I. Overview and Rationale
Each team will need to insert the developed WBS into the MS Project. Next, you need to add activities and time estimates to the WBS in MS Project. You will find the MS Project course on LinkedIn Learning very helpful in completing this assignment. In addition, each team will be sequencing all the case project’s activities, identifying the critical path, and creating a summary of the estimated costs associated with the project’s major deliverables.
II. Program and Course Outcomes
This assignment is directly linked to the following key learning outcomes from the course syllabus:
• Evaluate the best practice techniques to create and communicate an effective project WBS.
• Explain the philosophies of project cost and schedule.
• Analyze the relationship between cost & schedule and project failure
• Map the process of planning schedule and cost management.
In addition to these key learning outcomes, you will also have the opportunity to evidence the following skills through completing this assignment:
• Critical thinking and analysis
• Technical Competency
• Problem-solving
III. Essential Components & Instructions
1.1 WBS
For this assignment, you need to ensure that your WBS captures the entire scope provided in the case study in sufficient detail. Break down the Work Packages into the activities necessary to create the deliverables. (You should have a minimum of approximately 40 activity tasks; also, remember to use the Verb / Adj. / Noun format in naming activities; all activities must begin with an action verb (Examples: create, order, schedule, build, code, etc….)) Activities are the actions you will take to create the deliverables. Use the Action Verb / Adj / Noun format in naming activities. Please see the example below:
1.1-Kitchen Cabinets (Deliverable)
1.1.1-Design Kitchen Cabinets (Activity) (Action verb / adjective / noun)
1.1.2-Request Kitchen Cabinet Bids
1.1.3-Approve Kitchen Cabinet Contract
1.1.4-Install Kitchen Cabinets
• Captures relevant project management-oriented deliverables
• Contains 30 - 40 lines of detail
• Decomposes the project to at least two levels of deliverables, at a minimum
• Activities follow the action verb / adjective / noun format
• Deliverables follow the adjective / noun format
• You have added sufficient activities to produce the deliverables
• Contains a WBS code (1.0, 1.1, 1.1.1, etc.)
• Created in MS Project
1.2 Activity and Time Estimate
• Enter estimated durations for each activity created (keep resources in mind, but do not assign resources)
• If effort and duration differ (and it will for many activities), adjust the task type and effort to account for difference (see this week’s lecture for a discussion on this issue). Failure to do this will lead to a significant loss of credit.
• Create at least 12 activity notes that contain the following information:
o Estimating method used (bottom-up, top-down, etc.
o Basis of estimate (past experience, SME, vendor quote, etc.
o One or two reasons why actual duration may vary from estimated duration
• Add at least four milestones to your project. Place milestones at key points throughout the project. Make them zero days duration, and make the milestone name ‘red’ to flag their location.