Lagging, Crashing and Activity Networks Pt 1

Project Scheduling: Lagging, Crashing, and Activity Networks True/False 1) Finish to start lags are the same as additional activity slack. Answer: FALSE 2) The least common type of lag relationship occurs when a successor's finish is dependent upon a predecessor's start. Answer: TRUE 3) Gantt charts cannot depict float. Answer: FALSE 4) In order to accelerate completion of a project, the manager must crash critical path activities. Answer: TRUE 5) The critical path may not contain a dummy activity. Answer: FALSE 6) Quite often the marginal gains in employee productivity decrease dramatically with the increased use of overtime. Answer: TRUE 7) Most project management software employs AOA diagramming Answer: FALSE 8) AOA is a more useful technique than AON if the project is complex and has many significant milestones. Answer: TRUE 9) Networks are adaptable and useful for all scheduling challenges that an organization faces. Answer: FALSE 10) Most activity estimations using PERT methods lead to overly optimistic activity duration estimates. Answer: TRUE Fill in the Blank 1) The logical relationship between the start and finish of one activity and the start and finish of another activity is the __________. Answer: lag 2) __________ represent one of the first attempts to develop a network diagram that orders project activities by baseline calendar dates. Answer: Gantt charts 3) The horizontal axis for a Gantt chart is __________. Answer: time 4) The process of accelerating a project is referred to as __________. Answer: crashing 5) The three principal methods for accelerating project activities are to change the __________, __________, and __________ of the project resources. Answer: productivity, types, quantity 6) In analyzing crash options for project activities, each activity has a slope that is calculated as the __________ divided by the __________. Answer: change in cost, change in time 7) An activity of duration zero whose sole purpose is to maintain network logic is a(n) __________. Answer: dummy activity 8) The primary drawback with __________ networks occurs when the project is very complex, with numerous paths through the model. Answer: AON 9) If a project is extraordinarily complex, rather than showing every possible path through the network and every activity sequence, a(n) __________ that shows only the key subroutines or network paths can be created. Answer: meta-network 10) PERT analysis is based on __________ estimates, which, if unreasonably determined, can lead to inaccurate and misleading project schedules. Answer: probabilistic time Multiple Choice 1) The most common type of logical sequencing between tasks is referred to as the: A) finish to start relationship. B) finish to finish relationship. C) start to start relationship. D) start to finish relationship. Answer: A 2) A finish to start lag delay is usually shown: A) as an added value in the predecessor's activity time. B) on the line adjoining the two activity nodes. C) as an added value in the predecessors early start time. D) as a subtracted value in the follower's early finish time. Answer: B 3) Activities A and B have a finish to finish relationship and early start and finish times as shown. What is the result of incorporating a 4 day lag between activities C and B? A) The early finish for A increases to 31. B) The early start time for A increases to 24. C) The early finish time for B increases to 31. D) The early start time for D falls to 23. Answer: C 4) What is the early start time for activity C if it has the start to start relationship shown? A) day 20 B) day 25 C) day 27 D) day 29 Answer: D 5) Activity X has the start to finish relationship shown with activity Y and both have early start and finish times as shown. Which statement is best? A) a < d B) a < c C) b < c D) d < a Answer: A 6) Which statement about this Gantt chart is best? A) Activity a has a duration that could be as short as 1 day and as long as 10. B) Activity b probably has activity a as a predecessor. C) No progress has been made on activity c. D) Activity d is the longest activity. Answer: B 7) Consider the Gantt chart shown below where the time scale is in minutes and all activities are performed on an early start basis. How much slack is available in The Great Hair Washing project? A) 10 minutes B) 15 minutes C) 0 minutes D) 5 minutes Answer: C 8) Use the Gantt chart and the activity list to determine when resource 5 is free. Activity A B C D E Resources 1 5 4 3 2 Activity F G H J K A) between 0 and 15 B) between 15 and 30 C) between 30 and 45 D) between 45 and 60 Answer: D Resources 1 2 5 3 4 9) Use the Gantt chart and the activity list to determine when resource 2 is free. Activity A B C D E Resources 1 5 4 3 2 Activity F G H J K A) between 0 and 15 B) between 15 and 30 C) between 30 and 45 D) between 45 and 60 Answer: A Resources 1 2 5 3 2 10) Use the Gantt chart and the activity list to determine which resource is used the least. Activity A B C D E Resources 1 1 4 2 2 A) Resource 1 B) Resource 3 C) Resource 4 D) Resource 2 Answer: B Activity F G H J K Resources 2 3 4 3 5