Carter, Fine, and Groetche (CF&G) is an advertising firm specializing in marketing cosmetics. A typical project begins with a meeting between executives from the cosmetics firm and senior CF&G representatives to get a general feel for the product. This usually takes about two weeks. CF&G then takes about a week to review the current assignments and strengths of its personnel and assemble an advertising group it feels can most effectively develop the ad campaign.
After the group has been formed, several of its members meet with both senior and line personnel at the cosmetics firm for a general assessment of the strengths and any unusual features of the product. This typically takes about four weeks. After meeting with senior and line personnel, these members conduct a test sampling of consumer reactions to the product, which also takes about four weeks.
At the same time that some of the group is meeting with company representatives and test marketing, other members of the group are researching competitive products and developing charts of market shares, prices, perceived consumer feelings about the products, and the like. This work usually takes about six weeks. Based on the results from sample testing and the research on competitive products, CF&G puts together a full-scale ad campaign lasting about eight weeks.
a. Determine the minimum completion time for this project.
b. What is the critical path? c. Draw a Gantt chart for the advertising process at CF&G.