Chapter 6 discussion questions

What is the difference between free slack and total slack?

-Free slack is the amount of time the activity can be delayed without affecting the early start of the activity immediately -Total slack is the amount of time an activity can be delayed before it becomes critical.

What is a hammock activity, and when is it used?

A hammock activity is a special purpose activity that exists over a segment of the life of the project. Hammock activities are used to identify overhead resources or costs tied directly to the project.

Why is slack important to the project manager?

It represents the degree of flexibility the project manager will have in rearranging work and resources.

Why bother creating a WBS? Why not go straight to a project network and forget the WBS?

The WBS is designed to provide different information for decision making. For example, it provides information for decisions such as control, assign responsibility and budgets, and isolate problems.

How does the WBS differ from the project network?

The WBS is hierarchical while the project network is sequential. It is used to identify each project deliverable and the organization unit responsible for its accomplishment within budget and within a time duration.

How are WBS and project networks linked?

The network uses the time estimates found in the work packages of the WBS to develop the network. Resources required for a work package in the WBS are set in time frames, but without dates. The dates are computed after the network is developed.

Why are lags used in developing project networks?

To closely represent real situations found in projects. To allow work to be accomplished in parallel when the finish-to-start relationship is too restrictive.