MGT $364-$ Operations Management

Chapter $3$ Case $-$ Project Management

Background: Southwestem University Case A

Southwestern University $($SWU$),$ a large state college in Stephenville, Texas, $30$ miles southwest of Dallas$/$Fort Worth metroplex, enrolls close to $20,000$ students. In a typical town$-$gown relationship, the school is a dominant force in the small city, with more students during fall and spring than permanent residents.

A longtime football powerhouse, SWU is a member of the Big Eleven conference and is usually in the top $20$ in college football rankings. To bolster its changes of reaching the elusive and longdesired number$-$one ranking, in $2009,$ SWU hired the legendary Phil Flamm as its head coach.

One of Flamm's demands on joining SWU had been a new stadium. With attendance increasing, SWU administrators began to face the issue head$-$on$.$ After $6$ months of study, much political arm wrestling, and some serious financial analysis, Dr$.$ Joel Wisner, president of Southwestern University, had reached a decision to expand the capacity at its on$-$campus stadium.

Adding thousands of seats, including dozens of luxury skyboxes, would not please everyone. The influential Flamm had argued the need for a first$-$class stadium, one with built$-$in dormitory rooms for his players and a palatial office appropriate for the coach of a future NCAA champion team. But the decision was made, and everyone, influding the coach, would leam to live with it

The job now was to get construction going immediately after the $2015$ season ended. This would allow exactly $270$ days until the $2016$ season opening game. The contractor, Hill Construction $($Bob Hill being an alumnus, of course$),$ signed his contract. Bob Hill looked at the tasks his engineers had outlined and looked President Wisner in the eye. "I guarantee the team will be able to take the field on schedule next year," he said with a sense of confidence. "I sure hope so$,"$ replied Wisner. "The contract penalty of $$10,000$ per day for running late is nothing compared to what Coach Flamm will do to you if our opening game with Penn State is delayed or canceled." Hill, sweating slightly, did not need to respond. In football$-$crazy Texas, Hill Construction would be mud if the $270-$day target was missed.

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$\backslash$table$[[$Activity$,$Description,Predecessor $(0),\backslash$table$[[$Optimistic$],[$Time$]],\backslash$table$[[$Most$],[$Lilkely$],[$Time$]],\backslash$table$[[$Pessimistic$],[$Ifime$]],\backslash$table$[[$Crash$],[$Cost Per$],[$Day$]]],[$A$,\backslash$table$[[$Bonding$,$ insurance,$],[$tax structuring$]],*,20,30,40,$$$1,500$

Table $3\mathrm{.}6$

$\backslash$table$[[$Activity$,$Description,Predecessor$($s$),\backslash$table$[[$Optimistic$],[$Time$]],\backslash$table$[[$Most$],[$Likely$],[$Time$]],\backslash$table$[[$Pessimistic$],[$Time$]],\backslash$table$[[$Crash$],[$Cost Per$],[$Day$]]],[$A$,\backslash$table$[[$Bonding$,$ insurance,$],[$tax structuring$]],-,20,30,40,$$$1,500$