Resource-Constrained Scheduling

Correct Answer: Use the Minimum Slack approach to determine which task should be prioritized.

The best approach when dealing with two critical tasks which require the same resource in a project with resource constraints and limited timeline, is to use the 'Minimum Slack' approach. This means prioritizing the task with the smallest amount of slack, ie. the least amount of time that you can delay a task without delaying the project. This way, you maximise the use of the resource and reduce the risks of project delay. Selecting a task based on the resource's preference isn't necessarily efficient or beneficial for the project's timeline. Choosing a task with less completion time could be misleading if the task is not critical and delaying it may not actually delay the project. Random task assignment without consideration of the impact on the project timeline could also lead to project delays.

Correct Answer: Fast-track the high priority tasks and assign your best resources to handle them.

To manage a software development project which is resource-constrained, the best approach is to 'Fast-track the high priority tasks and assign your best resources to handle them.' This allows the team to focus on the high-priority tasks with their best skills and reduce the completion time. On the other hand, telling the team to work overtime may lead to burnout and decreased productivity. Delegating all the high-priority tasks to the senior team members may overwhelm them, compromising the quality of their work and leaving junior members with a lack of growth opportunities. Requesting more resources from the client might not always be possible or may lead to increased costs for the client, which could result in dissatisfaction.

Correct Answer: Reduced project complexity, with a possible negative impact on the project value.

In a resource-constrained environment, the reduction in project scope to shorten the duration may result in reduced project complexity. This can possibly lead to a negative impact on the project value as perhaps features, services or functionalities intended in the original scope may be removed or reduced. The client may receive less value from the finalized project than originally anticipated. The other answers are not as likely. Increased project risk and duration (Answer 48322) is not a direct outcome of scope reduction. In fact, scope reduction could lead to reduced project risk and duration since there are fewer elements to manage. A negative effect on team morale and efficiency (Answer 48323) could be a potential impact but it's highly dependent on the team's ability to adapt to change and not a direct result of decreased scope. Finally, an increase in costs and time spent on project replanning (Answer 48324) could result if the scope change was poorly managed but reducing scope generally aims to decrease costs and time.