Designing WSB, Durations, Activities, and Precedence - Case Study Example

Name Tutor: Course: Designing WSB, Durations, Activities and precedence Date: 13th April 2012 Build a WSB. Variations in defining the scope can lead to irregularities in the final success of the construction. This is solved by the best practice step of creating work breakdown structure. This is the step where a graphical representation of the project hierarchy is made. Such illustrations help the project management team to look at the project from different angles and identify potential loopholes in the project. It helps in creating reference points for various activities required in the project phases. It can also have an impact in ‘verifying the scope and getting the feedback’. Work breakdown structure acts as a quality control tools. Quality control represents a very significant area for project managers because one of the most frequent reasons for breakdown of project management is bad quality management. This mostly results because of primary misconceptions held by the project manager and his team in terms of defining quality, which is classified by the client and the project developer. Even if a project manager considers that the project has been executed without any flaws, it will prove to be a failure if it does not meet the expectations of the client. Poor workmanship can lead to excessive costs because facility functions can be weakened and even minor defects may require redoing the whole project, thus resulting in delay and increased costs. In worst cases, faults can lead to deaths or severe personal injuries involving huge costs. Similarly, accidents occurring during construction can also lead to personal injuries as well as escalated costs. Moreover, there is a distinct pattern whereby related costs such as regulation, inspection and insurance have started increasing because of such increase in direct costs. Therefore, it is important that project managers strive to ensure that the project is executed properly from the beginning in order to avoid accidents, high costs and disappointments (Kerzner 145). Just as it is true that costs should be controlled, the most crucial decisions relative to quality in construction is taken during the process of planning and designing and not after commencement of construction. During this preliminary stage, functional performance, material specifications and component configuration of the facility are determined. Quality control mainly comprises of ensuring compliance with the decisions taken during the planning and designing stages (Kerzner, 2006). 27 weeks Approved project specifications Approvals & work permits ready Start work / Site preparation Report 26 June 119 weeks Initiation of the project Planning resources (project team, work site, working approvals / permits) Start Launch / execution Performance & control risk management, QC Evaluation Activities and Duration of Each Activity The project is divided into five major phases Exploration Phase: during this phase of the project, the management documents the general steps and procedures that that will applied. During this phase, the owner also was supposed to work with various groups in making sure that all the proper requirements were documented and built into the process flow diagram. Designing Phase: During this designing phase of the project, the owner was supposed to document all the requirements and needs that had been discovered from the Exploration phase in construction the house. Building Phase: During this construction phase of our project, the project team was supposed to finalize the work from the site clearing to building. Opening Phase: this was a necessary phase for the project. This project will be completed in approximately 2 years from the date, construction begins. Moreover, the project manager and project team will be expected to work for almost 10 hours each day so that the project can be completed in the expected period. The project manager will be expected to give guidelines on how each task will be carried out. Each individual in the project team shall be assigned a specific task depending on his or her area of expertise. This will prevent any instances of conflict of interests or duties throughout the project. The project mangers will be expected to supervise and direct every operation throughout the project. In case a problem occurs during the development period, the project mangers should notify the sponsor immediately (Kerzner 115). The following are the activities of the project Activity Duration Start Finish predecessor 1.0 Issue RFP 16 days 25th may 2012 12th June 2012 1.1 Surveying 2d 13th June 2012 14th June 2012 1.0 1.2 Site selection and acquisition 2d 13th June 2012 14th June 2012 1.1 1.3 Permit and other legal obligations 16d 13th June 2012 11th July 2012 1.0 1.4 Selection and oversight of architects and other consultants 10 12th July 2012 24th July 2012 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 1.5 Budgeting and cost allocation for the building 6d 25th July 2012 31st July 2012 1.4 1.6 Stakeholders meeting 1d 1st Aug 2012 2nd Aug 2012 1.5 2.0 Designing layout 3d 2nd Aug 2012 5th Aug 2012 1.5,1.6 2.1 Preliminary design 2d 6th Aug 2012 8th Aug 2012 2.0 2.2 Landscaping design 2d 6th Aug 2012 8th Aug 2012 2.1 2.3 Car park design 2d 6th Aug 2012 8th Aug 2012 2.1 2.4 Building design 15d 6th Aug 2012 21st Aug 2012 2.1 2.5 Stakeholders meeting 1d 21st Aug 2012 22nd Aug 2012 2.1,2.2,2.3,2.4 2.6 Approval design work 1d 23rd Aug 2012 24th Aug 2012 2.5 2.7 Detailed design 10d 23rd Aug 2012 2nd Sep Aug 2012 2.6 3.0 Final design 10d 2nd Sep 2012 12th Sep 2012 2.7 4.1 surveying 2d 13th Sep 2012 14th Sep 2012 3.0 4.1.1 Mains Water 3d 15th Sep 2012 18th Sep 2012 4.1 4.1.2 Sewerage System 3d 19th Sep 2012 21st Sep 2012 4.1 4.1.3 Electrical service 4d 22nd Sep 2012 25th Sep 2012 4.1 4.1.4 Natural gas service 2d 22nd Sep 2012 25th Sep 2012 4.1 4.2 Foundation Clearance and land excavation 4d 25th Sep 2012 28th Sep 2012 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3,4.1.4 4.3 Footing 4d 29th Sep 2012 2nd Oct. 2012 4.2 4.4 Report 1d 2nd Oct. 2012 3rd Oct. 2012 4.3 4.5 Building material acquisition 4d 4th Oct. 2012 7th Oct. 2012 4.1,4.2, 4.3 4.6 Foundation 7d 4th Oct. 2012 11th Oct. 2012 4.5, 4.2 4.7 Progress review 1d 12th Oct. 2012 13th Oct. 2012 4.6 5.0 Basement walls 7d 14th Oct. 2012 21st Oct. 2012 4.7 5.1 Building material acquisition 2d Thu 3/8/12 Tue 3/27/12 4.6 5.1.1 Basement drainage and floor 3d 14th Oct. 2012 17th Oct. 2012 4.7,4.7 5.1.2 Basement electrical pipes layout 3d 16th Oct. 2012 20th Oct. 2012 4.7,4.7 5.1.3 Inspection 1d 21st Oct. 2012 22nd Oct. 2012 5.0, 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 5.1.4 Report 1d 23rd Oct. 2012 24th Oct. 2012 5.1.3 5.2 Ground floor walls- framework 5d 25th Oct. 2012 30th Oct. 2012 5.1.4 5.3 First floor shutter 7d 31st Oct. 2012 16th Nov. 2012 5.2, 5.3.1 Electrical pipes 3d 7th Nov. 2012 10th Nov. 2012 5.3 5.3.2 Water and drainage pipes 3d 7th Nov. 2012 10th Nov. 2012 5.3 5.3.3 First floor shutter 14d 10th Nov. 2012 24th Nov. 2012 5.3.1, 5.3.2 5.4 First floor framework 5d 25th Nov. 2012 30th Nov. 2012 5.3.3 5.4.1 Building material acquisition 3d 25th Nov. 2012 28th Nov. 2012 5.3.3 5.4.2 Second floor shutter 7d 1st Dec. 2012 8th Dec. 2012 5.4, 5.4.1 5.4.3 Electrical pipes 2d 9th Dec. 2012 10th Nov. 2012 5.4.2 5.4.4 Water and drainage pipes 2d 9th Dec. 2012 10th Nov. 2012 5.4.2 5.4.5 Progress report 1d 11th Dec. 2012 12th Nov. 2012 5.4.3, 5.4.4 5.4.6 Second floor shutter 14d 13th Dec. 2012 27th Dec. 2012 5.4.5 5.5 2nd floor framework 7d 28th Dec. 2012 4th Jan. 2013 5.4.6 5.5.1 Building material acquisition 2d 4th Jan. 2013 6th Jan. 2013 5.5 5.5.2 Third floor shutter 7d 7th Jan. 2013 14th Jan. 2013 5.5.1 5.5.3 Electrical pipes 2d 16th Jan. 2013 17th Jan. 2013 5.5 5.5.4 Water and drainage pipes 2d 16th Jan. 2013 17th Jan. 2013 5.5 5.5.5 Third floor shutter 14d 17th Jan. 2013 31st Jan. 2013 5.5.3, 5.5.4 5.5.6 Progress report 1d 1st Feb. 2013 2nd Feb. 2013 5.5.5 5.6.0 3rd floor construction 6d 3rd Feb. 2013 9th Feb. 2013 5.5.6 5.6.1 4th floor shutter 7d 10th Feb. 2013 17th Feb. 2013 5.6.0 5.7 4th floor framework 6d 18th Feb. 2013 24th Feb. 2013 5.6.1 6.0 Roofing 7d 25th Feb. 2013 4th Mar. 2013 5.7 6.1 Framework 7d 5th Mar. 2013 12th Mar. 2013 6.0 6.2 Ceiling framework 10d 12th Mar. 2013 22nd Mar. 2013 6.1 7.0 electrical wiring 21d 23rd Mar. 2013 14th Apr. 2013 6.2 8.0 plumbing 30d 24th Mar. 2013 23th Apr 2013 6.2 9.0 Heating system 10d 24th Apr. 2013 3th May 2013 6.2 9.1 Inspection and report 2d 4th May 2013 6th May 2013 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 9.2 Windows and doors fixing 62d 7th May 2013 8th July 2013 9.1 10.0 Plaster 72d 9th July 2013 20th Sep 2013 9.2 10.1 Report 2d 21st Sep 2013 22nd Sep 2013 9.0 11.0 IT and phone networking 14d 23rd Sep 2013 8th Oct 2013 10.1 12.0 Drying 7d 8th Oct 2013 15th Oct 2013 11.0 12.1 Painting 8d 16th Oct 2013 24th Oct 2013 12.0 13.0 Car park construction 14d 25th Oct. 2013 8th Nov. 2013 9.2 14.0 Swimming pool construction 42d 8th Nov. 2013 20th Dec. 2013 9.2 15.0 Inspection and report 2 21st Dec. 2013 23rd Dec. 2013 12.1,13.,14.0 16.0 Planting of flowers and trees 30d 24th Dec. 2013 24th Jan. 2014 15.0 17.0 Purchase of equipments 7d 24th Jan. 2014 31st Jan. 2014 15.0 18.0 Fixing of equipment and amenities 14d 1st Feb. 2014 15th Feb. 2014 17.0 19.0 Purchase of accessories 2d 16th Feb. 2014 18th Feb. 2014 18.0 20.0 Purchasing and fixing conferencing facilities 14d 19th Feb. 2014 14th Mar. 2014 18.0 21.0 Building assessment reporting 1d 15th Mar. 2014 16th Mar. 2014 20.0 22.0 Final Report 1d 17th Mar. 2014 18th Mar. 2014 16.0,19.0, 21.0 23. Grand opening 1d 19th Mar. 2014 20th Mar. 2014 22.0 Since timeliness is a crucial component of projects, verification of the scope is also critical in the progress of the project cycle. Thus, verification can be done as each major task is completed in the case of a long project. However, for a small project, which is not phased, it can be done after the completion of the whole project. Verification involves getting express comments on the project. On the other hand, feedback counts for getting customer opinions, which are invaluable for continuous improvement in future, projects. Last is the best practice of monitoring and controlling the scope. Here, the actual management and controlling of the project takes place to ensure that work is carried out under the decided scope. It aims to avoid, as much as possible, the possibility of adding to the scope. To work on this, there should be good change management process and in case of changes the budgeting and schedule should be adjusted (Verzuh 78). Task dependencies development The above information collecting techniques helped in the drafting of a proposal on what tasks should be carried out and how these tasks are dependent on each other. The tasks should be able to state how they are dependent on each other and how their dependency helps in the update of company the implication. Works Cited Kerzner, Harold. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Houston: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Print. Verzuh, Eric. The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2008. Print. Read More