CSU MSL5080 Unit VI case study

Case Study Help -6

Read the case study on page 456 of the textbook entitled “Southwestern University Traffic Problems.” As you read the case study, take notes on how the concepts with Network Modeling can lead you to develop effective solutions to the two associated Discussion Questions.

Read the case study on page 494 of the textbook entitled “Southwestern University Stadium Construction.” As you read the Case Study, take notes on how the concepts of Project Management can lead you to develop effective solutions to the three associated Discussion Questions.

Read the case study on page 494 of the textbook entitled “Family Planning Research Center of Nigeria.” As you read the Case Study, take notes on how the concepts of Project Management can lead you to develop effective solutions to the three Associated Discussion questions located on page 496.

You are to answer TWO of the three case studies in a minimum three- to four-page paper. Use any tables, graphs, or charts that you deem necessary to support your response. Use appropriate APA style to cite any outside sources.

References

Render, B., Stair, R. M., Jr., & Hanna, M. E. (2012). Quantitative analysis for management (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

Southwestern University (SWU), located in the small town of Stephenville, Texas, is experiencing increased interest in its football program no that a big-name coach has been hired. The increase in season ticket sales for the upcoming season means additional revenues, but it also means increased complaints due to the traffic problems associated with the football games. When a new stadium is built, this will only get worse. Marty Starr, SWU’s president, has asked the University Planning Committee to look into this problem.

Based on traffic projections, Dr. Starr would like to have sufficient capacity so that 35,000 cars per hour could travel from the stadium to the interstate highway. To alleviate the anticipated traffic problems, some of the current streets leading from the university to the interstate highway are being considered for widening to increase the capacity. The current street capacities with the number of cars (in 1,000s) per hour are shown in the accompanying figure. Since the major problem will be after the game, only the flows away from the stadium are indicated. These flows include some streets closest to the stadium being transformed into one-way streets for a short period after each game with police officers directing traffic.

Alexander Lee, a member of the University Planning Committee, has said that a quick check of the road capacities in cars per hour that may leave th stadium (node 1) is 33,000. The number of cars that may pass through nodes 2, 3, and 4 is 35,000 per hour, and the number of cars that may pass through nodes 5, 6, and 7 is even greater. Therefore, Dr. Lee has suggested that the current capacity is 33,000 cars per hour. He has also suggested a recommendation be made to the city manager for expansion of one of the routes from the stadium to the highway to permit an additional 2,000 cars per hour. He recommends expanding whichever route is cheapest. If the city chooses not to expand the roads, it is felt that the traffic problem would be a nuisance but would be manageable.

Based on past experience, it is believed that as long as the street capacity is within 2,500 cars per hour of the number that leave the stadium, the problem is not too severe. However, the severity of the problem grows dramatically for each additional 1,000 cars that are added to the streets.

Discussion Questions

1. If there is no expansion, what is the maximum number of cars that may actually travel from the stadium to the interstate per hour? Why is this number not equal to 33,000, as Dr. Lee suggested?

2. If the cost for expanding a street were the same for each street, which street(s) would you recommend expanding to increase the capacity to 33,000? Which streets would you recommend expanding to get the total capacity of the system to 35,000 per hour?

Southwestern University

Internet Case Study: Southwestern University

After 6 months of study, much political arm wrestling, and some serious financial analysis, Dr. Martin Starr, president of Southwestern University, had reached a decision. To the delight of its students, and to the disappointment of its athletic boosters, SWU would not be relocating to a new football site, but would expand the capacity at its on-campus stadium.

Adding 21,000 seats, including dozens of luxury skyboxes, would not please everyone. The influential football coach, Bo Pitterno, had long argued the need for a first-class stadium, one with built-in dormitory rooms for his players and a palatial office appropriate for the coach of a future NCAA champion team. But the decision was made, and everyone, including the coach, would learn to live with it.

The job now was to get construction going immediately after the current season ended. This would allow exactly 270 days until next season’s opening game. The contractor, Hill Construction (Bob Hill being an alumnus, of course), signed his contract. Bob Hill looked at the tasks his engineers had outlined and looked President Starr in the eye. “I guarantee the team will be able to take the field on schedule next season,” he said with a sense of confidence. “I sure hope so,” replied Starr. “The contract penalty of $10,000 per day for running late is nothing compared to what Coach Pitterno will do to you if our opening game with Penn State is delayed or canceled.” Hill, sweating slightly, did not need to respond. In football-crazy Texas, Hill Construction would be mud if the 270-day target were missed.

Back in his office, Hill again reviewed the data (see the following table, and note that optimistic time estimates can also be used as crash times). He then gathered his foremen. “Boys, if we’re not 75% sure we’ll finish this stadium in less than 270 days, I want this project crashed! Give me the cost figures for a target date of 250 days, and also for 240 days. I want to be early, not just on time!”

Time Estimates (days)

Activity Pred(s) Opt Most Likely Pess Crash Cost/Day

A. Bonding, insurance, tax structuring — 20 30 40 $1,500

B. Foundation, concrete footings for boxes A 20 65 80 $3,500

C. Upgrading skyboxes stadium seating A 50 60 100 $4,000

D. Upgrading walkways, stairwells, elevators C 30 50 100 $1,900

E. Interior wiring, lathes B 25 30 35 $9,500

F. Inspection approvals E 0.1 0.1 0.1 $0

G. Plumbing D, F 25 30 35 $2,500

H. Painting G 10 20 30 $2,000

I. Hardware/AC/metal workings H 20 25 60 $2,000

J. Tile/carpeting/windows H 8 10 12 $6,000

K. Inspection J 0.1 0.1 0.1 $0

L. Final detail work/cleanup I, K 20 25 60 $4,500

1. Develop a network drawing for Hill Construction and determine the critical path. How long is the project expected to take?

2. What is the probability of finishing in 270 days?

3. If it is necessary to crash to 250 or 240 days, how would Hill do so, and at what costs? As noted in the case, assume that optimistic time estimates can be used as crash times.

The Family Planning Research Center of Nigeria

Dr. Adinombe Watage, deputy director of the Family Planning Research Center in Nigeria’s Over-The-River Province, was assigned the task of organizing and training five teams of field workers as part of a large project to demonstrate acceptance of a new method of birth control. These workers had already had training in family planning education, but must receive specific training regarding the new method of contraception. Two types of materials must also be prepared: (1) those for use in training the workers, and (2) those for distribution in the field. Training faculty must be brought in and arrangements made for transportation and accommodations for the participants.

Dr. Watage first called a meeting of his office staff. Together they identified the activities that must be carried out, the necessary sequences, and the time they would require. Their results appear in Table 1.

Table 1 The Family Planning Research Center

ACTIVITY

MUST FOLLOW

TIME (IN DAYS)

STAFFING NEEDED

A

Identify faculty and their schedules

—

5

2

B.

Arrange transport to base

—

7

3

C.

Identify and collect training materials

—

5

2

D.

Make accommodations

A

3

1

E.

Identify team

A

7

4

F.

Bring in team

B, E

2

1

G.

Transport faculty to base

A, B

3

2

H.

Print program material

C

10

6

I.

Deliver program materials

H

7

3

J.

Train team

D, F, G, I

15

0

K.

Do fieldwork

J

30

0

Louis Odaga, the chief clerk, noted that the project had to be completed in 60 days. Whipping out his solar-powered calculator, he added up the times needed given in Table 1. They came to 94 days. “An impossible task then,” he noted. “No,” Dr. Watage replied, “some of these tasks can go forward in parallel.” “Be careful though,” warned Mr. Oglagadu, the chief nurse, “there aren’t that many of us to go around. There are only 10 of us in this office.”

“I can check whether we have enough heads and hands, once I have tentatively scheduled the activities,” Dr. Watage responded. “If the schedule is too tight, I have permission from the Pathminder Fund to spend some money to speed it up, just so long as I can prove that it can be done at the least cost necessary. Can you help me prove that? Here are the costs for the activities with the elapsed times that we planned. Also, here are the costs and times if we shorten them to an absolute minimum.” Those data are in Table 2.

Table 2 The Family Planning Research Center

Normal

Minimum

Average Cost
Per Day Saved ($)

Activity

Time

Cost($)

Time

Cost ($)

A.

Identify faculty

5

400

2

700

100

B.

Arrange transport

7

1,000

4

1,450

150

C.

Identify materials

5

400

3

500

50

D.

Make accommodations

3

2,500

1

3,000

250

E.

Identify team

7

400

4

850

150

F.

Bring team in

2

1,000

1

2,000

1,000

G.

Transport faculty

3

1,500

2

2,000

500

H.

Print material

10

3,000

6

4,000

250

I.

Deliver materials

7

200

2

600

80

J.

Train team

15

5,000

10

7,000

400

K.

Do fieldwork

30

10,000

20

14,000

400

Source:Professor Curtis P. McLaughlin, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Some of the tasks in this project can be done in parallel. Prepare a diagram showing the required network of tasks, and define the critical path. What is the length of the project without crashing?

2. At this point, can the project be done given the constraint of having only 10 persons?

3. If the critical path is longer than 60 days, what is the least amount that Dr. Watage can spend and still achieve the schedule objective? How can he prove to the Pathminder Fund that this is the minimum cost alternative?