Chapter 2 Homework Problem Solutions Chapter 2 Project Management Study Objectives: construct a network diagram for a project determine critical path and expected completion time of a project with deterministic task times (note: some of us also do calculations for probabilistic times, but not required) calculate slack times for a particular task know how to “crash” a project down to a certain completion time at the lowest cost (note: just the concept of crashing needs to be discussed and not the calculations; some of us do the calculations, others do not)
Discussion Questions:
3. Most everyone should be able to describe some project they have been a part of. Common ones include preparing a high-school yearbook, planning a major
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T = 47 days, TE = 43.17 days, and the sum of the variances for the critical activities is: (0.25 + 5.44 + 0.69 + 2.25) = 8.63. z T TE 47 43.17 8.63 3.83 1.30 2.94
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Assuming the normal distribution applies, we use the table for the normal probability distribution. Given z = 1.30, the probability that activities A–D–G–I can be completed in 47 days or less is 0.9032.
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Problem 12 (page 82) Table 2.5 on page 82 contains information about an environmental clean-up project. Shorten the project three weeks by finding the minimum-cost schedule. Assume that project indirect costs and penalty consts are negligible. Identify activities to crash while minimizing the additional crash costs. Solution: AON Diagram for the environmental project:
7 7 C 7 14 14
ES ID EF LS
DUR
LF
0 0
A 7
7 7
14 14
F 1
15 15
15 15
H 3
18 18
Start
7 7
D 6
13 13
Finish
0 0
B
12
13 13
G 3
16 16
16 16
I 2
18
Critical path analysis identifies the most efficient and cost effective way of completing a complex project. The various activities which together will make up the project are identified, and the order of these activities are identified. Then, the duration of each activity is estimated and these factors are then arranged as a network or graph, showing the whole project from start to finish, and showing which tasks can happen at the same time. The sequence of tasks which have to be done one after another with no gaps in between is called the Critical Path.
The area under the curve to the left of the unknown quantity must be 0.7 (70%). So, we must first find the z value that cuts off an area of 0.7 in the left tail of standard normal distribution. Using the cumulative probability table, we see that z=0.53.
σAB = 0.3 × 0.07 × 0.14 + 0.4 × 0.06 × (−0.04) + 0.3 × (−0.08) × 0.08 − 0.021 × 0.05
The average number of breakdowns from the simulation trials was 1.93 with a standard deviation of 0.20. No. of breakdowns per week
Describe common practices to estimate the duration of project activities as well as real reasons that cause project delays.
(b) Which activities should be crashed to meet a project deadline of 12 days at minimum cost?
The project path of task B(7 weeks) plus task D(11.5 weeks) plus task H(11weeks) plus task J(3.5weeks) which equals 33 weeks total.
1. Using the information provided, prepare the report that Roberts requested, assuming that the project will begin immediately. Assume 45 working days are available to complete the project, including transporting the car to Detroit before the auto show begins. Your report should briefly discuss the aspects of the proposed new business, such as the competitive priorities that Roberts asked about.
The second project we were assigned that year and that I enjoyed was to research two authors from the 1800s or so, in collaboration with a partner that we got assigned to. For the first author we had the option to either create a power point presentation or create our own website about that particular author. My partner and I choose to build our
In field of project management, there are a plethora of mechanisms under perpetual reevaluation. One specific segmentation of project management under such scrutiny pertains to cost duration, which is the time and monetary costs of completing individual tasks within the project’s critical path (IBM Knowledge Center, 2016). The process of monitoring and evaluating the time and financial impacts of each task is referred to as cost duration analysis (IBM Knowledge Center, 2016). A chief concern of cost duration analysis is identifying tasks within the project’s critical path which can reduce project duration (PMI, 2013). A common approach to reducing a project’s duration is task “crashing” (PMI, p.181). According to The Project Management Institute (2013) crashing refers to the process of methodical determining the financial value of increasing a critical path task’s resources in order to decrease project duration (p.181).
Placing the events in a Gantt chart will help clarify and organize the events, the order in which they will occur, as well as any preceding activities that must be accomplished. Table 5 shows the project 's normal conditions, their timeframes and associated costs. As noted, normal conditions require 50 weeks to complete and therefore, cannot be used. Table 6 is a similar chart showing the project under ultimate crash conditions. As mentioned earlier, the project can be accomplished in as little as 42 weeks if every activity is crashed. This scenario is not desired however, because the project 's budget then approaches $5 million in associated costs, over 50% beyond the original allotted expenditure.
Project Time Management – an estimated time for the completion of each task and based on resources, the duration is determined.
4. During which month of the project are the highest and lowest costs expected to
Having 3 days of delay in electrical can affect the whole project. Therefore, the negotiation of 15 working days would exceed up to 18 days, which could cause the penalty of $300 ($100 per extra day). In order to minimise a project’s critical path, sequencing of tasks should be changed. On the off chance that one can do a project’s tasks in alternate grouping to that initially proposed, one might have the capacity to shorten the critical path. A level of intricacy by striving for shortening the critical path, which is primarily hazardous, is unavoidably acquainted with the task. (Aydar, 2014) With a specific end goal to convey this shorter timescale, the critical path should be controlled
= NPV (normal) * 0.7 + NPV (best) * 0.2 + NPV (worst) * 0.1