Chapter 6 Project Schedule Management

Question 1

Project Schedule Model Maintenace

Answer 1

Process used to update the status and record progress of the project in the schedule model during the execution of the project.

Question 2

Define Activities

Answer 2

Process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce deliverables.

Decomposes work packages into scheduled activities that provide a basis for estimating, scheduling, executing, monitoring, and controlling project work

Question 3

Control Thresholds

Answer 3

Variance thresholds for monitoring schedule performance may be specified to indicate an agreed upon variation before action is needed

Expressed as a percentage. Deviations from the parameters estimated in the baseline plan.

Question 4

Rolling Wave Planning

Answer 4

An iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail, while work further in the future is planned at a higher level.

Progressive elaboration applicable to work packages, planning packages, and release planning when using Agile or Waterfall.

Question 5

Activity List

Answer 5

The schedule of activities required on a project

Includes an activity identifier and scope of work description for each activity in detail to ensure the team understands the work required.

Question 6

Activity Attributes

Answer 6

Extend the description of the activity by identifying multiple components associated with each activity.

Used to identify where the work is to be performed, project calendar, and type of effort involved.

Question 7

Sequence of Activities

Answer 7

The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities

Key benefit is it defines the logical sequence of work to obtain the greatest efficiency given the

Question 8

Project Scheduling

Answer 8

A detailed plan that requests how and when the project will deliver the products, services, results defined in the project scope and serves as a tool for communication, managing stakeholders expectations and as a basis for performance reporting.

Question 9

Iterative Scheduling

with Backlog

Answer 9

A form of rolling wave planning based on adaptive life cycles such as the approach for product development

Requirements documented as user stories that are refined and prioritized prior to construction

Delivers incremental value to the customer

Question 10

On Demand Scheduling

Answer 10

Used in the Kanban System, based on the pull-based scheduling to limit a teams work in progress in order to balance demand against the teams delivery.

Does not rely on a schedule pulls work from backlog - a queue of work to be done ASAP.

Question 11

Plan Schedule Management

Answer 11

The process of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing and controlling the project schedule.

Provides guidance on how the project schedule will be managed throughout the project

Question 12

Time Boxed Periods

Answer 12

Durations during which the team works steadily towards completion of a goal.

Helps minimize scope creep.

Question 13

Lags & Leads

Answer 13

Lead - Amount of time a successor activity can be advanced with respect to predecessor activity.

Lag- Amount of time a successor activity will be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity.

Question 14

Estimate Activity Durations

Answer 14

Process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities w/ estimated resources.

Provides the amount of time each activity will take to complete

Question 15

Analogous Estimating

Answer 15

A technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity using historical data from a previous similar project or activity

Used when there is a limited amount of info.

Not accurate.

Question 16

PDM

Precedence Diagramming Method

Answer 16

Technique used for constructing a schedule model in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked by 1 or more logical relationships to show the sequences in which the activities are performed.

Question 17

Parametric Testing

Answer 17

Technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters

Multiplying the quantity of work by the number of labor hours per unit of work

Question 18

Three Point Estimating

Answer 18

Most Likely (tM)- Based on previous project data

Optimistic (tO) - Best case scenario

Pessimistic (tP) - Worse case scenario

Question 19

Duration Estimate

Answer 19

Quantitive assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to complete an activity, phase or project.

Question 20

Schedule Network Analysis

Answer 20

Overarching technique used to generate the project schedule model

Question 21

Critical Path Method

Answer 21

Used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of schedule flexibility on the logical networks path within the schedule model

Question 22

Total Float

Answer 22

The schedule flexability or amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed or extended without delaying the project finish date

Question 23

Free Float

Answer 23

The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any successor.

Question 24

Critical Chain

Answer 24

The critical chain method is a technique that modifies the project schedule to account for limited resources by adding duration buffers that are non-work schedule activities to maintain focus on the planned activity durations.

Question 25

Pareto Chart

Answer 25

A specific type of histogram that ranks causes or issues by their overall influence.

It assists in prioritizing corrective actions as the issues with the greatest impact are displayed in order. In addition, the Pareto chart includes an arc representing the cumulative percentage of the causes.

Question 26

Resource Leveling

Answer 26

Start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing the demand.

Question 27

Resource Smoothing

Answer 27

Adjusts the activities of a schedule model so that the requirements for resources on a project do not exceed certain predefined resource limits

Question 28

What if Scenario Analysis

Answer 28

The process of evaluating scenarios to predict their effect, positive or negative on project objectives.

Question 29

Simulation

Answer 29

Models the combined effects of individual project risks and other sources of uncertainty to evaluate their potential impact on achieving project objectives.

Question 30

Schedule Compression

Answer 30

Techniques used to shorten or accelerate the schedule duration without reducing the project scope in order to meet schedule constraints.

Question 31

Crashing

Answer 31

Used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources

Question 32

Fast Tracking

Answer 32

Schedule compression technique in which activities or phases normally done in sequence are performed in parallel for at least a portion of their duration.

Question 33

Agile Release Planning

Answer 33

Provides a high level summary timeline of the release schedule (usually 3-6months) based on the product road map and the product vision for the products evolution.

Question 34

Schedule Data

Answer 34

A collection of info for describing and controlling the schedule. Milestones, activities, activity attributes

Question 35

Project Calendars

Answer 35

Identifies working days and shifts that are available for scheduled activities