Information Systems Project Mgmt – Chapter 6 Quiz

T/F: An activity is an element of work that has an expected duration, cost, and resource requirements.

True An activity or task is an element of work normally found on the work breakdown structure (WBS) that has expected duration, cost, and resource requirements.

T/F: In project time management, the primary output of defining activities is a schedule management
plan.

False In project time management, the main output of defining activities are an activity list, activity attributes, a milestone list, and project management plan updates.

T/F: In project time management, the next step after sequencing activities is to define these activities.

False Estimating activity resources involves estimating how many resources— people, equipment, and materials—a project team should use to perform project activities. In project time management, this process follows after sequencing activities.

T/F: Project schedules grow out of basic documents such as the project charter.

True Project schedules grow out of the basic documents that initiate a project. The project charter often mentions planned project start and end dates, which serve as the starting points for a more detailed schedule.

T/F: A schedule management plan includes information which describes the format and frequency of schedule reports required
for the project.

True A schedule management plan includes information on reporting formats. This information describes the format and frequency of schedule reports required for the project. In addition, it also includes information on process descriptions and describes how all of the schedule management processes will be performed.

T/F: To define activities, the project team should start with reviewing the schedule management plan, scope baseline, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational processes.

True Defining activities involves identifying the specific actions that will produce the project deliverables in enough detail to determine resource and schedule estimates. The project team reviews the schedule management plan, scope baseline, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets to begin defining activities.

T/F: It is important for the activity list and activity attributes to be in agreement with the work breakdown structure.

True The activity list and activity attributes should be in agreement with the work breakdown structure. Information is added to the activity attributes as it becomes available; this information includes logical relationships and resource requirements that are determined in later processes.

T/F: Milestones are easy to achieve and are always achieved through one main activity.

False A milestone on a project is a significant event that normally has no duration. It often takes several activities and a lot of work to complete a milestone, but the milestone itself is like a marker to help in identifying necessary activities.

T/F: After defining project activities, the next step in project time management is developing the schedule.

False After defining project activities, the next step in project time management is sequencing them or determining their dependencies.

T/F: A dependency pertains to the sequencing of project activities or tasks.

True A dependency or relationship pertains to the sequencing of project activities or tasks. Determining these relationships or dependencies among activities has a significant impact on developing and managing a project schedule.

T/F: Network diagrams are the preferred technique for showing activity sequencing.

True Network diagrams are the preferred technique for showing activity sequencing. A network diagram is a schematic display of the logical relationships among project activities and their sequencing.

T/F: The arrows in a network diagram represent missed milestones in a project.

False A network diagram is a schematic display of the logical relationships among project activities and their sequencing. The arrows in a network diagram represent the activity sequencing or relationships between tasks.

T/F: In a network diagram, it is mandatory for every item on the WBS to be shown instead of only those activities with
dependencies.

False The network diagram represents activities that must be done to complete the project. Not every item on the WBS needs to be shown on the network diagram; only activities with dependencies need to be shown.

T/F: A merge occurs when one node precedes multiple nodes.

False A merge occurs when two or more nodes precede a single node. On the other hand, bursts occur when two or more activities follow a single node.

T/F: Start-to-finish relationships are the most frequently used dependencies between activities.

False One of the four types of dependencies or relationships between activities is the start-to-finish dependency. This is a relationship in which the "from " activity must start before the "to" activity can be finished. This type of relationship is rarely used, but it is appropriate in some cases.

T/F: A drawback of the precedence diagramming method is that it cannot be used unless dummy activities are employed.

False The precedence diagramming method offers a number of advantages over the AOA technique. One advantage is that using this method avoids the need to use dummy activities.

T/F: In project time management, one should control the schedule before estimating the duration for each activity.

False In project time management, before one can estimate the duration for each activity, one must have a good idea of the quantity and type of resources (people, equipment, and materials) that will be assigned to each activity.

T/F: In a Gantt chart, thick black bars represent milestones achieved in a project.

False Gantt charts provide a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in calendar form. In a Gantt chart, a black diamond symbol represents a milestone.

T/F: A Tracking Gantt chart is based on the percentage of work completed for project tasks or the actual start and finish dates.

True A Tracking Gantt chart is based on the percentage of work completed for project tasks or the actual start and finish dates. It allows the project manager to monitor schedule progress on individual tasks and the whole project.

T/F: A disadvantage of using Gantt charts is that they do not provide a standard format for displaying planned project schedule information.

False The main advantage of using Gantt charts is that they provide a standard format for displaying planned and actual project schedule information.

T/F: In a critical path analysis, the shortest path is what drives the completion date for the project.

False In a critical path analysis, several tasks are done in parallel on projects, and most projects have multiple paths through a network diagram. The longest path or the path that contains the critical tasks is what drives the completion date for the project.

T/F: The critical path on a project can change as the project progresses.

True The critical path represents the shortest time required to complete a project. The critical path on a project can change as the project progresses.

T/F: A backward pass through the network diagram determines the early start and early finish dates for each activity.

False A backward pass through the network diagram determines the late start and late finish dates for each activity. In contrast, a forward pass determines the early start and early finish dates for each activity.

T/F: Knowing the amount of float allows project managers to know whether a project schedule is flexible.

True Knowing the amount of float or slack allows project managers to know whether the schedule is flexible and how flexible it might be. A fast and easy way to determine early and late start and finish dates and free and total slack amounts for activities is by using project management software.

T/F: The main disadvantage of crashing is that it lengthens the time needed to finish a project.

False The main advantage of crashing is that it shortens the time needed to finish a project. The main disadvantage is that it often increases total project costs.

T/F: The technique of fast tracking can result in lengthening the project schedule.

True The main disadvantage of fast tracking is that it can lengthen the project schedule because starting some tasks too soon often increases project risk and results in rework.

T/F: Critical chain scheduling assumes that resources multitask and maximizes multitasking.

False Critical chain scheduling is a method that considers limited resources when creating a project schedule and includes buffers to protect the project completion date. It assumes that resources do not multitask or at least minimize multitasking.

T/F: One of PERT’s main disadvantages is that it does not address the risk associated with duration estimates.

False PERT’s main disadvantages are that it involves more work than CPM because it requires several duration estimates, and there are better probabilistic methods for assessing schedule risk.

T/F: The final process in project time management is developing the schedule.

False The final process in project time management is controlling the schedule Like scope control, schedule control is a portion of the integrated change control process under project integration management.

T/F: A drawback of the project management software is that it does not have the capacity to calculate the critical path(s) for a
project.

False A project management software can be used to draw network diagrams, determine the critical path for a project, create Gantt charts, and report, view, and filter specific project time management information.

The first process involved in project time management is _____ .

a. defining activities

b. estimating activity durations

c. planning schedule

d. sequencing activities

c. planning schedule Schedule management is the first process in project time management and involves determining the policies, procedures, and documentation that will be used for planning, executing, and controlling the project schedule.

Which of the following processes in project time management involves identifying the specific tasks that the project team
members and stakeholders must perform to produce the project deliverables?

a. Defining activities

b. Sequencing activities

c. Developing the schedule

d. Estimating activity durations

a. Defining activities In project time management, the process of defining activities involves identifying the specific activities that the project team members and stakeholders must perform to produce the project deliverables.

In project time management, which of the following processes generate the main outputs of an activity list, activity attributes, and a milestone list?

a. Sequencing activities

b. Defining activities

c. Resource estimating

d. Estimating activity durations

b. Defining activities In project time management, the main outputs of the defining activities process are an activity list, activity attributes, a milestone list, and project management plan updates.

In project time management, which of the following processes primarily involve identifying and documenting the relationships between project activities?

a. Defining activities

b. Sequencing activities

c. Planning schedule management

d. Estimating activity durations

b. Sequencing activities Sequencing activities involves identifying and documenting the relationships between project activities. The main outputs of this process include project schedule network diagrams and project documents updates.

In project time management, which of the following processes involve calculating the number of work periods that are needed to complete individual activities?

a. Defining activities

b. Sequencing activities

c. Planning schedule management

d. Estimating activity durations

d. Estimating activity durations Estimating activity durations involves estimating the number of work periods that are needed to complete individual activities. Outputs include activity duration estimates and project documents updates.

In project time management, which of the following processes involve analyzing activity sequences, activity resource estimates, and activity duration estimates to create the project schedule?

a. Planning schedule management

b. Developing the schedule

c. Controlling the schedule

d. Defining activities

b. Developing the schedule Developing the schedule involves analyzing activity sequences, activity resource estimates, and activity duration estimates to create the project schedule. Outputs include a schedule baseline, project schedule, schedule data, project calendars, project management plan updates, and project documents updates.

In project time management, the process of_____ primarily involves checking and managing changes to the project schedule.

a. estimating activity durations

b. developing the schedule

c. controlling the schedule

d. estimating activity resources

c. controlling the schedule In project time management, the process of controlling the schedule involves controlling and managing changes to the project schedule. Outputs include work performance information, schedule forecasts, and change requests among others.

In project time management, a(n) _____ is an output of controlling the schedule

a. activity duration estimate

b. project management plan update

c. activity attribute

d. milestone list

b. project management plan update Controlling the schedule involves controlling and managing changes to the project schedule. Outputs include work performance information, schedule forecasts, change requests, project management plan updates, project documents updates, and organizational process assets updates.

Which of the following documents is most likely to include planned project start and end dates which serve as the starting points for a detailed schedule?

a. Resources breakdown structure

b. Milestones list

c. Organizational process assets update

d. Project charter

d. Project charter The project charter often mentions planned project start and end dates, which serve as the starting points for a more detailed schedule.

Which of the following is a difference between an activity list and an activity attribute?

a. As opposed to an
activity attribute, an
activity list provides
resource requirements and
constraints related to
activities.

b. An activity list provides a more concrete list of milestones for a project than an activity attribute.

c. An activity attribute is a tabulation of activities to be
included on a project schedule whereas an activity list is not.

d. An activity attribute provides more schedule-related information about
each activity than an activity list.

d. An activity attribute provides more schedule-related information about each activity than an activity list. The activity list is a tabulation of activities to be included on a project schedule. The list should include the activity name, an activity identifier or number, and a brief description of the activity. The activity attributes provide more schedule related information about each activity, such as predecessors, successors, logical relationships, leads and lags, and so forth.

A(n) _____ on a project is a significant event that normally has no duration.

a. milestone

b. activity attribute

c. activity sequence

d. schedule baseline

a. milestone A milestone on a project is a significant event that normally has no duration. It often takes several activities and a lot of work to complete a milestone, but the milestone itself is like a marker to help in identifying necessary activities.

In project time management, the main goal of _____ is to ensure that the project team has complete understanding of all the work they must do as part of the project scope so they can start scheduling the work.

a. defining activities

b. estimating activity
durations

c. estimating activity
resources

d. controlling the
schedule

a. defining activities The goal of defining activities is to ensure that the project team completely understands all the work it must do as part of the project scope so the team can start scheduling the work. Activity information is a required input to the other time management processes.

In project time management, the next step after defining project activities is:

a. planning schedule
management.

b. determining their
dependencies.

c. controlling the
schedule.

d. estimating activity
duration.

b. determining their dependencies. After defining project activities, the next step in project time management is sequencing them or determining their dependencies. The sequencing process involves evaluating the reasons for dependencies and the different types of dependencies.

Which of the following types of dependencies are inherent in the nature of work being performed on a project?

a. Mandatory

b. Discretionary

c. External

d. Random

a. Mandatory Mandatory dependencies are inherent in the nature of work being performed on a project. They are sometimes referred to as hard logic.

_____ dependencies are sometimes referred to as soft logic and should be used with care because they may limit later scheduling options.

a. Mandatory

b. Discretionary

c. External

d. Inherent

b. Discretionary Discretionary dependencies are defined by the project team. They are sometimes referred to as soft logic and should be used with care because they may limit later scheduling options.

Which of the following dependencies involve relationships between project and non-project activities?

a. Mandatory

b. Discretionary

c. External

d. Inherent

c. External External dependencies involve relationships between project and non-project activities.

In an AOA network diagram, _____ occur when two or more activities follow a single node.

a. combinations

b. buffers

c. mergers

d. bursts

d. bursts When creating an AOA network diagram, bursts occur when two or more activities follow a single node.

A network diagramming technique in which boxes represent activities is known as a(n) _____.

a. PDM

b. CPM

c. ADM

d. PERT

a. PDM The precedence diagramming method (PDM) is a network diagramming technique in which boxes represent activities. It is particularly useful for visualizing certain types of time relationships.

AOA network diagrams use only _____ dependencies.

a. start-to-start

b. finish-to-start

c. finish-to-finish

d. start-to-finish

b. finish-to-start A finish-to-start dependency is the most common type of relationship or dependency and AOA network diagrams use only finish-to-start dependencies. It is a relationship in which the "from" activity or predecessor must finish before the "to" activity or successor can start.

Which of the following is a relationship in which the "from" activity cannot start until the "to" activity is started?

a. Start-to-start

b. Finish-to-finish

c. Finish-to-start

d. Start-to-finish

a. Start-to-start A start-to-start dependency is a relationship in which the "from" activity cannot start until the "to" activity or successor is started.

Which of the following is true of a finish-to-finish dependency?

a. It is a dependency in which the "from" activity cannot start
until the "to" activity or successor is started.

b. It is a dependency in
which in which the "from" activity must finish before the "to" activity or successor can start.

c. It is a dependency in
which the "from" activity must be finished before the "to" activity can be finished.

d. It is a dependency in
which the "from" activity must start before the "to" activity can be finished.

c. It is a dependency in which the "from" activity must be finished before the "to" activity can be finished. A finish-to-finish dependency is a relationship in which the "from" activity must be finished before the "to" activity can be finished. One task cannot finish before another finishes.

Which of the following is true of dummy activities?

a. They have long durations.

b. They show logical relationships between activities.

c. They have a large range of resources.

d. They have limited time periods.

b. They show logical relationships between activities. Dummy activities have no duration and no resources, but are occasionally needed on AOA network diagrams to show logical relationships between activities.

Which of the following is one of the main outputs of estimating activity resources process?

a. Project documents update

b. Milestone list

c. Work breakdown structure

d. Activity duration estimate

a. Project documents update The main outputs of the resource estimating process include a list of activity resource requirements, a resource breakdown structure, and project documents updates.

After working with key stakeholders to define activities and calculate their resources, the next process in project time management is to:

a. develop the schedule.

b. control the schedule.

c. determine their dependencies.

d. estimate the duration of activities.

d. estimate the duration of activities. After working with key stakeholders to define activities, determine their dependencies, and estimate their resources, the next process in project time management is to estimate the duration of activities.

In project time management, the ultimate goal of _____ is to provide a basis for monitoring
project progress for the time dimension of the project.

a. defining activities

b. sequencing activities

c. developing a
schedule

d. estimating activity
resources

c. developing a schedule The ultimate goal of developing a realistic project schedule is to provide a basis for monitoring project progress for the time dimension of the project. Project time management processes often go through several iterations before a project schedule is finalized.

_____ provide(s) a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format.

a. Gantt charts

b. Critical path analysis

c. Arrow diagramming
method

d. PERT analysis

a. Gantt charts Gantt charts provide a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in calendar form. They are sometimes referred to as bar charts because the activities’ start and end dates are shown as horizontal bars.

Which of the following is a network diagramming technique used primarily to predict total project duration?

a. Gantt charts

b. Critical path analysis

c. Resources breakdown structure

d. Arrow diagramming
method

b. Critical path analysis Critical path method (CPM) —also called critical path analysis —is a network diagramming technique used to predict total project duration. This important tool helps combat project schedule overruns.

The critical path is the _____ path through a network diagram, and it represents the _____ amount of slack or float.

a. longest; longest

b. longest; shortest

c. shortest; longest

d. shortest; shortest

b. longest; shortest A critical path for a project is the series of activities that determine the earliest time by which the project can be completed. It is the longest path through the network diagram and has the least amount of slack or float.

_____ is the amount of time an activity can be delayed from its early start without delaying the planned project finish
date.

a. Total slack

b. Free float

c. Backward pass

d. Forward pass

a. Total slack Total slack or total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed from its early start without delaying the planned project finish date.

The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any immediately following
activities is known as a _____.

a. forward pass

b. backward pass

c. fast tracking

d. free slack

d. free slack A technique that can help project managers make schedule trade-offs is determining the free slack and total slack for each project activity. Free slack or free float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any immediately following

The _____ for an activity is the latest possible time an activity might begin without delaying the project finish date.

a. early finish date

b. late finish date

c. late start date

d. early start date

c. late start date The late start date is the latest possible time an activity might begin without delaying the project finish date.

The technique for making cost and schedule trade-offs to obtain the greatest amount of schedule compression for the least incremental cost is known as _____.

a. dependency

b. crashing

c. critical chain scheduling

d. feeding buffers

b. crashing Crashing is a technique for making cost and schedule trade-offs to obtain the greatest amount of schedule compression for the least incremental cost. The main advantage of crashing is shortening the time needed to finish a project.

Which of the following techniques involve doing activities in parallel that one would normally do in sequence?

a. Critical chain scheduling

b. Crashing

c. Fast tracking

d. PERT analysis

c. Fast tracking Fast tracking involves doing activities in parallel that one would normally do in sequence. The main advantage of fast tracking is that it can shorten the time needed to finish a project.

A similarity between the crashing technique and the fast tracking technique is that:

a. both spread out tasks
over a long period of time to ensure the quality of work is
maintained.

b. both invariably result
in increases in total project costs.

c. both can shorten the
time needed to finish a project.

d. both are network diagramming techniques used
primarily to predict total project duration.

c. both can shorten the time needed to finish a project. The main advantage of fast tracking, like crashing, is that it can shorten the time needed to finish a project.

Critical chain scheduling protects tasks on the critical chain from being delayed by using _____, which consist of
additional time added before tasks on the critical chain that are preceded by non-critical-path tasks.

a. critical paths

b. feeding buffers

c. dummy activities

d. fast tracking

b. feeding buffers Critical chain scheduling protects tasks on the critical chain from being delayed by using feeding buffers, which consist of time added before tasks on the critical chain if they are preceded by other tasks that are not on the critical path.

_____ states that work expands to fill the time allowed.

a. Murphy’s Law

b. Miller’s Law

c. Parkinson’s Law

d. Einstein’s Law

c. Parkinson’s Law Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time allowed.

A difference between the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and critical path method (CPM) is that:

a. CPM addresses the risk associated with duration estimates whereas PERT does
not.

b. unlike CPM, PERT estimates only when there is no risk of
uncertainty.

c. CPM involves more work than PERT because it requires
several duration estimates.

d. PERT uses different duration estimates whereas CPM uses one specific duration estimate.

d. PERT uses different duration estimates whereas CPM uses one specific duration estimate. PERT uses probabilistic time estimates —duration estimates based on using optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates of activity durations —instead of one specific or discrete duration estimate, as CPM does.

Which of the following is a similarity between scope control and schedule control?

a. Both are initial processes of project time management.

b. Both of their primary goals is to define project goals and
milestones.

c. Both are portions of the integrated change control process under project integration management.

d. Both of these processes should occur before estimating activity durations.

c. Both are portions of the integrated change control process under project integration management. Like scope control, schedule control is a portion of the integrated change control process under project integration management. Controlling the schedule is the final process in project time management.

Which of the following is an output of schedule control?

a. Lessons-learned reports

b. Activity attributes

c. Resource requirements

d. Milestones list

a. Lessons-learned reports The main outputs of schedule control include work performance measurements, organizational process assets updates such as lessons-learned reports related to schedule control, change requests, project management plan updates, and project documents updates.

A draft schedule for a project is most likely to be found in a _____.

a. project buffer

b. project charter

c. resource breakdown structure

d. project’s dummy activities list

b. project charter One of the first reality checks for a project manager is to review the draft schedule that is usually included in the project charter. Although this draft schedule might include only a project start and end date, the project charter sets some initial schedule expectations for the project.

In a project schedule, the variable that has the least amount of flexibility is _____.

time

_____ involves the processes required to ensure timely completion of a project.

Project time management

In project time management, the process of _____ involves deciding how many people, equipment, and materials a project team should use to perform project activities.

estimating activity resources

After reviewing the project management plan, project charter, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets, the project team uses expert judgment, analytical techniques, and meetings to develop the _____.

schedule management plan

The _____ is a tabulation of activities to be included on a project schedule.

activity list

The activity list should include the _____, an activity identifier, and a brief description of the activity.

activity name

In the activity defining process, the project team should review the _____ and activity attributes with project stakeholders before moving on to the next step in project time management.

activity list

A(n) _____ is a schematic display of the logical relationships among project activities and
their sequencing.

network diagram

In a network diagram, a(n) _____ is the starting and ending point of an activity.

node

In a(n) _____ relationship, the "from" activity must start before the "to" activity can be finished.

start-to-finish

_____ have no duration and no resources but are occasionally needed on AOA network diagrams to show logical relationships between activities.

Dummy activities

A hierarchical structure that identifies the project’s resources by category and type is known as a(n) _____.

resource breakdown structure

_____ is the number of workdays or work hours required to complete a task.

Effort

Duration estimates can be provided as a discrete number, a range, or as a(n) _____.

three-point estimate

The ultimate goal of developing a realistic project schedule is to provide a basis for monitoring project progress for the _____ dimension of the project.

time

A(n) _____ Gantt chart compares planned and actual project schedule information.

Tracking

A white diamond on a Tracking Gantt chart represents a(n) _____.

slipped milestone

A(n) _____ for a project is the series of activities that determine the earliest time by which the project can be completed.

critical path

A(n) _____ determines the early start and early finish dates for each activity in a project.

forward pass

The _____ is based on the fact that any complex system at any point in time often has only one aspect or constraint that limits its ability to achieve more of its goal.

Theory of Constraints (TOC)

_____ occurs when a resource works on more than one task at a time.

Multitasking

_____ states that if something can go wrong, it will.

Murphy’s Law

The main outputs of _____ include work performance measurements, organizational process assets updates, and project document updates.

schedule control

One of the first reality checks on scheduling that a project manager should make is to review the _____.

draft schedule

A drawback of using _____ or sample files is that managers and their teams might rely heavily on them and ignore unique concerns for their particular projects.

templates

List and briefly describe the main processes involved in project time management.

The main processes involved in project time management are as follows: (1) Planning schedule management involves determining the policies, procedures, and documentation that will be used for planning, executing, and controlling the project schedule. (2) Defining activities involves identifying the specific activities that the project team members and stakeholders must perform to produce the project deliverables. (3) Sequencing activities involves identifying and documenting the relationships between project activities. (4) Estimating activity resources involves estimating how many resources—people, equipment, and materials—a project team should use to perform project activities. (5) Estimating activity durations involves estimating the number of work periods that are needed to complete individual activities. (6) Developing the schedule involves analyzing activity sequences, activity resource estimates, and activity duration estimates to create the project schedule. (7) Controlling the schedule involves controlling and managing changes to the project schedule.

What are milestones? Describe.

Milestones are the most important and visible events in a project and normally have no duration. It often takes several activities and a lot of work to complete a milestone, but the milestone itself is like a marker to help in identifying necessary activities. Milestones are also useful tools or setting schedule goals and monitoring progress. Not every deliverable or output created for a project is really a milestone.

What is a network diagram? Describe two network diagramming methods.

Network diagrams are the preferred technique for showing activity sequencing. They are a schematic display of the logical relationships among project activities and their sequencing. They represent activities that must be done to complete the project. Every activity on the network diagram must be completed in order for the project to finish. Two types of network diagramming methods are as follows: (1) The arrow diagramming method (ADM): This is a network diagramming technique in which activities are represented by arrows and connected at points called nodes to illustrate the sequence of activities. A node is simply the starting and ending point of an activity. The first node signifies the start of a project, and the last node represents the end of a project. (2) The precedence diagramming method (PDM): This is a network diagramming technique in which boxes represent activities. It is particularly useful for visualizing certain types of time relationships.

Describe critical path analysis. How is the critical path calculated?

Critical path analysis is a network diagramming technique used to predict total project duration. This important tool can help combat project schedule overruns. A critical path for a project is the series of activities that determine the earliest time by which the project can be completed. It is the longest path through the network diagram and has the least amount of slack or float. To find the critical path for a project, one must first develop a good network diagram, which, in turn, requires a good activity list based on the work breakdown structure. Once a network diagram is created, one must also estimate the duration of each activity to determine the critical path. Calculating the critical path involves adding the durations for all activities on each path through the network diagram. The longest path is the critical path.

What is the Theory of Constraints? Describe critical chain scheduling, an application of the Theory of Constraints.

The Theory of Constraints (TOC) is a management philosophy developed by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and is based on the metaphor of a chain and its weakest link: Any complex system at any point in time often has only one aspect or constraint that limits the ability to achieve more of the system’s goal. For the system to attain any significant improvements, that constraint must be identified, and the whole system must be managed with it in mind. Critical chain scheduling is a method that considers limited resources when creating a project schedule and includes buffers to protect the project completion date. An important concept in critical chain scheduling is the availability of scarce resources. For instance, if a particular piece of equipment is needed full time to complete each of two tasks that were originally planned to occur simultaneously, critical chain scheduling acknowledges that one must either delay one of those tasks until the equipment is available or find another piece of equipment in order to meet the schedule. Other important concepts related to critical chain scheduling include multitasking and time buffers.