38 Questions
What is a crucial aspect of project management that project managers often struggle with?
Delivering projects on time
What is the primary purpose of estimating in project management?
To determine the size and duration of activities
What is added to a project schedule to make it more detailed?
Specific start and end dates
What is the purpose of tracking in project management?
To determine if plans, estimates, and schedules are accurate
What is the basis for developing project schedules?
Activities
What is the relationship between estimating resources and project schedules?
Estimating resources affects project schedules
What should you do after drawing activities that start at node 1 in an AOA network diagram?
Draw arrows from node 1 to the finish nodes and label them with activity letters and duration estimates
What is an example of a burst in an AOA network diagram?
When a single node is followed by two or more activities
What is the purpose of estimating activity durations?
To assign resources to each activity
What is a merge in an AOA network diagram?
When two or more activities precede a single node
What should you consider when estimating resources for an activity?
The difficulty of the activity and the organization's history with similar activities
What is an AOA network diagram used for?
To show relationships between activities
What is a common rule of thumb for drawing arrows in an AOA network diagram?
Arrows should face towards the right
What is an advantage of using AOA network diagrams over ADM methods?
AOA diagrams are better at showing different types of dependencies
What is the primary purpose of creating a resource breakdown structure?
To identify the project's resources by category and type
What is the difference between effort and duration?
Effort is the number of workdays, while duration is the actual amount of time worked
Who should help create estimates for a task?
The people doing the work, along with an expert review
What is the purpose of analogous estimating?
To estimate the duration or cost of an activity using historical data from similar projects
What is the main characteristic of parametric estimating?
It uses historical data and other variables such as square foot in construction
What is the primary advantage of bottom-up estimating?
It provides a high level of accuracy
What is the purpose of three-point estimating?
To estimate the duration or cost of an activity using three approximate estimations
What is the output of the resource allocation process?
Activity resource requirements
What is the primary goal of reviewing the schedule during project management?
To know the status of the schedule and influence factors that cause schedule changes
What is the purpose of a schedule change control system?
To manage changes when they occur
What should be done when preparing a schedule?
Allow for uncertainty and don't plan for everyone to work at 100% capacity all the time
What is the purpose of variance analysis?
To analyze float or slack in the schedule
What should be done when there are schedule problems?
Alert top management well in advance
What is the benefit of using project management software?
It helps in various time management areas
What is the ultimate goal of the Develop Schedule process?
To create a realistic project schedule that provides a basis for monitoring project progress
What is the purpose of a Gantt chart?
To display project schedule information in a calendar format
What is a milestone in a project schedule?
An important event or accomplishment in a project
What does the gray bar represent in a Gantt chart?
Planned duration of a task
What is the critical path in a project schedule?
The series of activities that determines the earliest time by which the project can be completed
What is the purpose of a forward pass through the network diagram?
To determine the early start and finish dates of activities
What is critical chain scheduling?
A method of scheduling that considers limited resources when creating a project schedule
What is the purpose of a buffer in critical chain scheduling?
To protect the project completion date
What is PERT used for in project management?
To estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty about individual activity duration estimates
What is the formula for calculating the PERT weighted average?
Optimistic time + 4X most likely time + pessimistic time / 6
Study Notes
Importance of Project Schedules and Time Management
- Understanding project schedules and good project time management is crucial for project success.
- Project schedules are developed through a series of processes, including:
- Identify activities: Breaking down the project into smaller tasks and activities.
- Estimating resources: Determining the resources required for each activity.
- Scheduling: Creating a timeline for the project.
- Tracking: Monitoring progress and controlling the project schedule.
Understanding Activities
- Activities are the building blocks of a project schedule.
- Activity attributes include:
- Activity name
- Duration
- Resource requirements
- Dependencies
Estimating Resources
- Estimating resources involves determining the quantity and type of resources required for each activity.
- Considerations for estimating resources include:
- How difficult will it be to do specific activities on this project?
- What is the organization's history in doing similar activities?
- Are the required resources available?
Estimating Activity Durations
- Estimating activity durations involves determining the amount of time required to complete each activity.
- Techniques for estimating activity durations include:
- Analogous estimating: Using historical data from similar projects.
- Parametric estimating: Using a mathematical model to estimate activity durations.
- Bottom-up estimating: Breaking down activities into smaller tasks and estimating the duration of each task.
- Three-point estimating: Using three approximate estimations (optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic) to estimate activity durations.
Creating a Project Schedule
- A project schedule is a timeline that outlines the start and end dates for each activity.
- The project schedule is created by:
- Determining the start and end dates for each activity.
- Identifying dependencies between activities.
- Using network diagrams and dependencies to assist in activity sequencing.
Network Diagrams
- Network diagrams are used to visualize the project schedule and dependencies between activities.
- A network diagram consists of:
- Activities represented by boxes.
- Arrows showing relationships between activities.
- Dependencies between activities.
Gantt Charts
- Gantt charts are a type of bar chart that shows the project schedule.
- Gantt charts provide a standard format for displaying project schedule information.
- Symbols used in Gantt charts include:
- Black diamonds: Milestones.
- Thick black bars: Summary tasks.
- Lighter horizontal bars: Durations of tasks.
- Arrows: Dependencies between tasks.
Critical Path Method (CPM)
- CPM is a network diagramming technique used to predict total project duration.
- The critical path is the series of activities that determines the earliest time by which the project can be completed.
- The critical path has the least amount of slack or float.
Critical Chain Scheduling
- Critical chain scheduling is a method of scheduling that considers limited resources when creating a project schedule.
- Critical chain scheduling suggests:
- Delaying one task until the equipment is available (sequential).
- Finding another piece of equipment to meet the schedule (parallel).
PERT Analysis
- PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty about the individual activity duration estimates.
- PERT uses probabilistic time estimates, including:
- Optimistic time.
- Most likely time.
- Pessimistic time.
Controlling the Project Schedule
- Goals of controlling the project schedule include:
- Knowing the status of the schedule.
- Influencing factors that cause schedule changes.
- Determining that the schedule has changed.
- Managing changes when they occur.
- Tools and techniques used in controlling the project schedule include:
- Progress reports.
- Schedule change control systems.
- Project management software.
- Variance analysis.
This quiz assesses your understanding of project schedules, time management, and activity sequencing in IT project management. It covers the importance of schedules, defining activities, network diagrams, and resource estimation.
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