Develop skills for negotiation, decision-making, and other people-related processes within IT consulting

IT402-3: Develop skills for negotiation, decision-making, and other people-related processes within IT consulting

Purpose

This unit’s Assignment will introduce you to various software programs, such as Microsoft Project and Microsoft Excel. These applications will provide the necessary tools to assign tasks, responsibilities, and roles that will assist the consultant to keep track and informed about the status of the project and take remediation action when necessary.

Content

Scenario No. 1

Morris Wildlife Services deals with the humane removal of wildlife from places it does not belong (such as removing bats from attics and trapping coyotes for release in more suitable habitat). The company does not have a website and has hired you to build one. The company would like to include some educational materials, company history, a list of prices, and other information on its website, so you will have to gather some information from existing brochures as well as do new research.

Scenario No. 2

Barstow Training is a company that specializes in assisting the unemployed in developing basic computer skills, writing resumes, and learning how to search for jobs. The company is opening up a center in your community and has hired you to develop the network in their new building, which will have two classrooms with 15 computers each, and one computer in each of seven administrative offices. Your job will include developing the topology, network security, connection to the Internet, etc.

Scenario No. 3

Orion Meester is a small service company that is hired by cable television, internet, and phone companies to solicit customers door-to-door and at various locations. This means that employees mostly work outside the office. As the company expands, the president realizes the need for a mobile application that would allow the employees to log their work (both attempts to sell and completed work orders) and to be able to access information for potential customers. You have been hired to create the application.

Scenario No. 4

Fenster Stained Glass, a small family company specializing in the creation of unique stained-glass windows, is expanding. They have realized that their old ways of using Excel to log business is no longer adequate and want a database to be developed so that inventory, sales, payroll, and employee data could be stored, and reports run. You have been hired to develop this database; this will include determining what kind of data would be appropriate to include. An interface designer will assist you with the development of user screens.

Assignment Instructions

This week’s Assignment includes preparing a Gannt Chart from two software options: you will create a Gantt chart for a chosen scenario using MS Project or MS Excel. If you choose Option 1, Microsoft Project, then make sure you have the software loaded and ready to use. Or you can complete the assignment with Option 2, using the MS Excel. Please review the Assignment Rubric and follow all the instructions carefully. Make sure that you ask your professor questions early enough in the week to be able to meet the submission deadline.

For creating the Gantt chart in MS Excel, several tutorials are available on the Internet. Complete a search to find the one you find most useful.

Assignment Requirements

You will choose from one of the above Scenarios for creating a Gantt Chart using MS Project (Option 1) or using MS Excel’s Project Planning Template (Option 2) from a Free Project Management Template.

• Choose just one of the scenarios above to use for either choices.
• Assume that you have a team of 3–5 people to help you complete the project.
• Do not use outside sources for this Assignment; this is to be developed from your understanding of the scenarios.
• Submit to your Unit 3 Assignment Dropbox the completed MS Excel or the MS Project files following the Directions for Submitting Your Assignment

You may need to perform additional research on the topic of Gantt Charting using MS Project and/or MS Excel for the successful completion of this assignment.

Option 1: MS Project Gantt Chart

Develop a Gantt Chart using Microsoft Project for your given scenario and submit to your Unit 3 Assignment Dropbox the completed MS Project file following the Directions for Submitting Your Assignment

1. Chart shows a least 12 tasks and subtasks having reasonable durations. The project may extend many days, weeks, or months depending on what you need to do for your client but indicate the first day of the project as the first day of this unit.
2. Chart shows the total duration of the complete project on the first line of the chart.
3. The Duration, Start, and Finish dates are appropriate for all tasks.
4. Tasks are orderly established. (e.g., requirements before testing)
5. Predecessors and Successors (dependencies) are established.
6. Tasks are properly linked in the chart’s time table.
7. A minimum of three Milestones are included.
8. Name of the Resources (job roles) are listed on the time table.
9. Tasks do not show overallocation of resources.
10. Recurrent activities are included.

Option 2: MS Excel Gantt Chart

• Create the Project Plan and Gantt Chart for your chosen scenario using the MS Excel Project Planning Template and submit to the Unit 3 Assignment Dropbox the completed MS Excel Template file following the Directions for Submitting Your Assignment

Assignment Requirements

1. Chart shows a least 12 tasks and subtasks having reasonable durations. The project may extend many days, weeks, or months depending on what you need to do for your client but indicate the first day of the project as the first day of this unit.
2. Chart shows the total duration of the complete project on the first line of the chart.
3. The Duration, Start, and Finish dates are appropriate for all tasks.
4. Tasks are orderly established. (e.g., requirements before testing)
5. Predecessors and Successors (dependencies) are established.
6. Shows dates under the Baseline Plan and Current Plan columns for each task.
7. Include resources under the Primary Responsibility column, using job roles.
8. Use formulas for assigning dates to tasks
9. Use conditional formatting.

For more information on APA style formatting, go to APA Style Central under Academic Resources of this course or visit the Writing Center.

Also review the university policy on plagiarism. If you have any questions, please contact your professor.

Directions for Submitting Your Assignment

Submit to your Unit 3 Assignment Dropbox either the MS Project (Option 1) or MS Excel (Option 2) file using the following name conventions: