Question

Question 2 XYZ Industrial Machines has initiated a large client project to design, manufacture and instal a spoke plastics forming machine at a local manufacturing site. At this pre-project phase, it has sembled a project planning team and is undertaking discussions with the client to produce a mgheve pct plan. A range of key tasks have been identified and a logical network diagram for high-level the project has been developed. Project task information is provided in the following table (Table as ) and the initial logical network diagram (Figure 1) has been additionally outlined Notes pecal Compary rangre ans Resource OrZ) Activity DurationResource (Days) Requirement 30 10 10 40 10 20 30 10 20 40 10 20 15 10 15 10 50 10 15 Using the initial logical network structure within Figure 1 as a foundation di , complete the a) agram using suitable Activity project duration proluitable Activity on Node (AoN) or PERT notation to calculate the minimum [6 marks) b) Provide a time-based schedule (Gantt chart) diagram and resource histogram for the project, based upon an early start assumption. Clearly indicate the critical path for the project within your work [14 marks] c) Discuss how the concept of activity float' and improved resource planning may be used to adjust the schedule to provide a feasible and effective implementation for the XYZ Industrial Machines project. [5 marks]

Answer 1

Critical path is GHJ with duration 75.

Resource allocation schedule.

Days	5	10	15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50	55	60	65	70	75
Activity	A	B	B	C	C	C	C				I	I
Activity	G	G	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H			J	J	J
Activity			D	D	D	E	E	F	F	F
Resources	60	40	60	60	60	30	30	30	30	30	20	20	40	40	40

Gantt chart

Days	5	10	15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50	55	60	65	70	75
J
I
H
G
F
E
D
C
B
A

(c) This project has a constraint, which is the availability of resource XYZ which is limited to 60. This constraint makes it possible to schedule only those activities in each period which have a total resource requirement less than or equal to 60. The float in each activity, which is not on critical path is used to delay it by some duration to satisfy the constraint of availability of XYZ and still complete the project within stipulated 75 days, as shown in the resource chart.