Chapter 6: Project Schedule Management Terms

Question 1

The primary output of breaking down the WBS 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 analysis

Question 3

A somewhat unreliable estimating approach that relies on historical information to predict what current activity durations should be. ______ estimating is more reliable, however, than team member recollections. ______ 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 ______ account. The specifics of a ______ account are documented in a ______ account plan.

Answer 5

Control account

Question 6

A predetermined range of acceptable variances, such as +/–10 percent off schedule. Should the variance exceed the threshold, then project control processes and corrected actions will be enacted.

Answer 6

Control threshold

Question 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 labor and sometimes resources (such as faster equipment) cause costs to increase.

Answer 7

Crashing

Question 8

The path in the project network diagram that cannot be delayed, otherwise 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 should 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. Also known as preferential or soft logic.

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 even FF 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 to be finished before its successor can finish.

Answer 14

Finish-to-finish

Question 15

An activity relationship type that requires the current activity to 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 its immediately following 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. Also known as a mandatory dependency.

Answer 18

Hard logic

Question 19

Internal relationships to the project or the organization. For example, the project team must create the software as part of the project’s deliverable before the software can be tested for quality control.

Answer 19

Internal dependencies

Question 20

Positive time that moves two or more activities further apart.

Answer 20

Lag time

Question 21

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

Answer 21

Late finish

Question 22

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

Answer 22

Late start

Question 23

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

Answer 23

Lead time

Question 24

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 24

Management reserve

Question 25

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 25

Mandatory dependencies

Question 26

A project simulation approach named after the world-famous gambling district in Monaco. 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 26

Monte Carlo analysis

Question 27

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 27

Parametric estimate

Question 28

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 28

Parkinson’s Law

Question 29

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 29

Planning package

Question 30

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 30

Precedence diagramming method

Question 31

Calendars that identify when the project work will occur.

Answer 31

Project calendars

Question 32

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

Answer 32

Project float

Question 33

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

Answer 33

Project network diagram

Question 34

An update to the work breakdown structure.

Answer 34

Refinement

Question 35

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 35

Resource breakdown structure (RBS)

Question 36

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

Answer 36

Resource calendars

Question 37

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.

Answer 37

Resource-leveling heuristic

Question 38

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 38

Rolling wave planning

Question 39

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

Answer 39

Schedule management plan

Question 40

The activities don’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 so desired.

Answer 40

Soft logic

Question 41

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 41

Start-to-finish

Question 42

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

Answer 42

Start-to-start

Question 43

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 43

Subnet

Question 44

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

Answer 44

Template

Question 45

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 45

Three-point estimate

Question 46

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

Answer 46

Total float

Question 47

The smallest item in the work breakdown structure.

Answer 47

Work package