This Week's Ilab: Using Different Ways In MS Project

In This Weeks Ilab We Will Use The Different Ways Ms Project Allows

In this week's iLab, we will use the different ways MS Project allows you to modify resource assignments and how this can affect work completion. In doing so, we will: change the task type settings to control how resources affect task assignments, apply preset resource contours to change work value distribution, and work with task information forms.

Guidelines: Complete Lesson 3. Print the Project Summary Report. Print the Task Usage Report. Print the Resource Usage Report.

Paper For Above instruction

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the procedures involved in utilizing Microsoft Project to modify resource assignments, with a focus on understanding how such modifications influence work completion. The primary objective of this iLab exercise is to familiarize students with the various tools and features within MS Project that enable project managers to effectively allocate and adjust resources, thereby optimizing project schedules and outcomes.

Initially, students are tasked with changing the task type settings within MS Project. Task types—such as Fixed Units, Fixed Work, and Fixed Duration—play a crucial role in determining how resource adjustments impact the overall schedule. For example, setting a task to Fixed Units ensures that resource allocations remain constant, affecting how the work adjusts when resource commitments change. Conversely, Fixed Work tasks maintain a constant amount of work, which can alter durations based on resource availability. By manipulating these settings, project managers can simulate different scenarios to observe how resource modifications influence task timelines and workload distribution.

Next, applying preset resource contours constitutes a vital step in understanding work value distribution. Resource contours allow for the customization of work efforts over the duration of a task, enabling the modeling of realistic work patterns such as increased effort towards project deadlines or fluctuating resource availability. MS Project offers predefined contours—such as flat, back-loaded, front-loaded, and Bell-shaped—that exemplify diverse work distributions. Students learn to apply these contours to visualize and analyze their effects on project timelines, providing insights into effective resource management practices.

Additionally, the exercise involves working with task information forms. These forms provide detailed insights into task attributes, including start and finish dates, durations, constraints, and dependencies. By editing these forms, students can refine task parameters, enforce constraints, and better understand the interplay between various project elements. Mastery of task information forms enhances the ability to perform precise adjustments, ensuring the project schedule aligns with strategic goals and resource capabilities.

The final deliverables consist of generating specific reports and documenting the process. Students are required to print and submit the Project Summary Report, the Task Usage Report, and the Resource Usage Report. These reports serve as vital documentation of resource allocations, task progress, and overall project health. Additionally, screen captures of the reports are to be inserted into a Word document, cropped, and resized appropriately to ensure clarity. These printouts and screenshots provide tangible evidence of the modifications undertaken within MS Project.

Submission instructions specify that all files—the completed project file (MyLab3_XXX.mpp), the printed reports, and the reviewed questions—must be compiled into a zip archive. The filenames should incorporate the student’s initials in place of “XXX” for easy identification. If printouts are not physically submitted in class, screenshots should be taken directly from print preview pages, cropped, and inserted into the Word document. The organized and clearly labeled zip file should be uploaded to the designated Week 3 iLab Dropbox to fulfill the assignment requirements.

Conclusion

This iLab exercise offers practical experience in resource management within MS Project, emphasizing the importance of task type settings, resource contours, and detailed task information. Mastery of these techniques enables project managers to allocate resources effectively, foresee potential schedule issues, and adapt plans to changing circumstances, ultimately contributing to successful project execution.

References

  • Gido, J., & Clements, J. (2021). Successful Project Management. Cengage Learning.
  • Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley.
  • Microsoft Corporation. (2023). MS Project User Guide. Microsoft Support.
  • Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) (6th ed.). PMI.
  • Larson, E., & Gray, C. (2018). Project Management: The Managerial Process. McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Schwalbe, K. (2018). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning.
  • Heldman, K. (2018). Project Management JumpStart. Wiley.
  • Marczak, M. (2022). Practical MS Project. Packt Publishing.
  • Williams, T. (2018). Measuring Performance in Project Management. Gower Publishing.
  • Zwikael, O., & Smyrk, J. (2019). Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager. Gower Publishing.

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