Padmakanya Multiple Campus

Bagbazar, Kathmandu
Tribhuvan University

A Practical Report on
Software Project Management (CSC 415)

Submitted To:
Sudarshan Sharma
Department of Computer Science
Padmakanya Multiple Campus

Submitted By:
Nisha K.C.
Roll No: 20298/075
April 2023
Contents
Lab 1: Getting Familiar with Microsoft Project ............................................................................................. 3
1.1 Creating a Project file...................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Task ................................................................................................................................................. 4
1.3 Resource ......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.4 Report ............................................................................................................................................. 5
1.5 Project ............................................................................................................................................. 5
1.6 View ................................................................................................................................................ 6
1.7 Format............................................................................................................................................. 6
Lab 2: Creating Gantt chart in Microsoft Project .......................................................................................... 8
2.2 Creating task hierarchy ................................................................................................................... 8
2.3 Defining duration, start & end dates .............................................................................................. 9
2.4 Adding Predecessors ....................................................................................................................... 9
Lab 3: Defining and Adjusting Work Time................................................................................................... 11
3.1 Creating a new calendar ............................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Changing Work Time defaults ....................................................................................................... 11
3.3 Adding exceptions and holidays to the calendar .......................................................................... 12
Lab 4: Critical Path Numerical ..................................................................................................................... 14
Lab 5: Getting Familiar with Ms. Excel ........................................................................................................ 15
5.1 Creating a Excel file ........................................................................................................................... 15
5.2 Home................................................................................................................................................. 16
5.3 Insert ................................................................................................................................................. 16
5.4 Page Layout....................................................................................................................................... 16
5.5 Formula ............................................................................................................................................. 17
5.6 Data ................................................................................................................................................... 17
5.7 Review............................................................................................................................................... 17
5.8 View .................................................................................................................................................. 17
LAB 6: List out the Risk Activities that can occur in your project and calculate their Risk Exposure......... 18
6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 18
6.2 Illustration ......................................................................................................................................... 19
6.3 Interpretation.................................................................................................................................... 20
LAB 7: ROI in Software Project Management ............................................................................................. 21
 7.1 Introduction: ..................................................................................................................................... 21
7.2 Illustration ......................................................................................................................................... 21
7.3 Interpretation: .................................................................................................................................. 23
LAB 8: Earned Value Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 24
8.1 Introduction: ..................................................................................................................................... 24
8.2 Illustration ......................................................................................................................................... 25
8.3 Interpretation.................................................................................................................................... 26
Lab 1: Getting Familiar with Microsoft Project

Here we will look at the different features of Microsoft Project.

1.1 Creating a Project file

To create a project, we first install and open the Microsoft Project then we land on the start
page:

From this page, we can create and start a project as per our preference among the following
options:

• Start a new blank project

• Start a new project from existing project
• Start a new project using templates
• Continue on the recent or other projects.
If we start a new blank project, we get to the following screen:

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 Fig 1.1 MS Project workspace

After we create a project file, we see multiple interfaces in menu bar namely, Task, Resource,
Report, Project, View and Format.

1.2 Task

It contains all the functions that allows us to manage the tasks to be performed in a project.
These include:

• Task Completion
• Task Indentation
• Task Linkage
• Task Schedule and so on.

1.3 Resource

It allows us to manage the resources available and resources required for the project. These
functions include:

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 • Adding Resources
• Managing Resource Pool
• Assigning Resources
• Managing Resource Level

1.4 Report

This menu is used when a report needs to be generated for managerial purpose. Some features
related to report include:

• Dashboards: overview of selected category; Cost, Project, Task, etc.

• Resources
• Costs: cash flows, earned value, task cost, resource cost
• In Progress: critical task, late task, slipping task, milestones
• Visual Reports: visual representation of the project
• Custom: report with user defined format

1.5 Project

This menu mainly allows additional customization to the project such as addressing extra
requirement or adding constraints or variables to the task and resources. Similarly, it also
facilitates work breakdown and managing work time. Some of its most used options are:

• Change working time

• Set Baseline
• Links Between Projects
• Custom Fields

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1.6 View

View menu lets us choose how we want to view the different elements of a projects such as
task, resource, data, etc. It also lets us customize the view format of the software. Some
functions on this menu are:

• Task Views
• Resource Views
• Data Filter
• Split View

1.7 Format

Format menu lets us edit the formatting details of the sheet we are working on. The format
menu also changes along with our choice of view. In the above figure the format is based on
Gantt Chart Tools. It changes if we choose any other view as following fig 1.3.
All the different views options available on the drop down menu on the left have their own
different format menu options. Few of them are shown in the following pictures

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Fig 1.3 Format for Network Diagram

Fig 1.4 Format for Calendar

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Lab 2: Creating Gantt chart in Microsoft Project

2.1 Inserting Task in MS Project

1. Open MS Project and create a new blank project.

2. From the view options, choose Gantt Chart option as shown below:

3. Add the tasks in the Task Name column of the sheet. You can either copy & paste the tasks
from another list or click in the text field and type the name of each task. It is suggest to list
the task in progressive order to keep the project organized.
2.2 Creating task hierarchy
After the tasks have been input in order, put hierarchy in the task using indentation. We can
either indent a task or outdent a task using the icons in Schedule section of the Task menu bar.

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As our task list is in its normal state, no tasks can be outdented. When we indent a task, it
becomes the subtask of the task above it. The more a task is indented the more its hierarchy
decreases.

2.3 Defining duration, start & end dates

• Click on the start or finish date, then you can either enter the date manually or select
one from the date picker.
• After, selecting the start and end date, the duration will be automatically calculated
based on the work-time provided.
• An alternative way of entering start and finish is to enter one of them and enter the
estimated duration required to complete the task and the corresponding date will be
automatically updated.
After assigning start and finish date for all of the tasks, the gantt chart will be created on the
right hand side as shown in the figure below.

2.4 Adding Predecessors

 Add predecessors to tasks, simply by adding the task number in the predecessor’s
column.
 Task number of the predecessor task or tasks is typed into the predecessor column
corresponding to the dependent task.
 This adds the simple finish-to-start dependency between the tasks. This linkage can also
be seen in the Gantt chart.

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Fig 2.1 Gantt chart

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Lab 3: Defining and Adjusting Work Time

 Go to the Project tab on the menu bar.

 Click on Change Working Time.
 Dialog box named ‘Change Working Time,’ appears where we can manage, edit or adjust
anything related to the work time of the project.

Fig 3.1 Change Working Time Workspace

3.1 Creating a new calendar

 Click on Create New Calendar on the top right corner.
 A dialog box appear asking how we want to create the new calendar.

We can either create a completely new base calendar or create a copy of already available
Standard, Night Shift, or 24 Hours calendar.

3.2 Changing Work Time defaults

Certain schedule elements such as start of the day, work start time, work end time, hours per
day, etc. are set at a default value. To change defaults, click on Options button at the bottom
right for the Change Working Time dialog box.
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 Fig 3.2 Setting Work Schedule

3.3 Adding exceptions and holidays to the calendar

List down the exceptions in the exception sheet of Change Working Time dialog box giving the
name of the exception along with its start date and finish day as shown in fig 3.3.
We can also insert additional details to the exceptions such as half-day work, recurrence
pattern or range of recurrence.

 Double click on the exception’s name or on the Details button present on the right side.
Here we are assuming Sunday and Saturday as non-working hours.

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Fig 3.3 Calendar

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Lab 4: Critical Path Numerical
For this lab we are assuming the data as given below in fig 4.1 .

Fig 4.1: Data for Critical Path

To find the critical path

 Click Task t and choose Network Diagram Tools

Fig 4.2 Critical Path

Here Critical path here is ABD.

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Lab 5: Getting Familiar with Ms. Excel

5.1 Creating a Excel file

To create a excel, we first install and open the Ms. Excel then we land on the start page:

From this page, we can create and start an Excel as per our preference among the following
options:

• Start a new blank workbook

• Start a new workbook from existing file
• Start a new file using templates
• Continue on the recent or other files.
If we start a new blank workbook, we get to the following screen:

Fig 5.1 MS Excel Workbook

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After we create an excel file, we see multiple interfaces in menu bar namely, Home, Insert, Page
layout, Formula, Data, Review, View

5.2 Home
Items include options for formatting font, color, conditional formatting, filter, number type, and
more. All these functions help one in performing various effective calculations.

5.3 Insert
We can insert a variety of things ranging from pivot table to picture, clip art, shapes, screen shots,
charts and graphs, text box, header and footer, symbols, equation, and more.

5.4 Page Layout

We will see many options for configuring pages for viewing and printing—including page size,
margins, colors and fonts, and so forth. We can also customize cell height and width on the Page
Layout menu.

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5.5 Formula
Excel comes with lots of formulas including financial, logical, text, date & time, lookup & reference,
and math & trigonometry

5.6 Data
The Data menu also contains many important functions in Excel, including imports and connections
with databases. We also access the sort, filter, remove duplicates, data validation, group, ungroup,
and subtotal functions on the Data menu.

5.7 Review
We can make comments in cells for our colleagues, check spelling, track changes, and even restrict
permission using items in the Review menu.

5.8 View
Options include displaying grid lines between cells, toggling the formula bar and headings, and
more. This menu also gives us options to view and record macros.

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LAB 6: List out the Risk Activities that can occur in your project and
calculate their Risk Exposure
6.1 Introduction
Risk exposure is a measure of the potential impact that a risk event could have on a project or
organization. It is calculated by multiplying the probability of the risk occurring by the impact that it
would have if it did occur.
There are several metrics that can be used to measure risk exposure, including:
Probability: The likelihood of a risk event occurring. This can be measured on a scale of 0 to 1, with 0
indicating no chance of the risk event occurring and 1 indicating a certainty that the risk event will
occur.
Impact: The potential consequences of a risk event if it were to occur. This can be measured in terms
of financial impact, time impact, or impact on project quality or performance.
Risk Exposure: The potential impact of a risk event, calculated as the product of its probability and
impact. This provides a quantitative measure of the risk's potential impact on the project or
organization.
Risk Severity: The seriousness of a risk event, based on its potential impact and the likelihood of it
occurring. This can be measured on a scale of low, medium, or high.
By using these metrics, project managers can gain a better understanding of the potential impact of a
risk event on their project or organization. This information can then be used to develop risk mitigation
strategies and allocate resources to reduce the risk's impact or likelihood of occurrence.

Example
Assume that a software project has identified a risk event where there is a 30% chance that the
project will experience a delay due to a shortage of resources. The impact of the delay is estimated
to be a cost of $50,000 in additional resources and lost revenue.
To calculate the risk exposure, we would multiply the probability and impact as follows:
Risk Exposure = Probability x Impact Risk Exposure = 30% x $50,000 Risk Exposure = $15,000
This means that if the risk were to occur, it could cost the project or organization up to $15,000 in
additional expenses or lost revenue.
By calculating risk exposure for different risk events, project managers can prioritize their risk
mitigation efforts based on the risks that have the highest potential impact on the project or
organization.

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6.2 Illustration
Possible risk are

Calculation of ROI:

Here we set the formula for R.E as

” probability of occurance (lies on c4) * impact (lies on d4)” i.e. =c4*d4

Then arrange the activities as per their descending order of R.E. And top 6 risk are highlighted to give more
priority while solving any issues.

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 Fig 6.2 Risk Severity

6.3 Interpretation
Here, we should give more priority to the Teamwork, Time Frame and so on. It will help to optimize
the upcoming risk for better efficiency in the project

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LAB 7: ROI in Software Project Management

7.1 Introduction:
ROI, or Return on Investment, is a common metric used in project management to evaluate the financial
success of a project. In software project management, ROI can be used to measure the financial benefits
that a project will bring to the organization.
The ROI for a software project is calculated by comparing the project's financial benefits to its costs.
The financial benefits can come from increased revenue, cost savings, or other measurable benefits
such as improved efficiency or productivity. The costs of the project include the development and
maintenance costs, as well as any other expenses incurred during the project's lifecycle.
We can calculate the ROI using the following formula:
ROI = (Financial Benefits - Project Costs) / Project Costs
A positive ROI indicates that the project will generate more financial benefits than its costs, while a
negative ROI indicates that the project is not expected to be financially successful.

7.2 Illustration
Which company will you choose to invest your money in the future?

As per formula of ROI, first find the summation of all cost (Net Profit Cost) by clicking on the cell
where you wish to have the result then

 Click formulas menu

 Select Auto sum and select all the cell which we wish to add

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Then find the Roi in the context of average annual year productivity.
Click on the formula workspace and set the formula by starting with is equal to “=” signature. Then
set formula as shown in figure below.

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7.3 Interpretation:
Project A is expected to generate more financial benefits compared to its costs than Project B. However,
it is important to note that ROI should not be the only factor considered when making a decision. Other
factors, such as the project's strategic alignment, resource availability, and risk assessment, should also
be taken into account.
Project A has a higher ROI but requires significantly more resources and involves a higher level of
risk, while Project B is aligned with the organization's goals and requires fewer resources and involves
less risk, then Project B may be the better choice despite having a lower ROI.

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LAB 8: Earned Value Analysis

8.1 Introduction:
Earned Value Analysis (EVA) helps to track the progress of a project by measuring the actual
value of the work completed against the planned value of the work scheduled to be
completed at a given point in time. EVA is used to monitor and control project performance
and to make decisions regarding project resources, timelines, and budget.

EVA calculates three key metrics: Planned Value (PV), Earned Value (EV), and Actual Cost (AC).

Planned Value (PV) is the planned cost of the work that was scheduled to be completed up to
a certain point in time in the project schedule. It is also called Budgeted Cost of Work
Scheduled (BCWS).

Earned Value (EV) is the value of the work that has been completed up to the same point in
time. It is also called Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP).

Actual Cost (AC) is the actual cost of the work that has been completed up to the same point
in time. It is also called Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP).

Once these values are calculated, the following EVA metrics can be derived:

Schedule Variance (SV) is the difference between the EV and PV, and it indicates whether the
project is ahead of or behind schedule. SV = EV - PV.

Cost Variance (CV) is the difference between the EV and AC, and it indicates whether the
project is under or over budget. CV = EV - AC.

Schedule Performance Index (SPI) is the ratio of EV to PV, and it indicates the efficiency of the
project in terms of schedule. SPI = EV / PV.

Cost Performance Index (CPI) is the ratio of EV to AC, and it indicates the efficiency of the
project in terms of cost. CPI = EV / AC.

Example

let's consider the following example:

Assume that a project has a total budget of $100,000 and is expected to be completed in 6
months. At the end of the 3rd month, the project manager collects the following data:

Planned Value (PV) or BCWS: $50,000

Earned Value (EV) or BCWP: $45,000

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Actual Cost (AC) or ACWP: $55,000

Using the EVA formulas mentioned earlier, we calculate the following EVA metrics:

SV = EV - PV = $45,000 - $50,000 = -$5,000. This means that the project is behind schedule
by $5,000 at the end of the 3rd month.

CV = EV - AC = $45,000 - $55,000 = -$10,000. This means that the project is over budget by
$10,000 at the end of the 3rd month.

SPI = EV / PV = $45,000 / $50,000 = 0.9. This means that the project is completing work at a
rate of 0.9 of what was planned.

CPI = EV / AC = $45,000 / $55,000 = 0.82. This means that the project is spending $0.82 to
earn $1 of the planned value.

8.2 Illustration

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8.3 Interpretation
Based on the above EVA metrics, the project manager can identify that the project is behind
schedule and over budget. They can take corrective actions to bring the project back on track,
such as increasing the resources or re-sequencing the remaining work.

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