Schedule Management

Question 1

What is the primary goal of project schedule management?

Answer 1

To ensure timely completion of a project

This involves a series of processes including planning, defining activities, and controlling the schedule.

Question 2

List the processes involved in project schedule management.

Answer 2

• Planning schedule management
• Defining activities
• Sequencing activities
• Estimating activity resources
• Estimating activity durations
• Developing the schedule
• Controlling the schedule

Question 3

Why is delivering projects on time considered a major challenge?

Answer 3

Time has the least amount of flexibility; it passes regardless of project circumstances.

Question 4

What is a milestone in project management?

Answer 4

A significant event that normally has no duration

Milestones are useful for setting schedule goals and monitoring progress.

Question 5

Define mandatory dependencies.

Answer 5

Dependencies inherent in the nature of the work being performed on a project, sometimes referred to as hard logic.

Question 6

What are discretionary dependencies?

Answer 6

Dependencies defined by the project team, sometimes referred to as soft logic.

Question 7

What is the purpose of network diagrams in project management?

Answer 7

To show activity sequencing and the logical relationships among project activities.

Question 8

What does the arrow diagramming method (ADM) represent?

Answer 8

Activities are represented by arrows, with nodes indicating the start and end points.

Question 9

What is the precedence diagramming method (PDM)?

Answer 9

A network diagramming technique where boxes represent activities and show types of dependencies.

Question 10

Fill in the blank: Duration includes the actual amount of time worked on an activity plus _______.

Answer 10

elapsed time.

Question 11

What is a three-point estimate?

Answer 11

An estimate that includes optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates.

Question 12

What is the main goal when developing a project schedule?

Answer 12

To create a realistic project schedule that serves as a basis for monitoring project progress.

Question 13

What does a Gantt chart display?

Answer 13

Project activities along with their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format.

Question 14

What do black diamonds represent on a Gantt chart?

Answer 14

Milestones.

Question 15

What is the critical path in project management?

Answer 15

The series of activities that determine the earliest time by which the project can be completed.

Question 16

True or False: The critical path can change as the project progresses.

Answer 16

True.

Question 17

What is free slack or free float?

Answer 17

The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of any immediately following activities.

Question 18

What does the forward pass determine in project scheduling?

Answer 18

The early start and finish dates.

Question 19

What is total slack or total float?

Answer 19

The amount of time an activity may be delayed from its early start without delaying the planned project finish date.

Question 20

What is free slack or free float?

Answer 20

Amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of any immediately following activities

Example: Installation of electrical wiring can be delayed by 3 days without affecting subsequent tasks.

Question 21

What is total slack or total float?

Answer 21

Amount of time an activity may be delayed from its early start without delaying the planned project finish date

Example: Software testing can be delayed by 5 days without extending the project’s finish date.

Question 22

What does the forward pass determine in project scheduling?

Answer 22

The early start and finish dates for project activities

Example: Foundation pouring can start on day 10 and finish on day 16.

Question 23

What does the backward pass determine in project scheduling?

Answer 23

The late start and finish dates for project activities

Example: Testing and validation must start no later than day 32.

Question 24

What are the main techniques for shortening project schedules?

Answer 24

• Shortening durations of critical activities/tasks
• Crashing activities
• Fast tracking activities

Crashing involves obtaining the greatest amount of schedule compression for the least incremental cost.

Question 25

What is Critical Chain Scheduling?

Answer 25

A method that considers limited resources when creating a project schedule and includes buffers to protect the project completion date

It uses the Theory of Constraints to minimize multitasking.

Question 26

What is a project buffer in Critical Chain Scheduling?

Answer 26

Additional time added before the project’s due date

Helps protect against delays and uncertainties.

Question 27

What is Murphy’s Law in the context of project management?

Answer 27

If something can go wrong, it will

Highlights the importance of planning for risks.

Question 28

What is Parkinson’s Law?

Answer 28

Work expands to fill the time allowed

Suggests that tasks may take longer if not tightly scheduled.

Question 29

What is the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)?

Answer 29

Network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty about individual activity durations

Uses probabilistic time estimates.

Question 30

What are the goals of schedule control?

Answer 30

• Know the status of the schedule
• Influence factors that cause schedule changes
• Determine if the schedule has changed
• Manage changes when they occur

Question 31

What is the importance of reviewing the draft schedule?

Answer 31

To ensure the schedule is realistic and followed

It helps identify potential issues early.

Question 32

In Agile projects, is estimating activity durations crucial?

Answer 32

False

Overall project completion time may not be important in Agile environments.

Question 33

What is the significance of controlling the schedule in project management?

Answer 33

To maintain alignment with project goals and timelines

Involves managing changes and ensuring the project stays on track.

Question 34

What are the main processes in project time management?

Answer 34

• Plan schedule management
• Define activities
• Sequence activities
• Estimate activity resources
• Estimate activity durations
• Develop schedule
• Control schedule