Chapter 9

1. In CPM, __________ are specified.

a) exact levels of uncertainty associated with activities
b) an expected time, a crash time, and the standard deviation time
c) three costs
d) Two activity times and two costs*
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project.

2. The standard practice with AOA and AON is to estimate activity times under the assumption of resource loadings that are
__________.
a) probabilistic
b) crashed
c) normal *
d) dynamic
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project.

3. If deterministic time estimates are used, and if project deadlines are firm, there is a high likelihood that it will __________.
a) not be necessary to crash any activities in projects
b) be necessary to crash the last few activities of most projects*
c) be completed on time and within budget
d) be completed as per schedule
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project.

4. The formula for computing the cost/time slope for each activity that can be crashed is __________.
a) (crash cost + normal cost) / (crash time + normal time)
b) (crash cost - normal cost) / (crash time - normal time)*
c) (normal cost + crash cost) / (normal time + crash time)
d) (normal cost - crash cost) / (normal time - crash time)
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project.

5. Economically speaking, crashing a project creates a technology change in the __________ for an activity.
a) deliverable demand function
b) production function*
c) audit function
d) deliverable supply function
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project. In economic terms, crashing represents a reallocation
of production factors.

6. The __________ technique overlaps the design and build phases of a project to expedite its completion.
a) crashing
b) fast-tracking *
c) leading
d) blitzing
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project.

7. The points between the extreme points of the relationship between time use and resource use represent __________.
a) time constrained projects
b) resource constrained projects
c) alternative trade-offs between time and resources*
d) a non-feasible solution space of trade-off alternatives related to time and resource use
Response: Refer to the section: The Resource Allocation Problem.
8. The two fundamental approaches to constrained allocation problems are __________.
a) heuristic approaches and rules of thumb
b) linear programming approaches and optimization models
c) heuristic approaches and optimization models*
d) goal programming and trial and error
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.

9. The __________ approach to constrained resource scheduling problems is the only feasible method of attacking large,
nonlinear, complex problems that tend to occur in the real world of project management.
a) goal programming
b) heuristic*
c) optimization modeling
d) linear programming
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.

10. Most heuristic solution methods start with the __________ and analyze resource usage period by period, resource by
resource.
a) GERT schedule
b) Gantt chart
c) PERT/CPM schedule*
d) Master schedule
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.

11. When using heuristic solutions to build a schedule, __________ will always take precedence.
a) technological necessities *
b) time constraints
c) resource constraints
d) managerial preferences
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.

12. The __________ heuristic provides a general solution for critical path and time and is usually the default rule for a schedule.
a) as soon as possible*
b) as late as possible
c) minimum slack first
d) shortest task first
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.

13. The usual purpose of the __________ scheduling heuristic is to delay cash outflows as long as possible.
a) minimum slack first
b) shortest task first
c) most successors
d) as late as possible*
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.

14. 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?
a) Each activity will make use of all the slack available to it.*
b) The network will not have any critical activities.
c) It would never be possible to override the “as late as possible” heuristic with a “must start no later than” date constraint.
d) Many of the activities will be scheduled prior to the start date of the project.
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.
15. The methods to find an optimal solution to the constrained resource scheduling problem fall into two categories. They are
__________.
a) mathematical programming and linear programming
b) mathematical programming and enumeration*
c) statistical analysis and simulation
d) quantified heuristics and gaming
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.

16. The principal reason why a project manager is surprised by resource constraints on a project is the failure to include
__________ in risk identification activities.
a) resource availability*
b) resource cost
c) resource mobility
d) resource skill
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.

17. The tasks that logically precede a particular task in time are referred to as __________.
a) successors
b) followers
c) predecessors*
d) priorities
Response: Refer to the section: Glossary

18. One of the problems that Goldratt observed was that if an activity has slack time, often times the start of the task is delayed
until the slack is removed. This is referred to as __________.
a) Goldratt’s Law
b) Murphy’s Law
c) the delay game
d) the student syndrome*
Response: Refer to the section: Goldratt’s Critical Chain

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

a) a table or graph of the cost of a project as a function of the project’s possible completion dates*
b) a schedule that shows the risks associated with each activity in the project
c) a list that shows the activities and the events of a project without referring to the costs
d) a table showing the noncritical activities and the cost associated with each of those activities
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing A Project

20. Using the __________ heuristic method, the project team can complete the maximum number of tasks during a given period
of time.
a) as soon as possible
b) as late as possible
c) shortest task first*
d) minimum slack first
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.

21. Studies have shown that the __________ scheduling heuristic method usually results in the minimum amount of project
schedule slippage, best utilization of facilities, and minimum total system occupancy time.
a) as soon as possible
b) as late as possible
c) shortest task first
d) minimum slack first *
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling.
22. Thoughtless optimism, the “student syndrome,” and multitasking to reduce idle time can each contribute to __________.
a) slack
b) pessimistic bias
c) optimistic bias*
d) feeder buffer
Response: Refer to the section: Goldratt’s Critical Chain

23. 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 __________.
a) duration*
b) slack
c) float
d) buffer
Response: Refer to the section: Goldratt’s Critical Chain

Fill in the Blank

24. One cannot save __________, rather one can only spend more or less of it.
Ans: time
Response: Refer to the section: The Resource Allocation Problem

25. The use of __________ activity time estimates may reduce the chance that crashing the project will be needed.
Ans: three probabilistic
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project

26. When we change technology, we may also be changing the level of __________ in carrying out the activity.
Ans: risk
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project

27. The two principles to follow when crashing a project are __________.
Ans: focusing on the critical path and selecting the least expensive alternative
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project

28. A project task is said to be __________ if it requires a fixed amount of time and known quantities of resources.
Ans: system constrained
Response: Refer to the section: The Resource Allocation Problem

29. __________ describes the amounts of individual resources an existing schedule requires during specific time periods.
Ans: Resource loading
Response: Refer to the section: Resource Loading

30. __________ 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.
Ans: resource leveling
Response: Refer to section 9.4, resource leveling.

31. __________ refers to the amount of time past a project’s due or delivery date.
Ans: schedule slippage
Response: Refer to the section: Multiproject Scheduling and Resource Allocation.

32. Three important parameters used to assess the effectiveness of a scheduling system include schedule slippage, in-process
inventory, and __________.
Ans: resource utilization
Response: Refer to the section: Multiproject Scheduling and Resource Allocation.
33. With respect to project scheduling, __________ is the amount of work waiting to be processed because there is a shortage
of some resource.
Ans: in-process inventory
Response: Refer to the section: Multiproject Scheduling and Resource Allocation.

34. Given that task A will use three carpenters and have duration of six days, task A requires __________ labor days of work.
Ans: 18
Response: 18 days = three resources * six days.

35. If the appropriate scheduling equation for task A of a project were W = D * U, and it was initialized so that W = 40d, D = 10d,
and U = 4 resources, and task A is an effort-driven activity, correctly balance this equation if the value for U is changed from 4 to
5. To balance the equation, the altered variable and its new value are __________.
Ans: D = 8d
Response: Refer to the section: Multiproject Scheduling and Resource Allocation.
In an effort-driven task, W is held constant when resources are changed. Therefore, 40 days of work spread among 5 resources
should require 8 days instead of 10 days to complete the job.

36. Given a scheduling equation W = D * U, if the equation for task J is initialized so that W = 20d, D= 5d, and U = 4 resources,
and task J is a non-effort-driven activity (where D is held constant when resources are changed), correctly balance this equation
if the value for U is changed from 4 to 5. To balance the equation, the altered variable and its new value are __________.
Ans: W = 25d
Response: Refer to the section: Multiproject Scheduling and Resource Allocation. In a non-effort-driven task, D is held constant
when resources are changed. Therefore, 5 days of duration spread among 5 resources should require 25 days instead of 20 days
of effort to complete the job. Adding resources to a non-effort driven task will not decrease duration.

37. 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 __________%.
Ans: 80
Response: Refer to the section: Multiproject Scheduling and Resource Allocation. Work / duration = efficiency if the resource is
100 percent available over the entire duration.

38. 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.
Ans: 50.8
Response: Refer to the section: Multiproject Scheduling and Resource Allocation. (32 hours of work) / (70 percent availability *
90 percent efficiency) = 50.8 hours for duration.

39. __________ times result from an attempt to expedite the activity by the application of additional resources.
Ans: Crash
Response: Refer to the section: Critical Path Method—Crashing a Project

40. __________ are tasks that logically follow a particular task in time.
Ans: Followers
Response: Refer to the section: Glossary
Essay
41. Describe the extreme points of the relationship between time use and resource use.
Ans: If the project is time-limited, it will seek to use as few resources as possible but will be constrained by time. If the project is
resource limited, it will seek to finish as soon as possible but will be resource constrained. The points between these two
extremes represent time/resource use trade-offs available to the project manager.
Response: Refer to the section: The Resource Allocation Problem

42. Discuss the advantages obtained from resource leveling.

Ans: First, less hands-on management is required if the use of a given resource is nearly constant over its period of use. Second,
if resource usage is level, the project manager may be able to use a just-in-time inventory policy without much worry that the
quantity delivered will be wrong. For human resources, leveling can improve morale and lead to fewer problems in the
personnel and payroll offices due to increasing and decreasing labor levels. When resources are leveled, the associated costs
also tend to be leveled.
Response: Refer to the section: Resource Leveling.

43. Describe the basic procedure for resource leveling.

Ans: Identify the type and quantity of resources that are required to complete activities in the network. Once the logical
relationships between tasks and their duration have been established, resource assignments will establish the initial load
required to accomplish the work. Working within project constraints for time and resources, fluctuations in load for each
resource will be minimized.
Response: Refer to the section: Resource Leveling.

44. Suggest some options for leveling the load placed on resources.
Ans: Leveling demand arrival patterns would be one possible option. If this were not possible, personnel could be asked to alter
working hours to accommodate the demand arrival patterns. The third possibility would be to hire temporary workers to handle
peak demand patterns exceeding the internal capacity of the organization. It is also important to allow for unexpected delays
associated with resource availability problems. For example, is generally unwise to load scarce resources with demand
exceeding 85 to 90 percent of the resources’ available capacity. Thus, if future load will consistently exceed the existing capacity
of the organization, it may be appropriate to hire additional resources in the affected resource category.
Response: Refer to the section: Resource Leveling.

45. Discuss some other causes of the strong optimistic bias in a project schedule.
Ans: An overly optimistic project manager ignores the need to perform risk management. When problems arise, they treat the
problem as an act of chance that cannot be forecasted. When senior managers refuse to recognize the capacity to undertake
projects will exceed the demand for projects, resources will be overloaded. Goldratt described the student syndrome as a
scenario where students always want more time to complete a project. Then, the project will be delayed until the last possible
moment. Engaging in multitasking to reduce idle time actually increases the time taken to accomplish work. The perception that
people need a reason to work hard will often result in arbitrary reductions to the allotted time to complete activities. To mitigate
the impact of arbitrary cuts in the schedule, game playing may take place during planning.
Response: Refer to the section: Goldratt’s Critical Chain.

46. List some of the common priority rules utilized when following heuristic solution methods.
Ans: These methods include:
As soon as possible
As late as possible
Shortest task first
Most resources first
Minimum slack first
Most critical followers
Most successors
Arbitrary
Response: Refer to the section: Constrained Resource Scheduling