Skip to content

ACCA Strategic Professional · Strategic Business Leader · Leading and managing projects

Bramwell Co is planning a product launch project. The activities are: A (3 weeks, no predecessor), B (5 weeks, after A), C (2 weeks, after A), D (4 weeks, after B and C). A manager says the project can finish in 9 weeks by running B and C in parallel. What does network analysis indicate, and what is the float on activity C?

The minimum duration is 12 weeks, set by the critical path A-B-D (3+5+4). Activity C lies on a path of only 9 weeks, so it has 3 weeks of float. Running B and C in parallel does not shorten the project below the longest path.

  1. AMinimum duration 12 weeks; float on C is 3 weeksCorrect
  2. BMinimum duration 12 weeks; float on C is 2 weeks
  3. CMinimum duration 9 weeks; float on C is 3 weeks
  4. DMinimum duration 14 weeks; float on C is zero

Explanation

Critical path is A-B-D = 3+5+4 = 12 weeks. Path A-C-D = 3+2+4 = 9 weeks, so C has float of 12-9 = 3 weeks. The 9-week claim wrongly ignores that D cannot start until B (the longer branch) finishes. A 14-week figure wrongly adds B and C as if sequential, with no parallel running.

Did you get it right without looking?

One question tells you little. A timed set on Leading and managing projects shows your real accuracy, how long you take and where you lose marks.

Practise Leading and managing projectsFree diagnostic mock

More Leading and managing projects questions