53:623:510
Managing Projects and Information Technology
Assignment 1 – Developing Project Schedules – Sample Solutions
1. Calculate the ES, EF, LS, and LF times and the slack for each activity in the figure below, and identify the
critical path for the project. Can the project be completed in 30 weeks? Assume that “Systems Analysis”
actually finished at 8 weeks, “Design Input & Output” actually finished at 15 weeks, and “Design Database”
actually finished at 19 weeks. Recalculate the expected project completion time. Which activities would you
focus on in order to get the project back on schedule?
10 1 18
Develop Input
Screens
7 ‐1 10 5 8
Design Input & 11 19
Output
0 ‐5 2 2 ‐5 7 3 3 10 ‐1 20 24 ‐5 30 30 ‐5 35
Problem 6 9 Develop Output Implement
System Analysis Test System
Definition Reports System
1 2 2 5 7 ‐5 22 6 10 22 ‐5 24 8 6 9 5
‐5 ‐3 ‐3 2 9 19 Develop 19 25 25 30
Design Database
Database
4 15 7 2
2 17 17 19
Activity ED ES EF LS LF TS
1. Prob. Def. 2 0 2 -5 -3 -5
2. Sys. Analysis 5 2 7 -3 2 -5
3. Design I/O 3 7 10 6 9 -1
4. Design DB 15 7 22 2 17 -5
5. Develop Input 8 10 18 11 19 1
6. Develop Output 10 10 20 9 19 -1
7. Develop DB 2 22 24 17 19 -5
8. Test System 6 24 30 19 25 -5
9. Implement 5 30 35 25 30 -5
No, this project cannot be completed within 30 weeks. With the current estimates, it will take 35 weeks. The
most critical path is:
1-2-4-7-8-9.
Activity ED ES EF LS LF TS AF
1. Prob. Def. 2
2. Sys. Analysis 5 8
3. Design I/O 3 15
4. Design DB 15 19
5. Dev. Input 8 15 23 11 19 -4
6. Dev. Output 10 15 25 9 19 -6
7. Dev. DB 2 19 21 17 19 -2
8. Test System 6 25 31 19 25 -6
9. Implement 5 31 36 25 30 -6
The project has slipped even further. With the current estimates, it will take 36 weeks. Attention should be
given to all activities since they all have negative slack. However, the path 6-8-9 is the most critical.
2. Draw the network and identify the critical path. Also calculate the earliest and
latest starting and finishing times for each activity.
Activity Preceding Activity Time (Weeks)
A 4
B 6
C A, B 7
D B 8
E B 5
F C 5
G D 7
H D, E 8
I F, G, H 4
The network diagram.
0 6 4 6 4 13 13 4 18
A C F
1 4 3 7 6 5
6 10 10 17 17 22
0 0 6 6 0 14 14 1 21 22 0 26
B D G I
2 6 4 8 7 7 9 4
0 6 6 14 15 22 22 26
6 3 11 14 0 22
E H
5 5 8 8
9 14 14 22
In tabular form:
Activity Early Start Early Finish Latest Start Latest Finish
A 0 4 6 10
B 0 6 0 6
C 6 13 10 17
D 6 14 6 14
E 6 11 9 14
F 13 18 17 22
G 14 21 15 22
H 14 22 14 22
I 22 26 22 26
Critical Path is : B-D-H-I
3. For the network diagram shown below, with all times indicated in weeks,
answer the following questions:
What is the impact on the project end date if activity F slips by 7 weeks?
What is the impact on the project end date if activity E slips by one week?
What is the impact on activity H if activity C were to slip by two weeks?
What is the impact on the project end date if activity B slips by one week?
Activity Early Start Early Finish Latest Start Latest Finish
A 0 3 0 3
B 3 6 6 9
C 3 5 3 5
D 6 9 9 12
E 5 12 5 12
F 6 9 15 18
G 12 18 12 18
H 5 7 16 18
Critical Path is: A-C-E-G
a. No impact
b. The end date slips by one week
c. The start date will slip by two weeks and two weeks of slack will be removed from H.
d. No impact
