You have been selected as the project manager for a new product development. Your client is a home appliance company. The new product is a smart washing-machine. Clients require you to start the project ASAP (We will use November 2, 2015 as our start date). Assuming that the task list, resource sheet, schedule dependencies and resource assignment statement are given, use MS Project 2013 / 2010 to answer the following questions. (All known materials are attached)

Questions:

  1. If the project starts on November 2, 2015, on what date will the project be completed?

The project is due to complete on 5/2/2016.

  1. How many total labor hours does your project require?

488 total labor hours

  1. What is your cost estimate without any reserves? Round numbers, such as $210,000, would be adequate.

Total cost: $105,480

  1. Optional: If you used resource leveling or added additional resources, indicate the revised completion data. Do this step after you answer questions 1-3. Resource leveling cannot be easily reversed.

Added resource leveling after the fact, duration remains and finish date is now: 1/25/2016

Expectation:

  1. You should know how to use MS Project to resolve above questions.
  2. You should know how to use WBS in MS Project.
  3. You should know how to use Gantt Chart to manage your tasks.
  4. You are supposed to evaluate finish date, costs and critical path.
  5. You are expected to manage your resource by MS Project.

The handout MS Project 2013 is a good instruction assisting you to go through this practice. Please make sure you have MS Project 2013 stay aside you.

Task List

WBS / Task / Duration / Start / End
1 / 1 / Smart Washing-machine Development Project / 11/02/15
2 / 1.1 / Design
3 / 1.1.1 / Appearance Design / 28 days / 11/02/15
4 / 1.1.2 / Technique Design / 33 days / ? / ?
5 / 1.1.3 / Design End / 0
6 / 1.2 / CylinderDevelopment
7 / 1.2.1 / Research / 19
8 / 1.2.2 / Model Produce / 18
9 / 1.2.3 / Model Test / ? / 02/19/16 / 03/15/16
10 / 1.2.4 / Cylinder Development End / ? / 03/15/16 / 03/15/16
11 / 1.3 / Motor Development
12 / 1.3.1 / Research / 19
13 / 1.3.2 / Model Produce / 10
14 / 1.3.3 / Model Test / 11
15 / 1.3.4 / Motor Development End / 0
16 / 1.4 / Computer System Development
17 / 1.4.1 / Research(requirement, analysis, design) / 22
18 / 1.4.2 / Development(coding) / 17
19 / 1.4.3 / Maintenance and test / 13
20 / 1.4.4 / Client Approve( Computer System Development End) / 0
21 / 1.5 / Assembly and Whole System Test
22 / 1.5.1 / Assembly / 11
23 / 1.5.2 / Whole System Test / 7
24 / 1.5.3 / Final End / 0

? – You should try to figure out what happened when you input the above given information and also predecessors given in the next table.

Schedule Dependencies

WBS / Task / Predecessor
1 / 1 / Smart Washing-machine Development Project
2 / 1.1 / Design
3 / 1.1.1 / Appearance Design
4 / 1.1.2 / Technique Design / 3
5 / 1.1.3 / Design End / 4
6 / 1.2 / CylinderDevelopment
7 / 1.2.1 / Research / 4
8 / 1.2.2 / Model Produce / 4
9 / 1.2.3 / Model Test / 8
10 / 1.2.4 / Cylinder Development End / 9
11 / 1.3 / Motor Development
12 / 1.3.1 / Research / 4
13 / 1.3.2 / Model Produce / 12
14 / 1.3.3 / Model Test / 13
15 / 1.3.4 / Motor Development End / 14
16 / 1.4 / Computer System Development
17 / 1.4.1 / Research (Requirement, Analysis, Design) / 4
18 / 1.4.2 / Development (Coding) / 17
19 / 1.4.3 / Maintenance and Test / 18
20 / 1.4.4 / Client Approve (Computer System Development End) / 19
21 / 1.5 / Assembly and Whole System Test / 6, 11, 16
22 / 1.5.1 / Assembly / 19
23 / 1.5.2 / Whole System Test / 22
24 / 1.5.3 / Final End / 23

Try two different methods of linking dependencies that are demonstrate in MS Project 2013 handout.

Resource Sheet

Resource Name / Type / Material Label / Initials / Group / Max Units / Std Rate
Designer / Work / D / 100% / $50.00/hr
Programmer / Work / P / 100% / $75.00/hr
Tester / Work / T / 100% / $60.00/hr
Researcher / Work / R / 100% / $100.00/hr
Model Developer / Work / M / 100% / $75.00/hr

Resource Assignment Statement

Resource / Assigned for Task
Designer / Appearance Design
Technique Design
Programmer / Research (requirement, analysis, design)
Development (coding)
Maintenance and test
Tester / Model Test
Whole System Test
Researcher / Research
Model Developer / Model Produce
Assembly