CHAPTER – 6 Project Time Management
Exercise 2 (page 240)
Consider Table 6-3, Network Diagram Data for a small project. All duration estimates or estimated times are in days and the network proceeds from Node 1 to Node 9.
Table 6-3: Network Diagram Data for a small project
a. Draw an AOA network diagram representing the project. Put the node numbers in circles and draw arrows from node to node, labelling each arrow with the activity letter and estimated time.
Answer:
b. Identify all the paths on the network diagram and note how long they are, using Figure 6-8 as a guide for how to represent each path.
Answer:
Path 1: A-B-E-I-J-K Length = 2+2+2+5+1+2 = 14 days
Path 2: A-B-E-H-K Length = 2+2+2+2+2 = 10 days
Path 3: A-C-F-I-J-K Length = 2+3+3+5+1+2 = 16 days
Path 4: A-C-F-H-K Length = 2+3+3+2+2 = 12 days
Path 5: A-D-G-J-K Length = 2+4+6+1+2 = 15 days
c. What is the critical path for this project and how long is it?
Answer: The critical path is A-C-F-I-J-K and it is 16 days long.
Answer: The critical path is A-C-F-I-J-K and it is 16 days long.
d. What is the shortest possible time it will take to complete the project?
Answer: The shortest possible time it will take to complete the project is 16 days.
Answer: The shortest possible time it will take to complete the project is 16 days.
e. Review the online tutorials for Gantt and PERT charts in the third suggested reading by Mark Kelly in this chapter. Write a one page paper with your answers to the questions in the tutorials. Also include any questions you had in doing the tutorials. Kelly, Mark, Project Management Tools: Gantt Charts and
PERT Charts, McKinnon Secondary College, Australia (www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/la/it/ipmnotes/ganttpert).
These online tutorials are a great way to reinforce your understanding of Gantt charts and network diagrams/PERT charts.
PERT Charts, McKinnon Secondary College, Australia (www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/la/it/ipmnotes/ganttpert).
These online tutorials are a great way to reinforce your understanding of Gantt charts and network diagrams/PERT charts.
Q – 1 Which tasks are on the critical path of the PERT chart above?
Answer:
Path 1: A-B-C-E-I Length = 2+3+1+4+3 = 13 days
Path 2: A-B-D-F-I Length = 2+3+3+3+3 = 14 days
Path 3: A-G-H-I Length = 2+2+5+3 = 12 days
A-B-D-F-I tasks are on the path is the critical path.
Answer:
Path 1: A-B-C-E-I Length = 2+3+1+4+3 = 13 days
Path 2: A-B-D-F-I Length = 2+3+3+3+3 = 14 days
Path 3: A-G-H-I Length = 2+2+5+3 = 12 days
A-B-D-F-I tasks are on the path is the critical path.
Q – 2 What is the slack time for tasks C, D and G?
Answer: The slack time for C =1 day, there is no slack time for D because D is in the critical path and for G = 2 days.
Answer: The slack time for C =1 day, there is no slack time for D because D is in the critical path and for G = 2 days.
Q – 3 The person working on task C tells the project manager he can’t start the work until one day after the scheduled starting date. What impact would this have on the completion date of the project? Why?
Answer: As one day slack time is there with task C so there would be no impact on the completion date of the project.
Answer: As one day slack time is there with task C so there would be no impact on the completion date of the project.
Q – 4 Task A will be delayed by 2 days because some equipment arrived late. If the project manager still wants to finish the project within the original time frame, he will need to shorten the time for one or more of the tasks. What steps can he takes to reduce the number of days allocated to a task?
Answer:
The project manager does not need to shorten the time for other tasks. Instead of he needs to tell his project team to work more faster by working maximum hours or could assign more team members in his project by this way he can reduce the number of days allocated to a task.
Answer:
The project manager does not need to shorten the time for other tasks. Instead of he needs to tell his project team to work more faster by working maximum hours or could assign more team members in his project by this way he can reduce the number of days allocated to a task.
Q – 5 The project manager decides to reduce the time needed for tasks D and F by one day each. How effective will this reduction be in achieving his aim of maintaining the original finish time for the project?
Answer:
Both the tasks D and F have time duration of 2 days and both are on critical path so, by reducing the duration by one day both the tasks D and F will have now one day estimated duration. Now, both the tasks will no more consider as the critical path because previously A-B-D-F-I had 14 days long path now it becomes 12 days.
Apart from that the new critical path now is A-B-C-E-I that is 13 days long. Furthermore, the project manager in order to maintain the finish time for the project needs to concentrate on the new critical path.
Answer:
Both the tasks D and F have time duration of 2 days and both are on critical path so, by reducing the duration by one day both the tasks D and F will have now one day estimated duration. Now, both the tasks will no more consider as the critical path because previously A-B-D-F-I had 14 days long path now it becomes 12 days.
Apart from that the new critical path now is A-B-C-E-I that is 13 days long. Furthermore, the project manager in order to maintain the finish time for the project needs to concentrate on the new critical path.
References:
Scwalbe, K 2006, Information Technology Project Management, 4th edn, Thomson Course Technology, Cambridge,MA.
Kelly, M 2006, Project Management Tools, Australia, viewed 7 September, 2007,
< http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/la/it/ipmnotes/ganttpert/ >.
Scwalbe, K 2006, Information Technology Project Management, 4th edn, Thomson Course Technology, Cambridge,MA.
Kelly, M 2006, Project Management Tools, Australia, viewed 7 September, 2007,
< http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/la/it/ipmnotes/ganttpert/ >.
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