Chapter 9 – Question 6

a) Calculate the expected activity times (round to nearest integer).
Activity Expected Duration
A 4
B 6
C 4
D 12
E 7
F 9
G 5

b) Calculate the activity slacks. What is the total project length? Make sure you fully label all nodes in the network. The total project length is 22 weeks.

c) Identify the critical path. What are the alternative paths and how much slack time is associated with each “feeder path?”

Critical path: B – C – E – G Duration Path Slack
Other paths : A – D – G 21 weeks 2 days A – E – G 16 weeks 1 day B – F – G 20 weeks 2 days

d) Identify the “burst” activities and the “merge” activities.

Burst Activities: A and B
Merge Activities: E and G

Chapter 9 – Question 7

Critical Path:

A – C – D – F – H 22

Other Paths :

A – B – E – H 18
A – B – D – F – H 20
A – C – G – H 17

Chapter 10- Question 4

a. Identify the sequencing of the activities to be crashed in the first four steps. Which of the critical activities should be crashed first? Why?

The correct sequence for crashing activities is listed as:
a) Activity E or G (cost for both $2,500 more)
b) Activity E or G (cost for both $2,500 more)
c) Activity B
d) Activity D
Ordered from the lower extra crashing cost to the higher.

b. What is the project’s critical path? After four iterations involving crashing project activities, what has the critical path shrunk to?
Critical Path is B-D-E-G = 21 weeks. After four iterations of crashing project activities, the critical path has reduced to 16 weeks.

c. Suppose project overhead costs accrued at a fixed rate of $500 per week. Chart the decline in direct costs over the project life relative to the increase in overhead expenses.
d. Assume that a project penalty clause kicks in after 19 weeks. The penalty charged