MGT 640 Introduction to Project Management and Project Initiating GCU

1. MGT 640 Introduction to Project Management and Project Initiating GCU Just Click on Below Link To Download This Course: https://dodohelp.com/MGT-640-Final-Guide/MGT-640-Introduction-to-Project- Management-and-Project-Initiating-GCU Or Email us on care@dodohelp.com MGT 640 Introduction to Project Management and Project Initiating GCU MGT 640 Full Course Discussions GCU MGT 640 Topic 1 Discussion 1 What are the various types of project lifecycles? Locate at least two web links that describe two different project lifecycles and share them with the class. MGT 640 Topic 1 Discussion 2 What is the most critical aspect of evaluating the feasibility of a project? MGT 640 Topic 2 Discussion 1 What are the key project management organizational structures? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each from the perspective of the project manager. MGT 640 Topic 2 Discussion 2 What are the key aspects of a project charter? Research this on the Internet and provide at least two examples. Share the web links with the rest of the class. Discuss why the chosen aspects are key. MGT 640 Topic 3 Discussion 1 What are the different kinds of resource constraints in a major project? How would you go about identifying and resolving them? MGT 640 Topic 3 Discussion 2 What are some quality management tools that can be used to help ensure project requirements are met? Provide examples of how three of these tools can be used on a project to ensure project requirements are met. Provide your web links to the rest of the class.

2. MGT 640 Topic 4 Discussion 1 What are two key challenges in assessing project risk? Discuss why the chosen challenges are key. MGT 640 Topic 4 Discussion 2 Who incurs the most risk, buyer or supplier, on a fixed price contract? Provide an example. Who incurs the most risk, buyer or supplier, on a cost plus contract? Provide an example. MGT 640 Topic 5 Discussion 1 Speculate regarding the most challenging issues a project manager faces when communicating with the project team. Justify your reasoning with at least two examples. MGT 640 Topic 5 Discussion 2 What are at least two key aspects of managing project teams on an information technology project? Explain. MGT 640 Topic 6 Discussion 1 You are managing a project in an industry of your choice. What are the two most significant issues you would focus on? Why? MGT 640 Topic 6 Discussion 2 Research the web and locate a sample project change control process. Share the web link and discuss the most significant aspects of the process. MGT 640 Topic 7 Discussion 1 What would be your approach to closing out a project? What specific issues would you focus on and why? MGT 640 Topic 7 Discussion 2 Based on what you have learned so far, what are five typical ethical issues a project manager might face on a project? How would you resolve these ethical issues? In addition, how does the Christian worldview perspective help to resolve the ethical issues? MGT 640 Topic 8 Discussion 1 Based on your own research and/or the readings in this topic, identify the two most significant major trends in project management. Why have you chosen these two trends? Provide any web links in your response. MGT 640 Topic 8 Discussion 2 Based on your own research and/or the readings in this topic, identify two recently practiced project management methodologies. Articulate the key aspects of this methodology. Provide any web links in your response.

3. MGT 640 Full Course Assignments GCU MGT 640 Topic 1 Project Selection Problems Details: As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. This assignment will help prepare you for this responsibility.Respond to the Following ProblemsA certain project has a project cost of $387,000 and the annual inflows resulting from the product created is $64,000. What is the Payback Period?Assume that $654,980 is to be invested in a project whose annual projected cash flows are as follows: Year 1 = $135,678, Year 2 = $156,560, Year 3 = $233,980, and Year 4 = $298,000. Assume that the required rate of return is 6.50%. 1. Compute the NPV directly (i.e., without using the Microsoft Excel NPV or PV functions). Be sure to show your work. 2. Should the project be pursued? Why or why not? Assume that $1,285,673 is to be invested in a project whose annual projected cash flows are as follows: Year 1 = $235,678, Year 2 = $267,854, Year 3 = $298,054, Year 4 = $314,567, and Year 5 = $325,678. Assume that the required rate of return is 5.25%. 1. Compute the NPV by using Microsoft Excel’s NPV function. Be sure to show your work. 2. Should the project be pursued? Why or why not? A company has two projects that are under evaluation. The project investment costs, annual projected cash flows, and required rates of return are shown below: Project 1 Project 2 Rate of Return: 0.065 0.065 Project Cost: -$1,397,654 -$1,619,835 Year 1 $245,367 $267,345 Year 2 $302,542 $343,563 Year 3 $316,543 $367,834 Year 4 $367,843 $432,098

4. Year 5 $450,425 $589,435 1. Compute the NPV for each project using Microsoft Excel NPV’s function. Be sure to show your work. 2. Which project should be pursued? Why? Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Excel file by the end of this week. You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. MGT 640 Topic 2 Project Schedule Problems Details: As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and projects running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.As the project manager, you have been asked to create an initial project schedule for a project known as the “Technology Refresh Project.” The prior project manager assembled the project information and put it onto a spreadsheet. Based on this information, you are to create an initial project schedule using Microsoft Project.Open “Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Excel file). You will notice a series of project tasks; optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic durations for each lowest-level task; and predecessor information. Do not alter this information.In the “PERT Expected Duration (days)” column, calculate the PERT Expected Duration for each lowest-level task using the formula discussed in the Topic 2 Lecture. Round the duration entries to the nearest integer.Open “Topic 2 Initial Project Schedule TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Project file). Enter the tasks shown in “Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Excel file) into “Topic 2, Initial Project Schedule TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Project file). Based on the task hierarchy in “Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Excel file), demote the appropriate tasks using the green indent and outdent arrows in the TASK Ribbon, SCHEDULE group. Notice how the WBS field is automatically updated as tasks are indented and outdented. Be sure that your Microsoft Project task hierarchy exactly matches the task hierarchy in “Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Excel file). Based on your computed PERT Expected Durations from above, enter these durations in the “Duration” field in the Microsoft Project file. Note the following:

5. 1. Be sure that you do not directly enter durations into Microsoft Project summary tasks (i.e., the bold tasks). Note that the Microsoft Project summary task durations and dates are automatically updated as durations are entered into the lowest-level tasks. 2. Be sure that lowest-level task durations are entered as whole numbers. Based on the predecessor information in “Topic 2, Project Durations TEMPLATE” Microsoft Excel file, update the “Predecessor” column in “Topic 2 Initial Project Schedule TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Project file). Note the following: 1. The “Successor” column updates automatically, as predecessors are entered. Thus there is no need to enter any information in the Successor column. 2. Be sure that the summary tasks (i.e., the bold tasks) do not contain predecessors or successors. Predecessors and successors are only entered at the lowest-level task level. 3. Ensure that lowest-level tasks have at least one predecessor (except the first task) and at least one successor (except the last task). Display the critical path. Go to the FORMAT ribbon and check the “Critical Tasks” box in the BAR STYLES group. Note that the critical path task bars will turn red. Also, take note that the Total Slack column contains 0 days for the critical path tasks. Submit the following completed files by the end of Week 2: 1. “Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Excel file). Ensure that your last name is in the file name. 2. “Topic 2, Initial Project Schedule TEMPLATE” (a Microsoft Project file). Ensure that your last name is in the file name. You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. MGT 640 Topic 2 Project Durations TEMPLATE.xls MGT 640 Topic 2 Initial Project Schedule TEMPLATE.mpp MGT 640 Topic 3 Final Project Schedule Details: As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and keep the project running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.For this assignment, you are to build upon your completed Microsoft Project schedule for the “Technology Refresh Project” from Topic 2 by adding resources and resolving any resource over-allocations. You will then determine the display project cost information and will also show the updated (if any) critical path.Open “Topic 3 Project Resources Information” (a Microsoft Excel file). You will notice in column H that resource

6. names have been added. These resources were already included in the Resource Sheet in the Microsoft Project template file that you worked on during Week 2.Open the Microsoft Project file that you completed during Week 2 and perform the following. 1. Ensure that the “Type” field contains “Fixed Duration” for all tasks. 2. For each lowest-level task, enter the resource names from “Topic 3, Project Resources Information” (a Microsoft Excel file) into the Resources Names field in the your Microsoft Project file. Note that you can simply select the resource(s) using the pull-down menu. You will notice in the “i” column (i.e., the column with white “i” and blue circle) that certain tasks have a red person displayed. That means that the task has resources that are over-allocated (a resource is assigned more than 8 hours per day on one or more days for that task). These resource over-allocations need to be resolved. To resolve these over-allocations, perform the following: 1. Again, ensure that the “Type” field contains “Fixed Duration” for all tasks. This ensures when you change the assigned hours for the tasks, the task durations and associated dates will not change. 2. In the VIEW ribbon, check the “Details” box in the “Split View” group. 3. In the right bottom of the screen (in the gray area), right click and select “Work.” 4. Go to the first task that has the resource over-allocation. Reduce the hours in the “Work” field and/or assign a different applicable resource in order to resolve the resource over- allocation. Be sure to not alter task durations, start, or finish dates. Also, ensure that your project end date does not change. 5. You may optionally go to the VIEW ribbon, and select “Resource Graph” in the “Other Views” pull-down menu. This will provide a graph that will specifically show what days a resource is over-allocated. 6. Repeat item (4) for each task that has a resource over-allocation. Your final Microsoft Project schedule should have no tasks with over-allocated resources. Be sure to take notes that summarize the changes you made. Display the project cost information and critical path: 1. Remove the split task screen by double-clicking on the split-task border. 2. Display cost information by left-clicking on the “Add New Column” field. Select the “Cost” field. Note that since a WBS hierarchy exists, you can see cost information for each summary task, along with the total project cost at the top of the schedule.

7. 3. Display the critical path: Go to the FORMAT ribbon and check the “Critical Tasks” box in the BAR STYLES group. Note that the critical path task bars will turn red. Also, take note that the Total Slack column contains 0 days for the critical path tasks. Submit your updated Microsoft Project file by the end of Week 3. Ensure that your last name is in the file name. Submit your updated Word document by the end of Week 3 (ensure that your last name is in the file name) that includes responses to the following: 1. In summary, what steps did you take to resolve the resource over-allocations? 2. Did your critical path change? If so, how? 3. What series of tasks represent the highest cost (as indicated by their summary task)? 4. What is the total project cost? You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. MGT 640 Topic 3 Project Resources Information.xls MGT 640 Topic 4 Project Procurement Contract Type Problems Details: As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and keep the project running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.Respond to the Following Questions/ProblemsA certain project is being negotiated between a buyer and a seller. The project is a research project that has unknown deliverables. The buyer and seller are discussing the type of contract that should be agreed (fixed price or cost reimbursable). The buyer wants the seller to engage in a fixed price contract. What should the seller do? Why?A certain project operating under a CPIF contract has been negotiated and formally agreed-upon between a buyer and a seller. The following information has been included in the contract: Target Price: $223,096  Target Cost: $215,000  Target Fee: $8,000  Buyer’s Share Ratio: 0.70  Seller’s Share Ratio: 0.30  The project has finished and the actual cost that the seller incurred was $207,643. 1. What incentive fee does the buyer pay the seller? 2. What is the total contract price (i.e., what the buyer has to pay the seller in total)?

8. A certain project operating under a FPIF contract has been negotiated and formally agreed-upon between a buyer and a seller. The following information has been included in the contract: Price Ceiling: $531,000  Target Cost: $505,000  Target Fee: $20,000  Buyer’s Share Ratio: 0.90  Seller’s Share Ratio: 0.10  The project has finished and the actual cost the seller incurred was $510,954. 1. What incentive fee does the buyer pay the seller? 2. What is the total contract price (i.e., what the buyer has to pay the seller in total)? 3. What is the point of total assumption for the seller? Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Excel file by the end of this week. You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. MGT 640 Topic 5 Benchmark – Project Execution Case Paper Details: For this assignment, you are to evaluate a sample project. The project involves implementation of an ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. In case you are not familiar with ERP systems, the ERP Definition and Solutions page at the CIO website may be helpful:http://www.cio.com/article/2439502/enterprise-resource-planning/erp-definition-and- solutions.htmlRead the following case: The Challenge of Implementing an ERP System in a Small and Medium Enterprise – A Teaching Case of ERP Project Management.In a 1,500-2,500-word paper, analyze the case from a project management perspective by responding to the questions below. Be sure to formulate your responses based on the project management concepts that you have learned from experience and on the content thus far in the course: 1. Provide a brief introduction (short paragraph) outlining your paper. Do not summarize the case. 2. What specific issues occurred on the project that led to the poor execution of the project? 3. What were the specific consequences to the project’s poor execution? 4. Respond to Question 3 in the case, located in “Section 9. Questions for Discussion” on page 295 in the case. In case you are not familiar with a PMO, the Project Management Office page at the daptiv website provides an overview: http://www.daptiv.com/project- management-office.htm 5. Provide a brief conclusion (short paragraph) summarizing your paper.

9. 6. Provide a References List and cite each reference at least once in your paper. Provide at least six citations, excluding the citations listed in this assignment (no Wikipedia citations allowed). Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Word file by the end of this week. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. MGT 640 Topic 6 Project Monitoring and Control Problems Details: As a project management professional, it is important for you to be able to review numbers and report on what they are saying. It is also important for you to be able to use software that helps you keep timelines and keep the project running on time and smoothly. This assignment will continue to help prepare you for your responsibilities.Respond to the Following ProblemsYou are a project manager on a project that uses earned value management. The project has the following budget and status: Project Duration (months): 14 Current Reporting Period (month): 6 BAC: $387,000 Cumulative PV: $68,345 Cumulative AC: $78,379 % of the project completed through the reporting period: 19% Estimate to Complete: $294,677 Based on this information, determine the following: 1. Cumulative EV

10. 2. Schedule Variance (SV) 3. Schedule Performance Index (SPI) 4. Cost Variance (CV) 5. Cost Performance Index (CPI) 6. EAC (bottom-up) 7. VAC (bottom-up) 8. TCPI Based on your calculations in Question 1 above, respond to the following: 1. What is the status of project accomplishment performance through the current reporting period? Why? 2. What is the status of project cost performance through the current reporting period? Why? 3. Is the project projected to complete over or under-budget? Why? 4. Interpret the TCPI metric. Based on your calculations in Question 1 above, an inexperienced and arrogant project analyst from the project management office has computed an additional metric: Cost Schedule Index, which equals SPI * CPI. He wants you to report this metric to the customer, instead of SPI and CPI separately. What should you do and why? The program manager doubts your numbers. In particular, he does not believe your EAC number and requests that you calculate two independent EACs. In particular, he wants the following IEACs calculated from rows two and four in Table 23-5 in Snyder, (2013). 1. Compute IEAC1= ((BAC- EV)/CPI) + AC 2. Compute IEAC2= ((BAC- EV)/(SPI*CPI)) + AC 3. Interpret IEAC1 4. Interpret IEAC2 5. Based on items 1-4 above, what do you think the program manager will request from you regarding the bottom-up EAC? You are having a hallway conversation with the same project analyst from Question 3, who is realizing that he may not know as much about earned value management as he thought when he joined the company. Still, he is convinced that the following statements below are correct. How would you respond to him based on each statement (i.e., formulate a specific response and supporting rationale for each statement below)?

11. 1. EAC becomes Cumulative AC at project completion. 2. Cumulative EV can be greater than BAC at project completion. 3. EAC can be smaller than BAC at project completion. 4. ETC can be greater than 0 at project completion. Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Excel file by the end of this week. You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. MGT 640 Topic 7 Benchmark – Project Manager Skills Paper Details: For this assignment, you are to evaluate the challenges of use of project management tools within a particular project-based organization. You will create an outline of an integrated project plan to submit as an Appendix at the end of your paper.Refer to “Teradyne Corporation: The Jaguar Project” case.In a 1,500-2,500-word paper, analyze the case from a project management perspective by responding to the following questions below. Be sure to formulate your responses based the project management concepts you have learned from experience and on the content thus far in the course: 1. Provide a brief introduction (short paragraph) outlining your paper. Do not summarize the case. 2. Prior to implementation of the new strategy and structure at Teradyne, what specific product development challenges existed? 3. Referring to the issues facing the software development team (see 3rd paragraph from the bottom on page 9 on the case), how would you as a project manager address the situation (note: refer to the “Key Aspects of a Successful Project Manager” section in the Topic 7 Lecture)? 4. Create an integrated project plan outline as an appendix to your paper. Address ideas that would have prevented the situation in the case. 5. Referring to “Reflections on the Project,” provide three key challenges moving forward for the organization and how you, as project manager, would attempt to address them. 6. Provide a brief conclusion (short paragraph) summarizing your paper. 7. Provide a References List and cite each reference at least once in your paper. Provide at least six citations, excluding the citations listed in this assignment (no Wikipedia citations allowed). Ensure that your last name is in the file name and submit your completed Word file by the end of this week.

12. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. Download Now