Case 1: Systems Analysis I
Assigned: 1 February 2005
Due: 3 February 2005
You
are employed as a systems analyst in a company that manufactures
processing units. Your company is currently exploring building a new
processing unit. As part of the initial planning, you are required to
create a PERT diagram for creating system prototypes. The tasks
involved and their duration and precedence are given in the table
below. Use 1 February 2005 as the start day, with
working days being Monday through Friday. The times given below are in
working days.
| Task # |
Task |
Time
(days)
|
Tasks
that precede
|
| 1 |
Determine overall
prototype screens and reports |
2
|
-
|
| 2 |
Determine report and
screen contents |
4
|
1
|
| 3 |
Create report prototypes |
3
|
2
|
| 4 |
Create screen prototypes |
4
|
2
|
| 5 |
Obtain report prototype
feedback |
1
|
3
|
| 6 |
Obtain screen prototype
feedback |
2
|
4
|
| 7 |
Modify report prototype |
2
|
5
|
| 8 |
Modify screen prototype |
4
|
6
|
| 9 |
Obtain final approval |
2
|
7,
8
|
Using the instructions given
below for downloading the project management software, do the following:
- Create a Gantt chart.
- Create a PERT network, and
highlight the critical path.
- What is the project
completion date?
- Identify the early start,
early finish, late start, late finish, and slack for each Task.
- The manager who reviews the
report prototype was suddenly indisposed. As a result, Task 5, obtain
report prototype feedback, took 6 days instead of the original 1 day.
When does the project finish now? Are the critical tasks the same as
before?
Directions to download and use
Planbee project management software:
- Download software from http://www.guysoftware.com/plnbinst.exe
- Double click the downloaded
file to install. Go through the complete process, and at the end,
choose the option to start the software.
- Click on File, New to open
new project. Enter the following information
- Company: Systems
Analysis I
- Project: Case 1
- Author: Give your
username here. The one you use in Flashline
- Account: Give your
group number or name here. Click on Ok to continue
- Start entering all the
tasks under Task Details. Use the down arrow key to move to the next
task entry. For each task, provide the duration. Make sure the calendar
days options is set for M-F.
- Once all the tasks have
been entered, it is time to indicate the precedence relationships.
- Assume that Task 1 precedes
Task 2. Click on Task 2, and then on Add Precedence.
- From the list of tasks on
the left pane, choose Task 1, and then hit OK.
- Repeat the above two steps
for all tasks and precedence relationships.
- Once you are done entering
all precedence relationships, click on the PERT chart window (it looks
like a network diagram)
- Once in the PERT chart
window, click on Auto Align Pert Nodes to get a better layout. You can
also hit the >> or << key in the top right
corner to change the scale
- Click on Critical This
Color to highlight the critical path.
- Print a copy of the
diagram, and then close this chart window.
- You can now click on the
Gantt Chart Window Icon to draw the Gantt chart.
- Click on the different
options to see how the Gantt chart changes.
- Print a copy.
Instructions for submitting
your case
- Write a short report
answering each of the above questions. Your report can be in one of the
following formats: Text, HTML, or pdf. If you use Word, save the
document as html.
- Attach a copy of the PERT
and GANTT charts for questions 1 and 2