4 Schedule Planning and Control Free Online FlashCards

What does a project schedule translate approved scope into?

It translates approved scope into a time-based plan showing the work, its order and expected duration, and planned start and finish dates.

What makes a project activity sufficiently well defined?

An activity should be defined clearly enough to estimate, assign, track, and determine when it is complete.

How does activity duration differ from effort?

Duration is the working time an activity is expected to take, not necessarily its effort. Adding people may not shorten work that cannot be divided efficiently and can add coordination overhead.

How is a common three-point expected duration calculated?

A common weighted estimate is $\frac{O+4M+P}{6}$, where $O$ is optimistic, $M$ most likely, and $P$ pessimistic duration. For $2$, $4$, and $8$ days, it is about $4.3$ days.

What does a finish-to-start dependency require?

In a finish-to-start relationship, the successor cannot start until the predecessor finishes.

How do a lead and a lag affect activity sequencing?

A lead allows activities to overlap; a lag requires a waiting interval. Both should represent real work or waiting, not conceal missing activities or unrealistic logic.

How does the forward pass calculate earliest dates?

Move forward through the network: for a simple finish-to-start activity, $EF=ES+\text{duration}$. Its earliest start is the latest earliest finish among its predecessors.

What does total float measure?

Total float is $LS-ES$, equivalently $LF-EF$. It is the time an activity can slip without delaying the calculated project finish, given the schedule logic and constraints.

What is the critical path?

It is the longest-duration path through the network and determines the earliest possible project completion under the modeled logic. In the basic example, critical activities have zero total float.

In the example network, which path is critical and when can the project finish?

The critical path is A–C–D–E, and the earliest planned completion is $13$ working days after the project starts.

What is the purpose of a schedule baseline?

The approved schedule baseline is the reference for comparing actual progress and current forecasts. It should not be silently changed to hide a forecast delay.

What should happen before a proposed schedule change revises the baseline?

Assess effects on dependencies, milestones, the critical path, finish date, resources, cost, risks, and deliverables. Obtain approval through change control before revising the baseline, then document and communicate the decision and forecast.