Student Assignment Overview & Project Management Simulation Brief
Project Priority Matrix
This matrix dictates the project management strategy, with Time being the non-negotiable factor due to the critical Las Vegas trade show deadline.
Constrain
Time
The completion date of January 17, 2016, cannot be moved.
Enhance
Scope
Maintain or improve the quality and features of the Red Zuma scooter.
Accept
Cost
Expenditures may be flexible to ensure Time and Scope constraints are met.
PART 1: Initial Project Schedule (Baseline Establishment)
The primary objective of this phase is to establish the time baseline by determining the critical path and the earliest theoretical completion date for the 17-activity network.
Setup Requirements
- Project Start Date: January 2, 2015.
- Work Schedule: 8-hour days, Monday-Friday (40 hours per week).
- Holidays Observed: New Year's Day, MLK Day (3rd Mon in Jan), Memorial Day (last Mon in May), July 4th, Labor Day (1st Mon in Sept), Thanksgiving (4th Thurs in Nov), and Christmas.
- Task Network: 17 key tasks with a total estimated duration of 260 working days.
- Dependencies: Must accurately input all predecessor relationships, including specific Start-to-Finish (SF) lags on task 16 (Install Production Equipment).
Deliverables Required
Detailed Analysis Memo:
- The calculated project completion date and total duration in calendar days and workdays.
- Identification of the Critical Path (the sequence of activities with zero total slack).
- Identification of the non-critical activity with the greatest total slack.
- Network Sensitivity Assessment: Evaluate the number of near-critical paths and the overall risk to the schedule.
- Define and justify two sensible project milestones (e.g., Phase Gates).
Printouts (MS Project):
- Gantt chart displaying the timeline.
- Network diagram with the critical path highlighted (e.g., in red).
- Schedule table showing Early Start (ES), Late Start (LS), Early Finish (EF), Late Finish (LF), and Total Slack for all 17 activities.
PART 2: Resource Assignment & Leveling (Constraint Management)
Resources are now introduced, requiring two distinct scheduling techniques to manage resource overallocations.
Available Resources (Full-time)
| Role | Quantity | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialists | 4 | $80k/yr |
| Design Engineers | 4 | $125k/yr |
| Development Engineers | 4 | $110k/yr |
| Industrial Engineers | 4 | $100k/yr |
| Purchasing Agents | 2 | $75k/yr |
| Test Riders | 4 | $70/hr |
Part A: Time-Constrained Schedule (Resource Leveling)
Tasks (Priority: Time):
- Identify all overallocated resources based on the initial schedule.
- Use automatic or manual resource leveling to resolve overallocations, but the project finish date MUST NOT be extended (leveling within slack).
- Assess the impact of leveling on network sensitivity and slack distribution.
Deliverable:
- Gantt chart and schedule table demonstrating the resource-leveled schedule.
Part B: Resource-Constrained Schedule (Optimization)
Tasks & Additional Changes (Priority: Resources):
- Determine the project duration if constraints were purely resource-based (allowing the duration to increase, with no activity splitting). Compare this to the Part 1 baseline duration.
- Modify the calendar to include the first Saturday of each month as a working day (expected reduction of 12-13 days).
- Implement Start-to-Start (SS) lags: Build Prototypes starts 30 days after Detailed Product Design starts; Final Manufacturing Process starts 15 days after Finalized Product Design starts.
- Provide personnel assignment recommendations to meet the mandated January 17th deadline (using minimum required additional resources).
Deliverables:
- Analysis memo detailing the impact of the SS lags on the schedule and budget.
- Gantt chart with free and total slack clearly displayed for the optimized schedule.
PART 3: Cost Analysis (Budget & Cash Flow)
This phase requires cost loading all resources and tasks to finalize the Project Budget and analyze cash flow over time. All salaried personnel costs must be accurately prorated.
Required Deliverables
- Cost Analysis Memo:
- Total calculated project cost (BAC).
- Identification and explanation of the most expensive individual activity.
- Detailed analysis of the cost distribution (e.g., labor vs. material costs) derived from the cash flow data.
- Monthly Cash Flow Statement: A table format showing cumulative and non-cumulative expenditures per month.
- MS Project Action: Save the official project Baseline, and save a separate backup file without the baseline data.
PART 4: Project Status & Revisions (Earned Value Management)
The final phase involves tracking performance against the baseline using EVM and proposing corrective actions to ensure the deadline is met.
Part A: Status Report (as of July 8, 2015)
Given Data: Project Status Date is July 8, 2015. Project is 46% complete physically after 125.85 days.
Required Analysis (Earned Value Metrics):
- Cost and schedule performance metrics: CV, SV, CPI, SPI.
- Identification of activities performing well or poorly based on the tracking data.
- Calculation of PCIB (Percent Complete In Budget).
- Forecasting the cost at completion (EACf) and the estimated project completion date.
- Assessment of performance against the Priority Matrix.
Deliverables:
- Professional status report document integrating the EVM metrics.
- Tracking Gantt chart and detailed Earned Value Table from MS Project.
Part B: Revised Estimates & Recommendations
New Estimates & Changes to Incorporate:
- Detailed Product Design: +3 days
- Build Prototypes: -2 days
- Finalized Product Design: +3 days
- Final Manufacturing Process: -2 days
- Install Production Equipment: 30 days (down from 35).
- Detailed Marketing Plan: Completed before New Year.
Management Reserve Options ($50k total):
- Option 1: $25k to reduce component shipping by 5 days.
- Option 2: $25k to reduce manufacturing parts shipping by 5 days.
Deliverables:
- Comprehensive analysis of the impact of the revised estimates on the forecast schedule and cost.
- Recommendation memo on the $50k expenditure, justifying which option(s) to use to crash the schedule (must target the critical path).
- Additional recommendations (e.g., increasing personnel) to meet the Jan 17th deadline.
- Tracking Gantt chart with variance schedule reflecting all final recommendations and schedule adjustments.
Key Success Factors
- Data Accuracy: Ensure meticulous data entry and calendar configuration in MS Project.
- Scheduling Mastery: Demonstrate a strong grasp of critical path, float management, and resource leveling/crashing concepts.
- Project Control: Accurate application and interpretation of Earned Value Management formulas.
- Strategic Allocation: Justify resource and cost decisions based on the Project Priority Matrix.
- Professional Communication: Produce clear, data-driven memos and reports.