Question: A Gantt chart (or project management chart) communicates the major steps required to complete a project, the associated time required to complete each step, and the order in which the steps should be completed.

You have been asked to address a client-oriented business opportunity (problem) and you have selected one of several choices (i.e. SCM, HR, ACC/FIN, CRM). It is now time for you to complete and submit a Gantt chart that describes the steps that will be necessary to recommend a solution to the organizational problem.

The first three phases (planning, analysis and design). What tasks will need to be completed in order to address these phases for developing a solution to your problem? For example, we know that you will have to determine the major goals associated with the new solution. These goals are communicated in the problem statement and eventually we be written down in a form known as a "user requirements document" So, there will be tasks associated with determining the goals and developing the user requirements documents.

Once the goals are determined, there must be investigation of various available alternatives. In the case of a new electronic system, there may be several software vendors that supply solutions to client problems. These alternatives will need to be investigated and analyzed to determine which may be the best alternative. A justification statement will need to be developed to communicate the alternatives and the selection of the "best case" alternative. Tasks will need to be included for these activities.

Often, a diagram (known as a block diagram or an entity diagram) is constructed to help the decision makers better understand the chosen alternative. The Describing a System Topic will provide a block diagram, but the tasks associated with creating and building a block diagram should be included in the Gantt chart.

Most managers will want to understand the costs associated with a new electronic system and what the return on the investment will be, so there will need to be tasks associated with return on investment and cost benefit analysis.

All this information needs to be prepared and presented to decision makers so time associated with these communication tasks needs to be included in your Gantt diagram.

Consider any other tasks/time that will be associated with preparing a recommendation for a solution to the client problem.