Ch. 6: Managing Project Time

Question 1

The primary output of breaking down the WBS’s work packages.

Answer 1

Activity list

Question 2

The identification of more than one solution. Consider roles, materials, tools, and approaches to the project work.

Answer 2

Alternative identification

Question 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.

Answer 3

Analogous estimating

Question 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.

Answer 4

Bottom-up estimating

Question 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.

Answer 5

Control account

Question 6

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, as the associated labor expenses increase.

Answer 6

Crashing

Question 7

A network analysis approach where the deadlines associated with individual tasks are removed and the only date that matters is the promised due date of the project deliverable. CCM works to modify the project schedule based on the availability of project resources rather than on the pure sequence of events, as in the critical path method.

Answer 7

Critical chain method

Question 8

The path in the project network diagram that cannot be delayed, or the project completion date will be late. There can be more than one critical path. Activities in the critical path have no float.

Answer 8

Critical path

Question 9

These dependencies are the preferred order of activities. Project managers should use these relationships at their discretion and 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.

Answer 9

Discretionary dependencies

Question 10

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

Answer 10

Early finish

Question 11

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

Answer 11

Early start

Question 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.

Answer 12

External dependencies

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

Answer 13

Fast tracking

Question 14

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

Answer 14

Finish-to-finish

Question 15

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

Answer 15

Finish-to-start

Question 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.

Answer 16

Fragnet

Question 17

This is the total time a single activity can be delayed without affecting the early start of any successor activities.

Answer 17

Free float

Question 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.

Answer 18

Hard logic

Question 19

Positive time that moves two or more activities farther apart.

Answer 19

Lag time

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Late finish

Question 21

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

Answer 21

Late start

Question 22

Negative time that brings two or more activities closer together.

Answer 22

Lead time

Question 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.

Answer 23

Management reserve

Question 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.

Answer 24

Mandatory dependencies

Question 25

A project simulation approach named after the world-famous gambling city. 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.

Answer 25

Monte Carlo analysis

Question 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.

Answer 26

Parametric estimate

Question 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.

Answer 27

Parkinson’s Law

Question 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.

Answer 28

Planning package

Question 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.

Answer 29

Precedence diagramming method

Question 30

Calendars that identify when the project work will occur.

Answer 30

Project calendars

Question 31

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

Answer 31

Project float

Question 32

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

Answer 32

Project network diagram

Question 33

An update to the work breakdown structure.

Answer 33

Refinement

Question 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.

Answer 34

Resource breakdown structure

Question 35

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

Answer 35

Resource calendars

Question 36

A method to flatten the schedule when resources are over-allocated. 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.

Answer 36

Resource-leveling heuristic

Question 37

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

Answer 37

Rolling wave planning

Question 38

The order of the activities doesn’t necessarily have to happen in a specific order. For example, you could install the light fixtures first, then the carpet, and then paint the room. The project manager could use soft logic to change the order of the activities if he so desired.

Answer 38

Soft logic

Question 39

An activity relationship that requires an activity to start so that its successor can finish. This is the most unusual of all the activity relationship types.

Answer 39

Start-to-finish

Question 40

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

Answer 40

Start-to-start

Question 41

A representation of a project network diagram that is often used for outsourced portions of projects, repetitive work within a project, or a subproject. Also called a fragnet.

Answer 41

Subnet

Question 42

A previous project that can be adapted for the current project.

Answer 42

Template

Question 43

An estimating technique for each activity that requires optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates to be created. Based on these three estimates, an average can be created to predict how long the activity should take.

Answer 43

Three-point estimate

Question 44

This is the total time an activity can be delayed without delaying project completion.

Answer 44

Total float

Question 45

The smallest item in the work breakdown structure.

Answer 45

Work package