Chapter 8. Resource Management
8.10 Exercises
Exercise 1: Resource Allocation and Leveling for the Smart Home Project
SmartTech Inc., a leading fictional company in home automation, has been contracted to install a comprehensive smart home automation system for a luxury residence. The system includes smart lighting, security cameras, and voice-controlled HVAC systems. The homeowner expects the installation to be completed in 4 weeks to align with their move-in date.
The project involves the following activities:
| Activity | Description | Duration | Predecessors | Resources Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Perform home assessment | 2 days | – | 2 assessors |
| B | Procure equipment | 7 days | – | Procurement team |
| C | Install smart lighting systems | 3 days | A, B | 2 technicians |
| D | Install security camera systems | 2 days | A, B | 2 technicians |
| E | Install HVAC systems | 3 days | A, B | 2 technicians |
| F | Perform system testing | 1 day | C, D, E | 1 technician, 1 quality analyst |
| G | Provide homeowner training | 1 day | F | 1 trainer |
The team includes:
- 2 assessors
- 3 technicians
- 1 quality analyst
- 1 trainer
Tasks and Questions
Part 1: Resource Allocation
- Create a Resource Allocation Plan: Assign resources to each activity based on the requirements and available team members.
- Create a resource allocation table for all activities.
- Identify Overallocations:
- Review the resource allocation and identify any overallocation issues.
- Highlight the specific activities and days where conflicts occur.
Part 2: Resource Leveling
- Apply Resource Leveling: Adjust the schedule to resolve overallocation issues using resource leveling techniques.
- Reallocate tasks to balance the workload.
- Adjust the start dates of activities if necessary.
- Analyze the Impact:
- How does resource leveling affect the project’s total duration?
- Are there any delays in completing the project within the homeowner’s 4-week deadline?
Exercise 2: Crashing Activities
Below is a WBS for a project that includes durations and predecessors.
| Activity ID | Activity | Predecessor(s) | Duration (days) |
| A | Define Project Scope | None | 3 |
| B | Identify Stakeholder Requirements | A | 5 |
| C | Conduct Feasibility Study | B | 4 |
| D | Develop Project Charter | C | 2 |
| E | Create Initial Project Plan | D | 5 |
| F | Create Wireframes and Mockups | E | 7 |
| G | Develop Front-End Components | F | 10 |
| H | Develop Back-End Architecture | F | 12 |
| I | Integrate Front-End with Back-End | G, H | 5 |
| J | Conduct Functional Testing | I | 8 |
| K | Prepare Testing Environment | E | 3 |
| L | Conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT) | J, K | 6 |
| M | Develop User Training Materials | K | 4 |
| N | Deploy Website on Production Server | L, M | 2 |
| O | Monitor and Optimize Performance | N | 5 |
Tasks and Questions
- Draw the Network Diagram:
- Based on the table above, create a network diagram that visually represents the sequence of activities. Ensure all dependencies (finish-to-start) are correctly illustrated. Apply forward pass and backward pass.
- Indicate each activity’s duration, ES, LS, EF, LF, and slack in the network diagram.
- Which activities are in the critical path?
- Propose Two Ways to Crash the Project:
- Propose two ways to crash the project.
- For each crashing proposal, crash two activities and explain:
- Which activities will be shortened?
- Explain how you can shorten activities, for example, by assigning more resources. Explain which resources can be increased or which new resources can be allocated.
- How will the overall project duration be affected?
- Indicate if the critical path changed.
