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 Understand Total Float:

Total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project completion date.

 Review the Network Diagram and Logic:

Activity F is not on the critical path, which allows for flexibility.

Analyzing the paths and slack in the diagram confirms that Activity F has the most total float.

 Cross-Verification:

Option A: Incorrect. Activity I is on the critical path with no float.

Option B: Incorrect. Activity C is not the most flexible.

Option D: Incorrect. Activity D has limited slack.

Option C: Correct. Activity F has the maximum total float.

To maintain the product availability date while accommodating a 15-day delay in proofing corrections, the best course of action is to expedite another activity on the critical path. The PSP Study Guide outlines methods for schedule recovery and acceleration (Section 2.3.5, "Acceleration"). Expediting the Draft Product Manual by 5 days helps redistribute the time lost, aligning subsequent tasks to achieve the original completion milestone without delaying the overall schedule.

Total float measures the flexibility in an activity’s timing within a schedule. It is defined as the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project’s overall completion date or the completion date of any of its successors.

Option A, B, and D accurately describe total float: it is calculated as the difference between early and late start/finish dates, can be positive or negative, and is associated with project completion​.

Option C describes free float, not total float, and thus is incorrect.

 Crashed Schedule Predecessors to Activity 2004:

Activity 2004 (River Diversion to Pipeline) depends on completion of:

1001 (Preliminary Civil Work).

2001 (River Diversion Stage 1).

2002 (River Diversion Stage 2).

2003 (River Diversion Dam).

 Exclusion of Other Activities:

Activity 2007 is not part of the crashed schedule's direct predecessor chain.

Other options include duplicated or incorrect entries.

 PSP Study Guide Reference:

Logical sequence analysis confirms these predecessors (Ref: PSP Study Guide, Chapter 2A: Activity Sequencing and Critical Path Analysis).

 Understanding the Requirement:

The "normal" schedule duration is 1072 days for Activity 1000 (General Conditions).

Billing occurs at the end of each month for the previous month.

Partial months are included in billing cycles.

 Total Project Duration in Months:

Total days: 1072.

Convert to months: 107230.44≈35.2\frac{1072}{30.44} \approx 35.230.441072​≈35.2 months.

Include partial months, which adds 1 additional invoice.

 Total Invoices:

Full months: 35.

Partial months: 7 (assuming each partial month is rounded up to include invoicing).

Total invoices = 35+7=4235 + 7 = 4235+7=42.

 PSP Principles Cross-Verification:

PSP guidelines emphasize accurate conversion of schedule durations into calendar billing periods for effective cash flow management (Ref: PSP Study Guide, Chapter 2B: Schedule Output and Deliverables).

 Impact of Scope Definition on Cost Overruns:

Poor scope definition leads to unrealistic budgets and unforeseen changes, which significantly contribute to cost overruns.

Other factors like change management and WBS definitions are secondary contributors compared to scope inadequacy.

 PSP Study Guide References:

The guide emphasizes scope definition as a critical factor for accurate budgeting and planning​.

 Conclusion: The correct answer is D, as scope definition at the estimate stage has the most frequent and significant impact on cost overruns.

To calculate the completion day for Activity C:

Reduce Activity A's duration by five days.

Recalculate dependent activities' start and finish times using forward pass logic (PSP Study Guide, Subchapter 2.2.4, "Relationships").

Sum up the adjusted durations to determine the completion day for Activity C.

This aligns with the logic of schedule adjustments and dependencies as outlined in the PSP Study Guide.

 Late Finish Analysis for Activity C (Develop Plans and Specs):

Activity C duration is 5 months, starting after Activity A (3 months).

Late finish = Early start of successor (Activity E) = 10 months.

 Cross-Verification:

Based on backward pass calculations, Activity C must end by month 10 to not delay its successor.

 Verification with PSP Guidelines:

Late finish values are calculated during backward pass (Ref: PSP Study Guide, Chapter 2A: Backward Pass and Float Calculations).

 Calculation of Maximum Lifts Per Crane Per Day:

A single crane performs 30 lifts per day.

 Number of Cranes and Days:

3 cranes working for 5 days = 3×30×53 \times 30 \times 53×30×5.

 Total Lifts:

Total lifts = 450450450.

 Verification with PSP Guidelines:

Efficient resource calculation is critical in equipment planning (Ref: PSP Study Guide, Chapter 2A: Resource Allocation and Optimization).