6 - Project Schedule Management

Question 1

Activity list

Answer 1

The primary output of breaking down the WBS work packages.

Question 2

Alternative analysis

Answer 2

The identification of more than on solution. Consider roles, materials, tools and approaches to the project work.

Question 3

Analogous estimating

Answer 3

A somewhat unreliable estimating approach that relies on historical information to predict what current activity durations should be. Analogous estimating is more reliable however than team member recollections. Analogous estimating is also know as top-down estimating and is a form of expert judgment.

Question 4

Bottom-up estimating

Answer 4

The most accurate time-and-cost estimating approach a PM can use. This estimating approach starts at “the bottom” of the project and considers every activity, its predecessor and successor activities, and the exact amount of resources needed to complete each activity.

Question 5

Control account

Answer 5

A WBS entry that considers the time, cost and scope measurements for that deliverable within the WBS. The estimated performance is compared against the actual performance to measure the overall performance for the deliverables within that control account. The specifics of a control account are documented in a control account plan.

Question 6

External dependencies

Answer 6

These are dependencies that are outside of the project’s control. Ex: delivery of equipment from vendor, the deliverable of another project, or the decision of a committee

Question 7

Fast tracking

Answer 7

A schedule compression method that changes the relationship of activities. With fast tracking, activities that would normally be done in sequence are allowed to be done in parallel or with some overlap.
It can be done y changing the relation of activities from FS to SS or even FF or by adding lead time to downstream activities. However, fast tracking does add risk to the project.

Question 8

Finish-to-finish

Answer 8

An activity relationship type that requires the current activity to be finished before its successor can finish.

Question 9

Finish-to-start

Answer 9

An activity relationship type that requires the current activity to be finished before its successor can start.

Question 10

Fragnet

Answer 10

A representation of a project network diagram that is often used for outsourced portions of a project, repetitive work within a project, or a subproject. Also called a subnet.

Question 11

Free float

Answer 11

This is the total time single activity can be delayed without affecting the early start of its immediately following successor activities.

Question 12

Hard logic

Answer 12

Logic that describes activities that must happen in a particular order. Ex: dirt must be dug before the foundation can be built. Also know as mandatory dependency.

Question 13

Internal dependencies

Answer 13

Internal relationships to the project or the organization. Ex: the team must create the software as part of the project’s deliverable before the software can be tested for quality control.

Question 14

Lag time

Answer 14

Positive time that moves 2 or more activities further apart.

Question 15

Late finish

Answer 15

The latest a project activity can finish.

Used in the backward pass procedure to discover the critical path and the project float.

Question 16

Late start

Answer 16

The latest a project activity can start.

Used in the backward pass procedure to discover the critical path and the project float.

Question 17

Lead time

Answer 17

Negative time that allows 2 or more activities to overlap where ordinarily these activities would be sequential.

Question 18

Management reserve

Answer 18

A % of the project duration to combat Parkinson’s Law. When project activities become late, their lateness is subtracted from the mgmt reserve.

Question 19

Mandatory dependencies

Answer 19

These dependencies are the natural order of activities. Ex: you cant begin building your house until your foundation is in place. These relationships are called hard logic.

Question 20

Monte Carlo analysis

Answer 20

A project simulation approach named after the world-famous gambling district in Monaco. This predicts how scenarios may work out, given any number of variables. The process doesn’t actually churn out a specific answer, but a range of possible answers. When Monte Carlo analysis is applied to a schedule, it can examine, for example, the optimistic completion date, the pessimistic completion date, and the most likely completion date for each activity in the project then predict a mean for the project schedule.

Question 21

Parametric estimate

Answer 21

A quantitatively based duration estimate that uses mathematical formulas to predict how long an activity will take based on the quantities of work to be completed.

Question 22

Parkinson’s Law

Answer 22

A theory that states: “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” It is considered with time estimating, because bloated or padded activity estimates will fill the amount of time allotted to the activity.

Question 23

Planning package

Answer 23

A WBS entry located below a control account and above the work packages. A planning package signifies that there is more planning that needs to be completed for this specific deliverable.

Question 24

Precedence diagramming method

Answer 24

A network diagram that shows activities in nodes and the relationship between each activity. Predecessors come before the current activity, and successors come after the current activity.

Question 25

Project calendars

Answer 25

Calendars that identify when the project work will occur.

Question 26

Project float

Answer 26

This is the total time the project can be delayed without passing the customer-expected completion date.

Question 27

Project network diagram

Answer 27

A diagram that visualizes the flow of the project activities and their relationships to other project activities.

Question 28

Refinement

Answer 28

An update to the WBS

Question 29

Resource breakdown structure

Answer 29

Hierarchical breakdown of the project resources by category and resource type. Ex: an equipment catergory, an HR category and materials category. Within each category you could identify the type of equipment your project will use, the types of human resources and the types of materials.

Question 30

Resources calendar

Answer 30

Calendars that identify when project resources are available for the project work.

Question 31

Resource-leveling heurestic

Answer 31

A method to flatten the schedule when resources are over-allocated. Resource leveling can be applied using different methods to accomplish different goals. One of the most common methods is to ensure that workers are not overextended on activities.

Question 32

Rolling wave planning

Answer 32

A subsidiary plan in the project management plan. It defines how the project schedule will be created, estimated, controlled and managed.

Question 33

Soft logic

Answer 33

The activities don’t necessarily have to happen in a specific order. For example, you could install the light fixtures first, then the carpet, and then paint the room. The PM could use soft logic to change the order of the activities if so desired.

Question 34

Start-to-finish

Answer 34

An activity relationship that requires an activity to start so that its successor can finish. This is the most unusual of all the activity relationship types.

Question 35

Start-to-start

Answer 35

An activity relationship type that requires the current activity to start before its successor can start.

Question 36

Subnet

Answer 36

A representation of a project network diagram that is often used for outsourced portions of project, repetitive work within a project, or a subproject. Also called a fragnet.

Question 37

Template

Answer 37

A previous project that can be adapted for the current project and forms that are pre-populated with organizational specific information.

Question 38

Three-point estimate

Answer 38

An estimating technique for each activity that requires optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates to be created. Based on these there estimates, an average can be created to predict how long the activity should take.

Question 39

Total float

Answer 39

This is the total time an activity can be delayed without delaying project completion.

Question 40

Work package

Answer 40

The smallest item on the WBS