Proposal on Implementation of Microsoft Project in Project Management
As the global business is undergoing a period of growth and technological development, there is a need for specialized planning of projects. Courses on project management are being offered in different colleges and higher institutions to equip learners with adequate professionalism. The course provides the students with not only human resource management skills and resource allocation expertise, but also smooth coordination of firm’s daily operations. The proposal tries to justify the implementation of a Microsoft project in the project management course for new learners.
Microsoft project is project management software that has a collection of tools that help managers to manage the portfolio of a firm and the internal projects and affairs efficiently (Nae et al.).The software creates schedules, project teams, finance budgets and needed resources that help the managers to analyze thoroughly and control enterprise operations. While training students, most colleges do not use the software while teaching the learners which calls for a rectification of the situation. When the students undergo the practical learning experience, they can easily use and apply the software professionally. Typically, it proves difficult for new project managers hired by firms to learn to use the software fast enough due to lack of prior experience.
The software is quite helpful since it enables to note the operations of the firm such as workload level, staff availability, funds available, and helps forecast future trends of the enterprise (Nae et al.); that is whether it is sinking or rising. Using the software, the team members can easily manage and coordinate tasks as well as submit spreadsheets and timesheets. Through the software, the executives in a firm can make the correct business decisions and predict the future of their investment. The application benefits project managers in that they can be able to generate customized reports with much ease. The project supervisors are also able to account for the progress of the enterprise and predict the resource requirement. The need for the skills stipulated above, calls for earlier introduction into the Microsoft project practical course for beginners.
Various assumptions are incorporated in the introduction of the Microsoft Project software to new learners. The first assumption is that the software specifications can be integrated into the hardware of the computers being used for learning. When the software is installed, it should run concurrently with other accounting software’s in the computers without causing system failure. Another assumption is that Microsoft limited is to supply and install the software themselves according to the specified requirements to avoid losses due to malfunctioning. The third assumption is that the tutors teaching the course are going to embrace the plan and support it with devotion. The final assumption is that the learners are able and willing to incur the additional expenditure in the implementation of the software for their benefit, and the project requirements are all available according to the plan.
The Microsoft project software introduction in the school, calls for investing human labor from both the learners and other professors in the program, and the project manager. The project manager is assigned the sole responsibility of ensuring the investment is worthwhile hence they should try to make the project as spectacular as possible to enable support from stakeholders. The team selected will be able to execute commands given out by the supervisor promptly. After relevant preparations have been done, the software acquired by the project manager is installed in the school computers with relevant guidance from the supervisor. The project manager from here will sort out the vendor charges for the software maintenance and upgrade. The duty of software information and guidance to use is among the managers’ responsibility and it should accompany installation of the software immediately to ensure punctuality. The following is a work break-down structure created by the project supervisor for the assignment in question. The structure shows all the steps that the support staff is supposed to follow in the installation and development of the program according to project managers’ specification. Here, as the project supervisor, one should ensure all the inputs in the venture are coordinated efficiently to come up with good results. The manager can be able to analyze the results by evaluating the deliverables from the project. Below is work breakdown structure that is created by the project manager and acts as a guide or skeleton to in the execution of the project.
The venture supervisor while planning should come up with a time frame for completion of each of Work Breakdown Structure items and the support staff is expected to meet the deadline given by the manager in the schedule.
Schedule for each WBS item
Implementation of the Microsoft Project has various risks that are associated with the program installation. One of the major risks that can hinder the success of the program execution in the school is the overdependence in other accounting software (Zhang). The overdependence may make the popularity of the application not be optimum, but it is expected to get better as the students continue to understand it better. Another main risk involved is the impact of the software on the running of the school computers. The software may make school computers to under-perform depending on the make and specifications. Some programs overload the operating system of some machines which can easily make them crash. However, the linkage made with the Microsoft team can be relied on to cater for occurrences of such contingencies.
Works cited
Nae, Ion et al. "Planning and Supervising Assembly Works Using Microsoft Project". AMR 875- 877 (2014): 1148-1152. Web. http://www.scientific.net/AMR.909.192
Project Smart,. "Creating A Work Breakdown Structure With Microsoft Project". N.p., 2012. Web. https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/creating-a-work-breakdown-structure-with-microsoft-project.php. 1 Mar. 2016.
Zhang, Ying, and Corinne Bishop. "Project-Management Tools For Libraries: A Planning and Implementation Model using Microsoft Project 2000". ITAL 24.3 (2013): n. pag. Web. http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/3376
