Project Planning and Management Past examination papers

Network Diagram Questions from Past Examination Papers Question 5. (January 2002: Network diagrams, CPM, PERT) Your computer manager, Lee Constable, has produced the following network diagram for the next programming project that you will be working on together. Lee has specified the most likely time for each activity in Table I below, and has asked you to complete the table and network diagram by doing the following: (a) Using the Most Likely Time from Table I below, calculate the Earliest Event Time (EET), the

Latest Event Time (LET) and float or slack associated with each activity (15 marks) (b) Identify the critical path for Lee's network diagram (3 Marks)

Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the table or on the network diagram and attach these pages to your answer booklet. You may assume the times are in days, all activities are appropriate, and the network diagram is correct. Table I

Activity Most Likely Time EET LET Float A 2 B 5 C 6 D 4 E 3 F 9 G 8 H 7 I 1 J 3

Project Planning and Management Past examination papers

Lee Constable's network diagram: Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the table or on the network diagram and attach these pages to your answer booklet.

10

A 2

B 5

G 8

E 3

C 6

F 9

H 7

I 1

D 4

30

40

60

20 50

70

80

90

J 3

Project Planning and Management Past examination papers

Now that you have finished the calculations for the network diagram, Lee has asked you to carry out the following tasks: (c) Calculate the expected time (using the PERT formula) from the optimistic, most likely and

pessimistic times Lee has identified in Table II below. (10 marks) (d) Specify and comment on the effect of using the Expected Time as opposed to the Most Likely

Time on the critical path for Lee's network diagram. (5 marks)

Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the table or on the network diagram and attach these pages to your answer booklet. Table II

Activity Most Likely Time

Optimistic Time

Pessimistic Time Expected Time

A 2 1 3 B 5 1.5 5.5 C 6 2.5 6.5 D 4 3 5 E 3 2 4 F 9 8 10 G 8 7.5 14.5 H 7 6.5 13.5 1 0.5 1.5 3 1.5 4.5

Question 5. (May 2002: Network diagrams, CPM, resources) Your Project Manager, Alex Midway, has produced the following network diagram for a programming project. Alex has specified the duration for each activity in Table I below, and has asked you to complete the table and network diagram by doing the following: (a) Using the Duration from Table I below, calculate the Earliest Event Time (EET), the Latest

Event Time (LET) and the float or slack associated with each activity. (15 marks) (b) Identify the critical path for Alex's network diagram. (3 Marks)

Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the table or on the network diagram and attach these pages to your answer booklet. You may assume the times are in days, all activities are appropriate, and the network diagram is correct. Table I

Activity Duration EET LET Float/ Slack

Staff Resources

A 2 3 B 3 1 C 5 3 D 4 5 E 6 7 F 9 4 G 8 3 H 6 6 I 3 3 J 1 2

Project Planning and Management Past examination papers

Alex Midway's network diagram: Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the table or on the network diagram and attach these pages to your answer booklet.

10

A 2

B 3

D 4

C 5

E 6

F 9

G 8

I 3

H 6

30

40

60

50

70

80

90

J 1

20

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

Now that you have finished the calculations for the network diagram, Alex has asked you to carry out the following tasks: (c) What are the staff resources used each day for the project? (12 marks) (d) What is the peak day for staff resources? What would the effect of starting Activity E four

days later than the EET? (3 marks) Question 5. (January 2003: Network diagrams, CPM, resources) Your Project Manager, Chas Mildwood, has produced the following network diagram for a programming project. Note that the number of staff required each day for each activity is given in the table. Chas has specified the duration for each activity in Table I below, and has asked you to complete the table and network diagram by doing the following: (a) Using the Duration from Table I below, calculate the Earliest Event Time (EET), the Latest

Event Time (LET) and the float or slack associated with each activity (10 marks) (b) Identify the activities on the critical path for Chas's network diagram. (3 Marks) Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the table or on the network diagram and attach these pages to your answer booklet. You may assume the times are in days, all activities are appropriate, and the network diagram is correct. Table I

Activity Duration EET LET Float Staff resources

A 3 3 B 4 7 C 6 8 D 5 5 E 9 6 F 3 7 G 2 2 H 6 4 I 4 9 J 2 5

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

Chas Mildwood's network diagram: Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the table or on the network diagram and attach these pages to your answer booklet.

10

A 3

B 4

G 2

D 5

C 6

E 9

H 6

F 3

I 4

30

40

60

50

70

80

90

J 2

20

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

Now that you have finished the calculations for the network diagram, Chas has asked you to carry out the following tasks: (c) Assuming that all activities start at their Earliest Event Time (EET), what are the staff

resources used each day for the project? What is/are the peak day(s) for staff resources? (You may use Table II to illustrate your answer). (10 marks)

(d) Assuming that all activities start at their Latest Event Time (LET), what are the staff resources

used each day for the project? What is/are the peak day(s) for staff resources? (You may use Table III to illustrate your answer). (10 marks)

Question 5: Table II: Resources used, activities starting at EET

Day Activities & staff Resources per day Peak day 0 1 : :

30

Question 5:Table III: Resources used, activities starting at LET

Day Activities & staff Resources per day Peak day 0 1 : :

30

Question 5. (May 2003: Network diagrams, CPM) You are the Project Manager for a team working on the development of a new library system. You have specified the duration in days for each activity and constructed the network diagram for the project. Bob Bodgett, one of your project team, has been assigned to calculate the Earliest and Latest Event Times, and identify the critical path. Bob is not sure that the Earliest Event Times (EET) and Latest Event Times (LET) he has calculated are correct. Bob’s EETs and LETs are shown in Table II and the network diagram II below. (a) Using Table I and/or Network Diagram I below, perform your own calculations for the

Earliest Event Time (EET), the Latest Event Time (LET) at the start of each activity, and the float or slack associated with each activity. (10 marks)

(b) Identify the critical path based on your calculations. (4 Marks) You may assume that the times are in days, the network diagram is correct in that the activities are in the right order, and the duration is accurate in each case. Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in Table I or on Network Diagram I and attach these pages to your answer booklet. Table I

Activity Duration EET LET Float/Slack A 3 B 4 C 6 D 2 E 3 F 2 G 6 H 3 I 5 J 2

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

Network Diagram I Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the Table I or on Network Diagram I and attach these pages to your answer booklet. Remember to add your student number, examination hall and seat number in the space provided.

10 A 3

B 4

D 2

C 6

E 3

F 2

G 6

H 3

I 5

30

40 60

50 70

80 90

J 2

20

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

(c) Using your calculations from Table I and Network Diagram I above, identify and explain any

errors in Bob's calculations for the Earliest Event Time (EET), the Latest Event Time (LET) and the float or slack associated with each activity as shown in Table II below. Your answer should demonstrate why any calculations are in error, not simply provide an amended version.

(15 marks) (d) Bob Bodgett has identified the critical path as B, E, H and J. Is this correct, given Bob’s

calculations? Explain your answer. (4 Marks) Table II

Activity Duration Bob's EET Bob's LET Bob's Float A 3 0 -2 -2 B 4 3 1 -2 C 6 3 1 -2 D 2 3 1 -2 E 3 7 7 0 F 2 9 8 -1 G 6 5 3 -2 H 3 10 10 0 I 5 11 9 -2 J 2 13 13 0

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

Network Diagram II Bob Bodgett's EETs, LETs and critical path. Bob Bodgett's critical path shown as a dotted line: B, E, H, J

10 0, -2

A 3

B 4

D 2

C 6

E 3

F 2

G 6

H 3

I 5

30 7, 7

40 11, 9

60 5,3

50

9, 8

70 10, 10

80 13, 13

90 15,15

J 2

20 3, 1

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

Question 5. (January 2004: Network diagrams, CPM) Consider the following scenario. “You work for a company that organises conferences for clients, and you are the project manager for a team organising a two-day conference on the risk posed by computer viruses. The client is a well-known software developer, and expects delegates to attend from other companies, universities, as well as private individuals. You have been given a shortlist of names of possible speakers for the conference. The speakers need to be invited to the event, and will then require both travel arrangements and hotel facilities to be organised (at the same time) for them. As project manager, you will also need to investigate possible venues for the conference, and then hire the most appropriate one. When the venue has been hired, and the speakers have been organised (including their hotel and travel arrangements), it will be possible to advertise the conference, and then take bookings from delegates who wish to attend. When the venue has been hired, you will need to evaluate whether it is more cost-effective to buy or rent microphones for the speakers, and then acquire microphones for the event. After the conference has taken place, you will need to arrange payment of expenses for the invited speakers.” Identify 10 activities that have been specified from the above scenario. (You may specify these activities in your answer book, or in Table I below). Note that you do not need an activity to represent the conference itself. (5 marks) Table I

Activity Description Predecessor A B C D E F G H I J

(a) Construct a network diagram for the 10 activities that you have identified in (a) above, using the

Activity-on-Arrow convention. You must indicate which activities have to occur in sequence (dependencies), and which can run in parallel, but you do not need to consider the start time or duration of each activity. You may wish to indicate the predecessor of each activity in Table I above, or by a description to accompany your network diagram. (13 marks)

(b) You are also working on another conference for a different client. You have specified the duration

in days for each activity and constructed the network diagram for the project. (i) Using Table II and/or Network Diagram I below, calculate the Earliest Event Time

(EET) and the Latest Event Time (LET) for the start of each activity, and the float/slack associated with each activity. (10 marks)

(ii) Identify the critical path based on your calculations. (5 Marks) You may assume that the times are in days, the network diagram is correct in that the activities are in the right order, and the duration is accurate in each case. Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in Table II or on Network Diagram I and attach these pages to your answer booklet. Remember to add your student number, examination hall and seat number in the space provided. Do not write your name on the answer sheets.

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

Table II Activity Duration EET LET Float/Slack

A 2 B 3 C 5 D 4 E 5 F 4 G 6 H 2 I 5 J 3

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

Network Diagram I Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the Table I or on Network Diagram I and attach these pages to your answer booklet. Remember to add your student number, examination hall and seat number in the space provided. Do not write your name to the answer sheets.

10 A 2

B 3

D 4

C 5

E 5

F 4

G 6

H

2

I 5

60

50 30

40 70 80 90

J 3

20

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

Question 5. (May 2004: Network diagrams, CPM) Consider the following scenario. “You work for a company that organises exhibitions, and you are the project manager for a team organising a two-day exhibition on computer graphics and animation. You are expecting visitors to attend from other companies, universities, as well as private individuals. You have a list of companies who wish to contribute by displaying their hardware and software at the exhibition. Representatives from these companies will need to be invited to the event, and they will then require both travel arrangements as well as hotel facilities to be organised for them (these last two activities should be carried out at the same time). As project manager, you will also need to investigate possible halls for the exhibition, and then hire the most appropriate one. After the hall has been hired, and the company representatives have been organised (including their hotel and travel arrangements), it will be possible to advertise the exhibition. After this, you will need to arrange for the exhibition guide to be printed. At the same time as advertising the exhibition and printing the exhibition guide, you will need to rent the display stands, and when they have been delivered you will need to erect them in the exhibition hall. After the exhibition has taken place, you will need to calculate the income generated by visitors to the exhibition.” (c) Identify 10 activities that have been specified in the above scenario. (You may specify these

activities in your answer booklet, or in Table I below). Note that you do not need an activity to represent the exhibition itself. (5 marks)

Table I

Activity Description Predecessor

A B C D E F G H I J

Project Planning and Management Past Examination Papers

(d) Construct a network diagram for the 10 activities that you have identified in (a) above, using the

Activity-on-Arrow convention. You must indicate which activities have to occur in sequence (dependencies), and which can run in parallel, but you do not need to consider the start time or duration of each activity. You must indicate the predecessor of each activity. You may do this either in Table I above, or by a description to accompany your network diagram. (13 marks)

(e) You are also working on another conference for a different client. You have specified the duration

in days for each activity and constructed the network diagram for the project.

(iii) Using Table II and/or Network Diagram I below, calculate the Earliest Event Time (EET) and the Latest Event Time (LET) for the start of each activity, and the float/slack associated with each activity. (10 marks)

(iv) Identify the critical path based on your calculations. (5 Marks) You may assume that the times are in days, the network diagram is correct in that the activities are in the right order, and the duration is accurate in each case. Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in Table II or on Network Diagram I and attach these pages to your answer booklet. Remember to add your student number, examination hall and seat number in the space provided on these pages. Do not write your name on these pages. Table II

Activity Duration EET LET Float/Slack A 2 B 5 C 3 D 5 E 6 F 8 G 2 H 3 I 2 J 2

Network Diagram I Note: You may enter the results of your calculations in the Table I or on Network Diagram I and attach these pages to your answer booklet. Remember to add your student number, examination hall and seat number in the space provided. Do not write your name to the answer sheets.

10 A 2

B 5

D 5

C 3

E 6

F 8

G 2

H

3

I 2

60

50 30

40 70 80 90

J 2

20