Project Scope and Time Management Unit 8

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Questions and Answers

What is a project network diagram primarily used for?

To allocate resources to specific project tasks

To identify potential project risks

To determine the activity sequencing for effective time management (correct)

To determine the project budget

What type of relationship is defined by the project team?

Mandatory

Discretionary (correct)

Parallel

External

What is a critical path in a project network diagram?

The longest path through the activity network that allows for the completion of all project-related activities (correct)

A sequence of dependent activities that can be completed independently

An activity that has two or more preceding activities on which it depends

The shortest path through the activity network

What is an event in a project network diagram?

A point in time when an activity is started or completed Signup and view all the answers

What type of activity can occur independently and, if desired, not at the same time?

Parallel activity Signup and view all the answers

What is a merge activity in a project network diagram?

An activity that has two or more preceding activities on which it depends Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of network diagrams in project management?

To enhance communication among project participants Signup and view all the answers

What is a burst activity in network diagrams?

An activity with more than one activity immediately following it Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between Activity-On-Node (AON) and Activity-On-Arrow (AOA) approaches?

AON uses nodes to represent activities, while AOA uses arrows Signup and view all the answers

What is a key rule to follow when constructing network diagrams?

Each activity should have a unique identification number Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of identifying critical activities in network diagrams?

To highlight activities that cannot be delayed Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of using the Activity-On-Node (AON) approach?

It can handle complex dependencies more easily Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of using nodes in Activity-On-Arrow (AOA) diagrams?

To represent the start and end points of activities Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of a finish-to-start dependency in AOA diagrams?

One activity cannot start until another activity is complete Signup and view all the answers

Why is looping not allowed in network diagrams?

To prevent recycling through a set of activities Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of network diagrams in project management?

To provide a basis for scheduling labor and equipment Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a dummy activity in an AOA diagram?

To ensure each activity has a unique identification number Signup and view all the answers

What is the critical path in a network diagram?

The longest path in the network diagram Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of calculating the critical path?

To identify the critical activities in the project Signup and view all the answers

What is the early finish date of an activity calculated by?

Adding the activity duration to the early start date Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the AON diagram?

To construct a network diagram with nodes and arcs Signup and view all the answers

What is the critical path in the Koll Business Centre project?

Path ABFGH with a duration of 235 days Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the critical path?

It shows the shortest time in which a project can be completed Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of using CPM?

It helps to address several project management questions Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of calculating the early start and early finish dates for all activities?

To calculate the critical path Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between activities A and B if they have a finish-to-start relationship?

A must be completed before B can start Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the Earliest Start Time Rule?

To ensure that all immediate predecessors of an activity are finished Signup and view all the answers

What is calculated during the Forward Pass?

Earliest Start Time and Earliest Finish Time Signup and view all the answers

What is the formula for calculating Slack or Float?

LF - ES Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the Backward Pass?

To calculate the Latest Finish Time and Latest Start Time of each activity Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the entire project?

Slack Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a critical path in a project network diagram?

It has the least slack Signup and view all the answers

When is the Latest Finish Time of an activity determined?

During the Backward Pass Signup and view all the answers

What happens when an activity is a merge activity during the Forward Pass?

The largest EF of all preceding activities is selected Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of creating a network diagram?

To understand and visualize the logical relationships among project activities Signup and view all the answers

What is a benefit of involving the project team in the development of a network diagram?

To obtain a consensus of understanding of how the project should be implemented Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Introduction to Project Network Diagrams

Project network diagrams are a visual representation of the logical relationships among project activities, used for effective time management.
There are two types of dependencies: Mandatory (inherent to the work), Discretionary (defined by the project team), and External (between project and non-project activities).

Project Network Diagrams Terminology

Activity: an element of the project that requires time.
Merge activity: an activity with multiple preceding activities.
Parallel (concurrent) activities: activities that can occur independently and not at the same time.
Path: a sequence of connected, dependent activities.
Critical path: the longest path through the activity network that allows for the completion of all project-related activities.
Event: a point in time when an activity is started or completed.
Burst activity: an activity with multiple activities immediately following it.

Benefits of Network Diagrams

Provides the basis for scheduling labor and equipment.
Enhances communication among project participants.
Provides an estimate of the project's duration.
Provides a basis for budgeting cash flow.
Identifies critical activities that cannot be delayed.

Basic Rules for Developing Network Diagrams

Networks flow from left to right.
An activity cannot begin until all its predecessors are complete.
Arrows indicate precedence and flow.
Each activity has a unique identification number.
Looping is not allowed.
Conditional statements are not allowed.
Use common start and stop nodes.

Approaches to Network Diagrams

Activity-on-Node (AON) approach: depicts activities on nodes, with arrows indicating dependencies.
Activity-on-Arrow (AOA) approach: depicts activities on arrows, with nodes representing the start and end points.

Constructing AOA and AON Diagrams

AOA: activities are represented by arrows, with nodes representing the start and end points.
AON: activities are represented by nodes, with arrows indicating dependencies.
AOA diagram construction:
- Draw the network diagram from left to right.
- Identify bursts and merges.
- Continue until all activities are included.
- Arrowheads face right, and no arrows cross.
AON diagram construction:
- Identify preceding, subsequent, and concurrent relationships.
- Represent activities by nodes, with arrows indicating dependencies.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

Calculates the critical path by adding durations for all activities on each path.
The longest path is the critical path, showing the shortest time to complete the project.
CPM helps address project planning questions, such as:
- When will the entire project be completed?
- What are the critical activities that will cause delay if late?
- Which activities can run late without causing overall delay?

Forward Pass and Backward Pass

Forward pass: calculates the earliest start and finish times for each activity.
Backward pass: calculates the latest start and finish times for each activity.
Forward pass formula: ES + Duration = EF.
Backward pass formula: LF - Duration = LS.

Determining Slack (Float)

Slack is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the entire project.
Total slack is the amount of time an activity can be delayed after the start of a longer parallel activity or activities.
Formula for slack: LS - ES or LF - EF.

Summary

Network diagrams are a powerful tool for visualizing and understanding project workflows.
Including the project team in network diagram development helps achieve consensus and challenges accepted ways of doing things.

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Description

Learn about the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and activity sequencing in project management. Understand the logical relationships among project activities and determine dependencies for effective time management.