Chapter 6- Project Time 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 one 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, than team member recollections. It is also known as a top-down estimating and is a form of expert judgement.

Question 4

Bottom-up estimating

Answer 4

The most accurate time-and-cost estimating approach a project manager can use. This estimating approach starts at “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 overall performance for the deliverables within that control account. The specifics of a control account are documented in a control account plan.

Question 6

Control threshold

Answer 6

A predetermined range of acceptable variances, such as +/- percent off schedule. Should the variances exceed the threshold then project control processes and corrected actions will be enacted.

Question 7

Crashing

Answer 7

A schedule compression approach that adds more resources to activities on the critical path to complete the project earlier. When crashing a project, costs are added because the associated labour and sometimes resources ( such as faster equipment) cause cost to increase.

Question 8

Critical Chain Methos

Answer 8

A network analysis approach where the deadlines associated with individual tasks are removed and only date that matters is the promised due date of the project deliverable. CCM works to modify the project schedule based on the availability of the project resources rather than on the pure sequence of events, as in the critical path method.

Question 9

Critical path

Answer 9

The path in the project network diagram that cannot be delayed, otherwise the project completion date will be late. There can be more than one critical path. Activities on the critical path have no float, and it is the path longest path on the network diagram.

Question 10

Discretionary dependencies

Answer 10

These dependencies are preferred order of activities. Project manager should use these relationships at their discretion and should document the logic behind the decision. Discretionary dependencies allow activities to happen in a preferred order because of best practices, conditions unique to the project work, or external events. Also known as preferential or soft logic.

Question 11

Early finish

Answer 11

The earliest a project activity can finish. Used in the forward pass procedure to discover the critical path and a float.

Question 12

Early start

Answer 12

The earliest a project activity can start. Used in the forward pass procedure to discover the critical path and a float.

Question 13

External dependencies

Answer 13

As a name implies, these are dependencies outside of the project’s control. Examples include the delivery of equipment from a vendor, the deliverable of another project, or the decision of a committee, lawsuit, or expected new law.

Question 14

Fast tracking

Answer 14

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. Fast tracking can be accomplished by changing the relation of activities from FS to SS or even FF by adding lead time to downstream activities. However, fast tracking does add risk to a project.

Question 15

Finish-to-finish (FF)

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Finish-to-start (FS)

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Fragnet

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Free float

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Hard logic

Answer 19

Logic that describes activities that must happen in a particular order. For example, the dirt must be excavated before the foundation can be built. The foundation must be in place before the framing can begin. Also known as a mandatory dependency.

Question 20

Internal dependencies

Answer 20

Internal relationships to the project or the organisation. For example, the project team must create the software as a part of the project’s deliverables before the software can be tested for quality control.

Question 21

Lag time

Answer 21

Positive time that moves two or more activities further apart.

Question 22

Late finish

Answer 22

The latest a project activity can finish. Used in the backward pass procedure to discover the critical path and project float.

Question 23

Late start

Answer 23

The latest a project activity can start.Used in the backward pass procedure to discover the critical path and project float.

Question 24

Lead time

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Management reserve

Answer 25

A percentage of the project duration to combat Parkinson's law. When project activities become late, their lateness is subtracted from the management reserve.

Question 26

Mandatory dependencies

Answer 26

These dependencies are the natural order of activities. For examples, you can't begin building your house until a foundation is in place. Also called hard logic.

Question 27

Monte Carlo Analysis

Answer 27

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 and then predict a mean for the project schedule.

Question 28

Parametric estimate

Answer 28

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 29

Parkinson's law

Answer 29

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 30

Planning package

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Precedence diagramming method

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Project calendars

Answer 32

Calendars that identify when the project work will occur

Question 33

Project float

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Project network diagram

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Refinement

Answer 35

An update to the work breakdown structure.

Question 36

Resource breakdown structure RBS

Answer 36

This is hierarchical breakdown of the project resources by category and resource type. For example you could have a category of equipment, a category of human resource, and a category of materials. Within each category, you could identify the types of equipment your project will use, the types of human resources, and the types of material.

Question 37

Resource calendars

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Resource-levelling heuristic

Answer 38

A technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing demand for resources with the availability supply. Resource levelling can be applies using different methods to accomplish different goals. One of the most common methods is to ensure that workers are nor overextended on activities.

Question 39

Rolling wave planning

Answer 39

The imminent work is planned in detail, while the work in the future in planned at a high level. This is a form of progressive elaboration.

Question 40

Schedule management plan

Answer 40

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

Question 41

Soft logic

Answer 41

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

Question 42

Start-to-finish

Answer 42

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

Question 43

Start-to-start

Answer 43

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

Question 44

Subnet

Answer 44

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

Question 45

Template

Answer 45

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

Question 46

PLAN SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT

Answer 46

``` Inputs: PMP Charter Organisational Process Assets Enterprise Environmental Factors ``` T&T Expert judgement Analytical Techniques Meetings OUTPUTS: Schedule Management Plan

Question 47

Define Activities

Answer 47

``` Inputs: Schedule Management Plan Scope Baseline Organisational Process Assets Environmental factors ``` T&T Rolling wave planning Decomposition Expert judgement Outputs Activity List Activity Attributes Milestone list

Question 48

Sequence Activity

Answer 48

``` Inputs: Schedule Management Plan Activity List Activity Attributes Milestone list Project Scope Statement Organisational Process Assets Environmental factors ``` T&T Precedence diagramming method (PDM) Dependence determination Leads and Lags Outputs Project schedule network diagram Project document updates

Question 49

Estimate activity resources

Answer 49

``` Inputs Schedule Management Plan Activity List Activity Attributes Resource calendars Risk register Activity Cost estimates Organisational Process Assets Environmental factors ``` ``` T&T Expert judgement Alternative analysis Published estimating data Bottom-up estimating Project management software ``` Outputs Activity resource requirements Resource breakdown structure Project documents updates

Question 50

Determine activity duration

Answer 50

``` Inputs: Schedule Management plan Activity List Activity attributes Activity resource requirements Resource Calendars Project Scope Statement Risk Register Resource Breakdown structure Organisational Process Assets Environmental factors ``` ``` T&T Expert judgement Analogous estimating Parametric estimating Three point estimating Reserve analysis Group decision making techniques ``` Outputs Activity duration estimates Project documents updates

Question 51

Develop Schedule

Answer 51

``` Inputs Schedule Management Plan Activity list and attributes Project Schedule network diagrams Activity resource requirements Resource calendars Activity duration estimates Project Scope Statement Risk Register Project staff assignments Resource breakdown structure Enterprise environmental factors Organisational process assets ``` ``` T&T Schedule network analysis Schedule compression Scheduling tool Critical path method Critical Chain method Modelling techniques Resource optimisation techniques ``` ``` Outputs Schedule baseline Project schedule Schedule data Project calendars PMP updates Project document updates ```

Question 52

Control schedule

Answer 52

``` Inputs: PMP Project Schedule Work performance data Project calendars Schedule data Organisational process assets ``` ``` T&T Performance reviews Project Management software Resource optimisation techniques Modelling techniques Leads and Lags Schedule compression Scheduling tool ``` ``` Outputs Work performance information Schedule forecasts Change requests PMP updates Project documents updates Organisational process assets updates ```

Question 53

Resource optimisation techniques

Answer 53

Resource Levelling | Resource smoothing

Question 54

Resource smoothing

Answer 54

Resource optimisation technique Technique that adjusts the activities of a schedule model such that the requirements for resources on the project do not exceed certain pre-defined resource limits.

Question 55

Modelling techniques

Answer 55

What-if scenario | Simulation

Question 56

Schedule compression

Answer 56

Crashing | Fast tracking

Question 57

Project schedule formats

Answer 57

Bar charts Milestone charts Project Schedule network diagrams

Question 58

Performance reviews techniques

Answer 58

Trend analysis Critical Path method Critical chain method Earned value management

Question 59

What-if Scenario analysis

Answer 59

process of evaluation scenarios in order to predict their effect, positively or negatively of project deliverables.

Question 60

Simulation

Answer 60

Involves calculating multiple project durations with different sets of activity assumptions, usually using probability distributions constructed from the three point estimates to account for uncertainty. Most common Monte-Carlo- distribution of possible activity durations is defined for each activity and used to calculate a distribution of possible outcomes for the total project.