MIS

Management Information Systems

Microsoft® Project Exercise – Creating a Gantt Chart.

Background: Microsoft® Project is an important tool when planning and implementing a project. A project is a defined, goal-oriented group of tasks that have a specific beginning and end. A project can involve one person who is planning, tracking, and executing a controlled group of processes or it can be monitored and accessed by a workgroup.

A successful project will have a definite beginning and end (even though the end date may need to be adjusted as the project progresses). It will be comprised of phases: the schedule or duration, the resources (cost, people, material, etc.), and the objectives or goals.

Each time a task is completed within a phase, you can create a milestone. A milestone is a reference point that tracks progress.

In this Exercise, you are going to learn how to define a project, project phases, break them down into tasks. Create a Gantt Chart representing the expected time duration of your project.

Task 1. Defining Tasks for the Project

Each row in the Gantt Chart is one task. List the following tasks to under Microsoft Project, one row for each task.

1. Finish the Project Outline 2. Research a. Dividing projects into pieces for team member b. Team member 1 Data Collection c. Team member 1 Data Analysis d. Team member 2 Data Collection e. Team member 2 Data Analysis f. Team member 3 Data Collection g. Team member 3 Data Analysis h. Team member 4 Data Collection i. Team member 4 Data Analysis j. Milestone 1: Finish Data Collection 3. Paper Write-up and Presentation a. First Draft i. Write the draft ii. Edit the Paper iii. Milestone 2: Finish first draft b. Presentation i. Prepare for Presentation ii. Milestone 3: Final Presentation c. Paper Revision d. Milestone 4: Final Paper Submission

After you finish entering the tasks, use the Indent button () on the formatting toolbar to adjust the relationship between tasks until it properly show the above relationships.

Task 2. Specify the duration for each task

Add information to the duration column

1. Finish the Project Outline (1 day, start Oct 16, 2020) 2. Research a. Dividing projects into pieces for team member (3 days) b. Team member 1 Data Collection (5 days) c. Team member 1 Data Analysis (10 days) d. Team member 2 Data Collection (7 days) e. Team member 2 Data Analysis (14 days) f. Team member 3 Data Collection (7 days) g. Team member 3 Data Analysis (10 days) h. Team member 4 Data Collection (12 days) i. Team member 4 Data Analysis (10 days) j. Milestone 1: Finish Data Collection (0 day) 3. Paper Write-up and Presentation a. First Draft i. Write the draft (5 days) ii. Edit the Paper (3 days) iii. Milestone 2: Finish first draft (0 day) b. Presentation i. Prepare for Presentation (7 days) ii. Milestone 3: Final Presentation (0 day) c. Paper Revision (5 days) d. Milestone 4: Final Paper Submission (0 day)

Task 3. Sequencing Tasks

Specify the following interdependencies:

Research has to start after you Finish the Project Outline.

0. put the task id of the Finish the Project Outline (1) in the field of predecessors for task Research.

For all four team members, Data collection starts after Dividing projects into pieces and Data 1analysis part starts after the Data Collection.

Milestone 1 starts when all the 4 team members finish data analysis.

Paper Write-up and Presentation starts after the Milestone 1.

Under first draft, the sequence should be: Writeup the paper edit the paper Milestone 2.

For Presentation, the sequence should be Prepare for Presentation Milestone 3.

Paper Revision starts after Milestone 2 and 3, followed by Milestone 4.

Task 4. Adjusting and Tracking Tasks

1. Set the final presentation date on Dec 4, 2020.

2. Set the task completion rate of Task 1 “Finish the Project Outline” to 100%

3. Set Task 3 “Diving projects into pieces for team member” to 50% complete.

Congratulations! Now you’ve have the Gantt Chart.

List of tasks table for you to copy

Finish the Project Outline

Research

Dividing projects into pieces for team member

Team member 1 Data Collection

Team member 1 Data Analysis

Team member 2 Data Collection

Team member 2 Data Analysis

Team member 3 Data Collection

Team member 3 Data Analysis

Team member 4 Data Collection

Team member 4 Data Analysis

Milestone 1: Finish Data Collection

Paper Write-up and Presentation

First Draft

Write the draft

Edit the Paper

Milestone 2: Finish first draft

Presentation

Prepare for Presentation

Milestone 3: Final Presentation

Paper Revision

Milestone 4: Final Paper Submission