6 - Schedule Management

Question 1

Activity List

Answer 1

Primary output of breaking down the WBS work packages

Question 2

Alternative Analysis

Answer 2

Identification of more than one solution.

Consider: roles, materials, tools, approaches to project work.

Question 3

Analogous Estimating

Answer 3

Like an analogy.

Estimating approach that relies on historical information (expert judgement).

Unreliable but fast. More reliable than team member recollections.

aka top down estimating

Question 4

Bottom-up estimating

Answer 4

Estimating approach where you start at the bottom and estimate time for each activity., its predecessor and its successor.

Most accurate time-and-cost estimating.

Question 5

Control account

Answer 5

A management control point where scope, budget, and schedule are integrated and compared to the earned value for performance measurement.

A WBS entry that considers time, cost, scope meaurements for that deliverable. Above Work Package in hierarchy.

Estimated performance compared against actual performance to measure overall performance for the deliverables within that control account.

Specifics documented in control account plan.

Question 6

Control Threshold

Answer 6

Predetermined range of acceptable variances e.g. +/- 10%.

If variance exceeds this, project control processes and corrected actions enacted.

Question 7

Crashing

Answer 7

Scheudle compression where more resources are added to complete project earlier.

Added costs. Law of diminishing returns could apply here.

Question 8

Critical path

Answer 8

The path in the network diagram that cannot be delayed otherwise project completion will be late.

Activities in critical path have no float.

Question 9

Discretionary dependencies

Answer 9

Preferred order of activities.

PMs should use these relationships at their discretion and should document logic.

Allow activities to happen in preferred order because of best practices, conitions uniqyue to project, or external events.

AKA preferential or soft logic.

Question 10

Early Finish

Answer 10

Earliest an activity can finish. Used in forward pass procedure to discover the critical path and the project float.

top right in network diagram node.

Question 11

Early start

Answer 11

Earliest an activity can begin. Used in forward pass procedure to discover the critical path and the project float.

Top left in network diagram node.

Question 12

External dependencies

Answer 12

Dependencies outside project’s control.

e.g. decision of committee, delivery of equipment, etc.

Question 13

Fast-tracking

Answer 13

A schedule compression method that changes relatioships of activities.

Sequential activities allowed to operate in parallel or with overlap.

FS to SS or FF, or by adding lead time to downstream activities.

Added risk.

Question 14

Finish to finish

Answer 14

FF

Activity relationship that requires current activity to be finished before the successor can finish.

Question 15

Finish to start

Answer 15

FS

Activity relationship:
current activity must finish before successor can start.

Question 16

Fragnet

Answer 16

Representation of project network diagram that is often used for outsourced portions of a project, repetitive work within a project, or a subproject.

AKA subnet

Question 17

Free float

Answer 17

Total time activity can be delayed without affecting early start of its immediately successor activities.

Question 18

Hard logic

Answer 18

Logic that described activities that must happen in a particular order.

e.g. excavate before foundation.

aka mandatory dependancy.

Question 19

Internal dependencies

Answer 19

Internal relationships to the project or organization.

e.g. project team must create the software as part of hte project’s deliverable before software can be tested for quality control.

Question 20

Lag time

Answer 20

Positive time that moves two or more activities further apart.

Waiting time between activities.

Question 21

Late Finish (LF)

Answer 21

The latest a project activity can finish.

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

Question 22

Lead time

Answer 22

Negative time. Brings two activities closer together (or overlaps).

Also thought of as an acceleration of the successor activity (only possible on finish-startl).

Question 23

Management Reserve

Answer 23

A percentage of the project duration to combat parkinson’s law (work expands to time allotted).

When project activities become late, there lateness is subtracted from the management reserve.

Question 24

Mandatory dependencies

Answer 24

These dependencies are the natural order of activities (e.g. foundation before house).

AKA hard logic.

Question 25

Monte Carlo analysis

Answer 25

Project simulation approach that predicts how all scenarios will play out. Gives a range of possible answers (like a histogram)

Question 26

Parametric analysis

Answer 26

Quantitatively based duration estimate that uses formulas to determine how long activity will take based on quantities of work to be completed.

Question 27

Parkinsons law

Answer 27

Work expands to fill allotted time.

Question 28

Planning package

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Precedence diagramming method

Answer 29

Network diagram that shows activities in nodes and the relationships between each activity.

Question 30

Project calendars

Answer 30

Calendars that identify when the project work will occur.

Question 31

Project float

Answer 31

Total time a project can be delayed without delaying customer-expected due date

Question 32

Project network diagram

Answer 32

Diagram that visualizes the flow of project activities and relationship to other activities

Question 33

Refinement

Answer 33

Update to the WBS

Question 34

Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS)

Answer 34

Hierarchal breakdown of project resources by category and resource type. e.g. category for equip, human resources, materials - each with diff types.

Question 35

Resource Calendars

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Resource-leveling heuristic

Answer 36

Method to flatten the schedule when resources are overallocated. e.g. to ensure workers are not overextended on activities.

Question 37

Rolling wave planning

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Schedule management plan

Answer 38

Subsidiary PM plan. Defines how scheudle will be created, estimated, controlled, and managed.

Question 39

Soft logic

Answer 39

Activities don't necessarily have to happen in a specific order. PM could use soft logic to change order if so ddesired.

Question 40

Start to Finish

Answer 40

Activity relationship. One activity needs to start so that it's successor can finish. Very unusual.

Question 41

Start to start

Answer 41

Activity relationship that requires current activity to start before successor can start.

Question 42

Subnet

Answer 42

Representation of project network diagram that is often used for outsourced portions of the projects, repetitive work with a projcet, or a subproject. Also called fragnet.

Question 43

Template

Answer 43

Prepopulated component.

Question 44

Three-point estimate

Answer 44

Estimating technique that requires optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimate to be created. Three estimates are averaged. PERT is the one where the most likely is weighted higher.

Question 45

Total float

Answer 45

Total time an activity can be delayed without delaying project completion

Question 46

work package

Answer 46

Smallest item on the work breakdown structure.