Chapter 6

Question 1

Activity List

Answer 1

The primary output of breaking down the WBS work packages

Question 2

Alternative Estimating

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

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 judgement

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 over

Question 6

Control threshold

Answer 6

a predetermined range of acceptable variances such as plus or minus 10% off schedule. Should the variance exceed the threshold project control processes and corrective 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 liver and sometimes resources such as faster equipment cause costs to increase

Question 8

Critical path

Answer 8

the pass 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 a 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 document the logic behind the decision. discretionary dependencies enable activities to happen in a preferred order because of best practices conditions unique to the project world or external events. Also known as a 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

Dependencies outside of the projects control. examples include the delivery of equipment from a vendor, the deliverable of another project, or the decision of the committee, a lawsuit, or an 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

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

Question 15

Finish to start

Answer 15

Inactivity 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, repetive work within a project, or a subproject. AKA. Subnet

Question 17

Free Float

Answer 17

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 site 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 deliverable before the software can be tested for quality control

Question 20

Lagtime

Answer 20

Positive time that moves two or more activities further apart.

Question 21

Late finish

Answer 21

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

Question 22

The late start

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Lead time

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Management reserve

Answer 24

a percentage of a project duration to combat Parkinson’s law. When project activities become elite their lateness is subtracted from the management reserve

Question 25

Mandatory dependencies

Answer 25

relationships that established 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 26

Monte Carlo analysis

Answer 26

a project simulation approach named after the world famous gambling district in Monaco. It predicts how scenarios make workout, given any number of variables. The process it doesn’t actually turn 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, in the most likely completion date for each activity in the project and then predicting mean for the project schedule

Question 27

Parametric estimate

Answer 27

a quantitatively based duration estimated that uses mathematical formulas to predict how long an activity will take based on the quantities of work to be completed

Question 28

Parkinson’s law

Answer 28

a theory that 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 29

Planning package

Answer 29

a WBS entry located below a control account and above the work packages. A planning package signifies that more planning needs to be completed for this specific deliverable

Question 30

Precedence diagramming method

Answer 30

a network diagram that shows activities and nodes and the relationship between objectivity. Predecessors come before the current activity and successors come after the current activity

Question 31

Project calendars

Answer 31

Calendars that identify when the project work will occur

Question 32

Project float

Answer 32

The total time the project can be delayed without passing the customer expected completion date

Question 33

Project Network diagram

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Project Network diagram

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Refinement

Answer 35

An update to the WBS

Question 36

Resources Breakdown Structure (RBS)

Answer 36

A hierarchical breakdown of the project resources by category and resource type. For example, you could have a category of equipment, a category of HR, and a category of MATS. Within each category, you could identify the types of equipment your project will use, the types of HR, and types of MATS.

Question 37

Resource Calendars

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Resource-Leveling Heuristic

Answer 38

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

Question 39

Rolling Wave Planning

Answer 39

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

Question 40

Schedule Management Plan

Answer 40

A subsidiary plan in the project management plan. It defines how the project schedule will be created, estimated, controlled, and managed.

Question 41

Soft Logic

Answer 41

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

Question 42

Start-to-Finish

Answer 42

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

Question 43

Start-to-start

Answer 43

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

Question 44

Subnet

Answer 44

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.

Question 45

Template

Answer 45

A previous project that can be adapted for the current project and forms that are pre-populated with organizational-specific information

Question 46

Three-point estimate

Answer 46

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.

Question 47

Total Float

Answer 47

The total time an activity can be delayed without delaying project completion.

Question 48

Work Package

Answer 48

The smallest item in the work breakdown structure.