Blue Zuma Project - Term Paper Example

Project Duration After adjusting the work timings and holidays of the project employees as well as the activities along with their relationships, it is estimated that the project would take two hundred and fifty (250) days for completion. The project would be completed on 22nd December 2008, as shown in the following snapshot. Critical Path of the Project The critical path of the project consists of the activities that include: (2) Market analysis, (3) Product design, (5) Product design selection, (8) Detailed Product design, (9) Test prototype, (10) Finalized product design, (12) Order production equipment, (13) Install production equipment and (14) Celebrate.

Greatest Slack Time The greatest slack time is one hundred and fifty nine (159) of the activity named “Detailed Marketing Plan”. Network Sensitivity The network of the project titled “Blue Zuma” is not very sensitive, as there is free slack available that ranges from twenty (20) days (Manufacturing Process) to one hundred and fifty nine (159) days (Detailed Marketing Plan), moreover, there is only one critical path of the project. Milestones The first sensible milestone of the project could be achieved after successfully completion of the activities that include: the Market Analysis, Product Design and Product Design Selection.

The second milestone could be achieved by completing the activities that include: the Detailed Product Design, Test Prototype and Final Product Design. The milestone is represented with a diamond symbol as shown in the following snapshot. A comparison of Advantages and Disadvantages of the Schedule Table and Gantt Chart The Schedule table as a network diagram could be utilized to review the critical path of the project as well as the Early Start date, Early Finish date, Late Start date and Late Finish date of the activities as well as the project.

One of the disadvantages of the network diagram is that it does not show the resource allocation of the activities. Whereas, the Gantt chart could be utilized to view the work breakdown structure or activity dependencies along with the activity start and finish time. The disadvantage of the Gantt chart is that it does not show the critical path and the predecessor as clearly as compared to the network diagram. Gantt chart - Snapshot Network Diagram – Snapshot Schedule Table showing ES, EF, LS, LF and Slack – Snapshot Part 2 – Resource Allocation Over Allocated Resources The four resources have been over-allocated in the project, the resources include: the Marketing Specialists, Design Engineers, Industrial Engineers and Purchasing Agent.

In the following snapshot, the red color resources are over-allocated. Activities involving Over-Allocated Resources The Gantt chart has capabilities to show the activities which have resources that are over-allocated. Therefore, after reviewing the Gantt chart it has been found that there are three (3) activities having over-allocated resources that include: the Detailed Marketing Plan, Detailed Product Design and Install Production Equipment. Over-Allocated Resources Levelling Within Slack After levelling the over-allocated resources within the slack (20 days, 159 days, 30 days etc.,) the two of the over-allocated resources named Marketing Specialists and Purchasing Agent have been regularized.

However, still there are two over-allocated resources include: the Design Engineers and the Industrial Engine