Project Planning, Scheduling, and Control Report: IT Project Issues

This report delves into the critical aspects of project planning, scheduling, and control within the context of information technology projects and network upgrades. The report begins by summarizing a research paper on the factors affecting IT project scheduling, identifying key issues like poor time estimation and their consequences. It then moves on to a practical application, constructing an Activity-on-Arrow (AOA) network diagram and determining the critical path for a given project, along with a Gantt chart and task schedule table. Furthermore, the report outlines the planning activities required for a network upgrade project, including defining the scope, feasibility studies, requirement analysis, and implementation. It also provides a high-level project scope statement, a work breakdown structure (WBS), and a project team member assignment chart, offering a comprehensive overview of the project management process. The report covers the project life cycle from initiation to closure, providing a detailed roadmap for successful project execution and control.

Running head: PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:

1PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
Table of Contents
QUESTION 1.............................................................................................................................2
QUESTION 2.............................................................................................................................3
a) Network proceeds from node 1 to node 9.......................................................................3
i. Activity on arrow (AOA) network diagram................................................................3
ii. Critical path and duration...............................................................................................3
b) Network Diagram and task schedule table......................................................................4
Question 3..................................................................................................................................5
a) Planning activities for network upgrade project.............................................................5
b) High-level project scope statement.................................................................................6
c) Work Breakdown Structure.............................................................................................7
d) Project team members assign in the project....................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................10

2PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
QUESTION 1
The purpose of this paper is to identity issues cause late delivery of the information
technology projects. There is investigation of issues causes scheduling problems in the
project context. The research study helps the researcher to understand underlying factors
towards poor estimation of project schedule. Poorly time estimation for the information
technology projects lead to cause unforeseen circumstances, conflicts among project team
members and poor work for the business organization. The factors influencing the
information technology projects is varied to greater extent and caused risks with providing
impact on the project success. Therefore, the researcher performs this study to determine the
scheduling issues factor and take possible measures to mitigate the problems. By means of
performing quantitative research work, the researcher underpins different factors affecting the
preliminary development of the IT projects. The causes or factors of scheduling problems are
ranked based on its relative index, as well as exploratory factor analysis. From analysis of
data by conducting quantitative research work, four factors are analyzed by researcher such
as dataless newbie, optimistic politician, technical newbie as well as pragmatic futurist. The
factors mentioned are used to define various circumstances that lead to cause scheduling
difficulties in the information technology works. The evidence which are provided on the
research study determines that the schedule development for this type of project is being
impacted by various causes provide impact on the engineering projects. It is applied on the
mitigation practises used in the engineering area like position class. This type of mitigation
measures are not only helpful to improve over schedule problems, while it is also used to
reduce political pressures on project manager.

3PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
1 2
3
4
5
6
7
8 9
A=4
B=4
C=5
D=6
E=4
F=5
G=8
H= 4
I=7
J= 3
K= 5
QUESTION 2
a) Network proceeds from node 1 to node 9
i. Activity on arrow (AOA) network diagram
Figure 1: Activity on arrow (AOA) network diagram
(Source: Created by author)
ii. Critical path and duration
The possible critical paths of the project plan are:
A-B-E-H-K = (4+4+4+4+5) = 21 days
A-C-F-I-J-K= (4+5+5+7+3+5) = 29 days
A-D-G-J-K= (4+6+8+3+5) = 26 days
A-C-F-H-K= (4+5+5+4+5) = 23 days
The critical path is defined as order of plan activities add up to longest total project
duration. Therefore, for this project, the critical path is A-C-F-I-J-K= (4+5+5+7+3+5) = 29
days.

4PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
b) Network Diagram and task schedule table
Gantt chart
Figure 1: Gantt chart showing Critical path
(Source: Created by author)
From the above Gantt chart picture, it is seen that the critical path for the project task
is: A-C-F-I-J-K = 29 days.
Network Diagram
B
Start: Wed 11-03-20ID: 2
Finish: Mon 16-03-20Dur: 4 days
Res:
C
Start: Wed 11-03-20ID: 3
Finish: Tue 17-03-20Dur: 5 days
Res:
D
Start: Wed 11-03-20ID: 4
Finish: Wed 18-03-20Dur: 6 days
Res:
F
Start: Wed 18-03-20ID: 6
Finish: Tue 24-03-20Dur: 5 days
Res:
H
Start: Wed 25-03-20ID: 8
Finish: Mon 30-03-20Dur: 4 days
Res:
I
Start: Wed 25-03-20ID: 9
Finish: Thu 02-04-20Dur: 7 days
Res:
E
Start: Tue 17-03-20ID: 5
Finish: Fri 20-03-20Dur: 4 days
Res:
J
Start: Fri 03-04-20 ID: 10
Finish: Tue 07-04-20Dur: 3 days
Res:
G
Start: Thu 19-03-20ID: 7
Finish: Mon 30-03-20Dur: 8 days
Res:
K
Start: Wed 08-04-20ID: 11
Finish: Tue 14-04-20Dur: 5 days
Res:
A
Start: Thu 05-03-20ID: 1
Finish: Tue 10-03-20Dur: 4 days
Res:
Figure 2: Network Diagram
(Source: Created by author)

5PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
Task Schedule Table
Figure 3: Task Schedule Table
(Source: Created by author)
Question 3
a) Planning activities for network upgrade project
It is required to plan the network upgrade project so that it can ensure that the project
scope is comprehensive and correct before launching development execution. Following are
the planning activities required to upgrade the network project plan:
Define initial scope: At starting of the project, there is required to analyze the scope
and objectives behind upgrade work of the network infrastructure of ICT Company. It is
required to prepare a communication plan, determine timeframe for project, budget analysis
and identity resources to project activities (Kerzner, 2017).
Feasibility study: It is required for project planning to make changes into the project
before the project resources are assigned. Cost benefit analysis is required to ensure that the
project has high success rate. It ensures that project budget and time is accurate to meet with
project scope.
Requirement analysis: There is analysis of non-functional and functional requirements
of the network upgrade (Jrad, Ahmed, & Sundaram, 2016). The goal is to characterize the
system based on user’s perspectives.

6PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
Detailed network upgrade: The documents against the purchase, implementation,
contracts as well as financial commitments are prepared. There is implementation of
communication system.
Implementation: It is the actual implementation of network. The primary activity is to
create methodical review to check comprehensive project documents. It plays a key role in
acceptance testing (Marchewka, 2016).
Training: A detailed project schedule is prepared for user training to complete the
network upgrade project. It is required to test the training plans and critical project decisions
are taken to meet project scope and objectives.
Evaluation: When the network system is in operation, then it is required to schedule
and do formal evaluation of the system (Heldman, 2018). There is evaluation of financial
performance, operational expenses with budget and financial benefits.
b) High-level project scope statement
Project
Scope
The scope of this project is to upgrade the network of ICT Company by
replacing 10 servers on network with 6 new servers. 4 of the servers are for
domain controllers where rest for the mail servers. With creating new
network infrastructure, the workstation of the company is replaced with new
PC. The project will require to finish in six months.
Project
Acceptance
Criteria
 Backup as well as testing is to be finished successfully.
 All network system requirements are approved.
 Usage of business continuity plan where there is unavailability of IT
system.
 Considerations of security issues
 User acceptance testing has to be conducted before launching the
system.
Project
Deliverables
 Weekly status report
 Assessment of technical documents
 Design and implementation plan
 Network infrastructure upgrade contract
 Test plan and issue logs
 Lessons learned document

7PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
 Training manuals
 Final project management plan
 Project closure meeting documents
c) Work Breakdown Structure
Network Upgrade Project
Define initial scope
Analyze project
scope
Analyze objectives
Prepare
communication plan
Determine
timeframe for
project
Budget analysis
Identify resources to
project activities
Feasibility study
Cost benefit analysis
Project budget
changes
Requirement analysis
Functional
requirement
Non-functional
requirement
Characterize system
based on user's
perspective
Detailed network
upgrade
Preparation of project
documents
Purchase
Implementation
contracts
Financial
commitments
Implementation of
communication
system
Implementation
Establish systematic
review
Audit project
documents
Acceptance testing
Training
Test the training
plans
Prepare training
manuals
Taking critical
project decisions
based on scope
Evaluation
Formal evaluation of
system
Financial
performance
Operational
expenses
Financial benefits
Figure 4: Work Breakdown Structure
(Source: Created by author)
d) Project team members assign in the project
Following responsibility chart shows the project team members allocate to each of the
plan activity:
Project Activities
Project
Manager
Business
Analyst
Executive
Sponsor
Functional
Lead
Tester
Developer
System
Analyst
HR
Manager
Analyze project scope and
objectives
 
Prepare communication plan  
Determine project schedule  
Budget analysis  

8PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
Identify resources  
Functional and non-functional
requirements
 
Characterise network system  
Prepare project documents  
Acceptance testing 
Training on the system handling  
Formal evaluation of system  

9PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
References
Heldman, K. (2018). PMP: project management professional exam study guide. John Wiley
& Sons.
Jrad, R. B., Ahmed, M. D., & Sundaram, D. (2016, November). A roadmap for upgrading
unupgradable legacy processes in inter-organizational middleware systems.
In International Conference on Future Network Systems and Security (pp. 142-156).
Springer, Cham.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and
controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Marchewka, J. T. (2016). Information technology project management: Providing measurable
organizational value. John Wiley & Sons.

10PROJECT PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL
Bibliography
Meredith, J. R., Mantel Jr, S. J., & Shafer, S. M. (2017). Project management: a managerial
approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Heagney, J. (2016). Fundamentals of project management. Amacom.
Lientz, B., & Rea, K. (2016). Breakthrough technology project management. Routledge.
Nicholas, J. M., & Steyn, H. (2017). Project management for engineering, business and
technology. Taylor & Francis.
Whyte, J., Stasis, A., & Lindkvist, C. (2016). Managing change in the delivery of complex
projects: Configuration management, asset information and ‘big data’. International
Journal of Project Management, 34(2), 339-351.
Daugherty, A., & Hines, S. S. (Eds.). (2018). Project Management in the Library Workplace.
Emerald Publishing Limited.
Prater, J., Kirytopoulos, K., & Ma, T. (2019). From “Technical Newbies” to “Optimistic
Politicians”. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business.
Fleming, Q. W., & Koppelman, J. M. (2016, December). Earned value project management.
Project Management Institute.