Chapter 6 Terms

Sensitivity

the likelihood the critical path will change once the project is initiated

Hammock Activity

- Spans over a segment of a project. - Has a duration that is determined after the network plan is drawn. - Is used to aggregate sections of the project to facilitate getting the right amount of detail for specific sections of a project. - Is very useful in assigning and controlling indirect project costs

What is a hammock activity and when is it used?

A Hammock Activity is a schedule or project planning term for grouping smaller subtasks that hang between two dates. The sub tasks are not really related in a hierarchical sense. This means that there is no fixed sequence of tasks - any of these subtasks can be done at any time, but there is no particular sequence.

Activity-On-Arrow (AOA)

A network diagramming technique in which activities are represented by arrows and connected at points called nodes to illustrate the sequence of activities; also called arrow diagramming method (ADM)

Burst Activity

An activity that has more than one activity immediately following it.

Why is slack important to the project manager?

Because it is very rare that things don't change while working on a project. Without slack time it will be very challenging to be able to manage the project in a flexible way without causing tasks to be stuck or not have time to handle urgent things that were introduced

What is the difference between free slack and total slack?

Free Slack is the number of days that an activity can have before it starts delaying the next (successor) activity. Total Slack is the number of days that activity can have before it starts delaying the whole project

Why are lags used in developing project networks?

Lags are used to provide greater flexibility in network construction and are use in developing project networks for two primary reasons: To avoid delays and reduce network details when activities of long duration delay the start or finish of success activities.

Parallel Activity

One or more activities that can be carried on concurrently or simultaneously.

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

Project networks are developed from the WBS. Work packages from the WBS are used to build the activities fond in the project network. ... Because the project network diagram cannot be created effectively without a proper WBS and because the WBS is an integral part of planning activities in the project.

How does the WBS differ from the project network?

The WBS is hierarchical while the project network is sequential. ... The network provides a project schedule by identifying sequential dependencies and timing of project activities. The network sets all project work, resource needs, and budgets into a sequential time frame; the WBS does not provide this information.

Total Slack

The amount of time an activity can be delayed and not affect the project duration.

Free Slack

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

How are the WBS and project networks linked?

The network uses the time estimates found in the work packages of the WBS to develop the network

Laddering

laying pipe

Lag Relationship

The relationship between the start and/ or finish of a project activity and the start and/or finish of another activity. The most common lag relationships are (1) finish-to-start, (2) finish-to-finish, (3) start-tostart, and (4) start-to-finish.

Activity-On-Node (AON)

network diagram convention in which nodes designate activities

Merge Activity

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

Activity

an element of the project that requires time

Gantt Chart

bar graph showing production managers what projects are being worked on and what stage they are in at any given time

Concurrent Engineering

breaks activities into smaller segments so that work can be done in parallel and the project expedited

Critical Path

the sequence of activities that determine the earliest date by which the project can be completed