Project Management Implications for Knowledge Creation

Questions: Table 1 indicates the sequence and interdependence of the 10 activities (A K) which together are required in the launch of a new system. The durations (in weeks) of each of the activities are given in the table Table 1 Activity Duration (wks) Precedence A 27 - B 24 - C 21 - D 21 A E 22 B F 22 C G 22 F H 22 G,E J 23 H K 23 D, J Construct a network diagram identifying the following: Earliest Start Time(EST) Latest Finish Time (LFT) Total Float on each activities D F Critical Path for the project (b) Assume that there is a delay of 8 weeks in completing activity F. Analyse one action that the Operations Manager could take to avoid exceeding the current length of the critical path. 2. (a) Identify and explain the position of each of the process types used in operations within the volume-variety continuum (b) Explain the characteristics of each of the process types used in operations (c) Identify which process type would be the most likely to be used to produce the following:- Diesel Boeing Jet Engine Initial creation of the Gone with the wind movie Michael Jackson Thriller CDs Production Mercedes Benz E200 Answers: Network diagram of the project Earliest Start Time (EST) The Earliest Start Time of the activities associated with the project has been listed in the table below: Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Early Start Project starts 0 days Wed 2/17/16 Wed 2/17/16 Wed 2/17/16 A 27 wks Wed 2/17/16 Tue 8/23/16 1 Wed 2/17/16 B 24 wks Wed 2/17/16 Tue 8/2/16 1 Wed 2/17/16 C 21 wks Wed 2/17/16 Tue 7/12/16 1 Wed 2/17/16 D 21 wks Wed 8/24/16 Tue 1/17/17 2 Wed 8/24/16 E 22 wks Wed 8/3/16 Tue 1/3/17 3 Wed 8/3/16 F 22 wks Wed 7/13/16 Tue 12/13/16 4 Wed 7/13/16 G 22 wks Wed 12/14/16 Tue 5/16/17 7 Wed 12/14/16 H 22 wks Wed 5/17/17 Tue 10/17/17 8,6 Wed 5/17/17 J 23 wks Wed 10/18/17 Tue 3/27/18 9 Wed 10/18/17 K 23 wks Wed 3/28/18 Tue 9/4/18 10,5 Wed 3/28/18 Project ends 0 days Tue 9/4/18 Tue 9/4/18 11 Tue 9/4/18 Latest Finish Time (LFT) The Latest Finish Time of the activities associated with the project has been listed in the table below: Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Early Finish Project starts 0 days Wed 2/17/16 Wed 2/17/16 Wed 2/17/16 A 27 wks Wed 2/17/16 Tue 8/23/16 1 Tue 8/23/16 B 24 wks Wed 2/17/16 Tue 8/2/16 1 Tue 8/2/16 C 21 wks Wed 2/17/16 Tue 7/12/16 1 Tue 7/12/16 D 21 wks Wed 8/24/16 Tue 1/17/17 2 Tue 1/17/17 E 22 wks Wed 8/3/16 Tue 1/3/17 3 Tue 1/3/17 F 22 wks Wed 7/13/16 Tue 12/13/16 4 Tue 12/13/16 G 22 wks Wed 12/14/16 Tue 5/16/17 7 Tue 5/16/17 H 22 wks Wed 5/17/17 Tue 10/17/17 8,6 Tue 10/17/17 J 23 wks Wed 10/18/17 Tue 3/27/18 9 Tue 3/27/18 K 23 wks Wed 3/28/18 Tue 9/4/18 10,5 Tue 9/4/18 Project ends 0 days Tue 9/4/18 Tue 9/4/18 11 Tue 9/4/18 iii. Total Float of each of the activities D F time period for which the starting date of any activity can be postponed safely, without bringing about drastic changes in the predefined time schedule of the project is often referee to as the total float of the activity. While activity F has no float period, activity D has a float period of 62 weeks. Critical Path for the project The critical path of the project has been highlighted in the network diagram. Figure a: The network diagram (Source: As designed in MS Project) Increasing the time duration of activity The initial and final schedules of the project have been depicted in the following Gantt charts. Figure b: The Gantt chart (according to the primary schedule) (Source: As designed using MS Project) Figure c: The Gantt chart (according to the primary schedule) (Source: As designed using MS Project) As depicted in the Gantt chart, the duration of the entire project has increased by 50 working days due to the change in the duration of activity F. It is being assumed that the project needs to be completed within the time period mentioned in the primary schedule and that manager of the project has the authority of employing resources as and when required. This being the situation, the project manager would have no other way than recruiting more resources in the project, such that it could be completed within the finish date that was initially scheduled. The newly employed resources would be capable of sharing the working responsibility of the existing employees, which in turn would enable them to finish off the project in time. 2 A. Process types used in operations within the volume-variety continuum The following figure has been used to provide a clear description of the volume-variety continuum. Figure d: Operational process and the volume-variety continuum (Source: Galindo and Batta 2013) General purpose operational processes like that of Assembly Line, Repetitive, continuous flow system and Mass- Production systems are capable of generating low variety products in large volumes (Foropon and McLachlin 2013). On the other hand, specialized operational processes like that of project systems and Job-Shop Production Systems are used to generate specialized products in low volumes (Gunasekaran and Ngai 2012). B. Characteristics of process types used in operations The various process types that are utilized in operational activities have been described in the following section along with their characteristics. Job shops: The type of process that is used for the development of similar products in batches of small sizes, is known as job shop process (Peng and Lai 2012). As for example: The processes used for baking cookies at home. Projects: When an entire operational process is dedicated to the development of a single project, the process is termed as a project (Krajewski, Ritzman and Malhotra 2013). As for example: The processes used for developing software tools. Batch shops: The operational processes that are utilized for producing small batches of products, after certain specific interval of time, are considered as batch shop processes (Slack 2015). Assembly lines are used for producing small parts of a massive-sized product, which is then assembled together. As for example: The operational processes used for developing aircrafts (Subramanian and Ramanathan 2012). Continuous flow processes:Operational processes that are utilized in facilities, that generate electricity and purify water or at chemical labs, are known as continuous flow processes as they cannot be stopped at any point in time (Krajewski, Ritzman and Malhotra 2013). Identification of process types Diesel: Continuous flow processes . Boeing Jet Engine: Assembly lines (Foropon and McLachlin 2013). Initial creation of the "Gone with the Wind" movie: Projects (Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston 2013). Michael Jackson Thriller CDs Production: Batch shops (Chia 2013). Mercedes Benz E200: Assembly lines. References Chia, R., 2013. Paradigms and perspectives in organizational project management research: implications for knowledge creation.Novel Approaches to Organizational Project Management Research: Translational and Transformational. Copenhagen Business School Press, Copenhagen, pp.33-55. Foropon, C. and McLachlin, R., 2013. 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