Discussion Assignments:

Project Scheduling

Your team has been asked to test and document enhancements to a web application that allows buyers to purchase custom-printed canvas shoes. The tasks and dependencies are as follows:

Create a testing plan

Once the testing plan is ready, your team can:

Test the user interfaces

Test the database

Test the network

Write the documentation first draft

When the user interface tests are complete, you can:

Perform user testingenlist some users to test the user interface

When the database and network testing are complete, you can:

Perform integration testingnetwork with the database

When the user testing of the user interface and the database testing are complete, you can:

Perform integration testingdatabase, network, and user interface

When all integration testing and user testing are complete, you can:

Perform system testing

Then you can:

Review and revise documentation

After all other tasks are complete, you can:

Obtain management approval

Duration estimates for the tasks:

a. 3 days

b. 10 days

c. 6 days

d. 7 days

e. 20 days

f. 5 days

g. 3 days

h. 2 days

i. 8 days

j. 4 days

k. 5 days

1. Create a network diagram and a Gantt chart for the project tasks. Ask your instructor if you are permitted to use software such as Microsoft Project to help you prepare your diagrams.

a. What is the planned duration of the testing project?

b. What is the critical path for the testing project?

c. For each task NOT on the critical path, calculate the amount of slack available.

d. If the user testing of the user interface takes 15 days, what will the impact be on the project duration?

2. Go online and find at least two sites with definitions of fast-tracking and crashing a project schedule.

a. Prepare proper reference citations for the sites you located, using APA style.

b. In your own words, write definitions for project fast tracking and project crashing.

c. Consider the plan you prepared for the software system testing project in question 1 above. If you were informed by management that you must reduce the planned duration of the project by five days, describe how you, as a project manager, could crash or fast-trackthis project. Be specific in identifying exactly what could be changed in the project plan for each option.

d. If the request to speed up the project occurs after day 25 of the original schedule, what is the only option available?

3. Go online and research the difference between total slack and free slack.

a. Prepare proper reference citations for the sites you located, using APA style.

b. Write definitions of total slack and free slack in your own words.

c. Why would the distinction between different forms of slack be important to a project manager?

Budget Planning:

1. Wedding cost estimation: Given the following information, calculate the estimated costs for a wedding with 250 guests and a bridal party of six, using the methods indicated. Show your work.

Note that members of the bridal party are already counted as guests, you dont need to add them twice.

a. Parametric estimate

b. Bottom-up estimate

c. Analogous cost estimate

d. You will probably notice some differences in the estimated values. Are these differences significant? What might cause the differences? If you were estimating a significant project in the future, which method(s) would you use and why?

e. Your mother points out you should probably have valet parking, which will cost $500. Which estimate(s) will change?