Scheduling And Resource Management

Question 1

What is a critical chain?

Answer 1

The critical chain method allows the project team to place buffers on paths throughout to allow for limited resources and project uncertainties.

Question 2

What is a finish start relationship?

Answer 2

.

Question 3

What is a total and free float?

Answer 3

The total float is the amount of slippage time that can happen without affecting the whole project deadline.
The free float is the amount of slippage without affecting the start time of next task

Total = impact on project
Free = impact on next task

Question 4

What is a critical path?

Answer 4

Any delay on the critical path will delay the completion date of the project. Basically the critical aspects of a project to complete it.

Question 5

What are the benefits and disadvantages of the critical path?

Answer 5

Advantages - good when flexible and you can bring resources in easily, incentives to finish early
Disadvantages - if you focus solely on time, quality is likely to be shit

Question 6

What are the three types of resource?

Answer 6

Replensihable (more can be gotten when used)
Finite - once used you’re done
Re-usable - can be deployed elsewhere after use

Question 7

How do you categorise your resources?

Answer 7

Permanent
Temp
In house
Admin
Labour
Etc

Question 8

What impacts resource allocation?

Answer 8

• Legal
• Availability
• Cost
• Contractual requirement
• Capability

Question 9

What is resource smoothing?

Answer 9

It is used when time is critical and we cant miss the end date.
We use the available float to move tasks to obtain the smoothest path to completion.
So we move things around to stop people sitting around not doing anything and then being busy.

Question 10

What is resource levelling?

Answer 10

Insufficient resources available to complete the work as initially planned
So resource levelling is used
The tasks are moved to reduce the resources required but this often results in the end date being fucked

Question 11

What is a resource histogram?

Answer 11

It is a spreadsheet that shows what each resource is doing what on each day

Question 12

What are the differences between levelling and smoothing?

Answer 12

Levelling moves the activity to another time because resources are shit
Smoothing moves the activity to another time to be more efficient with resources

Levelling focuses on resources
Smoothing focuses on time

In levelling the end date might change so the critical path would be altered
In smoothing, the end date is not changed and the critical path isn’t altered

Levelling is reactive
Smoothing is proactive - look in advance and move resources around