Big Kola Company has been concerned that specialized fruit drinks

 Read the case “The POM+ Project*- Part 1 APPENDIX 2

Big Kola Company has been concerned that specialized fruit drinks have been eroding their cola market. The CEO mandates that “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Grape juice was the first product that was successful after an advertising blitz claiming the antitoxin benefits. Lately, competition is compressing grape juice margins and profits. Months of additional market surveys and focus groups have resulted in three potential high-margin drinks: cranberry, blueberry, and pomegranate. All these choices represent antitoxins. The decision is to produce the pomegranate drink that has many health claims. For example, the relative ability of these juices to eliminate harmful free radicals (antitoxins) is 71 percent for pomegranate, 33 percent for blueberry, and 20 percent for cranberry (Technion Institute of Technology). The market potential appears very attractive and should have a higher profit margin than the other potential juice products. Another appeal for pomegranate juice is its familiarity in the Middle East and Asia. (See full details on pages 639-341)

Note: Use any project management tool that you have available to you. However, ProjectLibre project management software is  free and can be found at www.projectlibre.com 

Part 1

1. Develop the WBS outline using the software available (save your file). 

2. Use this file and the information provided below to create a project schedule. 

3. The following holidays are observed: January 1, Martin Luther King Day (third Monday in January), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), July 4th, Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November), December 25 and 26. 

4. If a holiday falls on a Saturday then Friday will be given as an extra day off, and if it falls on a Sunday then Monday will be given off. 

5. The project team works eight-hour days, Monday through Friday. 

6. The project will begin on January 3, 2012. 7.

Note: Based on this schedule, submit a memo (500 words) that answers the following questions: 

a. When is the project estimated to be completed? How many working days will it take? 

b. What is the critical path? 

c. Which activity has the most total slack? 

d. How sensitive is this network? 

e. Identify two sensible milestones and explain your choice.

Text

Title: Project Management: The Managerial Process 

ISBN: 9781260238860 

Authors: Clifford F. Gray, Erik W. Larson 

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education 

Publication Date: 2020-01-09