Expert answer:BUSN 420 final project
Expert answer:Week 7: Final Project Attached Files: BUSN 420 Final Project Instructions.pdf (299.741 KB) Technology Plug-In T11 Creating Gantt Charts.pdf (2.586 MB) BUSN 420 Final Project Grading Rubric.xlsx (12.861 KB) Please see this file: Final Project Instructions for details about your final project. You will be graded according to this rubric: Final Project Grading Rubric Bellow are the files attached.
busn_420_final_project_instructions_1_.pdf
technology_plug_in_t11_creating_gantt_charts.pdf
busn_420_final_project_grading_rubric__3_.xlsx
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BUSN 420 Management Information Systems
Final Project
The following exercise will show you how to create a Gantt chart using Excel. Being able to
create a Gantt Chart from scratch in Excel will not only save your company or ministry money
they would have spent purchasing Microsoft Project, but it will also show your supervisor that
you have the data analysis and project management skills to bring great value to the company or
ministry.
Please read the information provided and complete each exercise. Once you have completed all
of the exercises below, submit your Excel and Word document using the final project assignment
link in Blackboard. Please see the grading rubric as the end of these instructions for more
information.
Introduction
Many people and organizations today have a new or renewed interest in
project management. Until the 1980s, project management focused
primarily on providing schedule and resource data to top management in
the military and construction industries. This tracking of a few key project
parameters is still an important element, but today’s project management
involves much more.
In 1917, Henry Gantt developed the famous Gantt chart as a tool for
scheduling work in factories. A Gantt chart is a standard format for
displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and
their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format. Managers
drew Gantt charts by hand to show project tasks and schedule information,
and this tool provided a standard format for planning and reviewing all the
work on early military projects.
Today’s project managers still use the Gantt chart as the primary tool
to communicate project schedule information, but with the aid of
computers, it is no longer necessary to draw the charts by hand.
Today, most people use project management software to create versions
of Gantt charts that are more sophisticated and allow for easy updates of
information. They can also show dependencies in some format using
project management software.
This plug-in focuses on:
1. How to create a Gantt chart using Microsoft Excel (see Figure T11.1).
2. How to create a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project, a more
sophisticated tool, designed for project management (see Figure
T11.2).
*
FIGURE T11.1
Gantt Chart in Excel
Creating Gantt Charts with Excel
Microsoft Excel can easily be used for scheduling and resource management, with
columns to track planned and actual start and finish dates. Excel is a practical
solution for a small project in a small organization since many businesses have
access to Excel and therefore do not have to buy any additional tools.
This section is written with the expectation that you possess some basic
knowledge of the concepts presented in Plug-In T2, “Basic Skills Using Excel
2016.”
Excel does not offer Gantt as a chart type, but it is fairly easy to create such a
chart by using a stacked bar chart. To do so, follow these steps:
FIGURE T11.2
Gantt Chart in
Microsoft Project
*
1. Start with a new workbook and enter the task data, as shown in Figure T11.3.
Column A contains the task descriptions; column B, the start date for each task;
and column C, the number of days to complete the task. Column D contains
formulas that determine the end date for each task. For example, the formula
used in our example (e.g., Figure T11.3) in cell D4 is = B4 + C4.
2. Create a stacked horizontal bar chart. You can either select from the
Recommended Charts option on the Charts ribbon, or choose the Insert Column
or Bar Chart. Choose the 2-D Stacked Bar Chart option.
3. A blank chart appears in your spreadsheet. To select the data, right-click
anywhere inside the blank chart, and then choose Select Data. The Select Data
dialog opens as shown in Figure T11.4.
FIGURE T11.3
Project Tasks
FIGURE T11.4
Select Data Dialog Box
4. Under the Legend Entries (Series) section, click on the Add button. The Edit
Series dialog box opens. The first series to add will be the label containing the
start date. Under the Series Name, select cell B3. Under the Series Values,
select cells B4:B13, the range of cells containing the various start dates. Click
OK.
5. Another series is needed; therefore, click on the Add button. This series
will be the duration. When the Edit Series dialog opens, select cell C3 for
the Series Name, then select C4:C13 for the Series Values.
6. Edit the labels by selecting the Edit button under the Horizontal (Category) Axis
Labels section. The Axis Label dialog opens. Select cells A4:A13, the various
task names. ClickOK. Click OK again to close the Select Data Source dialog box.
*
FIGURE T11.5
Gantt Chart with Durations
7. Remove the chart’s legend by selecting it and pressing the Delete key or the
Backspace key, since the legend is not needed for a Gantt chart. You may
need to adjust the chart’s height (or change to a smaller font) so that all x-axis
labels are visible.
8. Since you do not want to see the Start data series, select that series (by default
it should be a blue color) by clicking on any one of the data items, right-click,
and select Format Data Series. The Format Data Series dialog opens. Select
the Fill icon on the upper right, select Fill, and select No Fill. Choose the
Border and select No Line. Click Close. The start dates are gone, but the
durations are visible; this is more like a Gantt chart, as shown in Figure T11.5.
9. You need to now reverse the order of the y-axis labels. Right-click on any
one of the labels, and then select Format Axis. The Format Axis dialog
opens. Under the Axis Options tab, click on the Values in reverse order.
Click outside of the chart. Your chart now should look like Figure T11.6.
10. Apply other formatting as desired. For example, you can add grid lines and a
title. If you adjust your project schedule, the chart will be updated
automatically. If you use dates outside the original date range, you will need
to change the scaling for the y-axis.
You now have a very functional Gantt chart; you can clearly see when various
tasks begin and end, as well as when tasks overlap.
FIGURE T11.6
Categories in Reverse Order
*
SOLVE A PROBLEM USING A GANTT CHART
Now that you have learned about Gantt charts, it is time to see how valuable they can be when
managing a project—any project. Understanding every task (scope), each project member (resource),
and required time frames (time) is the most important piece of managing a project. If you can
understand these three components (scope, resource, time) and how they impact each other, you can
manage most projects.
You are ready to test your project management skills. Select a project of your choice and create a
Gantt chart to manage the project using Microsoft Excel. The project can be anything including
reorganizing your dorm room, cleaning your car, or even making coffee. It is important that your
Gantt chart include all of the following:
1. All tasks associated with completing the project. (Must have at least 15 tasks.)
2. All resources involved in completing the project.
3. All time frames required to complete the project.
Once you have completed your Gantt chart, share it with your family/friends and actually execute the
project plan (if timeframe allows). Then answer the following questions:
■ What happened when you discussed/followed the plan?
■ Did everyone understand each task from your description well enough to perform it?
■ Was the amount of time you allowed for each task appropriate?
■ If you could rewrite the plan what would you change and why?
■ How can Gantt charts help you when you begin running real business or ministry projects?
■ What ethical issues might surface when putting processes into a Gantt chart where specific
resources are assigned tasks in tight timeframes that are dependent on previous steps? How should a
Christian Worldview inform these ethical dilemmas?
Please be brief and keep you responses to these questions to around 400-600 words. As you
analyze the above questions, please consult and include at least one peer-reviewed scholarly
journal reference to support your conclusions.
The following rubric will be used to grade your submissions:
BUSN 420 Final Project Grading Rubric (100 points)
Gantt Chart
The data entered into the Excel
worksheet matches the data
presented in Figure T11.3
The data entered into the
Excel worksheet does not
match the data presented
in Figure T11.3
The first legend entries (series)
contains the Start Date for the
series name and the Start
Dates data for the series
values.
The second legend entries
(series) contains the Duration
(Days) for the series name and
the Duration (Days) data for the
series values.
The first legend entries
(series) contains a different
field other than the Start
Date field for the series
name and series data.
The second legend entries
(series) contains a different
field other than the Duration
(Days) field for the series
name and the series data.
*
Possible Points
Actual Points
10
10
5
5
5
5
The horizontal (category) axis
labels have been added from
the task column.
The horizontal (category)
axis labels do not represent
the tasks listed in the task
column.
The Gantt chart is in a 2-D
stacked horizontal bar chart
format.
The Gantt chart is not in a
2-D stacked horizontal bar
chart format.
The legend has been deleted
from the chart.
The legend appears in the
chart.
The start date chart field has
no fill and no border as
illustrated in Figure T11.5.
The start date chart field is
filled in and has a border.
The task categories appear in
reverse order on the y-axis of
the Gantt chart as illustrated in
Figure T11.6.
The task categories do not
appear in reverse order on
the y-axis of the Gantt chart
as illustrated in Figure
T11.6.
Comments:
Using Gantt Charts to Solve a Problem
The Gantt Chart has been
properly constructed.
The Gantt Chart has not
been properly constructed.
The Gantt chart clearly
identifies 15 or more steps
involved in the process
identified.
The Gantt chart does not
clearly identify 15 or more
steps involved in the
process identified.
The Gantt chart clearly
identifies the tasks, resources,
and timeframes involved in
completing the project.
The Gantt chart does not
clearly identify the tasks,
resources, and timeframes
involved in completing the
project.
The Gantt chart clearly
identifies a clear and
understandable solution for the
project.
The Gantt chart does not
clearly identify a clear and
understandable solution for
the project.
Student has provided robust
analysis of their Gantt chart
experience with evidence that
they had someone else review
their Gantt chart.
Student has not provided
robust analysis of their
Gantt chart experience with
evidence that they had
someone else review their
Gantt chart.
Student has not supported
his or her text with at least
one peer-reviewed
scholarly journal
references.
Spelling, punctuation, and
grammar are poor.
Student has supported his or
her text with at least one peerreviewed scholarly journal
references.
Spelling, punctuation, and
grammar are stellar.
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
45
45
Possible Points
Actual Points
10
10
10
10
5
5
5
5
10
10
5
5
10
10
*
Comments:
55
55
100
100
Late deductions (e.g., -10):
Final Score:
Overall Comments:
*
Rev. Confirming Pages
T11
P L U G – I N
Creating Gantt Charts with
Excel and Microsoft Project
LE A R N I N G O UTC O M E S
1. Explain a Gantt chart.
2. Describe the main steps involved in creating a Gantt chart using Excel.
3. Describe the main steps involved in creating a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project.
Introduction
Many people and organizations today have a new or renewed interest in project management.
Until the 1980s, project management focused primarily on providing schedule and resource
data to top management in the military and construction industries. This tracking of a few key
project parameters is still an important element, but today’s project management involves
much more.
In 1917, Henry Gantt developed the famous Gantt chart as a tool for scheduling work in
factories. A Gantt chart is a standard format for displaying project schedule information by
listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format.
Managers drew Gantt charts by hand to show project tasks and schedule information, and
this tool provided a standard format for planning and reviewing all the work on early military
projects.
Today’s project managers still use the Gantt chart as the primary tool to communicate
project schedule information, but with the aid of computers, it is no longer necessary to draw
the charts by hand.
Today, most people use project management software to create versions of Gantt charts
that are more sophisticated and allow for easy updates of information. They can also show
dependencies in some format using project management software.
This plug-in focuses on:
1. How to create a Gantt chart using Microsoft Excel (see Figure T11.1).
2. How to create a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project, a more sophisticated tool, designed
for project management (see Figure T11.2).
Plug-In T11
baL6732X_pluginT11_001-021.indd
T11-1
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T11-1
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FIGURE T11.1
Gantt Chart in Excel
Creating Gantt Charts with Excel
Microsoft Excel can easily be used for scheduling and resource management, with columns to
track planned and actual start and finish dates. Excel is a practical solution for a small project
in a small organization since many businesses have access to Excel and therefore do not have
to buy any additional tools.
This section is written with the expectation that you possess some basic knowledge of the
concepts presented in Plug-In T2, “Basic Skills Using Excel 2016.”
Excel does not offer Gantt as a chart type, but it is fairly easy to create such a chart by
using a stacked bar chart. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Start with a new workbook and enter the task data, as shown in Figure T11.3. Column A
contains the task descriptions; column B, the start date for each task; and column C, the
number of days to complete the task. Column D contains formulas that determine the end
date for each task. For example, the formula used in our example (e.g., Figure T11.3) in
cell D4 is = B4 + C4.
2. Create a stacked horizontal bar chart. You can either select from the Recommended
Charts option on the Charts ribbon, or choose the Insert Column or Bar Chart. Choose
the 2-D Stacked Bar Chart option.
3. A blank chart appears in your spreadsheet. To select the data, right-click anywhere inside
the blank chart, and then choose Select Data. The Select Data dialog opens as shown in
Figure T11.4.
FIGURE T11.2
Gantt Chart in
Microsoft Project
T11-2
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FIGURE T11.3
Project Tasks
FIGURE T11.4
Select Data Dialog Box
4. Under the Legend Entries (Series) section, click on the Add button. The Edit Series
dialog box opens. The first series to add will be the label containing the start date. Under
the Series Name, select cell B3. Under the Series Values, select cells B4:B13, the range
of cells containing the various start dates. Click OK.
5. Another series is needed; therefore, click on the Add button. This series will be the
duration. When the Edit Series dialog opens, select cell C3 for the Series Name, then
select C4:C13 for the Series Values.
6. Edit the labels by selecting the Edit button under the Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels
section. The Axis Label dialog opens. Select cells A4:A13, the various task names. Click
OK. Click OK again to close the Select Data Source dialog box.
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7. Remove the chart’s legend by selecting it and pressing the Delete key or the Backspace
key, since the legend is not needed for a Gantt chart. You may need to adjust the chart’s
height (or change to a smaller font) so that all x-axis labels are visible.
8. Since you do not want to see the Start data series, select that series (by default it should
be a blue color) by clicking on any one of the data items, right-click, and select Format
Data Series. The Format Data Series dialog opens. Select the Fill icon on the upper
right, select Fill, and select No Fill. Choose the Border and select No Line. Click Close.
The start dates are gone, but the durations are visible; this is more like a Gantt chart, as
shown in Figure T11.5.
9. You need to now reverse the order of the y-axis labels. Right-click on any one of the
labels, and then select Format Axis. The Format Axis dialog opens. Under the Axis
Options tab, click on the Values in reverse order. Click outside of the chart. Your chart
now should look like Figure T11.6.
10. Apply other formatting as desired. For example, you can add grid lines and a title. If you
adjust your project schedule, the chart will be updated automatically. If you use dates
outside the original date range, you will need to change the scaling for the y-axis.
FIGURE T11.5
Gantt Chart with Durations
You now have a very functional Gantt chart; you can clearly see when various tasks begin
and end, as well as when tasks overlap. Suggestion: use Microsoft Project for all this.
FIGURE T11.6
Categories in Reverse Order
T11-4
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Plug-In T11 Creating Gantt Charts with Excel and Microsoft Project
baL6732X_pluginT11_001-021.indd
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Creating Gantt Charts with Microsoft Project
This section provides you with a basic introduction to Microsoft Project, a powerful project
management software tool that can help manage schedules and resources and track project
progress. Microsoft Project, with its familiar Microsoft Office user interface, is one of the
most widely used project management software applications available.
Although the use of project management software can enhance and support the project
management function, project management software should not be used in lieu of becoming
familiar with the project management concepts presented in this textbook. This section is
written with the expectation that you possess some basic knowledge of project management
concepts.
MICROSOFT PROJECT BASICS
Microsoft Project is a Microsoft Office application, so it has many elements similar to other
Office titles such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. To begin using Microsoft Project, start the
application by clicking on the Start menu, All Programs, and select Microsoft Project, which
is located in the Microsoft Office folder by default. The application will open with the screen
shown in Figure T11.7.
As you can see, elements of the user interface should be familiar, specifically, the menu
bar and the toolbar (see Figure T11.7). Depending on settings specific to your computer, your
opening screen may not appear exactly as shown, but the differences will be minor.
The Project Guide is an interactive interface element in Microsoft Project that helps you
work through your project from the standpoint of project management processes and goals.
This complements the existing menus and toolbars, which allow you to approach your project
plan from a strictly feature-oriented point of view. Although a great option, we will not be
using it in this plug-in.
To turn off the Project Guide, click the Close button in the Project Guide pane, or click
View from the menu bar, and then select Hide Project Pane.
CREATING A PROJECT FILE
The Microsoft Project workspace is called the view, and the view that comes up by default
when you first open Microsoft Project is the Gantt chart. The Gantt chart is a combination
view; it has a task table on the left side and the chart with Gantt bars on the right.
You can create a new project from one of the many templ …
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