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In a 1-page Word Document Consider The Following Activities And Their

Consider the activities, their durations, and the initial project schedule based on early activity starts as provided. Reconfigure the given activity data into a critical path diagram suitable for project scheduling. Determine the total duration of the project and analyze the slack available in non-critical paths. Additionally, calculate the lengths of the project and feeder buffers to understand the flexibility within the schedule.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

The process of project scheduling is integral to effective project management, providing a visual and analytical method to identify the critical activities that determine the project's overall duration. In this context, transforming the given tabular data into a critical path diagram reveals the sequence of activities that directly impact the completion date and highlights areas where schedule flexibility exists. This paper will reconfigure the provided activities into a critical path diagram, determine the total project duration, analyze slack in non-critical paths, and compute the project and feeder buffers essential for managing uncertainties in scheduling.

Reconfiguration into a Critical Path Diagram

The initial step involves mapping the activities based on their predecessors and durations. The activities are as follows:

• Activity A: Sign Contract (None) - 5 days
• Activity B: Design Survey (A) - 3 days
• Activity C: Identify Audience (A) - 7 days
• Activity D: Run Survey (B, C) - 30 days
• Activity E: Analyze Results (D) - 5 days
• Activity F: Create Presentation (E) - 5 days
• Activity G: Present to Client (E, F) - 2 days

The critical path is determined by calculating the longest path through the network, considering the dependencies and durations. Mapping these activities, the paths are as follows:

- Path 1: A → B → D → E → F → G

- Path 2: A → C → D → E → F → G

The durations for each path are:

- Path 1: 5 + 3 + 30 + 5 + 5 + 2 = 50 days

- Path 2: 5 + 7 + 30 + 5 + 5 + 2 = 54 days

Since Path 2 is longer, it defines the project duration at 54 days. The critical path is A → C → D → E → F → G.

Project Duration and Slack Analysis

The total project duration is therefore 54 days. Activities on the critical path have zero slack; any delay would directly impact the project completion. Activities outside this path, or those with predecessors that do not lie on the critical path, may have some slack. For example, Activity B, which feeds into D but is not on the critical path, could potentially have slack equal to the difference between its earliest and latest start times, provided it does not affect the critical path activities. In this case, as Activity B's successor D depends on activities B and C, with C on the critical path, slack is primarily associated with activities upstream of the critical path—specifically Activity B and potentially Activity A—but since Activity A is on the critical path, its slack is zero. Activity C, which is on the critical path, also has zero slack. This indicates that there is no slack in the critical path activities, and the slack exists only in ancillary activities upstream or downstream that are not on the critical path.

Buffers: Project and Feeder Buffers

The project buffer is typically set at the end of the critical chain to accommodate unforeseen delays. Given the total project duration is 54 days, a buffer might be added based on risk assessment—commonly 10-15% of the total duration—resulting in approximately 5-8 days of buffer. The feeder buffer, placed at points where non-critical activities feed into the critical chain, ensures that delays in non-critical activities do not affect the critical path. In this case, since activities B and C influence D, which is on the critical path, feeder buffers might be allocated at the junctions feeding into D. If we assume a 10% buffer for risk, project and feeder buffers could collectively add about 6-8 days, providing slack to manage potential uncertainties without jeopardizing the project deadline.

Conclusion

Reconfiguring the provided activities into a critical path diagram reveals a project duration of 54 days, with the critical path including activities A, C, D, E, F, and G. Slack is minimal or nonexistent within critical path activities, emphasizing the importance of vigilantly managing these tasks. Implementing project and feeder buffers—estimated at around 6-8 days—can safeguard against unforeseen delays, ensuring timely project completion. Effective application of project scheduling techniques such as critical path analysis supports project managers in optimizing resource allocation and risk mitigation.

References

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• Leach, L. P. (1999). Critical Chain Project Management Institute.
• Harrison, F. (2013). The Quick Guide to Critical Path Method. Project Smart.
• Wysocki, R. K. (2014). Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme. Wiley.
• Heldman, K. (2018). Project Management JumpStart. Wiley.
• Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning.