BCA 7th Semester
CACS407: Software Project Management
Lab 01: Familiarization with Microsoft (MS) Project.
Objective:
• Introduction to MS-Project, it's features and functions.
• Installation of MS-Project.
• Discussion on how does MS-Project help the managers.
• Benefits of MS-Project
Required Theory:
1) Introduction to MS-Project
Microsoft Project is a powerful project management software developed by
Microsoft. It's designed to assist project managers in planning, managing,
and tracking projects of various sizes and complexities. Here's a brief
introduction to its key features and functions:
i. Project Planning: MS Project allows users to create detailed project plans
by breaking down tasks, assigning resources, setting deadlines, and
establishing dependencies between tasks. You can create tasks, subtasks,
milestones, and define their relationships to visualize the project timeline.
ii. Resource Management: It enables users to manage resources efficiently
by assigning them to tasks, tracking their availability, and monitoring their
workload. You can allocate resources based on their skills, availability, and
cost.
iii. Scheduling: MS Project automatically calculates project schedules based
on task durations, dependencies, and resource availability. It offers various
scheduling options such as manual scheduling, auto-scheduling, and setting
task constraints.
iv. Budgeting and Cost Management: You can create and manage project
budgets, track costs, and analyze expenses using built-in budgeting tools.
MS Project allows you to allocate costs to tasks, resources, and track project
expenditures against the budget.
v. Tracking and Reporting: It provides tools for tracking project progress,
monitoring task completion, and identifying potential delays or issues. Users
can generate various reports, charts, and dashboards to communicate project
status, performance metrics, and key milestones.
vi. Collaboration: MS Project facilitates collaboration among project team
members by allowing them to share project information, update task status,
and communicate through built-in communication tools. It integrates with
other Microsoft Office applications like SharePoint and Teams for seamless
collaboration.
2) Installation of MS-Project
To install Microsoft Project, you typically need to follow these steps:
i. Purchase or Obtain Microsoft Project: First, you need to acquire a copy
of Microsoft Project. This can be done by purchasing it directly from
Microsoft's website, or as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription plan that
includes Project.
ii. Check System Requirements: Before installing, ensure that your
computer meets the minimum system requirements for running Microsoft
Project.
iii. Run the Installer: Locate the downloaded installation file or insert the
installation disc into your computer, then run the installer program. Follow
the on-screen instructions to begin the installation process.
iv. Complete Installation: Once you've made your selections and entered the
product key, continue with the installation process. The installer will then
copy the necessary files to your computer and configure Microsoft Project
for use.
How to start the application?
- To start with Microsoft Project, navigate to
Start - All programs – Microsoft Office – Microsoft Office Project 2007.
- After starting the project, the Gantt chart view appears by default.
3) Discussion on how does MS-Project help the managers.
Microsoft Project (MS Project) provides several benefits to project
managers:
i. Project Planning: MS Project allows managers to create detailed
project plans by breaking down tasks, assigning resources, setting
deadlines, and establishing dependencies.
ii. Resource Management: Managers can efficiently allocate resources
to tasks, track resource availability, and monitor workload.
iii. Scheduling: MS Project automatically calculates project schedules
based on task durations, dependencies, and resource availability.
iv. Budgeting and Cost Management: The software enables managers to
create and manage project budgets, track costs, and analyze expenses.
v. Tracking Progress: MS Project provides tools for tracking project
progress, monitoring task completion, and identifying potential delays
or issues.
vi. Communication and Collaboration: The software facilitates
collaboration among project team members by allowing them to share
project information, update task status, and communicate through
built-in communication tools.
vii. Risk Management: MS Project includes features for identifying,
assessing, and managing project risks. Managers can define risk
factors, prioritize risks, and develop mitigation strategies to minimize
potential impacts on project outcomes.
Overall, MS Project helps managers streamline project management
processes, improve decision-making, and ensure successful project delivery
by providing powerful tools for planning, scheduling, resource management,
tracking progress, and facilitating collaboration.
4) Benefits of MS-Project
Microsoft Project offers several benefits to project managers and teams:
1. Improved Planning: MS Project helps project managers create detailed
project plans, including tasks, timelines, resources, and dependencies. This
comprehensive planning ensures that all aspects of the project are
considered, leading to better project outcomes.
2. Efficient Resource Management: The software enables managers to
allocate resources effectively, ensuring that tasks are assigned to the right
people with the necessary skills and availability. This prevents resource
overallocation and underutilization, optimizing resource utilization
throughout the project.
3. Better Scheduling: MS Project automatically calculates project schedules
based on task durations, dependencies, and resource availability. Managers
can easily adjust timelines and schedules as needed, ensuring that projects
stay on track and deadlines are met.
4. Cost Control: With MS Project, managers can create and manage project
budgets, track costs, and analyze expenses. This helps in controlling project
expenditures, identifying cost overruns, and making informed decisions to
keep the project within budget constraints.
5. Effective Communication: The software facilitates communication and
collaboration among project team members by providing tools for sharing
project information, updating task status, and communicating through built-
in communication tools. This improves team coordination and enhances
transparency throughout the project lifecycle.
6. Risk Management: MS Project includes features for identifying,
assessing, and managing project risks. Managers can define risk factors,
prioritize risks, and develop mitigation strategies to minimize potential
impacts on project outcomes.
7. Real-time Monitoring and Reporting: MS Project provides tools for
tracking project progress, monitoring task completion, and generating
various reports and dashboards to communicate project status to
stakeholders. This helps in identifying issues early, making timely
adjustments, and keeping stakeholders informed.
Conclusion:
Hence, we discussed about the MS-Project, it's features and functions, Installation
and benefits.
Lab 02: MS Project for Project Scheduling
Objective: Create a Microsoft (MS) Project schedule for the following activities
SN/ Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Resource
Task (Days) Person
ID
1 Brainstrom 5 2/20/2024 2/24/2024 Ashish
2 Preliminary 7 2/22/2024 Deepak
Study
3 Resource 5 3/14/2024 2 Jagat
Assurance
4 Recruitment 5 3/21/2024 3 Sajan
5 Coding & 1 3/28/2024 4 Neeruta
Testing
6 CAD Design 7 3/29/2024 5 Jasmine
7 Final 2 4/09/2024 6 Keshak
Presentation
8 Launch 1 4/11/2024 7 Surya
Required Theory: Microsoft Project is widely used for scheduling tasks and
creating Gantt charts, among other project management functions. It allows you to
schedule tasks by defining their start and finish dates, durations, dependencies, and
constraints. You can input task details such as names, durations, and predecessors,
and the software will automatically calculate the schedule based on these inputs.
This scheduling functionality helps project managers create comprehensive project
timelines. It also lets you establish dependencies between tasks, indicating which
tasks must be completed before others can start. This ensures that tasks are
scheduled in the correct sequence and that any changes to task durations or
dependencies are reflected in the overall project schedule.
The software enables you to assign resources (such as people or equipment) to
tasks, which affects the scheduling of those tasks. By managing resource
availability and workload, MS Project helps optimize the project schedule and
ensures that resources are allocated efficiently.
Scheduling Tasks in MS-Project:
Gantt Chart output from MS-Project:
Conclusion:
Hence, we used MS Project to schedule the given activities and create a Gantt
chart.
Lab 03:
Comparative study of the Project Management Software (TRELLO, ASANA, JIRA)
Objective:
To compare the following features:
• Special feature
• Dashboard view
• Task creation
• Notifications
• Integrations with the other apps
• Scheduling features
• Accounting tools
Required Theory:
1) Special feature
Trello:
Lightweight and easy to use: Trello is known for its user-friendly interface and
straightforward features. It's a great option for individuals or teams starting with
project management or for managing smaller projects.
Power-Ups for customization: While Trello offers basic features, it provides
"Power-Ups" which are add-on functionalities for more complex needs. These can
include integrations with other tools, automation features, and calendar views.
Asana:
List and task flexibility: Asana offers a good balance between simplicity and
features. Tasks can be organized in lists and subtasks, with options for due dates,
attachments, and assignees. It provides more flexibility than Trello's basic cards.
Customizable dashboards: Asana allows for creation of personalized dashboards
that give real-time project overviews. You can add widgets to track specific
metrics or team progress.
Goal setting and tracking: Asana incorporates goal setting features, allowing you
to define project goals and track progress towards them alongside your tasks.
Jira:
Agile project management: Jira is a powerful tool specifically designed for agile
project management methodologies like Scrum and Kanban. It offers features like
sprint planning, backlog management, and bug tracking, making it ideal for
software development teams.
Highly customizable workflows: Jira allows for extensive customization of
workflows to perfectly match your team's processes. You can create custom fields,
automate actions, and tailor the experience to your specific needs.
Integrations for developers: Jira integrates seamlessly with other developer tools
like Git and Bitbucket, creating a smooth workflow for software development
projects.
In short, Trello is best for visual, simple project management, Asana offers a
balance of features and customization for various projects, and Jira is a
powerhouse for agile development with extensive customization options.
2) Dashboard view
Trello Dashboard
Asana Dashboard
Jira Dashboard
3) Task creation
Trello task creation
Jira task/issue creation
Asana task creation
4) Notification
Trello
Jira
Asana
5) Integration with other apps
Trello integration with excel
Jira integration with github
6) Scheduling features
Scheduling in Trello with Gantt Chart
Scheduling in Jira with Gantt chart
7) Accounting Tools
Accounting in Trello: There are no accounting tools available in Trello as of
now.
Budgeting in Jira
Conclusion:
Hence, compared various project management tools.
