I Will Not Pay More Than My Bid Do Not Use Another Student

I Will Not Pay More Than My Bid Do Not Use Another Student Work It W

I will not pay more than my bid! DO NOT USE ANOTHER STUDENT WORK! IT WILL BE CHECKED. Follow Directions: Essay Questions-Respond to each essay question with a minimum of 300 Words. Cite your sources and include references for each.

Essay question 1: Describe the differences between PERT and CPM analysis. Under what circumstances would you use PERT over CPM? Why?

Essay question 2: Assume that you were assigned a project to manage, and, upon inspection of the project schedule, you observe that there is more than one critical path. What would be your reaction and how would you respond?

Essay question 3: Should all activities that are considered essential for the success of the project be included in the project critical path? Why or why not?

Essay question 4: Discuss the role of the project team and the project manager in determining the duration of project activities. How does the team determine activity durations?

Essay question 5: Assume that you have assigned durations to each activity and have sequenced all activities in the project schedule. Now that this process is complete, the project sponsor observes that the schedule takes too much time. What are your options as a project manager?

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Project management relies heavily on effective scheduling techniques to ensure project completion within set deadlines and budgets. Among these techniques, PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) and CPM (Critical Path Method) are widely utilized for planning, scheduling, and controlling project activities. Understanding their differences, appropriate applications, and implications on project control forms a core component of project management education and practice.

Differences Between PERT and CPM Analysis

PERT and CPM are both analytical tools used to facilitate project scheduling but differ significantly in purpose, methodology, and application. PERT was developed during the Polaris missile project in the 1950s to handle projects with a high degree of uncertainty in activity duration estimations. It employs probabilistic time estimates, typically optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely durations, to account for uncertainty, and uses these to calculate expected activity durations and project completion probabilistically (Kerzner, 2017). Conversely, CPM was developed earlier in the 1950s by Du Pont and Remington Rand and was initially designed for projects with more predictable activity durations. CPM uses deterministic time estimates, assuming that durations are fixed and known, primarily focusing on identifying the critical path—the sequence of activities that dictate the overall project duration (PMI, 2017).

The core difference resides in their handling of uncertainty: PERT is suitable when activity durations are uncertain or variable, as it incorporates probability distributions into its analysis. CPM, on the other hand, assumes deterministic durations and is applicable when activity times are well-known and stable. Practically, PERT is used during project planning phases where uncertainty is high, such as R&D projects, whereas CPM is more prevalent in construction, manufacturing, and engineering projects with established processes and predictable durations (Williams & Samset, 2010).

Handling Multiple Critical Paths in Project Scheduling

Encountering multiple critical paths in a project schedule indicates that several sequences of activities determine the project's overall duration. This situation heightens the risk of delays because any delay in activities along any of these paths could extend the project completion date. As a project manager, the immediate reaction should be to analyze the sources of the multiple critical paths, determine the causes—such as parallel activities with identical durations—and assess the flexibility of resources and dependencies (Leybourne, 2014).

Response strategies include resource leveling or allocating additional resources to critical activities to reduce durations and eliminate some of the critical paths. It is also vital to communicate the complexity to stakeholders, emphasizing the need for diligent monitoring of the critical activities and implementing contingency plans. If possible, the project schedule should be re-evaluated with the team to see if activities can be rescheduled or fast-tracked, thereby consolidating multiple critical paths into a single path if feasible (Meredith & Mantel, 2017).

Inclusion of Essential Activities in the Critical Path

The critical path comprises activities that directly influence the project’s total duration—any delay in these activities extends the overall project timeline. Not all essential activities, however, necessarily appear on the critical path. Some vital tasks may have float (slack), allowing flexibility without impacting the project deadline. Including all essential activities in the critical path could lead to overly conservative scheduling, potentially misallocating resources or causing unnecessary project constraints.

However, from a project control perspective, it is crucial to identify and monitor all activities that are critical or near-critical, especially those that could become critical if delays occur. Focusing solely on current critical path activities may overlook other essential tasks that risk becoming critical due to delays or resource reallocations, thus jeopardizing project success (Jørgensen, 2012). Therefore, while not all essential activities necessarily belong to the current critical path, they should be closely managed and monitored as part of comprehensive project oversight.

Role of the Project Team and Project Manager in Determining Activity Durations

Determining activity durations is a collaborative process involving the project team, project manager, subject matter experts, and stakeholders. The project team provides technical insights based on their expertise, historical data, and experience to estimate realistic durations for each activity. Techniques such as expert judgment, analogous estimating (comparing with similar past projects), parametric estimating, and bottom-up estimating are employed to arrive at credible figures (Kerzner, 2017).

The project manager plays a vital role in facilitating these estimations, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and consensus among team members. They also analyze constraints, risks, and resource availability, which influence activity durations. The team uses historical data, industry benchmarks, and simulation tools like Monte Carlo analysis to refine these estimates. The collective effort ensures the schedule is both realistic and achievable, balancing optimism with caution to mitigate risks of delays (Project Management Institute, 2017).

Options When Project Schedule Is Too Long After Sequencing

Once activities are sequenced and durations assigned, and the project schedule reveals an unacceptably long timeline, the project manager must explore options to optimize the schedule. These options include crashing—adding resources to critical activities to shorten durations; fast-tracking—overlapping activities that were initially planned sequentially; and re-evaluating scope to eliminate non-essential tasks (Kerzner, 2017).

Additionally, resource allocation adjustments, such as increasing workforce or working overtime, can accelerate critical tasks. The project manager might also negotiate with stakeholders for schedule adjustments, or identify opportunities to streamline processes or simplify activities. Conducting a schedule compression analysis allows for quantifying the potential reductions and evaluating the trade-offs related to cost, quality, and scope. The ultimate goal is to meet project deadlines while maintaining quality and stakeholder satisfaction (Meredith & Mantel, 2017).

Conclusion

Effective project scheduling hinges on understanding and applying appropriate analysis techniques like PERT and CPM. Recognizing the nuances between these methods enables project managers to select suitable approaches based on uncertainty and project environment. When faced with complex schedule scenarios such as multiple critical paths or excessive duration, proactive management through resource adjustments, scope re-evaluation, and strategic scheduling becomes essential for project success. Collaborating with the project team and Stakeholders ensures that durations are realistic and that schedules are optimized to deliver value within defined constraints.

References

• Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
• Jørgensen, M. (2012). Critical chain project management: The role of project buffers. International Journal of Project Management, 30(7), 768-776.
• Leybourne, S. (2014). Managing multcritical paths in complex projects. Journal of Modern Project Management, 2(2), 56-63.
• Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2017). Project Management: A managerial approach. John Wiley & Sons.
• Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). PMI.
• Williams, T., & Samset, K. (2010). Issues in front-end planning of capital projects. Project Management Journal, 41(2), 38–49.