Four Squares Productions, a firm hired to coordinate the release of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (starring Johnny Depp), identified 16 activities to be completed before the release of the film.
a) How many weeks in advance of the film release should Four Squares have started its marketing campaign? What is the critical path? The tasks (in time units of weeks) are as follows:
|
ACTIVITY
|
IMMEDIATE PREDECESSORS
|
OPTIMISTIC TIME
|
MOST LIKELY TIME
|
PESSIMISTIC TIME
|
|
A
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
|
B
|
-
|
3
|
3.5
|
4
|
|
C
|
-
|
10
|
12
|
13
|
|
D
|
-
|
4
|
5
|
7
|
|
E
|
-
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
|
F
|
A
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
|
G
|
B
|
2
|
4
|
5.5
|
|
H
|
C
|
5
|
7.7
|
9
|
|
I
|
C
|
9.9
|
10
|
12
|
|
J
|
C
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
|
K
|
D
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
|
L
|
E
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
|
M
|
F, G, H
|
5
|
6 6
|
5
|
|
N
|
J, K, L
|
1
|
1.1
|
2
|
|
O
|
I, M
|
5
|
7
|
8
|
|
P
|
N
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
b) If activities I and J were not necessary, what impact would this have on the critical path and the number of weeks needed to complete the marketing campaign?