Third Knowledge Area of PMBOK

Project Time Management ProcessesProject Time Management includes the Processes required to accomplish timely completion of the project.

Plan Schedule ManagementDefine ActivitiesSequence ActivitiesEstimated Activities ResourcesEstimated Activity DurationsDevelop ScheduleControl Schedule

Plan Schedule ManagementA new process added in PMBOK 5th EditionIt is a process of:Establishing the policiesEstablishing the Procedures and Documentation

ForPlanning & DevelopingExecutingControlling Project Schedule

It provides guidance and direction on how the project schedule will be managed throughout the project.

Plan Schedule ManagementInput:(Scope Baseline + WBS)Project Charter (Constraints + Assumptions + Milestones)Enterprise Environmental Factors (Resource availability & skills, Work authorization system, software tools for scheduling ) Organizational Process Assets (Historical Info, Risk Control Procedures, Scheduling control related policies, Procedures and guidelines).Tools & TechniquesExpert JudgmentAnalytical Techniques (Scheduling methodologies, tools)Meetings (how to develop schedule management plan)OutputsSchedule Management Plan

Define Activities

Decompose WP into ActivitiesHow to do that?Example package for trip abroad (Commander Javed)Create a list of activities and add attributesRolling Wave Planning (progressive elaboration)

Activity AttributesWBS IDActivity IDActivity NameActivity DescriptionPredecessor ActivitiesSuccessor ActivitiesLogical RelationshipLeads and LagsResource requirementsImposed Dates, ConstraintsAssumptionsPerson responsible for work executionGeographic Area

Sequence Activities

Precedence Diagramming Method: Finish to Start (FS)Finish to finish (FF)Start to Start (SS)Start-to-finish (SF)Finish to start is the most commonly used type of precedence relationship. The start-to-finish relationship is most rarely used but is included to complete list of the PDM relationship types.FS: The initiation of the successor activity depends upon the completion of the predecessor activityFF The completion of the successor activity depends upon the completion of the predecessor activity

Sequence Activities

Start to Start:Task (B) cannot start until task (A) starts. For example, if you have two tasks, "Pour foundation" and "Level concrete," "Level concrete" can't begin until "Pour foundation" begins

Finish to Finish:Task (B) cannot finish until task (A) finishes. For example, if you have two tasks, "Add wiring" and "Inspect electrical," "Inspect electrical" can't finish until "Add wiring" finishes.

Can you find other examples?

Sequence Activities

Dependency DeterminationMandatory Dependencies:Discretionary Dependencies:Internal Dependency:External Dependencies:Applying Leads and LagsA lead allows an acceleration of the successor activityA lag directs a delay in the successor activities. Example: A technical editing team can begin editing the draft of a large document 15 days after they began writing it. SS with 15 day lag.

Sequence Activities

Schedule Network TemplatesStandardized schedule network diagram templates can be used to expedite the preparation of network of project activities. They can include an entire project or only a portion of it. Portions of a project schedule network diagram are often referred to as a subnetwork or fragment network. Subnetwork templates are especially useful when a project includes several identical or nearly identical deliverables, such as floors on a high rise office building.

Sequence ActivitiesPurpose to prepare a network diagram

Classroom Example

ActivitiesPrecedenceDurationA-5BA5CA6DB,C13EB6FD4GC9HE,F,G2

Example: Draw a Network DiagramActivityPrecedenceDuration A-3BA15C-5DC20EA5FA1GF25HG10IH,K3JB5KJ10LB1ML10NE,D10OM,I,N10

Estimate Activity Resources

Estimate activity Resources is the process of estimating the type and the quantities of material, people, equipment or supplies required to perform each activity. The estimate activity resource process is closely coordinated with the estimate cost process.

Estimate Activity Resources

Tools & TechniquesExpert JudgmentAlternative Analysis (Make or buy, Machinery & Tools)Published estimating data (production: labor, material and equipment & unit costs of resources)Bottom-up estimating (when activity cannot be estimated with confidence)Project Management Software (Plan, organize, manage resource pools and develop resource estimates).OutputsActivity resource requirementsResource breakdown structureProject document updates (activity List, Activity attributes & Resource calendar)

Estimate Activity DurationTools & TechniquesExpert JudgmentAnalogous estimating (Duration, budget, size, weight & Complexity from a previous project)Parametric estimating (square footage cost budget & duration)Three-point estimates (PERT) Most likely, Optimistic, Pessimistic (Triangular & Beta Distribution)Group Decision Making Techniques (Brainstorming, NGT, Delphi) to improve estimate accuracyReserve analysis (Caters for Contingency Reserves)OutputsActivity duration estimates (@ weeks +- 2 days etc)Project document updates (activity attributes, assumptions made in developing the activity duration)

Activity Duration EstimatesActivity duration estimates are quantitative assessments of the likely number of work periods that will be required to complete a schedule activity. Activity duration estimates include some indication of the range of possible results. For example:2 weeks 2 days to indicate that the schedule activity will take at least eight days and no more than twelve (assuming a five-day workweek).15 percent probability of exceeding three weeks to indicate a high probability85 percentthat the schedule activity will take three weeks or less.

Analogous Estimating It uses parameters such as duration, budget, size, weight and complexity from a previous and similar project as the basis for estimating the same parameters or measures of a future project.

Develop ScheduleTools & TechniquesSchedule Network AnalysisCritical Path MethodCritical Chain MethodResource Leveling (Resource Optimizing Techniques)Modeling Techniques (What-if Scenario Analysis & Simulation using probability distribution)Applying leads and lagsSchedule compressionScheduling tool (Project Management Software Applications)OutputSchedule baseline Component of project management plan with baseline start & finish dates.Project Schedules (milestone chart, bar charts - Gantt Chart, project schedule network diagrams)Schedule Data (resource requirement by time period in resource histogram, alternative schedules best case & worst case, scheduling of contingency reserves.)Project Calendar (working days & shifts available for work, can be modified)Project document updates (Activity resource requirements, activity attributes, calendar, risk register)

Schedule CompressionCrashing. Schedule compression technique in which cost and schedule tradeoffs are analyzed to determine how to obtain the greatest amount of compression for the least incremental cost. Crashing does not always produce a viable alternative and can result in increased cost.

Fast tracking. A schedule compression technique in which phases or activities that normally would be done in sequence are performed in parallel. An example would be to construct the foundation for a building before all the architectural drawings are complete. Fast tracking can result in rework and increased risk. This approach can require work to be performed without completed detailed information, such as engineering drawings. It results in trading cost for time, and increases the risk of achieving the shortened project schedule.

Critical Path & Critical ChainCritical Path: calculates the theoretical early start and finish dates for all activities, irrespective of resource any resource limitations by performing forward and backward pass analysis through the schedule network.Critical chain: is a schedule network analysis technique that modifies the project schedule to account for limited resources. The resource constraint critical path is known as critical chain.

Control ScheduleTools & Techniques:Performance reviewMeasures, compares, and analyzes schedule performance such as actual start and finish dates, percent complete and remaining duration of work in progress.Also reviews if corrective action is requiredVariance Analysis:Schedule performance measurements are used to assess the magnitude of variation to the original schedule baseline.Project Management SoftwareIt provides the ability to track planned dates versus actual dates and to forecast the effects of changes to the project schedule.

Control ScheduleTools & Techniques:Perform Reviews (Trend analysis, CPM, CCM, EVM)Resource Leveling & Optimizing TechniquesTo optimize the distribution of work among resourcesWhat-if Scenario AnalysisUsed to review various scenarios to bring the schedule into alignment with the planAdjust Leads and LagsTo find ways to bring project activities that are behind into alignment with planSchedule CompressionScheduling ToolData is updated and compiled into the schedule to reflect actual progress of the project and remaining work to be completed.

Crashing ProjectsCauses:Initial schedule may be too optimisticMarket needs change and the project is in demand earlier than anticipatedThe project has considerably slipped behind the scheduleThe contractual constraints

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