Question

problem 1 - resource smoothing
given the network plan that follows, compute the early, late and slack times. using any approach you wish (e.g. trial and error), develop a loading chart for resource electrical engineers (ee), and resource mechanical engineers (me). assume only one of each resource exists. given your resource schedule, compute the early, late and slack times for your project. which activities are now critical? what is the project duration now? could something like this happen in real projects? what is the project duration? using any approach you wish (e.g. trial and error), develop a loading chart for resource electrical engineers (ee), and resource mechanical engineers (me). assume only one of each resource exists. given your resource schedule, compute the early, late and slack times for your project. which activities are now critical? what is the project duration now? could something like this happen in real projects?

Explanation:

Step1: Identify network - related tasks

First, analyze the network plan to identify all activities, their predecessors, and durations. This forms the basis for further calculations.

Step2: Calculate early start and finish times

For each activity, calculate the early - start (ES) and early - finish (EF) times. ES of the first activity is 0, and EF = ES+duration. For subsequent activities, ES is the maximum EF of its predecessors.

Step3: Calculate late start and finish times

Calculate the late - start (LS) and late - finish (LF) times. LF of the last activity is equal to its EF. For previous activities, LF is the minimum LS of its successors, and LS = LF - duration.

Step4: Calculate slack times

Slack time for an activity is calculated as LS - ES or LF - EF. Activities with zero slack are critical.

Step5: Determine project duration

The project duration is the EF of the last activity in the network.

Step6: Develop loading chart

Based on the resource schedule, create a loading chart that shows the resource usage over time for each resource type (EE, ME).

Answer:

The early, late, and slack times can be calculated following the above steps. The project duration is determined by the critical path (activities with zero slack). A loading chart can be developed to show resource usage over time for each resource type. The critical activities are those with zero slack, and these are the ones that can delay the project if not completed on time.