Project Planning & Management Group Assignment-
Question 1 - You are a project manager who is tasked to produce a driverless truck. To do this, you first need to build and test a prototype of driverless truck in the lab. Below are activities involved to build the truck. Each activity has the duration and its predecessor activities.
|
Activity
|
Description
|
Duration
|
Predecessor
|
|
1
|
Design
|
5
|
N/A
|
|
2
|
Procure prototype parts
|
8
|
1
|
|
3
|
Fabricate parts
|
6
|
1
|
|
4
|
Assemble prototype
|
5
|
2,3
|
|
5
|
Laboratory test
|
6
|
5
|
|
6
|
Field test
|
8
|
5
|
|
7
|
Adjust design
|
5
|
6
|
|
8
|
Order stock components
|
5
|
7
|
|
9
|
Order custom components
|
10
|
7
|
|
10
|
Assemble test production unit
|
10
|
8, 9
|
|
11
|
Test unit
|
5
|
10
|
|
12
|
Document results
|
3
|
11
|
Your next steps are:
a. Build an AoN diagram with forward and backward pass to find the ES, LS, EF, LF and Slack days for each activity listed above. (Note: Assume the first activity starts on day 0)
b. Find the critical path in your AoN diagram and the total duration of the project.
c. Transfer all information from the AoN diagram to MS Project and create a Gantt Chart. (Note: Base your plan on the following guidelines: eight-hour days, seven-day weeks, no holiday breaks, 2nd January is the project start date.).
Question 2 - Read the Advantage Energy Technology data Centre Migration and answer the following sub-questions:
a. Generate a priority matrix for AET's system move and provide a justification for your choices.
b. Develop a WBS table for Brian's project. Include duration (days) and predecessors.
c. Develop an AoN diagram with forward and backward pass to find the ES, LS, EF, LF and Slack days for each activity listed above. (Note: Assume the first activity starts on day 0)
d. Use Microsoft Project or some other project management software available to you to develop a schedule for this project.
Question 3 - You have prepared the following schedule for a project in which the key resource is an injection moulding machine. This schedule is contingent on having 3 such machines.
You receive a call from your partner, Benson, who desperately needs 1 of your injection moulding machines. You tell Benson you would be willing to let him have the machine if you are still able to complete your project in 10 months.
a) Develop a resource schedule and draw a loading chart to see if it is possible to complete the project in 10 months with only 2 machines. Be sure to record the order in which you schedule the activities using scheduling heuristics.
b) Assume that activity 5 requires 2 machines, while all other activities require 1 machine. No splitting of activities is possible. Can you say yes to Benson's request?
Write a paragraph answering the question: "Can you say yes to Benson's request?"
Indicate any assumptions you made and show calculations and justification to clearly indicate how you arrive at your answers.
Question 4 - Assume that you have the following decision-making options:
(1) make the decision on your own with available information,
(2) consult others before making a decision, and
(3) call a meeting and reach a consensus, seeking to arrive at a final decision everyone can agree on.
a) Research and find an example online of two difficult business decisions.
b) Write a paragraph in your own words to describe each decision (1/2 to 1 page total).
c) Write another paragraph for each decision to discuss which approach would you use to make the decision and why.
Remember to indicate where your information came from.
Question 5 -
a) On day 47 a project has an earned value of $650, an actual cost of $690, and a planned cost of $590. Compute the SV, CV, and CPI for the project. What is your assessment of the project on day 51?
b) Given the project network and baseline information below, complete the form to develop a status report for the project at the end of period 5 and the end of period 9.
c) From the data you have collected and computed for periods 5 and 9, what information are you prepared to tell the customer about the status of the project at the end of period 9?
Use the following information to help you to produce a report for period 5 and period 9.
|
End of Period 5
|
|
Task
|
Actual % Complete
|
EV
|
AC
|
PV
|
CV
|
SV
|
|
A
|
Finished
|
|
310
|
420
|
|
|
|
B
|
55%
|
|
1100
|
830
|
|
|
|
C
|
39%
|
|
530
|
650
|
|
|
|
D
|
0%
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
E
|
0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cumulative Totals
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
End of Period 9
|
|
Task
|
Actual % Complete
|
EV
|
AC
|
PV
|
CV
|
SV
|
|
A
|
Finished
|
|
310
|
420
|
|
|
|
B
|
Finished
|
|
2500
|
2500
|
|
|
|
C
|
Finished
|
|
1700
|
1700
|
|
|
|
D
|
30%
|
|
400
|
0
|
|
|
|
E
|
39%
|
|
400
|
0
|
|
|
|
F
|
5%
|
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
Cumulative Totals
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clearly show or explain how you arrived at your answers (simply writing the answer alone is not enough). Make sure that you justify your opinions.