Ivy Tech Community College BCOM 220 Project Planning And Con

Ivy Tech Community Collegebcom 220 Project Planning Control Capst

Ivy Tech Community College BCOM 220, Project Planning & Control (Capstone) involves generating detailed schedule reports using Microsoft Project. Specifically, students are instructed to produce PDFs of various activity bar charts reflecting different equipment and activity schedules, ensuring clarity, organization, and professionalism in presentation. The reports include individual resource-specific bar charts for equipment like cranes, backhoes, piledrivers, concrete pumps, girder suppliers, and concrete pours, as well as comprehensive schedules and activity sequence representations. Critical instructions emphasize verifying the accuracy of schedules by checking overlaps, floats, and sequencing. The project must be completed within approximately 90 days, with reports submitted before the due date, and must be carefully checked for correctness and clarity to ensure high grades.

Paper For Above instruction

The process of project scheduling in construction management requires precision, organization, and a keen understanding of resource allocation and sequencing. In the context of the Ivy Tech Community College BCOM 220 capstone project, students are tasked with producing a series of detailed PDF reports generated through Microsoft Project, which visualize the schedule and resource assignment for a multi-activity construction project. These reports serve not only as planning tools but also as communication devices that facilitate coordination among project personnel and stakeholders.

The assignment begins with the creation of resource-specific bar charts for different equipment and activity groups. These include a crane, backhoe, piledriver, concrete pump, girder supplier, and all concrete pours. Each chart must display activities in Early Start/Early Finish (ES/EF) sequence, color-coded for clarity, and labeled accordingly. The visualization should confirm that no overlaps occur between activities requiring the same equipment unless float allows for such scheduling. Ensuring that each resource's activities are scheduled efficiently, with minimal conflicts, is essential. For example, the crane's activities, which might include lifting heavy components, must be scheduled sequentially or with appropriate overlaps considering float time to avoid conflicts and delays.

Next, students are required to generate an overall project schedule combining all activities, maintaining ES/EF order, proper labeling, and color coding for different types of work or resource groups. This comprehensive schedule provides a macro view of the project timeline and resource utilization across all activities, and it must be logically coherent, with clear delineation of activity sequences and overlaps. It serves as a foundational document for monitoring overall progress and identifying potential conflicts or bottlenecks.

Another key report involves demonstrating that only one road remains open at a time or that only one road is closed, providing a clear visual of traffic management and access during the construction phases. This involves sequencing activities related to road closures and openings, ensuring that the schedule allows for minimal disruption and complies with safety and logistical constraints. The schedule must be scrutinized for overlaps or conflicts that could lead to safety hazards or project delays.

In completing these reports, students must carefully analyze the schedule for overlaps, floats, and resource conflicts to ensure that the visualizations accurately reflect the feasibility of the planned activities. Critical thinking and attention to detail are essential to identify potential scheduling conflicts and resolve them before submission. The final PDFs should be organized, labeled, and designed professionally, facilitating easy interpretation and review.

The overarching goal is to demonstrate mastery of project scheduling principles, effective resource management, and the ability to communicate complex schedules visually. These skills are vital in real-world construction project management, where precise planning prevents delays, controls costs, and ensures safety. Ensuring the programs are free of overlaps and conflicts, with activities properly sequenced and float accounted for, is crucial for a successful project plan.

In conclusion, this project emphasizes comprehensive scheduling, resource management, and presentation skills using Microsoft Project. Students must leverage their technical understanding to produce accurate, professional, and conflict-free reports. The careful review and verification of each schedule are necessary to meet the high standards expected and to demonstrate proficiency in project planning and control.

References

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• Larson, E., & Gray, C. (2017). Project Management: The Managerial Process (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
• Microsoft. (2021). Microsoft Project User Guide. Microsoft Support.
• Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2017). Project Management: A Managerial Approach (9th ed.). Wiley.
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• Heldman, K. (2020). PMP Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide. Wiley.