Liberty BUSI 680 Chap008 – Scheduling Resources and Costs

Multiple
Choice Questions

1. Delaying noncritical activities to lower peak
demand on resources is known as resource
A. Shifting
B. Effectiveness
C. Manipulating
D. Resource smoothing
E. Allocation

2. If resources are not adequate to meet peak demands,
the resulting reschedule is termed
A. Resource-constrained scheduling
B. Time-constrained scheduling
C. Mandatory leveling
D. Project resource adjustment
E. Allocation

3. Which of the following is a potential
consequence of failing to schedule limited resources?
A. Costly activity delays
B. Costly project delays
C. Difficulty in taking quick corrective action
D. Both A and B are correct
E. A, B, and C are all correct

4. When developing a new software package, the
software must be designed, the code must be written, and the code must be
tested. This is an example of a ______ constraint.
A. Physical
B. Technical
C. Resource
D. Schedule
E. Time

5. Which of the following is not one of the
types of project constraints?
A. Physical
B. Technical
C. Resource
D. Time
E. All of these are types of project constraints

6. Sam the project engineer has been scheduled to run
the product system test at the same time he is to build a marketing prototype.
This is an example of a ______ constraint.
A. Physical
B. Technical
C. Resource
D. Scheduling
E. Time

7. Susan is to conduct environmental testing but the
chamber cannot hold all the equipment that she wants to test. This is an
example of a _________ constraint.
A. Physical
B. Technical
C. Resource
D. Scheduling
E. Time

8. All of the following are kinds of resource
constraints except
A. Materials
B. People
C. Equipment
D. Information
E. All of the above are resource constraints

9. Sam is trying to order the concrete needed to
continue his project. However, the supplier won’t be able to deliver it until
next week. This is an example of a _______ constraint.
A. Working capital
B. People
C. Equipment
D. Information
E. Materials

10. A special truck that George needs on his project
has been scheduled on another project. This is a ______ constraint.
A. Working capital
B. People
C. Equipment
D. Information
E. Materials

11. Most of the scheduling methods available today
require the project manager to classify the project as either _______
constrained or ______ constrained.
A. Time, quality
B. Quality, resource
C. Cost, time
D. Quality, cost
E. Time, resource

12. Regina’s boss has told her that her project is
very important. If the critical path is delayed, she will be given whatever she
needs to get it back on schedule. Her project is ________ constrained.
A. Time
B. Quality
C. Cost
D. Performance
E. Resource

13. In reviewing the status of her project with top
management, Shirley was told that there only were two programmers that she
could use for her project. Her project is __________ constrained.
A. Time
B. Quality
C. Cost
D. Performance
E. Resource

14. All resource leveling techniques involve
A. Delaying noncritical activities
B. Delaying critical activities
C. Using negative slack
D. Both A and C are correct
E. A, B, and C are all correct

15. Scheduling time-constrained projects focuses on
resource
A. Demands
B. Increases
C. Assumptions
D. Utilization
E. All are correct

16. The most widely used approach to apply heuristics,
which have been found to consistently minimize project delay over a large
variety of projects is the
A. Parallel method
B. Resource method
C. Materials
D. Both A and C are correct
E. A, B, and C are all correct

17. Resource leveling can provide
A. Lower peak demand
B. Reduced resource need over the life of the project
C. Reduced fluctuations in resource demand
D. Both A and B are correct
E. A, B, and C are all correct

18. Jan is trying to reallocate resources in a
time-constrained project to create smoother resource utilization with a low
level of risk. She should move to activities with the
A. Smallest duration
B. Least slack
C. Most slack
D. Lowest identification number
E. Highest cost

19. In a resource-constrained project, which of the
following is most likely to be changed?
A. The completion date
B. The budget
C. Project quality
D. Both A and B are equally likely
E. A, B, and C are all equally likely

20. In a resource-constrained project, the first
priority in assigning resources is usually given to activities with the
A. Smallest duration
B. Least slack
C. Most slack
D. Lowest identification number
E. Highest cost

21. In a resource-constrained project the second
priority in assigning resources is usually given to activities with the
A. Smallest duration
B. Least slack
C. Most slack
D. Lowest identification number
E. Highest cost

22. The word Heuristics means
A. Resource constraints
B. Flexibility
C. The critical path changed
D. Parallel activities become sequential
E. Rule of thumb

23. Splitting an activity creates the following
situation:
A. More people working on the same activity
B. There are possible startup and shutdown costs
C. A resource may be moved from one activity to another and then back
D. Both B and C are correct
E. A, B, and C are all correct

24. The U.S. Forest Service “snapshot from
practice” illustrated the importance of
A. Time constraints
B. Resource constraints
C. Cost constraints
D. Both B and C are correct
E. A, B, and C are all correct

25. More common problems associated with managing
multiproject resources include all of the following except
A. Inefficient resource utilization
B. Delays in one project cause delays in other projects
C. Reducing “downtime” created by lack of tasks to perform
D. Resource bottlenecks
E. All of these are common problems

26. When a company will reduce the number of projects
they have to manage internally to only core projects and send noncritical
projects to contractors and consulting firms this is called
A. Outsourcing
B. Redistribution of projects
C. Project allocation
D. Task sharing
E. Both B and D are correct

27. Which of the following is not one of the
more common problems associated with scheduling multiproject resources?
A. Overall schedule slippage
B. Inefficient resource utilization
C. Resource bottlenecks
D. Both A and C are correct
E. A, B, and C are all correct

28. In a resource-constrained project the third
priority in assigning resources is usually given to activities with the
A. Smallest duration
B. Least slack
C. Most slack
D. Lowest identification number
E. Highest cost

29. In the Botanical Garden example, which of the
following was used to solve the resource problem?
A. Resource allocation
B. Smoothing resource demand
C. The parallel method
D. Both A and C are correct
E. A, B, and C are all correct

30. Project budgets are developed by time-phasing
which of the following?
A. Resource schedules
B. Work packages
C. The network diagram
D. Both A and C are correct
E. A, B, and C are all correct

31. A project budget report is showing our project as
spending $35,000 against a budgeted amount of $40,000. Which of the following
is true?
A. We are spending less than we should for the project
B. We are doing a good job managing the project
C. We should check to see if all the bills have been paid
D. Both A and B are correct
E. We can’t be sure how the project is going

Fill in the Blank Questions

32. Delaying noncritical activities to lower peak
demand and, thus, increase resource utilization is called _______
leveling.
________________________________________

33. A(n) ________ constraint addresses the sequence in
which project activities must occur.
________________________________________

34. Having one person responsible for performing
several activities, all due at the same time, is an example of a(n) ________
constraint.
________________________________________

35. Trying to renovate a ship compartment that is too
small for more than one person is an example of a(n) ________ constraint.
________________________________________

36. A shortage of programmers to write software is an
example of a(n) ________ type of resource constraint.
________________________________________

37. The shortage of computer chips to produce a
circuit board is an example of a(n) ________ type of resource constraint.
________________________________________

38. If three copiers are needed to produce a final
report on time and only two are available, the project is facing a(n) ________
type of resource constraint.
________________________________________

39. Hector wants to bring on another programmer to
work on the project but the company does not have anyone who has the needed
skills. Hector’s project is facing a(n) ________ constraint.
________________________________________

40. In order that the new product is on the shelf for
the Christmas buying season, the development of the new product would be
classified as a(n) ________ constrained project.
________________________________________

41. Beth has two engineers assigned to her project and
cannot get any more even if it means slipping the due date on her project. She
is managing a(n) ________ constrained project.
________________________________________

42. All leveling techniques delay noncritical
activities by using ________ to reduce peak demand.
________________________________________

43. Scheduling activities in a constrained project
typically has ________ as the top heuristic rule.
________________________________________

44. The ________ is the most widely used approach to
apply heuristic rules to scheduling activities in a constrained project.
________________________________________

45. When using the ________ scheduling technique, the
work in an activity is interrupted to work on another activity and is then
resumed at a later point in time.
________________________________________

46. In scheduling resource-constrained projects,
_________ are typically used rather than optimum mathematical solutions.
________________________________________

47. In scheduling terms, ________ constrained means
that project duration is fixed and resources are flexible.
________________________________________

48. In scheduling terms, ________ constrained means
that a specific resource is fixed and the duration of the project is
flexible.
________________________________________

49. Start-up and shutdown costs are major
considerations when using the ________________ scheduling technique.
________________________________________

50. To deal with problems related to having several
concurrent projects, companies are creating ________ to oversee the scheduling
of resources across multiple projects.
________________________________________

51. Many companies are using ________ from contractors
and consultants as a means of dealing with the peaks and valleys of resource
allocation among projects.
________________________________________

52. The ______________ is the most widely used
approach to apply heuristics in resource-constrained projects.
________________________________________

53. The ability to more efficiently manage the ebbs
and flows of project work is one of the major driving forces behind
____________ today.
________________________________________

54. Without a time-phased __________ good project
schedule and cost control are impossible.
________________________________________

55. A project cost baseline is also called
__________.
________________________________________

True / False Questions

56. The sequence of (1) pour foundation, (2) build
frame, and (3) cover roof is a type of physical constraint.
True False

57. Too many parallel activities for one individual
are an example of a resource constraint.
True False

58. A project that is not resource-constrained is
time-constrained.
True False

59. Resource leveling is only used on projects which
are resource-constrained.
True False

60. Resource Bottlenecks are one of the three more
common problems encountered in managing multiproject resource schedules.
True False

61. The inability to get more than two earth movers on
a construction site at the same time is an example of a physical
constraint.
True False

62. The most obvious and important kind of resource
constraint is a lack of materials.
True False

63. Having too few programmers and too many engineers
is an example of a people resource constraint.
True False

64. If a project needs one earth-mover six months from
now and the organization has four such machines, there is no equipment resource
constraint.
True False

65. A lack of readily available engineers is a
technical constraint.
True False

66. All projects are usually either time-constrained
or resource-constrained.
True False

67. To determine if a project is time-constrained or
resource-constrained you would consult the project priority matrix.
True False

68. Scheduling time-constrained projects focuses on
the optimal utilization of resources.
True False

69. All leveling techniques delay noncritical
activities by using positive slack to smooth out the resource
requirements.
True False

70. Scheduling time-constrained projects focuses on
resource utilization.
True False

71. Scheduling resource-constrained projects focuses
on completing the project as soon as possible under the given
constraints.
True False

72. Heuristics are used in resource-constrained
projects to develop the optimal schedule.
True False

73. The top priority in using heuristics to allocate
scare resources is those activities with the smallest duration.
True False

74. The critical path in a resource-constrained
schedule can be a group of disjointed, unconnected activities.
True False

75. Splitting is a scheduling technique used to get a
better schedule or better resource utilization.
True False

76. Without a time-phased budget good project schedule
and cost control are impossible.
True False

77. Many companies are using outsourcing as a means
for dealing with their resource allocation problems associated with managing
multiproject resources.
True False

Short Answer Questions

78. Identify and briefly describe the three types of
project constraints.

79. What is the difference in project goals when using
resource leveling on time-constrained projects and using it on
resource-constrained projects?

80. Identify the potential impacts of project
constraints.

81. Identify and give an example of the three types of
resource constraints.

82. Identify and briefly describe the two
classifications of scheduling problems.

83. What are the disadvantages of resource
leveling?

84. Why would a project manager use heuristics rather
than a mathematical solution to level resources?

85. What are the three most common heuristics (in
order of priority) used to allocate resources to project activities?

86. Describe the parallel method for applying
heuristics to the allocation of project resources.

87. Why should project managers be cautious about
using the splitting scheduling technique?

88. Identify and briefly discuss the three more common
problems encountered in managing multiproject resource schedules.

89. Identify and briefly describe the potential
impacts of resource-constrained scheduling.