General summary

It is the activities that transform scope into deliverables. For each work package, the list of activities, their dependencies need to be determined which constitute a project network diagram. For each task resources and duration ought to be determined so that the tasks or activities can be assigned to specific resources with specific deadlines. The schedule with activities, sequence, duration and resources may not be optimized. The schedule is further optimized with resource optimization techniques and schedule compression techniques and is base lined. Once the schedule is base lined, it is used for tracking the project, it is updated and changes to it are controlled.

Important ITTOs

Please note that this section lists only the important inputs, tools and techniques and outputs. For an exhaustive list of ITTOs, please refer to the ITTO Table page.

6.1 Plan schedule management

Inputs

Project Charter

Tools and Techniques

None.

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.

 

6.2 Define activities

Input

Schedule management plan

Scope baseline

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.

Output

 

Activity list

The activity list is a comprehensive list that includes all schedule activities required on the project.

 

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

6.3 Sequence Activities

Input

Schedule Management Plan

Activity list

Activity attributes

Milestones list

Project scope statement

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.

6.4 Estimate Activity Resources

Input

Schedule Management Plan

Activity list

Activity attributes

 

Risk register

Activity cost estimate

Tools and Techniques

Alternatives analysis

Analyzing alternative methods of accomplishing activities.

Published estimating data

Organization-wide published data such as productivity norms, unit cost of resources and so on.

Bottom up estimating

Bottom-up estimating is a method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components of the WBS. When an activity cannot be estimated with a reasonable degree of confidence, the work within the activity is decomposed into more detail. The resource needs are estimated. These estimates are then aggregated into a total quantity for each of the activity’s resources.

Project management software

Tools such as scheduling software used to list activities and assign resources

Outputs

 

Activity resource requirements

Activity resource requirements identify the types and quantities of resources required for each activity in a work package. These requirements then can be aggregated to determine the estimated resources for each work package and each work period.

 

Resource breakdown structure (RBS)

The resource breakdown structure is a hierarchical representation of resources by category and type. Examples of resource categories include labor, material, equipment, and supplies.

6.5 Estimate activity durations

Input

Schedule Management Plan

Activity list

Activity attributes

Activity Resource Requirements

Resource breakdown structure

 

Risk register

Project Scope Statement

Tools and Techniques

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.

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

6.6 Develop Schedule

Input

Schedule Management Plan

Activity list

Activity attributes

Project schedule network diagrams

Activity Resource Requirements

Resource breakdown structure

Activity duration estimates

Risk register

A register that lists all the risks, its attributes and response plan

 

Project Scope Statement

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.

 

6.7 Control Schedule

Input

Project Management Plan

Project schedule

Work performance data

Project calendars

Schedule data

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

Highlights

Points to be noted

  • Please note that tasks are called activities in PMBoK and the term WBS refers to scope. In many industry segments WBS refers to activity definition and it is important to note the difference in PMBoK.
  • Activity attributes get elaborated at each process of this knowledge area.
  • Please note the difference between dependency type (FS, FF, SS and SF) and dependency determination (Mandatory, Discretionary, Internal and External). Also note the alternate names for discretionary dependencies.
  • Alternate names of the 3 point estimates – PERT and Beta are to be noted. The difference in formula for Triangular distribution is also to be noted.
  • Analogous estimation technique yields quick estimates but are less accurate while bottom up estimate requires many details and time consuming but yields more accurate estimates.
  • Please note the difference between critical path and critical chain methods. When artificial tasks or durations or dependencies added, the critical path becomes a critical chain.
  • Total float is the duration by which a task can be postponed without delaying the project while free float is the duration by which a task can be postponed without delaying any of the successor tasks.
  • Resource optimization techniques are of two types – resource leveling and resource smoothing. Smoothing is done within the available float and doesn’t alter the critical path.
  • Schedule compression techniques are of two types – crashing and fast tracking. Crashing is increasing resource availability to tasks on critical path where as fast tracking involves examining discretionary dependencies to try and execute tasks in parallel.

Dependencies

  • Hard
    • Input to 9.1 plan HR management – Activity resource estimates, RBS
    • Input to 12.1 plan procurement management – Activity resource estimates, RBS
  • Soft
    • Schedule baseline as an input to cost estimation, risk identification.

Important process flows

  • Create WBS (Scope baseline) à Define Activities
  • Estimate activity resources (Activity resource estimates, RBS) à Plan HR Management
  • Estimate activity resources (Activity resource estimates, RBS) à Plan procurement Management
  • Develop schedule (Schedule baseline) à Estimate costs
  • Develop schedule (Schedule baseline) à Identify risks

 

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