When tasks must be completed one after another, they are called concurrent tasks.

Dependencies are the relationships among tasks which determine the order in which activities need to be performed. There are four (4) types of dependency relationships.

Types of dependencies

Finish to Start		Predecessor must finish before Successor can start. [Land must be purchased before road building can start]
Start to Start		Predecessor must start before Successor can start. [Road excavating must start before Asphalt can be laid]
Finish to Finish		Predecessor must finish before Successor can finish. [Laying Asphalt must be complete before line painting can be completed]
Start to Finish		Predecessor must start before Successor can finish. [Road excavating must start before line painting can be completed]

Dependencies are the relationships of the preceding tasks to the succeeding tasks. Tasks may have multiple preceding tasks and multiple succeeding tasks. The most common dependency relationship is a finish-to-start relationship. Task P (predecessor) must be finished before task S (successor) can start. The least common relationship is the start-to-finish relationship. Project Insight, project management software, supports all four dependency relationships.

Product Development Activity List

The chart above shows how a Product Development Activity List may look after the project team determines the task relationships. In our example, only finish-to-start relationships were used.

It is always easier to arrange all tasks in terms of a finish-to-start relationship and an 'as soon as possible' constraint. This dependency type is the easiest relationship for others to understand and will usually result in a longer than normal schedule. This gives the schedule more 'slack.' You may then utilize the other relationships as ways to shrink the duration of the overall schedule. If you use finish-to-start and as soon as possible, you will be able to change the schedule in Project Insight, project management software, with just a couple of mouse clicks.

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In a PERT/CPM chart, each rectangular box, called a task box, has five sections that contain important information about a task.

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When two or more concurrent tasks depend on a single prior task, the concurrent tasks are called ____ tasks.

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For a project manager, reporting _____.

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includes informing management, users, and the project team about the progress of the project

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____ is a time estimate the project manager makes for a task.

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The worst-case estimate The best-case estimate The probable-case estimate

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System developers can initiate a formal project as early as the preliminary investigation stage, or later on, as analysis, design, and implementation activities occur.

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Most risk identifications include a brief description of ____.

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who would be responsible for responding to a given risk

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GanttProject can open files created with ____.

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In a PERT/CPM chart, each task has which of the following ____.

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Problems with timetables and project milestones can indicate ____.

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personality conflicts among team members

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A ____ might involve maximums for one or more resources.

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A PERT/CPM chart does not show the project as a network diagram with tasks connected by arrows.

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Microsoft claims that Microsoft Project has the capability of ____.

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assign ownership of risks

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Critical time is the amount of time that a task would be late without pushing back the completion date of the entire project.

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Project management is dynamic and challenging, regardless of which software you use..

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A _____ cannot be started until one or more other tasks are completed.

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Gantt charts often are included in progress reports to show project status graphically.

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_____ is a full-featured program that holds the dominant share of the project management software market.

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When several tasks can start at the same time, each is called a(n) ____ task.

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Project management software can highlight the series of tasks that form the critical path.

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When an information system does not meet business requirements, causes might include ____

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A event is a recognizable reference point that you can use to ____.

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For a project manager, monitoring _____.

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requires guiding, supervising, and coordinating the project team's workload

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Project management is dynamic and challenging, regardless of which software you use.

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Tasks that are not on the critical path cannot be ignored.

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Often, two or more concurrent tasks depend on a single prior task, which is called a successor task.

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Although a Gantt chart provides more detailed information about a project, a PERT/CPM chart offers a rapid overview that graphically displays the timing, duration, and progress of each task

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Gantt charts are an ideal tool for controlling a complex project because they provide plenty of detailed information.

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Which of the following are metrics of a successful project ____.

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delivery of a product that satisfies users

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Using a WBS allows you to manage a project as one large task

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Which of the following is an example of an event?

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the start of user training conversion of system data completion of interviews

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A risk ____ plan is a proactive effort to anticipate a risk and describe an action plan to deal with it.

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Using prior experience to make time and cost estimates works best for large projects.

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The accompanying figure shows task ____, which simplify a complex task by combining several activities.

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In most systems analysis tasks, time and people are interchangeable.

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When tasks must be completed one after another, they are called concurrent tasks.

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Two or more concurrent tasks often depend on a single prior task, which is called a(n) ____ task

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When two or more concurrent tasks depend on a single prior task, each of the concurrent tasks is called a predecessor task.

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If team members lack experience with certain aspects of the required technology, temporary help might be obtained from IT consultants or part-time staff.

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A ____ path includes all tasks that are vital to the project schedule.

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When a project manager first recognizes that a project is in trouble, the options available to her include ____.

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delaying the project deadline

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A(n) ____ chart displays complex task patterns and relationships

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In GanttProject, unlike in Microsoft Project, you create tasks and durations, indicate dependencies, and assign resources.

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When an information system does not meet business requirements, causes might include ____.

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_____ is a full-featured program that holds the dominant share of the project management software market

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A ____ is an event that could affect a project negatively.

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The first step in creating a WBS is to ____.

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If any task along the critical path falls behind schedule, the entire project is delayed.

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In addition to tasks, every project has ____, which are reference points used to monitor progress and manage the project.

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Project managers always must be aware of the ____ path, so they can monitor the vital tasks and keep the project on track.

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Effective project reporting requires ____.

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strong communication skill

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Project status meetings give project managers an opportunity to seek input and conduct brainstorming sessions.

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The purpose of quantitative risk analysis is to understand the actual impact in terms of dollars, time, project scope, or quality.

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When maintaining schedules, if enough ____ and frequent checkpoints exist, problems will be detected rapidly

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When several tasks can take place at the same time, each is called a sequential task.

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In any project, large or small, tasks depend on each other and must be performed in a sequence.

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A project manager's scheduling function _____.

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involves staffing, which includes selecting the project team and assigning specific tasks to team members

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A(n) ____ chart displays complex task patterns and relationships.

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Microsoft's risk management model includes ____

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category, which specifies the risk type

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Although a Gantt chart provides more detailed information about a project, a PERT/CPM chart offers a rapid overview that graphically displays the timing, duration, and progress of each task.

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Structured walk-throughs take place throughout the SDLC and are called ____ reviews, depending on the phase in which they occur.

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code design testing

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In the end, every successful information system must ____.

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support business requirements stay within budget be completed on time

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A project manager, or project leader, usually is a senior systems analyst or an IT department manager if the project is large.

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PERT/CPM is called a(n) ____ technique, because it analyzes a large, complex project as a series of individual tasks.

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Most managers recognize that problems do occur on most projects; it is better to alert management sooner rather than later.

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The Apptivo ____ is free of charge with unlimited duration.

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A project triangle shows three legs: _____.

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project cost, scope, and time

When task must be completed one after another?

Is a series of tasks that if delayed would affect the completion date of the overall project?

What involves breaking a project down into a series of smaller tasks?

What is a condition restriction or requirement that the system must satisfy?