Software Project Management · Unit 3 · 7 hrs
Activity Planning and Scheduling
Exam-focused notes for Activity Planning and Scheduling (Software Project Management, CSC425): what the TU syllabus asks and how it has actually been tested, with 8 solved past questions from this unit.
What this unit covers
- Objectives of activity planning
- Work breakdown structure
- Bar chart
- Network planning model: Critical path method (CPM), Program evaluation and review technique (PERT), Precedence diagramming method (PDM)
- Shortening project duration
- Identifying critical activities
Network planning model
Precedence Network Diagram and Critical Path Analysis
Activity Duration (Weeks) Predecessors ------------------------------------------ A 1 - B 2 A C 5 A D 2 - E 4 C, D F 3 - G 4 B, E, F - A, D, F have no predecessors (start activities). - E depends on C and D. - G depends on B, E, F (final activity). $ES = \m...
Full solved answer →Draw precedence network diagram for the following and identify the critical path.
| Activity | Duration (weeks) | Precedence |
|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | |
| B | 2 | |
| C | 4 | A |
| D | 2 | B |
| E | 4 | B, D |
[5]
Activity Duration (weeks) Precedence --------------------------------------- A 2 none B 2 none C 4 A D 2 B E 4 B, D All data is present. A and B are start activities. --- Path Activities Duration --------------------------- 1 A - C $2 + 4 = 6$ 2 B - D - E $...
Full solved answer →Draw CPM network diagram for the following and identify the critical path.
| Activity | Duration (weeks) | Precedence |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | |
| B | 4 | A |
| C | 2 | A |
| D | 6 | B, C |
[5]
Activity Duration (weeks) Precedence ---------------------------------------- A 4 - B 4 A C 2 A D 6 B, C Since CPM traditionally uses Activity-on-Arrow (AOA), I number events 1 to 5. Cleaner AOA representation: A splits into B and C, both merge before D. - ...
Full solved answer →Why PERT chart is an efficient technique? Explain estimated time, standard deviation and Z-value with respect to PERT chart. [5]
PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is considered an efficient technique for project management for the following reasons: - Activities are shown as a network of precedence relationships using activity-on-arrow network, making dependencies clear ...
Full solved answer →Draw precedence network diagram for the following and identify the critical path.
| Activity | Duration (Weeks) | Precedence |
|---|---|---|
| A | 5 | |
| B | 3 | A |
| C | 5 | A |
| D | 10 | B, C |
[5]
Activity Duration (Weeks) Precedence ---------------------------------------- A 5 None (start) B 3 A C 5 A D 10 B, C - A has no predecessor (starts the project). - B and C both follow A. - D follows both B and C (both must complete before D starts). $EF = E...
Full solved answer →Objectives of activity planning
What are the objectives that activity planning aims to achieve? [5]
Activity planning is a crucial part of software project management. It aims to achieve the following objectives: --- Activity planning helps determine whether the project is possible within the required timescales and resource constraints. It allows the pro...
Full solved answer →What are different stages required to create a project schedule? [5]
A project schedule is a key component of the overall project plan. It defines when tasks will be performed, who will perform them, and what resources are needed. The following are the different stages required to create a project schedule: --- The first sta...
Full solved answer →Differentiate between activity-based approach and hybrid-based approach for identifying activities. [5]
The activity-based approach uses the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to generate a complete task list for the project. It focuses on identifying and decomposing activities/tasks in a top-down hierarchical manner. 1. Identify the main tasks of the project at ...
Full solved answer →Make Unit 3 stick
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