Project Scheduling A B C D E F G H I J TASKS TIME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (days)

Introduction The following slide show shows how projects are scheduled in the classic engineering disciplines. Consider to what extent anything in the following is of relevance to you and software engineering?

Project Scheduling 1 - When is it used ?

Project Scheduling - achieving objectives in a given time - useful particularly when a GROUP is involved - the better the organisation ... ... the less the effort ... the better the TEAM !! 1/3

Project Scheduling 2 - What are its key elements ? 3

Project Scheduling - involves ELAPSED time ‘how long between STARTING and FINISHING the job’ - and ACTIVITY time ‘how long is ACTUALLY SPENT WORKING on the job’ start finish start finish + + + + = 2/5

Project Scheduling 3 - How do we go about it ? 5

Project Scheduling 1 Establish objectives External (or imposed) objectives (terms of reference) Internal (or opportunity) objectives 2/7

Project Scheduling 2 Create a Task List Every task MUST produce a deliverable Every objective should ideally be broken into a minimum of five tasks Estimated Actual Task Task Description Ref Activity Hours Elapsed Days Activity Hours Elapsed Days A Prepare draft overall plan 4 1 6 1 B Allocate tm members to tasks 1 0.25 2 0.5 C Prepare individual plans 4 1 3 0.75 No task should exceed 10 hours of activity time D Arrange team progress mg 1 0.25 ~ ~ E 2 0.5 ~ ~ Hold team progress meeting F ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 2/9

Estimated Actual Task Description Task Ref Activity Hours Elapsed Days BASIC TASK LIST FORMAT USED AS FOLLOWS ... Estimated Actual Task Task Description Ref Activity Hours Elapsed Days Activity Hours Elapsed Days 9

COMPLETED AS PROJECT PROGRESSES BASED UPON INTENDED AVERAGE HOURS PER DAY TASKS MUST PRODUCE DELIVERABLES Estimated Actual Task Task Description Ref Activity Hours Elapsed Days Activity Hours Elapsed Days A 4 1 6 1 Prepare draft overall plan B 1 0.25 2 0.5 Allocate tm ms to tasks C 4 1 3 0.75 Prepare individual plans D 1 0.25 ~ ~ Arrange team progress mg E 2 0.5 ~ ~ Hold team progress mg F ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 2/14

Project Scheduling 3 Create a GASP chart TASKS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 A B C D E F G H I J TIME (days) Estimated Actual Task Task Description Ref Activity Hours Elapsed Days Activity Hours Elapsed Days A Prepare draft overall plan 4 1 6 1 B Allocate tm members to tasks 1 0.25 2 0.5 C Prepare individual plans 4 1 3 0.75 D Arrange team progress mg 1 0.25 ~ ~ E 2 0.5 ~ ~ Hold team progress meeting ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ F ~ Most people call GASP charts Gannt charts (see, for example, Google references) 2/16

GASP charts Graphical procedure for Projects Analytical and TASKS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 A B C D E F G H I J TIME (days) Graphical procedure for Analytical and Synthetic evaluation and review of Projects (It’s really called after what you do when you look at it and realise how far behind you are.) 2/19

TASKS TO GASP CHART TRANSFER A 1 B 0.25 C 1 D 0.25 E 0.5 F ~ ~ A Estimated Actual Task Task Description Ref Activity Hours Elapsed Days Activity Hours Elapsed Days A Prepare draft overall plan 4 1 6 1 B Allocate team members to tasks 1 0.25 2 0.5 C Prepare individual plans 4 1 3 0.75 D Arrange team progress meeting 1 0.25 ~ ~ E 0.5 ~ ~ Hold team progress meeting 2 F ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A Task References B A timescale long enough to cover total elapsed time ... C D E F G H I J . TASKS TIME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (days) 2/21

A timescale long enough to cover total elapsed time ... Task Ref Task Description Activity Hours Elapsed Days Actual A Prepare draft overall plan 4 1 6 B Allocate team members to tasks 0.25 2 0.5 C Prepare individual plans 3 0.75 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ D Arrange team progress meeting E tm progress meeting F Estimated A B A timescale long enough to cover total elapsed time ... C D noting that some tasks will run in parallel. E There are TWO key approaches to adding tasks - i.e. scheduling the project ... F G H I J TASKS TIME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (days) 23

1 2 FIXED FIXED FORWARD scheduling BACKWARD scheduling FORWARD scheduling is usually found in ‘open-ended’ situations such as ‘leading edge’ research projects. Commencement may be held awaiting e.g. funding. FIXED commencement 2 BACKWARD scheduling is the commonest. It is used when DEADLINES have to be met A B C D E F FIXED completion G H I J TASKS FORWARD scheduling BACKWARD scheduling 2/27

MILESTONES SLACK TIME key checkpoints - usually when several tasks complete and SLACK TIME occurs when tasks of unequal length are scheduled in parallel up to a milestone. (e.g. F, G & H or I & J) A B C D E F G H I J TASKS TIME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (days) 2/33

... try to avoid being delayed on this path. The path where there is NO SLACK TIME and no backtracking is known as the CRITICAL PATH through the project. There’s only one such path. A B ... try to avoid being delayed on this path. C D E F G H I J TASKS TIME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (days) 2/35

TWO MORE SCHEDULING TERMS TO NOTE ... A B C D E F G H I J TASKS TIME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (days) 35

PARALLELISM and DEPENDENCY Tasks A & B occur in parallel Tasks C, D, E & H dependent upon completion of tasks A & B A B C D E F G H I J TASKS TIME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (days) 1/37

THE PROJECT PROCEEDS ... E is partially complete, but behind schedule AS THE PROJECT PROCEEDS ... = complete at day 5 ... A is complete A B is complete B C is partially complete, ahead of schedule C D D is complete, ahead of schedule E F G F, G, H, I, J are not started - and H is behind schedule H I J TASKS TIME 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (days) 3/45

Time Management in OO Project Four phases: IECT We’ve seen how to manage time across those. In that case, has the foregoing anything to say to us? Will Gannt/GASP charts have influenced those, including domain reps, with whom you work? Should you be aware of their expectations/misunderstandings/frustrations as they seek to work with you?

Thank you for listening.

The End