Whitbread World Sailboat Race   Question: Their rationale for project crashing. The relationship between the project duration and crash costs. Risks related to crash costs.

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Whitbread World Sailboat Race

 

Question:

  • Their rationale for project crashing.
  • The relationship between the project duration and crash costs.
  • Risks related to crash costs.
As Bjorn begins to think of a project plan, he sees two parallel paths running
through the project design and construction and crew training. Last year's boat
will be used for training until the new entry can have the crew on board to learn
maintenance tasks. Bjorn calls Karin and Trygve together to develop a project
plan. All three agree the major goal is to have a winning boat and crew ready to
compete in next year's competition at a cost of $3.2 million. A check of Bjorn's
calendar indicates he has 45 weeks before next year's vessel must leave port for the
United Kingdom to start the race.
THE KICKOFF MЕЕTING
Bjorn asks Karin to begin by describing the major activities and the sequence
required to design, construct, and test the boat. Karin starts by noting that de-
sign of the hull, deck, mast, and accessories should only take six weeks given
the design prints from past race entries and a few prints from other countries'
entries. After the design is complete, the hull can be constructed, the mast or-
dered, sails ordered, and accessories ordered. The hull will require 12 weeks to
complete. The mast can be ordered and will require a lead time of eight weeks;
the seven sails can be ordered and will take six weeks to get; accessories can be
ordered and will take 15 weeks to receive. As soon as the hull is finished, the bal-
last tanks can be installed, requiring two weeks. Then the deck can be built,
which will require five weeks. Concurrently, the hull can be treated with special
sealant and friction-resistance coating, taking three weeks. When the deck is
completed and mast and accessories received, the mast and sails can be installed,
requiring two weeks; the accessories can be installed, which will take six weeks.
When all of these activities have been completed, the ship can be sea-tested,
which should take five weeks. Karin believes she can have firm cost estimates for
the boat in about two weeks.
Trygve believes he can start selecting the 12-man or woman crew and securing
their housing immediately. He believes it will take six weeks to get a committed
crew on-site and three weeks to secure housing for the crew members. Trygve re-
minds Bjorn that last year's vessel must be ready to use for training the moment
the crew is on-site until the new vessel is ready for testing. Keeping the old vessel
operating will cost $4,000 per week as long as it is used. Once the crew is on-site
and housed, they can develop and implement a routine sailing and maintenance
training program, which will take 15 weeks (using the old vessel). Also, once the
crew is selected and on-site, crew equipment can be selected, taking only two
weeks. Then crew equipment can be ordered; it will take five weeks to arrive.
When the crew equipment and maintenance training program are complete, crew
maintenance on the new vessel can begin; this should take 10 weeks. But crew
maintenance on the new vessel cannot begin until the deck is complete and the
mast, sails, and accessories have arrived. Once crew maintenance on the new ves-
sel begins, the new vessel will cost $6,000 per week until sea training is complete.
After the new ship maintenance is complete and while the boat is being tested,
initial sailing training can be implemented; training should take seven weeks.
Finally, after the boat is tested and initial training is complete, regular sea training
can be implemented-weather permitting; regular sea training requires eight
weeks. Trygve believes he can put the cost estimates together in a week, given last
year's expenses.
Bjorn is pleased with the expertise displayed by his team leaders. But he believes
they need to have someone develop one of those critical path networks to see if
Transcribed Image Text:As Bjorn begins to think of a project plan, he sees two parallel paths running through the project design and construction and crew training. Last year's boat will be used for training until the new entry can have the crew on board to learn maintenance tasks. Bjorn calls Karin and Trygve together to develop a project plan. All three agree the major goal is to have a winning boat and crew ready to compete in next year's competition at a cost of $3.2 million. A check of Bjorn's calendar indicates he has 45 weeks before next year's vessel must leave port for the United Kingdom to start the race. THE KICKOFF MЕЕTING Bjorn asks Karin to begin by describing the major activities and the sequence required to design, construct, and test the boat. Karin starts by noting that de- sign of the hull, deck, mast, and accessories should only take six weeks given the design prints from past race entries and a few prints from other countries' entries. After the design is complete, the hull can be constructed, the mast or- dered, sails ordered, and accessories ordered. The hull will require 12 weeks to complete. The mast can be ordered and will require a lead time of eight weeks; the seven sails can be ordered and will take six weeks to get; accessories can be ordered and will take 15 weeks to receive. As soon as the hull is finished, the bal- last tanks can be installed, requiring two weeks. Then the deck can be built, which will require five weeks. Concurrently, the hull can be treated with special sealant and friction-resistance coating, taking three weeks. When the deck is completed and mast and accessories received, the mast and sails can be installed, requiring two weeks; the accessories can be installed, which will take six weeks. When all of these activities have been completed, the ship can be sea-tested, which should take five weeks. Karin believes she can have firm cost estimates for the boat in about two weeks. Trygve believes he can start selecting the 12-man or woman crew and securing their housing immediately. He believes it will take six weeks to get a committed crew on-site and three weeks to secure housing for the crew members. Trygve re- minds Bjorn that last year's vessel must be ready to use for training the moment the crew is on-site until the new vessel is ready for testing. Keeping the old vessel operating will cost $4,000 per week as long as it is used. Once the crew is on-site and housed, they can develop and implement a routine sailing and maintenance training program, which will take 15 weeks (using the old vessel). Also, once the crew is selected and on-site, crew equipment can be selected, taking only two weeks. Then crew equipment can be ordered; it will take five weeks to arrive. When the crew equipment and maintenance training program are complete, crew maintenance on the new vessel can begin; this should take 10 weeks. But crew maintenance on the new vessel cannot begin until the deck is complete and the mast, sails, and accessories have arrived. Once crew maintenance on the new ves- sel begins, the new vessel will cost $6,000 per week until sea training is complete. After the new ship maintenance is complete and while the boat is being tested, initial sailing training can be implemented; training should take seven weeks. Finally, after the boat is tested and initial training is complete, regular sea training can be implemented-weather permitting; regular sea training requires eight weeks. Trygve believes he can put the cost estimates together in a week, given last year's expenses. Bjorn is pleased with the expertise displayed by his team leaders. But he believes they need to have someone develop one of those critical path networks to see if
they can safely meet the start deadline for the race. Karin and Trygve agree. Karin
suggests the cost estimates should also include crash costs for any activities that
can be compressed and the resultant costs for crashing. Karin also suggests the
team complete the following priority matrix for project decision making:
FIGURE C9.1
Time
Performance
Cost
Project Priority
Matrix: Whitbread
Project
Constrain
Enhance
Ассept
TWO WEEKS LATER
Karin and Trygve submit the following cost estimates for each activity and corre-
sponding crash costs to Bjorn (costs are in thousands of dollars):
Normal
Normal
Crash
Crash
Activity
Time
Cost
Time
Cost
A Design
B Build hull
C Install ballast tanks
D Order mast
E Order sails
F Order accessories
G Build deck
$ 40
1,000
6
2
$
12
2
2
100
8
100
1
200
40
15
600
2
100
200
H Coat hull
3
40
Install accessories
6
300
1
100
J Install mast and sails
К Test
L Sea trials
M Select crew
N Secure housing
O Select crew equipment
P Order crew equipment
Q Routine sail/maintenance
R Crew maintenance training
S Initial sail training
40
1
40
60
1
40
8
200
1
250
10
1
10
30
10
5
30
15
40
3
30
10
100
1
240
7
50
2
150
Total direct cost
$2,990
Bjorn reviews the materials and wonders if the project will come in within the
budget of $3.2 million and in 45 weeks. Advise the Whitbread team of their
situation.
Transcribed Image Text:they can safely meet the start deadline for the race. Karin and Trygve agree. Karin suggests the cost estimates should also include crash costs for any activities that can be compressed and the resultant costs for crashing. Karin also suggests the team complete the following priority matrix for project decision making: FIGURE C9.1 Time Performance Cost Project Priority Matrix: Whitbread Project Constrain Enhance Ассept TWO WEEKS LATER Karin and Trygve submit the following cost estimates for each activity and corre- sponding crash costs to Bjorn (costs are in thousands of dollars): Normal Normal Crash Crash Activity Time Cost Time Cost A Design B Build hull C Install ballast tanks D Order mast E Order sails F Order accessories G Build deck $ 40 1,000 6 2 $ 12 2 2 100 8 100 1 200 40 15 600 2 100 200 H Coat hull 3 40 Install accessories 6 300 1 100 J Install mast and sails К Test L Sea trials M Select crew N Secure housing O Select crew equipment P Order crew equipment Q Routine sail/maintenance R Crew maintenance training S Initial sail training 40 1 40 60 1 40 8 200 1 250 10 1 10 30 10 5 30 15 40 3 30 10 100 1 240 7 50 2 150 Total direct cost $2,990 Bjorn reviews the materials and wonders if the project will come in within the budget of $3.2 million and in 45 weeks. Advise the Whitbread team of their situation.
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