It is important for project management professionals to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you, as a project manager, to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and projects running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.

As the project manager, you have been asked to create an initial project schedule for a project known as the Technology Refresh Project introduced in Topic 1. The prior project manager assembled the project information and put it onto a spreadsheet. Based on this information, you are to create an initial project schedule using Microsoft Project.

Open the attached document "Project Durations and WBS Template." In this Microsoft Excel workbook file, you will notice a series of project tasks; optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic durations for each lowest-level task; and predecessor information. It is already decomposed into a logical Work Breakdown Structure.Do not alter this information.

In the "PERT Expected Duration (days)" column, calculate the PERT Expected Duration for each lowest-level task. Round the duration entries to the nearest integer.

Create a new MPP file (i.e., a Microsoft Project file). Enter the tasks shown in the "Project Durations and WBS Template" into the "Initial Project Schedule" (i.e., Microsoft Project file) you are creating.

Based on the task hierarchy in the "Project Durations and WBS Template" file, demote the appropriate tasks using the green indent and outdent arrows in the TASK Ribbon, SCHEDULE group. Notice how the WBS field is automatically updated as tasks are indented and outdented. Be sure that your Microsoft Project task hierarchy exactly matches the task hierarchy in the "Project Durations and WBS Template."

Based on your computed PERT Expected Durations from above, enter these durations in the "Duration" field in the Microsoft Project file. Note the following:

1. Be sure that you do not directly enter durations into Microsoft Project summary tasks (i.e., the bold tasks). Note that the Microsoft Project summary task durations and dates are automatically updated as durations are entered into the lowest level tasks.
2. Be sure that lowest level task durations are entered as whole numbers.

Based on the predecessor information in "Project Durations and WBS Template," update the "Predecessor" column in "Initial Project Schedule." Note the following:

1. The "Successor" column updates automatically, as predecessors are entered. Thus, there is no need to enter any information in the Successor column.
2. Be sure that the summary tasks (i.e., the bold tasks) do not contain predecessors or successors. Predecessors and successors are only entered at the lowest level task level.
3. Ensure that lowest level tasks have at least one predecessor (except the first task) and at least one successor (except the last task).

Display the critical path. Go to the FORMAT ribbon and check the "Critical Tasks" box in the BAR STYLES group. Note that the critical path task bars will turn red. Also, take note that the Total Slack column contains 0 days for the critical path tasks.

Submit the following completed files in a single zip folder, ensuring your last name is included inboth filenames:

• "Project Durations and WBS Template" (i.e., MS Excel file)
• "Initial Project Schedule" (i.e., created MS Project file)

MGT-640 Project Durations and WBS Template Optimistic Duration Most Likely Duration Pessimistic Duration Predecessor(s) ID Task (days) (days) (days) PERT Expected Duration (days) (ID) 1 TECHNOLOGY REFRESH PROJECT 2 Initiating 3 Meet with key stakeholders 1 2 3 | 2] 4 Finalize statement of work 3 5 9 5 ] 3 5 Secure project team leads 3 5 13 I 3 6 Finalize stakeholder register 2 4 7 4] 5 7 Develop project charter 10 16 24 3 8 Finalize project charter 1 2 4 a7 9 Planning 10 Scope Planning 1 Requirements 12 Develop/finalize functional requirements 5 16 24 4 13 Develop/finalize hardware requirements 5 12 20 12 14 Develop/finalize software requirements 5 10 14 12 15 Develop/finalize requirements traceability matrix 4 9 17 12,13,14 16 Finalize project deliverables 2 2 3 158 17 Develop scope statement 4 6 16 16 18 Finalize/Update WBS 2 3 8 17 19 Schedule (Time) and Cost Planning 20 Finalize hardware/software costs 6 12 18 13,14 21 Update activities and duration estimates 2 10 18 18,20 22 Human Resource Planning 23 Finalize resource requirements 4 8 19 \" 21 24 Finalize project costs 4 6 12 21,23 25 Identify training requirements 2 4 5 \" 23 MGT-640 Project Durations and WBS Template ID 26 27 28 29 30 3 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Task Complete training activities Quality Planning Determine impacted quality processes Finalize quality management plan Risk Planning Update project risks Draft risk register Finalize risk management plan Finalize Project Plan Finalize communications management plan Finalize procurement management plan Finalize stakeholder management plan Finalize project schedule/cost baseline Finalize project plan Obtain approval for project plan Executing Hardware Procure hardware from suppliers Software Obtain software OS licenses Obtain software application licenses Pilot Testing Setup test area Load software onto pilot machines Validate functionality Optimistic Duration (days) 6 o RN NN Most Likely Duration (days) 12 10 12 12 Pessimistic Duration (days) 14 12 18 16 10 22 20 20 PERT Expected Duration (days) 11 1 1 12 12 Predecessor(s) (ID) 25 15 28,23 23 )l 32 23 16 6,23 24 29,36,35,37,38 33,39 36 36 36 40 45,46,48,43 49 MGT-640 Project Durations and WBS Template Task Deployment Configure production hardware Deploy production hardware Load software fo deployed hardware Testing Validate startup on deployed hardware Perform OS testing Perform application testing Obtain formal sign-off from users Monitoring and Controlling Formal Customer Review 1 Hold formal customer review after project plan approval Update project plan Formal Customer Review 2 Obtain updates regarding key deliverables from project team Hold formal customer review after pilot testing Update project plan Closing External Finalize procurement with suppliers Customer Approval Hold final customer review Prepare/submit final customer report Audit against contractual deliverables Obtain final customer approval Optimistic Duration (days) 10 12 10 D s B w Most Likely Duration (days) 18 16 16 13 14 wom @ N Pessimistic Duration (days) 28 18 30 10 10 18 22 18 10 2 8 8 4 PERT Expected Duration (days) N [ 00006 0000000 ] Predecessor(s) (ID) 26,50,67,63 52 53 54 56 57 58 40 62 50 50,65 66 59 59 59 72,73 74