MN601 Network Project Management

MN601 Laboratory: Week 01

Instruction

All MN601 laboratory reports should be submitted weekly at the end of each laboratory
section as individual submissions via Moodle.

Organise and arrange your Moodle folder submission needly. You need to name your files
using the weekly laboratory number, your names, and student ID, such as LabWeek01
YourName MITID.

The laboratory activities have two sections, Section A is about Microsoft Project and Section
B has a few questions related to project management areas. Thus, it will provide you with a
better understanding of the topics.

Do not retype or reuse laboratory questions to avoid high similarities, always aim for 0%
similarities for all laboratory reports. For Microsoft Project Section A, when you submit
screenshots, please take the whole screenshots of your screen. Ensure your report is
different from that of other students and not plagiarised.

Late submissions will result in a loss of 10% marks for each day the report is late.

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda

Section A: General Microsoft Project 2016

This is a general explanation and tutorial regarding Microsoft Project, in the upcoming
laboratories, you will receive more details information about each information given in this
Week 01 Laboratory.

Acknowledgment
Most of the content in this document is taken verbatim, for educational purposes, from:
https://www.smartsheet.com/microsoft-project-2016-tutorial-newbies

Introduction
A project plan is an essential part of any project manager’s toolkit. While it can be tempting
to get started on completing tasks as soon as possible, taking the time to map out your
strategy can help you save money and resources. Your project will constantly be shifting, and
you need a project plan template that can keep up. 

Microsoft Project (MS Project) has been around a long time (the first edition launched in
1984) and it is a staple in a project manager’s arsenal. There’s good reason - it includes all
the tools you need to assign resources, track progress, develop plans, manage budgets, and
create schedules. Effective project management requires tools like MS Project that are both
flexible and provide structure. However, Microsoft Project has a couple of limitations. First, it
only works on PCs, and second, MS Project requires a license to use. If your company already
uses Microsoft Project, those issues may not be challenges for you.

To help you get started with Microsoft Project 2016, this tutorial will walk you through the
steps to create a project timeline, assign resources, and run reports. If you want to create
your own project, you’ll need an MS Project license (which is likely supplied by your
company). We’ll also demonstrate how to perform the same tasks in Smartsheet for a MS
Project alternative. Since Smartsheet is a cloud-based web app, you can use a PC, Mac, or
mobile device and share your work with anyone.

How to Use Microsoft Project 2016

This MS Project tutorial will just cover the basic features that are found in most versions.
 Microsoft Project has a lot of features for setting up projects and running automated
reports based on progress, budget, time tracking, and more. We’ll take you through the
steps needed to set-up a timeline, add and schedule tasks, add resources, setup
dependencies, generate reports, and track progress. As an example, we’ll use a common
business requirement when dealing with vendors: tracking the progress of calling for RFPs.

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda

How to Create a Timeline
Microsoft Project doesn’t have a Timeline template, so you’ll need to enter data manually to
build a Microsoft Project Timeline. It’s probably because it’s the most basic feature and a
template isn’t needed to get started.

1. Create a Task List

You’ll need to build a list of required tasks. While building the list, try to prioritize them in
the order they need to be completed. To get started, open Microsoft Project, click  Blank
Project, and type each task into a cell under Task Name.

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda

2. Add Start and Finish Dates to Each Task
To enter start and end dates, click the Start  cell that corresponds to the first task and enter a
date (if you click the down arrow in the cell, a calendar will appear and you can use that to
select a date). Then tab over to the Finish  row and enter an end date. Microsoft will
automatically enter the amount of time it will take to complete the task in the  Duration  row.
You’ll notice that as you add the dates, bar charts will be added to the timeline in the right-
hand pane.

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda

3. Add Tasks to the Timeline
To add tasks to the Timeline, click the View tab and click the Timeline  bar that appears
above the task list. Then right-click on a Task cell and choose Add to Timeline  from the list
and click it to add the task to the timeline.  

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda

Tip: You can select all tasks in the list and then right-click on the mouse and select Add to
Timeline to add all the tasks simultaneously.

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda

How to Set Up Resources in Microsoft Project
Now that you have the basic structure for your project, we’re going to add the resources you
need to get the job done. The term “resources” typically refers to people, but can also mean
documentation or a certain type of work that will be needed to complete the project.

1. Open the Resource Sheet

From the View  tab, click Resource Sheet. The Resource Sheet will appear on the screen.  

2. Add Resources

Type the name of the resource needed in the Resource Name field and complete the
remainder of the information: Type, Material (if it’s a material), Initials, Max (max amount of
time), Standard Rate, Overtime, Cost/Use, Accrue, Base, and Code.

Once your resources are added to the project, you can easily view who is available to take on
the task based on their workload, and manage how much time each team member will
spend on tasks in the Resource Management view.

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda

How to Assign Tasks in MS Project
Once you have a list of resources for your project, you’ll want to assign tasks. This will help
you better manage the project and get work done in a specific time period. One of the
benefits of MS Project is that it can calculate how long it will take a person to complete the
task based on their availability. If it’s a particularly important part of the project that needs
to be done quickly, you can assign multiple people to it and Microsoft Project will decrease
the time it takes to complete the task based on how many resources are assigned. This also
lets the people assigned to the project know how much time is required of them.

1. Switch to the Gantt chart

To assign tasks, you’ll need to switch to the Gantt chart. Click the Gantt chart icon in top left
corner of the window.

2. Open the Task Form

You should still be in the View tab. Click the Details box in the ribbon. The Task Form should
appear on the lower half of the screen. If it doesn’t appear, click the down arrow in
the Details box and select Task Form.

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda

3. Select a Task to Assign
Click a task in the Gantt chart view and it will appear in the Name  section of the Task Form.
Click the box under Resource Name and choose a resource from the drop-down menu. Then
click OK.

You can add another person to the same task by clicking the area under  Resource Name and
choosing the name you want. Click OK. As you assign tasks, the amount of time will be added
to the Gantt chart. Repeat steps to assign all the tasks. 

Note: Clicking the Next button (located on the right side of the OK button) will load the next
task in the Gantt chart.

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda

Section B: Project Management Questions – Project Management Overview and PMI

1. What is a project? What makes a project unique compared to tasks people undertake in
their everyday work life? Give an example of a project.

2. Melbourne Institute of Technology wants to build an online enrolment system for

students to use in the 1st semester of next year. You are nominated to lead this project
and you will be expected to be fully accountable for meeting its objectives. As a project
manager, you will be the leader of the project team.
a. What responsibilities will you be taking for ensuring the project will be completed in
a timely way?
b. What skills do you need as a project manager?

3. Check out Project Management Institute’s (PMI) home page at www.pmi.org.

a. Review general information about PMI as well as membership information.
b. Use the Search function on the PMI home page to find information on PMBOK. What
are the major knowledge areas of PMBOK?
c. Explore other links that PMI provides. What do these links tell you about the nature
and future of project management?

4. Which PM certificates and courses will be useful if you wish to become a professional
project manager?

Prepared by: Dr Nalin Sharda