BMS Project Management Fundamentals 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A BMS project manager discovers that a critical battery cell supplier has gone out of business mid-project. Which risk response strategy was NOT applied proactively?
- Risk avoidance
- Risk transfer
- Risk mitigation
- Contingency planning (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Contingency planning
Contingency planning would have identified backup suppliers in advance, preventing the project disruption.
Question 2: During a BMS firmware integration phase, a team member estimates 40 hours for a task but the PM's three-point estimate yields 55 hours. What should the PM do?
- Accept the team member's estimate to maintain morale
- Use the three-point estimate and discuss the discrepancy with the team member (Correct answer)
- Average both estimates and use 47.5 hours
- Escalate the disagreement to upper management
Correct answer: Use the three-point estimate and discuss the discrepancy with the team member
Three-point estimates account for uncertainty more accurately, and the discrepancy warrants an open conversation to understand differing assumptions.
Question 3: Which project management document formally authorizes the BMS certification project and identifies the project manager?
- Project Management Plan
- Project Charter (Correct answer)
- Statement of Work
- Scope Baseline
Correct answer: Project Charter
The Project Charter formally authorizes the project and grants the project manager authority to apply resources.
Question 4: A BMS project is 60% complete. Planned Value (PV) is $120,000, Earned Value (EV) is $100,000, and Actual Cost (AC) is $115,000. What is the Cost Performance Index (CPI)?
- 0.87 (Correct answer)
- 1.04
- 0.96
- 1.15
Correct answer: 0.87
CPI = EV / AC = $100,000 / $115,000 ≈ 0.87, indicating the project is over budget.
Question 5: When managing a BMS project, the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) uses RACI. What does the 'C' in RACI stand for?
- Contracted
- Consulted (Correct answer)
- Confirmed
- Controlled
Correct answer: Consulted
Consulted means those whose opinions are sought, providing two-way communication before a decision is made.
Question 6: A BMS project sponsor requests a major change to battery thermal management specifications after the design phase is complete. What is the FIRST step the PM should take?
- Implement the change immediately to satisfy the sponsor
- Submit a change request to the integrated change control process (Correct answer)
- Reject the change as it is too late in the project
- Update the project schedule without formal documentation
Correct answer: Submit a change request to the integrated change control process
All changes must go through integrated change control to assess impact on scope, schedule, cost, and quality.
Question 7: In a BMS certification project, which scheduling technique identifies the longest path through the network diagram, determining the project's minimum duration?
- Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
- Critical Path Method (CPM) (Correct answer)
- Resource leveling
- Fast tracking
Correct answer: Critical Path Method (CPM)
The Critical Path Method identifies the sequence of tasks with zero float that determines the shortest possible project duration.
BMS Project Management Fundamentals 2
A BMS project manager discovers that a critical battery cell supplier has gone out of business mid-project.
Which risk response strategy was NOT applied proactively?