Exercise: Schedule Compression
Exercise: Schedule Compression
Here is another chance to test yourself on schedule compression. In your Exercise Notebook, use the information from the following
table to answer the questions below.
Original Crash Original Crash Extra
Duration Duration Time Cost Cost Cost Cost per
Activity (Months) (Months) Savings (Dollars) (Dollars) (Dollars) Month
J 14 12 2 $10,000 $14,000 $4,000 $2,000
K 9 8 1 $17,000 $27,000 $10,000 $10,000
N 3 2 1 $25,000 $26,000 $1,000 $1,000
L 7 5 2 $14,000 $20,000 $6,000 $3,000
M 11 8 3 $27,000 $36,000 $9,000 $3,000
1. Imagine that this project has a project float of –3 months. Which activity or activities presented above would you crash to save
three months on the project, assuming that the activities listed above represent critical path activities?
2. How much would it cost to crash this project?
Answer
1. The following activities could be crashed to save three months on the project:
Activities Cost
J and K $14,000
J and N $5,000
K and L $16,000
L and N $7,000
M $9,000
Crashing activities J and N is the least expensive option, and because there is nothing in the question to eliminate it, the
option to crash activities J and N is the best answer. Any time you have negative project float, it means that the project is not
going to meet its deliverable date. The answer, depending on how the question is worded, involves crashing or fast tracking the
project and coming up with options, or telling the customer the date cannot be met.
2. Crashing activities J and N would result in the least added cost—only $5,000. The “Cost per Month” column in this exercise is
a distractor; you can answer this question with just the “Activity,” “Time Savings,” and “Extra Cost” columns. Don’t assume you
will need all the data provided to you in questions on the exam.
This article complements information in Rita Mulcahy’s™ CAPM® Exam Prep book, 5th edition. If you are preparing for the CAPM®, consider
contacting RMC Learning Solutions® at [email protected] to find the best prep strategy for you.
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