Chapter 6. Developing A Project Plan

Front 1

Path

Back 1

A sequence of connected, dependent activities

Front 2

Critical Path

Back 2

The longest path through the activity network that allows for the completion of all project related activities; the shortest expected time in which the entire project can be completed. Delays on the critical path will delay completion of the entire project.

Front 3

Project Network

Back 3

A flow chart that graphically depicts the project activities, the sequences, interdependencies, and start and finish times of activities (on the critical path) through the network.

Front 4

Activity (=task=work package)

Back 4

An element of the project that requires time

Front 5

Merge activity

Back 5

An activity that has two or more preceding activities on which it depends

Front 6

Parallel (concurrent) activities

Back 6

Activities that can occur independently and, if desired, not at the same time

Front 7

Event

Back 7

A point in time when an activity is started or completed. It does not consume time

Front 8

Burst Activity

Back 8

An activity that has more than one activity IMMEDIATELY following it (more than one dependency arrow flowing from it)

Front 9

What are the two approaches to constructing a project network?

Back 9

1. Activity-on-node (AON)
2. Activity-on-arrow (AOA)

Front 10

Activity-on-node (AON)

Back 10

Uses a node to depict an activity

Front 11

Activity-on-arrow (AOA)

Back 11

Uses an arrow to depict an activity

Front 12

Approaches to network computation process:

Back 12

1. Forward Pass - Earliest times
2. Backward Pass - Latest times

Front 13

Forward Pass - Earliest times

Back 13

How soon can the activity start? (Early start - ES)
How soon can the activity finish? (Early finish - EF)
How soon can the project finish? (Expected time - ET)

Front 14

Backward Pass - Latest times

Back 14

How late can the activity start? (late start - LS)
How late can the activity finish? (early finish - EF)
Which activities represent the critical path?
How long can it be delayed? (slack or float SL)

Front 15

Slack (or float)

Back 15

The amount of time an activity can be delayed after the start of a longer parallel activity or activities

Front 16

Total slack (SL)

Back 16

The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the entire project

Front 17

Total Slack formula

Back 17

SL=LS-ES

SL=LF-EF

Front 18

Critical path

Back 18

It's the network path(s) that has (have) the least slack in common

Front 19

Laddering

Back 19

Activities are broken into segments so the following activity can begin sooner and not delay de work

Front 20

Lag

Back 20

The minimum amount of time a dependent activity must be delayed to begin or end

Front 21

Finish-to-start (FS) relationship

Back 21

The next activity in a sequence must be delayed when the preceding activity is complete

(días que tienen que pasar sin hacer nada entre una actividad y otra)

Front 22

Start-to-start (SS) relationship

Back 22

The next activity can start (after a lag) when the preceding activity starts.

Front 23

Start-to-start relationship

Back 23

The next activity in a sequence must finish (after a lag) when the preceding activity finishes

Front 24

Start-to-start relationship example

Back 24

Activity "testing" should be finished after four days when activity "prototype" is finished

Front 25

Start-to-finish relationship (SF)

Back 25

The finish of an activity depends on the start of another activity

Front 26

Start-to-finish relationship example

Back 26

After 3 days when the job "testing" starts, the job "system documentation" must be finished.

Front 27

Combinations of lag relationship

Back 27

More than one lag relationship can be attached to an activity:
1. Debug cannot begin until two days after coding has started
2. Debug must be finished after coding is finished