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Conveyor Belt Project Part 1 Project Description The new computer-controlled conveyor belt is an exciting project that moves and positions items on the conveyor belt within < J millimeter. The project will produce a new system for future installations, and for replacement of those in the field, at a low cost. The computer-controlled conveyor belt has the potential to be a critical unit in 30 percent of the systems installed in factories. The new system is also easier to update with future technologies. The Project Priority Matrix for the Conveyor Belt Project (CBP) is: Constrain Enhance Accept
Assignment Develop the WBS outline using the software available to you. TABLE A2. 6 Conveyor Belt Project; WBS Conveyor Belt Project Hardware Hardware specifications Hardware design Hardware documentation Prototypes Order circuit boards Assemble preproduction models Kernel specifications Drivers Disk drivers Serial I/O drivers Memory management Operating system documentation NetWork interface Utilities specifications Routine utilities Complex utilities Utilities documentation Shell Architectural decisions Integration first phase System hard/software test Project documentation Integration acceptance testing
Question Does this information (WBS) allow you to define any milestones of the project? Why why not? What are they? Remember: Save your file for future exercises! or Use your file from Part I and the information provided below to complete this exercise. (See Table A2. 7. ) 1. Each work package will represent an activity. 2. The project begins January 4, 2010. 3.
The following holidays are observed: January I, Memorial Day (last Monday in May), July 4th, Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November), December 25 and 26. 4. 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. 5. The project team work eight-hour days, Monday through Friday. Warning: Experience has taught students to frequently make separate backup files for each exercise.
The software is never as friendly as users expect! Construct a network schedule for the conveyor belt project and prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: 1. When is the project estimated to be completed? How long will the project take? 2. What is the critical path(s) for the project? 3. Which activity has the greatest amount of slack? TABLE Al. 7 Activity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Conveyor Belt Project; Schedule Description Architectural decisions Hardware specifications Kernel specifications Utilities specifications Hardware design Disk drivers Memory management Operating system documentation Routine utilities Complex utilities Utilities documentation Hardware documentation Integration first phase Prototypes Serial I/O drivers System hard/software test Order circuit boards Network interface Shell Project documentation Assemble preproduction models Integrated acceptance testing Resource Design Development, design Design Development, design Design, development Assembly, development Development Design, documentation Development Development Documentation, design Documentation, design Assembly, development Assembly, development Development Assembly Purchasing Development Development Documentation, development Assembly, development Assembly, development
Duration (days) 25 50 20 15 70 100 90 25 60 80 20 30 50 80 130 25 5 90 60 50 30 60 Preceding Activity 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 6,7,8,9,10,11,12 13 13 14,15 16 16 16 16 17F-S, lag 50 days 18,19,20,21 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 Gantt chart. Include the following printouts: • A Gantt chart. • A network diagram highlighting the critical path. • A schedule table reporting. ES, LS, EF, LF, and slack for each activity. Hint: the project should be completed in 530 days. Remember: Save your file for future exercises!
Remember the old saying, “A project plan is not a schedule until resources are committed. ” This exercise illustrates this subtle, but very important, difference. Part A Using your files from Part 2 input resources and their costs if you have not already done so. All information is found in Tables A2. 7 and A2. 8. Prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: 1. Which if any of the resources are overallocated? 2. Assume that the project is time constrained and try to resolve any overallocation problems by leveling within slack. What happens? 3. What is the impact of leveling within slack on the sensitivity of the network? Include a Gantt chart with the schedule table after leveling within slack. 4.
Assume the project is resource constrained and resolve any overallocation problems by leveling outside of slack. What happens? What are the managerial implications? 5. What options are available at this point in time? Include a Gantt chart with the schedule table after leveling outside of slack. Note: No splitting of activities is allowed. Note: No partial assignments (i. e. , 50 percent). All resources must be assigned 100 percent. When you show the resource-constrained network to top management, they are visibly shaken. After some explanation and negotiation they make the following compromise with you: • The project must be completed no later than February 2, 2012 (530 days). You may assign two additional development teams. TABLE A2. 8 Organization Name Design Development Documentation Assembly/test Purchasing Group R&D (2 teamsl R&D (2 teams) R&D (1 team) R&D (1 team) Procurement (1 team) Cost ($/hr) $100 Resources 70 60 70 40 • If this does not suffice, you may hire other development teams from the outside. Hire as few external teams as possible because they cost $50 more per hour than your inside development people. Internal Development Add as many development units (teams) as needed to stay within the 530 days. If you need more than the two units, examine all possibilities. Select the cheapest possibilities! Change as few activities as possible.
It is recommended you keep work packages which require cooperation of several organizational units inside your company. You decide how best to do this. Hint: Undo leveling prior to adding new resources. Once you have obtained a schedule that meets the time and resource constraints, prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: I. What changes did you make and why? 2. How long will the project take? 3. How did these changes affect the sensitivity of the network? Based on the file created at the end of Part 3, prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: I. How much will the project cost? 2. What does the cash flow statement tell you about how costs are distributed over the lifespan of the project?
Include a monthly cash flow and a cost table for the project. Once you are confident that you have the final schedule, save the file as a baseline. Hint: Save a backup file just in case without baseline! Prepare status reports for each of the first four quarters of the project given the information provided here. This requires saving your resource schedule as a baseline and inserting the appropriate status report date in the program. Assume that no work has been completed on the day of the status report. Your status report should include a table containing the pv, EV, AC, BAC, EAC, Sv, Cv, and CPI for each activity and the whole project. The report should also address the following questions: I.
How is the project progressing in terms of cost and schedule? 2. What activities have gone well? What activities have not gone well? 3. What do the pcm and PCIC indicate in terms of how much of the project has been accomplished to date? 4. What is the forecasted cost at completion (EACf)? What is the predicted VACf? 5. Report and interpret the TCPI for the project at this point in time. 6. What is the estimated date of completion? 7. How well is the project doing in terms of its priorities? 562 Appendix 2 Computer Project Exercises TABLE Al. 9 April 1, 2010 Activity Hardware specifications Kernel specifications Disk drivers Memory management Gp. ystems documentation Utilities specifications Complex utilities Architectural decisions Start Date Finish Date Actual Duration Remaining Duration 2/9/10 2/8/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/8/10 3/30/10 1/4/10 3/12/10 3/29/10 2/5/10 37 25 13 13 13 16 2 25 8 0 87 77 7 0 85 0 Try to present the above information in a form worthy of consideration by top management. Include a Tracking Gantt chart with each report. First Quarter, April 1, 2010 Table A2. 9 summarizes the information regarding activities accomplished to date. Be sure to save your file after each quarterly report and use it to build the next report! Second Quarter, July 1, 2010 Table A2. 1 0 summarizes the information regarding activities accomplished report. since the last Table A2. 1 summarizes the information regarding activities accomplished report. since the last Fourth Quarter, January 1, 2011 Table A2. 12 summarizes the information regarding activities accomplished report. since the last TABLE A2. 10 July 1,2010 Activity Hardware specifications Hardware design Kernel specifications Disk drivers Memory management Gp. systems documentation Utilities specifications Routine utilities* Complex utilities Utilities documentation Architectural decisions Start Date Finish Date Actual Duration Remaining Duration 2/9/10 4/13/10 2/8/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/8/10 4/26/10 3/30/10 5/3/10 1/4/10 4/12/10 3/12/10 4/16/10 3/29/10 6/2/10 2/5/10 45 56 25 77 77 25 16 47 66 22 25 11 0 33 19 0 0 18 25 0 0 • The project manager for the external development team that was hired to perform routine utilities reported that due to commitments to other clients they would be able to start on that activity 4/26/1 O. Appendix 2 Computer Project Exercises 563 ing TABLE A2. 11 October 1,2010 Activity Start Date Finish Date In Actual Duration Remaining Duration ~nt. Hardware specifications Hardware design Hardware documentation Kernel specifications Disk drivers Memory management Op. systems documentation Utilities specifications Routine utilities Complex utilities Utilities documentation Architectural decisions Integration 1st phase /9/10 4/13/10 7/19/10 2/8/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/8/10 4/26/10 3/30/10 5/3/10 1/4/10 8/25/10 4/12/10 7/16/10 8/24/10 3/12/10 8/17/10 7/30/10 4/16/10 3/29/10 7/27/10 8/11/10 6/2/10 2/5/10 45 67 27 25 110 98 25 16 65 95 22 25 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 rt! TABLE A2. 12 January 1, 2011 Activity Start Date Finish Date Actual Duration Remaining Duration ast 1St .st Hardware specifications Hardware design Hardware documentation Prototypes Kernel specifications Disk drivers Serial I/O drivers Memory management Op. systems documentation Utilities specifications Routine utilities Complex utilities Utilities documentation Architectural decisions Integration 1st phase /9/10 4/13/10 7/19/10 11/11/10 2/8/10 3/15/10 11/11/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/8/10 4/26/10 3/30/10 5/3/10 1/4/10 8/25/10 4/12/10 7/16/10 8/24/10 3/12/10 8/17/10 7/30/10 4/16/10 3/29/10 7/27/10 8/11/10 6/2/10 2/5/10 11/10/10 45 67 27 34 25 110 34 98 25 16 65 95 22 25 55 0 0 0 44 0 0 119 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 You have received quarter: • • • • • • • revised estimates for the remaining activities at the end of the fourth Prototypes will be completed on 3/8/11. Serial I/O drivers will be completed on 6130/11. System hardware/software test will start on 7/1/11 and take 25 days. Order circuit boards will start on 8/8/11 and take 5 days. Assemble preproduction model will begin on 10/14/11 and take 18 days. Project ocumentation is expected to start on 8/8/11 and will take 55 days. Network interface is expected to start on 8/8/11 and will take 99 days. • • Shell is expected to start on 8/8/11 and will take 55 days. Integrated acceptance testing is expected to start on 12/29/11 and will take 54 days. Prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: 1. What is the new EAC for the project? How long should the project take given these revised estimates? 2. How happy will top management be with these forecasts given the priorities of the project? 3. What recommendations would you make? Include a revised schedule, a Tracking Gantt chart, and cost table with your memo.