Chapter 5 - Project Time Management

Front 1

TRUE/FALSE:

An activity or task is an element of work, normally found on the WBS, that has no fixed duration, no cost, and resource requirements.

Back 1

False.

Front 2

TRUE/FALSE:

Activity duration estimating involves estimating the number of work periods that are needed to complete individual activities.

Back 2

True.

Front 3

TRUE/FALSE:

Activity definition usually results in the project team developing a more detailed WBS and supporting explanations.

Back 3

True.

Front 4

TRUE/FALSE:

In activity sequencing, hard logic refers to discretionary dependencies.

Back 4

False.

Front 5

TRUE/FALSE:

In activity sequencing, soft logic refers to mandatory dependencies.

Back 5

False.

Front 6

TRUE/FALSE:

In activity sequencing, external dependencies involve relationships between project and non project activities.

Back 6

True.

Front 7

TRUE/FALSE:

The precedence diagramming method (PDM) is a network diagramming technique in which nodes represent activities.

Back 7

False.

Front 8

TRUE/FALSE:

Most project management software uses the PDM method.

Back 8

True.

Front 9

TRUE/FALSE:

Critical chain scheduling is a technique that accounts for resource constraints.

Back 9

True.

Front 10

TRUE/FALSE:

In Gantt charts, a milestone is a significant event on a project with a fixed duration.

Back 10

False.

Front 11

The project schedule is used to determine (3).

Back 11

1. The starting and finishing dates of the activities
2. Occasional changes to the activity listing
3. The total float of activities

Front 12

Project time management involves the following main processes (5).

Back 12

1. Activity definition
2. Sequencing
3. Duration estimating
4. Schedule development
5. Control

Front 13

The overall duration of the project schedule is influenced by (3).

Back 13

1. Using mandatory dependencies as constraints
2. Using discretionary dependencies as constraints
3. The capabilities of the resources which are assigned to perform the work.

Front 14

The purpose of a dummy activity in activity-on-arrow diagramming is to _____________.

Back 14

Show a dependency relationship.

Front 15

Network diagrams are good for depicting _____________.

Back 15

task dependencies

Front 16

The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) method of scheduling differs from the Critical Path Method (CPM) because the PERT method _____________________.

Back 16

Uses weighted averages of activity durations to calculate project duration.

Front 17

Name 3 milestones.

Back 17

1. Project completion date
2. Contract date
3. Key event completion date

Front 18

A Gantt chart is useful in determining ___________________.

Back 18

When a task starts and stops.

Front 19

The critical path is calculated by establishing the following dates: (4).

Back 19

1. Early start
2. Early finish
3. Late start
4. Late finish

Front 20

A(n) __________________ is an element of work, normally found on the WBS, that has an expected duration, a cost, and resource requirements.

Back 20

activity.

Front 21

Schedule ______________ involves controlling and managing changes to the project schedule.

Back 21

control.

Front 22

Activity ______________ involves identifying and documenting the relationships between project activities.

Back 22

sequence.

Front 23

Activity ____________ estimation involves estimating the number of work periods that are needed to complete individual activities.

Back 23

duration.

Front 24

________________ dependencies involve relationships between project and non-project activities.

Back 24

external.

Front 25

________________ dependencies are defined by the project team.

Back 25

discretionary

Front 26

_____________ dependencies are inherent in the nature of the work being done on a project.

Back 26

Mandatory

Front 27

A __________ occurs when two or more nodes precede a single node.

Back 27

merge.

Front 28

A __________ occurs when a single node is followed by two or more activities.

Back 28

burst

Front 29

_____________________ activities have no duration and no resources but are needed to show logical relationships between activities.

Back 29

dummy

Front 30

What is the most common type of task dependency?

Back 30

Finish-to-start

Front 31

What is the critical path on a project?

Back 31

The critical path is the series of activities in a project network diagram that determines the earliest completion date of the project.

Front 32

What is PERT?

Back 32

PERT is a network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty about the individual activity duration estimates.

Front 33

What is the first step in project time management?

Back 33

Activity definition.

Front 34

Project time management involves the following 5 processes.

Back 34

1. Activity definition
2. Activity sequencing
3. Activity duration estimating
4. Schedule development
5. Schedule control

Front 35

What is activity definition?

Back 35

Activity definition involves developing a more detailed WBS and supporting explanations to understand all the work to be done.

Front 36

What is activity sequencing?

Back 36

Involves reviewing activities and determining dependencies.

Front 37

What are the 3 types of dependencies?

Back 37

1. Mandatory dependencies - inherent in the nature of the work, hard logic
2. Discretionary dependencies - defined by the project team, soft logic
3. External dependencies - involve relationships between project and non-project activities.

Front 38

What is a project network diagram?

Back 38

A project network diagram is a schematic display of the logical relationships among, or sequencing of, project activities.

Front 39

What does AOA stand for?

Back 39

Activity-on-Arrow

Front 40

What does ADM stand for?

Back 40

Arrow Diagramming Method

Front 41

What is ADM?

Back 41

• Activities are represented by arrows
• Nodes or circles are the starting and ending points of activities
• Can only show finish-to-start dependencies

Front 42

What does PDM stand for?

Back 42

Precedence Diagramming Method.

Front 43

What is PDM?

Back 43

• Activities are represented by boxes
• Arrows show relationships between activities
• More popular than ADM method and used by project management software.
• Better at showing different types of dependencies.

Front 44

Which is better, ADM or PDM?

Back 44

PDM.

Front 45

What is the activity duration?

Back 45

Duration includes the actual amount of time worked on an activity PLUS elapsed time.

Front 46

What are the important tools and techniques used in schedule development? (4)

Back 46

1. Gantt charts
2. PERT analysis
3. critical path analysis
4. critical chain scheduling

Front 47

What is a Gantt chart?

Back 47

Gantt charts provide a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format.

Front 48

What is the Critical Path Method?

Back 48

A project network analysis technique used to predict total project duration.

Front 49

What is the critical path for a project?

Back 49

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

• The critical path is the LONGEST PATH through the network diagram and has the least amount of slack or float.

Front 50

What does CPM stand for?

Back 50

Critical Path Method.

Front 51

What is free slack or free float?

Back 51

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

Front 52

What is total slack or total float?

Back 52

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

Front 53

What is Critical Chain Scheduling?

Back 53

Is a method of scheduling that takes limited resources into account when creating a project schedule and includes buffers to protect the project completion date.

Front 54

What is a buffer?

Back 54

A buffer is additional time to complete a task.

Front 55

What is a project buffer?

Back 55

Additional time added before the project's due date.

Front 56

What is a feeding buffers?

Back 56

Additional time added before tasks on the critical path.

Front 57

What does PERT stand for?

Back 57

Program Evaluation and Review Technique.

Front 58

What is PERT?

Back 58

PERT is a network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty about the individual activity duration estimates.

Front 59

What is the formula for PERT?

Back 59

PERT weighted average formula:

( optimistic time + 4X most likely time + pessimistic time ) / 6