Rita - Time management - network diagram - changing critical path - shorten duration!!!

Submitted by Seacamel on Sat, 08/13/2011 - 06:02

Hello.

I'm feeling a little embarrassed.. Rita page 220, question 23.. asks you to shorten the duration of a project by 2 weeks by shortening an activity.. second time through..same question wrong..

I just don't know why I'm not getting this.. very frustrating. I think I understand the explaination on how to find the float, I understand there are a couple of different ways.. I just want to learn a good method. I' also lost when it comes to changing the critical path by compressing the schedule..

Can one of you please offer some advice on understandidng the concept and passing these type questions.

I have been studying hard and on my second pass through the Rita book my test scores are in the high 80s for each chapter, including Time. I just really want to understand this topic, it is very important.

Regards,

Chris

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Sat, 08/13/2011 - 06:56

To shorten the duration of the project think real time. ... first you must know the critical path and attack that since any other path will not shorten the duration 

1. Check if activities on CP can be done in parallel ( Fast tracking )

2. Check if more resources can be added to CP to reduce duration of an activity (Crashing )

3. Check if scope can be reduced , thereby removing an activity from CP.

4. Check if quality requirements can be relaxed or if work can be outsourced to some other vendor who can do it more quickly. of course this will have additional cost.

5. Finally if nothing works then as a last resort you must ask resources to work overtime. This is best avoided. 

If you are going for 2nd pass, i would strong recommend you buy the PMZilla questions if you have time. 

Seacamel

Sat, 08/13/2011 - 18:25

First of all. Thank you for addressing my question.. I feel I may be getting confused because it seems like there are so may ways to find float and estimate durations.. use the ES-LS method or use the critical path duration - the next path duration method.. or this mess Float = (LF- activity duration) - ES = LF - (ES+ activity duration)  which was part of the PMI material from class; this makes no sense to me whatsoever.. have you seen this before and if so can you please advise me?

Again thanks very much for your time.

Chris