You are the Project Manager of a project to set up a Telecoms Infrastructure for a company. You have two options for a resource to work on a specific installation task for your project. The task is not on the critical path, but it is somewhat complex. Your options are as follows: One choice is Kwesi. He is the most skilled Engineer in the company and is therefore in constant demand. As a result, he is usually assigned to several projects at the same time. He is available to your project on a half-time basis. He currently has commitments to two other projects for the remaining half of his time. Your other choice is a team of two Engineers, both of whom have average skills. They are recent hires into the company and have never worked together before. In this option you have two alternatives and are free to choose whichever one you want. First, you could pick one of the two average skilled Engineers to work half-time on your project. Second, they could each be assigned to your project quarter-time. Regardless of which choice you make, this would be the only project they would be working on. The remainder of their time will be spent in training on company processes and systems, and orientation to company policies and practices. Based on the scenario above: Identify and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each option. Discuss (with examples if possible) conditions under which one choice would be preferred over the other. Which choice would you make and why?

Practical Management Science

6th Edition

ISBN:9781337406659

Author:WINSTON, Wayne L.

Publisher:WINSTON, Wayne L.

Chapter4: Linear Programming Models

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 111P

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You are the Project Manager of a project to set up a Telecoms Infrastructure for a company. You have two options for a resource to work on a specific installation task for your project. The task is not on the critical path, but it is somewhat complex. Your options are as follows:

One choice is Kwesi. He is the most skilled Engineer in the company and is therefore in constant demand. As a result, he is usually assigned to several projects at the same time. He is available to your project on a half-time basis. He currently has commitments to two other projects for the remaining half of his time.
Your other choice is a team of two Engineers, both of whom have average skills. They are recent hires into the company and have never worked together before. In this option you have two alternatives and are free to choose whichever one you want. First, you could pick one of the two average skilled Engineers to work half-time on your project. Second, they could each be assigned to your project quarter-time. Regardless of which choice you make, this would be the only project they would be working on. The remainder of their time will be spent in training on company processes and systems, and orientation to company policies and practices.

Based on the scenario above:

Identify and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each option.

Discuss (with examples if possible) conditions under which one choice would be preferred over the other.
Which choice would you make and why?

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