Case Study

ASSIGNMENT

Use the Nightingale Crashes and Lags Template attached here to complete this assignment.

· Adjust the Gantt Chart that you already created for the Nightingale Project in the previous assignment to include all of the crashes and lags listed in the case below. (Notes: You do not need the project network diagram again for this assignment. You can copy-paste your previous Gantt chart into this template and then make adjustments to it.)

· Prepare a report to be presented to the project team that answers the following questions:

· Is it possible to meet the October 25, 2017 deadline with all of the duration reductions (crashes) and lags included?

· What other factors should be considered before finalizing the schedule?

Read and complete the Nightingale Project Crashes and Lags case below.

NIGHTINGALE PROJECT CRASHES AND LAGS

CRASHES

Rassy and the team were concerned with the results of your analysis. They spent the afternoon brainstorming alternative ways for shortening the project duration. They rejected outsourcing activities because most of the work was developmental in nature and could only be done in-house. They considered altering the scope of the project by eliminating some of the proposed product features. After much debate, they felt they could not compromise any of the core features and be successful in the marketplace. They then turned their attention to accelerating the completion of activities through overtime and adding additional technical manpower. After a lengthy discussion, her team concluded that the following activities would be reduced:

· Development of the voice recognition system would be reduced from 15 days to 10 days at a cost of $15,000.

· Creation of the database would be reduced from 40 days to 35 days at a cost of $35,000.

· Document design would be reduced from 35 days to 30 days at a cost of $25,000.

· External specifications would be reduced from 18 days to 12 days at a cost of $20,000.

· Procurement of prototype components would be reduced from 20 days to 15 days at a cost of $30,000.

· Ordering of stock parts would be reduced from 15 days to 10 days at a cost of $20,000.

LAGS

Ken Clark, a development engineer, pointed out that the network contained only finish-to-start relationships and that it might be possible to reduce project duration by creating start-to-start lags. For example, he said that his people would not have to wait for all the field tests to be completed to begin making final adjustments in the design. They could start making adjustments after the first 15 days of testing. The project team spent the remainder of the day analyzing how they could introduce lags into the network to shorten the project. They concluded that the following finish-to-start relationships would be converted into lags:

· Document design would begin 5 days after the start of the review design.

· Adjust design would begin 15 days after the start of field test prototypes.

· Order stock parts would begin 5 days after the start of adjust design.

· Order custom parts would begin 5 days after the start of adjust design.

· Training sales representatives would begin 5 days after the start of the test unit and complete 5 days after the production of 30 units.