NIT1203 - Project Management: Microsoft Project & Design Constraints

This document presents a comprehensive project management plan developed using Microsoft Project. It details the implementation, including milestones, resource allocation, and project schedule, while also addressing annual holidays and their impact. The plan identifies critical paths and justifies project constraints such as project duration and start/finish dates. Furthermore, it discusses resource over-allocation issues and their resolution within Microsoft Project, outlining the tasks on the critical path and the impact of resource constraints on project duration. The document also suggests methods for reducing project duration by optimizing task management and resource allocation. This project plan provides a structured approach to managing project timelines and resources effectively.

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
NIT1203 - Introduction to Project Management
Student Name:
University Name:

1PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Table of Contents
Part A: Microsoft Project Design Implementation...............................................................................2
a. Milestones in the project...............................................................................................................2
b. Resource allocation details...........................................................................................................2
c. Project schedule............................................................................................................................3
d. Annual holidays............................................................................................................................4
e. Display of critical path(s).............................................................................................................5
Part B: Description and Justification of Project Constraints................................................................6
a. Project duration.............................................................................................................................6
b. Start and finish dates of the project..............................................................................................6
c. List of tasks on critical path..........................................................................................................6
d. Impact of annual holidays............................................................................................................7
e. Reduction in project duration.......................................................................................................7
Resource over allocation issues........................................................................................................8
a. Resolving resource over-allocation issues with Microsoft Project..........................................8
b. List of tasks on critical path...................................................................................................10
c. Impact of resource constraints on project duration................................................................11
Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................12

2PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Part A: Microsoft Project Design Implementation
a. Milestones in the project
b. Resource allocation details

3PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
c. Project schedule

4PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
d. Annual holidays

5PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
e. Display of critical path(s)

6PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Part B: Description and Justification of Project Constraints
a. Project duration
The project will take 158 days.
b. Start and finish dates of the project
Start date of the project is 09/06/16 and the finish date is 27/01/17.
c. List of tasks on critical path
The tasks that are no critical path are listed as below:
WBS Task Name
1.1 Requirements Analysis
1.1.1 tablet hardware
1.1.1.1 tablet requirements
1.1.1.2 review and approve
1.1.2 software requirements
1.1.2.1 data requirements
1.1.2.2 tablet software requirements
1.1.2.2.2 rules for coding in tablet
1.1.2.4 server software requirements
1.1.2.4.1 tablet server interface
1.1.2.4.2 server user interface
1.2 Software Design
1.2.1 tablet
1.2.1.3 application layer
1.2.1.4 review and approval
1.2.2 sever software
1.2.2.1 tablet server interface
1.2.2.2 server user interface
1.2.2.3 data layer
1.2.2.4 review and approval
1.3 software development and testing
1.3.1 tablet software
1.3.1.3 application layer
1.3.1.4 tablet testing
1.3.1.5 testing server tablet interface
1.3.1.6 install software on ruggedised tablet
1.3.1.7 testing (with ruggedised tablet)
1.3.2 server software
1.3.2.1 tablet server interface

7PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
1.4 Hardware: Ruggedised data entry tablet
1.4.1 source basic tablet
1.4.3 approval to purchase
1.4.4 delivery of basic tablets
1.5 field trial 1 with ruggedised tablet and s/w
1.5.1 user interface (in field) and interface to server (from field)
1.5.2 Tests of report generation with field data
1.5.3 review
1.5.4 modifications and testing
1.6 field trial 2after modifications
1.6.1 user interface (in field) and interface to server (from field)
1.6.2 Tests of report generation with field data
1.6.3 review
1.6.4 modifications and testing
1.7 Production approval
1.8 Produce batch of tablets for use in field
1.9 Milestones
M1 Start of the project
M7 Batch of field ready tablets ready for use (end of project)
d. Impact of annual holidays
The annual holidays has increased the end date by 11 days that is from 16/1/17 to 27/1/17. The
annual holidays has impacted the end date of the project as those days are excluded from the
working days. The resources will not work during the period from 23/12/16 to 4/1/17 hence the end
date has increased by 11 days.
e. Reduction in project duration
The duration of the tasks that can be reduced are listed along with the justifications as below:
WBS Task Name Justification for reduction Suggestions to reduce
duration
1.1.2.4.4.1 Report A These tasks under the main activity duration
“reporting requirements” will be reduced as those
will begin with the start of project. But reporting
is required only after some progress of the
project. Hence, the duration of these tasks could
be reduced.
The duration of the tasks
could be reduced by
adding some additional
resources.
1.1.2.4.4.2 Report B
1.1.2.4.4.3 Report C
1.1.2.4.4.4 Report D

8PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Resource over allocation issues
a. Resolving resource over-allocation issues with Microsoft Project
Microsoft project was used to resolve the issues of resource over allocation in the project by
following the steps as below:
1. Go to  Resource tab
2. Go to Level section 
3. Click on Leveling options and check on “Level only with available slack” which is done as
there will be no additional resources added to the project.
4. Now, Click  Ok and a screen appears as below:
5. Then click  Skip All so that the resources that cannot be resolved are skipped.

9PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
6. The resolving of resource over allocation issues has changed the duration of some tasks as
displayed below:

10PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
b. List of tasks on critical path
The tasks that are on critical path are listed as below:
WBS Task Name
1 Environmental Monitors
1.1 Requirements Analysis
1.1.1 tablet hardware
1.1.1.1 tablet requirements
1.1.1.2 review and approve
1.1.2 software requirements
1.1.2.1 data requirements
1.1.2.2 tablet software requirements
1.1.2.2.2 rules for coding in tablet
1.1.2.4 server software requirements
1.1.2.4.1 tablet server interface
1.1.2.4.2 server user interface
1.1.2.4.4 reporting requirements
1.1.2.4.4.1 Report A
1.1.2.4.4.2 Report B
1.1.2.4.4.3 Report C
1.1.2.4.4.4 Report D
1.2 Software Design
1.2.1 tablet
1.2.1.3 application layer
1.2.1.4 review and approval
1.2.2 sever software
1.2.2.1 tablet server interface
1.2.2.2 server user interface
1.2.2.3 data layer
1.2.2.4 review and approval
1.2.2.5 reports
1.2.2.5.1 Report A
1.2.2.5.2 Report B
1.2.2.5.3 Report C
1.2.2.5.4 Report D
1.2.2.5.5 review and approval
1.3 software development and testing
1.3.1 tablet software
1.3.1.3 application layer
1.3.1.4 tablet testing
1.3.1.5 testing server tablet interface
1.3.1.6 install software on ruggedised tablet
1.3.1.7 testing (with ruggedised tablet)
1.3.2 server software
1.3.2.1 tablet server interface

11PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
1.3.2.4 reporting software
1.3.2.4.2 Report B
1.3.2.4.3 Report C
1.4 Hardware: Ruggedised data entry tablet
1.4.1 source basic tablet
1.4.3 approval to purchase
1.4.4 delivery of basic tablets
1.5 field trial 1 with ruggedised tablet and s/w
1.5.1 user interface (in field) and interface to server (from field)
1.5.2 Tests of report generation with field data
1.5.3 review
1.5.4 modifications and testing
1.6 field trial 2after modifications
1.6.1 user interface (in field) and interface to server (from field)
1.6.2 Tests of report generation with field data
1.6.3 review
1.6.4 modifications and testing
1.7 Production approval
1.8 Produce batch of tablets for use in field
1.9 Milestones
M1 Start of the project
M7 Batch of field ready tablets ready for use (end of project)
c. Impact of resource constraints on project duration
The resource constraints did not have any impact on the project duration and the end date however
the duration of some tasks have changed after resolution of the resource over allocation issues. The
project duration and end date did not have any impact as the over allocation issues were resolved
only within the available slack means no additional resource were added and changes were not
made to the sequence of activities.