IFSM 438 Information systems project managementTask and Schedule Changes

 

Inspired by: Fuller, Valacich, and George (2008). Information Systems Project Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall. pp.403-4-4.

 

Suppose you are the project manager for the following project:

 

Task	(Part 1)  Baseline Duration	Predecessor(s)	(Part 2)  Actual Duration
1	1 days	--	1 days
2	3 days	1	3 days
3	2 days	1	1 days
4	3 days	2	5 days
5	5 days	3	5 days
6	3 days	4, 5	3 days
7	1 days	6	1 days

 

 

1.   "Before": First, prepare a network diagram for the project using MS Project. Determine the critical path and slack times for all of the tasks. This completes the plan for the project schedule.

2.   Then figure out the project duration and completion date. Then baseline this (in MS Proj: Tools > Baseline) then save the .mpp file as "<yourname> F. Baselined Project".

3.   "After": During project plan Proj Execution, we become aware of the need to change the duration of Task 4 to five days. Meanwhile, Task 3 has been finished one day early, so it only took one day to do..4.   Re-do the network diagram and figure out the new duration and completion date.

5.   Look at the "tracking Gantt chart" to compare the before (baselined) and after (actual) versions. The baselined version will generally be black/gray, and the actual/current version will generally be in color (red for critical path tasks, blue for non-critical path tasks).

F.6.   Save the .mpp file, making sure it shows both versions, before (baselined) and after (actual) in the file.

F.7.   Then, having done all this, answer these questions:

1. a.       What effect did this have on and total project effort? Why?
2. b.      What effect did this have on project duration? Why?
3. c.       What effect did this have on the critical path? Why?