Managing Project Scheduling

What is Project Scheduling? The process of: – defining project activities – determining their sequence – estimating their duration Scheduling activities are part of project time management

Types of Project Schedules The Gantt or bar chart The Critical Path Method (CPM) The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) The Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT) Leading Project Teams: The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership, 2e by Anthony T. Cobb ©2011 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Components of Project Schedules Activities—project tasks – Any activity that will take time and resources Dependencies – How one task depends on another to start or finish Leading Project Teams: The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership, 2e by Anthony T. Cobb ©2011 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Sequencing Requires: – Identification of any project technical constraints – Safety or efficiency considerations – Environmental politics – Availability of required resources – Completion of prerequisite processes

Scheduling Process Steps 1.Creating a work breakdown structure (WBS) to identify required project components 2.Defining the activities needed to complete each of these components 3.Determining the most efficient sequencing order of these components

Schedule Development & Usage Schedule developed during initiation or planning stage Followed and updated during the execution stage Used for project tracking during control stage

Project Schedule Modifications Why? – Business environment changes Internal – change of strategic objectives External – reaction to competitor actions – New technologies become available – Reaction to unforeseen events

Cone of Uncertainty

Project Estimation…fact or fiction 1.Accurate estimates are possible 2.Objective of estimating is to determine the end date 3.Estimate and commitment are the same 4.Historical data is an accurate indicator of productivity 5.Assigning more resources will speed up development of system 6.A defect-free system is possible given adequate time

Components of Project Schedules The project network – The arrangement of project tasks to one another The critical path – The sequence of tasks within a project network that determines how long a project will last Slack or float – The amount of time a task can hold off starting without affecting the project’s finish Leading Project Teams: The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership, 2e by Anthony T. Cobb ©2011 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Project Scheduling Impacted by: – Technologies New and sophisticated software Advancements in networking and web capabilities – Team processes Resource availability Resource allocation Resource assignment – Scheduling creation and execution Developed early Followed/monitored/changed throughout project Assist in determination of progress

Developing a Network Diagram Review and revise time estimates – Best guess (optimistic and pessimistic) Determine dependencies – Which tasks depend on others to be done – Which phases depend on others Leading Project Teams: The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership, 2e by Anthony T. Cobb ©2011 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Developing a Network Diagram Construct the network of project activities Gantt charts are done on a project calendar – Each task is represented by a bar – Length of bars = length of task time – Placement = dependencies – Arrows show dependencies Determine the critical path Leading Project Teams: The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership, 2e by Anthony T. Cobb ©2011 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Activity Sequencing Network diagram: a schematic display that illustrates the various activities (or tasks) in a project as well as their sequential relationships Sequential or parallel activity development

Possible Sequencing Constraints Technical requirements and specifications Safety and efficiency Preferences and policies Resource availability

Developing a Network Diagram Develop a WBS in outline form – Arrange them from major to minor, component tasks 1.0Physical Plant 1.1 Prepare Plant Rev/Rev Plans Gut Existing Space 1.2 Dev. Infrastructure Framing Electrical/Wiring Plumbing Dry Wall Finishing Leading Project Teams: The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership, 2e by Anthony T. Cobb ©2011 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Network Diagram

Network Diagramming Methods Precedence diagramming method (PDM) Boxes and arrows  Boxes represent project activity (called nodes)  Arrows represent relationships among activities Arrow diagramming method (ADM) or Activity on Arrow (AOA)  Arrows represent project tasks or activities  Boxes represent milestones

Task Relationships

Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM)

Network Diagram in Microsoft Project

Additional Activity Type & Time Relationships Mandatory dependencies – Related activities that cannot be performed in parallel Discretionary dependencies – Relationships of activities based on preference of the project manager External dependencies – Relationship of project activities and external events

Additional Activity Type & Time Relationships (cont.) Lead Time – Time required by one task before another task can begin Lag Time – Amount of time delay between the completion of one task and the start of the successor

Components of Project Schedules Lag times – The amount of time a project task must “rest” to be completed Lead times – How far a dependent task can “lead” the completion of a prior task on which it depends Milestones – Important events in a project’s life Leading Project Teams: The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership, 2e by Anthony T. Cobb ©2011 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Using the Output of a Project Schedule Visualizing the project as a whole – Project phases – Project dependencies Communicating with stakeholders Revising the project plan – Planning phase – Execution phase Command and control Leading Project Teams: The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership, 2e by Anthony T. Cobb ©2011 SAGE Publications, Inc.

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