Construct a schedule for the conveyor belt project and prepare a memo

Project financial management
Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

Conveyor Belt Project

This case study covers the three MS Project exercises for PM 507:

Exercise 1 – Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3A (this assignment)

Exercise 2 – Part 3B and Part 4

Exercise 3 – Part 5 and Part 6

Remember to include your MS Project file and all requested screenshots within your memos and reports as requested within the instructions.

Part 1

Project Description
The new computer-controlled conveyor belt is an exciting project that moves and positions items on the conveyor belt within <1 millimeter. The project will produce a new system for future installations, and for replacement of those in the field, at a low cost. The computer-controlled conveyor belt has the potential to be a critical unit in 30 percent of the systems installed in factories. The new system is also easier to update with future technologies.

The Project Priority Matrix for the Conveyor Belt Project (CBP) is:

Time
Scope
Cost
Constrain
X

Enhance

X

Accept

X
Table A2.9 has been developed for you to use in completing the project exercises.

TABLE A2.9 Conveyor Belt Project; WBS

MS Project Task ID WBS ID Task Name Task Name
1
1.0
Conveyor Belt Project

1.1
Hardware

1.1.1

Hardware specifications

1.1.2

Hardware design

1.1.3

Hardware documentation

1.1.4

Prototypes

1.1.5

Order circuit boards

1.1.6

Assemble preproduction models

1.2
Operating system

1.2.1

Kernel specifications

1.2.2

Drivers

1.2.2.1

Disk drivers

1.2.2.2

Serial I/O drivers

1.2.3

Memory management

1.2.4

Operating system documentation

1.2.5

Network interface

1.3
Utilities

1.3.1

Utilities specifications

1.3.2

Routine utilities

1.3.3

Complex utilities

1.3.4

Utilities documentation

1.3.5

Shell

1.4
System integration

1.4.1

Architectural decisions

1.4.2

Integration first phase

1.4.3

System hard/software test

1.4.4

Project documentation

1.4.5

Integration acceptance testing

EXERCISE 1

Develop the WBS outline using MS Project. Save your file.

Part 2

Use your file from Part 1 and the information provided below to complete this exercise. (See Table A2.10.)

TABLE A2.10 Conveyor Belt Project; Schedule
MS Project Task ID
WBS ID
Description
Resource
Duration (days)
Preceding Activity
(MS Project Task ID)
3
1.1.1
Hardware specifications
Development, design
50
24
4
1.1.2
Hardware design
Design, development
70
3
5
1.1.3
Hardware documentation
Documentation, design
30
4
6
1.1.4
Prototypes
Assembly, development
80
25
7
1.1.5
Order circuit boards
Purchasing
5
26
8
1.1.6
Assemble preproduction models
Assembly, development
30
7FS+50d
10
1.2.1
Kernel specifications
Design
20
24
12
1.2.2.1
Disk drivers
Assembly, development
100
10
13
1.2.2.2
Serial I/O drivers
Development
130
25
14
1.2.3
Memory management
Development
90
10
15
1.2.4
Operating system documentation
Design, documentation
25
10
16
1.2.5
Network interface
Development
90
26
18
1.3.1
Utilities specifications
Development, design
15
24
19
1.3.2
Routine utilities
Development
60
18
20
1.3.3
Complex utilities
Development
80
18
21
1.3.4
Utilities documentation
Documentation, design
20
18
22
1.3.5
Shell
Development
60
26
24
1.4.1
Architectural decisions
Design
25
—
25
1.4.2
Integration first phase
Assembly, development
50
5, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21
26
1.4.3
System hard/software test
Assembly
25
6, 13
27
1.4.4
Project documentation
Documentation, development
50
26
28
1.4.5
Integrated acceptance testing
Assembly, development
60
8, 16, 22, 27, 28
Note: F-S refers to a Finish-to-Start lag.

Each work package will represent an activity.
The project begins January 4.
The following holidays are observed: January 1, Memorial Day (last Monday in May), July 4th, Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November), December 25 and 26.
If a holiday falls on a Saturday then Friday will be given as an extra day off, and if it falls on a Sunday, then Monday will be given as a day off.
The project teams work eight-hour days, Monday through Friday.
Warning: Experience has taught students to frequently make separate backup files for each exercise. The software is never as friendly as users expect!

EXERCISE 1

Construct a schedule for the conveyor belt project and prepare a memo that addresses the following questions:

When is the project estimated to be completed? How long will the project take?
What is the critical path(s) for the project?
Which activity has the greatest amount of slack?
How sensitive is this network?
Identify two sensible milestones and explain your choices.
Compare the advantages/disadvantages of displaying the schedule as a network versus a Gantt chart.

 

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