CHAPTER 12- PROBLEMS –GROUP 1

12–1:-Should a PERT/CPM network become a means of understanding reports and

schedules, or should it be vice versa?

Ans. Yes, PERT/CPM network should become a means of understanding reports and schedules.
Whether it is appropriate for use in the projects to be able to understand and judge the work.
Additionally, PERT stands for the review technique and evaluating the program and it the
mathematical tool build for investigating the tasks that make up a project.

In critical path method (CPM), it works to similar purpose for examination and constitute the
project task in a visual chart, like a Gantt chart. Also both of these network (PERT/CPM) were
established in 1950sand it is become the cornerstone of project management in that time.

12-2 Should PERT network follows the work breakdown structure?

Answer- YES, PERT network must follow the work breakdown structure because it specifies
about the task level in the project. Moreover, scheduling techniques should also follow the
structure that helps in PERT diagram.

Work breakdown structure is a hierararchial decomposition of total scope of work the need to
be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the
required deliverables. WBS has been considered as a output that helps you to create all type of
activities in the project.

PERT is a tool that is even used to estimate three points: Most likely, Optimistic, and
Pessimistic. It can even be used with cost estimate and risk in any type of the project related
activity. CPM is a tool that is used to develop the schedule. This is even used to calculate the
most longest path of the project as well as help in creating schedule baseline with many other
tools and techniques

12-3 Should key milestones be established at points where trade-offs are most likely to
occur?

Answer- Yes, definitely key milestones are required to be established nearby the places where
changes are likely to happen as these are considered as points decided prior on the project
where resources are reviewed, alternatives are found, changes are studied to make sure that
project gets completed in a most effective way without any obstruction. Also, getting these
milestones set for when the changes are expected to occur, one is basically preparing for the
change and attempting to adapt to it by finding out the impact of change on the project and
finding alternatives if in case they are needed. This can be a critical factor in ensuring that
project is completed on time without budget.

12-4- Would you agree or disagree that the cost of accelerating a project rises exponentially,
especially as the project nears completion?

Answer. Yes, I agree that the cost of acceleration a project rises enormously. Especially when
the projects are speed up in order to complete before deadline. In other words, all the
organizations look for these project management skills, this is because they clarify the
capability to stay arrange and communicate with team members on dealing with tough
projects.
CHAPTER 12- PROBLEMS –GROUP 1

Refernces:-https://www.globalknowledge.com/us-en/resources/resource-
library/articles/importance-of-project-schedule-and-cost-control-in-project-
management/#gref

12-5 Major hurdles with PERT, and how can they control?

Answer:

1. PERT is complicated to generate and add up to obstacles of implementation. It can be

tackle by observing the way PERT is used, planning the things carefully, only used it by
people who has experience in it.
2. PERT is too costly to preserve and it is usually used on large or complicated project.
Therefore, By utilizing a lighter form with motorized program could help control this
problem.
3. May not pay for its usefulness on small projects so we need to evaluate how much it will
benefit the project prior to utilizing it.

12–6 Draw the network and identify the critical path. Also calculate the earliest–latest
starting and finishing times for each activity:

Activity Precedenting activity Time (weeks)

A - 4
B - 6
C A.B 7
D B 8
E B 5
F C 5
G D 7
H D.E 8
I F.G.H 4

E,5 H,8
A,4

START C,7 F,5 I,4 END

B,6
D,8 G,7
Answer:

The Critical path is: A, D, H, I = 6+8+8+4=26 weeks.

CHAPTER 12- PROBLEMS –GROUP 1

Activitiy ES EF LS LF
A 0 4 6 10
B 0 6 0 6
C 6 13 10 17
D 6 14 6 14
E 6 11 9 14
F 13 18 17 22
G 14 21 15 22
H 14 22 14 22
I 22 26 22 26

12-7 Identify the Critical path for the given network for a small MIS project ;( Network
proceeds from node 1 to node 10)

ACTIVIT INITIAL TIME

FINAL NODE
Y NODE (WKS)
A 1 2 2
B 1 3 3
C 1 4 3
D 2 5 3
E 2 9 3
F 3 5 1
The critical path G 3 6 2 time duration
are: H 3 7 3
I 4 7 5
1. A,E,O= 2+3+2= 7
J 4 8 3
2. A,D,K,L,O=
K 5 6 3
2+3+3+4+2= 14
3. B,F,K,L,O= L 6 9 4 3+1+3+4+2= 13
4. B,G,L,O= M 7 9 4 3+2+4+2= 11
5. B,H,M,O= M 8 9 3 3+3+4+2= 12
6. C,I,M,O= O 9 10 2 3+5+4+2= 14
7. C,J,N,O= 3+3+3+2= 11

2
𝐷3

5 𝐸3
𝐴2
𝐾3
𝐹1

Start 𝐵3 𝐺2 6 𝐿4
1 3 9 𝑂2 Finish
10
𝐻3
𝐶3 𝑀4
7 𝑁3
𝐼5
4 𝐽3 8
CHAPTER 12- PROBLEMS –GROUP 1

Critical path: A, D, K, L, O and C,I,M,O= 14 Days.

12.8 Can PERT charts have more depth than the WBS?
Answer. Yes. PERT Provide more specific and critical information for the project, also depict
task, duration, and dependency information. It is designed for research and development type
projects when activity completion times are uncertain. However, a work breakdown structure
(WBS) is a hierarchic decomposition or breakdown of a project or major activity into successive
levels, in which each level is a finer breakdown of the preceding one

12–9 For the network shown in Figure P12–9 with all times indicating weeks, answer the
following

questions:

a. What is the impact on the end date of the project if activity B slips by two weeks?

Answer – The longest time of 18 weeks will take to complete the project as per the
network as the critical path is A-C-E of 18 weeks. There will be no effect on end date
of the project if activity B slips by two weeks.

b. What is the impact on the end date of the project if activity E slips by one week?

Answer – Activity E is on the critical path of the project the end date will also get
shifted by 2 weeks and project will take 20 weeks to complete.

c. What is the impact on the end date of the project if activity D slips by two weeks?

Answer – There will be no effect on the end date of the project because activity D
completion time is not exceeding critical path time even if activity D is completed in 11
weeks.

d. If the customer offered you a bonus for completing the project in sixteen weeks or
less, which activities would you focus on first as part of compression (“crashing”)
analyses?
CHAPTER 12- PROBLEMS –GROUP 1

Answer – As activities A, C and E are on the critical path we have to manage these
activities and try to complete all three activities in 16 weeks or less to decrease the
overall completion time of the project and to get the bonus from the customer

12-10

Activity Duration Early Start Early Finish Latest Start Latest Start

A 4 0 4 6 10

B 7 0 7 0 7

C 1 0 1 8 9

D 5 7 12 7 12

E 2 7 9 10 12

F 3 1 4 9 12

G 6 12 18 12 18