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Chapter 5
Project Management
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Explain why the “normal” (least cost) activity duration estimate should still be used for each activity in the initial network calculation process for this project rather than the “fastest” or crash time for each activity. | Time estimates for activities should be generated based on the “time to do the activity for the least cost.” |
| Duration in working days | Duration in working days: activity duration; the amount of working time between the start &completion of an activity. |
| Duration in calendar days | Duration in calendar days: total elapsed time between the start & completion of an activity. |
| Work content in effort required | The number of labor hours required for the activity. |
| Example: A two person crew works on an activity that starts on Monday morning, May 1st, and finishes on Tuesday afternoon, May 9th. Assuming a normal 8-hour workday and a Monday through Friday work schedule. | The duration of this activity in working days is 7, the duration in calendar days in 9, and the effort expended is 112 hours of labor (2 employees multiplied by 7 working days multiplied by 8 hours per day). |
| Total Slack | is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project completion date. |
| Free Slack | is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the start time of any other activity in the project |
| Project float | is the difference between the targeted finish date of the project and the current scheduled completion date for the project. |
| Explain, via an example, why the critical path in a project may not be the path with the highest risk of late completion. | Noncritical paths activities could have a high degree of risk. A non-critical path activity may have a duration that makes its path noncritical, but there could be high probability of the activity taking twice as long to complete which makes it high risk. |
| Demonstrate why the critical path is not identified by connecting the activities with minimum total slack (float) values. | See example problem in class notebook. There may be two connected activities with zero float that are on two different critical paths. |
| Explain why the “normal” (least cost) activity duration estimate should still be used for each activity in the initial network calculation process for this project rather than the “fastest” or crash time for each activity. Reason 1 | 1. It is not clear which activities will determine project duration (i.e., what is on the critical path), so it would be irresponsible to add additional cost to activities until a determination can be made as to which activities impact project duration. |
| Explain why the “normal” (least cost) activity duration estimate should still be used for each activity in the initial network calculation process for this project rather than the “fastest” or crash time for each activity. Reason 2 | 2.It would be distracting and demoralizing to ask a team member to estimate an activity duration based on the “quickest” time only to learn that the activity is not actually a factor in project duration. |
| Explain why the “normal” (least cost) activity duration estimate should still be used for each activity in the initial network calculation process for this project rather than the “fastest” or crash time for each activity. Reason 3 | 3.Once the project duration using “normal activity durations” is determined, then the team can focus on how to most effectively reduce project duration to achieve the promised completion date. |
| Early Start | The earliest possible start time for an activity. |
| Early Finish | The earliest possible finish time for an activity( also called early completion, EC) |
| Late Start | The latest allowable starting time for an activity. |
| Late Finish | The latest allowable finish time for an activity. |
| Identify important characteristics of the critical path in a project. Number 1 | 1. The critical path determines the project duration. |
| Identify important characteristics of the critical path in a project. Number 2 | 2. If a critical path activity is delayed, the project will be delayed (a control issue). |
| Identify important characteristics of the critical path in a project. Number 3 | 3. Total float values for activities on the critical path will be the minimum float values for any activities in the project. |
| Identify important characteristics of the critical path in a project. Number 4 | 4. A project can have more than one critical path. In general multiple critical paths in a project increase the probability of a project late completion, since the project will be late if either critical path gets delayed. |
| Identify important characteristics of the critical path in a project. Number 5 | 5. To reduce the project duration, you must reduce the duration of all critical paths. |
| Identify important characteristics of the critical path in a project. Number 6 | 6. Critical path activities represent the leverage points in a project. |
| Identify important characteristics of the critical path in a project. Number 7 | 7. Changes in activity duration during planning or execution can cause the critical path to change. |
| Place the following in the proper sequence in terms of timing: activity sequencing, activity definition, activity duration estimation, schedule control and schedule development. | Activity definition → activity sequencing → activity duration estimation → schedule development → schedule control |
| Contrast situations where you would use a milestone chart vs. situations where you would use a bar chart (Gantt chart). How are milestone chart used? | Sr managers use milestone charts to review the overall progress of a project. To compare the date a milestone was schedule to be completed to the date the milestone was achieved. Project managers & sr management focus on trend of missed milestone dates. |
| What are milestones? | Milestones are major events or points in time not actual activities or work packages. Milestones are actually project activities that have zero duration, thereby not impacting the completion date for the project. |
| Contrast situations where you would use a milestone chart vs. situations where you would use a bar chart (Gantt chart). How are bar chart (Gantt chart). | Bar charts are helpful not only for depicting the time plan for upcoming activities, but also for reviewing the progress of activities underway or recently completed (i.e., for project control). |
| What are the advantages of the bar (Gantt) chart as compared with the CPM network as a graphic tool & which would normally be used to communicate the project schedule? | 1. Advantages of the network diagram: shows activity relationships while the bar chart (in its true form) does not. 2. Advantages of the bar (Gantt) chart: communicates the project schedule and makes it easier to see concurrent activities |
| Explain the concept of the “baseline schedule.” The baseline schedule serves as a ..... | The baseline schedule serves as the anchor point for measuring progress during the execution & control phase of a project. |
| Explain the concept of the “baseline schedule. The baseline schedule is the .... | The baseline schedule is the final schedule for all project activities & milestones developed before the project starts. It is the scheduling “stake in the ground” to start the project. |
| Justify the following: “In my projects, I always assume that we should use the early start schedule”. Software should be used to.... | Software should be used to schedule forward from a start date and then a project manager should selectively reduce the project duration to meet the desired target completion date. |
| Justify the following: “In my projects, I always assume that we should use the early start schedule”. This approach allows...... | This approach allows more enlightened decisions to be made regarding which activity durations must be reduced or which precedence relationships must be challenged in order to meet the target completion date. |
| Justify the following: “In my projects, I always assume that we should use the early start schedule”. Using project scheduling software to to backward schedule from a deadline or target completion date..... | represents poor project management practice b/c it generates a schedule based on the latest possible start & finish time for every activity& still meet the specified target completion date for the project |
| Constraints | are limitations or restrictions on the scheduling of activities and can directly impact the project schedule. |
| Milestones mark important points in the life of a project...... | such as the completion of a phase, or the delivery of an important project deliverable, or the signaling of an important occurrence during the project. |
| Milestones can be used....... | Milestones can thus be used to draw attention to significant events without worrying about delaying a project. |
| Deadlines are somewhat....... | similar to milestones. However, deadlines are not activities with zero duration, but rather externally generated target dates for activities or calendar dates of significance to management that are associated with a specific activity. |
| Deadlines serve as..... | Deadlines serve as “reminders” for management and the project team. Deadlines not established by precedence relationships with existing activities, but are associated with the activity itself. |
| Can a milestone be a deadline? | Since a milestone is an activity with zero duration, a milestone can have a deadline. |
| Do project scheduling software allows deadlines to be missed? | Most project scheduling software allows deadlines to be missed without scheduling repercussions, but some visual indication is provided to notify the team & management that an activity has finished after its deadline. |
| Distinguish between “lead” and “lag” activity relationships in a project network. Provide an example of each type of relationship. What is lag? | A lag (delay) is an artificial delay between two activities. “lag” (delay) time between the two painting activities (it is shown in the network diagram with a “+” sign). |
| Example of lag. Two coats of paint are to be applied to a large room. There must be a two day delay between the applications of the two coats of paint to allow for drying time. The drying time can be represented as a..... | “lag” (delay) time between the two painting activities (it is shown in the network diagram with a “+” sign). Note: It is advisable to not use a lag relationship, but rather to simply put in a new activity between the two activities. |
| Distinguish between “lead” and “lag” activity relationships in a project network. Provide an example of each type of relationship. What is lead? | A lead (overlap) is an allowed overlap that permits one activity to start before a prior activity is complete. |
| Example of a lead. Conduct Research” does not have to be complete before “Write Report” can start. “Write Report” can start two days before “Conduct Research” is finished. | A “lead” (overlap) can be used in the network diagram to represent the relationship (it is shown in the network diagram with a minus sign). |
| Note: As an alternative to using the lead relationship, “Conduct Research” can be broken into two separate activities: | “Conduct Initial Research” and “Conduct Final Research”. Now, “Write Report” can be scheduled with a finish-to-start (F-T-S) relationship after “Conduct Initial Research”. |
| Explain why it is generally best to avoid using lead/lag relationships in a project network. Identify an alternative approach to using lead/lag relationships. | Lead and lag relationships in the project schedule will be difficult to recognize and often confusing for project stakeholders |
| Identify an alternative approach to using lead relationships. | To avoid using a lag relationship, simply put in a new activity to represent the lag between the two activities. |
| Identify an alternative approach to using lag relationships. | To avoid using a lead relationship, the overlapping activity can be broken into two separate activities such that one can be scheduled with a finish-to-start (F-T-S) relationship with the initial activity. |
| Contrast hard (inflexible) constraints from soft (flexible) constraints. Hard (inflexible) constraint: | specific constraint date for an activity that overrides the ASAP assumption (i.e., the date is absolutely honored over the precedence relationship) |
| What should be the default constraint type in project schedules? | ASAP should be (and is, using project management software) the default constraint for activities. |
| Hard (inflexible) constraint: Must Finish On (MFO). | Schedules the activity to finish on the constraint date. Sets the early, scheduled, and late finish dates to the date that you type and anchors the activity in the schedule. |
| Hard (inflexible) constraint: 2. Must Start On (MSO). | Schedules the activity to start on the constraint date. Sets the early, scheduled, and late start dates to the date that you type and anchors the activity in the schedule. |
| Contrast hard (inflexible) constraints from soft (flexible) constraints. Soft (flexible) constraint: | Constraints that provide a boundary on the schedule for activity. |
| Soft (flexible) constraint: As Late As Possible (ALAP). | Schedules the activity as late as it can occur in the schedule without delaying subsequent activities. Do not enter a constraint date with this constraint. |
| Soft (flexible) constraint: As Soon As Possible (ASAP). | Schedules the activity to begin as early as it can occur (based on the user defined precedence relationships and activity durations). Do not enter a constraint date with this constraint |
| Soft (flexible) constraint: Finish No Earlier Than (FNET). | Schedules the activity to finish on or after the constraint date. Use it to ensure that an activity does not finish before a certain date. |
| Soft (flexible) constraint: Finish No Later Than (FNLT). | Schedules the activity to finish on or before the constraint date. Use it to ensure that an activity does not finish after a certain date. |
| Soft (flexible) constraint: Start No Earlier Than (SNET). | Schedules the activity to start on or after the constraint date. Use it to ensure that an activity does not start before a specified date. |
| Soft (flexible) constraint: Start No Later Than (SNLT). | Schedules the activity to start on or before the constraint date. Use it to ensure that an activity does not start after a specified date. |
| Explain why schedule constraint dates can generate present scheduling problems and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. | The use of hard date constraints greatly diminishes the usefulness of project management software because the flow through calculations to subsequent activities will stop when a hard date constraint is encountered. |
| Date constraints should only be used for.... | Date constraints should only be used for absolute, “hard-coded” dates that will cause project failure if not honored. |
| Explain and illustrate how a critical path may run through the start (or finish) of an activity and not through the entire activity. | This can happen in the case of advanced activity relationships (typically a start-to-start or finish to finish relationship). |
| Explain and illustrate how a critical path may not run through the entire project. | The critical path may start at a constrained activity ES time and run to the end of the network. |
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ls1208
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