Scheduling Resources and Costs

CreatingaProject Plan

Ashman S & D is a small successful sales and distribution company thatprovides a range of kitchen ware products to retail stores - from frying pans, plates and glasses to juice mixers and coffee machines. The companyimportsitsproductsfromallovertheworldandstoresthematitscentralwarehouse,readyfor distribution.

Recently, Ashman has grown its distribution business by setting up mini-store locations throughout the country.EachministoreholdssmallquantitiesofcommonlyorderedproductssothatAshmancustomers can view,order and receive goods locally withouthaving to order from a catalog or travel to the central warehouse.

ToensurethatadministrationstaffinAshman'sfiveministorecancommunicateefficientlywiththehead office, the decision has been made to upgrade the company's outdated and inadequate computer network.Thisupgradewillenabletheentirestaff(30 peopleattheheadofficeand 40in the ministores) to communicate via emails, use the internet and most important, to access key head office applications such as the finance and payroll systems. Ashman S&D has decided to create a formal project to perform this upgrade, involving the delivery of new computer server, communications hardware and operating systemsforabrand-newITinfrastructureacrosstheorganization,withinfourmonthsofprojectinitiation.

As Ashman does not have its own IT team, it has decided to outsource this network upgrade project to CNS(computernetworkSolutions). Being aseniormanagerhereatCNS,I havebeen assignedtheroleof Project Manager for this project. After completing feasibility study, defining the Project Charter, appointing my Project Team, setting up a Project Office, and gaining Project Board approval to begin planning, I was ready to create a detailed Project Plan.

WhatfollowsistheProjectPlanIcreatedforthisProject.Itdescribesthebreakdownofphases,activities and tasks, the milestones, effort and schedule required to undertake this project successfully.

1. WritethenumberofPhaseswhichyouneedtocompleteinordertoperformthisnetwork upgrade.

PhaseTitle	PhaseDescription	PhaseSequence

2. Withineachphaseasuiteofactivitiesarerequiredtoproducedeliverables.Completethe following table with project activities need to be completed throughout the project life cycle.

PhaseTitle

ActivityTitle

ActivityDescription

Activity Sequence

3.Eachoftheseactivitiesrequirescompletionofabroadsuiteoftasks.Completethefollowingtable with the list of tasks to be undertaken during the project life cycle. Start with the planing phase activities.

Activity	TaskTitle	TaskDescription	TaskSequence

4. Listthekeymilestonestobeachieved bythisproject.

MilestoneTitle	MilestoneDescription	MilestoneDate

5. Listtheamountofeffortandresources requiredtoundertakethisproject.

TaskTitle	Resource	EffortinDays

6. Specifythekeydependenciesofthisproject(UseFinishtoStartDependency)

Activitytitle	Depends On	DependencyType

7. List down if there are any assumptions required considering in order to completing the project successfully.

8. Writeifthereareanyconstraintsareidentifiedwhiledocumentingthisprojectplan.

9. Whatdocuments shouldbeattached tothisprojectplan.