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In developing the case study, trade-offs had to be made to enrich the learning experience. One of the major problems students initially encounter is data and detail overload. This reduces their ability to identify project and data problems and to compare alternatives. Although the project found in the exercises is real, it has been reduced and detail has been eliminated many times to concentrate on applying project management principles and understanding linkages.
In addition, other simplifying assumptions have been made so that students and instructors can trace robbers and discuss outcomes. These assumptions detract from reality, but they keep the focus on the objectives of the exercises and reduce student frustration with software intricacies. Moving from these exercises to real projects is primarily one of increasing detail. The simplifying assumptions are given below (make sure they are included in “default,” “preferences,” and/or “options” sections of the software used): Requirements: 1.
This project will be group having a member of 5 (maximum) it can be less but not more than 5. 2. Answer on the questions and tasks listed below. 3. Come up with a proper documentation of this case study. 4. Print it in a short bond paper and place it in a sliding folder with a margin of 1 inch in all sides with a font of Arial and font size of 12. 5. Diagrams should be done in MS Visit or any similar application. 6. Submission will be on September 28, 2013 up to 5 PM only. 7. Late passer will not be accepted and will have a grade of zero.
Reminder: Proper documentation should be applied. Title page, table of content, project description, and your answers. Silver Zamia Project The ARC Company specializes in developing and selling a wide range of high-quality scoters. Sales representatives report that there is a growing demand for racing scooters. ARC’s president, Robin Lane, is excited about the possibilities and predicts that one day these kinds of razor scooters will be featured in X-Game events. ARC is a small company and uses a strong matrix to optimally utilize limited manpower.
The Project Priority Matrix for the Silver Zamia Project is: Part 1 You are a member of a project team assigned to develop the new razor scooter code project schedule. For the purpose of this case assume the following: 1. The project begins January 1, 2006. 2. The following holidays are observed: January 1, Memorial Day (last Monday in May), July 4th, Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November), December 25 and 26. 3. If a holiday falls on a Saturday then Friday will be given as an extra day off, and if it falls on a Sunday, then Monday will be given as a day off. . The project team works eight-hour days, Monday through Friday. Construct a network schedule for this project and prepare a memo that answers the following questions: 1 . When is the project estimated to be completed? How long will the project take? . What is the critical path for the project? 3. Which activity has the greatest amount of slack? 4. How sensitive is this network? 5. Identify two sensible milestones and explain your choices. 6. Compare the advantages/disadvantages of displaying the schedule as a network versus a Gaunt chart.
Include the following printouts: A Gaunt chart A network diagram highlighting the critical path A schedule table reporting SE, L’S, IF, ELF, and slack for each activity part 2 The following personnel have been assigned to the Silver Zamia project team: 4 marketing specialists 4 design engineers development engineers 4 industrial engineers 1 purchasing agent Use the file from Part 1 and the information contained in Tables AH. 1 and AH. 2 to assign resources to the project schedule. Part A 1 . Which if any of the resources are overeducated? 2. Which activities involve overeducated resources? . Assume that the project is time constrained and try to resolve any overvaluation problems by leveling within slack. What happens? 4. What is the impact of leveling within slack on the sensitivity of the network? Include: a Gaunt chart with the schedule table after leveling within slack. Part B Prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: 1 . Assume that the project is resource constrained and no additional personnel are available. How long will the project take given the resources assigned? (Hint: Undo leveling performed in Part A before answering this question. Note: No splitting of activities is allowed. 2. How does the new duration compare with the estimated completion date generated from Part 1? What does this tell you about the impact resources can have on a schedule? Include a Gaunt chart with a schedule table depicting the resource-constrained schedule. Part 3 Top management is not happy with the resource-constrained schedule generated at the end of Part 2. Robin Lane, the president, has promised retailers that production of the new scooters would start on January 2nd. This meaner the project must be completed before the New Year. 1.
What options are available to meet this new deadline if the project is not resource constrained? 2. What options are available to meet this deadline if the project is resource constrained? Dewey Martin, director of product development, has managed to make the following personnel available to work on specific activities on the project. Since there is an acute shortage of personnel at ARC he requests that you only use additional manpower that will help meet the new deadline. Your objective is to develop a schedule which will satisfy the deadline with minimum additional resource usage.
The available personnel and impact on activity duration are presented in Table AH. 3. 1 . Which additional personnel assignments would you choose to complete the project within the original deadline? Explain your choices as well as the reasons for not choosing other options. 2. How have these changes affected the sensitivity of the network? Note: You can not go back and relieve resources. These new resources are only available for the stated specific tasks according to the schedule created at the end of part 2. Part 4 Robin Lane and top management have approved the schedule generated at the end of Part 3.
Save the file containing this schedule as a baseline schedule. 1. How much is the project estimated to cost? 2. What activity is estimated to cost the most to complete? 3. What resource commands the greatest total cost? 4. During which month of the project are the highest and lowest costs expected to occur? What are those costs? 5. What likely costs are not contained in this budget? Include a table containing the estimated costs for each activity and a cash flow schedule for each month of the project. Part 5 Today’s date is July 28, 2006.
Table AAA summarizes the information regarding activities accomplished to date. Robin Lane has requested a written status report for the Zamia project. 1 . Your status report should include a table containing the BY, EYE,AC, BACK, EACH, SYS, ICY, and ICP for each activity and the whole project. The report should also address the following questions: a. How is the project progressing in terms of cost and schedule? . What activities have gone well? What activities have not gone well? C. What do the PICK and EPIC indicate in terms of how much of the project has been accomplished to date? . What is the forecasted cost at completion (AFC)? What is the predicted VIC (Variance at completion)? E. Report and interpret the TCP for the project at this point in time. F. What is the estimated date of completion? Try to present the above information in a form worthy of consideration by top management. Include a Tracking Gaunt Chart with your report. Note: Enter July 27th as the status report date since you are preparing your report on he 28th. 2. While preparing your report you receive a phone call from Jim Kilter, a fellow project manager.
He is calling to see if one of the industrial engineers assigned to your project would be available to work on his project from August 10-15, 2006. What would you tell him? Part 6 Robin Lane has asked you to update completion and cost estimates for the Zamia project. Table AH. 5 presents the revised estimates generated by the Zamia project team. Based on this new information prepare a memo that answers the following questions: 1 . When will the project be completed? How does this compare with the baseline completion date? 2.