1. Mid-term Exam
時(shí)長:1h15min
題數(shù):15 questions(90% are multiple choice questions, including calculation)
內(nèi)容:WEEK4, 6, 7, 8(Organizational Structure, Developing a project, Scheduling resources and costs, Reducing project duration, Progress and performance measurement and evaluation)
復(fù)習(xí):Textbook Chapter 3, 6, 8, 9, 13 + Sandra's online videos
2. Reducing project duration
通常項(xiàng)目的constaint集中在三個(gè)方面:scope, time, cost。減少項(xiàng)目周期有許多優(yōu)勢(shì),比如降低項(xiàng)目風(fēng)險(xiǎn),獲得提前完成合約的條約好處等。
思考減少項(xiàng)目周期的時(shí)候通常有兩種情況:resourecs constrained, not constrainted。
(1)not constrained
通過增加投入、外包、早期規(guī)劃、核心團(tuán)隊(duì)建設(shè)等方式來減少項(xiàng)目周期。
(2)constrained
通過對(duì)critical path的管理,減少項(xiàng)目scope,犧牲一部分產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量的方式來實(shí)現(xiàn)。
項(xiàng)目周期的減少會(huì)直接降低indirect costs,增加direct costs。
Direct costs: Costs that are clearly chargeable to a specific work package. 例如材料費(fèi)、設(shè)備費(fèi)
Direct overhead costs: Costs incurred that are directly tied to an identifiable project deliverable or work package. 例如薪水、租金
Indirect overhead costs: Organisation costs indirectly linked to a specific package that are apportioned to the project. 例如監(jiān)管費(fèi)、咨詢費(fèi)
(overhead costs營運(yùn)開支)
在減少項(xiàng)目周期的過程中,要不斷確認(rèn)critical path,往往項(xiàng)目周期的減少會(huì)使得critical path增加,項(xiàng)目的sensitivity增加。
常用術(shù)語:
normal time: is the low-cost, realistic, efficient method for completing an activity under normal conditions
crashing: Means shortening an activity
crash time: is the shortest possible time that an activity can realistically be completed in
crash cost: is the direct cost for completing an activity within the crash time
crash point: Represents the maximum time an activity can be compressed/reduced.

通常減少項(xiàng)目周期的時(shí)候優(yōu)先從critical activities,同時(shí)兼顧增長的費(fèi)用最少。也就是說Shorten the critical activities with the smallest increase in cost per unit of time

對(duì)上圖的activity graph而言,默認(rèn)cost relationship是linear的,這個(gè)圖的最大價(jià)值在于constant cost per unit of time,也就是圖中斜線的slope。
如果cost是客戶更加看重的部分,那么可以考慮減少project scope,讓客戶take more responsibility。
3. Progress and performance measurement and evaluation
對(duì)于PM(Project managers)來說,project evaluaiton and control是日常最重要的工作之一。
(1)Data collection
主要收集的數(shù)據(jù)是cost and schedule,以及潛在問題和對(duì)項(xiàng)目未來的預(yù)測(cè)。
(2)Project control
setting a baseline plan,常用方法是甘特圖(Gantt charts),與WBS時(shí)不同的是,project control時(shí)所有的甘特圖是用進(jìn)度條來表示的。
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measuring progress and performance, 常用方法是project schedule control chart,以reporting period做橫軸,time periods做縱軸,評(píng)估項(xiàng)目的進(jìn)度是否符合計(jì)劃,如下圖。
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comparing plan against actual -->
taking action

常用術(shù)語:
Earned Value(EV): Earned value is a project management technique for measuring project performance and progress. pre-defined “earning rules” (also called metrics) to quantify the accomplishment of work. Earned value is the percent of original budget that has been earned by actual work completed.
Planned Value(PV)/ Budget Cost of Work Scheduled(BCWS): a valuation of planned work. The planned time-phased baseline of the value of the work scheduled. An approved cost estimate of the resources scheduled in a time-phased cumulative baseline.
Actual Cost(AC): Actual cost of the work completed.
Cost Variance(CV): Cost variance is the difference between the earned value and the actual costs for the work completed to date where CV = EV - AC
Schedule Variance(SV): Schedule variance is the difference between the earned value and the baseline to date where SV = EV - PV
Project management process review:
WBS--OBS--Work packages (time, resources, budgets, responsibilities, performance standards)--Plan, shcedule baseline--Control(Time, cost, specifications by deliverables and organisation)
PV: Budgeted cost of the work scheduled
EV: Budgeted cost of the work completed
AC: Actual cost of the work completed
CV = EV - AC: Indicates if the work accomplished using labour and materials costs more or less than was planned at any point in the project
SV = EV - PV: Presents an overall assessment in dollar terms of the progress of all work packages in the project scheduled to date

Performance indexes:
Cost performance index(CPI): Measures the cost efficiency of work accomplished to date. CPI = EV/AC
Scheduling performance index(SPI): Measures scheduling efficiency. SPI = EV/PV
Percent complete index: Indicates how much of the work accomplished is represented by the total budgeted (BAC) and actual (AC) dollars to date. PCIB = EV/BAC; PCIC = AC/EAC
index > 1.00: CPI under cost, SPI ahead of schedule;
index = 1.00: CPI on cost, SPI on schedule;
index < 1.00: CPI over cost, SPI behind schedule
Forecasint model:
