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Review the scenario below. Then complete the step-by-step instructions.
In the previous activity, Activity: Use a WBS to create project tasks and milestones – Part 1, you began a new stage of the Plant Pals project for Office Green. This part of the project involves working with the operations team to develop and implement an Operations and Training plan for the new service.
As a reminder, here is a review of the Operations and Training plan:
Your team will use the plan for ongoing maintenance of the Plant Pals service.
It will take six months to fully implement all protocols, including setting up operational tools, putting delivery processes in place, and training employees.
The project will begin before the Plant Pals launch and extend beyond it.
Your team for this stage of the project includes the following roles:
A Financial Analyst, who tracks and calculates costs and revenue
A Fulfillment Director, who sources materials, confirms fulfillment processes are correctly implemented, and ensures equipment is functional (with the help of the Quality Assurance Tester)
An Inventory Manager, who maintains inventory and oversees software installation
A Human Resources Specialist, who manages hiring and develops training protocols (with the help of the Training Manager)
A Training Manager, who reports to the HR Specialist, runs the training program on the established protocols, and refines training processes
A Quality Assurance Tester, who ensures product quality and determines safety protocols and best practices
There are three major milestones and associated tasks for the Operations and Training plan:
Milestone 1: Establish a plant delivery and logistics plan
Source packaging materials. This task will take 10 business days (March 1st to March 12th).
Hire delivery drivers. This process will also take ten business days (March 15th to March 26th).
Calculate the delivery fees. This task will also take 10 business days (March 29th to April 9th).
Milestone 2: Select and install supply chain software and equipment
Supervise vendor setup of inventory management and fulfillment software. This process will take three business days (April 12th to April 14th).
Supervise vendor installation of the fulfillment equipment from April 15th to April 16th (two business days).
Determine internal safety protocols for the equipment from April 19th to April 30th (10 business days).
Milestone 3: Develop and launch an employee training program
Develop training sessions. This task will take 10 business days (May 3rd to May 14th).
Train employees to use the software and equipment. The training sessions will take place over 10 business days (May 17th to May 28th).
Monitor employee progress and improve training processes. This process will last for 10 business days (May 31st to June 11th).
Your goal is to put all of this information into a Gantt chart, so your team can tell who owns what tasks, when each task is due, and how long the overall project will take.
Step-By-Step Assignment Instructions
Step 1: Access the template
To use the template for this course item, click the link below and select “Use Template.”
Step 2: Add milestones to your Gantt chart
Add your three project milestones to the Gantt chart in sequential order. Enter them in the grey cells under Milestones & Tasks. We have already added one milestone for you (“Develop and launch an employee training program”).
Step 3. Add tasks to your Gantt chart
Now add the project tasks to the Milestones & Tasks column. Be sure to list each task in sequential order under the appropriate milestone. Your chart should contain three tasks per milestone (nine tasks in total). We have already added one task per milestone for you.
Step 4: Assign task owners
Next, determine who should own each task. When selecting task owners, consider how your team members’ jobs relate to the project’s tasks. Enter each task owner’s role under the Task Owner column.
Note: While more than one person can work on a task, you should assign only one owner per task.
Step 5: Set start dates, due dates, and durations
Now review the scenario and write the start date for each task under Start Date. Then enter task due dates under Due Date. Finally, record each task’s duration under Duration.
Note: Make sure to exclude weekends when calculating durations.
Step 6: Color code your timeline
On the right side of the chart, under Phase One, Phase Two, and Phase Three, mark the duration of each task by color-coding the cells below the corresponding dates.
For example, Task 1.2 runs from March 15th through March 26th. We’ve filled in the boxes that correspond to those dates in the template. Be sure to use the shade of blue that matches each project phase in the chart.
Pro Tip: Save the template
Finally, be sure to save a blank copy of the Gantt chart template you used to complete this activity. You can use it for further practice or in your own personal or professional projects. These templates will be useful as you put together a portfolio of project management artifacts. You can use them to work through your thought processes as you demonstrate your experience to potential employers.
Review criteria
There are a total of 6 points for this activity. At least two of your peers will evaluate your Gantt chart. Your final grade will be the median of these scores. You must get 5 out of 6 total points to pass.
Giving Good Feedback
Once you submit your Gantt chart, review at least two of your classmates’ work and give feedback on their charts. Below, you will find some guidelines to help you leave constructive comments for your peers.
When giving feedback, consider:
Leading with positive feedback
Providing actionable feedback
Sticking to information-specific, issue-focused, and observation centered comments
