Riverina AutoParts (RAP) are planning to expand their factory to cope with the additional demand for their products and have requested your help as an external consultant. RAP wants to determine what is involved in the project and how soon it can be completed. They have asked for a plan in the form of a Gantt Chart and Network Diagram with relevant activity times, project duration and identification of the critical path.
In the initial planning stages, you have decided that there are three major phases (or sub-projects) in this expansion project these being; building, processing equipment and material handling system.
After spending a few weeks in scoping the work, you have established a list of activities according to the three major components. Discussions with contractors and the client have helped you to draw up a table of estimated durations
for the activities and the relationships among them as indicated below.
| Activity | Activities on which it is dependent | Duration (in weeks) |
| BUILDING PHASE | ||
| A1 – Design building | none | 6 |
| A2 – Ordering Material | A1 | 5 |
| A3 – Construction of building | A2 | 1 |
| PROCESS EQUIPMENT PHASE | ||
| B1 – In-house design of equipment | A1 | 2 |
| B2 – Detailed design by consultant | B1 | 8 |
| B3 – Tender exercise for equipment | B2 | 4 |
| B4 – Installation and commissioning of equipment | B3 | 4 |
| MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM PHASE | ||
| C1 – Study of processing equipment by consultant | B2 | 2 |
| C2 – Design of material handling equipment | C1 | 4 |
| C3 – Purchase of equipment | C2 | 4 |
| C4 – Installation and commissioning | C3 | 4 |
- Write a report on the project plan required by RAP senior management, offering sufficient information for senior management to review and understand the implications of embarking on such a project. (10 marks)
- You realise that the information that RAP has requested is inadequate and suitable for only basic planning purposes. In a second section of the report, present your recommendations on what other information is relevant and what techniques and systems should be used to plan, monitor and control the project. (5 marks)
Note:
- For part (a) the network diagram and Gantt chart can be neatly drawn manually or by using drawing software such as MS PowerPoint (you are not to use any project software such as Microsoft Project). Limit your reports written response to 400 words this does not include diagrams, charts or data tables.
- For part (b) limit your reports written response to 600 words.
- With Q2 (a)make sure you read the question carefully as it is asking only for a report on the project plan required by RAP management. Hence, if you look at the information, they have only asked for a plan in the form of a Gantt Chart and Network Diagram with relevant activity times, project duration and identification of the critical path. So, you only need to be discussing sufficient information for them to understand the implications of your findings on the project plan they have specified. Limit your response to 400 words,
- WithQ2 (b) lucky for RAP you have studied MGT310 and you are aware that the plan RAP management had requested is inadequate and suitable for only basic planning purposes. So, you need to present a report to RAP management on your recommendations what other information is relevant and what techniques may need to be considered to plan, monitor and control the project. In other words, the question is not asking for you to develop a detailed project management plan it is asking what would you recommend should be considered. Limit your response to 600 words.
