Deck 9: Reducing Project Duration

Question 1

In selecting the best activity to crash you would first select the activity with the

A) Earliest start time.
B) Most steep slope.
C) Least steep slope.
D) Longest duration.
E) Largest crash time.

Answer 1

C
Explanation: The less steep the cost slope of an activity,the less it costs to shorten one time period.

Question 2

When reducing project duration,the duration for a project that is optimal is at the point where

A) Direct costs are the lowest.
B) Indirect costs are the lowest.
C) Direct costs equal indirect costs.
D) Total project costs are the lowest.
E) The project changes from time-constrained to resource-constrained.

Answer 2

D
Explanation: The optimum cost-time point for a project is when the total project costs are the lowest.

Question 3

As a project is crashed and project duration is reduced,indirect costs typically

A) Increase.
B) Become unstable.
C) Decrease.
D) Become unreliable.
E) Stay the same.

Answer 3

C
Explanation: Indirect costs vary with time.That is,any reduction in time should result in a reduction of indirect costs.

Question 4

Cost slope can be determined by dividing the

A) Run by the rise.
B) Rise by the run.
C) Crash cost by the normal cost.
D) Normal cost by the crash cost.
E) Indirect cost by direct cost.

Question 5

Without any formal planning,the president of a software company remarks in a speech that new technologically advanced software will be available in one year.This may lead to a project that must be done faster than anticipated.This is an example of reducing project duration caused by

A) Imposed project deadlines.
B) Time to market.
C) Unforeseen project delays.
D) High overhead.
E) Incentive contracts.

Question 6

An activity's crash cost includes ________ costs.

A) Direct
B) Indirect
C) Overhead
D) Total
E) Normal

Question 7

The direct cost for completing an activity in the shortest time it can realistically be completed in is called its __________ cost.

A) Normal
B) Reserve
C) Crash
D) Accelerated
E) Expedited

Question 8

Emily has recently learned that she needs to reduce the duration of her project to meet an imposed deadline.She has calculated the crash cost per unit and knows the maximum units each activity can be reduced.What is the next step?

A) Find the activity with the lowest crash cost
B) Calculate the optimum cost-time point
C) Calculate the crash point
D) Identify the critical path
E) Find the activity with the highest crash cost

Question 9

Intense global competition and rapid technological advances create pressure to develop projects rapidly.This is an example of reducing project duration caused by

A) Imposed project deadlines.
B) Time to market.
C) Unforeseen project delays.
D) High overhead.
E) Incentive contracts.

Question 10

Which of the following correctly calculates an activity's cost slope?

A) (normal cost - crash cost)/(normal time - crash time)
B) (crash cost - normal cost)/(normal time - crash time)
C) (normal time - crash time)/(crash cost - normal cost)
D) (normal time - crash time)/(normal cost - crash cost)
E) (crash cost - normal cost)/(crash time - normal time)

Question 11

The less steep the cost slope of an activity,the

A) Less it costs to shorten one time period.
B) More it costs to shorten one time period.
C) Smaller the crash time is.
D) Larger the crash time is.
E) Cannot be determined by the information given.

Question 12

When reducing project duration,the crash cost per unit has to be calculated and the maximum units each activity can be reduced must be known.After this,the critical path must be identified.What is the next step?

A) Find the activity with the lowest crash cost
B) Calculate the optimum cost-time point
C) Calculate the crash point
D) Calculate indirect cost per time unit
E) Find the activity with the steepest cost slope

Question 13

When determining which activity to crash,there are other factors that should be assessed beyond cost.Which of the following is NOT one of these factors?

A) The inherent risk associated with the activity
B) How crashing will impact the morale and motivation of the individuals working on that activity
C) Resource availability after crashing that activity
D) The level of difficulty involved in completing the activity
E) When during the project the activity will occur

Question 14

Before crashing,direct costs for an activity represent normal costs,which typically mean low-cost,efficient methods for completing the activity in a(n)________ amount of time.

A) Normal
B) Budgeted
C) Optimized
D) Expected
E) Targeted

Question 15

The shortest possible time an activity can be completed realistically is called ___­­­_____ time.

A) Expedited
B) Accelerated
C) Crash
D) Optimistic
E) Optimal

Question 16

As a project is crashed and project duration is reduced,direct costs typically

A) Increase.
B) Become unstable.
C) Decrease.
D) Become unreliable.
E) Stay the same.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT considered a project indirect cost?

A) Supervision
B) Consultants
C) Equipment
D) Interest
E) The project manager's salary

Question 18

Adverse weather,design flaws,and equipment breakdown can create negative slack.This is an example of reducing project duration caused by

A) Imposed project deadlines.
B) Time to market.
C) Unforeseen project delays.
D) High overhead.
E) Incentive contracts.

Question 19

In a Project Cost-Duration Graph,total project costs are a sum of

A) Labor,material and equipment costs.
B) Direct costs plus interest.
C) Direct labor costs and the project manager's salary.
D) Direct costs and the project manager's salary.
E) Direct and indirect costs.

Question 20

A contractor finished a bridge across a lake 18 months early and received more than $6 million for the early completion.This is an example of reducing project duration caused by

A) Imposed project deadlines.
B) Time to market.
C) Unforeseen project delays.
D) High overhead.
E) Incentive contracts.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a rational reason to reduce project duration?

A) Incentive contracts
B) High network sensitivity
C) Imposed deadlines
D) High overhead costs
E) Unforeseen delays

Question 22

Which of the following projects would be least benefited if additional resources were added?

A) Splitting and stacking a cord of wood
B) Developing new software
C) Harvesting a crop by hand
D) Building a cabin
E) Moving to a new house

Question 23

All of the following are disadvantages of scheduling overtime EXCEPT

A) Overtime is associated the with additional costs of coordination and communication.
B) Sustained overtime work by salaried employees may incur burnout.
C) Productivity is reduced the longer one is working.
D) More hours results in higher expenses if paying workers hourly.
E) Continued overtime can lead to a higher turnover rate.

Question 24

One way of reducing project costs is identifying tasks that _________ can do themselves.

A) Vendors
B) Suppliers
C) Customers
D) Company employees
E) Project teams

Question 25

Sometimes very high __________ costs are recognized before a project begins and reducing these costs through shorter project durations becomes a high priority.

A) Labor
B) Direct
C) Project
D) Overhead
E) Interest

Question 26

The relationship between the normal point and the crash point is assumed to be

A) Linear.
B) Curvilinear.
C) Variable.
D) Conversely related.
E) Exponentially related.

Question 27

Intense global competition and rapid technological advances combine to create a(n)________-imposed project duration date.

Question 28

When a project manager must reduce project duration but resources are constrained,creating a software program that will have fewer features than originally planned or building a house without the bonus room the owner originally specified in the plans would both be examples of

A) Fast-tracking.
B) Using critical-chain project management.
C) Reducing project scope.
D) Compromising quality.
E) Doing it twice-first fast and then correctly.

Question 29

When it is necessary to reduce project duration and resources are constrained,which of the following is NOT a reasonable option?

A) Establishing a core project team
B) Fast-tracking
C) Reduce project scope
D) Compromise quality
E) Critical-chain project management

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a technique for accelerating project completion when resources are not constrained?

A) Assign additional staff and equipment
B) Establish a core team
C) Do it twice-first fast and then correctly
D) Reduce project scope
E) Compromise quality

Question 31

Without any formal planning,the president of a software company remarks in a speech that new technologically advanced software will be available in one year.This may lead to a project that must be done faster than anticipated.The completion date has been __________.

Question 32

It is going to cost $80,000 a day simply to house and feed a construction crew in the farthest reaches of northern Alaska.This would be an example of a situation requiring reducing the project duration due to

A) Imposed project deadlines.
B) Time to market.
C) Unforeseen project delays.
D) High overhead.
E) Incentive contracts.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT one of the more commonly used options for cutting project costs?

A) Reduce project scope
B) Have owner take more responsibility
C) Move the completion date further out
D) Brainstorm cost savings options
E) Outsource project activities

Question 34

There are fewer options available for reducing project time if you are __________________ than if you can spend more than your original budget.

Question 35

Reducing project duration

A) Involves crashing all activities to their crash point.
B) Can only be done when resources are not constrained.
C) Is always more expensive.
D) Tends to increase network sensitivity.
E) Should be considered for all projects.

Question 36

The ________ project cost is the sum of the indirect and direct costs.

Question 37

According to Brooks' Law,adding more people to a late project is most likely to have which of the following impacts?

A) Keep the project from slipping any further
B) Get the project back on schedule
C) Make the project slip further
D) Lead to burnout
E) Decrease team motivation

Question 38

Sometimes very high ________ costs are recognized before a project begins and reducing these costs through shorter project duration becomes a high priority.

Question 39

An activity's normal time and cost are 8 and $100,respectively.Its estimated crash time and cost are 6 and $160,respectively.What is this activity's crash cost per time unit?

A) $33
B) $30
C) $60
D) $65
E) $153

Question 40

When the project team is salaried,which of the following is the preferred choice for accelerating project completion?

A) Assigning additional staff and equipment
B) Subcontract work
C) Schedule overtime
D) Outsource project work
E) Establish a core project team

Question 41

When considering whether to move the project to its optimum cost-time position,the manager should also consider ________.

Question 42

There are more options available for reducing project time if you are not resource constrained.

Question 43

Direct costs are assignable directly to a particular ________.

Question 44

In order to shorten the duration of a project the project manager should limit the choices of activities to just those which are on the __________.

Question 45

____________ is the rearranging of the project network logic so that critical activities are done in parallel rather than sequentially.

Question 46

As a project's duration is reduced,indirect costs are ___________.

Question 47

Because direct costs are assumed to be developed from normal methods and in a normal amount of time,any reduction in activity time should ________ the cost of the activity.

Question 48

The less steep the cost slope of an activity,the ________ it costs to shorten one time period.

Question 49

Overhead costs such as supervision,administration,consultants,and interest are examples of ________ project costs.

Question 50

When you schedule ________,you avoid the additional costs of coordination and communication when new people are added.

Question 51

According to ________ law,adding more manpower to a late software project makes it later.

Question 52

The ________ time for an activity represents low-costs,realistic,efficient methods for completing the activity under typical conditions.

Question 53

Costs such as labor,materials,equipment,or contractors are examples of ________ project costs.

Question 54

An activity's ________ is calculated by dividing the rise by the run.

Question 55

When project managers know an activity's ________,they are able to compare which critical activities to shorten.

Question 56

Reducing the duration of an activity is called ________.

Question 57

The direct cost for completing an activity as early as possible is called its ________ cost.

Question 58

Creation of the ___________ graph keeps the importance of indirect costs in the forefront of decision making.

Question 59

One way of reducing project costs is identifying tasks that _________ can do themselves.

Question 60

An activity's normal time and cost are 5 and $40,respectively.Its estimated crash time and cost are 4 and $70,respectively.This activity's crash cost per time unit is ________.

Question 61

Indirect costs generally represent overhead costs such as supervision,administration,consultants,and interest.

Question 62

The total cost for each time unit of a project is the sum of labor,materials,and equipment.

Question 63

Crashing can negatively impact the morale and motivation of the project team.

Question 64

Crashing a more expensive activity may be wise if fewer inherent risks are involved.

Question 65

Incentive contracts can make the reduction of project time rewarding-usually for both the project contractor and owner.

Question 66

Direct costs are so named because they can be assigned directly to a work package and activity.

Question 67

When reducing project duration,there will always be an optimum cost-time point where the total cost of the project is less than it was when the project was initially planned under normal conditions.

Question 68

An activity must be crashed on each critical path in order to reduce project duration.

Question 69

Managers have several effective methods for crashing specific project activities when resources are not constrained.

Question 70

When adding resources,there are limits as to how much speed can be gained.

Question 71

Total cost for specific project durations is computed and then compared with the benefits of reducing project time,before the project begins or while it is in progress.

Question 72

When crashing an activity,you always crash to its crash point.

Question 73

Shortening an activity's duration is termed crashing.

Question 74

Because direct costs are assumed to be developed from "normal" methods and in a "normal" amount of time,any reduction in activity time should add to the costs of the activity.

Question 75

The cost slope of an activity is calculated by dividing the run by the rise.

Question 76

If indirect costs are a significant percentage of total project costs,reductions in project time can represent very real savings.

Question 77

Brooks' law states that adding manpower to a software project helps keep it on schedule.

Question 78

Crashing frequently results in overallocation of resources.

Question 79

The accuracy of crash times and costs is frequently rough at best,when compared with normal time and cost.

Question 80

The higher the cost slope of an activity the lower the cost to reduce its duration.