Question 1

Often it is beneficial to crash activities NOT on the critical path.

Accepted Answer

Crashing activities not on the critical path does not reduce the overall project duration, as the critical path determines the shortest time to complete the project.

Question 2

When crashing a task,the usual assumption is that a task is crashed the full amount or none at all.

Accepted Answer

Crashing a task typically involves reducing its duration by allocating additional resources, but it doesn't necessarily mean crashing it the full amount or none at all. It can be done incrementally, based on the project's needs and the diminishing returns of adding more resources.

Question 3

For resources that are consumed when used,the problem is which project gets to use the resource first and which must wait.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 4

Trade-offs must be made in order to optimize the use of limited resources.

Accepted Answer

Since resources are limited, choices must be made on how to allocate them. This means that some options must be given up in order to prioritize others, leading to trade-offs.

Question 5

Good PM are able to estimate project task times with absolute certainty

Accepted Answer

Good PMs are skilled in estimating project task times but there are always variables and uncertainties that can affect the accuracy of those estimates. Therefore, estimating task times with absolute certainty is not realistic.

Question 6

If resources were not scarce,the resource allocation problem would be concerned solely with cost minimization.

Accepted Answer

If resources were not scarce, the resource allocation problem would also involve maximizing output or utility, rather than just minimizing costs.

Question 7

The time to complete a task with normal or standard-practice resource usage is referred to as the crash duration.

Accepted Answer

The time to complete a task with normal or standard-practice resource usage is referred to as the normal duration. The crash duration is the time it takes to complete a task with the shortest possible time frame through additional resource usage or re-sequencing of activities.

Question 8

If resources were not scarce,the resource allocation problem would be concerned solely with profit maximization.

Accepted Answer

If resources were not scarce, there would no tradeoffs to be made in the use of resources and hence the only concern would be to maximize profits. However, in the real world, resources are limited and hence the resource allocation problem is concerned with making efficient use of available resources to achieve the best possible outcome.

Question 9

The amount of resources a project can use depends in part on the timing of the allocation.

Accepted Answer

Different resources have different availability at different times during a project's lifecycle. The allocation of resources may need to be adjusted based on these factors in order to ensure the project is completed successfully within the given constraints of time, budget, and scope.

Question 10

It is considered good management to crash the least costly activities before the more costly ones.

Accepted Answer

This strategy is known as "crashing the schedule" and helps to minimize the overall cost of a project by focusing on the low-cost activities first. By doing this, the project manager can reduce the overall duration of the project without significantly increasing costs.

Question 11

The variance of the normal time can be quite different from the variance of the crash time.

Accepted Answer

The normal time and crash time can have different variances because the crash time is usually shorter and more uncertain than the normal time. Therefore, the variance of the crash time can be higher than the variance of the normal time.

Question 12

Fast-tracking a project is used primarily in the pharmaceutical industry.

Accepted Answer

While fast-tracking a project may be used in various industries, it is not specific to the pharmaceutical industry. Fast-tracking refers to a project management technique of overlapping certain tasks to save time and complete the project faster. It can be applied in any industry where projects are undertaken.

Question 13

When the work is routine,fast-tracking rarely causes serious problems.

Accepted Answer

When the work is routine and does not require complex decision-making or analysis, fast-tracking can be effective and efficient without causing serious problems.

Question 14

Resource loading refers to the amounts of specific resources that are scheduled for use on specific activities or projects at specific times.

Accepted Answer

Resource loading is the process of allocating the necessary resources, such as people, equipment, and materials, to specific tasks and projects at predetermined times.

Question 15

All projects are carried out under conditions of uncertainty.

Accepted Answer

Uncertainty is inherent in all projects, as unforeseen events, changes in circumstances, and other variables can impact the outcome of the project. Effective project management involves identifying and managing risks and uncertainties to minimize their impact on the project.

Question 16

Resource loading refers to the amounts of specific resources that are scheduled for use on specific activities or projects at specific times.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Resource loading refers to the amounts of...

Question 17

All tasks can be crashed to some extent.

Accepted Answer

Not all tasks can be crashed; some tasks are already at their minimum duration or are constrained by factors that do not allow for crashing, such as fixed schedules, resource limitations, or dependencies on other tasks.

Question 18

Projects often compete with each other for the same resources.

Accepted Answer

This is true as projects often require similar resources such as funding, time, manpower, and materials, and therefore there may be constraints on availability of these resources. This can lead to competition and prioritization among projects.

Question 19

The CPM method cannot be used when task durations are probabilistic.

Accepted Answer

The Critical Path Method (CPM) can accommodate probabilistic task durations using techniques like PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) which provides three estimates of durations (optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic) to calculate a probability distribution for each task and the overall project duration.

Question 20

A project that must be completed by a fixed time is referred to as resource constrained.

Accepted Answer

A project that must be completed by a fixed time is referred to as time-constrained, whereas a project limited by available resources (like manpower or materials) is called resource-constrained.

Quiz 6: Allocating Resources to the Project

Often it is beneficial to crash activities NOT on the critical path.

When crashing a task,the usual assumption is that a task is crashed the full amount or none at all.

For resources that are consumed when used,the problem is which project gets to use the resource first and which must wait.

Trade-offs must be made in order to optimize the use of limited resources.

Good PM are able to estimate project task times with absolute certainty

If resources were not scarce,the resource allocation problem would be concerned solely with cost minimization.

The time to complete a task with normal or standard-practice resource usage is referred to as the crash duration.

If resources were not scarce,the resource allocation problem would be concerned solely with profit maximization.

The amount of resources a project can use depends in part on the timing of the allocation.

It is considered good management to crash the least costly activities before the more costly ones.

The variance of the normal time can be quite different from the variance of the crash time.

Fast-tracking a project is used primarily in the pharmaceutical industry.

When the work is routine,fast-tracking rarely causes serious problems.

Resource loading refers to the amounts of specific resources that are scheduled for use on specific activities or projects at specific times.

All projects are carried out under conditions of uncertainty.

Resource loading refers to the amounts of specific resources that are scheduled for use on specific activities or projects at specific times.

All tasks can be crashed to some extent.

Projects often compete with each other for the same resources.

The CPM method cannot be used when task durations are probabilistic.

A project that must be completed by a fixed time is referred to as resource constrained.