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.
Chapter2: Introduction To Spreadsheet Modeling
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 20P: Julie James is opening a lemonade stand. She believes the fixed cost per week of running the stand...
icon
Related questions
Question

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?

 

Expert Solution
steps

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps

Blurred answer
Similar questions
  • SEE MORE QUESTIONS
Recommended textbooks for you
Practical Management Science
Practical Management Science
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781337406659
Author:
WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:
Cengage,
Operations Management
Operations Management
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781259667473
Author:
William J Stevenson
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Operations and Supply Chain Management (Mcgraw-hi…
Operations and Supply Chain Management (Mcgraw-hi…
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781259666100
Author:
F. Robert Jacobs, Richard B Chase
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Business in Action
Business in Action
Operations Management
ISBN:
9780135198100
Author:
BOVEE
Publisher:
PEARSON CO
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781285869681
Author:
Robert M. Monczka, Robert B. Handfield, Larry C. Giunipero, James L. Patterson
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Production and Operations Analysis, Seventh Editi…
Production and Operations Analysis, Seventh Editi…
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781478623069
Author:
Steven Nahmias, Tava Lennon Olsen
Publisher:
Waveland Press, Inc.