MS 52 Project Management Sample Paper

MBA - Master of Business Administration

Note: There are two Sections A and B. Attempt any three questions from Section A. All questions in Section A carry 20 marks each. Section B is compulsory and carries 40 marks.

1. Bring out the importance of pre-feasibility, feasibility studies and technical analysis is ensuring success in the operation phase of the project.

2. What do you mean by Social Cost Benefit Analysis (SCBA)? How does SCBA differ from monetary cost and benefits analysis (financial analysis) of a project?

3. A project comprising of eight tasks (A to H) has the following characteristics:

Draw the network diagram and carry out all related calculations.

Determine the critical path and mark it in the network. What is the total project duration?

4. What is matrix organisation and what are the advantages of the matrix organisation designed for project management? Under which situation is matrix structure suitable?

5. Explain briefly the integrated project management system. What are the relevant data sets, which are integrated by the software in a large project?

SECTION B

Read the case below and answer the question (s) given at the end.

Electran Manufacturing Ltd, is a diversified manufacturer in two primary fields: electronic applications and transportation equipment. In the transportation equipment field. Electran products are in the forefront of technological applications, especially in terms of electrical circuitry and component packages. Electran management takes great pride in its technological leadership and has decided to support a substantial research and development (R&D) effort. Currently 74 persons are employed full-time in the R&D division, and at any one time at least twice that many more are involved to some degree in R&D projects. These employees are assigned primarily to engineering, finance marketing and production.

Electran organizes its R&D effort by functional area within the division. Engineers, scientists, and technical and grouped separately. Additionally, within each of these technical specialties, employees are grouped and housed together. Electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and merallurgical engineers, for example, are each grouped and located together. Projects rotate from group to group depending upon what work needs to be accomplished. There is a department head of the engineering, science and technical support areas and three additional project managers have individual project responsibility. There is considerable pressure on project managers, but they have limited control over staff within the R&D division and even less control over the approximately 150 employees who assist the R&D division on an occasional basis. The R&D division manager has recently read a brief article about matrix organization. He wonders if matrix organization might be helpful in relieving some of the burden from his project managers and in increasing division productivity.

One of the three project managers is trying to grasp the basis of PERT. He has assembled the following data for a project soon to be started. He wants to establish a PERT, diagram for the project, and determine the earliest completion data from project start using expected times, and find the minimum cost plan. This project manager does not know whether he has enough data to proceed; even if he does have enough data, he does not know how to analysis them and apply the results.

Case questions: (Assume date, if not available, with appropriate reasons)

1. Establish a PERT diagram and determine the earliest completion time.

2. The project manager has budget $200 for expending should he want to use it.