Schedule and Cost Control Techniques (PM620-2205B-01)
Unit 4 Assignment
Due Date: January 8, 2023
You will be using this scenario: Your organization has just completed the Initiation Process for
implementing an Email System Upgrade. It was identified in a recent meeting with management
leaders from the Sales, Consulting, and IT departments that the current email system is causing a
significant amount of business interruptions and must be updated immediately. You have been
assigned the role of the project manager to develop the project schedule and budget. As a project
manager, you are responsible for implementing and enforcing the project schedule and its
estimates, expected costs, and the techniques and methods that will be chosen to execute and
control the project. The project is being initiated with the following initial project scope in mind:
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There are five email systems currently being used across twelve departments and offices.
These will be replaced and consolidated into one email system.
New Email Standards and Protocols will be established, and training provided to all
departments.
All 2000 current email users will be converted to the new system, and 500 new users that
did not have email before will be added.
Users will have both LAN and remote access to email.
Help desk and support infrastructure will be set up to accommodate the new system.
Equipment will be salvaged.
User PCs will be upgraded to accommodate the new email system.
The CIO wants to make sure that your project schedule is accurate, that the project does not
bring big surprises that are not planned for, and that he can be sure that what is needed gets
accomplished. Your presentation to the project staff on the PERT techniques was highly
appraised. However, having reviewed your WBS and the project time estimates, the CIO is now
concerned about the project schedule and would like to see if the schedule can be shortened.
Review your project WBS and activity durations and estimates and perform schedule
compression techniques such as crashing, fast-tracking, and scope reduction. Then, write a memo
to him assuring him of how you have reviewed ways to shorten the schedule and how all these
things are controlled; explain the value of PERT estimating, critical path, schedule compression
techniques, risk matrices, and earned value management. In your write-up be sure to advise the
CIO whether or not your review techniques resulted in shortening the project duration and
indicate whether or not this will affect the overall project cost and quality.
Assignment Guidelines
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Using your course materials, the textbook, the library, and the academic quality resources
research the following:
o The value of Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) estimating
o The value of the Critical Path Method (CPM)
o The value of schedule compression techniques
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Risk matrices
The value of Earned Value Management (EVM)
In 750 words, address the following:
o Explain how each of the above project management elements or concepts affect
the scheduling and controlling of a project.
o Explain how the above project management elements or concepts affect a project
manager's ability to make project and segment trade-offs.
o Submit your updated MS Project WBS.
Submitted Assignment
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The submitted Word document should do the following:
o Completely adhere to the assignment guidelines listed above
o Include updated MS Project file – This can be used from the previous paper you
have written
o Consist of 750 words
o Include a title page with the course name, phase number, topic title, and your first
and last names
o Include a reference slide using APA style to ensure that credit for others' work is
acknowledged