Research Proposal on "Project Management Jim and Julia"

Quoted Instructions for "Project Management Jim and Julia" Assignment:

Case 9: Scheduling

Jim and Julia, a young couple, have just moved into the first home that they have owned (with the mortgage bank, of course). Although they are childless, they expect to have children in the future. The house is large enough to accommodate at least two kids. In addition, the schools in the area have a good reputation. Therefore, Jim and Julia expect to remain in this house at least 10 years.

They were able to buy the house at a very good price because it's definitely a "fixer-upper." Although the house is structurally sound and everything currently works just fine, there are a lot of things they want to upgrade and/or remodel. Even though they have no current plans to move, they hope that whatever improvements they make to the home enhance its salability.

Just prior to settling on the house, a home inspector provides them with the following summary:

Appliance Condition Life Expectancy

Furnace, gas New 20-25 years

Central air conditioner New 18-20 years

Hot water heater, gas New 12-18 years

Washer Fair 2-3 years

Dryer, gas Good 4-6 years

Refrigerator Fair 3-5 years

Stove, gas Poor 1-2 years

Dishwasher N/A (none)

Garbage disposer N/A (none)

In addition, the home inspector reports that the insulation, all doors and windows, and the roof are sound and energy-efficient. He does report, however, that the roof would probably need replacing sometime within the next eight years.

The condition of both the interior and exterior paint is marginal; i.e., Jim and Julia could delay repainting for another year if they learn to live with the colors they don't much like.

Only the living room has hardwood flooring. All other rooms are carpeted. The condition of the floors and floor coverings is "worn, but OK for now."

Jim and Julia feel that the kitchen cabinets and counters, and the fixtures and cabinets in the two bathrooms, would be a deterrent to reselling the house because everything is old and drab.

Together they have built the following list of potential remodeling/upgrade jobs and their approximate cost:

Job Est'd Cost* ($)

Replace washer 400

Replace dryer 400

Replace refrigerator 700

Replace stove 900

Install dishwasher 400

Install disposer 300

Replace roof 4,000

Repaint interior 2,500

Repaint exterior 3,000

Refinish hardwood floors 1,000

Replace carpets 1,800

Replace kitchen cabinets, including sink and faucet 5,000

Replace kitchen counters 1,000

Replace bathroom fixtures and cabinets. 4,000

* These estimated costs incorporate Jim and Julia doing a moderate amount of the work themselves. They cannot do electrical wiring or plumbing. Jim is more of a "rip-out" type of carpenter than he is a finish-man.

They have two criteria which will certainly impinge on their scheduling these projects: a) Between their current incomes and savings, they can allocate $10-12,000 a year to remodeling or upgrading; and b) They don't want to borrow to pay for any of these costs, including using their credit cards.

Based on this information, identify Jim and Julia's goals as homeowners.

Suggest at least four possible solutions to the conflict.

What role might a budget of time and cost play in this situation?

Develop a project proposal and a preliminary plan.

Develop a Work Breakdown Structure down to the activity level by functional group (i.e., plumbing, painting, electrical, and so on). Include other stakeholders; e.g., banks, licensing agencies, inspectors, etc.

From the WBS, develop a list of individual tasks and activities. Place them in an appropriate order for accomplishment, and identify the necessary precedence relationships.