ISYS302: Management of IT Systems and Projects Assessment Answers

Background This year, the assignment gives you quite a bit of flexibility as PM to work out how you will deploy your staff and what they will cost – given a basic set of parameters. Feel free to research the basic scenario and come up with an option for the firm.Unlike in previous years, there is only one part to this assignment – MS Project, so focus on researching the background information as PM and be creative in your implementation. Task:

1. Implement the above project scope into MS Project 2013 (or appropriate software). The following table forms an idea of the tasks/subtasks to be implemented. Remember the staffing, cost and timeframe constraints you have been provided with. You are free to modify these WBSs as you see appropriate
2. How long will the project take in days and weeks? Why is this the case? How have you calculated this?
3. Provide the critical path for your implementation. Illustrate your critical path using a sequence of nodes and edges along the following lines.
4. Provide a discussion/explanation of your approach – how did you arrive at your costings, timeframes, how staff were allocated etc.

1.) The adequacy of the project schedule. Includes:

• Tasks + WBS + summary task
• Predecessor relationships
• Durations/effort (Time frame)
• Resources (staffing)
• Cost calculation

Assume the project will start from 11/4/2016.

1. To do the Project scheduling in MS-Project, first I should assume the efforts of different tasks then calculate the duration of each task from effort. The various efforts and duration for each task are summarizes are as follows,-

Task Name	Effort	Duration
Initiating the Project	2 person-weeks of IT	Actual work x Effort =5 days/week x 2 = 10 days
Planning	2 person-weeks of BA	Actual work x Effort =5 days/week x 2 =10 days
Requirements specification	2 person-weeks of NS (Network Specialist)	Actual work x Effort =5 days/week x 2 =10 days
System Design	2 person-weeks of DEV (Developer)	Actual work x Effort =5 days/week x 2 =10 days
Implementation	2 person-week of NS(Network Specialist)	Actual work x Effort =5 days/week x2 =10 days
Roll Out	1 person-week of HDS (Help-desk support)	Actual work x Effort =5 days/week x1 =5 days
Support	1 person-week of Law Lib (Law Librarian)	Actual work x Effort =5 days/week x1 =5 days
Closing	1 person-week of BA	Actual work x Effort =5 days/week x1 =5 days

The Project, Standish Roberts Legal, is written based on the above main task lists. The different subtasks with WBS and Gantt chart are shown in the MS-Project software. [caption id="attachment_2233" align="alignnone" width="636"] Fig:Gantt Chart 1:[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2234" align="aligncenter" width="644"] Fig: Gantt chart2:[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2235" align="aligncenter" width="637"] Fig: Gantt Chart with critical Tasks1[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2236" align="alignnone" width="633"] Fig: Gantt Chart with critical Tasks:[/caption] The screenshot of network diagram for the Project is as follows,- [caption id="attachment_2238" align="alignnone" width="656"] Fig: Network Diagram1[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2239" align="alignnone" width="655"] Fig: Network Diagram2[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2240" align="alignnone" width="638"] Fig: Network Diagram3[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2241" align="alignnone" width="636"] Fig: Network Diagram 4[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2242" align="alignnone" width="638"] Fig: Network Diagram 5[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2243" align="alignnone" width="638"] Fig: Network Diagram 6[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2244" align="alignnone" width="661"] Fig: Network Diagram 7[/caption] The resources are assigned in the Resource sheet. As, per requirements the various assigned resources are , IT staffs, Law Librarian, BA, Help-Desk Support, Developers and Network specialists. The Screenshot for Resource Chat as follows: The red mark denoted that the resources are over allocated. For cost calculation of the project, the standard rate is assigned to each resources as follows,- For IT Staff, the rate is $130.00/hr. For Law Librarian, the rate is $200.00/hr. For BA, the rate is $300.00/hr. For Help-Desk Support, the rate is $75.00/hr. For Developer, the rate is $150.00/hr. For Network specialist, the rate is $200.00/hr. The above standard rate is assumed and determined as per current rate from different companies. The cost is calculated as per resources with their standard rate by MS-Project software automatically. The Screen shot for Cost calculation Chart is as follows:

1. 2) Project Summary Tasks.

The duration for the Project is 60 days. It is calculated by the software automatically. The duration for each sub-tasks and their dependences are given on the software. As, per the duration and dependencies of the subtasks the total duration is calculated. In the MS-Project 2010 software, First click on Format Tab-> Then check Project summary Task. So, the total duration is shown at the top the task lists which are shown in Gantt Chart 1.

3) Critical path (highlighted and tasks listed):

1. i) The critical path in the Gantt chart is shown in red colored links in the .mpp file. The screenshot is also shown in the above Network Diagrams.
2. ii) The Tasks in the critical Paths are as follows,-

Form Project Team-> Develop Project Charater-> Develop Project Plan-> Define Risks and risk management approach->Define Requirements-> Evaluate current Intranets-> Define user requirements-> Define system requirements-> Check constraints on model-> Make final decision on platform to be adopted-> Setting up network-> Testing-> Communicate roll out plans to users-> Release internal PR-> Determine what support resources are needed-> Determine support process-> Conduct PIR->Prepare and deliver final report and presentation. The Critical path with critical tasks is done by the Ms-Project 2010 software automatically. This is obtained from Format Tab-> then check on critical Tasks. 4) provide a discussion/explanation of your approach – how did you arrive at your costing, timeframes, how staff were allocated etc. The duration for each subtasks and their dependency are assigned in the .mpp file. The duration for each tasks are calculated from the effort. The duration for each subtasks and their dependencies are assumed as per best criteria of the project and presented in the .mpp file. The screenshots are also shown in the above Gantt Chart 1 and Gantt Chart 2. The staff/resources are allocated in the “Resources Name” column of the Gantt chart. The resource allocation is done as per best criteria of the project. The screenshot for resource sheet is shown as follows,- [caption id="attachment_2250" align="alignnone" width="648"] Fig: Resource Sheet[/caption] In the above diagram, the red mark denotes the over allocation of that resources. In case of cost calculation, the standard rate for each manpower is assumed as per current status which are as follows,- For IT Staff, the rate is $130.00/hr. For Law Librarian, the rate is $200.00/hr. For BA, the rate is $300.00/hr. For Help-Desk Support, the rate is $75.00/hr. For Developer, the rate is $150.00/hr. For Network specialist, the rate is $200.00/hr. The above standard rate is assumed and determined as per current rate from different companies. The cost is calculated as per resources and their standard rate by MS-Project software automatically. The Screen shot for Cost calculation Chart is as follows: [caption id="attachment_2251" align="alignnone" width="648"] Fig: Cost Sheet1[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2252" align="alignnone" width="657"] Fig: Cost Sheet2[/caption] After assigning resources and standard rate for each resource in the Resource sheet, the cost is calculated by the MS-Project software. It is obtained in the ways:

• In the View Tab, Gantt Chart-> Then select More views->Select Task Sheet-> then Apply
• Again, In the View Tab, Table->Then select on Cost and Review the Total cost.

The estimated labour costs of the project is shown in the table,-  

Work Packages	Estimated Cost
Initiating	$10,400.00
Planning	$24,000.00
Requirements specifications	$16,000.00
System Design	$12,000.00
Implementation	$16,000.00
Roll out	$3,000.00
Support	$8,000.00
Closing	$12,000.00

So, the total Cost is , $1,01,400.00