Chapter Six | Schedule Management Flashcards
What does AON Stand for?
Activity on node
What does EAC stand for?
Estimate at completion
What does EVM stand for?
Earned value management
What does GERT stand for?
Graphical evaluation and review technique
What does PDM stand for?
Precedents diagramming method
What does PERT stand for?
Program evaluation and review technique
What does PMIS stand for?
Project management information system
What does SPI stand for?
Schedule performance index
What does SV stand for?
Schedule variance
What is the definition for project schedule management?
The process needed to manage the timely completion of the project
What does project scheduling provide?
A detailed plan that represents how and when the project will deliver the products, services, and results defined in the project scope.
Schedule Mng:
The plan serves as a tool for _________
Communication
Managing
Expectations
Performance reporting
The approved version of the schedule becomes what?
The baseline
You will track the project progress against the baseline.
What is adaptive planning?
Adaptive planning acknowledges that once work starts priorities may change, and the plans need to reflect the changes
What is iterative scheduling?
Iterative scheduling with a backlog
A form of rolling wave planning based on adaptive lifecycle such as agile approach
Note
Iterative scheduling uses sprints or iterations which can also be called TIME BOX periods of work
.
What is on demand scheduling?
This pulls from the backlog and fit into your schedule as resources become available.
This would be agile and Kanban examples
6.1
What is the definition of plans schedule management
This describes how to establish the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the project schedule
6.1. What are the key benefits for plan schedule management?
Provide guidance and direction on how the project schedule will be managed throughout the project
Schedule management plan also defines how schedule contingencies will be reported and assessed
6.1
Commercial database is an internal _____
and external _______
Internal OPA
External EEF
6.1 T&T
Data analysis | What alternative analysis can be used?
Scheduling methodology and tools Duration of rolling waves Estimating approach Schedule detail levels Frequency of reviews an update Project management software
6.1 | output
schedule management plan - what does it do
Establishes criteria and activities for developing, monitoring, and controlling the schedule.
6.2 What is define activities?
The process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables.
6.2 Define activities may involve what?
Taking the work packages created in the WBS and breaking them down further into specific activities used for estimating, scheduling, executing, monitoring and controlling the project work.
6.2 Defined activities may result in what?
Results in an activity list and the activity attributes, along with identifying milestones.
6.2. T&T. Decomposition
What does decomposition mean?
Subdividing work packages into smaller, more manageable components, called activities, the efforts needed to complete a work package.
6.2. T&T Rolling wave planning
What is rolling wave planning?
A form of progressive elaboration planning
Work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail
Future work as planned at a higher level of the WBS
Note
Progressive elaboration example
In a jigsaw puzzle you first put together the border
Then you put together the inner part
And then you go to the next and
.
Note
Tasks and activities are interchangeable
..
6.2. What is an activity list
A documented tabulation of schedule activities that shows an activity description, activity identifier, and a sufficiently detailed scope of work descriptions so project team members understand what work is to be performed.
6.2. What are examples of activity attributes
Unique activity ID or code Activity name and description Predecessor/successor activities Resource requirements WBS ID Leads in lags Impose dates Constraints and assumptions
Note
Milestones have zero duration
they should not be confused with actual work activities
they are used as checkpoints to assess the work completed
..
6.3. What is sequence of activities
The process of identifying and documenting the relationships between the activities
6.3 What are the key benefits of sequence activities
The work is sequenced logically to obtain the most efficient schedule given all project constraints
6.3 T&T | Sequence activities
What are the methods to draw network diagrams
Precedence diagramming method PDM
Arrow diagramming method ADM
Graphical evaluation and review technique GERD
6.3. T&T
What is the most common method to draw network diagrams
PDM
6.3 What is precedence diagramming method mean
A technique used for constructing a schedule model with activities represented by notes and graphically linked by one or more logical relationships to show the sequence of activities performed
What is another name for PDM?
Activity on node. AON
6.3 What are the four logical relationships
Finished to start:
Finish to finish
Start to start
Start to finish
6.3 Logical relationships
What is the definition and an example of finish to start
An activity must finish before the successor can start (most common)
example the race must finish before the award ceremony can start
A —> B
6.3 Logical relationships
What is the definition and example of finish to finish
An activity must finish before the successor can finish
example finish writing a document before finish editing the document
A—>
|
B
6.3. Logical relationships
What is the definition and example for start to start
An activity must start before the successor can start
example: Get paint and paint the house you may need to go back but you started paining
B
6.3 Logical relationships
What is the definition and an example of start to finish
Successor cannot finish until predecessor activity has been started
example shut old network (successor) must start before new network launch predecessor) finishes
6.3. What is arrow diagramming method
Old school
each activity is on an arrow or a line and a circle or box connects the activities
6.3 In ADM - What is a dummy activity
Dummy activities are represented by dashed lines
A dummy activity does not represent work and has zero duration
6.3. In comparing PDM and ADM what are the 3 differences
- Where the activity is listed
PDM activity on node ADM activity on arrow - Maximum number of predecessor types
PDM 4; ADM one (finish to start) - Special diagram types and characteristics
PDM no dummies allowed ADM dummies allowed
6.3 What is GERT
A modification to the Network diagram that allows loops between activities and conditional benchmarking
also known as conditional diagramming method
Memory jogger my aunt Gertie is LOOPY she has a CONDITION. Gert is rarely on the exam when it does appear it is usually a distractor
6.3 T&T What are the four dependency determination in integration?
Mandatory dependencies
Discretionary dependencies
External dependencies
Internal dependencies
6.3 T&T What are mandatory discrepancies
AKA. hard logic
legally or contractually required
6.3. T&T What are discretionary dependencies
These are sometimes called preferred, preferential or Soft Logic
they are based on good practices
6.3. T&T What are leads and lags
Leads = acceleration
Lags= required delay
Leads can be inserted to begin an activity before the predecessor activity is completed.
Lags can be inserted as a required delay between activities.
6.3. Output
Project schedule network diagrams. What are they
Schematic displays of schedule activities and the logical relationships between them.
Can include full project details or have one or more summary (hammock) activities
6.4. Estimate Activity Duration
What does this mean?
The process of estimating the number of work. Needed to complete individual activities within estimated resources.
6.4 What are the key benefits of estimate activity duration?
This provides the amount of time each activity will take to complete
Estimates the work effort, using the available resources and skill capability to determine the activity duration.
6.4 Estimate activity duration
Example of effort versus duration
On average how long does it take you to generate a report -hands on time
Eight hours per report x 10 reports on project equal 80 hours EFFORT
The worker only works for you part time this means duration will be 160 hours
8x10=80x2=160 DURATION
6.4. Input | What is a resource calendar
A calendar that identifies the working days and shifts upon which each specific resource is available. When and how long
6.4 | Estimate Activity Duration | T&T
What type of meeting does agile use and what is reviewed?
Meetings are standup meetings
Meetings focus on sprint or iteration planning to prioritize product backlog items and decide which items the team will commit to work on in the upcoming iteration/sprint
6.4 T&T
What are the four types of estimating?
Analogous Estimating
Parametric estimating
Three point estimating
Bottom up estimating
6.4 T&T
What is ANALOGOUS ESTIMATING (top down)
Aka Management expectations
applied early in the project when limited details are available
Utilize expert judgment and historical information to compare the project to previous similar projects and adjust for project differences
Provides a gross value estimate of the activity or summary activity
6.4 T&T
What is PARAMETRIC ESTIMATING
(Remember meter example)
Uses the relationship between historical data and variables to calculate an estimate for an activity
if you trust your numbers use this
Meters of cable * labor-hrs/meter
Number of drawings * number of hrs/drawing
Provides higher levels of accuracy, depending on sophistication and underlying data built into the model
6.4 T&T
What are the two types of three-point estimating
Beta distribution
Triangular distribution
6.4 T&T
When do you use beta distribution?
(three point estimating)
When large number of samples or historical data is available
6.4 T&T
When do you use triangular distribution?
(three point estimating)
When there is insufficient historical data or using judgment data
6.4 T&T
What is bottom up estimating
Work packages or activities are estimated to the greatest level of detail
durations are summarized aggregated or ROLLED UP to higher levels
duration and accuracy are influenced by the size and complexity of the activity
resources availability and utilization may be considered
6.4 OUTPUTS
What are the two main outputs?
Duration estimates
Lightly number of work. Required to complete an activity and duration estimates do not include any lag
Basis of estimates
How did you come up with these estimates?
6.5 Develop schedule
what is developing a schedule?
Developing a schedule is the process of analyzing activity sequences durations resources required and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model for the project execution and monitoring and controlling.
6.5. Develop schedule
what is the schedule used for?
The information is used to generate a schedule model with the planned dates for completing the project activities
used to communicate information to the team and management
model information is reviewed and validated throughout the life of the project
results in a realistic schedule which is agreed to by the team
6.5 T&T
What is schedule network analysis?
A technique to identify early and late start dates as well as early and late finish dates for the uncompleted portion of project activities.
6.5 T&T
What are the two different paths in Scheduled network analysis and definition?
Path convergence
A relationship in which a Scheduled activity has more than one predecessor
Path divergence
Our relationship in which a Scheduled activity has more than one successor
6.5 T&T
What is critical path method?
Critical path is the sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible project duration. Can have multiple critical paths
Calculates the early start, early finish, late start, and late finish dates for all activities utilizing a forward and backward pass analysis
6.5 T&T
What is a near critical path?
Path closest in length to the critical path
The near critical paths can become critical
6.5 T&T
What critical path method would you use for a more complicated network diagram to calculate?
Forward pass backward pass
6.5 T&T
What does forward past backwards past tell you
How much flexibility you have in the project schedule
6.5 T&T
What is total float?
The amount of time and activity can be delayed without delaying the project and date. If the total float is zero, the activity is on the critical path.
6.5
Note
The terms float and slack are used interchangeably on the exam.
DU equals duration.
.
6.5 T&T
What is project float?
The amount of time a project can be delayed without delaying the externally imposed customer response or date.
External DU - Crucial path DU
6.5 T&T
What is path float?
The amount of float shared by all activities in the entire path
DU of critical path - DU of each path
6.5 note
To figure out float or slack zero method
go left to right + and then right to left -
always work top to bottom
If there are two arrows always take the largest number when on top and lowest Number one on bottom
Anything with zero is the critical path
.
6.5 T&T
What is resource optimization (two types)
Resource leveling adjusting to a preset level of resources will change the critical path and the project and date
Ex sr level on longer tasks jr level on shorter tasks
resource smoothing adjusted using the available float in a project no change to critical path or project end date
Ex Eating up float time. You may be able to change the amount of hours worked per day to adjust with the flow
6.5 T&T
What is schedule compression techniques
Sure into the project schedule without modifying the scope of the project. used only on the critical path
6.5 T&T
What are the two common methods of schedule compression technique
Fast tracking
No money no people, instead of sequencing you do some things parallel this can be risky
Crashing
You have money and you have people. Add resources to short in the schedule duration for the lease incremental cost
6.5 output
What is a schedule baseline
The approved version of a schedule model that can be changed using formal change control procedures and is used as the basis for comparison to actual results.
Schedule will be ITERATED until an acceptable and realistic schedule can be agreed upon and approved
