Introduction to Operations & Supply Chain Management, 5e (Bozarth)
Chapter 14 Managing Projects
14.1 The Growing Importance of Project Management
1) In what way are projects and typical business activities similar?
A) For most companies, projects and typical business activities can be described as routine.
B) Both projects and typical business activities have a defined ending point at which time they are
complete.
C) Projects and routine business activities require significant levels of cross-functional and
interorganizational coordination.
D) The successful completion of projects and business activities is essential to a firm’s competitive
position.
2) A project is a temporary undertaking designed to create a unique, product, service or results.
3) Discuss the recent business trends that have increased the attention and interest in project management
skills.
4) In what ways are projects distinct from typical business activities?
14.2 Project Phases
1) Project planners develop a broad definition of what the project is and what its scope will be during the:
A) concept phase.
B) project definition phase.
C) planning phase.
D) performance phase.
2) The budget estimates made during the concept phase are usually accurate to within:
A) 20 percent.
B) 30 percent.
C) 40 percent.
D) 50 percent.
3) An expectation that a new building‘s foundation would be poured and cured by the end of the year is
an example of a(n):
A) activity.
B) scope.
C) milestone.
D) precedence.
4) Execution of the project’s constituent activities begins in the project’s:
A) planning phase.
B) concept phase.
C) post-completion phase.
D) performance phase.
5) In the project definition phase, project planners identify, among other tasks, how to accomplish the
work and how to organize for the project.
6) Performance or time targets for each major group of activities in a project are set during the planning
phase of a project.
7) Key points in a project, such as when a major activity or phase should be completed, are referred to as
lodestones.
8) There are more resources required during the performance phase of a project than the project
definition phase.
9) One of the primary characteristics of projects as a form of work is the movement of personnel from
project to project.
10) During the ________, project planners identify how to accomplish the work, how to organize for the
project, and the key personnel and resources needed.
11) A performance or time target for each major group of activities in a project is a(n) ________.
12) The actual work gets done during the ________ phase of a project.
13) What are the phases of a project and the activities within each?
14.3 Project Management Tools
1) This Gantt chart can be used to show:
A) activity D must come before activity C.
B) activity F can be done at the same time as D.
C) activity E can begin as soon as activity A is complete.
D) activities D and B can be done simultaneously.
2) The Triskaidekaphobia Project is starting its tenth week and the Gantt chart appears below. Which of
these statements about the project is incorrect?
A) The critical path is BCEF.
B) Five of the activities are complete.
C) Activity D had one week of slack.
D) The project is behind schedule.
3) PERT is an acronym meaning:
A) Project Evaluation and Review Technique.
B) Project Execution and Review Technique.
C) Program Evaluation and Review Technique.
D) Plan Estimation and Review Technique.
4) What is the latest that activity B can start if A lasts 35 days, B lasts 5, days C lasts 6 days, and D lasts 7
days?
A) 35
B) 36
C) 40
D) 41
5) What is the latest that activity D can start if A lasts 5 days, B lasts 7 days, C lasts 4 days, D lasts 5 days,
E lasts 7 days, and F is 6 days long?
A) 14
B) 15
C) 16
D) 17
6) What is the fastest completion time of the project with activity lengths (in days) and precedence
requirements as shown in the table?
Activity
Length
Predecessor
A
15
—
B
7
A
C
4
A
D
8
B, C
A) 22
B) 25
C) 27
D) 30
B
C
D
E
G
H
K
L
8) Refer to the scenario above. What is the earliest start time for activity H?
A) Week 14
B) Week 15
C) Week 16
D) Week 17
9) Refer to the scenario above. What is the latest start time for activity K?
A) Week 20
B) Week 19
C) Week 18
D) Week 17
10) Refer to the scenario above. What is the duration of activity H?
A) 7 weeks
B) 8 weeks
C) 9 weeks
D) 10 weeks
11) Refer to the scenario above. What is the earliest finish time for activity G?
A) Week 21
B) Week 22
C) Week 23
D) Week 24
14) Refer to the scenario above. Which of these activities has the least slack?
A) E
B) B
C) G
D) F
16) Refer to the scenario above. Which of these activities has slack?
A) G
B) E
C) F
D) D
17) Which of the activities in this project has the greatest amount of slack?
Activity
Length
Predecessor
A
7
—
B
4
A
C
8
A
D
3
B, C
E
2
B
F
8
D, E
A) B
B) C
C) D
D) E
18) Construction of the cattery could be distilled to eight distinct steps, from the official groundbreaking
ceremony to the cutting of the litterbox ribbon. The activities, their durations and predecessors are shown
in the table below. Use this scenario to answer the following question.
Activity
Predecessors
Time (weeks)
A
—
10
B
A
8
C
A
7
D
C
11
E
D
12
F
B
11
G
E, F
6
H
E, F
9
Refer to the scenario above. One activity has identical earliest finish and latest start times. What is the
common number for this unusual activity?
A) 17
B) 18
C) 21
D) 29
19) A project is composed of 6 activities that have durations and precedence requirements shown in the
table. Which of these activities is NOT on the critical path?
Activity
Length
Predecessor
A
5
—
B
7
A
C
4
A
D
7
B,C
E
7
B
F
6
D, E
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D