1. Assignment #17 Solution Monday, March 15, 2015
CSCI 411
Assignment #17 Solution
Monday, March 15, 2015

2. (# staff members required per day)
Chapter 8, Problem #12
A project manager at Kippy Jo’s Cosmetics wishes to determine total human resource needs for an upcoming marketing campaign involving three of the company’s products. Each product will be marketed through a different medium. Precedence relationships for project tasks, along with resource information, are highlighted in the table below:
Task
Duration
(days)
Immediate
Predecessor
Resource
Requirement
(# staff members required per day)
A. Research, Product 1 3
None 4
B. Research, Product 2 2 5
C. Research, Product 3 6
D. Create Web site, Product 1 A
E. Prepare TV ads, Product 1 9
F. Prepare print ads, Product 2 B
G. Purchase and place TV ads, Product 2
H. Purchase and place print ads, Product 3 C
I. Project completion milestone
D, E, F, G, H

3. Draw an AON and time-based network diagram and identify the critical path in each one.
The critical path in this project is A-E. The critical path tasks in the AON and time-based network diagrams are denoted with heavier borders and arrows:

4. b. Calculate the daily resource loads for the project
b. Calculate the daily resource loads for the project. (You may wish to use Excel although this problem is small enough to lend itself to a manual approach.)

5. c. Scenario 1, Time Constrained: Revise the schedule to smooth resource requirements without changing the project’s duration. No task splitting or task compression (crashing) will be allowed. Write a few sentences about the managerial implications of this revised schedule.
The critical path in this project is A-E, so no resources can be moved within that path. Because of the relatively lengthy duration of Task E, the other paths have ample float to work with. Tasks B and C are research related tasks and therefore it seems more reasonable to keep them scheduled as early as possible in the schedule. Task F and Task H are similar in that they are both related to print ads, only for different products. By scheduling those tasks such that they do not overlap, it might be possible to use the same resources for both tasks. Similarly, both Task E and Task G are related to TV ads, only for different products. Task E is on the critical path so it cannot be moved; however, by rescheduling Task G at the end of the project, the resources that worked on Task E might be able to work on Task G, or at least assist or advise those working on Task G. Finally, by moving tasks D, F, G, and H further along in the schedule, it affords the research teams some float in completing their work. Perhaps with more time for research, the project team would be able to target its audience more accurately when creating media and print ads.

6. d. Scenario 2, Resource Constrained: Return to the original early-start schedule and assume the number of staff members has been limited to 10. Reschedule the project to accommodate this constraint. As in Part C, you may not split or compress tasks. You will have to change the project’s end date, so your goal will be to meet resource constraints with the shortest possible project duration. Write a few sentences about the managerial implications of this schedule.
In the case of scenario 2, the project cannot be completed within the original 12-day time frame and must be extended to 14 days. With a limit to the daily resources allowed, the project team resources must be more carefully chosen. Tasks cannot exceed their allotted time on the schedule so the resources should be chosen accordingly; perhaps more experienced resources should be used. Because there is no more opportunity for teams to make use of float between tasks, the schedule must be planned much more carefully to ensure tasks do not run over their allotted time.

7. Chapter 8, Problem #13
A new-venture electronics firm is setting up its production facilities in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, located just south of the border with the United States. Product design is complete. The plant manager has hired 30 people, who possess mostly interchangeable skills, to prepare the plant. He has asked you to help him with resource allocation. He is unsure if he can meet the 30-week deadline, given his resource constraint. Schedule and resource information are shown below.
Task Immediate Duration People Required
Predecessor(s) (Weeks) per Week
A. Select site None 4 5
B. Design process None 5 10
C. Assess materials needs None 4 20
D. Arrange lease A 4 10
E. Determine skill requirements B 6 5
F. Purchase equipment B 3 10
G. Establish supplier relationships C 7 15
H. Order materials G 8 10
I. Hire employees D, E 5 5
J. Test equipment F 5 25
K. Set up facility I, J 6 20
L. Train employees H,K 4 25
M. Ramp up production L 4 30

8. a. Prepare an early-start schedule graph or Gantt chart and produce a histogram to show the resource loads.

9. b. Create a revised schedule graph or Gantt chart, with accompanying histogram, to address the resource constraint of 30 people. (See the next page for revised Gantt chart. For readability, you may wish to print.)

10. c. Provide a short explanation for the plant manager about how you derived your revised schedule and what you recommend.
The first consideration in revising the schedule was the critical path. Tasks within the critical path were moved as little as possible, especially at the beginning of the project. Paths with float were adjusted as much as possible before extending the schedule, with priorities placed on the design process, the buying and testing of equipment, and hiring and training of employees for the plant. Getting the design process underway was important, whereas securing the site was made less of a priority as there were many suitable sites available in the region. The tasks involving suppliers and buying supplies were postponed, which delayed cash outflow until we were closer to building the actual plant.