Develop the project schedule— Time Management

Schedule Development is an interactive process that helps determine planned project start- and end-dates. It continues throughout the project as work progresses, the project management plan changes, and anticipated risk rises and falls.  Project management PMP candidates must understand how to develop a schedule.

Schedule Development analyzes activity component constraints, such as those that affect:

activity sequences
durations
resource requirements
schedules
THE Project Schedule is created as a result.

Develop the project schedule—Develop Schedule, TIME Constraints, which must be considered during schedule development include:

imposed start- and end-dates
project stakeholder, customer, and/or sponsor milestone requirements

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES USED TO DEVELOP SCHEDULES:

SCHEDULE NETWORK ANALYSIS is a scheduling technique that employs a scheduling model and various analytical techniques to generate the project schedule.

THE CRITICAL PATH METHOD (CPM) (below) scheduling technique is designed to control project time and cost using estimated activity time. It calculates theoretical early start and finish dates, and late start and finish dates. It performs forward pass analysis and backward pass analysis through the project schedule network paths.  PMP Exam Preparation will include examples of this.

The critical path is the longest path through the network diagram.

Develop the project schedule—Develop Schedule, THE SCHEDULE COMPRESSION TECHNIQUE meets schedule constraints and imposed dates or other schedule objectives by shortening the project schedule without changing the project scope.

FAST-TRACKING is a schedule compression technique that schedules normally sequential activity phases so they will be performed in parallel. The project manager must recognize the increased risk and rework associated with this technique.

CRASHING is a schedule compression technique where cost and schedule tradeoffs are analyzed to ‘obtain the greatest amount of compression for the least incremental costs.

A BAR CHART (GANTT CHART) (below) is a graphical representation of  planned and actual progress for a number of project tasks using horizontal lines, or bars. It is helpful in expediting sequencing, reallocating resources among tasks, and monitoring progress of all primary and secondary tasks.

MILESTONE CHARTS exclusively identify the scheduled start or completion of major deliverables and key external interfaces.

Develop the project schedule— Time Management Overview, TIME is the period given in which to complete the project.

Projects are typically broken down into the time required to complete individual components, stages, or phases.

These components, stages, or phases are further broken down into the time required to complete tasks necessary to complete each component, stage, or phase.

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AN Organization's Duration Estimating Database

AN ORGANIZATION’S DURATION ESTIMATING DATABASE is the best reference information to use for estimating activity duration when activity durations are not driven by the actual work content. Organizations involved in the project may maintain duration estimating databases and other historical reference data that can be useful in estimating activity durations.

Assumptions and constraints from the project scope statement are considered when estimating activity duration schedules.  PMP preparation reviews assumptions and constraints.

An example of an assumption is the length of the project reporting periods, which can dictate maximum scheduled activity duration.

An example of a constraint on schedule activity durations would be document submittals, reviews, and similar non-deliverable schedule activities, which have frequencies and durations either specified by contract, or within the performing organization's policies.

INEFFICIENCY caused by lack of adequate quantities or skills or materials, equipment, and labor/personnel, will significantly influence the duration of most activities. PMP prep courses include examples of inefficiencies.

THE RESOURCE CALENDAR developed as part of the activity resource estimating process includes:

Availability and capabilities skills of human resources
Availability and capability of equipment and material resources

THE RISK REGISTER has information on identified project risks.  These risks must be considered when producing estimates of activity durations, or when activity durations for risks must be adjusted.

COMPLETED ACTIVITY COST ESTIMATES can be developed to provide estimated resource quantities for each schedule activity in the project activity list.

RESOURCE QUANTITY and PRODUCTIVITY RATE

THREE-POINT ESTIMATES are activity duration estimates that consider the amount of relative risk involved in the original estimate. Three-point estimates are based on estimates that might be:

The most likely
Optimistic (best-case scenario)
Pessimistic (worst-case scenario)

Using a combined average of the three types of estimates provides a more accurate activity duration estimate than a single-point estimate.

Project teams can choose to incorporate additional time into the project schedule.

These additions are referred to as:

Buffers
Contingencies
Reserves
Time Reserves (amounts of time added to the schedule to compensate for recognized schedule risk).

THE CONTINGENCY RESERVE may be a percentage of estimated activity duration, a fixed number of work periods, or may be developed by quantitative schedule risk analysis.

Develop the project schedule—Develop Schedule:

SCHEDULING is essentially the converting of the project action plan into a functioning timetable which provides the basis for monitoring and controlling the project.
Not all project activities need to be scheduled in the same level of detail.

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Develop the Project Schedule— Estimate Activity Resources

There are a number of approaches to managing project activities:

Tools and Techniques used to Estimate Activity Resources-

EXPERT JUDGEMENT is required to effectively assess resource-related inputs to the activity resource estimating process. This does not automatically mean that the project manager should exclusively perform this process. Any group or person specialized in resource planning and estimating can provide such input.  The PMP exam will test exensively on this, students should work to be prepared and understand it.

ALTERNATIVE ANALYSES examine schedule activities that have several methods for completion. The analyses generate the "best" alternative considering the project and resources available.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE helps plan, organize, and manage resource pools and develop resource estimates. Depending on how sophisticated the program is, resource calendars, breakdown structures, resource availability and rates can be obtained.  PMP exam prep will include specific examples of this as well as hands-on activities.

BOTTOM-UP ESTIMATING allows the project manager to decompose work within the schedule activity into more detail.  The needs of each lower, detailed piece of work are estimated. These estimates are aggregated into a total quantity for each of the schedule activity resources.

Develop the Project Schedule— Estimate Activity Resources-

Expected output from performing the activity resource estimating process includes identification and description of the types and quantities of resources required for each schedule activity in a work package.

An output of activity resource estimating is the creation of a RESOURCE BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (RBS). A resource breakdown structure (RBS) is a hierarchal structure of resources (by resource category and type) used in resource leveling schedules to develop resource-limited schedules.

THE COMPOSITE RESOURCE CALENDAR for the project documents when personnel or materials can be active or are idle, and when resource-specific holidays and resource availability periods occur.

REQUESTED CHANGES are a result of additional or deleted planned schedule activities on the activity list.

Develop the Project Schedule— Estimate Activity Durations-

ACTIVITY DURATION is the time in calendar units between the start and finish of a schedule activity.

All work effort required to complete the schedule activity, the assumed amount of resources to be applied to complete the schedule activity, and the number of work periods needed to complete the schedule activity, is estimated.

ASSUMPTIONS that support duration estimating are documented for each activity duration estimate.

ACTIVITY DURATION ESTIMATING is the time management process of estimating the number of work periods that will be necessary to complete activities.

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Scheduling software and the PMIS!

Scheduling software and the PMIS are considered enterprise environmental factors. Enterprise environmental factors are external environmental and internal organizational environmental factors that influence the project's success.  PMP preparation includes hands-on use of scheduling software.

TEMPLATES made from information from similar past project's activity lists are often used for a new project. Templates typically contain related activity attribute information such as:

resource skills and required hours
identified risks
expected deliverables lists

TEMPLATES may be used to establish SCHEDULE MILESTONES.

Rolling Wave Planning involves:

planning short-term work in detail at low levels of the WBS
planning future work at high levels of the WBS that will be detailed  within one or two periods

The project manager utilizes the following to define the ACTIVITY LISTS are documented tabulations of schedule activities showing:

the activity description
the activity identifier
scope of work
   
The Schedule Activity Scope of Work may be represented:

in physical terms (pipe)
by the number of drawings
in lines of computer program code
in the chapters in a book

ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES are used for:

project schedule development- selecting, ordering, and sorting planned schedule activities within reports

Schedule Activity attributes include:

time leads and lags
resource requirements
the person responsible for executing the work
logical relationships
activity identifiers
activity description
predecessor and successor activities
imposed dates
constraints and assumptions
the place, type of work, and effort

Milestones required by the contract are considered MANDATORY MILESTONES.

OPTIONAL MILESTONES are those based on project requirements or on historical information.  PMP exam preparation includes examples of these.

THE MILESTONE LIST is a component of the project management plan and used in the schedule model.

Develop the project schedule—Sequence Activities
The activity sequencing process provides a means of identifying and documenting dependences among schedule activities.

Activity sequencing outputs include:

project schedule network diagrams
project document updates

Schedule activities are logically sequenced using:

precedence relationships
leads
lags

Product characteristics can affect activity sequencing. THE PROJECT SCOPE STATEMENT characteristically describes major project deliverables, objectives, assumptions, constraints, and the statement of work, which also impacts activity sequencing.

PRECEDENCE RELATIONSHIPS  used in PDM networks may be:

Finish-to-Start
Start-to-Finish
Finish-to-Finish
Start-to-Start

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Develop the project schedule— Sequence Activities

Develop the project Management schedule— Sequence Activities:

Finish-to-Finish Activity               
Start-to-Start Activity
Start-to-Finish Activity   

MANDATORY DEPENDENCIES are those that are inherent in the nature of the work being done. One activity must be completed before the successor activity can begin.  The PMP exam will test on this.

DISCRETIONARY DEPENDENCIES are usually based on knowledge of best practices within a particular application area or when a specific sequence is desired.

EXTERNAL DEPENDENCIES  are identified during the process of establishing the sequence of activities. The project manager discovers that Activity ‘B’ cannot begin until Activity ‘A’ is acquired, or processed, from outside the scope of work. These dependencies involve a relationship between project and non-project activities.

MANDATORY DEPENDENCIES are often referred to as hard logic, since they are inherent in the nature of the work being done. For example: Activity ‘A’ must be completed before Activity ‘B’ can begins.

THE SCHEDULE NETWORK DIAGRAM TEMPLATES (SNT) are standardized, and used to expedite preparation of networks of project schedule activities (such as projects with identical deliverables).  Portions of a project schedule network diagram are sub-networks, or fragment networks.

THE SUBNETWORK TEMPLATES are useful when the project includes several identical, or nearly identical, deliverables, such as floors, layers, levels, etc.

ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES are sequencing outputs used for project schedule development. They are also used for selecting, ordering, and sorting planned schedule activities within reports. They are updated to include the defined logical relationships and any associated leads and lags.

REQUESTED CHANGES are activity sequencing outputs that are the result of a divided or redefined schedule activity, or an adjusted lead or lag.

Develop the project schedule— Estimate Activity Resources:

THE ACTIVITY RESOURCE ESTIMATING PROCESS allows the project manager and team to effectively estimate the type and quantity of necessary resources.

ESTIMATING SCHEDULE ACTIVITY RESOURCES involves determining what, when, and how much of  human resources, equipment, and materials will be available to perform project activities. Labor that lacks knowledge or experience, limited or unusable equipment, or lack of stockpiled materials will incur additional time and/or cost.  The project management PMP includes this concept.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESS ASSETS provide policies of the performing organization regarding staffing, equipment and supply rental or purchase. Historical data regarding what resources were used on similar past projects can be helpful.

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