Project crashing and resource leveling

Risk Management Planning Exercise

Schedule Compression and Resource Leveling (100 points)
This assignment consists of 3 parts: questions about resourcing projects, schedule development and compression, and resource leveling.
Part 1 Questions (20 points)
Provide responses to the following questions
1. What is the purpose of a staffing management plan? What does it address?
2. Whom should the project manager consult when performing resource leveling?
3. Describe the two primary techniques for compressing a schedule?
4. When crashing a project schedule, describe the two criteria that are considered when considering which activities will be sped up.
Part 2 Project network/schedule -scheduling and compressing a schedule (30 points)
You’ve been asked to manage a project that includes conducting a two-week (10 working days) computer training class. Using the information in Table below, complete the following:
Activity
Immediate Predecessor
Normal Time (days)
Normal Cost
Crashed Time (days)
Crashed Cost
A – Obtain Instructor
None
7
$500
4
$800
B – Locate Room
A
3
$200
2
$350
C – Check Coats
None
6
$500
4
$900
D – Room Open?
C
3
$200
1
$500
E – Schedule Class
B and D
2
$300
1
$350
Prepare a network schedule showing:
Early Starts (ES) for all activities
Late Starts (LS) for all activities
Slacks for all activities
Critical path and its length
Non-critical paths and their length
Schedule Compression:
What is the crash cost per day for each activity?
Which activities should be crashed to meet a project deadline of 10 days with a minimum cost? You may assume that you can partially crash an activity.
What is the new cost after crashing the project?
Fully crash the project to its minimum duration. Prepare a table that shows (for each day the project length is reduced) the project duration, the activities that are crashed, the incremental crash cost, and the total crash cost.
Part 3 Resource Leveling (40 points)
Using the data below
Activity ID
Activity
Immediate Predecessor
Duration in days
Resource
Work Hours per Day
A
Evaluate freezers
2
Alcides
6
B
Chart temperatures
6
Joan
4
C
Review service record
2
Alcides
D
Consult with HVAC engineer
A, B, C
3
Alcides
E
Develop construction plan
D
10
Joan
F
Complete IC assignment
E
2
Alcides
G
Complete ROI analysis
E
5
Joan
H
Conduct regulatory review
E
4
Joan
I
Obtain construction approval
F, G, H
2
Alcides
a. Create a project schedule in MS Excel ensuring that it reflects the predecessor/successor relationships identified in the table.
b. How long will it take to complete the project?
c. Joan and Alcides are not fully dedicated to the project. Joan is only available for 4 hours each day, and Alcides is available for 6 hours per day. The original estimated duration (in 8-hour days) results in over-allocation of Joan and Alcides. Prepare a resource-leveled project schedule in MS Excel. How long will it take to complete the project in a resource-leveled environment?

Unit 9 Group Assignment

Schedule Compression and Resource Leveling (100 points)

This assignment consists of 3 parts: questions about resourcing projects, schedule development and compression, and resource leveling.

Part 1 Questions (20 points)

Provide responses to the following questions

1. What is the purpose of a staffing management plan? What does it address?

2. Whom should the project manager consult when performing resource leveling?

3. Describe the two primary techniques for compressing a schedule?

4. When crashing a project schedule, describe the two criteria that are considered when considering which activities will be sped up.

Part 2 Project network/schedule -scheduling and compressing a schedule (30 points)

You’ve been asked to manage a project that includes conducting a two-week (10 working days) computer training class. Using the information in Table below, complete the following:

Activity

Immediate Predecessor

Normal Time (days)

Normal Cost

Crashed Time (days)

Crashed Cost

A – Obtain Instructor

None

7

$500

4

$800

B – Locate Room

A

3

$200

2

$350

C – Check Coats

None

6

$500

4

$900

D – Room Open?

C

3

$200

1

$500

E – Schedule Class

B and D

2

$300

1

$350

Prepare a network schedule showing:

a. Early Starts (ES) for all activities

b. Late Starts (LS) for all activities

c. Slacks for all activities

d. Critical path and its length

e. Non-critical paths and their length

Schedule Compression:

a. What is the crash cost per day for each activity?

b. Which activities should be crashed to meet a project deadline of 10 days with a minimum cost? You may assume that you can partially crash an activity.

c. What is the new cost after crashing the project?

d. Fully crash the project to its minimum duration. Prepare a table that shows (for each day the project length is reduced) the project duration, the activities that are crashed, the incremental crash cost, and the total crash cost.

Part 3 Resource Leveling (40 points)

Using the data below

Activity ID

Activity

Immediate Predecessor

Duration in days

Resource

Work Hours per Day

A

Evaluate freezers

2

Alcides

6

B

Chart temperatures

6

Joan

4

C

Review service record

2

Alcides

D

Consult with HVAC engineer

A, B, C

3

Alcides

E

Develop construction plan

D

10

Joan

F

Complete IC assignment

E

2

Alcides

G

Complete ROI analysis

E

5

Joan

H

Conduct regulatory review

E

4

Joan

I

Obtain construction approval

F, G, H

2

Alcides

a. Create a project schedule in MS Excel ensuring that it reflects the predecessor/successor relationships identified in the table.

b. How long will it take to complete the project?

c. Joan and Alcides are not fully dedicated to the project. Joan is only available for 4 hours each day, and Alcides is available for 6 hours per day. The original estimated duration (in 8-hour days) results in over-allocation of Joan and Alcides. Prepare a resource-leveled project schedule in MS Excel. How long will it take to complete the project in a resource-leveled environment?

Mechanics (10 points)

Part 1 responses should be presented in a question-response format. Use Arial font with 11 point. There is no word limit.

Part 2 Use MS Excel (MS Project is not acceptable) to create the network (AON) diagram. Include a legend to identify contents of the node. Remaining responses for schedule compression should use the question-response format.

Part 3 Use MS Excel (MS Project is not acceptable) to create the schedule. Remaining responses for resource leveling should use the question-response format.

It is expected that each part of this assignment have excellent mechanics (presentation, grammar and spelling) and exhibit the quality of work capable of a group of graduate students and working professionals. All sections of the document submitted must be readable at 100% magnification.

Your Instructor will use Turn-it-in to ensure your paper is authentic work. To avoid plagiarism, see the course home page for more information and use the Purdue Online Writing Lab to learn how to paraphrase, summarize and cite the references you use in all academic writing assignments.