QAT Task 4 Second Attempt
Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements
Introduction:
This task requires candidates to prepare a program evaluation and review technique (PERT) chart and apply critical path method (CPM) techniques.
Given:
Company A is installing a Web-based customer-feedback system to meet customer needs for quick response when rolling out new products. A new product line is rolling out in 48 weeks and the customer-feedback system must be installed and running in time for the new product launch. Table 1.1 in the attached Excel spreadsheet “PERT/CPM Analysis Table” shows three estimates of the time it will take Company A to complete each of the project activities in the customer feedback system project (optimistic, probable, pessimistic).Company B is installing a similar feedback system to accompany a new product line and originally had the same time line as Company A.
Company B just announced that its new product line is ahead of schedule and will be launched in 44 weeks instead of the initially projected 48 weeks. Because the Web-based customer feedback system must be installed and running in time for the revised date of the product launch, something must be done to shorten implementation time required for the customer-feedback system project. Refer to Table 1.2 in the attached Excel spreadsheet “PERT/CPM Analysis Tables” that lists the expected time it will take to complete the activities if shortened as much as possible (crash time), the cost to complete the activity using normal resources (normal cost), and the cost of completing the activity on an accelerated basis (crash cost).
Task:
A. Use the estimates for Company A in Table 1.1 to do each of the following:
1. Determine the expected completion time for each of the nine project activities.
a. Enter all your answers in Table 1.1, showing all of your work.
2. Determine the variance for each project activity
a. Entering all your answers in Table 1.1, showing all of your work.
3. Prepare a PERT chart showing the network diagram with activity times and their expected durations.
a. Identify the critical path in the PERT chart.
