Using Microsoft Project answer the two questions below:

Widget Toy Company

Frank Girardi is a project manager at the Widget Toy Company $($Widget$),$ based on Kalamazoo,

Michigan. Frank just submitted a proposal to the new product review committee for funding of a

new children's toy based on a recently$-$released motion picture. Frank feels that if he can get the

product out for the Christmas buying season, Widget could take advantage of what he felt was

strong $-$ but time$-$sensitive $-$ market demand. It is now Monday, July $24,2023,$ and Frank knew

that he would have to have the project complete and the product in stores by Monday, November

$20,2023$ to meet the Black Friday shopping day $($November $24$th $).$

Frank expected approval from the committee $($i$.$e$.,$ Activity A in Table $1)$ at the end the week

$($Friday$,$ July $28$th $),$ at which time he would begin coordinating the development and launch of the

new project. Since Frank is an experienced project manager, he has already laid out a

preliminary set of activities as shown in Table $1.$

Based on his schedule, Frank felt that he could start work on some activities as soon as the

funding approval was received, such as finalizing the product design and placing an order for the

new equipment needed to produce the toy. However, many of the other activities had to be

performed sequentially. For example, worker training cannot be completed until the equipment

is installed and the dies and tools for the machine are built. Similarly, raw materials cannot be

ordered until the build dies$/$tools and advertising plan are completed $($since both will influence

raw material selection for components of the toy$).$

At first glance, Frank is concerned about the delivery schedule. Currently, Frank only sees two

potential options for shortening the overall project duration:

$1)$ After talking with the marketing manager, Margaret Cone, Frank learned that the he

could reduce the time spent on product advertising $($Activity K in Table $1).$ However,

Margaret estimated that for each week of lost advertising, sales of the product would

decrease by $5\%.$ Margaret also indicated that anything less than $8$ weeks of advertising

would be insufficient for this type of new product.

$2)$ Frank also spoke with Jeff Stevens, the production manager at the tool shop. While

the tool shop staff were accustomed to working a standard $5-$day$/40-$hour work week $($as

with all Widget employees$),$ Jeff offered to speed up the dies$/$tools build up $($Activity E$)$

through overtime. If the tool shop staff worked overtime each and every week $($at an

additional total cost of $$15,000),$ Jeff felt that they could reduce the time to complete the

building of the dies and tools by three weeks...if Frank could cover the additional cost.

Table $2$ provides a high level estimate of projected financial information for the proposed new

toy. Based on this information, develop a schedule in MS Project $($or another scheduling tool of

your choosing$)$ and answer the following questions:

$1.$ When is the overall project slated to be completed? Will it finish by the stated deadline?

$2.$ What actions $($if any$)$ does Frank need to take to make the project as successful as possible? If no actions are required, which tasks pose the greatest risk to the project and

why?

Widget Toy Company

Table $1$: Activities for New Product Development

Activity Description Predecessor$($s$)$ Duration $($Weeks$)$

A Obtain funding approval $--1$

B Finalize product design A $1$

C Order new equipment A $1$

D Receive new equipment C $7$

E Build dies$/$tools B $10$

F Install equipment D $1$

G Train workers E$,$ F $1$

H De$-$bug process G $1$

I Establish advertising plan B $1$

J Finalize package$/$art work I $3$

K Advertise J $12$

L Order raw materials E$,$ J $1$

M Receive raw materials L $1$

N Complete initial production H$,$ M $3$

O Ship product N $1$

P Project completion K$,$O $0$

Widget Toy Company

Table $2$: Data from New Product Proposal

Projected sales $($units$)10,000$

Proposed unit price $$25\mathrm{.}00$

Projected sales $($revenue$)$ $$250,000$

Projected cost for $10,000$ units $$170,000$

Projected profit for $10,000$ units $$80,000(32\%)$

Required profit margin for all new products $25\%$Widget Toy Company

Table $2$: Data from New Product Proposal

Projected sales $($units$)10,000$

Proposed unit price $$25\mathrm{.}00$

Projected sales $($revenue$)$ $$250,000$

Projected cost for $10,000$ units $$170,000$

Projected profit for $10,000$ units $$80,000(32\%)$