Chapter 6: Project Schedule Management Flashcards
The Project Time Management processes and their associated tools and techniques are documented in the:
A. Time management plan
B. Schedule management plan
C. Scope management plan
D. Cost management plan
B. Schedule management plan
Company ASR has been working on a project to erect a new office building on their manufacturing site. The project is due for completion in two months, when employees from another site which has been sold are due to move into the new building. However, the project is behind schedule and current forecasts indicate that the building will not be available for another three months. The project manager has been asked to produce plans that will speed up the project and deliver it on time. One term for this is:
A. Project crashing
B. Schedule acceleration
C. Project pace setting
D. Schedule efficiency
A. Project crashing
Variance thresholds for monitoring performance that may be specified to indicate an agreed upon amount of variation to be allowed before some action needs to be taken are called:
A. Control limits
B. Control thresholds
C. Control parameters
D. Control processes
B. Control thresholds
The deliverables at the lowest level of the WBS are known as work packages. Decomposition of work packages divides them into:
A. Actions
B. Tasks
C. Activities
D. Deliverables
C. Activities
The iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail while the work in the future is planned at a higher level is known as:
A. Decomposition
B. Rolling wave planning
C. Waterfall planning
D. Forward planning
B. Rolling wave planning
The multiple components associated with each activity are known as:
A. Activity attributes
B. Activity characteristics
C. Activity description
D. Activity register
A. Activity attributes
Company GVN is completing a project and has reached a milestone with the completion of the basement foundation in their house construction. Which of the following is a characteristic that distinguishes a milestone from a scheduled activity:
A. A milestone is a key project schedule activity
B. A milestone occurs at the end of each project phase
C. A scheduled activity occurs at a specific point in the project
D. A milestone has zero duration
D. A milestone has zero duration
The precedence diagramming method is a technique used for constructing a schedule model in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked by one or more logical relationships to show the sequence in which the activities are to be performed. Most project management software packages use which method to represent a precedence diagram:
A. Arrow diagramming model
B. Activity on node
C. Critical path method
D. Program evaluation and review technique
B. Activity on node
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished is which type of relationship:
A. Finish to start
B. Finish to finish
C. Start to start
D. Start to finish
A. Finish to start
A construction project has activities that cannot be completed until the electrical wiring work has been inspected by the municipality. This is known as which type of dependency:
A. Mandatory dependency
B. Discretionary dependency
C. External dependency
D. Internal dependency
C. External dependency
The amount of time whereby a successor activity will be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity is called:
A. A lead
B. A lag
C. A precedent
D. A timeline
B. A lag
A project schedule network diagram is a graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project schedule activities. These relationships are also known as:
A. Prerequisites
B. Prerequirements
C. Dependencies
D. Leads and lags
C. Dependencies
Steffi is organizing a group of volunteers to organize a holiday dinner for a seniors group. She has to decide on the number of volunteers she will need. The PMBOK process that she should use for this is:
A. Estimate activity durations
B. Estimate activity costs
C. Project budgeting
D. Develop project scope
A. Estimate activity durations
A resource calendar is used for:
A. Estimating project costs
B. Estimating resource utilisation
C. Project planning
D. Monitoring and controlling resources
B. Estimating resource utilisation
The method of estimating project duration or cosy by aggregating the estimates of the lower level components of the WBS is:
A. Top-down estimating
B. Bottom-up estimating
C. Analogous estimating
D. Parametric estimating
B. Bottom-up estimating
Ash is developing estimates for his project to create a green roof for a new condo building. To do this he has looked at similar projects on other condo buildings and the costs that existed there are is assuming that his costs be in the same range. Which type of estimating is this:
A. Parametric estimating
B. Bottom-up estimating
C. Analogous estimating
D. Three-point estimating
C. Analogous estimating
What is the critical path through the following network:
C10 A1 B2 D5 E3 F1
G2 H3 I2 (With lines going through - C10 to GHI are in parallel)
A. ABDEF
B. ABGHIF
C. ABDGHIF
D. ABCF
D. ABCF
The technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing demand for resources with the available supply is:
A. Simulation
B. Resource smoothing
C. Resource leveling
D. Critical chain method
C. Resource leveling
A logic bar chart is also known as:
A. A project schedule network diagram
B. A milestone chart
C. A GANTT chart
D. A critical path
A. A project schedule network diagram
Ways to bring project activities that are behind into alignment with the plan by fast tracking or crashing the schedule for the remaining work are known as:
A. Schedule acceleration
B. Schedule speedup
C. Schedule complexity
D. Schedule compression
D. Schedule compression
The processes used in Project Schedule Management process
- Plan Schedule Management
- Define Activities
- Sequence Activities
- Estimate Activity Durations
- Develop Schedule
- Control Schedule
Rolling wave planning
Project elements are completed when capacity is created to work on them by the completion of previous project elements. This approach may be used in agile, adaptive, and incremental projects, and is contrasted with approaches that create a schedule for most activity at the start of a project
Possible project schedule influences
- Resources
- Scheduling technology
- Control
- Complexity
Alternative scheduling methods
- Agile
- Predictive
- Agile/predictive hybrid
Plan Schedule Management process
Process for developing a plan for the creation of the project schedule and its management through: understanding how various project activities impact each other and how to best fit them together in the schedule and management of the schedule as the project proceeds, including management of changes in the Perform Integrated Change Control process
Plan Schedule Management inputs
- Project charter
- Project management plan elements (scope baseline)
- Developmental approach (ex. Predictive, agile, etc.)
- EEFs
- Organizational process assets
Plan Schedule Management tools and techniques
- Expert judgement
- Data analysis techniques
- Meetings
Plan Schedule Management outputs
Schedule management plan, which includes how the project schedule will be developed and managed
Possible Schedule Management Plan elements
- Method that will be used for schedule model development
- Level of detail, such as units of measurement
- How it will be linked to other elements of the project management plan
- How the schedule model will be maintained and kept up-to-date
- How control threshold will be used
- How schedule performance will be measured and reported
Define Activities process
Process for breaking down the work packages into the individual activities that achieve them
Define Activities outputs
- Schedule management plan
- Scope baseline (WBS, work packages)
- EEFs
- Organizational process assets
Define Activities tools and techniques
- Expert judgement
- Decomposition
- Rolling wave planning (for agile approach)
Define Activities outputs
- Activity list
- Activity attributes
- Milestone list
- Change requests
- Project management plan updates
Activity list
Output of Define Activities process; a list of all the activities that are required to complete the project, ideally including descriptions for each activity and titles indicating each activity’s place in the project schedule
Activity attributes
Output of the Define Activities process; an extended description of each activity, providing information needed for the completion of that activity
Milestone list
Output of the Define Activities process; based on the activity list, listing important points in the project
Sequence Activities process
Process for organizing that activities required to complete the project into the order in which they should be completed
Sequence Activities inputs
- Project management plan elements
- Schedule management plan
- Activity list
- Activity attributes
- Milestone list
- Project scope statement
- EEFs
- Organizational process assets
Sequence Activities tools and techniques
- Precedence diagramming method
- Software packages using the Activity on Node (AON) diagramming method
- Leads and lags
- Project management information system (PMIS)
Predecessor activities (predecessors)
Activities that are undertaken before others
Successor activities (successors)
Activities that follow others
Precedence diagramming
Technique in the Sequence Activities process, used to visually represent relationships between predecessors and successors and support the creation of a schedule; nodes represent activities and arrows indicate the relationships between the nodes (Activity on Node (AON) diagramming)
Four types of dependencies represented in a precedence diagram
- Finish to start
- Finish to finish
- Start to start
- Start to finish
Dependency categories according to strength of relationship
- Mandatory (AKA hard logic)
- Discretionary
- External
- Internal
Lead
In the Sequence Activities process, time that an activity can start before another activity is completed
Lag
In the Sequence Activities process, time that must pass before an activity can start, relative to another activity
Sequence Activities outputs
- Project schedule network diagram
- Updated project documents
Project schedule network diagram
Displays relationship between project activities
Estimate Activity Durations process
Process that provides information on the time that it will take to complete each project activity and the amount of the available resources needed to complete it
Estimate Activity Duration inputs
- Project management plan elements (schedule management plan and scope baseline)
- Project documents (activities relationships, activities list, project team assignments)
- EEFs
- Organizational process assets
Estimate Activity Durations tools and techniques
- Expert judgement
- Estimating techniques (analogous, parametric, three-point and bottom-up)
- Data analysis (alternatives analysis and reserve analysis)
- Decision making techniques (voting)
Analogous estimating
Estimating technique that uses data from activities or projects that are similar to those that are being estimated
Parametric estimating
Estimating technique that applies an algorithm to historical data to calculate the cost for the existing project
Three point estimating system
Estimating technique that creates three estimates (most likely, optimistic, and pessimistic) and then calculates the average of these to arrive at the estimate figure
Bottom-up estimating
Builds up costs by calculating the amount that lower level components of the WBS will cost and then adding them together to create estimated costs
Estimate Activity Durations outputs
- Duration estimates
- Basis or estimates
- Updated project documents
Develop Schedule process
Process for creating the schedule model or the project, which can be used to execute the schedule and monitor and control it
Develop Schedule inputs
- Project management plan elements (schedule management plan and scope baseline)
- Project documents (activity list, assumptions, activity durations and lessons learned)
- Project vendors
- EEFs
- Organizational process assets
Develop Schedule tools and techniques
- Schedule network analysis
- Critical path method
- Resource optimization
- Data analysis techniques (what if scenario analysis and simulation)
- Schedule compressing techniques (crashing and fast tracking)
- Project management information system (PMIS)
- Agile releaser planning (for agile projects)
Schedule network analysis
Main tool usually used in the Develop Schedule process, which studies the possible ordering of project activities to arrive at the optimum schedule for the project
Critical Path method
Used in the Develop Schedule process to find the quickest schedule that can be achieved for the project and the various possibilities that may exist for the different schedules that may be created
Resource optimization
Technique used in the Develop Schedule process which adjusts the time periods for activities based on the availability of project resources by adjusting the scheduling of activities to match or be less than the maximum resources that are available through resource leveling and resource smoothing
What-If scenario analysis
Used in the Develop Schedule process to determine the consequences of possible schedules on project success
Schedule compression techniques
Techniques used in the Develop Schedule process, to allow the schedule to be completed more quickly using crashing (additional resources) and fast tracking (completion activities together)
Agile release planning
Used in the Develop Schedule process for agile projects to determine the objectives of each project iteration
Develop Schedule outputs
- Approved project schedule model (schedule baseline)
- Milestone chart
- Bar chart
- Other data (activity resource requirements and alternative schedules)
- Project calendars
- Change requests
- Project management plan updates
- Other project document updates
Control Schedule process
Process to monitor the project schedule for where activities for where activities are on schedule and where changes need to be made
Control schedule inputs
- Project management plan elements (schedule management plan and schedule, scope and performance management baseline)
- Other project documents (lessons learned register, project schedule and resource calendars)
- Work performance data
- Organizational process assets
Control Schedule tools and techniques
- Data analysis techniques (trend, variance and what-if scenario analysis)
- Performance measurement techniques (earned value analysis)
- Iteration burndown chart (for agile projects)
- Performance reviews
- Critical path method
- PMIS
- Resource optimization
- Leads and lags
- Schedule compression techniques
Control Schedule outputs
- Information on project work performance
- Schedule forecast updates
- Change requests
- Project management plan updates
- Other project document updates
Example EEFs that are inputs to Plan Schedule Management process
- Availability of project resources
- Organizational culture
- Software to develop and manage the plan
Example organizational process assets that are inputs to Plan Schedule Management process
- Information from previous projects
- Organization’s scheduling tools
Example EEFs that are inputs to Define Activities process
Publicly available information for determine the activities required to complete the work
Example organizational process assets that are inputs to Define Activities process
Information from previous projects
Example EEFs that are inputs to Sequence Activities process
Regulations or standards that may impact the project
Example organizational process assets that are inputs to Sequence Activities process
Information from previous projects
Example EEFs that are inputs to Estimate Activity Duration process
- Standard Activity Durations
- Information from similar projects
Example organizational process assets that are inputs to Estimate Activity Durations process
- Historical activity durations
- Lessons learned
Example EEFs that are inputs to Develop Schedule process
Government standards for scheduling
Example organizational process assets that are inputs to Develop Schedule process
Organization’s methodology for creating schedules
Example organizational process assets that are inputs to Control Schedule process
- Organization’s policies and procedures
- Organization’s schedule and control tools
- Organization’s monitoring and reporting methods
