Lab 6, Task Constraints and Baselines

Review Questions

Name John F.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences:

1) What is the difference between a task dependency and a task constraint?

-The difference between a task’s dependencies and its constraints lie in the time. A

dependency joins two tasks by saying that one task begins relative to a different task

whereas a constraint simply puts the correlation directly to a time rather than base it off the time another task is completed/started.

2) Give a real-world situation when you might used the following task constraints:

a) Start No Earlier Than

-Large government projects that take multiple years to complete require portions of each

year’s budged to be used towards the project. One might put this type of constraint on a

project so that the government doesn’t go over that year’s budget but rather waits to start

certain tasks until the new fiscal year begins.

b) Start No Later Than

-If a project’s resources are to be requisitioned ahead of time and then paid for and picked

up later the company who is selling the resources might require the money by a certain

date in order to make sure the resources are guaranteed. By setting a start no later than

constraint on the payment it can be assured that the resources are paid for before the

hold on the materials is lifted regardless of whether the project is running on schedule.

c) Finish No Later Than

-If there is a set date for a project to finish it would be wise to set up milestone tasks with

finish no later than constraints as to increase the urgency of keeping on track with time.

Something like a new year’s eve ball would be an example of a project with no room to

finish late.

d) Finish No Earlier Than

-If a company wants to roll over a project to have it be part of a second year’s budget it

might put a finish no earlier than constraint so that it does so.

e) Must Finish On

-If there is a set date for something like gathering materials that cannot be...