Operations and Supply Chain Management The Core

132 OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
exhibit 5.3
Work Breakdown Structure, Large Optical Scanner Design
Level
1 2 3 4
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
1
1.1
1.1.1
1.1.2
1.1.3
1.1.4
1.2
1.2.1
1.2.1.1
1.2.1.2
1.2.2
1.2.3
1.2.4
1.3
1.4
1.4.1
1.4.2
1.5
1.5.1
1.5.2
1.6
1.6.1
1.6.2
1.6.3
Optical simulator design
Optical design
Telescope design/fab
Telescope/simulator optical interface
Simulator zoom system design
Ancillary simulator optical component specification
System performance analysis
Overall system firmware and software control
Logic flow diagram generation and analysis
Basic control algorithm design
Far beam analyzer
System inter- and intra-alignment method design
Data recording and reduction requirements
System integration
Cost analysis
Cost/system schedule analysis
Cost/system performance analysis
Management
System design/engineering management
Program management
Long lead item procurement
Large optics
Target components
Detectors
Activities
Pieces of work
within a project that
consume time. The
completion of all the
activities of a project
marks the end of the
project.
LO5–2 Evaluate
projects using
earned value
management.
Gantt chart
Shows in a graphic
manner the amount
of time involved and
the sequence in
which activities can
be performed. Often
referred to as a bar
chart.
There is not a single correct WBS for any project, and two different project teams might
develop different WBSs for the same project. Some experts have referred to project management
as an art rather than a science, because there are so many different ways that a
project can be approached. Finding the correct way to organize a project depends on experience
with the particular task.
Activities are defined within the context of the work breakdown structure and are
pieces of work that consume time. Activities do not necessarily require the expenditure of
effort by people, although they often do. For example, waiting for paint to dry may be an
activity in a project. Activities are identified as part of the WBS. From our sample project
in Exhibit 5.3, activities would include telescope design and fabrication (1.1.1), telescope/
simulator optical interface (1.1.2), and data recording (1.2.4). Activities need to be defined
in such a way that when they are all completed, the project is done.
MANAGING PROJECTS
We now look at how projects are actually managed while they are being completed. Charts
and various types of standard forms are useful because their visual presentation are easily
understood. Computer programs are available to quickly generate the charts, and we discuss
these later in the chapter.
Exhibit 5.4A is a sample Gantt chart, sometimes referred to as a bar chart, showing
both the amount of time involved and the sequence in which activities can be performed.
The chart is named after Henry L. Gantt, who won a presidential citation for his application
of this type of chart to shipbuilding during World War I. In the example in Exhibit 5.4A,
“Long lead procurement” and “Manufacturing schedules” are independent activities and
can occur simultaneously. All other activities must be done in the sequence from top to