(05) Resource Scheduling

Question 1

What are renewable resources?

Answer 1

Available for each period regardless of project duration.

- E.g., manpower, machine, equipment, etc.

Question 2

What are Non-Renewable Resources?

Answer 2

Exhausted as they are used and are limited over the entire planning horizon.
- E.g., raw material, capital, etc.

Question 3

What are Different Sequences?

Answer 3

• Technical considerations define the logical sequence.
• Shortage of resources redefine the activity sequence.
• Although the technical considerations allow the simultaneous executions of the activities, due to the shortage of resources the tasks have to be executed sequentially.

Question 4

What are Time-constrained projects?

Answer 4

• Must be completed by a set date.
• Use of levelling techniques to..
• Managerial implications.

Question 5

What must be completed by a set date?

Answer 5

Time is fixed, resources are flexible: additional resources are required to ensure project meets schedule.

Question 6

Why are levelling techniques used?

Answer 6

• Create a smoother distribution of resource usage by delaying noncritical activities.
• Fluctuation in resource demand is minimised.
• Resources over the life of the project are reduced.

Question 7

What managerial implications are there?

Answer 7

• Improves morale and results in fewer problems in the personnel and payroll.
• Associated direct costs also tend to be levelled.

Question 8

What are the factors of resource-constrained projects?

Answer 8

• Level of resources available cannot be exceeded.
• Use of heuristics (rule-of-thumb) that focus on the following priority rule in the order..
• Assumptions (simplifications).

Question 9

What level of resources available cannot be exceeded?

Answer 9

Resources are fixed, time is flexible: inadequate resources will delay the project.

Question 10

What is the following priority rule for the use of heuristics (rule of thumb)?

Answer 10

1. Minimum slack.
2. Smallest (least) duration.
3. Early start (or lowest identification number).

Question 11

Assumptions (simplifications).

Answer 11

• Splitting activities is not allowed — once an activity starts, it is carried to completion.
• Level of resource used for an activity cannot be changed.
• Activities with the most slack pose the least risk.
• Reduction of flexibility may increase risk.

Question 12

What are the impacts of Resource-constrained scheduling?

Answer 12

• Reduces slack.
• Reduces flexibility.
• Increases the number of critical and near-critical activities.
• Increases scheduling complexity.
• May break sequence of activities, creating disjointed critical activities.
• May cause parallel activities to become sequential.
• May cause critical activities to become noncritical.

Question 13

What types of constraints are there?

Answer 13

Time-constrained projects.
Resource-constrained projects.
Resource-constrained scheduling.

Of course, a combination of both time and resource constraints is also possible.

Question 14

What is estimating project costs about?

Answer 14

It is about forecasting or approximating the cost of completing project deliverables.

Question 15

What are the types of estimates?

Answer 15

• Top-down (macro) estimates: analogy, group consensus or mathematical relationships.
• Bottom-up (micro) estimates: estimates of elements of the work breakdown structure.

Question 16

What Types of Costs are there?

Answer 16

1. Direct Costs.

2. Indirect (overhead) Costs.

Question 17

What are Direct Costs?

Answer 17

Costs that are clearly chargeable to a specific work package.
- Labour, materials, equipment, etc.

Question 18

What are Indirect (overhead) Costs?

Answer 18

Costs incurred that are indirectly linked to a specific package that are apportioned to the project.
- Secretarial services, office space, telephone, etc.

Question 19

What do time-phased budgets involve?

Answer 19

• Involves allocating the project cost estimate to activities over time.
• The activities are based on the WBS for the project.

Question 20

What occurs when developing time-phased budgets?

Answer 20

• A cost estimate is not a budget unless it is time-phased.
• Time phasing begins with the time estimate for a project.
• Time-phased budgets mirror how the project’s costs will occur or when cash flows from the project can be expected.

Question 21

What is the importance of Time-Phased Budgets?

Answer 21

Without time- phasing cost to match the project schedule it is impossible to have reliable information for control purposes.

Question 22

What are some tips for estimating projects?

Answer 22

1. Always include contingency.
2. Discuss and communicate team assumptions.
3. Avoid using only high-level breakdowns.
4. Double-check for commonly overlooked activities.
5. Include the accuracy of the estimate.
6. Do not forget risks.