The document outlines a project for a new computer-controlled conveyor belt system designed to position items with high precision and low cost, intended for factory installations. It includes detailed tables for project management tasks, resources, schedules, and roles, along with guidelines for project completion and adjustments needed to meet specific deadlines. This comprehensive plan addresses potential resource overallocation and includes steps for generating status reports and financial tracking throughout the project lifecycle.

1. Project Description
The new computer-controlled conveyor belt is an exciting
project that moves and positions items on the conveyor belt
within 1 millimeter. The project will produce a new system for
future installations, and for replacement of those in the field, at
a low cost. The computer-controlled conveyor belt has the
potential to be a critical unit in 30 percent of the systems
installed in factories. The new system is also easier to update
with future technologies. Table 1 has been developed for you to
use in completing the project exercises.
Table 1 Conveyor Belt Project; WBS
Hardware
Hardware specifications
Hardware design
Hardware documentation
Prototypes
Order circuit boards
Assemble preproduction models
Operating system
Kernel specifications
Drivers
Disk drivers
Serial I/O drivers
Memory management
Operating system documentation
Network interface
Utilities
Utilities specifications
Routine utilities
Complex utilities
Utilities documentation
Shell
System integration

2. Architectural decisions
Integration first phase
System hard/software test
Project documentation
Integration acceptance testing
· The project begins January 4, 2010.
· The following holidays are observed: January 1, Memorial
Day (last Monday in May), July 4th, Labor Day (first Monday
in September), Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November),
December 25 and 26.
· If a holiday falls on a Saturday then Friday will be given as an
extra day off, and if it falls on a Sunday, then Monday will be
given as a day off.
· The project teams work eight-hour days, Monday through
Friday.
Part 1
1. Develop the WBS outline using the software available to you.
2. When is the project estimated to be completed?
3. How long will the project take?
4. What is the critical path(s) for the project?
5. Which activity has the greatest amount of slack?
Include the following printouts:
· A Gantt chart.
· A network diagram highlighting the critical path.
· A schedule table reporting. ES, LS, EF, LF, and slack for each
activity.

3. Table 2 Conveyor Belt Project; Schedule
Activity
Description
Resource (one team each)
Duration (days)
Preceding Activity
1
Architectural decisions
Design
25
—
2
Hardware specifications
Development, design
50
1
3
Kernel specifications
Design
20
1
4
Utilities specifications
Development, design
15
1
5
Hardware design
Design, development
70
2
6
Disk drivers
Assembly, development

4. 100
3
7
Memory management
Development
90
3
8
Operating system documentation
Design, documentation
25
3
9
Routine utilities
Development
60
4
10
Complex utilities
Development
80
4
11
Utilities documentation
Documentation, design
20
4
12
Hardware documentation
Documentation, design
30
5
13
Integration first phase
Assembly, development
50

5. 6,7,8,9,10,11,12
14
Prototypes
Assembly, development
80
13
15
Serial I/O drivers
Development
130
13
16
System hard/software test
Assembly
25
14,15
17
Order circuit boards
Purchasing
5
16
18
Network interface
Development
90
16
19
Shell
Development
60
16
20
Project documentation
Documentation, development
50
16

6. 21
Assemble preproduction models
Assembly, development
30
17F-S, lag 50 days
22
Integrated acceptance testing
Assembly, development
60
18,19,20,21
Part 2
Remember the old saying, “A project plan is not a schedule
until resources are committed.” All information is found in
Tables 2 and 3.
Table 3 Organization Resources
Name
Group
Cost ($/hr)
Design
R&D (2 teams)
$100
Development
R&D (2 teams)
70
Documentation
R&D (1 team)
60
Assembly/test
R&D (1 team)
70
Purchasing
Procurement (1 team)
40

7. Part 2-A
Prepare a memo that addresses the following questions:
1. Which if any of the resources are overallocated?
2. Assume that the project is time constrained and try to resolve
any overallocation problems by leveling within slack. What
happens?
3. Assume the project is resource constrained and resolve any
overallocation problems by leveling outside of slack. What
happens? What are the managerial implications?
Include a Gantt chart with the schedule table after leveling
outside of slack.
Note: No splitting of activities is allowed.
Part 2-B
When you show the resource-constrained network to top
management, they are visibly shaken. After some explanation
and negotiation, they make the following compromise with you:
· The project must be completed no later than February 2, 2012
· You may assigned two additional teams of your chose.
· If this does not suffice, you may hire other teams from the
outside. The outside team would cost $50 more per hour than
your inside teams.
· You have to stay within the 530 days. If you need more than
two internal teams units, then hire as few external teams as
necessary. Select the cheapest possibility! Change as few
activities as possible. It is recommended you keep work
packages, which require cooperation of several organizational
units inside your company. You decide how best to do this.
Hint: Undo leveling prior to adding new resources.
Once you have obtained a schedule that meets the time

8. constraints, prepare a memo that addresses the following
questions:
1. What changes did you make and why?
2. How long will the project take?
3. How much will the project cost?
Include a Gantt chart with a schedule table presenting the new
schedule.
Include a monthly cash flow and a cost table for the project.
Part 3 (Bonus)
Prepare status reports for four quarter of the project (Fourth
Quarter, January 1, 2011) given the information provided in
Table 4. This requires saving your resource schedule as a base-
line and inserting the appropriate status report date in the
program. Assume that no work has been completed on the day
of the status report.
Your status report should include a table containing the PV, EV,
AC, BAC, EAC, SV, CV, and CPI for each activity and the
whole project. The report should also address the following
questions:
1. How is the project progressing in terms of cost and schedule?
2. What activities have gone well? What activities have not
gone well?
3. What do the PCIB and PCIC indicate in terms of how much
of the project has been accomplished to date?
4. What is the forecasted cost at completion (EACf)? What is
the predicted VACf ?
5. Report and interpret the TCPI for the project at this point in
time.
6. What is the estimated date of completion?
Table 4 January 1, 2011
Activity
Start Date
Finish Date
Actual Duration
Remaining Duration
Hardware specifications

9. 2/9/10
4/12/10
45
0
Hardware design
4/13/10
7/16/10
67
0
Hardware documentation
7/19/10
8/24/10
27
0
Prototypes
11/11/10
-
34
44
Kernel specifications
2/8/10
3/12/10
25
0
Disk drivers
3/15/10
8/17/10
110
0
Serial I/O drivers
11/11/10
-
34
119
Memory management
3/15/10

10. 7/30/10
98
0
Op. systems documentation
3/15/10
4/16/10
25
0
Utilities specifications
3/8/10
3/29/10
16
0
Routine utilities
4/26/10
7/27/10
65
0
Complex utilities
3/30/10
8/11/10
95
0
Utilities documentation
5/3/10
6/2/10
22
0
Architectural decisions
1/4/10
2/5/10
25
0
Integration 1st phase
8/25/10
11/10/10

11. 55
0
Part 4
You have received revised estimates for the remaining activities
at the end of the fourth quarter:
· Prototypes will be completed on 3/8/11.
· Serial I/O drivers will be completed on 6/30/11.
· System hardware/software test will start on 7/1/11 and take 25
days.
· Order circuit boards will start on 8/8/11 and take 5 days.
· Assemble preproduction model will begin on 10/14/11 and
take 18 days.
· Project documentation is expected to start on 8/8/11 and will
take 55 days.
· Network interface is expected to start on 8/8/11 and will take
99 days.
· Shell is expected to start on 8/8/11 and will take 55 days.
· Integrated acceptance testing is expected to start on 12/29/11
and will take 54 days.
Prepare a memo that addresses the following questions:
1. What is the new EAC for the project? How long should the
project take given these revised estimates?
2. What recommendations would you make?
Include a revised schedule, a Tracking Gantt chart, and cost
table with your memo.