ISOM 300 - Ch.5

A Gantt chart is the often the name for the network diagram tool for planning and scheduling.

False

It is a good practice to have the person who will be responsible for performing a specific activity estimate the duration that other resources would need to complete that activity.

False

The estimated duration should be aggressive, yet unrealistic.

False

When the customer requests a change, the contractor or project team should estimate the impact on the project schedule and budget and then go ahead with the work without customer approval.

False

Once this baseline plan is agreed upon by the customer and the contractor or project team, the project work can be performed.

True

One way to determine which activities make up the critical path is to find which ones have the least slack.

True

Project management is a proactive approach to controlling a project to ensure that the project objective is accomplished, even when things do not go according to plan.

True

The amount of slack should determine the priority with which these concentrated efforts are applied.

True

The contractor may not want to commit to completing the project by a specific date until the customer has approved the contract.

True

The estimated activity resources will also be used later for estimating activity costs and determining the project budget.

True

The estimated duration for an activity must be based on the estimated quantity of resources required to perform the activity.

True

The latest finish time for a specific activity must be the same as or earlier than the earliest of all the latest start times of all the activities emerging directly from that specific activity.

True

The project team can progressively elaborate the estimated durations as more information is known or becomes clear to allow for more accurate estimated durations.

True

The sponsor or customer often states the project required completion time in the project charter, RFP, or contract.

True

A change in the estimated duration of any activity on that path will cause a corresponding change in the slack for that path.

True

A consistent time base, such as hours or days or weeks, should be used for all the estimated durations of activities in a network diagram.

True

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

True

Having the person who will be responsible for performing a specific activity estimate the duration for that activity __________ from that person and _________ that may be introduced by having one person estimate the durations for all of the activities. a. generates a commitment , avoids any bias b. gives the status of the project, sets best practices c. takes more effort, creates a problem d. elevates the placement perception, creates errors

a. generates a commitment, avoids any bias.

The project control process must occur regularly throughout the project and include all of the following except a. Having a single inspection of the project's deliverables at the end of the project. b. Establish regular reporting meetings to compare actual to planned progress. c. Gather data on actual performance. d. Record information on changes to the project scope, schedule, and budget.

a. having a single inspection of the project's deliverables at the end of the project.

It is important to know what types of resources are available, in what quantities, and during what time periods to determine a. if the right types of resources will be available in sufficient quantities during the time periods that the project requires. b. how to enter resources into a project management information system. c. that the project team will be larger than necessary to complete the project d. that the project will be less expensive than estimated.

a. if the right types of resources will be available in sufficient quantities during the time periods that the project requires.

With respect to the project schedule, changes can result in any of the following except a. the initial planning and sequencing of activities. b. changes to estimated durations for specific activities. c. the addition or deletion of activities. d. a new required completion time for the project.

a. the initial planning and sequencing of activities

If the planned corrective actions do not result in an acceptable schedule, then a. the steps for schedule control need to be repeated. b. the project should be terminated. c. the customer should decide what should be done. d. the original project plan was best and should be used.

a. the steps for schedule control need to be repeated.

If the planned corrective actions do not result in an acceptable schedule, then a. the steps for schedule control need to be repeated. b. the original project plan was best and should be used. c. the project should be terminated. d. the customer should decide what should be done.

a. the steps for the schedule control need to be repeated.

The Scrum master is ___________ as a project manager in that he ________ responsibility for the people on the development team. a. the same, has indirect b. not the same, does not have direct c. not the same, has direct d. the same, has direct

b. not the same, does not have direct.

The total completion time is 25 days. Task A is planned to take seven days. Task B is planned to take five days. Task C is planned to take eight days. The tasks have a serial relationship. Task A takes nine days to be completed instead of seven days. How much slack does the project have now that Task A is finished? a. Positive 5 days slack. b. Positive 3 days slack. c. Positive 16 days slack. d. Negative 5 days slack.

b. Positive 3 days slack

The total completion time is 25 days. Task A is planned to take seven days. Task B is planned to take five days. Task C is planned to take eight days. The tasks have a serial relationship. How much slack does the project have? a. Positive 3 days slack. b. Positive 5 days slack. c. Negative 5 days slack. d. Positive 17 days slack.

b. Positive 5 days slack.

If an organization or subcontractor has performed similar projects in the past and has kept records of how long specific activities actually took, these historical data a. should be stored in files. b. can be used as a guide in estimating the durations of similar activities for future projects. c. should be shared with the customer after the contract is signed to show that the contractor can complete the project. d. have no value for the current project.

b. can be used as a guide in estimating the durations of similar activities for future projects.

Calculate the latest start for Task B if its predecessor, Task A, finishes on day 3, its succeeding activity, Task E, has a latest start of day 7, and the duration of Task B is 2 days. a. Cannot be calculated based upon information given. b. day 5 c. day 7 d. day 3

b. day 5

The estimated types and quantities of resources required for an activity together with the availability of those resources will influence the a. project's acceptance criteria. b. estimated duration for how long it will take to perform the activity. c. actual costs of work performed. d. project scope document description.

b. estimated duration for how long it will take to perform the activity.

The project control process involves all of the following except a. taking corrective action immediately if actual performance is behind planned performance. b. having social gatherings with the project team. c. regularly gathering data on project performance. d. comparing actual performance to planned performance.

b. having social gatherings with the project team.

The facilitator for the Scrum development process during a sprint whose primary job is to take actions to remove or reduce any obstacles, barriers, or constraints that are impeding progress of the development team toward accomplishing their work tasks and that may negatively impact the successful production and demonstration of a deliverable working product increment by the end of the sprint time is the a. product owner. b. Scrum master. c. project manager. d. sprint timer

b. scrum master

Latest start time (LS) is the latest time by which a specific activity must be a. started in order for the entire project to be started by its required completion time. b. started in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time. c. finished in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time. d. finished in order for the entire project to be started by its required completion time.

b. started in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time.

Positive slack indicates the maximum amount of time a. that each of the activities in the project can be delayed without jeopardizing completion of the project by the required completion time. b. that the activities on a particular path can be delayed without jeopardizing completion of the project by the required completion time. c. that the activities with the positive slack should be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time. d. that the activities on the critical path should be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time.

b. that the activities on a particular path can be delayed without jeopardizing completion of the project by the required completion time.

As the project progresses, the actual finish times (AFs) of completed activities will determine a. the earliest start and earliest finish times for the completed activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack. b. the earliest start and earliest finish times for the remaining activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack. c. the latest start and latest finish times for the completed activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack. d. the latest start and latest finish times for the remaining activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack.

b. the earliest start and earliest finish times for the remaining activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack.

As the project progresses, the actual finish times (AFs) of completed activities will determine a. the earliest start and earliest finish times for the completed activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack. b. the earliest start and earliest finish times for the remaining activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack. c. the latest start and latest finish times for the remaining activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack. d. the latest start and latest finish times for the completed activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack.

b. the earliest start and earliest finish times for the remaining activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack.

In many cases, especially for smaller projects, most activities involve people resources—that is, a. all the people who are employed by the project contractor. b. the members of the project team who may be utilized full time or part time during the project. c. the stakeholders for the project. d. all the people who are employed by the project sponsor.

b. the members of the project team who may be utilized full time or part time during the project.

Calculate the earliest finish for Task D if one of its predecessors, Task A, finishes on day 3, its other predecessor, Task C, finishes on day 4, and the duration of Task D is 2 days. a. Cannot be calculated based upon information given. b. day 3 c. day 6 d. day 4

c. day 6

1The estimated duration for each activity is indicated by a bar spanning the period a. during which the activity has waiting time for the activity to be accomplished. b. of the part of the activity that has more than one work resource assigned. c. during which the activity is expected to be accomplished. d. during which the project is expected to be accomplished.

c. during which the activity is expected to be accomplished.

The project control process must occur regularly throughout the project and include all of the following except a. Record information on changes to the project scope, schedule, and budget. b. Establish regular reporting meetings to compare actual to planned progress. c. Having a single inspection of the project's deliverables at the end of the project. d. Gather data on actual performance.

c. having a single inspection of the project's deliverables at the end of the project.

Negative slack indicates a lack of slack over the entire project and the amount of time a. all activities in the project must be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time. b. each activity on the critical must be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time. c. an activity must be delayed to complete the project by the required completion time. d. an activity must be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time.

d. an activity must be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time.

Eliminating negative slack by reducing durations of activities will involve a trade-off in the form of a. a decrease in costs and an expansion in scope. b. an decrease in costs and no change in scope. c. no change in costs and an increase in scope. d. an increase in costs or a reduction in scope.

d. an increase in costs or a reduction in scope.

A concentrated effort to accelerate project progress must be applied to the paths with negative slack to activities that a. are scheduled at the end of the project. b. have the lowest cost. c. are short in duration and can be easily completed. d. are near term and those with long durations.

d. are near term and those with long durations

Earliest start time (ES) is the earliest time at which a specific activity can begin a. calculated on the basis of the project estimated finish time and the estimated durations of preceding activities. b. calculated on the basis of the project estimated start time and the estimated durations of approaching activities. c. calculated on the basis of the project estimated start time and the estimated durations of succeeding activities. d. calculated on the basis of the project estimated start time and the estimated durations of preceding activities.

d. calculated on the basis of the project estimated start time and the estimated durations of preceding activities.

Latest finish time (LF) is the latest time by which a specific activity must be a. completed in order for the entire project to be started by its required completion time. b. started in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time. c. started in order for the entire project to be started by its required completion time. d. completed in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time.

d. completed in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time.

Calculate the earliest start for Task D if one of its predecessors, Task A, finishes on day 3, its other predecessor, Task C, finishes on day 4, and the duration of Task D is 2 days. a. day 3 b. Cannot be calculated based upon information given. c. day 6 d. day 4

d. day 4

Calculate the latest start for Task D if one of its successors, Task F, has a latest start on day 9, its other successor, Task E, has a latest start on day 10, and the duration of Task D is 2 days. a. Cannot be calculated based upon information given. b. day 8 c. day 12 d. day 7

d. day 7

People sometimes perform to expectations, their effort will expand to fill the whole number of scheduled days allotted, a. even if part of the time for the task is waiting time. b. even if the number of resources assigned to the task is reduced. c. even if the activity could have been performed in a longer time. d. even if the activity could have been performed in a shorter time.

d. even if the activity could have been performed in a shorter time.

Free slack is the amount of time a specific activity can be a. accelerated without delaying the latest finish time of its immediately preceding activities. b. postponed without delaying the earliest start time of its immediately preceding activities. c. accelerated without delaying the latest start time of its immediately succeeding activities. d. postponed without delaying the earliest start time of its immediately succeeding activities.

d. postponed without delaying the earliest start time of its immediately succeeding activities.

As a part of the Scrum technique in agile project management, a sprint is usually one to four a. days. b. minutes. c. months. d. weeks.

d. weeks