source. All in-text citations must appear in the
References list and all entries in the References list must be used as in-text citations.
• Run Microsoft Word’s grammar/spell checker; there should be no errors in grammar, verb
tenses, pronouns, spelling, punctuation, first person usage, or contractions.
• Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.
Submit this assignment in your Team Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “Group” “Team Name” “Questions for”
“Assignment Name”, such as – Group A Projecteers Questions for Project Plan x
Project Plan
(Team project)
Project Plan Fall 2021 Page 6 of 6
Grading Rubric
Criteria
90-100%
Far
Above Standards
80-89%
Above Standards
70-79%
Meets Standards
60-69%
Below Standards
< 60%
Well Below Standards
Possible
Points
Configuration Settings
Needed for producing consistent
results in the Project Plan,
includes Project Start date,
updated Project Plan.
5 Points
All configuration settings
correct, Project Start date is
set to day after proposal
sign-off, Project Plan
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
4 Points
Missed 1-2 configuration
settings.
3 Points
Missed 3-4 configuration
settings Project Plan mostly
updated per Wk 3 feedback.
2 Points
Missed 4-5 configuration
settings.
0-1 Points
Missed 5 or more
configuration settings,
Project Start date is not
correctly set, Project Plan
not updated.
5
Duration Estimates
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine needs Durations in order
to calculate values such as Start
and Finish dates, as well as react
to changes.
9-10 Points
All durations (>0) correctly
loaded for sub-tasks, no
manually scheduled tasks,
no task constraints, Project
Start and Complete are 0
duration.
8 Points
Almost all durations loaded
correctly, very few manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
7 Points
Durations loaded somewhat
correctly, some manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
6 Points
Few durations loaded
correctly, many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
0-5 Points
Almost no durations loaded
correctly, too many manually
scheduled tasks, or task
constraints.
10
Dependencies
Sub-tasks are “tied” together or
linked as dependencies, allowing
Microsoft Project’s scheduling
engine to properly calculate start
and finish dates, as well as react
to changes. Columns reveal
specified fields.
27-30 Points
All sub-tasks (and no
Summary Tasks) linked, no
constraint dates show in the
Plan, dependencies are not
over-engineered, Columns
reveal all specified fields.
24-26 Points
Almost all sub-tasks (and 1-2
Summary Tasks) linked, very
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, almost no
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
most specified fields.
21-23 Points
Many sub-tasks (and a few
Summary Tasks) linked, a
few constraint dates show in
the Plan, a few dependencies
are over-engineered,
Columns reveal several
specified fields.
18-20 Points
Some sub-tasks (and several
Summary Tasks) linked,
some constraint dates show
in the Plan, some
dependencies are over-
engineered, Columns reveal
some specified fields.
0-17 Points
Few sub-tasks (and many
Summary Tasks) linked,
many constraint dates show
in the Plan, many
dependencies are over-
engineered, and specified
fields are not revealed.
30
Questions
Answers appropriately explain
concepts (not yes/no).
18-20 Points
All questions answered with
appropriate explanations.
16-17 Points
1-2 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
14-15 Points
3-4 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
12-13 Points
5-6 questions not answered
or do not use appropriate
explanations.
0-11 Points
Questions not answered or
do not use appropriate
explanations.
20
Research
Use at least 2 references from
academically credible sources
with APA formatted citation (in-
text).
18-20 Points
Required references are
incorporated, used
effectively, and cited using
APA style. References used
are relevant and timely and
contribute strongly to the
analysis.
16-17 Points
Required references are
relevant, and somewhat
support the analysis.
References are appropriately
incorporated and cited using
APA style.
14-15 Points
Only one reference is used
and properly incorporated,
and/or reference(s) lack
correct APA style.
12-13 Points
A reference may be used, but
is not properly incorporated
or used, and/or is not
effective or appropriate,
and/or does not follow APA
style for references and
citations.
0-11 Points
No course content or
external research
incorporated, or reference
listed is not cited within the
text.
20
Format
Uses format provided. Includes
Title Page and References Page.
14-15 Points
Well organized and easy to
read. Very few or no errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, or spelling; double-
spaced, written in third
person, and presented in a
professional format.
12-13 Points
Effective organization. Has
few errors in sentence
structure, grammar, and
spelling; double-spaced,
written in third person, and
presented in a professional
format.
11 Points
Some organization. May
have some errors in
sentence structure,
grammar, and spelling;
double spaced and written in
third person.
9-10 Points
Not well organized, and/or
contains several errors in
grammar and/or spelling,
and/or is not double-spaced
and written in third person.
0-8 Points
Extremely poorly written, has
many errors in grammar
and/or spelling, or does not
convey the information
required.
15
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Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
