Project management assignment NO.2 - Essay Example

During construction, activities are done based on the order that they should be carried out. Duration for each activity is estimated based on current data available. A network model is established to show the relationship among the activities and a critical path method is used to determine the critical and non critical activities. CPM is important because it shows the management the activities that need much attention and monitoring to avoid unnecessary delays in project completion (Taha 267).

As shown in Diagram 1, constructing foundation and framing are the first two important activities to do because they serve as the framework of the house. Several activities such as plumbing, roofing and wiring are done right after framing since these activities are associated with the different parts of the house and so, they can be started anytime without any delay. Landscaping requires a stable water system so it should be done only after plumbing is finished. Finishing activities and painting are both done after plastering since the house is considered almost finish by that time.

Lastly, activities such as making curtains and laying carpet are considered as final activities and should only be done after the whole structure of the house is built and painted. This means that these two paths constitute the time period of project completion. According to the computed critical path (Table 1), the project will be completed in 42 working days. Therefore the project should be started on November 17, 2008 in order to finish it by January 19, 2009. Working days exclude weekends and holidays like New Year and Thanksgiving Day.

All the critical activities are shaded in Table 1. This means that these activities are the most important tasks in the project and therefore must be done on schedule. Non critical activities are plumbing, wiring, landscaping, finishing and attaching TV antenna. They are considered non critical because they can be done in advance or