Exam 9: Project Scheduling: Networks, Duration Estimation, and Critical Path

Use the values in the table to calculate activity durations and variances for the project. Which path is critical? How closely should the other path be watched and why?

Project Test Bank is composed of activities we will refer to as A, B, C, and D for convenience (and lack of creativity). Durations and precedence requirements are shown in the table. Each of these activities can be conveniently laddered into two sub-activities of equal duration. The first half of each activity serves as the predecessor to its second half and the first half of the original following activity. What is the expected completion time of the laddered project?

-Activities C, D, and E in the project represented by the network are to be hammocked. What is the activity length of the hammock activity?

Hammock activities break a task into greater levels of detail so that each task is represented as two or more subtasks that each have their own duration and precedence requirements.

-Use the network diagram and activity lengths in the nodes to determine the early start time for activity D.

A project has the precedence requirements and activity durations shown in the table. After he draws the network, the project manager decides that activities E and F can be represented by a hammock activity. What are the duration and the early start time associated with this hammock activity?

Consider a project composed of activities X and Y having equal length and performed in that order. Both activities can be laddered such that the first half of each activity is the predecessor for its own second half, so X1 precedes X2 and Y1 precedes Y2. The first half of X1 is also the predecessor for Y1. If the laddering procedure were performed again activities X and Y would be divided in four parts each, with precedence working as it did in the first split. Derive an expression for the minimum length of the project as laddering increases.

A merge activity has two or more immediate predecessors.

A project's duration can be reduced by:

Use the values in the table to calculate activity durations and variances for the project. What is the likelihood that the project takes between 60 and 55 days to complete?

What is the underlying theory to the three time estimates approach? What data distribution should be applied in this case and what confidence should a project manager place in the calculations associated with this technique?

-Activities C, D, and E in the project represented by the network are to be hammocked. What are the late start and early finish times of the hammock activity?

At a merge point in a forward pass, the largest preceding early finish becomes the early start for that node.

One approach to reducing project length would be to:

The variance of an activity is given by:

-Based on the activity network pictured, what is the BEST statement?

A gentleman farmer maniacally works on academic projects to raise funds for his true passion, farming. He has identified seven tasks and developed three time estimates (all in days) of the next big project on the farm, replacing the fence at the comedy pasture. Tasks, precedence requirements, and time estimates are shown in the table. What is the standard deviation of the project's critical path?

Use the information in the table to sketch the network and compute early and late start times.

What is the background of CPM and PERT? What are the differences between the two techniques?

Use the values in the table to calculate activity durations and variances for the project. What is the project deadline such that there is a 75% chance it is completed on time?