Based on the Case Study Below, List and discuss the techniques that can be used to shorten a project schedule.

Case Study:

After 10 years at Design Prototypes, Inc., Raef Conley is leading his first major project team. Raef has assembled a highly qualified, diverse yet cohesive team and has the full support of his boss on the project, the regional Electrical Engineering (EE) Director, Jonathon Wright. It has been almost 6 months since the Alpha C306 project was green-lighted by top management. Raef and other members of the project team have met several times during those 6 months to track the progress of the project activities and from Raefs perspective, the team works well together and is still highly motivated. Initially, the project was envisioned as taking a year and a half (548 days) to complete. However, Raef and his team had developed a Work Breakdown Schedule (WBS) that projected completion in 515 days, giving the team 33 days of slack time. Developing a 515-day the plan was a very fortunate decision, as at this point the project is in the concluding stage of activity K (product testing) and due to unforeseen delays the 33 days of slack time have been expended. Thus the team is using the 515 days WBS for just under one year remaining to complete the project. Top management is requesting that the project be shorted by a month (480-day schedule) or preferably two months (450-day schedule). In addition, the VP of Engineerings son, Simon, has been added as a team member. Simon, who has been with the company only 2 years and lacks technical qualifications, is attempting to use the project as a way to demonstrate his value to upper management. Therefore, Simons agenda is very different from that of the other team members, creating a source of conflict.