The home ofi ce billing department of a chain of department stores prepares monthly inventory reports for use by the stores’ purchasing agents. Given the following information, use the critical path method to determine:

a. How long the total process will take.

b. Which jobs can be delayed without delaying the early start of any subsequent activity.

Job and Description Immediate Predecessors Time

(hours)

A B

C D

E F

G H

Start Get computer printouts of customer purchases Get stock records for the month Reconcile purchase printouts and stock records Total stock records by department Determine reorder quantities for coming period Prepare stock reports for purchasing agents Finish

—

A A

B, C B, C E

D, F G

0 10 20 30 20 40 20 0 LO.1