Assignment for the ITP-3 Project Deliverables
Review your previous assignment deliverables before proceeding with this assignment. This assignment has two parts - an MS Project file (.mpp) and an MS Word file.
Adding dependencies to the WBS - Part 1
• The team will determine the appropriate method for consolidating the individual WBSes into a single WBS. For instance, after review of all team members' WBSs, the best WBS could be adopted, portions of different team members' WBSs could be used, the best features of different team members' WBSs could be used, it could all be scrapped and collaboratively re-built from scratch, or any number of other methods could be used.
• The team's WBS should be fleshed out (meaning enough decomposition to be able to see a major task and all the work associated with it). As a team, make any corrections and updates necessary to the consolidated/integrated team WBS before adding the dependency links. The schedule should include time/duration for all lowest level leaf-node tasks (sub-sub tasks or work packages). MS Project will roll-up the durations and calculate them automatically for summary roll-up groups. Durations should include hours, days, and weeks of time posted in the Gantt view.
• Then, the team members will add predecessor-successor linkages for all tasks within the consolidated team WBS. This is the ORDER in which tasks must be performed. Every task should have a dependency "relationship" (either a predecessor or a successor) to another task.
o The default in Microsoft Project is a "finish-to-start" relationship (task A must be completed before task B can start)
o Not all tasks have to be 100% completed before another task can start (task A only needs to be 25% completed when task B could start; or task A and task B could start at the same time).
o For example, to use our previous example, we could be selecting paint colors at the same time we are preparing the bathroom. We could be taping the edges and then filling holes at the same time we are buying paint. But we CAN'T paint the walls without purchasing the paint - so purchasing the paint is a predecessor to painting the walls.
• Again, each member of the team should go through the WBS as a whole to flesh out areas that may not be addressed with tasks. For example, if one member is assigned the major task of purchasing paint and supplies, but another member notices that tarps and furniture covers are not included, that member would work with the team to add the associated tasks, durations and predecessors.
• As a team, look at the NETWORK View in Microsoft Project. All tasks should have some linkage to other tasks. There should be no tasks "standing alone." There should be no tasks without predecessors or successors except for the project start task. There should be multiple paths and the paths should flow generally from left to right toward the final task, which should be the last task to the right with no subsequent tasks. The final task should be the defined end of the project.
• As with previous ITP deliverables, DO NOT enter hard-coded dates. Just enter durations at the lowest level tasks and let MS Project calculate the dates. If your "I" column has a little calendar - you have not done this correctly.
• Do not use "manually scheduled" tasks. Rather, use "automatically scheduled" tasks. When manually scheduled, the dates are essentially hard-coded and not allowed to automatically adjust when the task durations and critical paths change.
• The higher level tasks are group summary "roll up" tasks and should have no work themselves. Don't enter a duration for these tasks. Their timespan will be automatically calculated by MS Project as the sum of the timespans of their component sub-tasks based on the algorithm.
• The Gantt Chart View and the Network View should not look like waterfalls, wherein each task has only one predecessor and only one successor. That is not only unrealistic, but is problematic for most projects. There should be parallelism. This means that typical tasks should have multiple successors and/or predecessors.
• Please ensure that your MS Project (.mpp) file includes at least the following fields (columns) visible in the left-hand table portion of the Gantt chart view or the Tracking Gantt view:
o All fields from ITP-2i
o Start date [a default field]
o Finish date [a default field]
o Predecessors [a default field]
o Successors
o Additionally, please ensure that the Critical Tasks box in the Format tab is checked.
When done, save a baselined project schedule as described in the various MSP tutorials. Submit the MS Project (.mpp) file with your name in the file name.
Text document - Part 2
In a Word document, include a cover sheet that includes contributors, the executive summary, and text that describes your team efforts and decisions made. Answer the following questions in a text document:
1. Did your team discuss and/or divide up the major tasks before completing the INDIVIDUAL WBSes?
2. How did your team "merge" the WBSes of individual teammates?
3. Were some teammates' WBSes more thorough or complete than others?
4. What was the most difficult part of this assignment?
5. Did every teammate contribute to this WBS effort?
6. Is your team still following the day-to-day schedule provided in the TPP-1?