Scheduling Fundamentals & Techniques Flashcards

A Start-to-Start (SS) relationship with a lead of -3 days means:

Answer: Successor can start 3 days before predecessor starts

A lead (negative lag) on an SS relationship allows the successor to begin 3 days before the predecessor starts, overlapping the activities.

Which scheduling metric indicates how efficiently the project must perform the remaining work to meet a specific target (e.g., budget)?

Answer: To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI)

TCPI = (BAC - EV) / (BAC - AC), measuring the required efficiency to complete remaining work within the original budget.

In the context of scheduling, what is a 'milestone'?

Answer: A significant point or event in a project with zero duration

Milestones mark significant events or decision points in a project and have zero duration because they represent a moment in time, not work.

Which technique involves decomposing project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components to facilitate scheduling?

Answer: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) decomposition

WBS decomposition breaks deliverables into work packages, which are then decomposed further into schedule activities for planning purposes.

What is the purpose of a 'schedule reserve' (contingency reserve) in project scheduling?

Answer: To account for identified risks that may affect schedule duration

Schedule contingency reserves are added to account for known-unknowns (identified risks) that may cause schedule delays.

A project network has only one path from start to finish with a duration of 30 days and a standard deviation of 3 days. What is the probability of completing the project within 36 days?

Answer: 97.7%

36 days is 2 standard deviations above the mean (30 + 2×3 = 36), corresponding to approximately 97.7% probability in a normal distribution.

Which scheduling baseline change requires formal change control and stakeholder approval?

Answer: Revising the schedule baseline due to approved scope changes

Changes to the schedule baseline require formal change control because the baseline is the approved reference plan against which performance is measured.