Assignment: This Exercise Begins With Information For A Buil

Assignmentthis Exercise Begins With Information For A Building Projec

This exercise begins with information for a building project. Working in Microsoft Project, you will create the task list, including summary tasks and their sub-tasks, create links between tasks and their predecessors, add resources, and make changes to the original plan. You need to enter specific tasks with their durations, predecessors, and resources, set the project start date to December 15th, 2014, and identify the original finish date. Then, save the baseline for the project. You will update the project with new information such as task delays, partial completions, and resource availability issues, while keeping the baseline unchanged. Annotate reasons for schedule changes using notes. Assess whether the project meets the scheduled walk-through and final completion dates. Finally, propose adjustments to ensure the project finishes on time, providing justification for each change. All responses should be submitted as a Word document, with changes made directly within Microsoft Project based on the scenario.

Paper For Above instruction

The given scenario presents a comprehensive project management task where the initial planning, updating, and real-time adjustments in Microsoft Project are essential for successful project delivery. This case exercise emphasizes the importance of detailed task organization, resource management, schedule tracking, and flexible response strategies in construction project management.

Initially, the first step involves creating a detailed task list with relevant durations, predecessors, and assigned resources. The task list is structured with summary tasks and sub-tasks, forming a clear hierarchy that mirrors the building project’s phases. These tasks encompass procurement, construction activities, inspections, and finishes. Setting the project start date to December 15th, 2014, anchors the timeline, allowing for accurate scheduling and baseline setting. Establishing the baseline is crucial; it provides a reference point to monitor deviations from the original plan and evaluate the impact of subsequent changes.

Next, the project schedule is updated with the provided new information without altering the baseline. For instance, Tasks 1-20 were completed on time, indicating smooth progress. However, Task 21 experienced a delay due to an inspector’s vacation, causing a three-day setback, which has now been resolved. Tasks involving the wallboard installation (Task 24) and stairway completion (Task 25) have partial progress figures (50% and 65%, respectively). These updates need to be incorporated as progress tracking in the project, perhaps through percentage complete indicators or duration adjustments. For activities like the painting contractor’s delayed start, the new start date of August 25th, 2015, must be scheduled, reflecting resource availability constraints and delaying subsequent activities dependent on painting completion.

Similarly, the landscape crew’s delay in material arrival until August 29th, 2015, necessitates rescheduling the related tasks in the project timeline. Incorporating these delays raises the need for careful notes annotations explaining the reasons (inspector delay, resource delays, material late delivery) to provide clarity in project documentation. These notes serve as a record of unforeseen events affecting the schedule and support critical decision-making.

Following the schedule updates, it is essential to determine whether the walk-through date and final project completion date align with the original schedule. This involves comparing the updated project finish date with the planned date in the baseline. Typically, delays caused by inspector holidays, delayed materials, and resource availability will shift the finish date later than initially planned, indicating the project is not on schedule. Precise dates should be extracted from the revised schedule to inform stakeholders accurately.

Finally, the scenario discusses a management decision to rectify schedule slippage to meet customer expectations. Possible corrective actions include increasing resource allocation, adjusting task interdependencies, or overlapping activities where feasible. For example, fast-tracking certain tasks, like starting painting earlier if permitted, or re-sequencing non-dependent activities may accelerate the schedule. Justification for these changes should focus on minimizing added costs, managing resource constraints, and ensuring quality is not compromised. Each adjustment must be supported by logical reasoning—such as justified overlaps, resource leveling, or multitasking—to provide a feasible path to completing the project on or before the original deadline.

References

• Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2018). Project Management: The Managerial Process (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
• PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Project Management Institute.
• Kemp, M. (2016). Construction Project Management. Routledge.
• Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
• Heldman, K. (2018). Project Management JumpStart. John Wiley & Sons.
• Fleming, Q., & Koppelman, J. M. (2016). Project Scheduling & Control. John Wiley & Sons.
• Zwikael, O., & Smyrk, J. (2019). Project Management for the Creation of Organisational Value. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Highland, M. (2019). Advanced construction scheduling techniques. International Journal of Project Management, 37(2), 255-267.
• Mueller, R. (2020). Effective resource management in project planning. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 146(4), 04020039.
• Mir, F. A., & Pinnington, A. H. (2014). Exploring the value of project management: Linking project management performance and project success. International Journal of Project Management, 32(2), 202-217.