McGee Carpet And Trim Installs Carpets In Commercial 329204

Mcgee Carpet And Trim Installs Carpets In Commercial Offices Andrea M

McGee Carpet and Trim installs carpets in commercial offices. Andrea McGee has been very concerned with the amount of time it took to complete several recent jobs. Some of her workers are very unreliable. A list of activities and their optimistic completion time, the most likely completion time, and the pessimistic completion time (all in days) for a new contract are provided in a given table. Following are the activities that are required to install the carpets in the offices: Activity 1 (Measure office room dimensions), Activity 2 (Estimate cost), Activity 3 (Material Requisition), Activity 4 (Workforce Requisition), Activity 5 (Special Tool Requisition), Activity 6 (Installation), Activity 7 (Inspection and customer acceptance).

Activity 2 starts immediately after Activity 1. Activity 3, Activity 4, and Activity 5 start concurrently after Activity 2. Activity 6 does not start until after Activity 3, Activity 4, and Activity 5 are completed. The carpet installation project is complete after Activity 7 is completed. If OT = Optimistic Time, MT = Most Likely Time, and PT = Pessimistic Time, use Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) to compute the statistical time for each activity in the table shown below.

Additionally, determine:

• (a) the expected completion time and the variance for each activity
• (b) the total project completion time and the critical path for the project
• (c) the Early Start (ES), Early Finish (EF), Late Start (LS), and slack for each activity
• What is the probability that McGee Carpet and Trim will finish the project in 40 days or less?

Finally, define project management and the necessary requirements, analyze implications of changes in project scheduling, and evaluate the application of project management techniques in terms of the firm's business operational goals and requirements. The submission must follow APA format, including a title page, abstract, body, and references, with appropriate academic citations to support analysis. The body should be 2-3 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with proper in-text citations and APA-style references.

Paper For Above instruction

Project management is a systematic approach to planning, executing, and controlling projects to achieve specific goals within defined constraints, such as time, cost, and resources. It involves applying knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements effectively. A critical aspect of project management is ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget, which is particularly vital in domains like construction and facilities installation where delays can lead to significant financial and operational consequences (Kerzner, 2017).

In the context of McGee Carpet and Trim's carpet installation project, project management plays an essential role in coordinating various activities, identifying potential risks, and optimizing resources to ensure timely delivery. The project involves several sequential and parallel activities, such as measuring the office dimensions, estimating costs, requisitioning materials and workforce, and finally installing the carpets, which collectively demand meticulous scheduling and tracking (PMI, 2017). To achieve these objectives, techniques such as the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) are invaluable because they incorporate uncertainty by considering optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic activity durations, thus enabling more realistic scheduling and risk assessment.

Applying the PERT methodology allows for calculating the expected duration and variance of individual activities, which are crucial for estimating overall project duration and the probability of completing within a specified timeframe. The expected activity time (TE) is derived using the formula TE = (OT + 4*MT + PT)/6, providing a weighted average that considers variability in task durations (Harrison & Lock, 2017). Variance, calculated as ((PT - OT)/6)^2, measures the uncertainty associated with each task's duration and informs risk mitigation strategies.

Determining the critical path—the sequence of activities that directly impacts the project completion time—is fundamental for effective project control. It identifies tasks that have zero slack, meaning any delay in these activities will delay the entire project. In McGee’s case, activities like installation and inspection are likely part of this path, given their dependencies. The critical path analysis entails mapping the sequence of activities, calculating earliest and latest start and finish times, and thus identifying the activities that need close monitoring to avoid project delays.

The analysis also involves calculating Early Start (ES), Early Finish (EF), Late Start (LS), and slack (or float) for each activity. ES and EF are determined through a forward pass, while LS and slack are derived via a backward pass from project completion. This detailed scheduling helps allocate resources efficiently and prioritize critical activities (Meredith & Mantel, 2017). For example, activities with zero slack must be closely managed to prevent project overruns.

Using probabilistic models like PERT enables estimating the likelihood of completing the project within a specific time frame. For a given project duration, calculating the cumulative probability involves determining the total project duration's mean and standard deviation based on activity variances. Applying the normal distribution, the probability that the project finishes in 40 days or less can be computed, aiding decision-making and contingency planning (Lock, 2013).

Furthermore, effective project management requires defining the scope, setting clear objectives, allocating appropriate resources, and continuously monitoring progress. Changes in scheduling—whether due to resource availability, unexpected delays, or scope modifications—can significantly impact project timelines and costs. Adaptive scheduling and contingency planning are crucial to mitigate such risks and ensure alignment with business operational goals.

Application of project management techniques supports McGee’s operational aims by enhancing efficiency, reducing delays, and improving customer satisfaction. It also facilitates better communication among stakeholders, clearer visibility into project status, and proactive risk management. These benefits contribute directly to the firm’s competitiveness, profitability, and reputation in a demanding marketplace.

References

• Harrison, F., & Lock, D. (2017). Advanced project management: A structured approach. Gower Publishing.
• Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling (12th ed.). Wiley.
• Lock, D. (2013). Project management. Gower Publishing.
• Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2017). Project management: A managerial approach. Wiley.
• PMI. (2017). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® guide). Project Management Institute.
• Steyn, H., et al. (2018). Project management: A practical approach. Juta & Company Ltd.
• Zwikael, O., & Smyrk, J. (2019). Project management for the unofficial project manager. Springer.