IT Project This project simulates the Analysis and Planning needed to provide IT services for a new building.

IT Project This project simulates the Analysis and Planning needed to provide IT services for a new building. The student

must submit a Project Schedule based on the Project Requirements and details below.

1. Using the attached MS Word table template, create a project schedule. The project schedule will need

the following columns: Task #; Task Action; Predecessor; and Resources.

2. Do not go beyond the scope and tasks identified below. These are the ‘Requirements for this project’.

Background: The corporate IT department has been notified that a new office building is ready for occupancy.

All rooms have ‘wired network ports’ to access the network. Wireless routers have been installed throughout

the building to provide wireless access. NOTE: each requirement below may contain multiple tasks. Break

them down into separate tasks (i.e. deploy and test are 2 separate tasks). Group similar actions into a block of

tasks (i.e., Purchase Resources Block; Setup Equipment Block; etc.).

Project Specifications:

• Purchase, receive, setup, deploy and test Network Servers.

o Purchase Network Servers separately from other equipment.

o Receive includes entering the Network Servers’ serial number into the inventory database and

placing an inventory tag on the equipment (2 separate tasks) at the corporate IT area.

o Setup includes loading and testing network software (2 separate tasks), at the corporate IT area,

before deployment.

o Deploy/deliver network servers to the IT Area of the new building.

o Test the servers to ensure they work properly.

o NOTE: Network servers must be operational in the new building (deployed and tested) before other

equipment can be tested in the new building for internet and wireless connectivity.

• Purchase, receive, setup, deploy and test Desktop PCs and Laptops.

o Purchase of desktops and laptops can be done together but must be done separately from other

equipment.

o Receive includes entering the Desktop/Laptop serial number into the inventory database and

placing an inventory tag on the equipment at the corporate IT area.

o Setup includes loading and testing corporate software, at corporate IT, before deploying.

▪ Corporate software has already been purchased and is not part of this project.

o Deploy/deliver Desktops/Laptops to the new building.

o Test Desktops to ensure they can access the network via the ‘wired network ports’ in the new

building.

o Test Laptops to ensure they can access the network via the wireless routers in the new building.

• Purchase, receive, deploy and test wireless Projectors.

o Purchase of projectors must be done separately from other equipment.

o Receive includes entering the protector’s serial number into the inventory database and placing an

inventory tag on the equipment at the corporate IT area.

o Deploy/deliver Projectors to the new building.

o Test Projectors to ensure desktops can access them via the wired, direct-connect cable in the new

building.

o Test Projectors to ensure laptops can access them wirelessly in the new building.

The Project Manager has determined the following rules to facilitate the occupancy of the new building:

• The IT Area must be ready first. Deploy and test network servers, and their desktop PC and Laptops

before the remaining locations.

• Administrative Areas must be ready second. Deploy and test their desktop PCs before the remaining

locations.

• Conference & Meeting Rooms must be ready third. Deploy and test their desktop PCs and wireless

projectors before the remaining locations.

• Offices and Computer Labs are last. Deploy and test their desktop PCs and wireless projectors last.

Project Details: The new building includes the following areas:

IT Area: resources include network servers, desktop PC (networked via a network port), and laptops (networked via a wireless connection).

Administrative Area: 2 administrative areas will each have a desktop PC (each networked via a network port). Conference Room. The conference room has a wireless ceiling-mounted Projector but does not have a

desktop PC or laptop. Users can bring their laptop to access the network via a wireless connection. They can also access the wireless projector via a direct-connect cable or via a wireless connection.

Meeting Room: The meeting room has a wireless ceiling-mounted Projector, and a desktop PC. The desktop PC accesses the network via a network port and accesses the projector via a direct-connect cable. Users can bring their laptop to access the network via a wireless connection. They can also access the wireless projector via a direct-connect cable or via a wireless connection.

Individual Offices: 40 offices will each have a desktop PC, networked via a network port. Computer Labs: 2 computer labs will each have an instructor’s PC, student PCs and a wireless ceiling-mounted

Projector. The instructor’s desktop PC accesses the network via a network port and accesses the projector via a direct-connect cable. The student desktop PCs access networked via a network port but does not access the projector. Instructors can bring their laptop to access the network via a wireless connection. They can also access the wireless projector via a direct-connect cable or via a wireless connection.

Personnel Assignments

PC Specialist (equipment purchase, software setup and PC support during PC & projector testing):

• purchase all equipment.

• setup and install corporate software on laptops and desktop computers.

• work with Network Specialist to ensure network access is available on all computers after deployment.

• work with AV Specialist to ensure the projectors can be accessed from the desktop PCs and Laptops

after deployment.

Network Specialist (Telecomm support):

• setup and install network servers.

• work with PC Specialist to ensure network access is available on all computers after deployment.

AV Specialist (A/V requirements):

• install wireless projectors

• work with PC Specialist to ensure projectors can be accessed from the desktop PCs and Laptops after

deployment.

Take time to think about how the work of the Specialists will be conducted.

• Make sure you satisfy all project requirements and specifications but do not add extra requirements.

Once you complete your schedule, use the requirements above as a checklist to make sure you covered

everything.

• Understand how the occupancy rules affect the schedule timeline. Since some locations are occupied

at different times, handle the deployment and testing of resources for each location separately (i.e.

Deploy and Test the IT Area separately from Admin Area; Conference Room, Meeting Room, etc.).

• The schedule must include a milestone for each block of tasks (Purchase Resources completed, Setup

Equipment completed, Deploy and Test completed, etc.).

o Each type of resource (network servers, computers, projectors) must be purchased separately since

they will come from different vendors.

o Note: a single task may be used for a resource that is tested at a specific time (i.e. the testing of all

computers for administrative areas can be a single task; or the testing of all computer for each

computer labs can be a single task). However, a single task cannot be used when an action must be

done during different occupancy periods (i.e., testing of IT Area resources is a separate task from

testing of Administrative Areas, etc. since they take occupancy at different times.)

• Each block of tasks must start with a high-level Heading that describes the subordinate tasks below it

(i.e. Purchase Resources OR Setup Equipment)

• Task Actions must start with a verb and describe the action (i.e., Test laptops). Milestones do not

start with verbs. (note: Testing is not a verb; deploying is not a verb; etc.)

• Resources must include both the people (title of the specific Specialist) and specific resource

(equipment).

• When creating Predecessors, point to the respective Task # (not the WBS number). It is not necessary

to include a task as a predecessor that is already a predecessor of another task (i.e. consider the

following tasks: 1: Order food, 2: Eat food, 3: Cleanup. The predecessor for 2 is 1 since you can’t Eat

until you Order. The predecessor for 3 is 2 (since 2 Eat already has a predecessor of 1 Order).

o Note: be careful about predecessors. Not only are they directly related to the tasks that proceed

them within a Milestone but they may be directly related to tasks within other Milestones

(example: network servers must be operational before other equipment can be tested for network

connectivity – look for other dependencies described above).