Project Management: Critical Path Analysis, Slack Time, and Planning

This document presents solutions to project management exercises, focusing on critical path analysis, slack time calculation, and project re-planning. Exercise 1 involves creating a network diagram, identifying the critical path (B-E-G-H with a duration of 22 weeks), and re-planning the project schedule, which results in a new critical path and increased project duration. It also addresses maintaining the original target training date by allocating resources within available slack to critical activities. Exercise 2 focuses on identifying the critical path (A-D-E-G-I-J with a duration of 97 weeks) and calculating slack time for specific tasks like ‘process confirmations,’ ‘test pension plan,’ and ‘verify debt restriction compliance.’ The document emphasizes the importance of managing critical path activities due to their direct impact on project milestones and overall project duration, highlighting that changes in critical activities can significantly affect the entire project, as demonstrated in Exercise 1 where alterations to an activity's duration changed the critical path. Desklib is a platform where students can find similar solved assignments and study resources.

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project Management Exercises
Student Name:
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1PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Exercise 1.........................................................................................................................................2
1. Network for the project............................................................................................................2
2. Critical path.............................................................................................................................2
3. Re-planning of the project.......................................................................................................2
4. Maintenance of the original target training date......................................................................3
Exercise 2.........................................................................................................................................3
1. Critical path.............................................................................................................................3
2. Slack/float time on ‘process confirmations’............................................................................3
3. Slack time on ‘test pension plan’.............................................................................................3
4. Slack time on ‘verify debt restriction compliance’..................................................................3
Explanation on management of critical path activities................................................................4
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................5

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Exercise 1
1. Network for the project
2. Critical path
The critical path is B-E-G-H with a duration of 22 weeks.
3. Re-planning of the project
ID WBS Task Name Duration Start Finish WBS Predecessors
1 A Select personnel 5 wks Mon 22-10-18 Fri 23-11-18
2 B Invite personnel 5 wks Mon 22-10-18 Fri 23-11-18
3 C Budget ok? 14 wks Mon 26-11-18 Fri 01-03-19 A
4 D Prepare materials 5 wks Mon 26-11-18 Fri 28-12-18 A
5 E Engage instructor 4 wks Mon 26-11-18 Fri 21-12-18 B
6 F Select date 7 wks Mon 26-11-18 Fri 11-01-19 B
7 G Remind personnel 8 wks Mon 31-12-18 Fri 22-02-19 D,E
8 H Start project 5 wks Mon 25-02-19 Fri 29-03-19 F,G
S T M F T S W S T M F T S W S T M F T S W
23 Sep '18 21 Oct '18 18 Nov '18 16 Dec '18 13 Jan '19 10 Feb '19 10 Mar '19 07 Apr '19 05 May '19
The re-planning of the project shows that the critical path has changed and the project
duration has also increased by 14 days.

3PROJECT MANAGEMENT
4. Maintenance of the original target training date
For maintaining the original target training date, resources will be transferred only within
the available slack and those will be allocated to the critical activities. The levelling of resources
within available slack will help to maintain start date for the training and development project.
Exercise 2
1. Critical path
The critical path for this project is A-D-E-G-I-J with a duration of 97 weeks.
ID WBS Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Total Slack
1 A Obtain schedule of
liabilities
3 wks Mon 22-10-18 Fri 09-11-18 0 wks
2 B Mail confirmation 15 wks Mon 12-11-18 Fri 22-02-19 1 20 wks
3 C Test pension plan 5 wks Mon 12-11-18 Fri 14-12-18 1 61 wks
4 D Vouch selected
liabilities
60 wks Mon 12-11-18 Fri 03-01-20 1 0 wks
5 E Test accruals and
amortisation
6 wks Mon 06-01-20 Fri 14-02-20 4 0 wks
6 F Process confirmations40 wks Mon 25-02-19 Fri 29-11-19 2 20 wks
7 G Reconcile interest
expense to debt
10 wks Mon 17-02-20 Fri 24-04-20 3,5 0 wks
8 H Verify debt
restriction
compliance
7 wks Mon 02-12-19 Fri 17-01-20 6 20 wks
9 I Investigate debit
balances
6 wks Mon 27-04-20 Fri 05-06-20 7 0 wks
10 J Review
subsequent
payments
12 wks Mon 08-06-20 Fri 28-08-20 8,9 0 wks
Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct
3rd Quarter 1st Quarter 3rd Quarter 1st Quarter 3rd Quarter 1st Quarter 3rd Quarter
2. Slack/float time on ‘process confirmations’
The total slack time for this activity is 20 weeks.
3. Slack time on ‘test pension plan’
The total slack time for this activity is 61 weeks.
4. Slack time on ‘verify debt restriction compliance’
The total slack time for this activity is 20 weeks.

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Explanation on management of critical path activities
The critical path activities have direct impact on milestones of a project and significant
impact on the end date of a project. The critical activities must be focused more than non-critical
activities as those directly contributes to changes in duration of a project. The critical path of a
project is considered as the shortest path for a project and thus there is a need to manage the
critical activities. The critical path requires closer scrutiny but at the same time other paths have
also to be monitored as those maybe related to the critical path or even may become a critical
path. It is also necessary that project manager should not ignore the non-critical activities while
managing the critical activities. Thus, it is essential that critical path have to be managed
effectively rather than non-critical activities. The critical path is related directly to the overall
project thus changes in the critical activities impacts the entire project.
One such instance of changes in critical activities can be found in Exercise 1 where, it has
been demonstrated that the critical path has changed with duration of “activity a”. Hence,
managing the non-critical activities in the developed schedule will not help to maintain the
original target date. The previously found non-critical activities has become critical activities
after changes in “activity a” thus it is necessary that critical path activities should be managed
differently from non-critical activities.

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Bibliography
Levy, F.L., Thompson, G.L. & Weist, J.D. (1963). The ABCs of the critical path method'.
Harvard Business Review, 41(5), pp. 98-108.
Meredith, J.R & Mantel, S.J. (2012). Project management: a managerial approach. 8th ed.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Project Management Institute. (2013). A guide to the project management book of knowledge
(PMBOK® Guide). 5th ed. Newton Square, PA: Project Management Institute.