Questions and Answers of Project Management

Dummy variables are used in what kind of network diagramming method?a. AONb. Gantt chartsc. AOAd. OBS
Suppose you evaluated the best-case, most likely, and worst-case duration estimates for an activity and determined that they were 3 days, 4 days, and 8 days, respectively.Using PERT estimation
Suppose you created your activity network and discovered that you had two critical paths in your project. You share this information with another project manager, who strongly argues that a project
Which of the following circumstances would require the creation of a lag relationship in a network diagram?a. The critical pathb. The insertion of a dummy variable into a network diagramc. A delay
The goal of project crashing is to:a. Reduce the schedule by minimizing project risksb. Reduce the schedule without changing the project scopec. Reduce project costsd. Expand the schedule to embrace
You have been directed by your boss to find ways to shrink the project schedule. The boss is also insisting on lowering project costs at the same time. What would be an appropriate response to these
What is the difference between a Gantt chart and a milestone chart?a. There is no difference; they are synonymous termsb. A Gantt chart is a project plan and a milestone chart is notc. A milestone
Schedule constraints would usually include all of the following EXCEPT:a. Lead times and lag timesb. Key eventsc. Major milestonesd. Imposed dates
Leads and lags are evaluated and, if necessary, modified as part of which process?a. Scope developmentb. Duration estimatingc. Analogous cost estimatingd. Schedule development
Jack Palmer, head of the Special Projects Division for Ramstein Products, had been in his new position for only three months when he ordered an evaluation of project management practices within his
What are the key terms used in Agile PM? Explain what the terms mean.
What is the main purpose of sprint reviews in Agile PM?
What are the benefits of employing CCPM as a method for controlling the portfolio of projects for an organization?
What are some of the limitations of CCPM as a methodology?
Go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRMDCRPGYBE for a brief overview of Critical Chain Project Management.What does the presenter suggest are the benefits and biggest challenges of implementing CCPM?
Go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU0llRltyFM to view a brief introduction to the techniques of Scrum for new development projects. What are time estimates for completing the different user stories so
Visit www.pqa.net/ccpm/W05001001.html and consider some of the key links, including “What’s New & Different about Critical Chain (CCPM)?” and “Diagnose Your Project Management Problems.”
Go to www.focusedperformance.com/articles/multi02.html. In an article entitled “The Sooner You Start, the Later You Finish,” several points are made about the logic of scheduling and the value of
Joe has been managing his project now for more than 12 months and is becoming concerned with how far behind the schedule it is slipping. Through a series of mishaps, late supplier deliveries, bad
Explain how Gantt charts are used. What are the benefits of using this planning tool?
Explain the concept of the forward and backward pass calculations in AON. Why does the calculation need to be done this way?
“Networks can become too large and complex to be meaningful.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Justify your answer.
Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp9m4GNwGng to view a brief video on the Brazilian Jet manufacturer Embraer and their use of Critical Chain Project Management for maintenance services. How has
A. SatisfactoryB. StaticC. SpecificD. Standard
Using Table 12–3, draw the CPM chart for the project. In this case, make all identifications on the arrows (activities) rather than the events. Show that the critical path is twentyone weeks.Using
The triple constraints on a project are:A. Time, cost, and profitability B. Resources required, sponsorship involvement, and funding C. Time, cost, and quality and/or scope D. Calendar dates,
The threshold limits on when to use the project management methodology are:A. The importance of the customer and potential profitability B. The size of the project (i.e., $) and duration C. The
One of the most difficult problems facing management is that of how to minimize the transition time between changeover from a purely traditional organizational form to a project organizational form.
Figure 2–7 identifies the different life cycles of programs, projects, systems, and products.For each of the life cycles’ phases, select a project organizational form that you feel would work
By 1970, Jones and Shephard Accountants, Inc. (J&S) was ranked eighteenth in size by the American Association of Accountants. In order to compete with the larger firms, J&S formed an
When talking about SMART objectives, the “A” stands for:A. AccurateB. AcuteC. AttainableD. Able
In 1982, an electrical equipment manufacturer decentralized the organization, allowing each division manager to set priorities for the work in his division. The division manager of the R&D division
One of the outputs of the PMBOK® Scope Planning Process is:A. A project charterB. A scope statement and management planC. A detailed WBSD. None of the above
The PMBOK® Scope Verification Process is used to verify that:A. The budget is correct.B. The scope is correct.C. The schedule is correct.D. A life-cycle phase or the end of the project has been
Financial closeout, which is often part of following the Scope Verification Process, is used to:A. Close out all charge numbersB. Close out all charge numbers for the work performed and completedC.
In which Scope Management Process is the detailed WBS prepared:A. Scope InitiationB. Scope PlanningC. Scope DefinitionD. Scope Verification
Should the length of a program have an impact on whether to set up a separate project or task for administrative support? How about for raw materials?
Is it true that project managers set the milestones and functional managers hope they can meet them?
Before PERT diagrams are prepared, should the person performing the work have a clear definition of the requirements and objectives, both prime and supporting? Is it an absolute necessity?
Which of the following is a valid way of obtaining proper project performance information?A. First-hand observations B. Oral and written reports C. Review and technical interchange meetings D. All of
Proper graphical display of information can result in:A. Reducing paperwork costs B. Reducing reporting costs C. Reducing time for routine decisions D. All of the above
You have been asked to price out a project for an outside customer. The project will run for eight months. Direct labor is $100,000 for each month and the overhead rate is fixed at 100 percent per
Karl has decided to retain a management reserve on a $400,000 project that includes a $60,000 profit. At the completion of the project, Karl finds that the management reserve fund contains $40,000.
The award of the Scott contract on January 3, 1987, left Park Industries elated. The Scott Project, if managed correctly, offered tremendous opportunities for follow-on work over the next several
The Taguchi Method philosophies concentrate on improving quality during the:A. Conceptual Phase B. Design Phase C. Implementation Phase D. Closure Phase
Describe the five types of buffers used by the Critical Chain methodology, and the unique purpose of each one.
How should a resource manager decide which task a resource should work on, when there is a conflict?
In what ways does a Critical Chain plan address Deming’s concerns about common cause variation?
Is a Critical Chain schedule more useful to people planning and managing tasks, or to people actually performing the tasks? Explain.
Describe the primary role of the “drum” manager.
Describe four ways that Critical Chain is different from (extends) the Critical Path approach(as Critical Path is traditionally applied)?
How could a buffer report alert a manager to a schedule problem?
The following are different measurements used by organizations for project managers and team members. Which two represent a Critical Chain philosophy?a. Accuracy of task time estimatesb. Do your work
From an executive perspective, which of the following are the major benefits of a Critical Chain approach?a. Improved cash flowb. Less time to review major projects, with better reportingc. More
Two project managers are looking for the same resource to perform work on their projects. In one project, the work is on a task on a feeding path, in which the feeding buffer is 95 percent consumed.
Critical Chain is a methodology to help managers plan projects and manage their execution to deliver the projects on time, on budget, and within scope. In each case below, given the two choices,
Why must executives buy into the multiproject Critical Chain approach?
There are three major software products that support Critical Chain. One product is an“add-on” to Microsoft Project. Describe one major advantage of being linked to Microsoft Project and one
One of the software products that supports Critical Chain is based on the Oracle database.Describe one major advantage of having a project management product use the Oracle database and one major
One of the software products that supports Critical Chain has its own proprietary database.Describe one major advantage of having a project management product use its own database and one major
Why does the Critical Chain methodology claim that individual tasks cannot be protected by inflated estimates or due dates? How does buffering a project and feeding paths provide greater
If you were a project manager in your first Critical Chain project, how would you convince team members to pass their work on early to the next resource?
As a resource manager, what information do you need from your resources daily or weekly in order to keep the Critical Chain database up to date?
In the multiproject environment, the drum becomes the anchor according to which new projects are released into the system. From the case studies, is the drum typically a resource used close to the
For each buffer category below, indicate how many buffers you would expect to find in any single project?a. Project bufferb. Feeding bufferc. Resource bufferd. Strategic resource buffere. Drum buffer
Explain how you identify objectives as part of your decision-making process.
Give examples of how you identify and assess data to inform your decision process.
Discuss how and under what circumstances you would use each aspect of the decision-making continuum on your projects.
Show how you would use the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method to help quantify the selection of a component for your project.
Show how you would use the Decision Tree Analysis method to help select an option for your project. Justify why this is the best choice.
Write down what you think represents sufficient capability in the management and leadership skills in your list. You can now determine which leadership skills you need to develop.
Discuss how your company or a company you are familiar with has developed a corporate values statement outlining how the company intends to do business.
Discuss how your project or a project you are familiar with has developed the corporate governance into a project governance framework.
Discuss how your project or a project you are familiar with has developed the corporate ethics into a project ethics framework.
Discuss how you would lead multi-disciplined projects that span a number of departments; relate this to a project you are familiar with.
Discuss how you would manage the two-boss situation found in the matrix organization structure; relate this to a project you are familiar with.
The pure project organization structure gives the project manager full control over the resources. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this arrangement; relate this to a project you are
Think about your behaviors and compare them to those identified by DÖrner and Covey.
Give at least three examples of when you have behaved in a way that supports effective leadership behaviors. How did these behaviors contribute to a successful outcome?
Give at least three examples of when your behavior did not support an effective leadership approach. In these situations, how do you think your behavior could be modified in order to improve the
How do you think your personal style is illuminated by the range of theories presented in this chapter?
Consider how your approach includes each focus: task, team and individual. Explain examples when you have addressed each focus.
Describe how you can apply Situational Leadership to your projects.
Have you ever been delegated responsibility to carry out a task, but not been given sufficient authority to issue instructions? Discuss how you gained power to influence the project participants.
Discuss the different types of power you use to carry out your projects.
Discuss the different types of power your boss uses to manage projects.
Reflect on any significant changes you have experienced during your projects.a. How did these changes make you feel? Were you apprehensive or confi dent?b. Do you think your needs, as someone
Imagine you are leading a merger of two companies. What do you think would be the main issues for people that would encourage them to resist inevitable changes? How do you think they would react?
From your consideration of the merger example, what is the first thing you would do to address the issues you have suggested might occur? How would you assist people through the changes?
Select one of the domains that you believe will be most helpful for your own development during the next 12 months. Explain why you think developing this domain will help you.
Select the EI competence that you think will be the most helpful to you during the next 12 months. Explain why you think this is important and what benefits you think it will provide.
Look at Richard Boyatsis’s five-stage development process in Section 3. Develop an action plan based upon this five-stage process for your selected EI competence development in Exercise 2.Exercise
Identify your top five project leadership skills and your top five project management skills and discuss why they are important on your projects.
Consider the tables of opposites presented in this chapter and relate them to your preferred style – are you more of a leader or a manager?
Discuss how you have used entrepreneurial skills on your projects to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities.
Discuss why there might be different stakeholders during each phase along the lifecycle of the project.
Discuss how your stakeholders’ companies can be subdivided into different organizational levels and relate these levels back to your company.
You have been appointed as the project sponsor to manage the implementation of a new airport terminal. Discuss how you would conduct a stakeholder analysis to determine the stakeholders’ needs and
Discuss how your company uses project teams, and what the benefits are to your company.
Discuss why you personally like to work in project teams.

Showing 600 - 700 of 1360