Office Read PMP Prep Course- Time Knowledge Area

PMBOK Chapter 6 – Project Time Management

Processes:

Plan Schedule Management (Planning)

Define Activities (Planning)

Sequence Activities (Planning)

Activity Resource Estimate (Planning)

Activity Duration Estimate (Planning

Develop Schedule (Planning)

Control Schedule (Monitoring and Controlling)

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Plan Schedule Management

The process of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the project schedule

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Define activities

The process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables

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Sequence activities

The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities

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Estimate activity resources

The process of estimating the type and quantities of material, human resources, equipment, or supplies required to perform each activity.

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Estimate activity durations

The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources.

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Develop schedule

The process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model.

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Control Schedule

The process of monitoring the status of project activities to update project progress and manage changes to the schedule baseline to achieve the plan.

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Schedule model

A representation of the plan for executing the project’s activities including durations, dependencies and other planning information, used to produce project schedules along with other scheduling artifacts.

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Schedule management plan

A component of the project management plan that establishes the criteria and the activities for developing, monitoring, and controlling the schedule.

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Schedule baseline

The finalized and approved schedule

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Project schedule model development

The scheduling methodology and the scheduling tool to be used in the development of the project schedule mode

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Level of accuracy

The acceptable range used in determining realistic activity duration estimates is specified and may include an amount for contingencies

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Units of measure

Each unit used in measurements is defined for each of the resources

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Organizational procedures links

The WBS provides the framework for the schedule management plan, allowing for consistency with the estimates and resulting schedules

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Project schedule model maintenance

The process used to update the status and record progress of the project in the schedule model during the execution of the project is defined.

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Control thresholds

Variance thresholds for monitoring schedule performance may be specified to indicate an agreed-upon amount of variation to be allowed before some action needs to be taken. Thresholds are typically expressed as percentage deviations from the parameters established in the baseline plan.

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Lead

The amount of time whereby a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity

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Work package quantity estimates

The types and quantities of resources required for each activity in a work package

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Critical chain method

The schedule method that allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for limited resources and project uncertainties

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Late finish date

The latest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can finish based on the schedule network logic, the project copletion date, and any schedule contraints

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Program evaluation and review technique (PERT)

The technique for estimating that applies a weighted average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates when there is uncertainty with the individual activity estimates

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Dependency determination

A technique used to identify the type of dependency that is used to create the logical relationships between predecessor and successor activities

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Effort

The number of labor units required to complete a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component, often expressed in hours, days, or weeks

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Summary activity or hammock activity

A group of related schedule activities aggregated and displayed as a single activity

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Optimistic duration

An estimate of the shortest activity duration that takes into account all of the known variables that could affect performance

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Parametric estimating

The estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters

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Activity code

One or more numerical or text values that identify characteristics of the work or in some way categorize the schedule activity that allows filtering and ordering of activities within reports

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Activity attributes

A documented tabulation of schedule activities that shows the activity description, activity identifier and a sufficiently detailed scope of work description so project team members understand what work is to be performed

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Gantt chart

A bar chart of schedule information where activities are listed on the vertical axis dates are shown on the horizontal axis, and activity durations are shown as horizontal bars placed according to start and finish dates

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Late start date

In the critical path method, the latest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can start based on the schedule network logic, the project completion date, and any schedule constraints

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Network logic

The collection of schedule activity dependencies that makes up a project network diagram

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Total float

The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed or extended from its early start date without delaying the project finish date or violating a schedule constraint

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Work period

A distinct, scheduled portion work performed during the course of a project

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Free float

The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any successor or violating schedule constraint

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Actual duration

The time in calendar units between the actual start date of the schedule activity and either the data date of the project schedule if the schedule activity is in progress or the actual finish date if the schedule activity is complete

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Project schedule network diagram

A graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project schedule activities

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Subnetwork

A subdivision (fragment) of a project schedule network diagram, usually representing a subproject or a work package that is often used to illustrate or study some potential or proposed schedule condition such as changes in preferential schedule logic or project scope

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Alternatives analysis

A technique used to evaluate identified options in order to select which options or approaches to use to execute and perform the work of the project

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Resource histogram

A bar chart showing the amount of time that a resource is scheduled to work over a series of time periods. Resource availability may be depicted as a line for comparison purposes. Contrasting bars may show actual amounts of resources used as the project progresses

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Optimistic

An estimate of the shortest activity duration that takes into account all of the known variables that could affect performance

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Crashing

The technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources

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Critical path

The sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration

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Critical path method

The method used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of scheduling flexibility on the logical network paths within the schedule model

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Forward pass

The critical path method technique for calculating the early start and early finish dates by working forward through the schedule model from the project start date or a given point in time

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Resource leveling

The technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing demand for resources with the available supply. It can cause the original critical path to change, usually to increase.

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Apportioned effort

An activity where effort is allotted proportionally across certain discrete efforts and not divisible into discrete efforts.

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Precedence diagramming method

A technique used for constructing a schedule model in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked by one or more logical relationships to show the
sequence in which the activities are to be performed.

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Bottom-up estimating

A method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components of the WBS.

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Three-point estimating

A technique used to estimate cost or duration by applying an average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates when there is uncertainty with the individual activity estimates.

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Schedule network analysis

The technique of identifying early and late start dates, as well as early and late finish dates, for the uncompleted portions of project schedule activities.

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Resource optimization techniques

A technique that is used to adjust the start and finish dates of activities that adjust planned resource use to be equal to or less than resource availability

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Modeling techniques

What-if scenario analysis and Simulation

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Schedule compression

Techniques used to shorten the schedule duration without reducing the project scope, in order to meet schedule constraints, imposed dates, or other schedule objectives.

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Fast tracking

A schedule compression technique in which activities or phases normally done in sequence are performed in parallel for at least a portion of their duration.

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Earned value management

Schedule performance measurements such as schedule
variance (SV) and schedule performance index (SPI), are used to assess the magnitude of variation to the
original schedule baseline.

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Trend analysis

An analytical technique that uses mathematical models to forecast future outcomes based on historical results. It is a variance from baseline of a budget, cost, schedule, or scope parameter by using prior progress reporting periods’ data and projecting how much that parameter’s variance from baseline might be at some future point in the project if no changes are made in executing the project

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Reserve analysis

The technique which incorporates additional time into the schedule activities in recognition of schedule risk

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Project buffers

Protects the target finish date from slippage along the critical chain

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Feeding buffer

Protect the critical chain from spice along the feeding chain.

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Resource smoothing

A technique that adjusts the activities of a schedule model much that the requirements for resources on the project do not exceed certain predefined resource limits. The project’s critical path is not changed and the completion date may not change.

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Monte Carlo simulation

Monte Carlo Analysis refers to a technique in project management where a manager computes and calculates the total project cost and the project schedule many times.

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Define Activities EEFs

1. Organizational cultures and structure
2. Published commercial information from commercial databases
3. Project management information system (PMIS)

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Define Activities OPAs

1. Lessons learned knowledge base containing historical information regarding activity lists used by previous similar projects
2. Standardized processes
3. Template that contain a standard activity its or a portion of an activity list from a previous project
4. Existing formal and informal activity planning-related policies, procedures, and guidelines, such as the scheduling methodology, that are considered in developing the activity definitions

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Project documents (updates)

Documents that may influence work and should be monitored within the context of a system for updates