AJAY
Question 1
Your team has been asked to test and document enhancements to a web application that allows buyers to purchase custom-printed canvas shoes. The tasks and dependencies are as follows:
- Create a testing plan
Once the testing plan is ready, your team can:
- Test the user interfaces
- Test the database
- Test the network
- Write the documentation first draft
When the user interface tests are complete, you can:
- Perform user testing—enlist some users to test the user interface
When the database and network testing are complete, you can:
- Perform integration testing—network with the database
When the user testing of the user interface and the database testing are complete, you can:
- Perform integration testing—database, network, and user interface
When all integration testing and user testing are complete, you can:
- Perform system testing
Then you can:
- Review and revise documentation
After all other tasks are complete, you can:
- Obtain management approval
Duration estimates for the tasks:
| a. | 3 days |
| b. | 10 days |
| c. | 6 days |
| d. | 7 days |
| e. | 20 days |
| f. | 5 days |
| g. | 3 days |
| h. | 2 days |
| i. | 8 days |
| j. | 4 days |
| k. | 5 days |
- Create a network diagram and a Gantt chart for the project tasks. Ask your instructor if you are permitted to use software such as Microsoft Project to help you prepare your diagrams.
- What is the planned duration for the testing project?
- What is the critical path for the testing project?
- For each task NOT on the critical path, calculate the amount of slack available.
- If the user testing of the user interface takes 15 days, what will the impact be on the project duration?
Question 2
Wedding cost estimation: Given the following information, calculate the estimated costs for a wedding with 250 guests and a bridal party of six, using the methods indicated. Show your work.
Note that members of the bridal party are already counted as guests, you don’t need to add them twice.
- Parametric estimate
- Bottom-up estimate
- Analogous cost estimate
- You will probably notice some differences in the estimated values. Are these differences significant? What might cause the differences? If you were estimating a significant project in the future, which method(s) would you use and why?
| Wedding Cost Estimates | |
| Item | Dollars |
| Groom’s brother’s wedding, last year, 175 guests, similar venue and style | $20,300 |
| Catering | $65 per person |
| Photographer | $1,500 |
| Rental of hall | $500 |
| Clothing, bride | $2,000 |
| Clothing, groom | $750 |
| Flowers | $800 |
| Other décor items | $500 |
| Cake | $500 |
| Gifts for bridal party | $80 each |
| Wedding planner | $2,000 |
| Wedding planner’s estimate of typical cost for this kind of wedding | $10,000 plus $75 per guest |
Question 3
Cost reimbursable contract calculation.
- A contract calls for a total payment of $800,000 with a guarantee. Essentially the contractor is guaranteed to make at least $200,000 above his costs. If the contractor can demonstrate his costs exceed $600,000, the project will pay the difference, with a $50,000 ceiling on the overage. The contractor demonstrates he spent $623,000. How much (gross) must the project remit to the contractor?
- Another option for the same contract has the contractor guaranteed to be paid his costs plus 20%, for costs that exceed $600,000. With the same initial assumption—guarantee of $800,000 gross payment (no requirement to itemize costs), but if the contractor can show that costs exceed $600,000, the project will pay $800,000 plus the costs that exceed $600,000, plus 20% of those excess costs, with a ceiling of $900,000 gross. The contractor demonstrates he spent $623,000. How much (gross) must the project remit to the contractor?
- Under option 3.2, at what dollar amount of total costs would the contractor be assuming all of the excess costs beyond that point?
- In which option did the project assume more of the risk of a cost overrun? Explain.
