Lab Exercise: Project Schedule and Resource Planning

Lab exercise: Project schedule and resource planning
(Adopted from: Aalto University School of Science; TU-22.1120 Introduction to Project Management)
The exercises must be completed by groups of two students. Each group submit its
solutions to Moodle as separate document for each task. In comments of the Moodle
forum, the names of team members should be identified. Use Microsoft Excel (installed on
class computers) or some web-based freeware for development of Gantt chart and
calculations. For the Gantt chart, one day is one table column; one activity – one row.
Description of situation
You work as project manager in a company which has made a contract about planning
and conducting a new automatized inventory control system.
Scope of the project and work breakdown structure has already been decided. Names of
the different tasks and their contents and durations (in days) as well as resource
requirements are shown in table 1. Predecessors of tasks imply which tasks are needed to
be conducted before the current task can be started.
Now you have to prepare a project schedule, calculate the total duration of the project,
define the resources needed as a function of time and evaluate the project costs. You
must assume in each exercise five-day work week (with holidays).
Table 1: Tasks, durations and the required work
Code of Task/Activity Duration Pre- Work resource required

the activity in days decessors
A Start-up planning 5 - Software planning,
and design Equipment design
B Equipment 8 A Software planning,
determination and Equipment design,
planning Software installation,
Equipment assembly
C Specific software 9 A Software planning,
determination Software development
D Production line 4 B Equipment design
planning and
determination
E Equipment 7 B Software planning,
planning Software development
F Software planning 17 C Software planning
G Equipment 10 E Software planning,
documentation Documentation
H Documentation of 13 F Software planning,
operational system Equipment development
I Detailed hardware 7 E Equipment development
blueprints
J Hardware 1 I Procurement
component orders
K Hardware 6 J -
component
delivery
L Integration of 12 D,G,H,K Software development,
phase 1 Equipment development,
Software installation,
Equipment assembly
M Prototype 10 L Software development,
development Equipment development
N Prototype 6 M Software installation,
introduction Equipment assembly
O System evaluation 9 N Software installation,
and improvement Equipment assembly,
Equipment development
P Hardware 18 N Equipment assembly
assembly
Q Computer system 7 P Software development,
installation Software installation
R Project 4 O,P Software development,
documentation Equipment development,
Documentation
S Integration of 12 Q,R Software development,
phase 2 Equipment development,
Software installation,
Equipment assembly
Task 1. Gantt chart
Depict an activity network of the project where expected start and finish times, floats and
all other relevant information is given. The predecessor activity has to be fully concluded
prior the following activity can be started. In other words all dependencies are in FS form
(FS=Finish to start).
Mark the critical path to your activity network. Calculate the shortest possible duration of
the project.
Compose the Gantt chart compatible to shortest possible duration based on the earliest
starting times. Mark floats to Gantt chart as well.
Task 2. Resource histogram
Draw a resource histogram of the project situation with assumption that labour supply is
unlimited. Resource histogram should reflect the work resource requirements of individual
tasks. Use the below presented colour codes.
Fig.1. Colour codes of work resource requirements

Fig.2. Example of the resource histogram (days on horizontal axis)
Task 3. Gant chart revisited
Now you find out that there is a limited labour supply for the project. Your company’s
working resources are presented in table 2.
Table 2: Work resources, receivable number of employees and their costs
Work resource Receivable number of Daily cost /

employees for each employee
Software planning 2 300,00 €
Equipment design 1 280,00 €
Software 1 260,00 €
development
Equipment 1 240,00 €
development
Software installation 2 240,00 €
Equipment assembly 1 220,00 €
Documentation 1 260,00 €
Procurement 1 180,00 €
Compile new resource histogram in relation to time according to the above mentioned
resource limitations. Balance resources so that overall duration of the project increases
with minimal amount. Notice that the work resources required in each activity has to be
conducted at the same time. Only one employee can perform each task (Equipment
design, Software development, Documentation, etc.) so the duration of the activity cannot
increased or decreased by changing the resources or employees receivable. In addition,
each activity has to be finished once it’s started, so you cannot break activities in to
pieces.
Draw also a new Gantt chart based on earliest starting times with floats with assumption
that labour force resource limitations are valid. How the limitations affect the criticality of
activities in the new Gantt chart? Mark to Gantt chart the new critical path and the critical
activities which are critical in relation to timing or resources.
Task 4. Project costs
You should also consider the costs of the project. Most of the cost are composed from
labour costs. In cost calculations you have to consider the following costs:
 Daily costs of employees presented in table 2 (if the resource is used)

 Administrational cost 2600€/week , from each beginning week
 Component Procurement (activity J) 19000€. This cost actualizes when order is
delivered and finished (activity K)
 In documentation you have to use external assistance with a cost 500 € per each
documentation day.
No other costs like inflation or value added tax needs to be considered.
Calculate the cumulative costs of the project when the resource limitations are valid and
draft a chart of the costs in relation to time. Mark the weekly cumulative costs to your
chart. You can assume that all labour costs realize at the same day the corresponding
employee is working. Calculate also the evaluated total costs of the whole project.

Lab Exercise: Project Schedule and Resource Planning

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Lab exercise: Project schedule and resource planning

Table 1: Tasks, durations and the required work

Code of Task/Activity Duration Pre- Work resource required

Task 1. Gantt chart

Task 2. Resource histogram

Fig.1. Colour codes of work resource requirements

Task 3. Gant chart revisited

Table 2: Work resources, receivable number of employees and their costs

Work resource Receivable number of Daily cost /

 Daily costs of employees presented in table 2 (if the resource is used)

No other costs like inflation or value added tax needs to be considered.

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