Scheduling Is the Systematic Arrangement of Tasks to Accomplish an Objective

CHAPTER 5

Planning

True/False

1. Scheduling is the systematic arrangement of tasks to accomplish an objective.

ANSWER: F

1. The plan lays out what needs to be accomplished but not how it is to be accomplished.

ANSWER: F

1. It is important that the people who will be involved in performing the work are also involved in planning the work.

ANSWER: T

1. The first step in the planning process is to define the project criteria.

ANSWER: F

1. The objective must be clear, attainable, specific, and measurable.

ANSWER: T

1. For a project, the objective is usually defined in terms of scope, packages, and cost.

ANSWER: F

1. In the real world, project objectives are always be spelled out clearly at the beginning of a project.

ANSWER: F

1. The WBB breaks a project down into manageable pieces, or items, to help ensure that all of the work elements needed to complete the project work scope are identified.

ANSWER: F

1. The lowest-level item of any one branch of a WBS is called a work code.

ANSWER: F

1. The WBS usually indicates the organization or individual responsible for each work item.

ANSWER: T

1. The resource map is a method used to display, in tabular format, the individuals responsible for accomplishing the work items in the WBS.

ANSWER: F

1. Some responsibility matrices use an X to show who is responsible for each work item.

ANSWER: T

1. An activity requires the expenditure of effort by people.

ANSWER: F

1. PERT and CPM were developed in the 1980s.

ANSWER: F

1. The Gantt chart is sometimes called a bar chart.

ANSWER: T

1. In a Gantt chart, activities are listed down the left-hand side, and the person responsible is shown along the bottom.

ANSWER: F

1. One of the major advantages to the traditional Gantt chart is that it shows graphically the interrelationships of activities.

ANSWER: F

1. Network techniques combine the planning and scheduling functions.

ANSWER: F

1. A network diagram is typically not drawn to a time scale.

ANSWER: T

1. Each activity in a network diagram can be represented by one or more boxes.

ANSWER: F

1. An activity cannot start until all of the preceding activities that are linked to it by arrows have been finished.

ANSWER: T

1. In the AOA format, an activity is represented by a rectangle in the network diagram

ANSWER: F

1. Activities in a ladder are not allowed because it portrays a path of activities that perpetually repeats itself.

ANSWER: F

1. Network diagrams must flow from right to left.

ANSWER: F

1. An information system (IS) is a computer-based system that accepts data as input, processes the data, and produces useful information for users.

ANSWER: T

1. Each alternative is evaluated and the best one is selected during the systems analysis phase of the SDLC.

ANSWER: F

Multiple Choice

1. ______is the systematic arrangement of tasks to accomplish an objective.
2. scheduling
3. planning
4. team building
5. controlling

ANSWER: B

1. The plan becomes a benchmark against which ______progress can be compared.
2. actual
3. planned
4. future
5. expected

ANSWER: A

1. By participating in ______of the work, individuals will become committed to accomplishing it.
2. planning
3. controlling
4. discussing of
5. timing

ANSWER: A

1. The ______step in the planning process is to define the project objective
2. first
3. second
4. third
5. fourth

ANSWER: A

1. The project ______must be clear, attainable, specific, and measurable.

a.environment

b.cycle

c.objective

d.work forms

ANSWER: C

1. For a project, the objective is usually defined in terms of scope, ______, and cost.

a.plan

b.schedule

c.controls

d.packages

ANSWER: B

1. The ______breaks a project down into manageable pieces, or items, to help ensure that all of the work elements needed to complete the project work scope are identified.
2. work package plan
3. work budget plan
4. work breakdown staff
5. work breakdown structure

ANSWER: D

1. ______Is a hierarchical tree of end items that will be accomplished or produced by the project team during the project.
2. work package plan
3. work budget plan
4. work breakdown staff
5. work breakdown structure

ANSWER: D

1. A WBS subdivides the project into smaller pieces called ______.
2. object codes
3. task statements
4. work items
5. work loads

ANSWER: C

1. The lowest-level item of any one branch is called a ______.
2. object item
3. task statements
4. work package
5. work loads

ANSWER: C

1. The ______is a method used to display, in tabular format, the individuals responsible for accomplishing the work items in the WBS.
2. responsibility matrix
3. resource map
4. responsibility web
5. task structure

ANSWER: A

1. A ______is defined as a piece of work that consumes time.
2. action
3. activity
4. element
5. work object

ANSWER: B

1. When all the detailed activities have been defined for each of the work packages, the next step is to graphically portray them in a ______that shows the appropriate sequence and interrelationships to accomplish the overall project work scope.
2. bubble diagram
3. network ladder
4. network diagram
5. responsibility chart

ANSWER: C

1. PERT stands for:
2. program evaluation and review technique
3. process examination and review technique
4. program evaluation and reward technique
5. process examination and reward technique

ANSWER: A

1. CPM stands for:
2. critical part model
3. critical path method
4. criteria plan method
5. criteria part model

ANSWER: B

1. The Gantt chart combines the two functions of ______.
2. planning and leveling
3. scheduling and evaluating
4. planning and scheduling
5. scheduling and controlling

ANSWER: C

1. One of the major drawbacks to the traditional Gantt chart is that it does not graphically display the ______of activities.
2. order
3. time frame
4. interrelationships
5. structure

ANSWER: C

1. ______techniques separate the planning and scheduling functions.
2. Gantt
3. network
4. WBS
5. responsibility

ANSWER: B

1. Two popular formats for drawing network diagrams are:
2. activity in the box and activity on the arrow
3. activity in the node and activity in the square
4. activity in the box and activity on the box
5. activity on the arc and activity on the node

ANSWER: A

1. Activities are linked in a ______order to show which activities must be finished before others can start.
2. presidential
3. pre-essential
4. prefix
5. precedential

ANSWER: D

1. In the _____ format, an activity is represented by an arrow in the network diagram
2. AOA
3. ABC
4. AIN
5. AIB

ANSWER: A

1. In the ______format, there is a special type of activity known as a dummy activity.
2. AOA
3. ABC
4. AIN
5. AIB

ANSWER: A

1. A dummy activity consumes ______time.
2. zero
3. little
4. endless
5. varying

ANSWER: A

1. ______can sometimes be used for projects that have a set of activities that are repeated several times.
2. truncation
3. looping
4. laddering
5. transitions

ANSWER: C

1. A project management planning tool, or methodology, called the ______is often used to help plan, execute, and control IS development projects.
2. software planner
3. systems development life cycle
4. software development learning curve
5. systems development life circle

ANSWER: B

1. Data are gathered and analyzed, and problems and opportunities are clearly defined during which phases of the SDLC?

1. problem definition
2. systems analysis
3. systems design
4. systems development

ANSWER: A

1. The development team defines the scope of the system to be developed, interviews potential users, studies the existing system (which might be manual), and defines user requirements during which phase of the SDLC?
2. problem definition
3. systems analysis
4. systems design
5. systems development

ANSWER: B

1. Hardware is purchased, and software is either purchased, customized, or developed during which phase of the SDLC?
2. systems analysis
3. systems design
4. systems development
5. systems implementation

ANSWER: C

Short Answer/Problems

1. When deciding on the sequence in which the activities should be drawn to show their logical precedential relationship to one another, what are the three questions regarding each individual activity that you should ask?

ANSWER:

1. Which activities must be finished immediately before this activity can be started?
2. Which activities can be done concurrently with this activity?
3. Which activities cannot be started until this activity is finished?

1. List the steps of the SDLC.

ANSWER:

1. problem definition
2. systems analysis
3. systems design
4. systems development
5. systems testing
6. systems implementation

57.Draw network diagrams using the activity-in-the-box format and the activity-on-the-arrow format for the following project.

ActivityImmediate Predecessor

A-

BA

CA

DB, C

ED

FD

GF

HE, G

ANSWER:

Activity-on-the-arrow

B

A

E

C D H

F G

Activity-in-the-box

B E

A D H

C F G

58. Draw network diagrams using the activity-in-the-box format and the activity-on-the-arrow format for the following project.

ActivityImmediate Predecessor

A-

B-

CA

DB, C

ED

FE

GE

HG

ANSWER:

Activity-on-the-arrow

A C D E F

G

B

H

Activity-in-the-box

A C

D E F

B G H

59.Draw network diagrams using the activity-in-the-box format and the activity-on-the-arrow format for the following project.

ActivityImmediate Predecessor

A-

BA

CA

DB

EC

FD

GE

HF, G

I H

J I

ANSWER:

Activity-on-the-arrow

D F H I J

B

A

G

C E

Activity-in-the-box

B D F

A H I J

C E G

TB9–1