Part A Requirements and Questions

For part A of the assessment you must complete the following tasks and questions. Read all the questions before you commence the tasks. The schedule is to be developed in an appropriately named Microsoft Project 2010 file (e.g. WaterMeters-PartA.mpp) and the questions are to be answered in a Word document. Any assumptions must also be listed at the beginning of the Word document.

1. Based on the information in the case study description above, use the Microsoft Project 2010 software to produce a Part A project schedule. You should be mindful of the marking criteria and ensure that activities described in the case are included and sequenced correctly with all resource and duration information. Any resource over-allocation issues must be resolved in your schedule without the addition of extra resources. The schedule is to show all activities from 1/7/13 until the system "goes live". You should organise your tasks into key work packages (summary tasks) with sub-tasks (and sub-summary tasks etc.).

One way to organise the WBS is according to the following summary tasks:

Rockstone Water Meters

Pre Project Manager Appointment Tasks (committee deliberaation and PM appointment etc.)
:
DataBase Training (arrangement and actual training)
:
Portable Data Entry system
:
Water Meters
:
Revenue System
:
Awareness Campaign
:

Although there are other possible structures for the WBS, for this assignment you are required to base your WBS on the above starting point. Note that some of the summary tasks shown above may have sub-summary tasks. For example, the "revenue system" should include sub-summary tasks such as "Conversion program A" etc.

2. In this question you must identify the critical path in your schedule.
i. Make sure that the tasks on the critical path are automatically highlighted by the software in the Gantt chart view.
ii. List the tasks on the critical path in your answer to this question in the Word document.

3. Based on your schedule, when should the specifications be issued for the portable data entry system and the water meters? Manually highlight the tasks involved using the "background colour" icon on the task ribbon. This is to allow your marker to check your work easily

4. Assume that you are Shirley, write a memo to Mr. Bright explaining the expected completion date of the project, together with an explanation of the factors that cause the project to require that length of time.

5. Capture screenshots of the "Who does what" report that shows the tasks each resource is involved in and when they are scheduled to work on that particular task. Add the screenshots to the Word document in answer to this question.

6. How should Shirley ensure that the project is finished on time as determined by the project schedule developed?

7. What options does Shirley have to shorten the project? (Justify your answer. Be specific. Describe any tasks that you would target, how you might reduce their duration and how/why a reduction in their duration would impact on the project completion date. Give at least two suggestions and describe any impact or issued that might result from implementing your suggestions.)

8. Shirley is also asked to develop a risk plan for the project. Describe how the risk plan should be used and what information must be included in the risk plan.

9. Are there any activities and/or events that Shirley has overlooked? (This could include additional tasks/planning that should be carried out by the project manager. Do not include any missing tasks that you identify in this question in your solution .mpp files.) If so, describe those activities. What impact will these have on the project if Shirley does not take action to rectify the situation?


Part B Requirements and Questions

During the lead-time, the vendors advised Shirley that there was a delay in shipments and that the new hardware delivery would be ten weeks from the original receipt of the order.

The data integrity group also found that the process was more time consuming than expected. When the dataintegrity group of four was half way through the previously estimated checking period, they had only completed one quarter of the work.

1. Should Shirley simply proceed with lengthening the time for ensuring data integrity? Explain your answer and discuss any options that she should consider before making her decision.

2. Copy your Part A schedule into a new Part B file and amend the schedule according to the new information given above (i.e. assume that the shipment will be delayed and that ensuring data integrity will take longer). Manually highlight the rows where you have made changes using the "background colour" icon on the task ribbon. This is to allow your marker to locate them easily.

Document any assumptions you make in Part B in the Word document. If the changes create any resource over-allocation issues make sure that you resolve them.

3. What is the new time for the critical path? In your answer include the new date of completion, new duration and compare the new schedule with the original schedule (e.g. how much longer or shorter is the new schedule in comparison with part A).

4. Describe how each of the changes impact upon the project schedule.

5. What effect does each of the changes have on the cost of the project?