Chapter 5

Describe why and when changes would occur in a project.

A change might be initiated in order to add an activity, eliminate an activity or modify some aspect of an activity. At any time

Why should a project have a regular reporting period? Should all projects have the same reporting period? Why or why not?

A regular reporting period should be established so that actual progress can be compared to planned progress and any discrepancies can be dealt with as early as possible. The period depends on the complexity or duration of the project. It may be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

Why does the scheduling function depend on the planning function? Which one must be done first? Why?

A schedule is a timetable for a plan The schedule cannot be established until the plan has been developed.

If the project needs to be accelerated, what kinds of activities would be the primary focus? Why?

Accelerate near-term and longer-duration activities that are on the critical path.

Who can initiate changes to a project schedule?

Changes might be initiated by the customer or the project team, or they might be the result of an unanticipated occurrence.

What are some of the common problems that push IS projects beyond their due dates?

Failure to identify all user requirements Failure to properly identify user requirements Continuing growth of project scope Underestimating learning curves for new software packages Incompatible hardware

Why is it important to determine the critical path of a project? What happens if activities on this path are delayed?

If any activity on the critical path is delayed, the whole project will be delayed, so it is important to know what the critical path is.

How are the network diagram and schedule updated to reflect the changes?

Recalculation of ES, EF, LS, and LF for the project.

Describe how you would apply the four steps of schedule control to a project.

Schedule control involves four steps: 1. Analyzing the schedule to determine which areas may need corrective action 2. Deciding what specific corrective actions should be taken 3. Revising the plan to incorporate the chosen corrective actions 4. Recalculating the schedule to evaluate the effects of the planned corrective actions

Describe what an activity estimated duration is. How is it determined?

The duration estimate for each activity is the total elapsed time for the work to be done, plus any associated waiting time. An activity's duration estimate must be based on the quantity of resources expected to be used on the activity. The estimate should be aggressive, yet realistic.

What happens if activities on the critical path are accelerated?

The project completion date will also be accelerated.

Why might a contractor prefer to state a project completion time in terms of number of days after the project starts rather than a specific date? Give examples when appropriate.

This is helpful in case the start of the project is delayed for some reason, such as an unexpected snowstorm delaying the start of a construction project. Example: A project that requires 100 days to complete with a finish date that is dependent upon the work being completed, rather than on a specific date

Describe the different types of project slack. How is each calculated?

Total Slack is the amount of time an activity's earliest finish time can be delayed without delaying succeeding tasks beyond their latest finish times. If it is positive, you have extra time that can be used if needed. If it is negative, the activity needs to be completed by its latest finish time or the project completion will be delayed. Slack = LF - EF or Slack = LS - ES Free Slack is calculated by finding the lowest of the values of total slack for all the activities entering into a specific activity, and then subtracting it from the values of total slack for the other activities also entering into that same activity.

What types of data should be collected during each reporting period?

Two kinds of data need to be collected: Data on actual performance. This includes the actual time that activities were started and/or finished and the actual costs expended and committed. Information on any changes to the project scope, schedule, and budget.

Why is the scheduling of IS projects so challenging?

often done in a haphazard manner, and thus a large percentage of IS projects are finished much later than originally promised— or never finished at all.