Exam 9: Resource Allocation

__________ times result from an attempt to expedite the activity by the application of additional resources.

Most heuristic solution methods start with the __________ and analyze resource usage period by period, resource by resource.

Which of the following effects will be observed in a network if a date-constrained project is scheduled from the ending date constraint using the "as late as possible" heuristic?

Describe the extreme points of the relationship between time use and resource use.

The usual purpose of the __________ scheduling heuristic is to delay cash outflows as long as possible.

__________ aims to minimize the period-by-period variations in resource loading by shifting tasks within their slack allowances. The purpose is to create a smoother distribution of resource usage.

Given that task A will use three carpenters and have duration of six days, task A requires __________ labor days of work.

Thoughtless optimism, the "student syndrome," and multitasking to reduce idle time can each contribute to __________.

With respect to project scheduling, __________ is the amount of work waiting to be processed because there is a shortage of some resource.

The __________ heuristic provides a general solution for critical path and time and is usually the default rule for a schedule.

The formula for computing the cost/time slope for each activity that can be crashed is __________.

Using the __________ heuristic method, the project team can complete the maximum number of tasks during a given period of time.

Given W = D * U for an effort-driven task. Assume an 8-hour workday. Initially, task R was assigned to Bob. Bob was expected to accomplish 32 hours of work in five days. Bob was expected to be 100% available to work on task R during the entire five days. However, Bob left the company and will be replaced by Sam. Sam's efficiency rate is 90%. If Sam is only 70% available, Sam will require __________ hours to complete task R.

Discuss some other causes of the strong optimistic bias in a project schedule.

Given W = D * U for an effort-driven task. Assume an 8-hour workday. Initially, task R was assigned to Bob. Bob was expected to accomplish 32 hours of work in five days. If Bob were 100 percent available to work on task R during the entire five days, his efficiency rate is __________%.

In some situations, two activities are scheduled to be carried out in parallel and using the same scarce resource. If the supply of the scarce resource is not sufficient to allow both activities to be carried out simultaneously, then whichever of the two is given priority immediately lengthens the other activity's path but not its actual __________.

When crashing a project, our first task is to develop __________.

The principal reason why a project manager is surprised by resource constraints on a project is the failure to include __________ in risk identification activities.

The use of __________ activity time estimates may reduce the chance that crashing the project will be needed.

Discuss the advantages obtained from resource leveling.