OMIS 635 Test 2

What is splitting?

-A scheduling technique for creating a better project schedule and/or increase resource utilization -Involves interrupting work on an activity to employ the resource on another activity, then returning the resource to finish the interrupted work. -Is feasible when startup and shutdown costs are low. -Is considered the major reason why projects fail to meet schedule.

What are relationship-related currencies?

-Acceptance -Providing closeness and friendship. -Personal support -Giving personal and emotional backing. -Understanding -Listening to others' concerns and issues.

What are risk assumptions?

-Activities with the most slack pose the least risk. -Reduction of flexibility does not increase risk. -The nature of an activity (easy, complex) doesn't increase risk

What are resources that are not constrained?

-Adding resources -Outsourcing project work -Scheduling overtime -Establishing a core project team -Do it twice—fast and then correctly

What are position-related currencies?

-Advancement -Giving a task or assignment that can result in promotion. -Recognition -Acknowledging effort, accomplishments, or abilities. -Visibility -Providing a chance to be known by higher-ups or significant others in the organization. -Network/contacts -Providing opportunities for linking with others.

How do you create a time-phased budget?

-Assign each work package to one responsible person or department and deliverable -Compare planned schedule and costs using an integrative system called earned value

What are the reasons why we should not always assign the best people the most difficult tasks?

-Best people: resent to the fact that they are always given the toughest assignments -Less experienced participants: resent to the fact that they are never given the opportunity to expand their skill/knowledge base

What are some suggestions for project managers?

-Build relationships before you need them. -Trust is sustained through frequent face-to-face contact. -Realize that "what goes around comes around."

What are personal-related currencies?

-Challenge/learning -Sharing tasks that increase skills and abilities. -Ownership/involvement -Letting others have ownership and influence. -Gratitude -Expressing appreciation.

What is the challenge and strategy of a friend?

-Challenge: Determine the important relationships to build and sustain outside the team itself -Strategy: Identify common interests and experiences to bridge a friendship with the client

What is the challenge and strategy of a coach?

-Challenge: Motivate client team members without formal authority -Strategy: Provide challenging tasks to build the skills of the team members

What is the challenge and strategy of a marketer?

-Challenge: Understand the strategic objectives of the client organization -Strategy: Align new ideas/proposals with the strategic objectives of the client organization

What is the challenge and strategy of a politician?

-Challenge: Understand two diverse cultures (parent and client organizations) -Strategy: Align with the powerful individuals

What is the challenge and strategy of an entrepreneur?

-Challenge: navigate unfamiliar surroundings -Strategy: Use persuasion to influence others

What are requirements for an effective project vision?

-Communication -Strategic sense -Passion -Inspire others

How do you celebrate success project completion?

-Conduct a joint review of accomplishments and disappointments -Hold a celebration for all project participants -Recognize special contributions

What are the norms of a high-performance teams?

-Confidentiality is maintained; no information is shared outside the team unless all agree to it. -It is acceptable to be in trouble, but it is not acceptable to surprise others. Tell others immediately when deadlines or milestones will not be reached. -There is zero tolerance for bulling a way through a problem or an issue. -Agree to disagree, but when a decision has been made, regardless of personal feelings, move forward. -Respect outsiders, and do not flaunt one's position on the project team. -Hard work does not get in the way of having fun.

What are project indirect costs?

-Costs that cannot be associated with any particular work package or project activity -Supervision, administration, consultants, and interest -Costs that vary (increase) with time -Reducing project time directly reduces indirect costs

How should multiproject scheduling be managed?

-Create project offices or departments to oversee the scheduling of resources across projects -Use a project priority queuing system: first come, first served for resources -Centralize project management: treat all projects as a part of a "megaproject" -Outsource projects to reduce the number of projects handled internally

What are sources of conflict over the project life cycle?

-Defining: priorities, procedures, schedules -Planning: priorities, procedures, schedules, technical, workforce -Executing: schedule, technical, workforce, priorities -Delivery: schedule

What are challenges to managing virtual project teams?

-Developing trust -Developing effective patterns of communication

How do you manage customer expectations?

-Don't oversell the project; better to undersell. -Develop a well-defined project scope statement -Share significant problems and risks -Keep everyone informed about the project's progress -Involve customers early in decisions about project development changes -Handle customer relationships and problems in an expeditious, competent, and professional manner -Speak with one voice -Speak the language of the customer

How to establish a team identity?

-Effective use of meetings -Co-location of meetings -Creation of project team name -Get the team to do something together -Team rituals

How do you encourage functional conflict?

-Encourage dissent by asking tough questions -Bring in people with different points of view -Designate someone to be a devil's advocate -Ask the team to consider an unthinkable alternative

What are the different project manager roles?

-Entrepreneur -Politician -Friend -Marketer -Coach

How do you sustain collaborative relationships through project implementation?

-Establish a "we" as opposed to "us and them" attitude toward the project -Establish mechanisms that will ensure the relationship withstands problems and setbacks

What goes on in project team meetings?

-Establishing team norms -Managing subsequent meetings -Establishing ground rules -Planning decisions -Tracking decisions -Managing change decisions -Relationship decisions

What is customer satisfaction and its effect?

-Every customer has a unique set of performance expectations and met-performance perceptions. -The negative effect of dissatisfied customers on a firm's reputation is far greater than the positive effect of satisfied customers

What are the types of contracts?

-Fixed-Price or Lump-sum Agreement -Cost-Plus

What is the 5-stage team development model?

-Forming -Storming -Norming -Performing -Adjourning

What is managing- coping with complexity in a project?

-Formulate plans and objectives -Monitor results -Take corrective action -Expedite activities -Solve technical problems -Serve as peacemaker -Make tradeoffs among time, costs, and project scope

What are the pitfalls for project teams?

-Groupthink -Going native -Bureaucratic Bypass Syndrome -Team spirit becomes team infatuation

How do you reduce project duration to reduce project cost?

-Identifying direct costs to reduce project time -Gather info about direct and indirect costs of specific project durations -Search critical activities for lowest direct-cost activities to shorten project duration -Compute total costs for specific durations and compare to benefits of reducing project time

How do you deal with unreasonable people?

-If pushed, don't push back -Ask questions instead of making statements -Use silence as a response to unreasonable demands -Ask for advice and encourage others to criticize your ideas and positions -Use Fisher and Ury's best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) concept to work toward a win/win scenario

What are resources that are constrained?

-Improving project team efficiency -Fast-tracking -Critical-chain -Reducing project scope Compromise quality

What are the characteristics of an effective project manager?

-Initiate contact with key stakeholders -Anticipate potential problems -Provide encouragement -Reinforce the objectives and vision of the project -Intervene to resolve conflicts and prevent stalemates

What are contradictions of project mgmt?

-Innovate and maintain stability -See the big picture while getting your hands dirty -Encourage individuals but stress the team -Hands-off/Hands-on -Flexible but firm -Team versus organizational loyalties

What are informal techniques for rejuvenating the project team?

-Institute new rituals -Take an off-site break as a team from the project -View an inspiration message or movie -Have the project sponsor give a pep talk

What is resource-constrained project?

-Is one in which the level of resources available cannot be exceeded. -Resources are fixed, time is flexible: inadequate resources will delay the project.

What are the influences of exchange?

-Law of Reciprocity -Quid pro Quo Influence "Currencies"

What are the benefits of scheduling resources?

-Leaves time for consideration of reasonable alternatives: -Cost-time tradeoffs -Changes in priorities -Provides information for time-phased work package budgets to assess: -Impact of unforeseen events -Amount of flexibility in available resources

What are examples of group rewards?

-Letters of commendation -Public recognition for outstanding work -Desirable job assignments -Increased personal flexibility

What are the disadvantages of resource demand leveling techniques for time-constrained projects?

-Loss of flexibility that occurs from reducing slack -Increases in the criticality of all activities

What factors are to be considered in deciding who should work together?

-Minimize unnecessary tension; complement each other -Experience: veterans team up with new hires

What is a time-constrained project?

-Must be completed by an imposed date -Require use of leveling techniques that focus on balancing or smoothing resource demands. -Use positive slack (delaying noncritical activities) to manage resource utilization over the duration of the project. -Time is fixed, resources are flexible: additional resources are required to ensure project meets schedule.

What are project direct costs?

-Normal costs that can be assigned directly to a specific work package or project activity -Labor, materials, equipment, and subcontractors -Crashing activities increases direct costs.

What are the multiproject scheduling problems?

-Overall project slippage -Delay on one project create delays for other projects. -Inefficient resource application -The peaks and valleys of resource demands create scheduling problems and delays for projects. -Resource bottlenecks -Shortages of critical resources required for multiple projects cause delays and schedule extensions

What are examples of ethical dilemmas?

-Padding of cost and time estimations -Exaggerating pay-offs of project proposals -Falsely assuring customers that everything is on track -Being pressured to alter status reports -Falsifying cost accounts -Compromising safety standards to accelerate progress -Approving shoddy work

What are the advantages of resource demand leveling techniques for time-constrained projects?

-Peak resource demands are reduced -Resources over the life of the project are reduced -Fluctuation in resource demand is minimized.

What are the steps of the decision making process?

-Problem identification -Generating alternatives -Reaching a decision -Follow-up

What are the mapping stakeholder dependencies?

-Project team perspectives Whose cooperation will we need? Whose agreement or approval will we need? Whose opposition would keep us from accomplishing the project? -Stakeholders' perspective What differences exist between the team and those on whom the team will depend? How do the stakeholders view the project? What is the status of our relationships with the stakeholders? What sources of influence does the team have relative to the stakeholders?

What is leading- coping with change in a project?

-Recognize the need to change to keep the project on track -Initiate change -Provide direction and motivation -Innovate and adapt as necessary -Integrate assigned resources

What are advantages of long-term partnerships?

-Reduced administrative costs -More efficient utilization of resources -Improved communication -Improved innovation -Improved performance

What are the impacts of resource-constrained scheduling?

-Reduces slack; reduces flexibility -Increases criticality of events -Increases scheduling complexity -May make the traditional critical path no longer meaningful -Can break sequence of events -May cause parallel activities to become sequential -Activities with slack may become critical

What are commonly used options for cutting costs?

-Reducing project scope -Having owner take on more responsibility -Outsourcing project activities or even the entire project -Brainstorming cost savings options

What are task-related currencies?

-Resources -Lending or giving money, budget increases, personnel, etc. -Assistance -Helping with existing projects or undertaking unwanted tasks. -Cooperation -Giving task support, providing quicker response time, or aiding implementation. -Information -Providing organizational as well as technical knowledge

What are the preproject activities?

-Selecting a Partner(s) -Voluntary, experienced, willing, with committed top management -Team Building: The Project Managers -Build a collaborative relationship among the project managers -Team Building: The Stakeholders -Expand the partnership commitment to include other key managers and specialists

What are the principles of negotiations?

-Separate the people from the problem -Focus on interests, not positions -Invent options for mutual gain -When possible, use objective criteria

What are limiting assumptions?

-Splitting activities is not allowed—once an activity is start, it is carried to completion -Level of resources used for an activity cannot be changed

What are the strategies for communicating with outsourcers?

-Strategy 1: Recognize cultural differences -Strategy 2: Choose the right words -Strategy 3: Confirm your requirements -Strategy 4: Set deadlines

What are the development steps of RFP?

-Summary of needs and request for action -Statement of work (SOW) detailing the scope and major deliverables -Deliverable specifications/requirements, features, and tasks -Responsibilities- vendor and customer -Project schedule -Costs and payment schedule -Type of contract -Experience and staffing -Evaluation criteria

What are the traits of an effective project manager?

-Systems thinker -Personal integrity -Proactive -High emotional intelligence (EQ) -General business perspective -Effective time management -Skillful politician -Optimist

How does the project achieve success?

-TOP MGMT SUPPORT -Appropriate budget -Responsiveness to unexpected needs -A clear signal to the organization of the importance of cooperation

What are the types of commonly traded organizational currencies?

-Task-related -Position-related -Inspiration-related -Relationship-related -Personal-related

What are the types of project constraints?

-Technical or logic -Physical -Resource

What are conditions favoring development of high performance project teams?

-Ten or fewer team members -Voluntary team membership -Continuous service on the team -Full-time assignment to the team -An organization culture of cooperation and trust -Members report solely to the project manager -All relevant functional areas are represented on the team -The project involves a compelling objective -Members are in close communication with each other

What is a Cost-Plus Contract?

-The contractor is reimbursed for all direct allowable costs (materials, labor, travel) plus an additional prior-negotiated fee (set as a percentage of the total costs) to cover overhead and profit. -Risk to client is in relying on the contractor's best efforts to contain costs.

What is a Fixed-Price (FP) Contract or Lump-sum Agreement? What are its disadvantages?

-The contractor with the lowest bid agrees to perform all work specified in the contract at a fixed price -The disadvantage for owners is that it is more difficult and more costly to prepare. -The primary disadvantage for contractors is the risk of underestimating project costs.

What is outsourcing?

-The process of transferring of business functions or processes (e.g., customer support, IT, accounting) to other, often foreign companies -Being applied to contracting significant chunks of project work -Being applied to the creation of new products and services

What are the reasons for imposed project duration dates?

-Time-to-market pressures -Unforeseen delays -Incentive contracts (bonuses for early completion) -Imposed deadlines and contract commitments -Overhead and public goodwill costs -Pressure to move resources to other projects

Why is a time-phased budget baseline is needed?

-To determine if the project is on, ahead, or behind schedule and over or under its budgeted costs? -To know how much work has been accomplished for the allocated money spent—the project cost baseline (planned value, PV)

What are inspiration-related currencies?

-Vision -Being involved in a task that has larger significance for the unit, organization, customer, or society. -Excellence -Having a chance to do important things really well. -Ethical correctness -Doing what is "right" by a higher standard than efficiency

What are some best practices in outsourcing project work?

-Well-defined requirements and procedures -Extensive training and team-building activities -Well-established conflict management processes in place -Frequent review and status updates -Co-location when needed -Fair and incentive-laden contracts -Long-term outsourcing relationships

What are the project management maxims?

-You can't do it all and get it all done -Projects usually involve a vast web of relationships. -Hands-on work is not the same as leading. -More pressure and more involvement can reduce your effectiveness as a leader. -What's important to you likely isn't as important to someone else. -Different groups have different stakes (responsibilities, agendas, and priorities) in the outcome of a project.

How do you construct a project cost-duration graph?

1) Find total direct costs for selected project durations 2) Find total indirect costs for selected project durations 3) Sum direct and indirect costs for these selected project durations 4) Compare additional cost alternatives for benefits

What are the order of heuristics (rules-of-thumb)?

1) Minimum slack 2) Smallest (least) duration 3) Lowest activity identification number

What are characteristics of high-performing teams?

1) Share a sense of common purpose 2) Make effective use of individual talents and expertise 3) Have balanced and shared roles 4) Maintain a problem solving focus 5) Accept differences of opinion and expression 6) Encourage risk taking and creativity 7) Set high personal performance standards 8) Identify with the team

What is the procurement management process?

1. Planning purchases and acquisitions 2. Planning contracting 3. Requesting seller responses 4. Selecting sellers 5. Administering the contract 6. Closing the contract

What is a contract?

A formal agreement between two parties wherein the contractor obligates itself to perform a service and the client obligates itself to do something in return.

What are physical constraints?

Activities that cannot occur in parallel or are affected by contractual or environmental conditions

What are technical or logic constraints?

Constraints related to the networked sequence in which project activities must occur

What are influence "currencies?"

Cooperative relationships are built on the exchange of organizational "currencies" (favors).

What are disadvantages of outsourcing project work?

Coordination breakdowns Loss of control Conflict Security issues Political hot potato

What are advantages of outsourcing project work?

Cost reduction Faster project completion High level of expertise Flexibility

What are formal techniques for rejuvenating the project team?

Hold a team building session facilitated by an outsider to clarify ownership issues affecting performance Engage in an outside activity that provides an intense common experience to promote social development of the team

How do you build a high-performing project team?

How to recruit? -Ask for volunteers Who to recruit? -Problem-solving ability -Availability -Technological expertise -Credibility -Political connections -Ambition, initiative, and energy -Familiarity

How do you motivate a project team?

Influence top management in favor of the team: Rescind unreasonable demands Provide additional resources Recognize the accomplishments of team members

What is resource smoothing (or leveling)?

Involves attempting to even out varying demands on resources by using slack (delaying noncritical activities) to manage resource utilization when resources are adequate over the life of the project

What is management by wandering around (MBWA)?

Involves managers spending the majority of their time in face-to-face interactions with employees building cooperative relationships.

How do you manage dysfunctional conflict?

Mediate the conflict Arbitrate the conflict Control the conflict Accept the conflict Eliminate the conflict

What is Quid pro Quo?

Mutual exchanges of resources and services ("back-scratching") build relationships

What is the Law of Reciprocity?

One good deed deserves another, and likewise, one bad deed deserves another

What are cost-time tradeoffs?

Reducing the time of a critical activity usually incurs additional direct costs.

What are ethical dilemmas?

Situations where it is difficult to determine whether conduct is right or wrong

What are resource constraints?

The absence, shortage, or unique interrelationship and interaction characteristics of resources that require a particular sequencing of project activities People, materials, equipment

What is an EMR project?

The development of a handheld electronic medical reference guide to be used by emergency medical technicians and paramedics

What is resource-constrained scheduling?

The duration of a project may be increased by delaying the late start of some of its activities if resources are not adequate to meet peak demands

What is the problem with EMR projects?

There are only eight design engineers who can be assigned to the project due to a shortage of design engineers and commitments to other projects.

How do you determine the classification of a problem?

Using a priority matrix will help determine if the project is time or resource constrained.

How is satisfaction measured?

perceived performance divided by expected performance