Project Schedule Management Flashcards
What are the four examples of the Precedence Diagramming Method:
Finish to Start, Finish to Finish, Start to Start, Start to Finish
What is a Finish to Start Relationship?
Relationship in which the successor activity cannot start until the predecessor activity has finished
What is a Finish to Finish Relationship?
Relationship in which the successor activity cannot finish until the predecessor activity has finished
What is a Start to Start Relationship?
Relationship in which the successor activity cannot start until the predecessor activity has started
What is a Start to Finish Relationship?
Relationship in which the successor activity cannot finish until the predecessor activity has started
What are the four types of dependencies in schedule management:
Mandatory, discretionary, external, and internal
What is a mandatory dependency?
Often involve physical limitations, where something can’t happen until something else has been finished. Ex: a prototype must be built before it is tested. Hard Logic
What is a discretionary dependency?
Referred to as preferred logic or soft logic. They are based on knowledge of best practices within a particular application area. Ex: Normally it is best practice to start electrical work after plumbing is finished, however, this is not mandatory and these two events could occur at the same time
What is a external dependency?
A dependency outside of the project team’s control. Ex: The testing of an application may be reliant on the delivery of a component from an external source
What is a internal dependency?
A dependency generally within the project team’s control. Ex: A team can not test a machine until they assemble it.
What is lead in project scheduling?
The amount of time a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity
What is lag in project scheduling?
The amount of time a successor activity can be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity
What is an example of PMIS (Project Management Information System)?
Microsoft Project
What does control schedule focus on?
Maintaining the schedule baseline throughout the project
Iteration Burndown Chart
Used to analyze the variance in respect to an ideal burndown based on the work committed from iteration planning. Forecast trend line plotted next to the ideal burndown and the actual work remaining to forecast
What is Estimate Activity Duration?
Process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources
What is the Law of Diminishing Returns?
When one factor is increased while the other factor remains fixed. Eventually a point will be reached at which that one factor starts to yield progressively smaller or diminishing increases in output
Inputs to Estimate Activity Duration Are?
Project management plan, project documents, EEFs, OPAs
Tools and Techniques to Estimate Activity Duration Are?
Expert judgement, analogous estimating, parametric estimating, three point estimating, bottom up estimating, data analysis, decision making, meetings
What is Analogous Estimating?
A technique for estimating duration or cost of an activity or project by using historical data from a similar activity or project. Often used when there is a limited about of detail about the project.
What is Parametric Estimating?
A technique for estimating in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters. More accurate than analogous estimating
Which estimating process is the least accurate?
Analogous Estimating
Which estimating process is determined by = quantity of work x number of labor hours per unit of work
Parametric Estimating
What is Three Point Estimating?
Uses three points to help define approximate range for an activities duration
tM
Most Likely: Estimated based on the duration of the activity, given the resources likely to be assigned, their productivity
tO
Optimistic: The activity duration based on analysis of the best case scenario
tP
Pessimistic: The activity duration based on analysis of the worst case scenario
tE
Expected duration using tM, tO, and tP
What is the formula used for three point estimating
tE = (tO+tM+tP)/3
What is Bottom Up Estimating?
Breaking down the lower level components of the WBS and evaluating the time needed to complete each and then working your way back up
What is contingency reserve?
Associated with the known-unknowns, which may be estimated to account for this unknown about of work
Outputs to Estimate Activity Duration Are?
Duration estimates, basis of estimates, project document updates
What does develop schedule entail?
Analyzes activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create a schedule model for project execution and monitoring and control
What are the inputs to developing the schedule?
Project management plan, project documents, agreements, EEFs and OPAs
What are the tools and techniques to developing the schedule?
schedule network analysis, critical path method, resource optimization, data analysis, leads and lags, schedule compression, project management information system, and agile release planning
What is schedule network analysis?
Overarching technique used to generate the project schedule model. Uses other techniques
What is the critical path method?
Used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of schedule flexibility on the logical network paths within the schedule model
What schedule network technique calculates the early start, early finish, late start, and late finish dates for all activities?
Critical path method
What schedule network technique finds the longest path through a project to determine the shortest possible project duration?
Critical path method
Other techniques used in schedule network analysis?
Critical path method, resource optimization techniques, and modeling techniques
What is float?
Slack in the project schedule
What is free float?
The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any successor
What is total float?
The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed or extended from its early start date without delaying the project finish date
What is normally characterized as zero total float?
A critical path
What is negative total float?
Helps find accelerated ways of bringing a delayed schedule back on track
What is resource leveling?
Technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing the demand for resources
What is resource smoothing?
Technique that adjusts the activities of a schedule model such that the requirements for resources on the project do not exceed certain predefined resource limits
Monte Carlo Analysis
Risks and other sources of uncertainty are used to calculate possible schedule outcomes for the total project
What is schedule compression?
Technique used to shorten or accelerate the schedule duration without reducing the project scope
What are two techniques used in schedule compression?
Crashing and fast tracking
What is crashing?
Schedule duration is shortened by adding resources. Only works on activities that can be completed faster with more resources
What are the risks associated with crashing?
Increased cost
What is fast tracking?
Technique in which schedule activities are no longer done in sequence but in parallel to each other. Only works when activities can be overlapped to shorten the project duration
What are the risks associated with fast tracking?
Rework, poor quality, increased costs
Agile release planning
Technique that determines the number of iterations needed to produce a final project and describes which feature will be available at the end of each iteration
What are the outputs to developing the schedule?
Schedule baseline, project schedule, schedule data, project calendars, change requests, project management plan updates, project document updates
What happens during control schedule?
The schedule is monitored and changes to the schedule baseline are managed
What are the inputs to control schedule?
Project management plan, project documents, work performance data, OPAs
What are the tools and techniques of control schedule?
Data analysis, critical path method, project management information system, resource optimization, leads and lags, schedule compression
What is Earned Value Analysis?
Schedule performance measurements such as schedule variance and schedule performance index are used to access the magnitude of variation to the schedule baseline
What is work performance baseline?
Includes information on how the project work is performing compared to the schedule baseline
What are the outputs of control schedule?
Work performance information, schedule forecasts, change requests, project management plan updates, project document updates
