Your University Is Holding A Fundraiser And Will Be Hiring

Your University Is Holding A Fund Raiser And Will Be Hiring A Band To

Your university is holding a fund-raiser and will be hiring a band to entertain spectators. You have been selected to serve as the event project manager and have created a Work Breakdown Structure and duration estimates for the activities involved in site preparation for the event. Construct a network activity diagram based on the following information: Conduct both a forward and backward pass using AON notation. What is the estimated total duration for the project? Identify all paths through the network. Which is the critical path? Which activities have slack time? Identify all burst activities and merge activities. Activity II - Given the following information, answer the questions about this project: Draw the network as a Gantt chart. What is the critical path? Which activities have slack time? What would happen if activities B and D each took 5 extra days to complete instead of the expected duration? How would the critical path change?

Paper For Above instruction

Planning and executing a successful fundraising event on a university campus involves intricate scheduling, coordination, and resource management. The core of effective project management lies in developing accurate activity sequences, understanding durations, identifying critical paths, and preparing for potential delays. In this paper, I will develop a network activity diagram using Activity on Node (AON) notation based on given activities, perform forward and backward passes to determine project durations, and analyze the impact of delays on the project schedule.

Constructing the Network Activity Diagram and Performing Forward and Backward Passes

The initial step is to identify the activities involved in site preparation and their respective durations. Suppose the activities are as follows:

- Activity A: Site Inspection (2 days)

- Activity B: Permit Acquisition (3 days)

- Activity C: Equipment Setup (4 days)

- Activity D: Venue Decoration (5 days)

- Activity E: Sound System Installation (3 days)

- Activity F: Final Inspection and Testing (2 days)

Assuming logical dependencies:

- Activity A precedes B and C.

- Activity B and C precede D.

- Activity D precedes E.

- Activity E precedes F.

The network diagram would be laid out accordingly, with nodes representing activities and arrows showing dependencies. The forward pass involves calculating the earliest start (ES) and earliest finish (EF) for each activity, starting from the beginning. For example:

- A: ES=0, EF=2

- B: ES=EF of A=2, EF=2+3=5

- C: ES=EF of A=2, EF=2+4=6

- D: ES=max(EF of B,C)=max(5,6)=6, EF=6+5=11

- E: ES=EF of D=11, EF=11+3=14

- F: ES=EF of E=14, EF=14+2=16

The backward pass calculates the latest finish (LF) and latest start (LS):

- F: LF=project duration=16, LS=LF-2=14

- E: LF=LS of F=14, LS=14-3=11

- D: LF=LS of E=11, LS=11-5=6

- C: LF=LS of D=6, LS=6-4=2

- B: LF=LS of D=6, LS=6-3=3

- A: LF=minimum LS among B and C = min(3,2)=2, LS=2-2=0

The total project duration is the EF of the final activity, which is 16 days, highlighting the project timeline.

Identifying all paths, the critical path is determined by activities with zero slack time—meaning any delay in these activities directly impacts the project completion date. In this scenario, the critical path is A → C → D → E → F, with a total duration of 16 days. Activities B, with a slack of 1 day (started at ES=2, LS=3), and activities with slack are non-critical, providing some scheduling flexibility.

Identifying Burst and Merge Activities

In activity network diagrams, burst activities are nodes where multiple activities diverge (fan-out), while merge activities are nodes where multiple activities converge (fan-in). Here, activity A is a burst activity, branching into B and C; activity D is a merge point where B and C converge before proceeding to E. Recognizing these points helps in understanding project flow and potential bottlenecks.

Impact of Delay on Activities B and D and Critical Path Changes

Considering potential delays, if activities B and D each take an additional five days, their durations become B: 8 days, D: 10 days.

- Updated durations:

- B: 8 days (ES=2, EF=10)

- D: 10 days (ES=max(EF of B, C)=max(10,6)=10, EF=10+10=20)

- Recalculating the project timeline:

- Activity E: ES=EF of D=20, EF=20+3=23

- Activity F: ES=23, EF=25

- The new total project duration extends to 25 days.

Now, the critical path shifts to A → B → D → E → F because activities B and D, with increased durations, become the new critical activities. Activities previously slack, such as C, now have early finish times that preclude their being on the critical path. This illustrates how delays in key activities can alter the entire project schedule, emphasizing the importance of contingency planning and resource allocation.

Conclusion

Developing an accurate network activity diagram and performing detailed forward and backward passes are fundamental to effective project management for university events. Understanding the critical path allows project managers to focus on activities that directly influence project duration. Recognizing activities with slack provides opportunities for schedule flexibility, while awareness of burst and merge points assists in managing dependencies and potential bottlenecks. Delays, especially in critical activities, can significantly alter project timelines, underscoring the importance of effective planning, monitoring, and risk mitigation strategies.

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