Introduction:
This task requires candidates to prepare a program evaluation and review technique (PERT) chart and apply critical path method (CPM) techniques.
Given:Company A is installing a Web-based customer-feedback system to meet customer needs for quick response when rolling out new products. A new product line is rolling out in 48 weeks and the customer-feedback system must be installed and running in time for the new product launch. Table 1.1 in the attached Excel spreadsheet “PERT/CPM Analysis Table” shows three estimates of the time it will take Company A to complete each of the project activities in the customer feedback system project (optimistic, probable, pessimistic).Company B is installing a similar feedback system to accompany a new product line and originally had the same time line as Company A.Company B just announced that its new product line is ahead of schedule and will be launched in 44 weeks instead of the initially projected 48 weeks. Because the Web-based customer feedback system must be installed and running in time for the revised date of the product launch, something must be done to shorten implementation time required for the customer-feedback system project. Refer to Table 1.2 in the attached Excel spreadsheet “PERT/CPM Analysis Tables” that lists the expected time it will take to complete the activities if shortened as much as possible (crash time), the cost to complete the activity using normal resources (normal cost), and the cost of completing the activity on an accelerated basis (crash cost).
Task:
A. Use the estimates for Company A in Table 1.1 to do each of the following:
1. Determine the expected completion time for each of the nine project activities.
a. Enter all your answers in Table 1.1, showing all of your work.
2. Determine the variance for each project activity
a. Entering all your answers in Table 1.1, showing all of your work.
3. Prepare a PERT chart showing the network diagram with activity times and their expected durations.
a. Identify the critical path in the PERT chart.
Note: When the files opens, enter your name and student ID in the respective boxes so the task questions and problems will populate the worksheet. If the attached template does not open or is missing information, please contact Ecare for assistance with opening the file.
Note: Any additional numbers included in the PERT chart will not be evaluated for correctness.
Note: If you don’t have software to build a PERT chart, use text boxes with lines or arrows in a word processing program or a spreadsheet program.
4. Determine each of the following, showing all of your work or reasoning:
a. Expected duration of the entire project
b. Slack for project Activity E
c. Slack for project Activity C
d. The earliest week project Activity F is scheduled to start
e. The latest week project Activity G is scheduled to finish
Note: Referencing a value in the PERT chart is not considered showing work. Please explain how the value was determined.
5. Determine the probability of completing this project in time for the product launch in 48 weeks, showing all of your work.
Note: You may want to use the complete cumulative normal table located at;
http://homes.cs.washington.edu/~jrl/normal_cdf.pdf
B. Use your results from part A1 and the data in Table 1.2 to determine the following:
1. Maximum reduction in time
a. Enter your answer for part B1 in Table 1.2, showing all your work.
2. Crash cost per week
a. Enter your answer for part B2 in Table 1.2, showing all your work.
Note: For your responses to parts B1 and B2, assume that Company B has the same expected completion times for project activities as Company A.
C. Identify the following by using your results from part B:
1. Least costly activities to be crashed in order to complete the project within 44 weeks
2. Number of weeks each of the activities identified in part C1 should be crashed to meet the deadline with the lowest possible increase in cost
3. Total additional cost due to crashing of the activities identified in part C1
