Chapter 6 - Schedule Mgmt Flashcards
What is in the schedule mgmt plan?
-Scheduling methodology and software
-rules for how estimates should be stated e.g. hours or weeks
-scheduled baseline
-A threshold for acceptable variance
– performance measures that will be used on the project to identify variances early
– a plan for how schedule variances will be managed
– a process for determining whether a variance must be acted upon
– identification of schedule change control procedures
– Types of reports required on the project relating to schedule
– format and frequency of project reporting
– in an adaptive life-cycle: the length of releases and iterations
What is the precedence diagramming method?
A method to create a network diagram
What is a finish to start relationship?
Activity A must finish before activity B starts
What is a start to start activity?
Activity A must have started before activity B can begin
What is a finish to finish activity?
Activity A must have finished before activity B can finish
What is a start to finish activity?
Activity B must start before activity A can finish. Rarely used.
What is lead time?
Elite may be used to indicate that an activity can start before its predecessor activity is completed
What is lag time?
A like is waiting time inserted between activities, such as needing to wait three days after pouring concrete before constructing the frame for a house
What type of dependencies are there?
– Mandatory dependency (hard logic): e.g. due to nature of the work, or legal requirements
– discretionary dependency (preferred, preferential, or soft logic)
– external dependency
– internal dependency
What is path convergence?
When an activity has one or more activities directly preceding it
Note: this increases project risk
What is path divergence?
When an activity has one or more successors activities directly following it
What estimating methods are there
– one point estimating
– analogous estimating (top down)
– parametric estimating using e.g. regression analysis or learning curve
- heuristics, e.g. “design work is always 15% of project length”
– three point estimating using the triangular distribution or the beta distribution. Use straight/triangular when you have little historical information, beta/weighted when do have historical information
– bottom-up estimating
What are the inputs to Develop Schedule?
– Lessons learnt – project management plan (schedule management plan and scope baseline) – activity list and attributes – milestone list – assumption log – network diagram – basis of estimates –Activity duration estimates – resource requirement – resource calendars – resource breakdown structure – a company calendar identifying working and nonworking days – project team assignments – risk register
Which formula do you use to calculate float in forward pass?
The float equals late start minus early start
Which formula do you use to calculate float in backward pass?
Float equals late finish minus early finish
What is the total float?
The amount of time and activity can be delete without delaying the project and date or an intermediary milestone
What is free float?
The amount of time and activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of its successor(s)
What is project float or positive total float?
The amount of time a project can be delayed without delaying the externally imposed project completion date
What is fast tracking?
Fast tracking is a schedule compression technique that takes critical path activities that were originally planned in a series and plans them in parallel instead for some or all of their duration
What are the general impacts on the project of fast tracking?
Fast tracking always at risk and may add management time for the project manager for example to communicate more
What is the general impact on the project of crashing?
Crushing always adds cost and may add risk and may add management time for the project manager
What is crashing?
Crashing is a schedule compression technique that involves adding or adjusting resources in order to compress the schedule while maintaining the original project scope. These resources can be people or physical resources and can be in-house or procured
What can Monte Carlo analysis tell you?
– The probability of completing the project on any specific day
– the probability of completing the project for any specific cost
– the probability of any activity actually being on the critical path
– an indication of the overall project risk
What is resource levelling?
Resource levelling is a resource optimisation technique that produces a resource limited schedule. levelling lengthens the schedule to deal with a limited number of resources resource availability and other resource constraints
What is resource smoothing?
Resource smoothing is a resource optimisation technique and a modified form of resource levelling. Resources are levelled only within the limits of the float of their activities so the completion dates of activities are not delayed
