Open AccessProject Crashing Using Excel Solver: A Simple AON Network Approach
Author(s) -
Kunpeng Li,
Bin Shao,
Pamela J. Zelbst
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
international journal of management and information systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1546-5748
pISSN - 2157-9628
DOI - 10.19030/ijmis.v16i2.6917
Subject(s) - computer science , solver , simple (philosophy) , path (computing) , critical path method , event (particle physics) , operations research , software engineering , programming language , systems engineering , engineering , philosophy , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics
This paper introduces a new and efficient AON-Solver approach to solve project crashing problems. The new approach uses conventional critical path concepts to determine the project completion time and to define network structures in Excel. It is simple and straightforward, with less decision variables and constraints than the existing AOA-Solver approach, which relies on tracking event times of the nodes in the AOA network. Also, there is no requirement to deal with dummy variables, which are often problematic, but frequently required in many AOA networks. In addition, most of the students and business practitioners are more familiar and comfortable with AON network. It would be more appealing and accessible for them to learn and to implement a computerized approach to solve project crashing problems, and to better understand the cost-time tradeoffs in project crashing.