Project Management Scenario a Global Case Study

"

There are several benefits that a global consumer electronic firm could derive from inter-project learning.

First, inter-project learning allows firm to enhance project completeness. Prencipe, & Tell (2001) argue that inter-project learning allows firms to execute a project in a best method. In the present competitive market environment, project is the key to the dynamic competitive capabilities. Typically, accumulation of knowledge builds project competencies, which could enhances market performances of a global consumer electronic firm. Experience has revealed that project-based firm has been able to record high profit in the market environment. ( Brady, and Davies, 2004).Through inter-project learning, a global consumer electronic firm will be able to better estimate the project costs and this will enhance ability to deliver the project with success. Moreover, the inter-project learning will enable the company to estimate the project risks efficiently. By better evaluating the project risks, the project manager will be able to find the strategy to manage the risks associated with the project. More importantly, the inter-project learning will assist a global electronic firm to meet the project objectives, improve cost efficiencies and meet the project deadline. (Anbari, Carayannis, and Voetsch, 2008).

There are several methods that a global consumer electronic firm could implement inter-project learning, one of the technique is the use of on-the-job training. Through this process employee could be accumulate knowledge. Moreover, formal training is also one of the technique that could enhance inter-project learning within an organization.

Part B - Project Planning & Control

The diagram bellow is used to determine the critical path using CPA.

The Critical Path in this project is C, F, H, K, and I.

Q6). a) Construct a GANTT chart and identify scheduling flexibilities.

GANTT chart is very useful in schedule a repetitive or periodic project, and the following GANTT is used to display schedule flexibilities.

Labor

Design the Project

Implementing the project

Management

Estimate project cost

Staff training

Project Completion

For the project manager, allocation of limited resources is very critical in a project. Allocate of scare resource is very critical when the resource is too large to accommodate. With extreme demand for labor during the project lifecycle, there are fluctuations in the labor required to complete the project.

ABLE 10-15 Resources Required and Starting Times for a Nine Activity Project

Activity

Workers Required

Equipment Required

Earliest Start Time

Latest Start Time

Duration

A

B

C

D

E

F G

H

I

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

4

0

1

1

1

1

0

1

1

1

0

0

4

4

12

12

21

21

24

0

9

4

15

13

12

22

25

24

4

3

8

7

9

12

2

5

6

100% Revised Early Start Schedule

Original Early Start Schedule

80% Revised Early Late

Schedule Original Late Early Schedule

60% Current State

40%

20%

0%

c) "What specific rules could be adopted to decide how to schedule this project and what constraints must be taken into account."

The rule to adopt to schedule the project is to efficiently allocate the resources to achieve early start schedule. Given the limited resource, the constraint to be taken into account is the resource requirement, which is required to avoid extreme fluctuation in the labor demand. The resources constraints could lead to high costs of labor training, transportation, hiring and management. Additional constraint is that there is much difficult in presenting the project network diagram, and too much information is often presented which could be high as 500 activities. The problem of displaying numerous activities is identification of activities such as number resources to be added to the diagram.

Q7). a) "Find the expected time of the project using PERT. What is the probability of completion within the expected time"?

The expected time of the project using PERT is calculated using weighted average and the results gives Time Expected (Te).

a m m

Te

A

2

4

6

4

B

4

6

8

6

C

2

3

4

3

D

0.5

1

4

1.83

E

2

3

4

3

F

1

3

5

3

G

1

2

3

1

H

2

3

4

3

I

1

2

3

2

J

0.5

1

3

1.5

K

0.5

1

3

1.5

L

1

3

5

3

The probability of completing the project within the expected time is as follows:

4+6+3+1.83+3+3+1+3+2+1.5+1.5+3/12

32.83/12=2.73

The probability of completing the expected project before the expected time is

1.46 which is greater than 1. When using probability analysis, the care than needs to be taken care of order of magnitude.

Q8). "Find the minimum cost increase to reduce the expected duration of the project by 2

Weeks."

Activity

Minimum Cost

Normal Duration

Crash Cost

Crash Duration

Change in Cost per Day

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

8

4

8

10

10

20

10

6

1

8

5

9

12

3

14

4

24

24

18

36

18

4

1

4

3

5

6

2

3

4

7

2

2.7

8

Q9). "The Company assessed the costs of the project at important milestones at the outset as shown in Table B2. After some weeks, the project manager asked the task supervisors for progress reports and the feedback shown in Table B2 was reported."

a) What is the cost variance for the project so far?

Cost Variance= Earned Value -- Actual Cost

Activity

Budget Cost (£)

Cost.....