Scheduling I

Question 1

What does planning focus on?

Answer 1

Planning focuses on the broader aspects of the project; defining the project scope, identifying deliverables, and establishing the overall project approach.

Question 2

What does scheduling refer to?

Answer 2

Scheduling refers to the process of determining the start and end dates of individual tasks and activities within the project

Question 3

Why would you need a different schedule for the same project?

Answer 3

Different schedules can serve different purposes/ provide different views of how the project is moving forward

Question 4

What are some different types of schedules that might be used for a project?

Answer 4

• Master schedule
• project schedule
• baseline schedule
• look ahead schedule

Question 5

What kind of schedule does the general contractor develop?

Answer 5

The general contractor develops a schedule for all construction activities in accordance with the contract documents

Question 6

What kind of schedule does the owner/client/tenant develop?

Answer 6

The owner/client/tenant establishes the project completion date which governs the scheduling of work for both the designer and the contractor.

Question 7

What kind of schedule does the architect, engineer, and interior designer develop?

Answer 7

The architect, engineer, and interior designer develop a design schedule that meets the owners schedule including a prioritization of work in accordance with the owners needs.

Question 8

Should schedules developed by the owner, designers, or general contractor be kept to themselves?

Answer 8

No, each schedule must be communicated and coordinated with the other parties because the work of each affects the work of the others.

Question 9

How are bar charts used in scheduling?

Answer 9

Bar charts provide a visual overview of the project schedule. They show the start and end dates of each activity. They are simple to create/understand which makes them efficient for communicating the project schedule to stakeholders.

Question 10

What is a Gantt chart?

Answer 10

A Gantt chart is more comprehensive and detailed than a bar chart because it includes information such as dependancies, resources, and progress tracking.

Question 11

Which chart provides a holistic view of the project timeline?

Answer 11

Gantt Chart

Question 12

Which chart helps project managers and stakeholders track progress, identify critical paths, manage resources, and make schedule adjustments as needed?

Answer 12

Gantt Chart

Question 13

What are the steps to building a schedule?

Answer 13

1. Planning
2. Sequencing
3. Scheduling

Question 14

In the planning stage of scheduling, what are the smaller, more manageable components of the project scope called?

Answer 14

work packages

Question 15

In the planning phase, how does work breakdown structure (WBS) help develop a schedule?

Answer 15

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) organizes the project work into logical and structured sections, providing a clear framework for planning, execution, and control.

Question 16

What is work break down structure?

Answer 16

Work break down structure is the decomposition of the projects objectives into smaller, more manageable components that can be assigned to individuals or teams for execution.

Question 17

In scheduling, what are work packages?

Answer 17

Work packages represent major deliverables within a project.

Question 18

In scheduling, how are work packages broken down?

Answer 18

Higher level: work packages ↓
Decomposes into: activities list ↓
Used to develop: project schedule

Question 19

In scheduling: what are activities lists?

Answer 19

Activities lists are specific tasks required to complete a work package or part of a work package.
The activities are the smallest units of work that can be scheduled, assigned, and tracked and they are time-bound and have specific dependencies, durations, and resource requirements.

Question 20

What is an important consideration in creating activities lists/tasks for work packages?

Answer 20

The level of detail is important and should be tailored to the specific needs of the project and the stakeholders involved. The activities should be defined effectively and should have a defined duration or time frame.

Question 21

Does is matter if activities lists help measure progress/performance?

Answer 21

Yes, activities lists should be defined in a way that enables progress measurement and performance tracking.

Question 22

What types of activities are scheduled?

Answer 22

• production activities
• procurement activities
• administrative activities

Question 23

What is the focus of production activities?

Answer 23

Production activities focus on the execution of the actual construction work and technical requirements.

Question 24

What are some examples of production activities?

Answer 24

excavation, foundation, construction, structural, framing, electrical and plumbing installations, and finishing work.

Question 25

What are procurement activities?

Answer 25

Procurement activities involve the procurement and management of materials, equipment, and subcontracted services required for the project.

Question 26

What are some examples of procurement activities?

Answer 26

Sourcing, suppliers, obtaining quotes, issuing purchase orders, tracking deliveries, and managing contracts with subcontractors.

Question 27

What are some examples of project management and administrative activities/tasks?

Answer 27

Planning, cost estimation, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, quality assurance, and documentation

Question 28

What happens in the sequencing stage of planning a schedule?

Answer 28

In the sequencing stage, you will determine the dependencies and relationships between activities and establish which activities must be completed before others can start.

Question 29

Why is sequencing important?

Answer 29

Sequencing helps to establish the logical flow of work.

Question 30

What types of relationships exist in sequencing?

Answer 30

• finish to start (FS)
• start to start (SS)
• finish to finish (FF)

Question 31

What is meant by finish to start (FS)?

Answer 31

B cannot start until A is finished

Question 32

What is meant by start to start (SS) ?

Answer 32

B cannot start until A starts

Question 33

What is meant by finish to finish (FF)?

Answer 33

B cannot finish until A is finished

Question 34

What are some examples of finish to start (FS) activities?

Answer 34

pouring concrete (B) cannot start until the excavation (A) is complete

Question 35

What are some examples of start to start (SS) activities?

Answer 35

wiring (B) cannot begin until wall framing begins (A)

Question 36

What are some examples of finish to finish (FF) activities?

Answer 36

Drywall & insulation can begin concurrently, but drywall (B) cannot finish until insulation finish (A)

Question 37

How do you estimate the time required to complete each activity?

Answer 37

You can use historical data, expert judgement, or industry standards.
Or you can predict to the best of your ability how many days, weeks, or months it will take to complete each activity.

Question 38

What is the critical path method?

Answer 38

The critical path shows which activities must absolutely stay on track in order to meet the planned schedule (the critical path) and which activities have some leeway and flexibility (won’t jeopardize the project schedule)
This method will show the overall schedule length.

Question 39

What is the network diagram?

Answer 39

The network diagram is a graphical representation of project activities and their relationships. It illustrates the logical sequence and dependencies between activities.

Question 40

What is the precedence diagramming method (PDM)?

Answer 40

Precedence diagramming method (PDM) is a technique that used activity on the node (AON) to create network diagrams