Chapter 9 Smartbook: Reducing Project Duration

Which of the following is the least desirable time to create a project cost-duration graph? - In the early stages of project planning - Before the project begins - After the project has started

After the project has started

Which of the following are the assumptions underlying the Cost-Duration Graph? (more than one) - All accelerations must occur within normal and crash times - The project cost curve forms an "S" shape - The cost-time relationship is linear - Normal time assumes low-cost, efficient methods to complete the activity - Crash time represents a limit - the greatest time reduction possible under realistic conditions - Slope represents cost per unit of time

All accelerations must occur within normal and crash times The cost-time relationship is linear Normal time assumes low-cost, efficient methods to complete the activity Crash time represents a limit - the greatest time reduction possible under realistic conditions Slope represents cost per unit of time

Which statement is an example of Brooks's law? - Doubling a team by adding two workers requires six times the pairwise intercommunication. - Doubling the size of a team makes it easier to manage and coordinate. - Doubling the size of a workforce reduces completing time in half.

Doubling a team by adding two workers requires six times the pairwise intercommunication.

(blank) costs cannot be associated with any particular work package or activity.

Indirect

(blank) costs continue for the life of the project.

Indirect

Once total direct costs have been added to the cost-duration model, what happens next? - A graph of the costs is built. - Indirect costs are added to the model. - Management decides which activities to shorten.

Indirect costs are added to the model.

Which statement best describes Critical-Chain Project Management? - It is used to decrease the cost of a project. - It is best used when resources are not constrained. - It is designed to accelerate project completion.

It is designed to accelerate project completion.

What does a steeper slope on a cost-duration graph mean? - It will cost more to shorten one time unit. - It will cost less to shorten one time unit. - The cost per time unit will not change.

It will cost more to shorten one time unit.

Which statement is true about the cost slope? - The rise is the y-axis (cost). - The run is the y-axis (cost). - The rise is the x-axis (cost). - The run is the x-axis (cost).

The rise is the y-axis (cost).

Which statement best describes insensitive networks? (more than one) - They have the greatest potential for real savings in total project costs. - They have the greatest risk of noncritical activities becoming critical. - They have a minimal risk of noncritical activities becoming critical. - They have the minimal potential for real savings in total project costs.

They have the greatest potential for real savings in total project costs. They have a minimal risk of noncritical activities becoming critical.

Which of the following is a reason for reducing project duration due to intense global competition and rapid technological advances? - High overhead - Incentive Contracts - Imposed project deadlines - Time to market

Time to market

Identify the intangible costs incurred due to sustained overtime work. (more than one) - Turnover - Divorce - Higher labor costs - Burnout - Promotions

Turnover Divorce Burnout

What are the advantages of establishing a core project team? (more than one) - Short-term projects are efficiently handled - Undivided attention to a specific project is attained - Multi-tasking costs are avoided - Creation of a shared goal

Undivided attention to a specific project is attained Multi-tasking costs are avoided Creation of a shared goal

In what circumstance can Brook's Law be overcome? - When new staff are added early enough to a late software project. - When existing staff are offered a bonus for achieving their goals. - When new staff are added just before the end of the delayed task on a software project.

When new staff are added early enough to a late software project.

What is the starting point to determine the savings possible in reduced project scope? - Status update meeting - Work breakdown structure - Cost-Duration Graph - Project history documents

Work breakdown structure

The cost-time crashing method relies on choosing the (blank) method for reducing the duration of the project.

cheapest

On most projects, additional workers increase the (blank) requirements to coordinate their efforts.

communication

It is easier to shorten a project when resources are not (blank).

constrained

What is the direct cost of completing an activity in its crash time called? - normal cost - crash cost - indirect cost - total cost

crash cost

The (blank) (blank) represents the maximum time an activity can be compressed.

crash point

Sacrificing quality may reduce the time of an activity on the (blank) path.

critical

When there are high overhead costs, it is prudent to examine the direct costs of shortening the (blank) (blank) versus the overhead cost savings.

critical path

One way of reducing project costs is identifying tasks that (blank) can do themselves. - customers - suppliers - project teams - employees

customers

An activity's crash costs include (blank) costs. - expedited - direct - indirect - overhead

direct

When a cost is assigned to a work package and activity, it is a project (blank) cost. - direct - indirect - critical

direct

A project network is insensitive if it has a (blank) critical path with no near-critical paths.

dominant

Hourly workers are typically paid time and a half for overtime and (blank) time for weekends and holidays.

double

The most efficient time to create a project cost-duration graph is (blank). (more than one) - during the pre-project planning phase - when a project does not have an imposed duration. - when a project has an imposed duration.

during the pre-project planning phase. when a project does not have an imposed duration.

Direct costs on a project include which of the following? (more than one) - equipment - materials - interest expenses - labor - executive salary

equipment materials labor

When critical path activities can be completed in parallel rather than sequentially, it is called (blank). - critical-chain - fast-tracking - reducing scope

fast-tracking

The compression of projects with several near-critical paths reduces scheduling (blank) and increases the risk of (blank) the project.

flexibility delaying

Why might outsourcing be used on a project? - if doing so may shorten project time because of superior expertise - if a firm can pay a subcontractor less than it pays their employees - if a subcontractor is idle and in need of work

if doing so may shorten project time because of superior expertise

Which is an effective option for improving project team efficiency? - offering monetary incentives - adding more team members - implementing more effective methods

implementing more effective methods

When a politician or other public figure makes a statement about when a project will be completed, it can create a(n) (blank) deadline.

imposed

The president of a software company remarks in a speech that new technologically advanced software will be available in one year. This is an example of reducing project duration caused by (blank). - imposed project deadlines - incentive contracts - high overhead - time to market

imposed project deadlines

A contractor finished a bridge across a lake 18 months early and received more than $6 million for the early completion. This is an example of reducing project duration caused by (blank). - unforeseen project delays - incentive contracts - time to market - imposed project deadlines

incentive contracts

Incentive contracts can be a good reason to: - adhere more closely to a project schedule - increase the cost of a project in order to reduce project duration - ensure that the project does not go over budget

increase the cost of a project in order to reduce project duration

With the total direct costs for the array of specific project durations found, the next step is to collect the (blank) costs for the same durations.

indirect

Moving toward the optimum time can result in savings when the network is (blank). - insensitive - fast-tracking - sensitive - ahead of schedule

insensitive

The less steep the cost slope of an activity, the (blank). - smaller the crash time - less it costs to shorten one time period - more it costs to shorten one time period - larger the crash time

less it costs to shorten one time period

Low-cost, realistic, efficient methods for completing an activity under normal conditions are supported by (blank) time. - optimized - budget - normal - targeted

normal

What are the results of having owners take on more responsibility? (more than one) - original scope - original cost - decreased cost - increased cost - increased scope - decreased scope

original scope decreased cost

When estimates for project costs exceed the budget, it may make sense to (blank) in order to reduce costs. - hire more employees - transfer work from the owner to the team - outsource project work

outsource project work

Which costs are included in a cost-duration graph? (more than one) - least cost - project cost - direct cost - indirect cost

project cost direct cost indirect cost

A (blank) (blank)-(blank) graph includes direct, indirect, and total costs for a project over a relevant range of time.

project cost-duration

What is the most common response for meeting unattainable deadlines? - CCPM - fast-tracking - reducing project scope

reducing project scope

An advantage of the owner taking more responsibility is that, while costs are lowered, the original scope is (blank).

retained

Identify the equation to compute the cost per unit of time or slope for any activity. - rise (activity cost) divided by the run (activity duration) - normal cost divided by the crash cost - crash cost divided by the normal cost - run (activity duration) divided by the rise (activity cost)

rise (activity cost) divided by the run (activity duration)

A project manager has fewer options for accelerating project completion once the (blank) has been established.

schedule

If a network has several critical or near-critical paths it is deemed to be (blank). - optimum - constrained - sensitive

sensitive

In order to shorten a project, managers need to look for critical activities that can be shortened with the (blank) increase in cost per unit of time.

smallest

The key to reducing project scope without reducing value is to reassess the true (blank) of the project.

specifications

Which is an advantage of having a dedicated core team to complete a project? - speed - cost - multitasking

speed

When constructing a project cost-duration graph, what is the next step after finding the total direct and indirect costs for selected project durations? - multiply them - graph them individually - sum them

sum them

The Snapshot from Practice "Smartphone Wars" is an excellent example of reducing project duration due to (blank). - unforeseen project delays - high overhead - imposed project deadlines - time to market - incentive contracts

time to market

Not only is more time needed to coordinate and manage a larger team but also there is the additional delay of (blank) the new people.

training

When is "do it twice" an appropriate technique? - when there is plenty of time for project completing - when the cost of doing it twice is compensated by the benefits of satisfying a deadline - when a project is over budget and already late

when the cost of doing it twice is compensated by the benefits of satisfying a deadline

Which statement best describes the "do it twice" technique? - Doing a job twice is not often effective because it doubles the duration of the project. - The additional cost of doing it twice are often more than compensated for by the benefits of meeting a deadline. - The only time that doing it twice is effective is when resources are constrained.

The additional cost of doing it twice are often more than compensated for by the benefits of meeting a deadline.

What are some advantages of outsourcing project work? (more than one) - You will retain more control over the project. - The costs may be lower. - It may be completed more quickly.

The costs may be lower. It may be completed more quickly.

Which statement describes the relationship between quality and speed? - As quality decreases, speed decreases. - As quality decreases, speed increases. - As quality decreases, speed remains the same.

As quality decreases, speed increases.

How can teams improve efficiency in a resource-constrained environment? (more than one) - Ask to bypass some organizational policies - Improve project planning methodology - Add new team members to late tasks

Ask to bypass some organizational policies Improve project planning methodology

What does fast tracking require? (more than one) - A single critical path. - Building a "quick and dirty" short-term solution; then go back and do it the right way. - Close coordination among those responsible for the activities affected - Confidence in the work that has been completed

Close coordination among those responsible for the activities affected Confidence in the work that has been completed

(blank) costs are incurred when completing an activity in its realistically shortest time. - Normal - Reserve - Crash - Expedited

Crash

Which of the following is not one of the techniques for accelerating project completion? - Do it twice—fast and correctly - Assigning additional staff and equipment - Establish a core team - Reduce project scope - Critical tracking

Critical tracking

Which of the following is not considered an indirect cost? - Consultants - Interest - Equipment - Supervision

Equipment

Which of the following is the first step required to construct a project cost-duration graph? - Find total indirect costs for selected project durations. - Find total direct costs for selected project durations. - Sum direct and indirect costs for selected project durations. - Subtract direct costs from indirect costs for selected project durations.

Find total direct costs for selected project durations.

Identify a common method for reducing project costs when time is not an issue. - Using updated and more sophisticated equipment - Working overtime - Reducing project scope - Benchmarking project costs

Reducing project scope

Which of the following statements is true of choosing activities to crash? - Only cost should be considered when choosing which activities to crash. - A more expensive activity should never be crashed. - Risk should be considered when choosing which activities to crash.

Risk should be considered when choosing which activities to crash.

(blank) frees up resources that can be assigned to a critical activity.

Subcontracting