10.23 Building a Project Plan Using the Template

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Open the MS Project Plan (.mpp) template sent by the Project Coordinator (found with the software accompanying this book). The initial “task name” should be the assigned code name of the project.

10.23.1 Adding Start and Finish Dates

Fill in the appropriate start and finish dates for each task. To do this, double-click on the date and then use the pop-up calendar to choose the appropriate date. The duration of days will automatically reflect the number of workdays between the start and finish dates. Start and finish dates of parent tasks (in bold) cannot be manipulated—only the dates of subtasks can be modified.

10.23.2 Inserting Additional Tasks and Subtasks

Insert any additional tasks or subtasks where appropriate. To do this, click on the task that will follow the newly inserted task, then “Alt I”, “Alt N” to insert “New Task.” The “New Task” will be inserted above the task highlighted. You can then type in the name of the new task or subtasks, adding both the appropriate start and finish dates.

10.23.3 Inserting Predecessor Tasks into the Project Plan

Predecessors (dependencies) have already been inserted on the template, but to add additional predecessors, type the predecessor number in the appropriate predecessor cell. This creates links between tasks, showing task dependencies. It is possible to have multiple predecessors for a given task. To enter multiple predecessors, separate each predecessor number with a comma. To create subtasks, use the arrows pointing left and right on the toolbar menu. These arrows can be used to shift a task one way or another, creating the appropriate subtask at various levels. On the Gantt chart, subtasks are indented to the right, beneath the parent task.

10.23.4 Inserting Task Notes into the Project

To add a predecessor to a task that is a separate project altogether, highlight the task, and click on the note icon on the toolbar. Type in the name of the separate project and any other concerns or details you may want to add. Adding a task note to any task is a good way to communicate additional details that the project plan does not include. The Project Coordinator will insert dependencies between projects and functional groups on the appropriate .mpp rollup reports.

10.23.5 Inserting Resources into the Project Plan

Add the name of the Project Manager in the first cell under “Resource Names.” You may assign resource names to any task as needed. More than one resource name can be assigned to any given task. The resource(s) that are assigned to a task should be the individual(s) who are responsible for completing that particular task. Here is an additional method for defining resources:

  • Click on the “Resource Sheet” icon or select View Resource Sheet from the menu.

  • Double-click on the resource name to bring up resource information.

  • Enter the Internet e-mail address for the user.

  • Leave the selection for Workgroup as “Default.”

  • Select “Work” as the resource type.

  • Click on the “Windows Account” button to select the user’s correct windows account.

Note: At this point, project planners should focus more on getting the tasks defined correctly and less on defining the resources correctly.

10.23.6 Tracking Task Completion

Indicating the percentage of a task that is complete helps track actual progress. By specifying a percentage of completion between 0 (the task hasn’t started) and 100 (the task is finished), we can compare actual progress against planned progress. When you specify the percentage of completion for a task, Microsoft Project calculates the actual duration and remaining duration according to the formulas:

  Actual Duration = Duration  Percent Duration Complete    Remaining Duration = Duration – Actual Duration   

To change the task view, simply perform the following steps:

  • On the View menu, click More Views.

  • In the Views list, click Task Sheet, and then click Apply.

  • On the View menu, point to Table, and then click Tracking.

  • In the % Comp. (percentage complete) field, type the percentage complete for the task.

  • The recalculated values for actual duration and remaining duration will appear in the Act. Dur. (actual duration) and Rem. Dur. (remaining duration) fields, respectively.

  • To return to the Gantt chart view, click on the Gantt chart icon on the left.

An easy way to enter “% Complete” into the project plan template is to insert the “% Complete” in each appropriate cell and update this as the project moves forward. To record the percentage complete for an individual task, one option is to use the General tab of the Task Information box (double-click on a given task). It is not necessary to update the percentage complete for summary-level tasks. Microsoft Project calculates the percentage of a summary task that is complete based on the progress of its subtasks.

10.23.7 Saving the Project Plan from the Project Template

When all project updates have been made, the file should be saved as the code name assigned to it (e.g., codename.mpp). Once you have saved the .mpp file, move the file to the “Project-Document Check-In” URL under the appropriate Functional Group file on the server designated by your SPMO. From this point, your local Project Coordinator will move the .mpp file to the appropriate rollup for reporting purposes. When making continuous updates to the .mpp file, follow the same process and save the document into the “Project-Document Check-In” URL found under the appropriate Functional Group file folder designated by your SPMO.

10.23.8 Updating the New Project Plan

If your organization uses Project Central as a project management tool, you should try to make updates using the Project Central server file when possible. This will help maintain the current links and dependencies between the files in the server folder and allow others to create new dependencies to your tasks as needed. If you must take a copy of the project file home, it is recommended that you observe the following rules:

  • Copy the current file from the server to your floppy. Do not perform a “Save As” feature from within MS Project. It is best to use Windows Explorer to copy the file to the A: drive.

  • When opening the file outside of the current server folder, you may see a Link message dialog box indicating that files are Not Found. Simply close the dialog box. The predecessor and successor links will not be lost.

  • When returning the updated file to the server, use Windows Explorer to copy the file back into the SPMO Files server folder location.

  • Open the file from the server location.



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Managing Software Deliverables. A Software Development Management Methodology
Managing Software Deliverables: A Software Development Management Methodology
ISBN: 155558313X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 226

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