Project Planning Assignment 2: Lasa Project Planning Develop

Project Planningassignment 2 Lasa Project Planning Developing The

Develop a project plan for the District 4 Warehouse Move project using the provided WBS and PDF documentation. Use ProjectLibre to create the project timeline, including WBS codes and task sequencing. Determine the predecessor relationships by identifying which tasks depend on others and inputting this information into the predecessor column. Using ProjectLibre’s Network or flow diagram view, identify the critical path. Prepare an MS Word document listing the activities on the critical path and analyze which risks from the provided risk table are most likely to delay the project, justifying your choices. Submit both the completed project plan and the Word document.

Paper For Above instruction

The successful planning and execution of a complex project such as the District 4 Warehouse Move hinges on meticulous development of the project plan, accurate identification of task dependencies, and effective risk management. This paper details the process of creating a comprehensive project plan using ProjectLibre, identifying the critical path, and analyzing potential risks that may impact the project schedule.

Introduction

The District 4 Warehouse Move project involves multiple activities that require careful sequencing and scheduling. The initial step involves reviewing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) provided in the WBS.xls file to grasp the scope of work. The project plan must incorporate WBS codes for clarity, and tasks should be sequenced appropriately to reflect dependencies. Once the plan is established, the critical path analysis reveals the sequence of activities that determine the minimum project duration, highlighting the tasks that require close management to avoid delays.

Developing the Project Plan in ProjectLibre

The process begins with importing or entering the WBS tasks into ProjectLibre, assigning unique WBS codes to each task for structured referencing. An additional column is inserted for predecessor relationships, which specify the line number(s) of tasks that must be completed before a particular task can commence. For example, if task 3 depends on task 1, then the predecessor for task 3 will be ‘1’. Proper sequencing ensures an accurate project timeline that reflects real-world dependencies.

Once predecessors are established, the tasks can be sequenced correctly, and the project timeline can be generated. ProjectLibre’s Gantt chart view provides a visual representation of task durations, dependencies, and overlaps. Further, the tool’s network diagram view facilitates the identification of the critical path, which comprises the longest sequence of dependent tasks defining the earliest completion date.

Identifying the Critical Path

The critical path analysis reveals which activities are critical for timely project completion. Any delay in these activities will directly impact the overall project schedule. In the case of the warehouse move, activities such as permits acquisition, structural modifications, and equipment relocation are typically critical. The critical path is outlined in the generated network diagram, indicating tasks that must be tightly controlled to prevent project overruns.

Analysis of Risks and Their Impact on the Critical Path

The risk table supplies potential hazards that could impede project progress:

1. Permits are not received per schedule.

2. Finish work contractors walk off halfway through.

3. Framing and drywall contractors are behind schedule, with only half their crew.

4. Workbenches are of poor quality, requiring rebuilding.

Risks most likely to extend project timelines are those concerning permits and contractor reliability. Permits not arriving on time could halt subsequent activities like structural alterations or interior work, thereby delaying multiple critical path tasks. Similarly, contractor walk-offs or significant delays in framing and drywall work could cause cascading setbacks along the critical path, particularly if these tasks are sequentially dependent. The poor quality of workbenches, though problematic, affects specific discrete tasks; its impact on the overall schedule may be less severe unless it delays critical activities like workspace setup or equipment installation.

Conclusion

The process of developing a project plan for the District 4 Warehouse Move, including task sequencing, dependency mapping, and critical path determination, is fundamental to successful project management. Identifying vulnerabilities in the schedule through risk analysis enables proactive strategies to mitigate delays. Ensuring permits are secured on time, managing contractor performance, and quality control are essential steps to keeping the project on schedule.

References

1. ProjectLibre, Inc. (2020). ProjectLibre User Guide. Retrieved from https://www.projectlibre.com

2. Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley.

3. Schwalbe, K. (2018). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning.

4. Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2014). Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Wiley.

5. PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). Project Management Institute.

6. Watkins, J. J. (2015). Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme. Wiley.

7. Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2018). Project Management: The Managerial Process. McGraw-Hill Education.

8. Turner, J. R. (2014). Handbook of Project-Based Management. McGraw-Hill.

9. Williams, T. (2017). Assessing and managing risk in project management. CRC Press.

10. Pinto, J. K. (2014). Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage. Pearson.