6 Project Schedule Management Terms

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, however, than team member recollections. Analogous estimating is also known 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 project manager 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 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 +/–10 percent off schedule. Should the variance 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 labor and sometimes resources (such as faster equipment) cause costs to increase.

Question 8

Critical path

Answer 8

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 in the critical path have no float

Question 9

Discretionary dependencies

Answer 9

These dependencies are the preferred order of activities. Project managers 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 10

Early finish

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Early start

Answer 11

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

Question 12

External dependencies

Answer 12

As the 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 13

Fast tracking

Answer 13

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 or by adding lead time to downstream activities. However, fast tracking does add risk to the project.

Question 14

Finish-to-finish

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Finish-to-start

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Fragnet

Answer 16

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 17

Free float

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Hard logic

Answer 18

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 19

Internal dependencies

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Lag time

Answer 20

Positive time that moves two or more activities further apart.

Question 21

Late start

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Lead time

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Management reserve

Answer 23

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 24

Mandatory dependencies

Answer 24

These dependencies are the natural order of activities. For example, you can’t begin building your house until your foundation is in place. These relationships are called hard logic.

Question 25

Monte Carlo analysis

Answer 25

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 26

Parametric estimate

Answer 26

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 27

Parkinson’s Law

Answer 27

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 28

Planning package

Answer 28

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 29

Precedence diagramming method

Answer 29

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 30

Project calendars

Answer 30

Calendars that identify when the project work will occur.

Question 31

Project float

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Project network diagram

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Refinement

Answer 33

An update to the work breakdown structure.

Question 34

Resource breakdown structure (RBS)

Answer 34

This is a hierarchical breakdown of the project resources by category and resource type. For example, you could have a category of equipment, a category of human resources, 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 materials.

Question 35

Resource calendars

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Resource-leveling heuristic

Answer 36

A method to flatten the schedule when resources are overallocated. 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.