Project Management

Question 1

What is critical path analysis?

Answer 1

A method of organising the different activities involved in a project in order to find the most efficient means of completing a task

Question 2

What is the aim of cpa?

Answer 2

To complete the project in the shortest time possible

Question 3

Why is CPA used?

Answer 3

• To prevent machines/labour sitting idle

- To ensure materials are delivered well before they are needed

Question 4

What are the first steps of CPA?

Answer 4

• Identify all tasks
• See how long each task will take
• Determine in which order the tasks need to be completed

Question 5

What are parallel tasks in CPA?

Answer 5

Tasks that can be done simultaneously

Question 6

What are dependent tasks in CPA?

Answer 6

Tasks that can’t be started until the previous task has been completed

Question 7

How is the critical path established?

Answer 7

When the EST = LFT

Question 8

What does it mean if a task isn’t on the critical path?

Answer 8

There is an element of float/leighway

Question 9

What are the issues with CPA?

Answer 9

• Can encourage rigidity if managers stick to plan and miss opportunities for flexibility: opportunity cost
• All timescales are estimated: bias depending who has made it - overoptimism
• Focus is on speed - could compromise quality
• Complex tasks may be difficult to represent effectively

Question 10

What is a PERT?

Answer 10

Programme Evaluation and Review Technique, pessimistic version of CPA, focuses on duration and finds optimistic time, pessimistic time and most likely time

Question 11

What is the formula for the expected time in a PERT analysis?

Answer 11

E = O + (4 x m) + P / 6

Question 12

What are the advantages of PERT?

Answer 12

• More realistic as considers the pessimistic time
• Simple formula to apply
• Able to see a critical path
• A lot of data can be visually represented to aid decisions

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of PERT?

Answer 13

• Gauging the optimistic times is guesswork unless the project has been done before
• Gauging the pessimistic times is guesswork
• Complicated to use

Question 14

What is total float?

Answer 14

Total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project completion date. On a critical path, the total float is zero

Question 15

What is free float?

Answer 15

Free float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the Early Start of the next activity.

Question 16

How is total float calculated?

Answer 16

LFT of current activity - duration of current activity - EST of current activity

Question 17

How is free float calculated?

Answer 17

EST of next activity - duration of current activity - EST of current activity

Question 18

What is a Gantt chart?

Answer 18

A graphical representation of the order and duration of given tasks within a project.