Posted: March 12th, 2023

Week 7 Final Project BUSN 420

These exercises will introduce you to the variety of uses of Gantt Charts. For more information on Gantt Charts please see the file named Tech Plug In T11: Creating Gantt Charts with Excel and Microsoft Project. Please read the information provided and complete each exercise listed below. Once you have completed all 3 of the exercises, submit your Excel and Word documents using the assignment link above.

All 3 sections of the final project should be submitted in Blackboard, including:

1.) A Gantt chart illustrating Figure T11.1 “Gantt Chart in Excel” in the assignment instructions

2.) A Gantt chart for the Solve a Problem exercise including 15 tasks

3.) An summary addressing the questions outlined in the assignment instructions

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P L U G – I N

T11Creating Gantt Charts with
Excel and Microsoft Project

Introduction
Many people and organizations today have a new or renewed interest in project management.
Until the 1980s, project management focused primarily on providing schedule and resource
data to top management in the military and construction industries. This tracking of a few key
project parameters is still an important element, but today’s project management involves
much more.

In 1917, Henry Gantt developed the famous Gantt chart as a tool for scheduling work in
factories. A Gantt chart is a standard format for displaying project schedule information by
listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format.
Managers drew Gantt charts by hand to show project tasks and schedule information, and
this tool provided a standard format for planning and reviewing all the work on early military
projects.

Today’s project managers still use the Gantt chart as the primary tool to communicate
project schedule information, but with the aid of computers, it is no longer necessary to draw
the charts by hand.

Today, most people use project management software to create versions of Gantt charts
that are more sophisticated and allow for easy updates of information. They can also show
dependencies in some format using project management software.

This plug-in focuses on:

1. How to create a Gantt chart using Microsoft Excel (see Figure T11.1).
2. How to create a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project, a more sophisticated tool, designed

for project management (see Figure T11.2).

1. Explain a Gantt chart.

2. Describe the main steps involved in creating a Gantt chart using Excel.

3. Describe the main steps involved in creating a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

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Creating Gantt Charts with Excel
Microsoft Excel can easily be used for scheduling and resource management, with columns to
track planned and actual start and finish dates. Excel is a practical solution for a small project
in a small organization since many businesses have access to Excel and therefore do not have
to buy any additional tools.

This section is written with the expectation that you possess some basic knowledge of the
concepts presented in Plug-In T2, “Basic Skills Using Excel 2016.”

Excel does not offer Gantt as a chart type, but it is fairly easy to create such a chart by
using a stacked bar chart. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Start with a new workbook and enter the task data, as shown in Figure T11.3. Column A
contains the task descriptions; column B, the start date for each task; and column C, the
number of days to complete the task. Column D contains formulas that determine the end
date for each task. For example, the formula used in our example (e.g., Figure T11.3) in
cell D4 is = B4 + C4.

2. Create a stacked horizontal bar chart. You can either select from the Recommended
Charts option on the Charts ribbon, or choose the Insert Column or Bar Chart. Choose
the 2-D Stacked Bar Chart option.

3. A blank chart appears in your spreadsheet. To select the data, right-click anywhere inside
the blank chart, and then choose Select Data. The Select Data dialog opens as shown in
Figure T11.4.

FIGURE T11.1

Gantt Chart in Excel

FIGURE T11.2

Gantt Chart in
Microsoft Project

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FIGURE T11.3

Project Tasks

4. Under the Legend Entries (Series) section, click on the Add button. The Edit Series
dialog box opens. The first series to add will be the label containing the start date. Under
the Series Name, select cell B3. Under the Series Values, select cells B4:B13, the range
of cells containing the various start dates. Click OK.

5. Another series is needed; therefore, click on the Add button. This series will be the
duration. When the Edit Series dialog opens, select cell C3 for the Series Name, then
select C4:C13 for the Series Values.

6. Edit the labels by selecting the Edit button under the Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels
section. The Axis Label dialog opens. Select cells A4:A13, the various task names. Click
OK. Click OK again to close the Select Data Source dialog box.

FIGURE T11.4

Select Data Dialog Box

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7. Remove the chart’s legend by selecting it and pressing the Delete key or the Backspace
key, since the legend is not needed for a Gantt chart. You may need to adjust the chart’s
height (or change to a smaller font) so that all x-axis labels are visible.

8. Since you do not want to see the Start data series, select that series (by default it should
be a blue color) by clicking on any one of the data items, right-click, and select Format
Data Series. The Format Data Series dialog opens. Select the Fill icon on the upper
right, select Fill, and select No Fill. Choose the Border and select No Line. Click Close.
The start dates are gone, but the durations are visible; this is more like a Gantt chart, as
shown in Figure T11.5.

9. You need to now reverse the order of the y-axis labels. Right-click on any one of the
labels, and then select Format Axis. The Format Axis dialog opens. Under the Axis
Options tab, click on the Values in reverse order. Click outside of the chart. Your chart
now should look like Figure T11.6.

10. Apply other formatting as desired. For example, you can add grid lines and a title. If you
adjust your project schedule, the chart will be updated automatically. If you use dates
outside the original date range, you will need to change the scaling for the y-axis.

You now have a very functional Gantt chart; you can clearly see when various tasks begin
and end, as well as when tasks overlap. Suggestion: use Microsoft Project for all this.

FIGURE T11.6

Categories in Reverse Order

FIGURE T11.5

Gantt Chart with Durations

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Creating Gantt Charts with Microsoft Project
This section provides you with a basic introduction to Microsoft Project, a powerful project
management software tool that can help manage schedules and resources and track project
progress. Microsoft Project, with its familiar Microsoft Office user interface, is one of the
most widely used project management software applications available.

Although the use of project management software can enhance and support the project
management function, project management software should not be used in lieu of becoming
familiar with the project management concepts presented in this textbook. This section is
written with the expectation that you possess some basic knowledge of project management
concepts.

MICROSOFT PROJECT BASICS
Microsoft Project is a Microsoft Office application, so it has many elements similar to other
Office titles such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. To begin using Microsoft Project, start the
application by clicking on the Start menu, All Programs, and select Microsoft Project, which
is located in the Microsoft Office folder by default. The application will open with the screen
shown in Figure T11.7.

As you can see, elements of the user interface should be familiar, specifically, the menu
bar and the toolbar (see Figure T11.7). Depending on settings specific to your computer, your
opening screen may not appear exactly as shown, but the differences will be minor.

The Project Guide is an interactive interface element in Microsoft Project that helps you
work through your project from the standpoint of project management processes and goals.
This complements the existing menus and toolbars, which allow you to approach your project
plan from a strictly feature-oriented point of view. Although a great option, we will not be
using it in this plug-in.

To turn off the Project Guide, click the Close button in the Project Guide pane, or click
View from the menu bar, and then select Hide Project Pane.

CREATING A PROJECT FILE
The Microsoft Project workspace is called the view, and the view that comes up by default
when you first open Microsoft Project is the Gantt chart. The Gantt chart is a combination
view; it has a task table on the left side and the chart with Gantt bars on the right.

You can create a new project from one of the many templates included in Microsoft Proj-
ect. These templates reflect various types of product, service, or activity projects in different
industries and are based on widely accepted industry standards for projects of these types. FIGURE T11.7

Microsoft Project Interface

Menu Bar

Tool Bar

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Although template helps you start your project more quickly, for this plug-in you will use
the blank project to create your Gantt chart. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the File menu, click New. The New Project task pane appears.
2. Under New, click the Blank Project link. Microsoft Project creates a new project, and the

New Project task pane is replaced by the Tasks pane of the Project Guide.

Your first decision affecting how your project will be scheduled is whether you want to
schedule your project from a start date or from a finish date. Often, you have a finish date in
mind, but you can still schedule from the start date and then make sure you hit the targeted
finish date. You will get results that are more predictable when you schedule from a start date.
To set up your project plan to be scheduled from the project start date and finish date, do this:

1. Click Project, and then select Project Information. The Project Information dialog box
appears (see Figure T11.8).

2. In the Start Date box, enter the start date. By default, the Start Date box shows today’s date.
3. In the Schedule From box, click the Project Start Date.
4. Leave the Project Finish Date box as is. Microsoft Project will calculate this date for you

later.
5. Click OK.

SAVING YOUR PROJECT
Whether you are creating a new project from scratch, from a template, or from an existing
project file, your next step is to save your new project. To do this:

1. Click File, and then select Save As.
2. In the Save As dialog box, choose the drive and folder in which you want to save the new

project.
3. In the File Name box, enter a descriptive name for your project, and then click the Save

button.

FIGURE T11.8

Project Information
Dialog Box

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ENTERING TASKS
When your project file is set up, you are ready to enter tasks. To enter tasks directly into your
project plan, follow these steps:

1. Make sure you are working in the Gantt chart. You can see the name of the current view
in the Active View bar that runs vertically along the left side of the view. If it does not say
Gantt chart, click View, and then select Gantt chart.

2. Type the name of the task in the Task Name field. For example, a typical task in any
project would be Define Scope.

3. Press Enter or your down arrow key to move to the next row. The task name is not
recorded, and other commands remain unavailable until you press Enter or the down arrow
key. Figure T11.9 displays a few tasks entered into a new project.

Note: By default, the Gantt chart table includes the Task Name, Duration, Start, Finish, Prede-
cessors, and Resource Names fields as columns. A natural impulse when entering tasks is to enter
project information into each of these fields. The best approach is to enter the task names first,
and then the durations if you know them. Leave the Start and Finish fields as they are for now,
and let Microsoft Project calculate them for you as you add other project information. The Prede-
cessors field will be filled in when you start creating links between tasks. At that point, with dura-
tions and links in place, Microsoft Project will calculate the Start and Finish dates. If you then
need to constrain the dates, you can edit them as you need. We cover dates later in this plug-in.

Entering Recurring Tasks
You might have certain tasks that need to be scheduled at regularly occurring intervals. For
example, you might have a project team meeting every Thursday morning.

You might need to gather information and generate a resource management report the first
Monday of each month. Instead of entering the same task every week or every month through-
out the span of the project, you can enter a recurring task. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In the Task Name field, click the row below where you want the recurring task to appear.
2. From the Insert ribbon, click on the Insert tab, then choose Task, and then Recurring Task.
3. In the Recurring Task dialog box, type the name of the recurring task in the Task Name

field, for example, “Testing” (see Figure T11.10).
FIGURE T11.9

Project Tasks

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4. Under Recurrence Pattern, specify how often the task is to be scheduled, that is, daily,
weekly, or monthly.

5. Specify the details of when the task is to take place during that frequency; for example,
every other Thursday or every Monday, as in Figure T11.10.

6. Under Range of Recurrence, specify when the recurring task is to begin and end.
7. When finished, click OK. The recurring task is marked with a recurring task indicator. It

is represented with a summary task with all occurrences of the task as subtasks.

Copying Tasks
You can copy one or more tasks to use as the basis for other tasks. The following list describes
the various copy techniques:

■ Copy a single task name. Click in the Task Name field, and then click Copy Cell on the
Standard toolbar. Click the Task Name field in a blank row, and then click Paste.

■ Copy multiple adjacent task names. Click the first task name you want to select, hold
down the Shift key, and then click the last task name. All task names between the first
and last are selected. Click Copy Cell. Click the first Task Name field where you want
the selected tasks to be pasted, and then click Paste.

You can also simply drag to select the tasks. If you want to copy the selected tasks to
empty rows directly under a particular task, drag the fill handle in the lower right corner
of the cell into those empty rows.

■ Copy multiple nonadjacent task names. Click the first task name you want to select,
hold down the Ctrl key, and then click any additional task names you want to add to the
selection. Click Copy Cell. Select the Task Name field where you want the selected
tasks to start to be added, and then click the Paste button. The tasks are added in the
order that you selected them.

■ Copy a single task and its task information. Click the row heading of the task you want
to copy. This selects the entire task and its associated information. Click Copy Cell. To
add the task into an empty row, select the row, and then click Paste. To insert the task
between two existing tasks, select the task below where you want the pasted task to
appear, and then click Paste.

FIGURE T11.10

Recurring Task Dialog Box

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■ Copy multiple adjacent tasks and their task information. Click the row heading of the
first task you want to copy. Hold down the Shift key, and then click the row heading of
the last task. Click Copy Cell. Click the Task Name field where you want the selected
tasks to start to be added, and then click Paste.

Deleting Tasks
To delete a task that you do not need, do this:

■ Select the row heading, and then press the Delete key.
—If you want to delete the entire task, click the indicator.
—If you simply want to clear the task name, press Enter or click elsewhere in the view.

Organizing Tasks into an Outline
Tasks need to be structured representing the hierarchy of tasks from the broader perspective
to the deep and detailed perspective where real work will actually occur.

A task at a higher outline level than other tasks is called a summary task. The tasks beneath
that summary task are called subtasks, as displayed in Figure T11.11. Summary tasks typi-
cally represent phases in a project. For example, in a new business start-up project, you might
have summary tasks for developing the strategic plan, defining the business opportunity,
planning for action, and proceeding with the start-up plan.

The subtasks under those phases could be actual tasks that are assigned to resources (we
explain resources later). Or they could be another set of summary tasks. Subtasks can be sum-
mary tasks to still more subtasks. You can have up to nine outline levels.

All your tasks are initially at the first outline level. To make a summary task, you need to
indent subtasks beneath it. The following list describes various outlining techniques:

■ Make a task a subtask. Click the task. On the Formatting toolbar, click Indent (see
Figure T11.12). The task is indented, and the task above it becomes its summary task.
Summary tasks are highlighted in bold in the table portion of the Gantt chart and are
marked with a black bar spanning the summary tasks in the chart portion of the Gantt
chart.

■ Create a subtask under a subtask. Click a task under a subtask. Click Indent twice. It is
now in the third outline level, as a subtask of a subtask.

■ Move a subtask to a higher level. Click a subtask, and then click Outdent (see
Figure T11.12).

Next to each summary task is a symbol, such as or .
The lighter symbol indicates that there are hidden subtasks for this summary task. Click the
symbol, and the subtasks appear. The darker symbol indicates that the subtasks are currently
displayed. Click on the symbol, and the subtasks will be hidden.

Subtasks

Summary
task

FIGURE T11.11

Summary Tasks and
Subtasks

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Adding Supplementary Information to Tasks
You can annotate an individual task by adding notes. You can also provide documentation or
references in support of a task by linking it to other documents or websites.

To add a note to a task, follow these steps:

1. From the Task ribbon, click the task, and then click Task Information from the Properties tab.
2. Click the Notes tab.
3. In the Notes area, type a note. Figure T11.13 displays a note explaining where to get further

documentation if someone needs it.
4. When finished, click OK.

SCHEDULING TASKS
Although there are many knowledge areas (including scope management, cost management,
and resource management) that contribute to successful project management, time manage-
ment is most related to development of your project schedule—your road map for completing
tasks, handing off deliverables, passing milestones, and finally, achieving the goals of your
project in a timely manner.

FIGURE T11.13

Annotating a Task

FIGURE T11.12

Indent, Outdent, and
Subtask Buttons

Outdent Indent

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To develop an accurate and workable schedule that truly reflects how your project will run,
you need to:

■ Set task durations.
■ Identify dependencies, or the relationships, among tasks.
■ Schedule certain tasks to achieve specific dates when necessary.

Setting Task Durations
To create a realistic schedule, enter the amount of working time you believe each task will
take to complete, that is, the task duration. As soon as you enter a task, Microsoft Project
assigns it an estimated duration of one day, just to have something to draw in the Gantt chart.
You can easily change that duration.

Entering accurate durations is very important to creating a reliable project schedule.
Microsoft Project uses the duration of each task to calculate the start and finish dates for the
task. If you will be assigning resources, the duration is also the basis for the amount of work
for each assigned resource.

Any value in the Duration field that is followed by a question mark is considered a duration
estimate. Technically, all planned durations are only estimates, because you do not know how
long a task takes until it is completed and you have an actual duration. However, the question
mark indicates what you might consider an “estimate of a duration estimate.” Estimated dura-
tions are calculated into the schedule the same as confirmed durations. They simply serve as
an alert that a duration is still somewhat of a guess.

By default, a duration estimate of one day is entered for any newly added task (e.g., 1d?). Use
this value as a flag to indicate that the duration still needs to be entered for this task. You can
also enter a question mark (?) after a duration, for example, 2w?. Use this value as a flag to indi-
cate that the duration is still under consideration and might be changed after you receive more
information. When you remove the question mark from a duration, the duration is confirmed.

You can enter a duration in different time period units, such as:

■ Minutes (m or min).
■ Hours (h or hr).
■ Days (d or dy).
■ Weeks (w or wk).
■ Months (mo or mon).

You can use different duration units throughout your plan. One task might be set with a
duration of 2w, and another task might be set for 3d. To enter a duration, follow these steps:

1. In the Duration field for each task, type the duration, for example, 1w or 4d. If a duration
is an estimate, add a question mark after it, for example, 1w? or 4d?.

2. Press Enter. The Gantt bar is drawn to represent the time period for the task(s) (see
Figure T11.14). In addition, the Finish field is recalculated for the task. Microsoft Project
adds the duration amount to the start date to calculate the finish date.
Note: Whether you type “h,” “hr,” or “hour” in your duration entry, by default Microsoft

Project enters “hr.” You can change which abbreviation of the time unit appears in the Dura-
tion field. Click View, then Zoom, and then choose the Duration, to that project file only. If
you want it to apply to all new projects you create, click File, Options, Schedule, and choose
appropriately.

Establishing Task Dependencies
The most typical link is the finish-to-start task dependency. With this link, the predecessor
task must finish before the successor task can begin. To link tasks with the finish-to-start task
dependency, follow these steps:

1. In the task sheet, select the two tasks you want to link. Drag from the predecessor to the
successor task if they are right next to each other. If they are not adjacent tasks, click the
predecessor, hold down the Ctrl key, and then click the successor.

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2. On the Standard toolbar, click Link Tasks.
3. The tasks are linked in the chart portion of the Gantt chart. In addition, the Predecessor

field of the successor task lists the task number for its predecessor (see Figure T11.15).

Although the finish-to-start task dependency is the most common, there are four types of
dependencies, as follows:

1. Finish-to-start (FS). As soon as the predecessor task finishes, the successor task can start.
2. Finish-to-finish (FF). As soon as the predecessor task finishes, the successor task can

finish.
3. Start-to-start (SS). As soon as the predecessor task starts, the successor task can start.
4. Start-to-finish (SF). As soon as the predecessor task starts, the successor task can finish.

This type of link is rarely used, but still available if you need it.

To apply a task dependency, follow these steps:

1. Select the task that is to become the successor in the dependency you will be setting.
2. On the Standard toolbar, from the Properties tab, click Information. You can also simply

double-click a task to open the Task Information dialog box.
3. Click the Predecessors tab (see Figure T11.16).

Predecessor has
successor list Linked task

FIGURE T11.15

Predecessor and Successor
Tasks

FIGURE T11.14

Task Durations

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4. Click the first blank row in the Task Name field, and then click the down arrow. The list of
tasks in the project appears.

5. Click the task that is to be the predecessor to the current task.
6. Click the Type field, and then select the type of task dependency: Finish-to-Start (FS),

Start-to-Start (SS), Finish-to-Finish (FF), Start-to-Finish (SF), or None.
7. Click OK.

Overlapping Linked Tasks by Adding Lead Time
One way to make your project schedule more efficient is to overlap linked tasks where pos-
sible. Suppose you have a task that cannot begin until a previous task is finished. You realize
that the predecessor does not actually have to be finished—after it is 50 percent complete, the
successor can begin. The successor essentially gets a 50 percent head start, hence, the term
lead time.

Lead time is expressed as a negative value. It can be a percentage of the predecessor, for
example, −25%. Or, it can be a specific time period, for example, −4d or −1w.

To enter lead time for a linked task, follow these steps:

1. Select the successor task that is to have the lead time.
2. On the Standard toolbar, from the Properties tab, click Information.
3. In the Task Information dialog box, click the Predecessors tab.
4. In the Lag field for the existing Predecessor, type the amount of lead time you want for

the successor. Use a negative number, and enter the lead time as a percentage or duration
amount.

5. Click OK. Figure T11.17 displays a view of several lead-time tasks.

CREATING MILESTONES IN YOUR SCHEDULE
You can designate certain tasks as milestones in your project plan. Having milestones flagged
in your project plan and visible in your Gantt chart helps you see when you have achieved
another benchmark. Milestones often indicate the beginning or ending of major phases or the

FIGURE T11.16

Predecessor Task
Information

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completion of deliverables in your project. As you complete each milestone, you come ever
closer to completing the project. Milestones are also excellent reporting points.

A milestone, as such, has no additional calculation effect on your schedule. However, you
typically link a milestone to other tasks. You might also set a date constraint on a milestone.

The simplest method for entering a milestone is to create the task, worded like a milestone,
for example, “Needs analysis complete,” and enter a duration of 0. Any task with a 0 duration
is automatically set as a milestone. The milestone marker and date are drawn in the chart area
of the Gantt chart.

However, a milestone does not have to have a 0 duration. You might want to make the
final task in each phase a milestone, and these are real tasks with real durations. To change a
regular task into a milestone, follow these steps:

1. Select the task you want to become a milestone.
2. On the Standard toolbar, click Task Information.
3. In the Task Information dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
4. Select the Mark Task As Milestone check box.
5. The Gantt bar for the task changes to the milestone marker in the chart area of the Gantt

chart, as shown in Figure T11.18.

ADDING RESOURCES
The following types of resources can be assigned to your tasks:

■ People or equipment
■ Materials
■ Cost items

To add resources to your project, follow these steps:

1. Click View, and then select Resource Sheet from the Resource View group to switch to
the Resource Sheet view (see Figure T11.19).

2. Make sure the Entry table is applied. Click View, choose Table, and then select Entry.

Lead times

FIGURE T11.17

Lead-Time Tasks

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3. In the first Resource Name field, type a resource name, such as Development Team (as
seen in Figure T11.19) and press Enter.

4. Enter the names of other resources in the same way.

Assigning Work Resources to Tasks
When you assign a work resource, you are attaching the resource name to a task and then
indicating how much of the resource’s total availability is to be devoted to this task.

When you first add a resource to the project plan, through the use of maximum units (also
known as resource units), you specify how available this resource will be to this project. For
example, if the resource is available full time on the project, say, 40 hours a week, you would

Milestone

FIGURE T11.19

Resource Sheet

FIGURE T11.18

Milestone Marker

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specify that the resource has 100 percent resource units. If another resource is available 20
hours a week, you would probably specify that this resource has 50 percent resource units. If
you have three of the same type of resource, for example, three graphic designers, you could
indicate that there are 300 percent resource units.

When you assign these resources to tasks, you take the idea of availability a step further by
using assignment units. With resource units, you specify resource availability to the project as
a whole. With assignment units, you specify resource availability to the specific task to which
the resource is assigned.

By creating an assignment, you specify both the resources assigned to a task and their
associated assignment units. Using the Assign Resources dialog box, you can assign one
resource to a task, multiple resources to a task, or multiple resources to multiple tasks. To
assign a work resource to a task, follow these steps:

1. Click the task to which you want to assign resources.
2. Choose the Gantt Chart view, to get back to the tasks. Highlight the tasks of interest to

you. On the Standard toolbar, click Assign Resources. The Assign Resources dialog box
appears (see Figure T11.20).

3. In the dialog box, click the name of the work resource you want to assign to the task, and
then click the Assign button. The resource name moves to the top of the Resources list in
the table and a default percentage appears in the Units field for the resource. For individual
resources, the default assignment units are the same as the resource’s maximum units.

4. If you want to assign a second resource, click that resource name, and then click the Assign
button. Modify the Units field as necessary. If you change the Units field, you need to press
Enter or click another field. This ends the edit mode for the field, sets your change, and
makes the Assign button available.

5. When finished assigning resources to tasks, click the Close button.

SETTING UP AND PRINTING
When you print a view, it becomes a type of report that further enhances your ability to
manage the project. To print a view, follow these steps:

1. Open the view, and arrange the data (e.g., columns) as you want it to appear when printed.
2. On the Standard toolbar, click Print.

FIGURE T11.20

Assign Resources Dialog Box

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Print Views
To adjust how the view will look when printed, follow these steps:

1. Open the view, and arrange the data (e.g., columns) as you want the information to appear
when printed.

2. Click File, and then choose Page Setup to display the Page Setup dialog box. Specify the
options you want for the printed view using the controls on the different tabs of this dialog
box (see Figure T11.21). When finished, click OK.

3. On the Standard toolbar, click Print Preview. This opens a window showing how the
view will appear when printed and the results of the Page Setup options you selected (see
Figure T11.22).

4. To make further adjustments to the print options, click Page Setup.
5. To make further adjustments to the view itself, click Close on the Print Preview toolbar,

and work in the view.
6. When finished with your adjustments, click Print on the Standard toolbar.

Printing Reports
Microsoft Project has more than 40 built-in, preformatted reports. These reports compile the
most commonly used sets of information needed to manage a project, coordinate resources,
control costs, analyze potential problems, and communicate progress.

When you select and generate a report, information is drawn from selected fields through-
out your project. That information is laid out in the predetermined report design or template,
in either discrete or summarized form, depending on the specific report.

You can generate two categories of reports: text-based reports and visual reports. The
text-based reports compile information into a tabular format within Microsoft Project. Visual
reports automatically compile and export project information to either Excel or Visio, where
it is presented in a graphic such as a column chart or flow diagram.

To see the built-in reports available, click Reports. The Reports dialog box appears, show-
ing the available report categories (see Figure T11.23).

Each category focuses on a specific type of information. You might find that certain
reports are best suited to one type of audience, whereas other reports are better for another
type of audience. For example, Cost reports might be most appropriate for meetings with the
finance department, whereas you might prefer to distribute Assignment reports to team leads.

FIGURE T11.21

Page Setup Dialog Box

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To generate these reports, Microsoft Project gathers information from a particular period,
from certain tables, and with a particular filter applied as appropriate for the requirements of the
specific report. Information is formatted with highlights, fonts, and other layout considerations.

FIGURE T11.22

Print Preview

FIGURE T11.23

Available Report Categories

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P L U G – I N S U M M A R Y

A Gantt chart is a popular type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. There are many
ways to create a Gantt chart. For example, Microsoft Project, a task-planning program,
makes it easy to track and chart project timelines with a built-in Gantt chart view. Another

option is to use Microsoft Excel. Excel does not contain a built-in Gantt chart format; however, you can
create a Gantt chart in Excel by customizing the stacked bar chart type.

M A K I N G B U S I N E S S D E C I S I O N S

1. Project Me

Now that you have learned about Gantt charts, it is time to see how valuable they can be when
managing a project—any project. Understanding every task (scope), each project member
(resource), and required time frames (time) is the most important piece of managing a project. If
you can understand these three components (scope, resource, time) and how they impact each
other, you can manage most projects.

Project Focus

You are ready to test your project management skills. Select a project of your choice and create a
Gantt chart to manage the project using either Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Project. The project can
be anything including reorganizing your dorm room, cleaning your car, or even making coffee. It is
important that your Gantt chart include all of the following:

1. All tasks associated with completing the project.

2. All time frames required to complete the project.

3. All resources involved in completing the project.

Once you have completed your Gantt chart give it to a friend and see if he or she can execute
the plan. Then answer the following questions:

■ What happened when your friend followed the plan?

■ Did your friend understand each task from your description well enough to perform it?

■ Was the amount of time you allowed for each task appropriate?

■ If you could rewrite the plan, what would you change and why?

■ How can this project plan help you when you begin running real business projects?

2. Project Plan My College Career

Your best friend, Paul Bauer, is simply brilliant. He has aced all of his courses since he started
college while working full time and heading three committees. Paul comes to you completely dis-
traught. He has somehow missed one of his graduation requirements and needs to attend sum-
mer school. You are very concerned as Paul is a diligent student and if he could misunderstand
his graduation requirements then there is a chance you could have done the same. You want to
make sure you are on track to graduation and decide that a Gantt chart is the perfect tool to help
you succeed.

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Project Focus

You have many requirements (milestones) to meet before you can graduate from your current
college. Create a Gantt chart in Microsoft Project or Microsoft Excel that takes you from your
freshman year to graduation in your senior year. Be sure your Gantt chart includes all of the
following:

1. Each course you must take to graduate.

2. The time frames required to complete each course.

3. Any resources required to complete each course (you are the primary resource).

3. Website Development Project

A nonprofit organization would like you to lead a website development project for them. The
organization has Internet access that includes space on a web server but has no experience
developing web pages or websites. In addition to creating the website, the group would like
you to train two people on the staff to do simple web page updates. The organization wants
the website to include the following basic information, as a minimum: description of the orga-
nization (mission, history, and recent events), list of services, and contact information. The
website should include graphics (photographs and other images) and have an attractive, easy-
to-use layout.

Project Focus

1. Using Microsoft Project create milestones and summary tasks. Some of the specific analysis,
design, and implementation tasks are as follows:

a. Collect information on the organization in hard copy and digital form (brochures, reports,
organization charts, photographs, and so on).

b. Research websites of similar organizations.
c. Collect detailed information about the customer’s design preferences and access to space

on a web server.
d. Develop a template (background color for all pages, position of navigation buttons, layout

of text and images, typography, including basic text font and display type, and so on).
e. Create a site map or hierarchy chart showing the flow of web pages.
f. Digitize the photographs and find other images for the web pages; digitize hard-copy text.
g. Create the individual web pages for the site.
h. Test the pages and the site.
i. Implement the website on the customer’s web server.
j. Get feedback.
k. Incorporate changes.
l. Create training materials on how to update the web pages.
m. Train the staff on updating the web pages.

2. Create the timeline.

a. Enter realistic durations for each task, and then link the tasks as appropriate. Be sure all
tasks are linked (in some fashion) to the start and end of the project. Assume that you have
four months to complete the entire project.

b. Allocate appropriate resources, including one other person who will assist you in the
project.

c. Save your project as WebSite.mpp.
d. Print the Gantt chart view for the project.

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4. Software Training Project

Hands On IT Company has 50,000 employees in its headquarters. The company wants to increase
employee productivity by setting up an internal software applications training program for its
employees. The training program will teach employees how to use software programs such as
Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Project 2016. Courses will be offered in the eve-
nings and on Saturdays and will be taught by qualified volunteer employees. The instructors will
be paid $40 per hour. In the past, various departments sent employees to courses offered by
local vendors during company time. In contrast to local vendors’ programs, this internal training
program should save the company money on training as well as make its people more produc-
tive. The human resources department will manage the program, and any employee can take the
courses. Employees will receive a certificate for completing courses, and a copy of the certificate
will be put in their personnel files. The company has decided to use off-the-shelf training materials
but is not sure which vendor’s materials to use. The company needs to set up a training classroom,
survey employees on what courses they want to take, find qualified volunteer instructors, and start
offering courses. The company wants to offer the first courses within six months. One person from
human resources is assigned full-time to manage this project, and top management has pledged
its support of the project.

Project Focus

1. Using Microsoft Project, create milestones and summary tasks. Assume that some of the proj-
ect management tasks you need to do are similar to tasks from the Software Development
example used in this plug-in. Some of the tasks specific to this project are as follows:

a. Review off-the-shelf training materials from three major vendors and decide which materi-
als to use.

b. Negotiate a contract with the selected vendor for the materials.
c. Develop communications information about this new training program. Disseminate

the information via department meetings, email, the company’s intranet, and fliers to all
employees.

d. Create a survey to determine the number and type of courses needed and employees’ pre-
ferred times for taking courses.

e. Administer the survey.
f. Solicit qualified volunteers to teach the courses.

g. Review résumés, interview candidates for teaching the courses, and develop a list of pre-
ferred instructors.

h. Coordinate with the facilities department to build two classrooms with 20 personal comput-
ers in each, a teacher station, and an overhead projection system (assume that the facilities
department will manage this part of the project).

i. Schedule courses.
j. Develop a fair system for signing up for classes.

k. Develop a course evaluation form to assess the usefulness of each course and the instruc-
tor’s teaching ability.

l. Offer classes.

2. Enter realistic durations for each task, and then link appropriate tasks. Be sure all tasks are
linked in some fashion to the start and end of the project. Assume that you have six months to
complete the entire project.

3. Allocate appropriate resources, including one other person who will assist you in the project.

4. Save your project as SoftwareTraining.mpp.

5. Print the Gantt chart view for the project.

BUSN 420 Management Information Systems

Final Project

The following exercise will show you how to create a Gantt chart using Excel. Being able to

create a Gantt Chart from scratch in Excel will not only save your company or ministry money

they would have spent purchasing Microsoft Project, but it will also show your supervisor that

you have the data analysis and project management skills to bring great value to the company or

ministry.

Please read the information provided and complete each exercise. Once you have completed all

of the exercises below, submit your Excel and Word document using the final project assignment

link in Blackboard. Please see the grading rubric at the end of these instructions for more

information.

• First, read the attached Tech Plug-In T11: Creating Gantt Charts with Excel and

Microsoft Project

• Then, review the “Creating Gantt Charts with Excel” section on pages T11-2 through

T11-4

• Create Figure T11.1 “Gantt Chart in Excel” on page T11-2 using the steps provided on

pages T11-2 through T11-4.

SOLVE A PROBLEM USING A GANTT CHART

Now that you have learned about Gantt charts, it is time to see how valuable they can be when

managing any project. Understanding every task (scope), each project member (resource), and

required time frames (time) is the most important piece of managing a project. If you can

understand these three components (scope, resource, time) and how they impact each other, you

can manage most projects.

You are ready to test your project management skills. Select a project of your choice and create a

Gantt chart to manage the project using Microsoft Excel. The project can be anything, including

reorganizing your house, cleaning your car, a renovation project, hosting an event, or even

decorating for a party/the holidays. It is essential that your Gantt chart include all of the

following:

1. All tasks associated with completing the project. (Must have at least 15 tasks.)

2. All resources involved in completing the project.

3. All time frames required to complete the project.

Once you have completed your Gantt chart, share it with your family/friends and actually

execute the project plan (if timeframe allows). Then answer the following questions:

• What happened when you discussed/followed the plan?

• Did everyone understand each task from your description well enough to perform it?

• Was the amount of time you allowed for each task appropriate?

• If you could rewrite the plan, what would you change and why?

• How can Gantt charts help you when you begin running real business or ministry

projects?

• What ethical issues might surface when putting processes into a Gantt chart where

specific resources are assigned tasks in tight timeframes that are dependent on previous

steps? How should a Christian Worldview inform these ethical dilemmas?

Please be brief and keep your essay responding to these questions to around 400-600 words. As

you analyze the above questions, please consult and include at least one peer-reviewed

scholarly journal reference to support your conclusions.

All 3 sections of the final project should be submitted in Blackboard, including:

1.) A Gantt chart illustrating Figure T11.1 “Gantt Chart in Excel” in the assignment instructions

2.) A Gantt chart for the Solve a Problem exercise including 15 tasks

3.) An essay addressing the questions outlined in the assignment instructions

The following rubric will be used to grade your submissions:

BUSN 420 Final Project Grading Rubric (100 points)

Gantt Chart Possible Points Actual Points

The data entered into the
Excel worksheet matches the
data presented in Figure
T11.3

The data entered into the
Excel worksheet does not
match the data presented
in Figure T11.3

10 10

The first legend entries
(series) contains the Start
Date for the series name and
the Start Dates data for the
series values.

The first legend entries
(series) contains a
different field other than
the Start Date field for the
series name and series
data.

5 5

The second legend entries
(series) contains the Duration
(Days) for the series name
and the Duration (Days) data
for the series values.

The second legend entries
(series) contains a
different field other than
the Duration (Days) field
for the series name and
the series data.

5 5

The horizontal (category) axis
labels have been added from
the task column.

The horizontal (category)
axis labels do not
represent the tasks listed
in the task column.

5 5

The Gantt chart is in a 2-D
stacked horizontal bar chart
format.

The Gantt chart is not in a
2-D stacked horizontal bar
chart format.

5 5

The legend has been deleted
from the chart.

The legend appears in the
chart. 5 5

The start date chart field has
no fill and no border, as
illustrated in Figure T11.5.

The start date chart field is
filled in and has a border.

5 5

The task categories appear in
reverse order on the y-axis of
the Gantt chart, as illustrated
in Figure T11.6.

The task categories do not
appear in reverse order on
the y-axis of the Gantt
chart as illustrated in
Figure T11.6.

5 5

Comments:
45 45

Using Gantt Charts to Solve a Problem Possible Points Actual Points

The Gantt Chart has been
properly constructed.

The Gantt Chart has not
been properly constructed. 10 10

The Gantt chart clearly
identifies 15 or more steps
involved in the process
identified.

The Gantt chart does not
clearly identify 15 or more
steps involved in the
process identified.

10 10

The Gantt chart clearly
identifies the tasks, resources,
and timeframes involved in
completing the project.

The Gantt chart does not
clearly identify the tasks,
resources, and timeframes
involved in completing the
project.

5 5

The Gantt chart clearly
identifies a clear and
understandable solution for
the project.

The Gantt chart does not
clearly identify a clear and
understandable solution
for the project.

5 5

The student has provided a
robust 400 to 600-word
analysis of their Gantt chart
experience with evidence that
they had someone else review
their Gantt chart.

The student has not
provided a robust 400 to
600-word analysis of their
Gantt chart experience
with evidence that they
had someone else review
their Gantt chart.

10 10

The student has supported
their text with at least one
peer-reviewed scholarly
journal reference.

The student has not
supported their text with at
least one peer-reviewed
scholarly journal
reference.

5 5

Spelling, punctuation, APA
formatting, and grammar are
stellar.

Spelling, punctuation, APA
formatting, and grammar
are poor.

10 10

Comments:
55 55

Late deductions (e.g., -10):

Final Score: 100 100
Overall Comments:

Possible Points Actual Points

The data entered into the Excel

worksheet matches the data

presented in Figure T11.3

The data entered into the Excel

worksheet does not match the

data presented in Figure T11.3

10 10

The first legend entries (series)

contains the Start Date for the series

name and the Start Dates data for the

series values.

The first legend entries (series)

contains a different field other

than the Start Date field for the

series name and

series data.

5 5

The second legend entries (series)

contains the Duration (Days) for the

series name and the Duration (Days)

data for the series values.

The second legend entries

(series) contains a different field

other than the Duration (Days)

field for the series name and the

series data.

5 5

The horizontal (category) axis labels

have been added from the task

column.

The horizontal (category) axis

labels do not represent the

tasks listed in the task column. 5 5

The Gantt chart is in a 2-D stacked

horizontal bar chart format.

The Gantt chart is not in a 2-D

stacked horizontal bar chart

format.
5 5

The legend has been deleted from the

chart.

The legend appears in the

chart. 5 5

The start date chart field has no fill

and no border, as illustrated in Figure

T11.5.

The start date chart field is filled

in and has a border. 5 5

The task categories appear in reverse

order on the y-axis of the Gantt chart,

illustrated in Figure T11.6.

The task categories do not

appear in reverse order on the y-

axis of the Gantt chart as

illustrated in Figure T11.6.

5 5

45 45

Possible Points Actual Points

The Gantt Chart has been properly

constructed.

The Gantt Chart has not been

properly constructed. 10 10

The Gantt chart clearly identifies 15 or

more steps

involved in the process

identified.

The Gantt chart does not clearly

identify 15 or more steps

involved in the process

identified.

10 10

Gantt Chart

BUSN 420 Final Project Grading Rubric (100 points)

Using Gantt Charts to Solve a Problem

Comments:

The Gantt chart clearly identifies the

tasks, resources, and timeframes

involved in completing

the

project.

The Gantt chart does not clearly

identify the tasks, resources,

and timeframes involved in

completing the project.
5 5

The Gantt chart clearly identifies a

clear and understandable solution for

the project.

The Gantt chart does not clearly

identify a clear and

understandable solution for the

project.

5 5

The student has provided a robust 400

to 600-word analysis of their Gantt

chart experience with evidence that

they had someone else review their

Gantt chart.

The student has not provided a

robust 400 to 600-word analysis

of their Gantt chart experience

with evidence that they had

someone else review their Gantt

chart.

10 10

The student has supported their text

with at least one peer-reviewed

scholarly journal

reference.

The student has not supported

their text with at least one peer-

reviewed scholarly journal

reference.

5 5

Spelling, punctuation, APA formatting,

and grammar are stellar.

Spelling, punctuation, APA

formatting, and grammar are

poor.
10 10

55 55

100 100Final Score:

Overall

Comments:

Late deductions (e.g., -10):

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