PROJECT MANAGEMENT
QUESTION 1
Read the case study and answer the questions that follow.
Moore Housing Contractors
Moore Housing Contractors is negotiating a deal with Countryside Realtors to build six houses in a new development. Countryside wants Moore Contractors to start in late winter or early spring when the weather begins to moderate and build through the summer into fall. The summer months are a busy time for the realty company, and it believes it can sell the houses almost as soon as they are ready - sometimes before. The houses all have similar floor plans and are approximately equal size, only the exteriors are noticeably different. The completion time is so critical for Countryside Realtors that it is insisting a project management network accompany the contractor's bid for the job with an estimate of the completion time for a house. The realtor also needs to be able to plan its offerings and marketing for the summer. The realtor wants each house to be completed within forty- five days after it is started. If a house is not completed within this time frame, the realtor wants to be able to charge the contractor a penalty. Mary and Sandy Moore, the president and vice president of Moore Housing Contractors' are concerned about the prospect of a penalty. They want to be confident they can meet the deadline for a house before entering into any agreement with a penalty involved. (If there is a reasonable likelihood they cannot finish their bid to cover potential penalty charges.)
The Moores are experienced home- builders, so it was not difficult for them to list the activities involved in building a house or to estimate activity times. However, they made their estimates conservatively and tended to increase their pessimistic estimates to compensate for the possibility of bad weather and variations in their workforce. Following is a list of the activities for building a house and the activity time estimates:
|
|
|
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Time [days]
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|
|
Activity
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Description
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Predecessors
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a
|
m
|
b
|
|
a
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Excavation; pour footers
|
|
3
|
4
|
6
|
|
b
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Lay foundation
|
a
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2
|
3
|
5
|
|
c
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Frame and roof
|
b
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2
|
4
|
5
|
|
d
|
Lay drain tiles
|
b
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
|
e
|
Sewer [floor] drains
|
b
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
f
|
Install insulation
|
c
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2
|
4
|
5
|
|
g
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Pour basement floor
|
e
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
|
h
|
Rough plumbing,pipes
|
e
|
2
|
4
|
7
|
|
i
|
Install windows
|
f
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
|
j
|
Rough electrical wiring
|
f
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
|
k
|
Install furnace; air conditioner
|
c,g
|
3
|
5
|
8
|
|
I
|
Exterior brickwork
|
i
|
5
|
6
|
10
|
|
m
|
Instil plasterboard,mud,plaster
|
j,h,k
|
6
|
8
|
12
|
|
n
|
Roof shingles, flashing
|
I
|
2
|
3
|
6
|
|
o
|
Attach gutter, downspouts
|
n
|
1
|
2
|
5
|
|
P
|
Grading
|
d,o
|
2
|
3
|
7
|
|
q
|
Lay subflooring
|
m
|
3
|
4
|
6
|
|
r
|
Lay driveway,walks,landscape
|
p
|
4
|
6
|
10
|
|
s
|
Finish carpentry
|
q
|
3
|
5
|
12
|
|
t
|
Kitchen cabinetry,sink,appliances
|
q
|
2
|
4
|
8
|
|
u
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Bathroom cabinetry,fixtures
|
q
|
2
|
3
|
6
|
|
v
|
Painting [Interior &exterior]
|
t,u
|
4
|
6
|
10
|
|
w
|
Finish wood floors,lay carpet
|
v,s
|
2
|
5
|
8
|
|
x
|
Final electrical,light fixtures
|
v
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
1.1 Develop a CPM/PERT network for the Moore House Contractors and determine the probability that the contractors can complete a house within forty- five days. Does it appear that Moores might need to increase their bid to compensate for potential penalties?
1.2 Indicate which project activities Moore Contractors should be particularly diligent to keep on schedule by making sure workers and materials are always available. Also indicate which activities the company might shift from as the need arises.
1.3 Develop an action plan for ensuring compliance with Countryside Realtors.
QUESTION 2
"Creating successful project teams is a daunting task for any project leader, especially when they are pressed to deliver results within aggressive timescales and tight budgetary constraints. Building successful project teams is about slotting the right individuals into designated team roles and fostering team spirit."
Select three journal articles from Google Scholar on Project Management relevant to the statement to critically discuss this statement.
QUESTION 3
Project Risk Analysis and Management (PRAM) is an integrated program, based on efforts to extend risk management to cover a project's entire life cycle.
Critically discuss the key features and phases of PRAM.
Assignment Guidelines
- Word limit: Approximately 5000 words
- Your assignment should include a Table of Contents page.
- Text: Font: Arial or Times New Roman (12), Spacing: 1.5 lines
- All text must be justified at each margin.
- The length of your answers to each question should be in line with the mark allocation. Your answers must include any theories, charts, tables or exhibits necessary to support your analysis and recommendations. Additional research should be consulted, when answering the assignment questions.
- Ensure that the readings are not merely reproduced in the assignment without original critical comments and views. Cohesive and logical arguments reflecting original thinking is encouraged.
- You MUST use theory/literature to support your discussion/observation and opinions. Do not merely extract information from the Case Study.
- References - At least 15 academic sources of reference must be used. (These include textbooks, journal articles and Internet sources that are relevant to your field of study. Academic sources do not include Wikipedia and blogs). The MANCOSA study guide must not be used as a source of reference. You must include Reference list at the end of your assignment. Information quoted/paraphrased from sources listed in your Reference list must be referenced in-text. The Harvard system of referencing must be used.
- It is imperative that students proof read and edit their assignments prior to submitting them. Assignments must be free from errors and of a professional standard.