Deck 8: Scheduling Resources and Costs

Question 1

Technical constraints have been carefully considered when developing a project network.Which of the following is true at this point?

A)Resources have been assigned to each activity so they are adequate to complete the project on time.
B)Technical dependencies between activities are known.
C)The project completion date can be established.
D)The project is ready to be implemented.
E)All of these are true statements once technical constraints have been established.

Answer 1

B
Explanation: After considering technical constraints, all you know at this point is the sequence of activities based on logical considerations.You must consider both resource constraints and physical constraints in addition to technical constraints before your schedule is an actual schedule.These constraints can change the timing and/or sequencing of activities.

Question 2

Gene is trying to order the concrete needed to continue his project.However, the supplier will not be able to deliver it until next week.This is an example of what kind of resource constraint?

A)Working capital
B)People
C)Equipment
D)Information
E)Materials

Answer 2

E
Explanation: Material availability and shortages have been blamed for the delay of many projects.When it is known that a lack of availability of materials is important and probable, materials should be included in the project network plan and schedule.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a potential consequence of failing to identify limited resources before project implementation?

A)Activity delays
B)Project delays
C)Difficulty in taking quick corrective action
D)Increase costs
E)Scope creep

Answer 3

E
Explanation: The consequences of failing to schedule limited resources are costly activity and project delays that usually manifest themselves midway in the project when quick corrective action is difficult.

Question 4

When considering the sequence and timing of activities, which of the following is NOT one of the types of project network constraints?

A)Physical
B)Technical
C)Resource
D)Time
E)All of these are types of constraints that could impact structure of the project network.

Question 5

In a resource-constrained project, the first priority in assigning resources is usually given to activities with the

A)Smallest duration.
B)Least slack.
C)Most slack.
D)Lowest identification number.
E)Highest cost.

Question 6

In reviewing the status of her project with top management, Shirley was told that there are only two programmers that she can use for her project.Her project is classified as __________ constrained.

A)Time
B)Quality
C)Cost
D)Performance
E)Resource

Question 7

If resources are not adequate to meet peak demands, the resulting reschedule is termed

A)Resource-constrained scheduling.
B)Time-constrained scheduling.
C)Mandatory leveling.
D)Project resource adjustment.
E)Allocation.

Question 8

Most of the scheduling methods available today require the project manager to classify the project as either _______ constrained or ______ constrained.

A)Time, quality
B)Quality, resource
C)Cost, time
D)Quality, cost
E)Time, resource

Question 9

Susan is to conduct environmental testing but the chamber cannot hold all the equipment that she wants to test.This is an example of a constraint that could impact the sequence and timing of activities in a project network.What type of constraint is it?

A)Physical
B)Technical
C)Resource
D)Scheduling
E)Time

Question 10

All of the following are types of resource constraints EXCEPT

A)Materials.
B)People.
C)Equipment.
D)Information.
E)Human.

Question 11

Rachel is working on a project that technically allows three activities to be done at the same time.If they were to be implemented at the same time, she would need 5 contractors in order for the activities to be completed on time.There are only 3 available for her to use.This is an example of what type of constraint?

A)Technical
B)People
C)Equipment
D)Physical
E)Materials

Question 12

A special truck that George needs on his project has been scheduled on another project.This is an example of what type of resource constraint?

A)Working capital
B)People
C)Equipment
D)Information
E)Materials

Question 13

All resource leveling techniques involve

A)Delaying noncritical activities.
B)Delaying critical activities.
C)Using negative slack.
D)Delaying the project.
E)Adding resources.

Question 14

Sam, the project engineer, has been scheduled to run the product system test at the same time he is to build a marketing prototype.This is an example of what type of resource constraint?

A)Physical
B)Technical
C)People
D)Equipment
E)Time

Question 15

Jan is trying to reallocate resources in a time-constrained project to create smoother resource utilization.She should first identify activities with the

A)Smallest duration.
B)Least slack.
C)Most slack.
D)Lowest identification number.
E)Highest cost.

Question 16

Resource leveling or smoothing can have all the following results on a project EXCEPT

A)Lower peak resource demand.
B)Reduced resource need over the life of the project.
C)Reduced fluctuations in resource demand.
D)A longer project duration.
E)A more sensitive network.

Question 17

Regina's boss has told her that her project is very important.If the critical path is delayed, she will be given whatever she needs to get it back on schedule.Her project is classified as ________ constrained.

A)Time
B)Quality
C)Cost
D)Performance
E)Resource

Question 18

Resources are adequate, but demand varies widely over the life of the project.Delaying noncritical activities to lower peak demand on resources is known as resource

A)Shifting.
B)Effectiveness.
C)Manipulating.
D)Smoothing.
E)Allocation.

Question 19

In a resource-constrained project, which of the following is most likely to be changed?

A)The completion date
B)The budget
C)Project quality
D)Resource levels
E)Scope creep

Question 20

When developing a new software package, logically, the software must be designed before the code is written, and the code must be written before it is tested.These activities are dependent on each other by _________ constraints.

A)Physical
B)Technical
C)Resource
D)Schedule
E)Time

Question 21

Delaying noncritical activities to lower peak demand and, thus, increase resource utilization is called resource __________.

Question 22

While balancing assignments, a project manager must also balance:

A)Overall project cost.
B)Talent development.
C)Earned value.
D)Work package slack.

Question 23

When leveling schedules to overcome resource constraints, ___________ is increased.

A)impact of risks
B)scheduling complexity
C)cost
D)amount of available slack

Question 24

When a company will reduce the number of projects they have to manage internally to only core projects and send noncritical projects to contractors and consulting firms this is called

A)Outsourcing.
B)Redistribution of projects.
C)Project allocation.
D)Task sharing.
E)Referring.

Question 25

Splitting an activity can result in all of the following EXCEPT

A)More people working on the same activity.
B)Possible startup and shutdown costs.
C)A resource being moved from one activity to another and then back.
D)Activity work being placed on hold for a period until more resources are available.
E)A better project schedule.

Question 26

When there are not enough people, money, and/or equipment available for a project it is known as being

A)Managerially Resourceful.
B)Operationally Successful.
C)Resource Constrained.
D)Delayed Without Prejudice.

Question 27

When looking at the critical path for a delayed project and the project manager sees that adding resources will reduce or remove the delay, the project manager knows that the project is

A)Over Allocated.
B)Time-Constrained.
C)Institutionally Challenged.
D)Ahead of schedule.

Question 28

A project budget report is showing our project as spending $35,000 against a budgeted amount of $40,000.Which of the following is true?

A)We are spending less than we should for the project.
B)We are doing a good job managing the project.
C)We should check to see if all the bills have been paid.
D)We have more money to put into budget reserves.
E)We can't be sure how the project is going.

Question 29

Why is it necessary to have a time-phased budget baseline?

A)It allows proper resource allocation.
B)It shows how much work was accomplished for the money spent.
C)It reduces schedule slippage when scheduling multiproject resources.
D)It is not necessary to have a time-phased budget baseline.
E)It reduces fluctuations in cash flow during the project.

Question 30

These are all guidelines a project manager should consider when EXCEPT

A)Select people with compatible work habits and personalities.
B)Always assign the best people to the most difficult tasks.
C)When possible, team veterans up with new hires.
D)Select individuals with skillsets that complement each other.
E)Have people work together early so that they can become familiar with each other.

Question 31

In a resource-constrained project the second priority in assigning resources is usually given to activities with the

A)Smallest duration.
B)Least slack.
C)Most slack.
D)Lowest identification number.
E)Highest cost.

Question 32

All of the following are benefits of scheduling resources before project implementation EXCEPT

A)It allows time for considering reasonable options if resource constraints do exist.
B)The project completion date can be established.
C)Work packages can be time-phased.
D)It allows managers to share resources with other project managers if it is requested without negatively impacting their project.
E)It ensures low network sensitivity.

Question 33

When deciding which staff to team-up to work on work packages, factors to consider are:

A)Work habits.
B)Practical Experience.
C)Years of working in the company.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 34

Tony has realized that two activities in his project cannot be done at the same time because not enough resources are available.Activity 3 is critical and has a duration of 5 days.Activity 4 has 2 days of slack and a duration of 2 days.How will he decide which activity should be scheduled first?

A)The activity with the smallest duration
B)The activity with the least slack
C)The activity with the most slack
D)The activity with the lowest identification number
E)The activity with the highest cost

Question 35

Having one person responsible for performing several activities, all due at the same time, is an example of a(n)________ constraint.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT one of the more common problems associated with scheduling multiproject resources?

A)Overall schedule slippage
B)Inefficient resource utilization
C)Decline in project quality
D)Resource bottlenecks
E)Delays in one project causing delays in other projects

Question 37

This is used to compare the cost accounts between organizational units and deliverables.

A)Chart of Accounts
B)Earned Value
C)Project Schedule
D)Direct Labor Budget Rollup

Question 38

A(n)________ constraint addresses the sequence in which project activities must occur even after considering resource constraints.

Question 39

In a resource-constrained project the third priority in assigning resources is usually given to activities with the

A)Smallest duration.
B)Least slack.
C)Most slack.
D)Lowest identification number.
E)Highest cost.

Question 40

Project budgets are developed by time-phasing which of the following?

A)Resource schedules
B)Work packages
C)The network diagram
D)Critical activities
E)None of these are time-phased to develop a project budget.

Question 41

If three copiers are needed to produce a final report on time and only two are available, the project is facing a(n)________ type of resource constraint.

Question 42

Beth has two engineers assigned to her project and does not have access to more even if the result means extending the completion date on her project.She is managing a(n)________ -constrained project.

Question 43

When a project is classified as resource-constrained and a resource constraint exists, the project duration is typically __________.

Question 44

A shortage of programmers to write software is an example of a(n)________ type of resource constraint.

Question 45

When classifying projects, ________ constrained means that project duration is fixed and resources are flexible.

Question 46

Many companies are ________ project work to contractors and consultants as a means of dealing with the peaks and valleys of resource allocation among projects.

Question 47

After resource leveling or smoothing one goal is that the amount of resources needed over the life of the project will be ___________.

Question 48

When classifying projects, ________ constrained means that a specific resource is fixed and the duration of the project is flexible.

Question 49

All leveling techniques delay noncritical activities by using ________ to reduce peak demand.

Question 50

The shortage of computer chips to produce a circuit board is an example of a(n)________ type of resource constraint.

Question 51

In scheduling resource-constrained projects, _________ are typically used rather than optimum mathematical solutions.

Question 52

When scheduling activities in a resource-constrained project, typically the activity scheduled first has the __________ amount of slack.

Question 53

In order that the new product is on the shelf for the Christmas buying season, the development of the new product would be classified as a(n)________ -constrained project.

Question 54

Startup and shutdown costs are major considerations when using the ________________ scheduling technique.

Question 55

Since resource leveling or smoothing delays noncritical activities, a common result is an increase in network ___________.

Question 56

Without a __________ budget a good project schedule and cost control are impossible.

Question 57

In reality resource allocation generally occurs in a(n)___________ environment where the demands of one project have to be reconciled with the needs of other projects.

Question 58

When the work in an activity is interrupted to work on another activity and is then resumed at a later point in time, it is called _________.

Question 59

Resource dependency takes priority over the technological dependency but does not violate ___________ dependencies.

Question 60

Trying to renovate a ship compartment that is too small for more than one person is an example of a(n)________ resource constraint.

Question 61

The level of resources each activity will need to be completed in the given amount of time has been estimated; therefore, there are no resource constraints.

Question 62

If a project needs one earth mover six months from now in order to complete one activity, and the organization has four such machines, there is no equipment resource constraint.

Question 63

Too many parallel activities for one individual is an example of a resource constraint.

Question 64

Resource dependency takes priority over technological dependency but it does not violate it.

Question 65

__________ is a technique that can be used to solve the combinational problem of resource allocation.

Question 66

Resource bottlenecks are one of the three more common problems encountered in managing multiproject resource schedules.

Question 67

Having too few programmers and too many engineers is an example of a people resource constraint.

Question 68

Since resource leveling or smoothing delays noncritical activities, a common result is a decrease in network sensitivity.

Question 69

Scheduling projects classified as resource-constrained focuses on completing the project as soon as possible under the given resource constraints.

Question 70

When scheduling activities in a resource-constrained project typically the activity scheduled first has the most amount of slack.

Question 71

To determine if a project is time-constrained or resource-constrained you would consult the project priority matrix.

Question 72

Sequential activities hold just as much potential for resource conflicts as parallel activities.

Question 73

In a resource-constrained project, the completion date is most likely to change.

Question 74

All leveling techniques delay noncritical activities by using positive slack to smooth out the resource requirements.

Question 75

A project cost baseline is also called __________.

Question 76

The inability to fit more than two earth movers on a construction site at the same time when more are needed to complete the activity on time is an example of a physical constraint.

Question 77

Resource leveling or smoothing is only used on projects which are resource constrained.

Question 78

A lack of readily available engineers is a technical constraint.

Question 79

The fact that you must pour foundation before you frame the house and that you have to frame the house before you can put on the roof demonstrates scheduling constraints.

Question 80

When resource constraints are added to technical constraints the original project network may change as well as the completion date.