Deck 5 Flashcards
What is Availability?
Availability is the Probability that a system is operational when called upon to perform its function. The numerical value of availability is expressed as a probability from 0 to 1. Availability calculations take into account both the failures and the repairs of the system - Component: (MTBF-MTTR)/MTBF, - System: (Availability1 * Availability2 * … Availabilityn)
What is Reliability?
Reliability is the ability of an item to perform a required function under stated conditions for a stated period of time. The numerical value of reliability is expressed as a probability from 0 to 1 and is also sometimes known as the probability of mission success. Reliability is the probability, assuming the system was operating at time zero, that it continues to operation until time t.
What should you remember about Quality Assurance?
Quality Assurance is an EXECUTING process. It occurs before the fact, and is about process.
What should you remember about Quality Control?
Quality Control is a CONTROLLING process that involves monitoring specific project results to determine whether they comply with relevant quality standards and identifying ways to eliminate causes of unsatisfactory results. It looks back at the product.
What should you remember about Scope Verification?
Scope Verification is a CONTROLLING process that is primarily concerned with acceptance of the deliverables, and is a Scope Management process, not a Quality Management Process.
What is Project Cost Management?
Project Cost Management includes the processes involved in estimating, budgeting, and controlling costs so that project can be completed within the approved budgets.
What is a cost management plan?
During the Develop Project Management Plan process the management team develops a cost management plan, included as part of the project management plan. It describes the form and criteria for planning, estimating, budgeting, and controlling project costs. It covers the “How” of cost management for project.
What does the Cost Management Plan address?
- Level of accuracy - what rounding is used in cost estimating, - Units of measure - days, weeks, dollars, Euros, - Organizational procedure links, particularly through the specification of control accounts in the WBS, - Control thresholds, to set an agreed-upon level of variance before triggering response., - Rules of performance measurement, including choices affecting use of Earned Value Management, - Reporting formats for cost reports, - Process descriptions of the three cost management processes.
What types of costs should be identified?
- Variable vs. Fixed, - Direct vs. Indirect, - Recurring vs. Non-recurring, - “Allowed” costs for contract projects, - Price, if the project is done under contract for an external customer
What are the Project Selection Cost Measures?
- ROI : Return on Investment, - IRR : Internal Rate of Return, - NPV : Net Present Value, - BCR : Benefit Cost Ration, For the above, pick the highest value, - Payback Period, pick shortest duration, - Opportunity Cost: the cost of projects not selected for execution
What is Future Value?
Future Value is the value of something at a specific time in the future., FV = PV * (1 + r)to the n power PV = Present Value, r = Interest Rate, n = Number of Periods, FV = Future Value
What is Present Value?
Present Value is the value of something today to create a certain value in the future. PV = FV / (1 + r) to the n power PV = Present Value, r = Interest Rate, n = Number of Periods, FV = Future Value
What is depreciation?
Depreciation is devaluing an asset in the tax system. There are two kinds:, - Standard depreciation, where the difference between start value and scrap value is divided by the number of periods., - Accelerated depreciation, which generally requires tables of data to calculate. Two types are Sum of the Years Digits, and Double Declining Balance (DDB). Depreciates faster than standard. (just recognize these terms)
What is the Process - 7.1 Estimate Costs?
- Develop an approximation of the costs of resources required for project activities, - Estimates are based on the information known at a particular time, and can be expected to be reflined as the project proceeds, from a rough order of magnitude estimate during initiation in the +/- 50% range, to a later definitive or control estimate within a range of +/- 10%., - Costs estimated include labor, materials, equipment, services, facilities, and special categories like inflation.
What are the INPUTS of the process - Estimate Costs?
- Scope baseline, includes the project scope statement, the WBS, and WBS dictionary. These are the sources of information about components and products of the project, as well as assumptions and constraints., 2. Project schedule, Which includes the quantity and amount of time resources will be required. This achieves the close linkage between Estimate Activity Resources and Estimate Costs., 3. Human resource plan, indicates staffing requirements, cost rates, related reward costs, 4. Risk register, so that risk mitigation costs are included in cost estimates., 5. Enterprise environmental factors, including market conditions and published commercial databases or seller price lists., 6. Organizational process assets, including cost estimation policies and templates, along with historical information and lessons learned
What are the TOOLS and TECHNIQUES of the process - Estimate Costs?
- Expert judgement, to guide the application of historical and other information in determining project estimates., 2. Analogous estimating, which uses historical information from a previous project. Analogous estimating is useful when information and time are limited, but is not as accurate as detailed estimating., 3. Parametric estimating, 4. Bottom-up estimating, which estimates at the lower levels then accumulates cost upward. It’s more accurate than analogous estimate., 5. Three point estimates. Allows consideration of a range of possible estimates., 6. Reserve analysis, to set up contingency reserves to account for cost uncertainty. Contingency reserves are part of the project’s funding requirements., 7. Cost of quality, to provide for quality assurance and control costs of the project., 8. Project management estimating software, including things like computerized spreadsheets, simulation and statistical tools, 9. Vendor bid analysis in which vendor cost bids are analyzed to determine reasonable “should costs” estimates.
What are the OUTPUTS of the process - Estimate Costs?
- Activity costs estimates, in summary form or in detail, 2. Basis of estimates includes detail necessary to support the estimate and how it was determined. Also indicates the range of possible results as an indicator of the expected accuracy of the estimate., 3. Project document updates including the risk register.
What are Reserves?
- Contingency reserves are allowances for unplanned but potentially required changes resulting from the risks identified in the risk register. Included in the cost baseline., - Management reserves are budgets reserved for unplanned changes to project scope and costs, and will usually require the project manager to obtain approval before spending management reserves., - Management reserves are not included in cost baseline, but may be included in the project budget, and are not included in project earned value calculations.
Describe the Process - Determine Budget.
Aggregating the estimated cost of individual schedule activities or work packages to establish a total cost baseline for measuring project performance. It includes all authorized budgets but excludes management reserves.
What are the INPUTS of the process - Determine Budget?
- activity cost estimates, from Estimate Costs process, 2. Basis of estimates, from Estimate Costs, 3. Scope baseline, containing the scope statement, which may contain limitations by period for project expenditures from the organization, contract, or government agency. It also includes the WBS and WBS dictionary., 4. Project schedule, from Develop Schedule, which provides the “when” for costs., 5. Resource calendars, which may indicate resource costs over the length of the project (e.g. rate increases), 6. Contracts for products, services or results that are purchased., 7. Organizational process assets, including policies, procedures, and guidelines related to budgeting, as well as budgeting tools and reporting methods.
What are the TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES of the process - Determine Budget?
- Cost aggregation, which aggregates by work package, then to higher levels such as control accounts, and ultimately the entire project cost, 2. Reserve analysis, to establish contingency and management reserve requirements., 3. Expect judgement, particularly related to the application area of the project., 4. Historical relationships for parametric or analogous estimates, 5. Funding limit reconciliation, to relate timing of expenditures to any limitations on the commitment of funds during the project.
How is the Cost Baseline usually graphed?
The Cost Baseline is usually displayed as an S curve.
Describe the process - 7.3 Control Costs.
The process of monitoring project status to updates project budget and managing changes to the cost baseline., This effort includes updating actual costs spent., Any increase to the budget must be approved through Perform Integrated Change Control, As we monitor costs we also must ensure that we are receiving value for the cost expended. We will find the earned value management technique useful in this context.
What does Controlling Costs include?
Controlling costs includes:, - influencing factors that create changes to the cost baseline, - Ensuring requested changes are acted on timely, - Managing the actual changes when and as they occur, - Assuring that expenditures do not exceed the authorized funding by period and in total for the project., - Monitoring cost performance to detect and understand variances from the cost baseline., - Monitoring work performance against funds expended, - Preventing incorrect, inappropriate, or unapproved changes from being included in the reported cost or resource use., - Informing appropriate stakeholders of approved changes, - Acting to bring expected cost overruns within approved limits.
What are the INPUTS of the process - Control Costs?
- Project management plan, which contains the cost management plan and the cost performance baseline, 2. Project funding requirements from Determine Budget, 3. Work performance information which comes from Direct and Manage Project Execution, and provides deliverable status, actual costs and estimates for cmpleted work, 4. Organizational process assets, including cost control policies, procedures, and guidelines, as well as tools and monitoring and reporting methods.
What are the TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES of the process - Control Costs?
- Earned value management, 2. Forecasting, 3. To-complete performance index, 4. Performance reviews, 5. Variance analysis, 6. Project management software
What are the OUTPUTS of the process - Control Costs?
- Work performance measurements (CV, SV, CPI, and SPI) for WBS components and control accounts., 2. Budget forcasts, 3. Organizational process assets updates with historical information and lessons learned, 4. Change requests when the baseline must be changed. These are processed through Perform Integrated Change Control process., 5. Project management plan updates, including the cost performance baseline and the cost management plan, 6. Project document updates, including cost estimates and basis of cost estimates
What is Earned Value Management (EVM)?
- Earned value is a commonly used method of measuring project performance. It integrates scope, cost, and schedule measures., - The focus is the accurate measurement of physical performance against a detailed plan, - It also allows for accurate prediction of the final costs and schedule, - Earned value management requires an integrated baseline against which to measure performance
What is EVM (Earned Value Management)
EVM measures true cost performance “what we got for what we spent.”. It has three dimensions of data:, 1. The Planned Value (PV) of the work, 2. The Earned Value (EV) of the physical work accomplished, 3. The Actual Costs (AC) incurred to accomplish the earned Value.Two critical Variances may be determined: Scheduled Variance and Cost Variance, - Variances may be converted into indices:, – Schedule performance index, – Cost performance index
What is Earned Value (EV)?
Earned Value (EV) is the budgeted value of work completed during the selected time period.
What is Planned Value (PV)?
Planned Value is the budgeted cost for the work scheduled during the selected time period.
What is Actual Cost (AC)?
Actual Cost is the actual cost of work performed during the selected time period.
What is Schedule Variance (SV)?
Schedule variance is the earned value minus the planned value (EV - PV)
What is Cost Variance (CV)?
Cost Variance (CV) is the earned value minus the actual cost (EV - AC)
What is Cost Performance Index (CPI)?
Cost Performance Index (CPI) is the earned value divided by the actual cost (EV/AC).
What is the difference between Variances VS. Performances Indexes?
- Variances are measured in absolute values, like dollars., - Performance indices are ratios, - A variance indicates where you are. A performance index measures how well you are performing against planned efficiency, - Both are useful measures, - Variance: plus good, minus bad, - Index: more than 1 good, less than 1 bad
How do you establish EV for in-process work packages?
The Measurement method should be specified in the cost management plan, - Keep the EV calculation method as simple as possible, - The first EV analysis should be performed at the 15-20% period of the project life cycle. Measurement methods:, - 0/100 : No credit until its done - You understate/conservative, - 50/50 : Take 50% when you start and 100 when done, - % Complete : Base on estimating and prone to subjective opinion, - Milestone, - Apportioned Effect : Divy % of hours to various tasks, - Level of Effort ,
What is Forecasting?
- Making estimates or predictions of conditions in the project’s future based on information and knowledge available at the time of the forecast., - As the project progresses, the project team may develop a forecast of the estimated cost at completion that is significantly different from the original budget at completion., - At all times, the estimate at completion is equal to the actual costs so far, plus an estimate to complete the remaining project work. Forecasting Terms , ETC - Estimate to complete, EAC - Estimate at completion, BAC - Budget at completion
How do you determine Variance at completion?
Variance at Completion = Budget at Completion - Estimate at Completion VAC = BAC-EAC
How do you determine % Complete (performance)?
Earned Value / Budget at Completion EV/BAC
How do you determine % Completion (schedule)?
Project Value / Budget at Completion PV/BAC
What are the three approaches of Forecasting?
- EAC forecast for ETC at the budgeted rate: EAC = AC + BAC - EV, 2. EAC forecast for ETC at the cumulative CPI: EAC = BAC / CPI, 3. EAC forecast for ETC considering both the CPI and SPI factors. This is used when we have a negative cost performance to date, and must meet a firm schedule date commitment. EAC = AC + (BAC - EV) / (CPI X SPI)
How are Performance Reviews used?
Performance Reviews are used to compare cost performance over time, schedule activities or work packages over-running and under-running budget (Planned Value), milestones due, and milestones met., 1. Variance analysis, 2. Trend analysis, 3. Earned value performance
How is Variance Analysis used?
The cost management plan, created in Develop Project Management Plan, describes how cost variances will be managed., - Example: response might be different for major versus minor variance. Plan would define what constitutes minor, and what to do, - Variances should decrease as project progresses; therefore the definition of minor variance may change during the project
How is Project Management Software used?
Software may be used to process actual costs and the EVM values, and to display graphical trends.
Activity Levels can be described as…?
- Small enough to estimate 2. schedule 3. monitor 4. control
Activity Std Deviation (ASD) has the formula
P-O/6
Activity Variance has the formula
[P-O/6]^2This is not in the 4th edition. The variance of the activity is still calculated by subtracting the optimistic time from the pessimistic time, dividing the difference by six and then squaring the outcome.
Analogous Estimates can be described as…?
Expert judgment and historical info to predict the future
Bar Chart : Under what circumstances would you use a Bar Chart instead of a Network Diagram?
To track progress, to report to the team
Bar Chart can be described as?
- Weak planning tools 2. effective for progress reporting and control 3. Are not PM Plans 4. done after the WBS and the Network Diagram
Changes are approved when?
During Perform Integrated Change Control
Control Schedule process in the Proj Time Mgmt knowledge area can be described as?
- The process of monitoring the status of the project to update project progress and manage changes to the schedule baseline. 2. Schedule control is concerned with: A. Determining the current status of the project schedule, B. Influencing the factors that create schedule changes, C. Determining that the project schedule has changed, and D. Managing the actual changes as they occur.
Controlling the schedule has what activities?
- Re-estimate 2. Conduct performance reviews to evaluation. the proj. 3. Adjust future parts of they project rather than ask for additional time 4. Level resources 5. Play ‘what if?’ 6. Suggest preventative actions
Crashing can be described as?
- A schedule compression technique in which cost and schedule tradeoffs are analyzed to determine how to obtain the greatest amount of compression for the least incremental cost. 2. Examples of crashing could include approving overtime, bringing in additional resources, or paying to expedite delivery to activities on the critical path. 3. Crashing only works for activities where additional resources will shorten the duration. 4. Crashing does not always produce a viable alternative and may result in increased risk and always results in increased costs.
Crashing has what impacts?
- Always adds cost 2. May add management time for the PM
Critical Chain Method can be described as?
- Critical chain is a schedule network analysis technique that modifies the project schedule to account for limited resources 2 . Is another way to develop a bought into, approved, realistic, and formal schedule 3. Directly takes into account both activity and resource dependencies
Critical chain method has what steps?
- Network diagram is created 2. The schedule is developed by assigning each activity the latest completion date but still being able to finish the project on time 3. Resource dependencies are added 4. The critical path is then calculated 5. Starting at the end dates, build your buffers around chain milestones (like reserves)
Critical Path Method can be described as?
- Calculates the theoretical early start and finish dates, and late start and finish dates, for all activities without regard for any resource limitations, by performing a forward and backward pass analysis through the schedule network. 2. The resulting early and late start and finish dates are not necessarily the project schedule; rather, they indicate the time periods within which the activity could be scheduled, given activity durations, logical relationships, leads, lags, and other known constraints.
Critical Path has what characteristics?
- the Critical Path can change 2. You can have many 3. Don’t necessarily want more than one as it increases risk 4. Float is typically zero on the critical path
Cutting Quality has what impacts?
- Could possibly save cost and resources 2. May increase risk 3. Requires good metrics
Define Activities can be described as…?
Take work packages created in the WBS and break them down further to reach Activity Level
Define Activities has what inputs?
- Scope Statement 2. WBS 3. WBS Dictionary
Define Activities has what outputs?
- Activity List 2. Details of the activities 3. Milestones
Defining Activities has just occurred, what step comes next?
Sequencing activities
Dependencies: Which type of dependencies should be considered when wanting to shorten or re-sequence activities?
Discretionary dependencies
Discretionary dependencies are determined by who?
The project team
Estimates have the following aspects:
- should be done by the person doing the work 2. reducing or eliminating risks can reduce estimates 3. Historical info can be used to improve estimates 4. should be based on the WBS 5. Should be reviewed periodically throughout the project
Estimating has 5 techniques; what are they?
- One-Point 2. Analogous 3. Parametric 4. Heuristics 5. Three-Point (PERT)
Expected Activity Duration (EAD) has the formula…
(P+4M+O)/6
External dependencies are determined by who?
A party outside the project (government)
Fast Tracking can be described as?
- A schedule compression technique in which critical path activities normally performed in sequence are performed in parallel. 2. Fast tracking only works if activities can be overlapped to shorten the duration. 3. An example is constructing the foundation for a building before completing all of the architectural drawings.
What are the pitfalls of fast tracking?
- Adds risk 2. May add management time for the PM 3. More potential for rework 4. requires more communications
Float can be calculated which two ways?
Float = Late Start - Early Start or Float = Late Finish - Early Finish
Float of an activity is determined by?
Determining the amount of time the activity can be delayed before it delays the critical path.
Free Float can be described as?
The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the Early Start Date of it’s successor
Heuristics can be described as…?
Rule of thumb; 80/20 rule
How do you compute the range for an individual activity estimate?
EAD +- SD; Expected Activity Duration + Standard Deviation through Expected Activity Duration - Standard Deviation
Individual activity estimate can be computed how?
Start of range = EAD - SD; End of Range = EAD + SD
Is it required in PM to have a reserve to accommodate the risks that remain in the project after the completion of risk mgmnt activities?
Yes