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Operations Management

Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers, Robert Johnston

Chapter 16

Project planning and control - all with Video Answers

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Chapter Questions

Problem 1

The activities, their durations and precedences for designing, writing and installing a bespoke computer database are shown in Table 16.6. Draw a Gantt chart and a network diagram for the project and calculate the fastest time in which the operation might be completed.
Table 16.6 Bespoke computer database activities
$$
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|}
\hline {\text { Activity }} & {\begin{array}{c}
\begin{array}{c}
\text { Duration } \\
\text { (weeks) }
\end{array} \\
1
\end{array}} & {\begin{array}{c}
\text { Activities that must } \\
\text { be completed before } \\
\text { it can start } \\
-
\end{array}} \\
\hline 1 & \text { Contract negotiation } & & \\
\hline 2 & \text { Discussions with main users } & 2 & 1 \\
\hline 3 & \text { Review of current documentation } & 5 & 1 \\
\hline 4 & \text { Review of current systems } & 6 & 2 \\
\hline 5 & \text { Systems analysis (a) } & 4 & 3,4 \\
\hline 6 & \text { Systems analysis (b) } & 7 & 5 \\
\hline 7 & \text { Programming } & 12 & 5 \\
\hline 8 & \text { Testing (prelim) } & 2 & 7 \\
\hline 9 & \text { Existing system review report } & 1 & 3,4 \\
\hline 10 & \text { System proposal report } & 2 & 5,9 \\
\hline 11 & \text { Documentation preparation } & 19 & 5,8 \\
\hline 12 & \text { Implementation } & 7 & 7,11 \\
\hline 13 & \text { System test } & 3 & 12 \\
\hline 14 & \text { Debugging } & 4 & 12 \\
\hline 15 & \text { Manual preparation } & 5 & 11 \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$

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01:29

Problem 2

A business is launching a new product. The launch will require a number of related activities as follows - hire a sales manager ( 5 weeks), require the sales manager to recruit sales people ( 4 weeks), train the sales people ( 7 weeks), select an advertising agency ( 2 weeks), plan an advertising campaign with the agency ( 4 weeks), conduct the advertising campaign (10 weeks), design the packaging of the product ( 4 weeks), set up packing operation (12 weeks), pack enough products for the launch stock ( 8 weeks), order the launch quantity of products from the manufacturer (13 weeks), select distributors for the product ( 9 weeks), take initial orders from the distributors ( 3 weeks), dispatch the initial orders to the distributors ( 2 weeks). (a) What is the earliest time that the new product can be introduced to the market? (b) If the company hire trained salesmen who do not need further training, could the product be introduced 7 weeks earlier? (c) How long could one delay selecting the advertising agency?

Breanna Ollech
Breanna Ollech
Numerade Educator
01:15

Problem 3

In the example above, if the sales manager cannot be hired for 3 weeks, how will that affect the total project?

Tony Ni
Tony Ni
Numerade Educator

Problem 4

In the previous example, if the whole project launch operation is to be completed as rapidly as possible, what activities must have been completed by the end of week 16 ?

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Problem 5

Identify a project of which you have been part (for example moving apartments, a holiday, dramatic production, revision for an examination, etc.). (a) Who were the stakeholders in this project? (b) What was the overall project objective (especially in terms of the relative importance of cost, quality and time)? (c) Were there any resource constraints? (d) Looking back, how could you have managed the project better?

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Problem 6

Identify your favourite sporting team (Manchester United, the Toulon rugby team, or if you are not a sporting person, choose any team you have heard of). What kind of projects do you think they need to manage? For example, merchandising, sponsorship, etc. What do you think are the key issues in making a success of managing each of these different types of project?

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