Ch 5 Flashcards
Describe what an activity estimated duration is.
The duration estimate for each activity is the total elapsed time for the work to be done plus any associated waiting time.
Why might a contractor prefer to state a project completion time in terms of number of days after the project rather than a specific date? Give some examples of instances when this would be appropriate.
This is helpful in case the start of the project is delayed for some reason, such as an unexpected snowstorm, delaying the start of a construction construction project
Describe project slack.
Total slack is the amount of time an activity’s earliest finish time can be delayed without delaying succeeding tasks beyond their latest finish times. If it is positive, you have extra time that can be used if needed. If it is negative, the activity needs to be completed by its latest finish time or the project completion will be delayed.
How is project slack calculated?
Calculate free Slack by finding the lowest of the values of total slack for all the activities entering into a specific activity, and then subtracting it from the values of total slack for the other activities also entering into that same activity
Slack = LF - EF OR
slack = LS-ES
Why should a project have a regular reporting period?
The team should establish a regular reporting period So team members can compare actual progress to planned progress and deal with any discrepancies as early as possible
Should all projects have the same reporting period? Why or why not?
The period depends on the complexity or duration of the project. It may be daily weekly, biweekly or monthly.
What types of data should be collected during each reporting period?
Two kinds of data need to be collected:
1. Data on actual performance. This includes the actual time that activities were started and/ or finished and the actual cost expended and committed
2. Information about any changes to the project scope, schedule, and budget
Why is the scheduling of IS projects so challenging?
Scheduling for IS is often done in a haphazard manner, and thus a large percentage of IS projects are finished much later than originally promise or never finished at all. One of the most important factors in effective scheduling is arriving at activity duration estimates that are as realistic as possible.
What are some of the common problems that push IS projects beyond their due dates?
Failure to identify all user requirements; failure to properly identify user requirements; continuing growth of project scope; underestimates of learning curves for new software packages; incompatible hardware; logical design flaws; poor selection of software; failure to select the best strategy; data incompatibility issues; failure to perform all perform phases of the SDLC
How is an activity estimate duration determined?
An activity’s duration estimate must be based on the quantity of resources expected to be used on the activity. The estimate should be aggressive, yet realistic. A beta distribution using most likely, pessimistic and optimistic times can be used
Describe free slack
Calculate free slack by finding the lowest of the values of total slack for all the activities entering into a specific activity, and then subtracting it from the values of total slack for the other activities also entering into that same activity
