(05) Resource Scheduling Flashcards

1
Q

What are renewable resources?

A

Available for each period regardless of project duration.

- E.g., manpower, machine, equipment, etc.

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2
Q

What are Non-Renewable Resources?

A

Exhausted as they are used and are limited over the entire planning horizon.
- E.g., raw material, capital, etc.

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3
Q

What are Different Sequences?

A
  • Technical considerations define the logical sequence.
  • Shortage of resources redefine the activity sequence.
  • Although the technical considerations allow the simultaneous executions of the activities, due to the shortage of resources the tasks have to be executed sequentially.
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4
Q

What are Time-constrained projects?

A
  • Must be completed by a set date.
  • Use of levelling techniques to..
  • Managerial implications.
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5
Q

What must be completed by a set date?

A

Time is fixed, resources are flexible: additional resources are required to ensure project meets schedule.

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6
Q

Why are levelling techniques used?

A
  • Create a smoother distribution of resource usage by delaying noncritical activities.
  • Fluctuation in resource demand is minimised.
  • Resources over the life of the project are reduced.
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7
Q

What managerial implications are there?

A
  • Improves morale and results in fewer problems in the personnel and payroll.
  • Associated direct costs also tend to be levelled.
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8
Q

What are the factors of resource-constrained projects?

A
  • Level of resources available cannot be exceeded.
  • Use of heuristics (rule-of-thumb) that focus on the following priority rule in the order..
  • Assumptions (simplifications).
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9
Q

What level of resources available cannot be exceeded?

A

Resources are fixed, time is flexible: inadequate resources will delay the project.

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10
Q

What is the following priority rule for the use of heuristics (rule of thumb)?

A
  1. Minimum slack.
  2. Smallest (least) duration.
  3. Early start (or lowest identification number).
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11
Q

Assumptions (simplifications).

A
  • Splitting activities is not allowed — once an activity starts, it is carried to completion.
  • Level of resource used for an activity cannot be changed.
  • Activities with the most slack pose the least risk.
  • Reduction of flexibility may increase risk.
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12
Q

What are the impacts of Resource-constrained scheduling?

A
  • Reduces slack.
  • Reduces flexibility.
  • Increases the number of critical and near-critical activities.
  • Increases scheduling complexity.
  • May break sequence of activities, creating disjointed critical activities.
  • May cause parallel activities to become sequential.
  • May cause critical activities to become noncritical.
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13
Q

What types of constraints are there?

A

Time-constrained projects.
Resource-constrained projects.
Resource-constrained scheduling.

Of course, a combination of both time and resource constraints is also possible.

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14
Q

What is estimating project costs about?

A

It is about forecasting or approximating the cost of completing project deliverables.

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15
Q

What are the types of estimates?

A
  • Top-down (macro) estimates: analogy, group consensus or mathematical relationships.
  • Bottom-up (micro) estimates: estimates of elements of the work breakdown structure.
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16
Q

What Types of Costs are there?

A
  1. Direct Costs.

2. Indirect (overhead) Costs.

17
Q

What are Direct Costs?

A

Costs that are clearly chargeable to a specific work package.
- Labour, materials, equipment, etc.

18
Q

What are Indirect (overhead) Costs?

A

Costs incurred that are indirectly linked to a specific package that are apportioned to the project.
- Secretarial services, office space, telephone, etc.

19
Q

What do time-phased budgets involve?

A
  • Involves allocating the project cost estimate to activities over time.
  • The activities are based on the WBS for the project.
20
Q

What occurs when developing time-phased budgets?

A
  • A cost estimate is not a budget unless it is time-phased.
  • Time phasing begins with the time estimate for a project.
  • Time-phased budgets mirror how the project’s costs will occur or when cash flows from the project can be expected.
21
Q

What is the importance of Time-Phased Budgets?

A

Without time- phasing cost to match the project schedule it is impossible to have reliable information for control purposes.

22
Q

What are some tips for estimating projects?

A
  1. Always include contingency.
  2. Discuss and communicate team assumptions.
  3. Avoid using only high-level breakdowns.
  4. Double-check for commonly overlooked activities.
  5. Include the accuracy of the estimate.
  6. Do not forget risks.