Project Planning and Scheduling Overview
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Questions and Answers

What is the main purpose of identifying the critical path in project management?

  • To allocate resources equally across all tasks
  • To identify critical tasks that must be completed on schedule (correct)
  • To determine the total cost of the project
  • To establish the team hierarchy for task execution

    • Which of the following is NOT a benefit of identifying the critical path?

  • Determining the start and finish dates for tasks
  • Scheduling vacation time for team members (correct)
  • Understanding total project duration
  • Recognizing slack time in non-critical tasks

    • What does 'crashing' refer to in the context of the Critical Path Method?

  • Postponing tasks to manage project scope
  • Reducing the time to complete tasks without significant loss (correct)
  • Eliminating non-critical tasks from the schedule
  • Extending the durations of tasks

    • Which technique is NOT typically used to crash a project schedule?

    <p>Delaying the project start date</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic differentiates critical tasks from non-critical tasks?

    <p>Critical tasks have a slack time of zero.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the total duration of the project as indicated in the project schedule?

    <p>26 weeks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which task has zero slack and is part of the critical path?

    <p>Prepare Permits</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does zero slack in a project activity indicate?

    <p>It must be completed on time to avoid project delays.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following activities follows the 'Prepare Drawings' task?

    <p>Prepare Permits</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which task has the longest duration in the project schedule?

    <p>Build Mall</p> Signup and view all the answers

    If 'Finalize Contracts' is delayed, how does it directly impact the project?

    <p>The project will be delayed by 3 weeks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which activities must be completed before the 'Build Mall' can commence?

    <p>Select General Contractor and Prepare Permits</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does slack in project management affect a task's scheduling flexibility?

    <p>Higher slack allows for more flexibility.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does total float indicate in project scheduling?

    <p>The total amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project completion date</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which formula is used to calculate total float?

    <p>Total Float = LF - EF</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which task has zero slack time, indicating it's a critical activity?

    <p>Build Mall</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How is the critical path determined?

    <p>By identifying the activities with the least total float</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the total float for the activity 'Identify Tenants'?

    <p>6</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the duration of the activity 'Finalize Contracts'?

    <p>12 weeks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following activities has the longest duration?

    <p>Build Mall</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main purpose of a backward pass calculation in scheduling?

    <p>To find the latest finish dates and total float</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which task's completion affects the start of the 'Build Mall' activity?

    <p>Select General Contractor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the total float of the 'Build Mall' activity?

    <p>0</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which activity precedes 'Finalize Contracts'?

    <p>Develop Prospectus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In project scheduling, what is a predecessor?

    <p>An activity that cannot start until another activity is completed</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following activities can cause delays in the project if completed late?

    <p>Obtain Permits</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the earliest start time for the 'Obtain Permits' task?

    <p>4 weeks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Project Planning and Scheduling

    • Project planning and scheduling is a process used by construction businesses to map out all project activities, needed resources, personnel, and any other pertinent details.
    • A project plan is a comprehensive document encompassing project risks, budget, organization, scope, goals, objectives, and a project schedule.
    • A project schedule outlines forecasted dates and sequences for all project activities.
    • Construction planning involves choosing relevant policies, procedures, and processes to achieve project goals.
    • Construction scheduling is adapting the detailed project plan to a functioning calendar that factors in scope, time, cost, and quality.
    • Projects are unique activities with a set start and finish
    • Projects have fixed objectives
    • Planning is a continuous process
    • Planning defines project objectives and organizes activities

    How Does the Planning Process Work?

    • Inputs to the planning process include goals, project charters, stakeholders, and objectives.
    • The planning process involves steps that create the project plan like defining scope, budget, schedule, risk, and quality.
    • Project management plans are outputs of the planning process.

    Project Planning Guidelines

    • Project planning guidelines involve risk analysis, monitoring of project progress, emphasis on quality standards, and flexibility for change.

    7 Areas of Project Planning

    • Well-defined goals
    • Resource planning
    • Task planning
    • Risk identification
    • Communication
    • Scheduling
    • Quality control

    Important Tasks in Project Planning and Scheduling

    • Procurement strategy and design process precede project planning and scheduling; and follows the project scheduling process.

    Definition of Procurement

    • Procurement involves the process of acquiring goods, services, and other works from external sources.
    • This includes selecting contractors, negotiating prices, and awarding contracts.
    • It's a crucial process in construction projects to maximize value for money, minimize risk, enhance project management, and ensure high-quality standards.
    • Equipment
    • Materials
    • Labour
    • Services

    Procurement vs Purchasing

    • Purchasing is a transactional step within the procurement life cycle.
    • Purchasing focuses on getting the best prices, while procurement is the larger process encompassing vendor relationships and sourcing.

    Definition of Procurement Strategy

    • A procurement strategy is a plan for acquiring materials and services needed for a construction project.
    • It includes policies and procedures for selecting vendors, evaluating bids, and awarding contracts.

    Principles of Procurement Strategy

    • Public accountability: Reflects transparency to the government
    • Transparency: Practices involving clear rules, procedures, and conditions for all parties to understand.
    • Open and fair competition: Assures equal opportunities for all participants
    • Value for money: Maximizes the best return on money spent.
    • Fair dealing: Ensures that all bids are processed fairly and fairly.

    What is a Project Schedule?

    • Project scheduling is the process of organizing tasks, resources, and due dates in an ideal sequence for project completion on time.
    • Project scheduling encompasses creating a list of project milestones and deliverables, defining task dependencies and resource allocations, along with setting task durations and scheduled events.

    Benefits of Project Scheduling

    • Aligning team members on project goals
    • Ensuring adequate resource allocation
    • Illustrating task interdependence
    • Identifying challenges early
    • Enhancing communication
    • Establishing task interdependence

    Approaches to Project Scheduling

    • Resource-oriented scheduling focuses on effectively using and scheduling resources
    • Time-oriented scheduling emphasizes determining the project completion time considering precedence relationships between activities.
    • Hybrid approaches are commonly used.

    Scheduling Techniques

    • Bar Charts (Gantt Charts): Commonly used for visual representation of tasks and their duration, useful for non-complex projects.
    • Network Diagrams (Precedence Diagram Method): Visual representation of project activities with their dependencies.
      • Activities on Arrow (AOA)
      • Activities on Node (AON)
    • Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT): Technique to estimate task duration and help in proper project scheduling and coordination.
    • Critical Path Method (CPM): Minimum completion time calculation for a project considering predecessor and successor activities.

    How to Determine the Critical Path Method Network

    • Each task is represented by a box with information such as task name, earliest start/finish time, latest start/finish time, and task duration.
    • Detailed parameters will be displayed.

    There are four parameters of each activity of the network:

    • Earliest Start Time (ES)
    • Earliest Finish Time (EF)
    • Latest Start Time (LS)
    • Latest Finish Time (LF)

    Calculating ES and EF

    • Calculating the ES and EF involves a forward pass calculation through the network.

    Calculating LS and LF

    • Calculating the LS and LF involves a backward pass calculation through the network.

    Calculating Slack/Total Float

    • Total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project.
    • LS minus ES, EF minus LF

    Identifying the Critical Path in the Network

    • The critical path is the longest path in the network.
    • Activities on the critical path directly affect the project's completion time.

    How to Interpret and Present Results

    • Critical path method results clarify project completion time.
    • Results highlight critical tasks and slack times in other tasks.

    Outcomes of Critical Path Identification

    • Total project completion time is identified.
    • Scheduled start and finish dates are established.
    • Critical tasks needed for completion are highlighted.
    • Slack time for non-critical tasks is identified.

    Crashing the Critical Path Method

    • Shortening the project scheduling network.
    • Overlapping, shortening, and breaking down critical path tasks to speed project completion.

    Conclusion

    • Project planning and scheduling are crucial for successful construction projects.

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    Related Documents

    Project Planning and Scheduling Lecture PDF

    Description

    This quiz covers the essential concepts of project planning and scheduling in the construction industry. Learn about project plans, schedules, and the importance of effective planning processes. Test your knowledge on key elements such as risks, resources, and project objectives.

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