Project Time Management Flashcards

1
Q

Areas of Time Management (Schedule)

A
  • Plan Schedule Management
  • Define Activities
  • Sequence Activities
  • Estimate Activity Resources
  • Estimate Activity Durations
  • Develop Schedule
  • Control Schedule
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2
Q

Decomposition

A
  • a method for dividing and sub-dividing the preojct scope and deliverables into smaller, more manageable chunks
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3
Q

Rolling Wave Planning

A
  • An iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail, while the work in the future is planned at a higher level
  • Example: CSX Phase 1A vs. Phase 1B
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4
Q

Sequence Activities

A
  • Defining the rleationships between task
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5
Q

Precedence Diagramming Method

A
  • uses a diagram that shows graphical links between activities based on 4 different types of relationships:
    • FS
    • FF
    • SS
    • SF
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6
Q

Mandatory Dependencies

A
  • legally or contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work
  • Often involve physical limitations
  • Example: foundation of a house set before construction can begin
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7
Q

Discretionary Dependencies

A
  • Also referred to as preferential logic, preferred logic, or soft logic
  • based on knowledge of best practicesWhen fast tracking, discretionary dependencies should be explored first
  • Can create arbitrary total float values
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8
Q

External dependendencies

A
  • involve a relationship between project activities and non-project activities
  • usually outside the project team’s control
  • Example: testing of equipment is dependent upon a third party delivery of the hardware
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9
Q

Internal Dependencies

A
  • generally in the project team’s control
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10
Q

Lead

A
  • Amount of time a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessaor activity
  • Often represented as a negative value in Scheduling software
  • Example: FS-10d
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11
Q

Lag

A
  • Amount of time a successor activity id delayed with respect to a predecessor
  • Example: FS +10d
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12
Q

Bottom Up Estimating

A
  • method of estimating duration or by aggregating the estimates of the lower level components of the WBS
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13
Q

Analagous Estimating

A
  • Estimating based on duration or cost of an activity or a project using historical data from a similar activity or project
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14
Q

Parametric Estimating

A
  • Estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on histrocial data and project prarameters
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15
Q

Three Point Estimating

A
  • A way to estimate based on risk or level of uncertainty
  • Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
  • Defines an approximate range for each activity’s duration
  • Three Points:
    • Most Likely (tM)
    • Optimistic (tO)
    • Pessimistic (tP)
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16
Q

Expected Duration calculated from Three Point Estimating

(tE)

A
  • Two common formulas:
    • Triangular Distribution: tE = (tO + tM + tP)/3
    • Beta Distribution: tE = (tO = 4tM + tP)/6
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17
Q

Contingency Reserves

A
  • Estimated durations within the scheduled baseline
  • Allocated for accepted risks and for which mitigation responses are developed
  • For “known-unknowns”
  • May be a percentage of the estimated activity duration, or may be developed using qualitative analysis such as Monte Carlo Analysis
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18
Q

Management Reserves

A
  • Intended to address “unknown-unknowns”
  • Not included in the schedule baseline, but are part of the overall project requirements
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19
Q

Critical Path Method

A
  • Used to estimate the minimu project duration, which is the longest path through the schedule
  • Calculates early start, early finish, late start, and late finish without regard for resource limitations through a forward and packward pass analysis
  • Usually represented by zero total float
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20
Q

Total Float

A
  • Amount of time an activity can be delayed or extneded from its early start date without delaying the project delivery date
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21
Q

Free Float

A
  • Amount of time an activity can be delayed or extended without delaying the early start date of any successor activity or viloating a schedule constraint
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22
Q

Critical Chain Method

A
  • Allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for uncertainties or resource limitations
  • Considers the affects of resource allocations, resource optimization, resource leveling
  • Resource constrained critical path
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23
Q

Project Buffer

A
  • Critical Chain buffer placed at the end of the critical chain
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24
Q

Activity Buffer

A
  • Critical Chain buffer placed on an individual activity
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25
Q

Resource Levelling

A
  • A technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource sontraints or limitations
  • Critical path can be affected
  • Would use this if you have flexibility on dates, but not on resource assignments
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26
Q

Resource Smoothing

A
  • Adjusts the activities of a schedule so resources do not exceed predefined limits
  • Critical path is NOT changed, and end date is not affected
  • Schedule is only adjusted within total and free float
27
Q

What-if Analysis

A
  • evaluating scenarios to predict their effect
  • outcomes can beused to plan contingencies, etc
28
Q

Simulation

A
  • Calculating multiple project durations with different sets of assumptions
  • Most common simulation is Monte-Carlo analysis
29
Q

Crashing

A
  • Shortens the schedule duration
  • Adding resources to acitivites to complete them sooner
  • Think “crashing a party” - adding more people
30
Q

Fast Tracking

A
  • Schedule compression technique
  • Compresses schedule by moving sequential activities to occur in parallel
31
Q
A
32
Q

Trend Analysis

A
  • Examines project performance over time to determine if performance is improving or deteriorating
33
Q
  • a method for dividing and sub-dividing the preojct scope and deliverables into smaller, more manageable chunks
A

Decomposition

34
Q
  • An iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail, while the work in the future is planned at a higher level
  • Example: CSX Phase 1A vs. Phase 1B
A

Rolling Wave Planning

35
Q
  • Defining the rleationships between task
A

Sequence Activities

36
Q
  • uses a diagram that shows graphical links between activities based on 4 different types of relationships:
    • FS
    • FF
    • SS
    • SF
A

Precedence Diagramming Method

37
Q
  • legally or contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work
  • Often involve physical limitations
  • Example: foundation of a house set before construction can begin
A

Mandatory Dependencies

38
Q
  • Also referred to as preferential logic, preferred logic, or soft logic
  • based on knowledge of best practicesWhen fast tracking, discretionary dependencies should be explored first
  • Can create arbitrary total float values
A

Discretionary Dependencies

39
Q
  • involve a relationship between project activities and non-project activities
  • usually outside the project team’s control
  • Example: testing of equipment is dependent upon a third party delivery of the hardware
A

External dependendencies

40
Q
  • generally in the project team’s control
A

Internal Dependencies

41
Q
  • Amount of time a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessaor activity
  • Often represented as a negative value in Scheduling software
  • Example: FS-10d
A

Lead

42
Q
  • Amount of time a successor activity id delayed with respect to a predecessor
  • Example: FS +10d
A

Lag

43
Q
  • method of estimating duration or by aggregating the estimates of the lower level components of the WBS
A

Bottom Up Estimating

44
Q
  • Estimating based on duration or cost of an activity or a project using historical data from a similar activity or project
A

Analagous Estimating

45
Q
  • Estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on histrocial data and project prarameters
A

Parametric Estimating

46
Q
  • A way to estimate based on risk or level of uncertainty
  • Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
  • Defines an approximate range for each activity’s duration
  • Three Points:
    • Most Likely (tM)
    • Optimistic (tO)
    • Pessimistic (tP)
A

Three Point Estimating

47
Q
  • Two common formulas:
    • Triangular Distribution: tE = (tO + tM + tP)/3
    • Beta Distribution: tE = (tO = 4tM + tP)/6
A

Expected Duration calculated from Three Point Estimating

(tE)

48
Q
  • Estimated durations within the scheduled baseline
  • Allocated for accepted risks and for which mitigation responses are developed
  • For “known-unknowns”
  • May be a percentage of the estimated activity duration, or may be developed using qualitative analysis such as Monte Carlo Analysis
A

Contingency Reserves

49
Q
  • Intended to address “unknown-unknowns”
  • Not included in the schedule baseline, but are part of the overall project requirements
A

Management Reserves

50
Q
  • Used to estimate the minimu project duration, which is the longest path through the schedule
  • Calculates early start, early finish, late start, and late finish without regard for resource limitations through a forward and packward pass analysis
  • Usually represented by zero total float
A

Critical Path Method

51
Q
  • Amount of time an activity can be delayed or extneded from its early start date without delaying the project delivery date
A

Total Float

52
Q
  • Amount of time an activity can be delayed or extended without delaying the early start date of any successor activity or viloating a schedule constraint
A

Free Float

53
Q
  • Allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for uncertainties or resource limitations
  • Considers the affects of resource allocations, resource optimization, resource leveling
  • Resource constrained critical path
A

Critical Chain Method

54
Q
  • Critical Chain buffer placed at the end of the critical chain
A

Project Buffer

55
Q
  • Critical Chain buffer placed on an individual activity
A

Activity Buffer

56
Q
  • A technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource sontraints or limitations
  • Critical path can be affected
  • Would use this if you have flexibility on dates, but not on resource assignments
A

Resource Levelling

57
Q
  • Adjusts the activities of a schedule so resources do not exceed predefined limits
  • Critical path is NOT changed, and end date is not affected
  • Schedule is only adjusted within total and free float
A

Resource Smoothing

58
Q
  • evaluating scenarios to predict their effect
  • outcomes can beused to plan contingencies, etc
A

What-if Analysis

59
Q
  • Calculating multiple project durations with different sets of assumptions
  • Most common simulation is Monte-Carlo analysis
A

Simulation

60
Q
  • Shortens the schedule duration
  • Adding resources to acitivites to complete them sooner
  • Think “crashing a party” - adding more people
A

Crashing

61
Q
  • Schedule compression technique
  • Compresses schedule by moving sequential activities to occur in parallel
A

Fast Tracking

62
Q
A
63
Q
  • Examines project performance over time to determine if performance is improving or deteriorating
A

Trend Analysis