Time Management & Resource Allocation Flashcards

A project schedule shows a Schedule Performance Index (SPI) of 0.75. This means the project is:

Answer: 25% behind schedule — only 75 cents of work done per $1 planned

SPI = EV / PV; an SPI of 0.75 means only 75% of the planned work has been earned, indicating the project is behind schedule.

In resource allocation, 'leveling' differs from 'smoothing' primarily because leveling:

Answer: May extend the project end date to resolve overallocations

Resource leveling may change the project end date by delaying activities beyond their float, whereas smoothing respects the current end date.

A scheduler is managing a project where one activity has a total float of -5 days. The MOST appropriate immediate response is to:

Answer: Compress the schedule through crashing or fast-tracking to eliminate the negative float

Negative float indicates the project end date will be missed; schedule compression techniques must be applied to recover the lost time.

What is the primary purpose of a resource breakdown structure (RBS) in project scheduling?

Answer: To categorize and organize project resources by type and category

The RBS is a hierarchical structure that organizes resources by category and type, facilitating resource planning and allocation.

Which scheduling technique uses three-point estimates and calculates the standard deviation of the critical path to predict schedule risk?

Answer: PERT analysis

PERT uses optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates to calculate expected durations and uses standard deviation to quantify schedule uncertainty.

A project team member reports they are working at 120% allocation for three consecutive weeks. According to resource management best practices, this situation is MOST likely to cause:

Answer: Burnout, errors, and reduced long-term productivity

Sustained over-allocation beyond 100% leads to fatigue, quality issues, and eventual productivity decline, increasing schedule and cost risk.

The critical chain method (CCM) differs from the critical path method (CPM) primarily by:

Answer: Removing individual activity buffers and placing them as project and feeding buffers

CCM consolidates individual safety buffers into strategically placed project buffers and feeding buffers, protecting the constraint path.