Understand schedule and resource optimisation

Question 1

what 3 items are required to create a project schedule

Answer 1

• WBS
• effort estimate for each task
• resource list and availability

Question 2

what are the 7 steps of the schedule development process

Answer 2

1. identify the tasks from the WBS
2. estimate the duration of each task
3. determine the dependencies between tasks
4. optimise the schedule and test the logic
5. assign resources
6. check defined schedule meets success criteria for cost and time
7. baseline the schedule and monitor during deployment

Question 3

what are the 2 types of scheduling technique

Answer 3

• critical path - emphasis on activities - shortest time to complete all activities in a logical order
• critical chain - emphasis on the resources (labour/non-labour)

Question 4

what are the attributes of critical path

Answer 4

• It is the longest duration through the network.
• It is the shortest time the network can take.
• It is the path of zero total float
• Focuses attention on activities, which if delayed, will affect project duration
• Used to allocate resources and analyse risk (higher impact on CP activities)
• Helps align key milestones

Question 5

what are the attributes of critical chain

Answer 5

• Focused on resources
• attempts to keep resources at constant utilisation
• uses best case duration estimates
• work completed asap and float becomes the buffer for whole project
• aim for maximum productivity of resources

Question 6

what is the difference in reporting between critical path and critical chain

Answer 6

critical path - start and finish of activities the focus for reporting

critical chain - rate at which buffer is consumed is reported

Question 7

what are the main types of resource

Answer 7

Replenishable - raw materials, money - once used no longer available

Re-usable - people, machinery, facilities - still available after tasks completed

Question 8

when is a Gantt hart created

Answer 8

once the network is understood and critical path identified.

Question 9

what are key attributes of a Gantt chart

Answer 9

• The bar length indicates duration
• Tasks are positioned at earliest start/finish dates, showing any float at the end
• You choose whether to include logic connections
• It can be rolled up into summary tasks and also show key milestones
• The critical path is often shown in red
• It can show comparison of the current plan to the original plan (baseline)
• It is typically generated using planning software

Question 10

how are resources allocated in a linear life cycle

Answer 10

In Linear lifecycle resources are allocated per phase or the total project

Question 11

how are resources allocated in an iterative life cycle

Answer 11

In iterative lifecycle ensure requirements are prioritised/implemented within pre-allocated resources.

Scope and quality will vary within the timeboxed sprint

Question 12

what is Resource-limited Scheduling – Levelling

Answer 12

• scheduling the activities so that a defined resource limit isn’t exceeded.
• Resources are limited (specialists, limited accommodation)
• Levelling may ultimately delay the project to keep within the resource limits.

Question 13

what is Time-limited Scheduling – Smoothing

Answer 13

• Smoothing is used when the end date is fixed and resources are to be expended to meet that end date. - - Activities are rescheduled within their available total float to achieve a profile which is as smooth as possible.

Question 14

how can resource levelling be achieved

Answer 14

• redefine activities to be done by the particular resource
• redefine the specification
• increase task duration
• increase resources on earlier tasks
• move activities not on critical path

Question 15

how can resource smoothing be achieved

Answer 15

• adding resources to reduce duration

- trying to get smooth usage of resources avoiding peaks and troughs

Question 16

what is cost planning

Answer 16

understanding where costs fall in the project schedule to be able to manage resource demand, supplier payments and funding requests

Question 17

what are the 4 main cost categories

Answer 17

• Direct costs - exclusive to the project and include the costs of resources directly involved in delivering and managing the work
• Indirect costs - Cannot be directly associated with a specific work element and include overheads and other charges that may be shared across multiple activities.
• Fixed (or non-recurring) costs - Happen once in a project life and contribute a single cost. Examples include the purchase of plant or machinery.
• Variable (or recurring) costs - Occur periodically as an event in a project and contribute multiple costs with a cumulative effect, and include salaries and materials

Question 18

what is the likely periodicity of funding released in a linear lifecycle

Answer 18

linear life cycle funds may only be released at decision gates, when the costs spent to date are understood and costs forecasted for the future are approved through the updated business case.

Question 19

what is the likely periodicity of funding released in an iterative lifecycle

Answer 19

• the release of funds may be more frequent due to the close interaction with the sponsor as work is completed in short intervals.
• most structured for iterations nearest in time
• cost planning is fixed and scope will vary to deliver within costs