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6.1 Plan schedule management
| Inputs | Tools and techniques | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Project management plan | Expert judgment | Schedule management plan |
| Project charter | Meetings | |
| Enterprise environmental factors | Analytical techniques | |
| Organizational process assets |
Inputs
Project management plan
Project Charter
Enterprise Environmental Factors
Organizational Process Assets
Please refer to the common ITTOs
Tools and Techniques
Expert judgment
Analytical techniques
Meetings
Please refer to the common ITTO section
Output
Schedule management plan
A document that details out how to define activities, sequence them, methods to optimize the schedule, thresholds to change a base lined schedule.
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6.2 Define activities
| Inputs | Tools and techniques | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule management plan | Expert judgment | Activity list |
| Scope baseline | Decomposition | Activity attributes |
| Enterprise environmental factors | Rolling wave planning | Milestone list |
| Organizational process assets |
Input
Schedule management plan
Scope baseline
Enterprise Environmental Factors
Organizational Process Assets
Please refer to the common ITTO section.
Tools and Techniques
Decomposition
Decomposition is a technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts. Activities represent the effort needed to complete a work package.
Rolling wave planning
Rolling wave planning is an iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail, while the work in the future is planned at a higher level. It is a form of progressive elaboration.
Expert judgment
Please refer to the common ITTO section
Output
Activity list
The activity list is a comprehensive list that includes all schedule activities required on the project. The activity list also includes the activity identifier and a scope of work description for each activity in sufficient detail to ensure that project team members understand what work is required to be completed.
Activity Attributes
Activities, distinct from milestones, have durations, during which the work of that activity is performed, and may have resources and costs associated with that work. Activity attributes extend the description of the activity by identifying the multiple components associated with each activity. The components for each activity evolve over time. During the initial stages of the project, they include the activity identifier (ID), WBS ID, and activity label or name, and when completed, may include activity codes, activity description, predecessor activities, successor activities, logical relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions
Milestone list
A milestone is a significant point or event in a project. A milestone list is a list identifying all project milestones and indicates whether the milestone is mandatory, such as those required by contract, or optional, such as those based upon historical information.
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6.3 Sequence Activities
| Inputs | Tools and techniques | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule management plan | Precedence diagramming method (PDM) | Project schedule network diagrams |
| Activity list | Dependency determination | Project document updates |
| Activity attributes | Leads and Lags | |
| Milestone list | ||
| Project scope statement | ||
| Enterprise environmental factors | ||
| Organizational process assets |
Input
Schedule Management Plan
Activity list
Activity attributes
Milestones list
Project scope statement
Enterprise Environmental factors
Organizational process assets
Please refer to previous section and the common ITTO section.
Tools and Techniques
Precedence diagramming method
A method in which dependencies for each task is determined and depicted as a network diagram. The dependencies are of four types – FS, FF, SS and SF.
Dependency determination
Dependencies are determined in four ways – Mandatory, Discretionary, Internal and External
Leads and Lags
Dependencies imply a certain start day for a task. If the start or finish of a task is preponed by a given number of days, then it is called lead and if the same is delayed by a specific number of days, then it is called lag.
Output
Project schedule network diagram
A network diagram that depicts the tasks as nodes and the dependencies between the tasks as connection between the nodes. This is also called the Activity On Node (AON) diagram.
Project Document Updates
Please refer the common ITTOs
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6.4Estimate activity durations
| Inputs | Tools and techniques | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule management plan | Expert judgment | Activity duration estimates |
| Activity list | Analogous estimating | Project document updates |
| Activity attributes | Parametric estimating | |
| Resource calendars | three-point estimating | |
| Risk register | Group decision making techniques | |
| Activity resource requirements | Reserve analysis | |
| Project scope statement | ||
| Resource breakdown structure | ||
| Enterprise environmental factors | ||
| Organizational process assets |
Input
Schedule Management Plan
Activity list
Activity attributes
Activity Resource Requirements
Resource breakdown structure
Please refer to previous section and the common ITTO section.
Resource calendars
Availability of resources – an input from HR management KA
Risk register
A register that lists all the risks, its attributes and response plan
Project Scope Statement
Enterprise Environmental factors
Organizational process assets
Please refer to previous section and the common ITTO section.
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Tools and Techniques
Expert judgment
Analogous estimating
Based on the word analogy. When lessons from similar past projects are tapped either through repositories or experience of the project manager himself / herself or expertise of others who have executed similar projects to arrive at estimates, then it is called analogous estimation. Used when there is limited information about the project or a quick estimate is needed.
Parametric estimating
Parametric estimating is an estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters. Parametric estimating uses a statistical relationship between historical data and other variables (e.g., square footage in construction) to calculate an estimate for activity parameters, such as cost, budget, and duration.
Three-point estimation
Based on statistical distribution to find out the mean estimate. It is based on three values – Optimistic estimate (O), Most likely estimate (M) and a Pessimistic estimate (P) and the mean is determined in two ways:
Triangular distribution = (O + M = P) / 3
PERT or Beta distribution = (O + 4M = P) / 6
Reserve analysis
Duration estimates may include contingency reserves, sometimes referred to as time reserves or buffers, into the project schedule to account for schedule uncertainty.
Group decision making techniques
Please refer to previous sections and common ITTOs
Output
Activity duration estimates
Activity duration estimates are quantitative assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to complete an activity
Project Document Updates
Please refer to previous sections and common ITTOs
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6.5 Develop Schedule
| Inputs | Tools and techniques | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule management plan | Schedule network analysis | Schedule baseline |
| Activity list | Critical path method | Project schedule |
| Activity attributes | Critical chain method | Schedule data |
| Resource calendars | Resource optimization techniques | Project calendars |
| Risk register | Modelling techniques | Project management plan updates |
| Activity resource requirements | Leads and lags | Project document updates |
| Project scope statement | Schedule compression | |
| Resource breakdown structure | Scheduling tool | |
| Project schedule network diagrams | ||
| Activity duration estimates | ||
| Project staff assignments | ||
| Enterprise environmental factors | ||
| Organizational process assets |
Input
Schedule Management Plan
Activity list
Activity attributes
Project schedule network diagrams
Activity Resource Requirements
Resource breakdown structure
Activity duration estimates
Please refer to previous section and the common ITTO section.
Resource calendars
Availability of resources – an input from HR management KA
Risk register
A register that lists all the risks, its attributes and response plan
Project Scope Statement
Enterprise Environmental factors
Organizational process assets
Please refer to previous section and the common ITTO section.
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Tools and Techniques
Schedule network analysis
Analysing the project schedule network with critical path method, critical chain method, what-if analysis and so on to arrive at a final workable project schedule.
Critical path method
A method in which the minimum duration (also called path length) of the project is determined from the network diagram based on the longest path length. This method also uses forward pass and backward pass to determine early start, early finish, late start, late finish for all the tasks to determine the flexibility called float available in the finish dates of the tasks.
Critical chain method
The critical chain method (CCM) is a schedule method that allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for limited resources and project uncertainties. It is developed from the critical path method approach and considers the effects of resource allocation, resource optimization, resource leveling, and activity duration uncertainty on the critical path determined using the critical path method.
Resource Optimization Techniques
When the resources are either underloaded or overloaded, the loading has to be optimized and this is called a resource optimization technique. There are two optimization techniques – resource leveling and resource smoothing. The critical path is impacted in resource leveling whereas in resource smoothing, the critical path is not altered.
Modeling techniques
In order to optimize the schedule, it has to be analyzed using modeling techniques. Two prominent modeling techniques are ‘what-if’ analysis and Monte Carlo simulation technique.
Leads and lags
Schedule compression
When the resulting project duration in the schedule is not satisfactory, the schedule might have to be compressed to reduce the duration without reducing the scope. There are two schedule compression techniques called crashing and fast tracking. In crashing, more resource are added to the tasks on the critical path and in fast tracking, the discretionary dependencies between the tasks are reexamined and they are executed in parallel to reduce the overall duration of the project.
Scheduling tool
There are many scheduling software applications available to automate project schedule development and control. These are called scheduling tools.
Outputs
Schedule baseline
A schedule baseline is the approved version of a schedule model that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison to actual results. It is accepted and approved by the appropriate stakeholders as the schedule baseline with baseline start dates and baseline finish dates. During monitoring and controlling, the approved baseline dates are compared to the actual start and finish dates to determine whether variances have occurred. The schedule baseline is a component of the project management plan.
Project schedule
The outputs from a schedule model are schedule presentations. The project schedule is an output of a schedule model that presents linked activities with planned dates, durations, milestones, and resources. There could be many representations of the project schedule such as bar c harts, milestone charts and network diagrams.
Schedule data
The schedule data for the project schedule model is the collection of information for describing and controlling the schedule. The schedule data includes at least the schedule milestones, schedule activities, activity attributes, and documentation of all identified assumptions and constraints.
Project calendars
Project management plan updates
Project Document Updates
Please refer to previous sections and common ITTOs
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6.6 Control Schedule
| Inputs | Tools and techniques | Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule management plan | Schedule network analysis | Schedule baseline |
| Activity list | Critical path method | Project schedule |
| Activity attributes | Critical chain method | Schedule data |
| Resource calendars | Resource optimization techniques | Project calendars |
| Risk register | Modelling techniques | Project management plan updates |
| Activity resource requirements | Leads and lags | Project document updates |
| Project scope statement | Schedule compression | |
| Resource breakdown structure | Scheduling tool | |
| Project schedule network diagrams | ||
| Activity duration estimates | ||
| Project staff assignments | ||
| Enterprise environmental factors | ||
| Organizational process assets |
Input
Project Management Plan
Project schedule
Work performance data
Project calendars
Schedule data
Organizational process assets
Please refer to previous section and the common ITTO section.
Tools and Techniques
Performance reviews
Reviewing the performance of the project with respect to the schedule. For instance, the actual start date and actual finish dates are compared with the baseline start and baseline finish dates to do further analysis such as trend analysis, critical path method, critical chain method, earned value method (EVM). Trend analysis determines whether over a period of time, the project performance is improving or deteriorating.
Project management software
Resource Optimization Techniques
When the resources are either underloaded or overloaded, the loading has to be optimized and this is called a resource optimization technique. There are two optimization techniques – resource leveling and resource smoothing. The critical path is impacted in resource leveling whereas in resource smoothing, the critical path is not altered.
Modeling techniques
In order to optimize the schedule, it has to be analyzed using modeling techniques. Two prominent modeling techniques are ‘what-if’ analysis and Monte Carlo simulation technique.
Leads and lags
Schedule compression
When the resulting project duration in the schedule is not satisfactory, the schedule might have to be compressed to reduce the duration without reducing the scope. There are two schedule compression techniques called crashing and fast tracking. In crashing, more resource are added to the tasks on the critical path and in fast tracking, the discretionary dependencies between the tasks are reexamined and they are executed in parallel to reduce the overall duration of the project.
Scheduling tool
There are many scheduling software applications available to automate project schedule development and control. These are called scheduling tools.
Outputs
Work performance information
Schedule forecasts
Schedule forecasts are estimates or predictions of conditions and events in the project’s future based on information and knowledge available at the time of the forecast. Forecasts are updated and reissued based on work performance information provided as the project is executed.
Change requests
OPA updates
Project management plan updates
Project Document Updates
Please refer to previous sections and common ITTOs