CIS 4375 Quiz 4: Chapter 6

Defining Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 5 Outputs of Defining Activities

1. Activity list 2. Activity attributes 3. Milestone list 4. Change requests 5. Updates to Project Management Plan

Developing the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 2 Main Techniques for using the critical path to shorten a project schedule

1. Crashing activities by shortening durations of critical activities by adding more resources of changing their scope. - this obtains the greatest amount of schedule compression for the least incremental cost. 2. Fast-tracking activities by doing them in parallel or overlapping them.

Agile methods like Scrum take a different approach to project schedule management by providing more ___.

Agile methods like Scrum take a different approach to project schedule management by providing more flexibility.

Describe the following concepts associated with Critical Chain Scheduling: Buffer Murphy's law Parkinson's law Project buffer Feeding buffer

Buffer Additional time set aside to complete a task so that if the task is delayed, it doesn't delay successor activities or the entire project. Murphy's law If something can go wrong, it will go wrong. Parkinson's law Work will expand to fill the time allowed. Project buffer Additional time added right before the project's due date to act as a safety reserve of time in the event that activities are delayed. Feeding buffer Additional time added before tasks on the critical path.

State the process: Inputs 1. Project Management Plan 2. Project Documents 3. Work Performance Data 4. OPAs Tools/Techniques 1. Data Analysis 2. Critical Path Method 3. Project Management Information System 4. Resource optimization 5. Leads and lags 6. Schedule compression Outputs 1. Work Performance Information 2. Schedule Forecasts 3. Change Requests 4. Updates to Project Management Plan 5. Updates to Project Documents

Controlling the Schedule is of project schedule management.

___ and ___ are two techniques for shortening project schedules. There is a practical limit to shortening schedules of about ___ percent, and it almost always increases project cost and risk.

Crashing and fast tracking are two techniques for shortening project schedules. There is a practical limit to shortening schedules of about 25 percent, and it almost always increases project cost and risk.

___ is an application of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) that uses critical path analysis, resource constraints, and buffers to help meet project completion dates.

Critical chain scheduling is an application of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) that uses critical path analysis, resource constraints, and buffers to help meet project completion dates.

Defining activities involves identifying the specific activities that must be completed to produce the project deliverables. It usually results in ___

Defining activities involves identifying the specific activities that must be completed to produce the project deliverables. It usually results in a more detailed WBS.

Complete the following important activities for project scheduling: Early on, review the draft ___ or estimated ___ in the project charter. Prepare a ___ schedule with the project team. Make sure the schedule is ___ and followed. Alert ___ well in advance if there are schedule problems.

Early on, review the draft schedule or estimated completion date in the project charter. Prepare a more detailed schedule with the project team. Make sure the schedule is realistic and followed. Alert top management well in advance if there are schedule problems.

Estimating activity durations creates estimates for ___

Estimating activity durations creates estimates for the amount of time it will take to complete each activity.

Developing the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. True or False: There can only be one critical path in a project schedule network diagram

False There may be more than one critical path if the lengths of two or more of the longest paths are the same.

True or False: Every item on the WBS needs to be shown on the network diagram.

False Only activities with dependencies need to be shown on the network diagram.

A technique that can help project managers make schedule trade-offs is determining the free slack and total slack for each project activity. Define: - free slack/free float - early start date - total slack/total float - forward pass - early finish date - backward pass - late start date - late finish date

Free slack/free float The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any immediately following activities. Early start date The earliest possible time an activity can start based on the project network logic. Total slack/total float The amount of time an activity can be delayed from its early start without delaying the planned project finish date. Forward pass A technique where you move from the first node to the last node, while determining the early start and early finish dates for each activity. Early finish date The earliest possible time an activity can finish based on the project network logic. Backward pass A technique where you move from the last node to the first node, while determining the late start and late finish dates for each activity. Late start date The latest possible time an activity might begin without delaying the project finish date. Late finish date The latest possible time an activity can be completed without delaying the project finish date.

Sequencing activities determines the ___ between activities.

Sequencing activities determines the relationships or dependencies between activities.

Developing the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management Define Developing the Schedule

The process of analyzing activity sequences, resource requirements, and activity duration estimates to create the project schedule.

Controlling the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management Define Controlling the Schedule

The process of controlling and managing changes to the project schedule.

Developing the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. Describe Developing the Schedule.

The process of creating the project schedule using results from other time management processes to determine the start and end date of the project. - the ultimate goal is to create a realistic project schedule that provides a basis for monitoring project progress for the time dimension of the project.

Define multitasking in project scheduling + is multitasking generally a good thing to do if you want to finish a project in a timely manner?

When a resource works on more than one task at a time. Multitasking is generally not a good thing to do if you want to finish a project in a timely manner. - it can cause resource conflicts and wasted setup time caused by shifting between multiple tasks over time.

Sequencing Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 2 Outputs of Sequencing Activities

1. Project Schedule Network Diagrams 2. Updates to Project Documents

It is important for projects to have realistic schedule goals. What are two reality checks that a project manager must go through?

1. Review the draft schedule that is usually included in the project charter, which sets some initial schedule expectations for the project - next, the project manager and project team should prepare a more detailed schedule and get stakeholders' approval. 2. Progress meetings with stakeholders. - the project manager is responsible for keeping the project on track, and key stakeholders like to stay informed, often through high-level periodic reviews.

Developing Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 7 Outputs of Developing the Schedule

1. Schedule Baseline 2. Project Schedule 3. Schedule Data 4. Project Calendars 5. Change Requests 6. Updates to Project Management Plan 7. Updates to Project Documents

Controlling the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 5 Outputs of Controlling the Schedule

1. Schedule Forecasts 2. Change Requests 3. Work Performance Information 4. Updates to Project Management Plan 5. Updates to Project Documents

Planning Schedule Management is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 1 Output of Planning Schedule Management.

1. Schedule Management Plan

The two methods used to create network diagrams are:

1. The arrow diagramming method 2. The precedence diagramming method

Define Tracking Gantt chart + define baseline dates + define schedule baseline + define slipped milestone

A Gantt chart that compares planned and actual project schedule information. - a Tracking Gantt chart is based on the percentage of work completed for project tasks or the actual start and finish dates. It allows the project manager to monitor schedule progress on individual tasks and the whole project Baseline dates are the planned schedule activities. Schedule baseline is the entire approved planned schedule. A slipped milestone, represented by a white diamond in the Gantt chart, means the milestone activity was completed later than originally planned.

Gantt charts may have milestones added to them, especially for large projects. Describe the SMART criteria for milestones

A criteria-based method for planning milestones, or other objectives. Milestones should be: Specific Measurable Assignable Realistic Time-framed

Sequencing Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. The sequencing process involves evaluating the reasons for dependencies and the different types of dependencies. Define dependency or relationship State and Describe the 4 Types of Dependencies in project activities

A dependency or relationship pertains to the sequencing of project activities or tasks. 4 Types of Dependencies in project activities: Mandatory Dependencies Inherent in the nature of the work being performed on a project. - also known as hard logic - e.g. you cannot test code until after the code is written Discretionary dependencies Defined by the project team. Should be used with care because they may limit later scheduling options - also known as soft logic - e.g. a project team might follow good practice and not start the detailed design of a new information system until the users sign off on all of the analysis work. External dependencies Involve relationships between project and non-project activities - e.g. the installation of a new operating system and other software may depend on the delivery of new hardware from an external supplier. Even though delivery of the hardware may not be included in the scope of the project, you should add an external dependency to it because late delivery will affect the project schedule. Internal dependencies Involve relationships between project activities that are generally inside the project team's control. - e.g. if software is developed by the team, they can create dependencies such as performing unit testing before system testing. Note that dependencies can be internal and mandatory, external and discretionary, and so on.

Place these 3 activities in proper order: - sequencing activities - defining activities - estimating activity durations and resources

1. Defining activities 2. Sequencing activities 3. Estimating activity durations and resources

Estimating Activity Durations is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 3 Outputs of Estimating Activity Durations

1. Duration Estimates 2. Basis of Estimates 3. Updates to Project Documents

Sequencing Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State and Describe the 4 types of dependencies/relationships between activities shown in a network diagram

1. Finish-to-start - second task cannot start until first task finished 2. Start-to-start - second task cannot start until first task starts 3. Finish-to-finish - second task cannot finish until the first task finishes 4. Start-to-finish - second task cannot finish until the first task starts

Developing the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. Describe the following 4 Terms of Critical Path Analysis Free slack/free float Total slack/total float Forward pass Backward pass

1. Free slack/free float - the amount of time an activity can be delayed from its early start without delaying the early start of any immediately following activities 2. Total slack/total float - the amount of time an activity can be delayed from its early start without delaying the planned project finish date 3. Forward pass - determines the early start and early finish dates by moving through the first activities all the way to the last activities, adding their estimated durations to their early start to get the early finish of each activity. 4. Backward pass - determines the late start and late finish dates by moving through the last activities all the way to the first activities, subtracting their estimated durations from late finish to get the late start of each activity.

Developing the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 4 Most Important Tools/Techniques used in Developing the Schedule

1. Gantt charts 2. Critical path analysis 3. Critical chain scheduling 4. PERT analysis

List the 4 Agile Manifesto Values

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. 2. Working software over comprehensive documentation. 3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. 4. Responding to change over following a plan.

Controlling the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. What are the 4 Goals of Controlling the Schedule?

1. Know the status of the schedule. 2. Influence the factors that cause schedule changes. 3. Determine that the schedule has changed. 4. Manage changes when they occur.

What are the 4 goals of Controlling the Schedule?

1. Know the status of the schedule. 2. Influence the factors that cause schedule changes. 3. Determine that the schedule has changed. 4. Manage changes when they occur.

State the 6 Main Processes of Project Schedule Management.

1. Planning Schedule Management 2. Defining Activities 3. Sequencing Activities 4. Estimating Activity Durations and Resources 5. Developing the Schedule 6. Controlling the Schedule

List the 6 Main Processes of Project Schedule Management

1. Planning schedule management 2. Defining activities 3. Sequencing activities 4. Estimating activity durations and resources 5. Developing the schedule 6. Controlling the schedule

Controlling the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. What are the 4 Inputs to Controlling the Schedule?

1. Project Management Plan 2. Project Documents 3. Work Performance Data 4. Organizational Process Assets (OPAs)

Define Schedule Management Plan + it is an output of which process of project schedule management? A schedule management plan typically includes: ___ development Level of ___ and units of ___ ___ thresholds Rules of ___ measurement ___ formats Process ___

A document that defines how the project schedule will be managed throughout the project lifecycle. It is an output of Planning Schedule Management process of project schedule management. A schedule management plan typically includes: Project schedule model development Level of accuracy and units of measure Control thresholds Rules of performance measurement Reporting formats Process descriptions

Define milestone list + define milestone + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A document that lists all project milestones and their scheduled dates. A milestone is a significant event that normally has no duration. They are the most important or most visible events. - milestones are useful for setting schedule goals and monitoring progress. It is an output of the Defining Activities process of Project Schedule Management.

Define activity attributes + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A document that provides further information about each activity in the project schedule. - predecessors - successors - logical relationships - leads and lags - resource requirements - constraints - imposed dates - assumptions It is an output of the Defining Activities process of Project Schedule Management.

Define Activity Attributes + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A document that provides more information on the activities listed in the Activity List. - predecessors - successors - logical relationships - resource requirements - constraints - imposed dates - assumptions It is an output of the Defining Activities process of project schedule management.

Define Milestone List + What are milestones? + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A list of all project milestones and their scheduled dates. Milestones are significant/important events or accomplishments on projects, and they usually have no duration. - it often takes several activities and a lot of work to complete a milestone - milestones are useful for setting schedule goals and monitoring progress - e.g. obtaining customer sign-off on key documents, or completion of specific products It is an output of the Defining Activities process of project schedule management.

Define the Theory of Constraints (TOC)

A management philosophy developed by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, based on the metaphor of a chain and its weakest link. Any complex system at any point in time often has only one aspect or constraint that limits the ability to achieve more of the system's goal. - for the system to attain any significant improvements, that constraint must be identified, and the whole system must be managed with it in mind.

Define critical chain scheduling + does critical chain theory condone multitasking? + define critical chain + define buffer + define project buffer + define feeding buffer + does critical chain scheduling use regular buffers or project/feeding buffers?

A method based on the Theory of Constraints that considers limited resources when creating a project schedule and includes buffers to protect the project completion date. Critical chain scheduling does not condone multitasking, it assumes that resources do not multitask or at least minimize multitasking. - someone should not be assigned to two tasks simultaneously on the same project when critical chain scheduling is in effect. - this avoids resource conflicts and wasted setup time caused by shifting between multiple tasks over time. - critical chain theory suggests that projects be prioritized so that people who are working on more than one project at a time know which tasks take priority. The critical chain are the tasks in a project that require limited resources, therefore putting them at risk of being delayed. Project and feeding buffers are estimated and strategically placed to protect the project completion date from tasks on the critical chain. A buffer is additional time to complete a task, usually included to account for various factors. Critical chain scheduling removes buffers from individual tasks and instead creates a project buffer - not having task buffers results in fewer occurrences of Parkinson's Law, which states that work expands to fill the time allowed. A project buffer is time added right before a project's due date. Critical chain scheduling also protects tasks on the critical chain from being delayed by using feeding buffers, which is time added before tasks on the critical chain if they are preceded by other tasks that are not on the critical path. Critical chain scheduling does not use task buffers (to avoid Parkinson's law), but they do use project/feeding buffers.

Define Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) + when is it used? + what are probabilistic time estimates? + how do you calculate a PERT weighted average?

A network analysis technique that can be used to estimate project duration. - PERT applies the critical path method (CPM) to a weighted average duration estimate PERT is used when there is a high degree of uncertainty about the individual activity duration estimates. PERT uses probabilistic time estimates - duration estimates based on using optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates of activity durations - instead of one discrete duration estimate (as CPM does). To calculate a PERT weighted average, use the formula shown in image - by using the PERT weighted average for each activity duration estimate, the total project duration estimate takes into account the risk or uncertainty in the individual activity estimates.

Define Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) Scheduling + What are probabilistic time estimates?

A network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty about the individual activity duration estimates. It uses probabilistic time estimates - duration estimates based on: - optimistic estimates - most likely estimates - pessimistic estimates of activity durations. A PERT weighted average is made for each task, and they are all added up to obtain the entire project duration. - by using the PERT weighted average for each activity duration estimate, total project duration estimate takes into account the risk or uncertainty in the individual activity estimates.

___ is the preferred technique for showing activity sequencing.

A network diagram is the preferred technique for showing activity sequencing.

Define activity-on-arrow (AOA) approach, also known as arrow diagramming method (ADM) + What is an arrow? + What is a node? + List the steps in creating an AOA network diagram + what are bursts and merges?

A network diagramming technique in which activities are represented by arrows and connected by points called nodes to illustrate the sequence of activities. An arrow represents an activity. A node is simply the starting and ending point of an activity. - the first node signifies the start of a project, and the last node represents the end. Steps in creating an AOA network diagram: 1. Find all of the activities that start at Node 1. Draw their finish nodes, and draw arrows between Node 1 and each of the finish nodes. Put the activity letter or name on the associated arrow. If you have a duration estimate, write it next to the activity letter or name. 2. Continue drawing the network diagram, working from left to right. Look for bursts and merges. - bursts occur when two or more activities follow a single node - merges occur when two or more nodes precede a single node. 3. Continue drawing the AOA network diagram until all activities are included. 4. As a rule of thumb, all arrowheads should face toward the right, and no arrows should cross on an AOA network diagram. You may need to redraw the diagram to make it look presentable.

Define precedence diagramming method (PDM) + After you determine the reason for a dependency between activities (mandatory, discretionary, external, internal), you must determine: + Why is this method more common than AOA network diagrams?

A network diagramming technique in which boxes represent activities. - it is particularly useful for visualizing certain types of relationships After you determine the reason for a dependency between activities (mandatory, discretionary, external, internal), you must determine the type of dependency. 1. Finish-to-start (FS) dependency - the second task cannot start until the first task finishes. 2. Start-to-start (SS) dependency - the second task cannot start until the first task finishes. 3. Finish-to-finish (FF) dependency - the second task cannot finish until the first task finishes. 4. Start-to-finish dependency (SF) - the second task cannot finish until the first task starts. This method is more common than AOA network diagrams because: 1. Most project management software uses this method. 2. Using this method avoids the need to use dummy activities - activities with no duration and no resources, but are occasionally needed on AOA network diagrams to show logical relationships between activities. 3. This method shows different dependencies among tasks, whereas AOA network diagrams can only show finish-to-start dependencies.

Define Critical Path Method (CPM) + What is critical path? + How do you calculate the critical path? + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A network diagramming technique used to predict total project duration by calculating the project's critical path. Critical Path - the series of activities that determine the earliest time by which the project can be completed. - it the longest path through the network diagram and has the least amount of stack or float (usually zero) - Slack or float is the amount of time an activity may be delayed without delaying a succeeding activity or the project finish date. - if the critical path is delayed, then the entire project will be delayed. To calculate critical path: - develop a good network diagram and add the duration estimates for all activities on each path through the network diagram. - the longest path will be the critical path. - project managers must closely monitor performance of activities on the critical path to avoid late project completion. It is an output of the Developing Schedule process of project schedule management.

Define Critical Path Method (CPM), also known as critical path analysis + define critical path + define slack/float + how do you determine the critical path? + it is used as a technique in which process of project schedule management?

A network diagramming technique used to predict total project duration. - this tool helps you combat project schedule overruns. A critical path is the series of activities that determine the earliest time by which the project can be completed. - it is the longest path through the network diagram and has the least amount of slack/float - if the critical path is delayed, the entire project is delayed. Slack/float is the amount of time an activity may be delayed without delaying a succeeding activity or the project finish date. To find the critical path: 1. Create a network diagram, with duration estimates on each activity. 2. Identify all paths through the network diagram. 3. For each path, add up all the durations for all activities on that path. 4. The path that takes the longest time is the critical path. It represents the shortest time required to complete a project. It is used as a technique in Developing the Schedule process of project schedule management.

Estimating Activity Durations is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. Define three-point estimate

A project activity duration method that include 3 types of estimates: 1. Optimistic 2. Most Likely 3. Pessimistic

Define Gantt chart + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A project scheduling tool that provides a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in calendar/bar chart form. It is an output of Developing the Schedule process of project schedule management.

Define Critical Chain Scheduling + what are buffers? + what is the critical chain? + What is the Theory of Constraints (TOC)? + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A scheduling method that considers limited resources when creating the project schedule and includes buffers to protect the project completion date. - buffers are extra time you add to a task, so that even if it gets delayed, it won't affect the overall project schedule. It is "reserve time" put aside in the case of delay. The critical chain are the tasks that deal with limited resources, therefore they are at risk of being delayed, so buffers must be strategically placed to account for them (shown in image) This method uses the Theory of Constraints (TOC) - a management philosophy that attempts to pinpoint the crucial limiting factor that holds the entire project back ("a chain is only as strong as its weakest link") - principles include minimizing multitasking when a resource works on more than one task at a time, as this could create resource conflicts and bottlenecks. it is an output of Developing the Schedule process of project schedule management.

Define Network Diagram + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A schematic display of the logical relationships among project activities and their sequencing. - the preferred technique for showing activity sequencing. It is an output of the Sequencing Activities process of project schedule management In image: this format uses the activity-on-arrow (AOA) approach or the arrow diagramming method (ADM) The letters A through J represent activities with dependencies that are required to complete the project. The arrows represent the activity sequencing or relationships between tasks. For example, Activity A must be done before Activity D, and Activity D must be done before Activity H.

Define Project Schedule Network Diagram + it is an output of which process of project schedule management? + State and describe the two main formats for project schedule network diagrams

A schematic display of the logical relationships among, or sequencing of, project activities. - network diagrams are the preferred technique for showing activity sequencing It is an output of the Sequencing Activities process of project schedule management. Two main formats: Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM) - also called activity-on-arrow network diagrams - activities are represented by arrows - nodes or circles are the starting and ending points of activities - only show finish-to-start dependencies - example shown in left mage Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) - network diagramming technique in which boxes represent activities - the most commonly used network diagram - show all dependencies - example shown in right image

Define Gantt chart Describe what these Gantt chart symbols mean: - black diamond - white diamond - thick horizontal bars - light horizontal bars - arrows + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar/bar chart form. Gantt chart symbols: Black diamond - milestone white diamond - missed milestone Thick horizontal bars - durations of summary tasks Light horizontal bars - durations of individual tasks Arrows - dependencies between tasks it is an output of Developing the Schedule process of project schedule management.

Define Activity List. + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A tabulation of activities to be included on a project schedule. - activity name - activity identifier or number - brief description of the activity It is an output of the Defining Activities process of project schedule management.

Define activity list + it is an output of which process of project schedule management?

A tabulation of activities to be included on a project schedule. - the list should include the activity name, an activity identifier or number, and a brief description of the activity. It is an output of the Defining Activities process of Project Schedule Management.

Estimating Activity Durations is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. What is activity duration? What is activity effort? People ___ should help ___ estimates. An ___ should review them. Define Three-point estimate

Activity Duration The actual amount of time worked on an activity plus elapsed time. Activity Effort The number of workdays or work hours required to complete a task - does not normally equal duration People doing the work should help create estimates. An expert should review them. Three-point estimate A scheduling estimation technique that uses three kinds of estimates, then uses a formula to calculate the activity duration: - an optimistic estimate, the duration estimate for an activity under the best case conditions - a most likely estimate, the duration estimate for an activity under most-likely conditions - a pessimistic estimate, the duration estimate for an activity under the worst case conditions - they are needed for PERT and Monte Carlo simulations

___ must be done in order to use critical path analysis.

Activity sequencing must be done in order to use critical path analysis.

State the 2 Techniques that can shorten the project schedule time.

Goal: Reduce the duration of activities on the critical path. - e.g. allocating more resources to those activities or by changing their scope - reducing the critical path duration reduces the earliest possible project completion time. 1. Use Crashing - a technique for making cost and schedule trade-offs to obtain the greatest amount of schedule compression for the least incremental cost, done by adding more resources or changing their scope - advantage: shortens the time needed to finish a project - disadvantage: often increases total project costs 2. Use Fast Tracking - doing activities in parallel that you would normally do in sequence. - advantage: it can shorten the time needed to finish a project - disadvantage: it can increase cost and might actually lengthen the project schedule because starting some tasks too soon often increases project risk and results in rework.

Adding milestones to Gantt charts can be an important part of scheduling. To make milestones meaningful, some people use the SMART criteria to help define them. Define SMART criteria

Guidelines suggesting that milestones should be: Specific Measurable Assignable Realistic Time-framed

How is project schedule management different in agile approaches vs. traditional approaches?

In agile approaches, more emphasis is placed on completing some useful work for the customer in short time increments vs. trying to define all the work required first and then scheduling when it could be done. Schedule management is radically different using Agile and Scrum in particular. Projects that rely heavily on the critical path method consider meeting the project's estimated completion date as a crucial component of success. Agile projects, on the other hand, may not even need to estimate activity durations or project schedules at all

Individual ___ and ___ differences are two common causes of schedule conflicts.

Individual work styles and cultural differences are two common causes of schedule conflicts. - some people prefer detailed schedules and emphasize task completion, others prefer to keep things open and flexible - in some countries, businesses close for several hours every afternoon to have siestas. Countries also have different holidays.

Planning Schedule Management is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 4 Inputs. State the 3 Tools/Techniques used. State the 1 Output.

Inputs 1. Project Charter 2. Project Management Plan 3. EEFs (enterprise environmental factors) 4. OPAs (organizational process assets) Tools/Techniques 1. Expert Judgment 2. Data analysis 3. Meetings Outputs 1. Schedule Management Plan

Defining Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 3 Inputs. State the 4 Tools/Techniques used. State the 5 Outputs.

Inputs 1. Project Management Plan 2. EEFs 3. OPAs Tools/Techniques 1. Expert judgment 2. Decomposition 3. Rolling Wave Planning 4. Meetings Outputs 1. Activity list 2. Activity attributes 3. Milestone list 4. Change requests 5. Updates to Project Management Plan

Developing the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 5 Inputs. State the 8 Tools/Techniques used. State the 7 Outputs.

Inputs 1. Project Management Plan 2. Project Documents 3. Agreements 4. EEFs 5. OPAs Tools/Techniques 1. Schedule Network Analysis 2. Critical Path Method 3. Resource optimization 4. Data analysis 5. Leads and lags 6. Schedule compression 7. Project Management Information System 8. Agile Release Planning Outputs 1. Schedule Baseline 2. Project Schedule 3. Schedule Data 4. Project Calendars 5. Change Requests 6. Updates to Project Management Plan 7. Updates to Project Documents

Estimating Activity Durations is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 4 Inputs. State the 8 Tools/Techniques used. State the 3 Outputs.

Inputs 1. Project Management Plan 2. Project Documents 3. EEFs 4. OPAs Tools/Techniques 1. Expert judgment 2. Analogous estimating 3. Parametric estimating 4. Three-point estimating 5. Bottom-up estimating 6. Data analysis 7. Decision Making 8. Meetings Outputs 1. Duration estimates 2. Basis of estimates 3. Updates to Project Documents

Sequencing Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. State the 4 Inputs. State the 4 Tools/Techniques used. State the 2 Outputs.

Inputs 1. Project Management Plan 2. Project Documents 3. EEFs 4. OPAs Tools/Techniques 1. Precedence diagramming method 2. Dependency determination and integration 3. Leads and lags 4. Project Management Information System Outputs 1. Project Schedule Network Diagram 2. Updates to Project Documents

Developing the Schedule is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. It is important to update the project schedule with actual critical path data. Complete the following: Note actual ___ as they are completed. Revise ___ for activities in progress. ___ to make informed decisions.

Note actual activity durations as they are completed. Revise estimates for activities in progress. Monitor changes to make informed decisions.

Estimating Activity Durations is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. One of the most important considerations in making activity duration estimates is the availability of ___, especially ___

One of the most important considerations in making activity duration estimates is the availability of resources, especially human resources.

What is the main issue in Controlling the Schedule?

Personnel-related issues that may impact the project schedule. Therefore, several soft skills can help project managers control schedule changes. - most projects fail because of people issues, not from failure to draw a good PERT chart.

What is the first step in project schedule management?

Planning schedule management

Complete the following 6 Main Processes for Project Schedule Management: ___ schedule management ___ activities ___ activities Estimating activity ___ ___ the schedule ___ the schedule

Planning schedule management Defining activities Sequencing activities Estimating activity durations Developing the schedule Controlling the schedule

Which network diagramming method is more common: activity-on-arrow (AOA) or precedence diagramming method (PDM)? Why?

Precedence diagramming method (PDM) is more common. PDM can show all dependencies. AOA can only show finish-to-start (FS) dependencies.

Project managers often use ___ to display the project schedule. ___ show planned and actual schedule information.

Project managers often use Gantt charts to display the project schedule. Tracking Gantt charts show planned and actual schedule information.

___ is often cited as the main source of conflict on projects.

Project schedule management is often cited as the main source of conflict on projects. - most IT projects exceed time estimates.

Planning Schedule Management is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. Complete the following elements of a schedule management plan: Project schedule ___ development ___ methodology Level of ___ and ___ of measure Control ___ Rules of ___ ___ formats ___ descriptions

Project schedule model development Scheduling methodology Level of accuracy and units of measure Control thresholds Rules of performance measurement Reporting formats Process descriptions

What is often cited as the main source of conflict on projects?

Project time management. - most IT projects exceed time estimates.

How is project scheduling different in Agile/Adaptive environments vs. traditional environments?

Schedule management is radically different in Agile and Scrum. Projects that rely heavily on the critical path method consider meeting the project's estimated completion date as a crucial component of success. On the other hand, Agile projects may not even need to estimate activity durations or project schedules at all; overall project completion time is not important.

___ is a network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty about the individual activity duration estimates.

The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty about the individual activity duration estimates

The critical path method predicts___. The critical path for a project is the series of activities that determines the ___ completion date for the project.

The critical path method predicts total project duration. The critical path for a project is the series of activities that determines the earliest completion date for the project.

Planning schedule management involves determining the policies, procedures, and documentation that will be used for planning, executing, and controlling the project schedule. The main output of planning schedule management is ___

The main output of planning schedule management is a schedule management plan.

Planning Schedule Management is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management Define Planning Schedule Management

The process of determining the policies, procedures, and documentation that will be used for planning, executing, and controlling the project schedule.

Estimating Activity Durations is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management Define Estimating Activity Durations + define duration and effort

The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities. Duration is the actual amount of time worked on an activity plus elapsed time. - e.g. even though it might take five workdays to do the actual work, the duration estimate might be two weeks to allow extra time needed to obtain outside information. Effort is the number of workdays or work hours required to complete a task. - a duration estimate of one day could be based on 80 hours of work, assuming that multiple people are working on a task that day.

Sequencing Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. Describe Sequencing Activities + What is a dependency? + State the four types of dependencies.

The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities. i.e. Evaluating the reasons for dependencies and the different types of dependencies. A dependency (or relationship) is the sequencing of project activities or tasks. 4 types of dependencies: Mandatory Dependencies - inherent in the nature of the work being performed on a project - also referred to as hard logic Discretionary Dependencies - defined by the project team, and should be used with care since they may limit later scheduling options - also referred to as soft logic External Dependencies - involve relationships between project and non-project activities Internal dependencies - involve relationships between project activities that are generally inside the project team's control Note that mandatory/discretionary and internal/external can be mixed together. - mandatory external - mandatory internal - discretionary external - discretionary internal

Sequencing Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management Define Sequencing Activities

The process of identifying and documenting the relationships between project activities.

Defining Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management. Describe Defining Activities.

The process of identifying the specific actions that will produce the project deliverables in enough detail to determine resource and schedule estimates.

Defining Activities is one of the 6 main processes of project schedule management Define Defining Activities + What is an activity or task?

The process of identifying the specific activities that the project team members and stakeholders must perform to produce the project deliverables. An activity or task is an element of work normally found on the WBS (work breakdown structure) that has expected: - duration requirements - cost requirements - resource requirements

Define Project Schedule Management.

The processes required to ensure timely completion of a project.

What are 3 reasons why people might misuse project management software for project schedule management?

They do not understand the concepts behind creating a network diagram, determining the critical path, or setting a schedule baseline. They might also rely too heavily on sample files or templates in developing their own project schedules. They also do not fully understand how to use the software tools, such as not knowing how to establish dependencies in a project schedule using the software features.

What is the ultimate goal of developing a realistic project schedule?

To provide a basis for monitoring project progress for the time dimension of the project.