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Lead and Lag Time

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In the context of the Critical Path Method, Lead time is the time that can be saved on the successor activity by beginning the predecessor task early. On the other hand, Lag time is a delay between tasks that must be observed for technological or process-related reasons. Both Lead and Lag time are essential considerations when identifying the critical path, optimizing schedules, and assessing project risks.

Guide: Answering Questions on Lead and Lag Time in an Exam

Lead and Lag Time are crucial concepts within the Critical Path Method (CAPM) under project management, capturing the timing relationships between activities.

Importance: Understanding Lead and Lag Time helps in realistic project scheduling, risk anticipation, and efficient resource allocation. It ensures a well-developed timeline and a smoother process towards project completion.

Definition:
- Lead Time is an acceleration of the successor activity and can be defined as the time you can start a subsequent activity earlier than its predecessor is finished.
- Lag Time, on the other hand, is a delay in the successor activity. It is the time you must wait between the finish of a predecessor activity and the start of a successor activity.

How it Works: In project management, Lead and Lag Times are used for scheduling dependent activities. By manipulating Lead and Lag Time, project managers can better control the start and end times of the activities, allowing for more flexible and efficient project scheduling.

Answering Exam Questions: When dealing with Lead and Lag Time in exam questions, always identify the relationship between activities first. Then, calculate the project timeline based on the given Lead or Lag Time.

Exam Tips:
- Always read the question carefully. Understand the given relationship between activities. - Draw timelines or Gantt charts to visualize the Lead and Lag time if necessary- Don’t forget to add or subtract the Lead or Lag times when computing the activity’s start and end times- Practice typical CAPM questions on Lead and Lag Time to familiarize yourself with the concept and to check your understanding.

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CAPM - Critical Path Method Example Questions

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Question 1

You are managing a new shopping mall construction project. The flooring needs to be installed before the shops' interior design can start. It takes 3 days to install the floor and 2 days for it to dry. What should be your plan to manage time?

Correct Answer: Add a lag time of 2 days after flooring installation for it to dry before starting the interior design.

As per the question, the flooring of the mall takes 3 days to install and 2 additional days to dry. So, any subsequent activities like the interior design of the shops totally depend on the completion of the flooring work. Given that, the best approach to handle the situation is to add a lag time of 2 days after flooring installation to allow it to dry. Starting the interior design as soon as the flooring installation begins is incorrect because the floor will not have dried yet. Also, it doesn't make sense to start the interior design even before the flooring, or add a lead time of 2 days to start the interior design before flooring installation. Waiting for flooring installation to complete and then deciding based on the situation is also not an efficient approach to manage time in project management. Therefore, it is best to plan ahead and schedule the interior designing work after the flooring installation and drying time.

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