PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT
Project Time Management includes the processes required to manage the timely completion of the project.
We discussed about preparing and managing schedule for the project. We learned about Precedence Diagramming Method and understood the concept of Lead, Lags and Resource Leveling. We were able construct a network diagram and calculated critical path and understood the essence of float.
The knowledge area of Project Time Management consists of the following seven processes:
Process Name
|
Project Management Process Group
|
Key Deliverables
|
Plan Schedule Management
|
Planning
|
Schedule Management Plan
|
Define Activities
|
Planning
|
Activity List, Milestone list
|
Sequence Activities
|
Planning
|
Project Schedule network diagrams
|
Estimate Activity Resources
|
Planning
|
Activity resource requirements, Resource breakdown structure
|
Estimate Activity Durations
|
Planning
|
Activity duration estimates
|
Develop Schedule
|
Planning
|
Schedule Baseline, Project Schedule
|
Control Schedule
|
Monitoring and Controlling
|
Work Performance Information, Change Requests
|
- A schedule model is 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.
- On some projects, especially those of smaller scope, defining activities, sequencing activities, estimating activity resources, estimating activity durations, and developing the schedule model are so tightly linked that they are viewed as a single process that can be performed by a person over a relatively short period of time.
- The Project Time Management processes and their associated tools and techniques are documented in the schedule management plan.
- The schedule management plan is a subsidiary plan of, and integrated with, the project management plan through the Develop Project Management Plan process.
- As the project activities are being performed, the majority of effort in the Project Time Management Knowledge Area will occur in the Control Schedule process.
- The schedule management plan defines how schedule contingencies will be reported and assessed.
- The schedule management plan may be updated to reflect a change in the way the schedule is managed.
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Plan Schedule Management process are given below.
Project Management Plan
|
Expert Judgment
|
Schedule Management Plan
|
Project Charter
|
Analytical Techniques
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
Meetings
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
- Define Activities is the process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables.
- Work packages are typically decomposed into smaller components called activities that represent the work effort required to complete the work package.
- Decomposition is a technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts.
- The Define Activities process defines the final outputs as activities rather than deliverables, as done in the Create WBS process.
- 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.
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Define Activities process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Decomposition
|
Activity List
|
Scope Baseline
|
Rolling Wave Planning
|
Activity Attributes
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
Expert Judgment
|
Milestone List
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
- Sequence Activities is the process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities.
- Every activity and milestone except the first and last should be connected to at least one predecessor with a finish-to-start or start-to-start logical relationship and at least one successor with a finish-to-start or finish-to-finish logical relationship.
- Bar charts (or Gantt charts) are used to display tasks and their dates in a graphical fashion. They are used to display information of the type task 1 is scheduled from date A to date B. Typically the date range is displayed in the X-axis and the tasks on the Y-axis. Bar charts do not show task dependencies. They are generally used to track progress and show to the team.
- Milestone charts are similar to bar charts but display only major events. They display major milestones (for example bridge design completed). They are used to report status to Management.
- Network diagrams are used to display activities and their dependencies. Network diagrams can be used to perform critical path analysis. Network diagrams can also be used to perform crashing and fast tracking of the project. There are two type of network diagrams:
- Activities on Node (or Precedence)
- Activities on Arrow (or AOA)
- Precedence is most commonly used. AON and AOA cannot have loops or conditional relationships.
- Precedence (or Activity on Node) diagrams can be used to display four type of relationship between activities. These are:
- Finish-To-Start
- Start-To-Start
- Start-To-Finish
- Finish-To-Finish
- Finish-to-start relationship means the dependent activity cannot start until the first activity is finished. This is the most common way to represent relationships between activities.
- Activities on Array (AOA) network diagrams have the following characteristics.
- AOA only uses Finish-To-Start relationship between tasks.
- PERT and CPM can only be used with AOA.
- Dummy events are shown with dotted lines. They do not take any time. They show dependencies between tasks.
- Longest path through the network diagram is called the critical path. The activities on the critical paths are called critical activities.
- Lags are inserted waiting times in between tasks. For example Task B cannot start until three days after task A completes.
- Slack or Float is the amount of time a task can be delayed without delaying the project. Tasks on the critical path have zero float.
- Critical Path Method (CPM) has the following characteristics.
- It uses one time estimate per activity
- It can be drawn only using AOA diagrams
- It can have dummy events
- Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) has the following characteristics.
- It uses three estimates per activity – optimistic, pessimistic and most likely
- It can be drawn only using AOA diagrams
- It can have dummy events
- PERT utilizes more information than CPM as it considers the “Pessimistic” and “Optimistic” values in addition to the “Most Likely” value in its calculations. The following are formulae used by PERT:
Mean = (P + 4M + O)/6
Standard Deviation = (P-O)/6
Variance = ((P-O)/6)2
Here P is the pessimistic estimate, O is the optimistic estimate and M is the most likely estimate.
- GERT is another type of network diagram. It can support looping.
- If a project has more than one critical path then the risk to the project increases.
- Resource leveling refers to keeping the resources same across the duration of the project.
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Sequence Activities process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
|
Project Schedule Network Diagrams
|
Activity List
|
Dependency Determination
|
Project Documents updates
|
Activity Attributes
|
Leads and Lags
|
|
Milestone List
|
|
|
Project Scope Statement
|
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Estimate Activity Resources process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Expert Judgment
|
Activity Resource Requirements
|
Activity List
|
Alternatives Analysis
|
Resource Breakdown Structure
|
Activity Attributes
|
Published Estimating Data
|
Project Documents updates
|
Resource Calendars
|
Bottom-Up Estimating
|
|
Risk Register
|
Project Management Software
|
|
Activity Cost Estimates
|
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Estimate Activity Duration process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Expert Judgment
|
Activity Duration Estimates
|
Activity List
|
Analogous Estimating
|
Project Documents updates
|
Activity Attributes
|
Parametric Estimating
|
|
Activity Resource Requirements
|
Three-Point Estimating
|
|
Resource Calendars
|
Group Decision Making Techniques
|
|
Project Scope Statement
|
Reserve Analysis
|
|
Risk Register
|
|
|
Resource Breakdown Structure
|
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Develop Schedule process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Schedule Network Analysis
|
Schedule Baseline
|
Activity List
|
Critical Path Method
|
Project Schedule
|
Activity Attributes
|
Critical Chain Method
|
Schedule Data
|
Project Schedule Network Diagram
|
Resource Optimization Techniques
|
Project Calendars
|
Activity Resource Requirements
|
Modeling Techniques
|
Project Management Plan Updates
|
Resource Calendars
|
Leads and Lags
|
Project Documents updates
|
Activity Duration Estimates
|
Schedule Compression
|
|
Project Scope Statement
|
Scheduling Tool
|
|
Risk Register
|
|
|
Project Staff Assignments
|
|
|
Resource Breakdown Structure
|
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Control Schedule process are given below.
Project Management Plan
|
Performance Reviews
|
Work Performance Information
|
Project Schedule
|
Project Management Software
|
Schedule Forecasts
|
Work Performance Data
|
Resource Optimization Techniques
|
Change Requests
|
Project Calendars
|
Modeling Techniques
|
Project Management Plan Updates
|
Schedule Data
|
Leads and Lags
|
Project Documents updates
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
Schedule Compression
|
Organizational Process Assets updates
|
PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT
Project Time Management includes the processes required to manage the timely completion of the project.
We discussed about preparing and managing schedule for the project. We learned about Precedence Diagramming Method and understood the concept of Lead, Lags and Resource Leveling. We were able construct a network diagram and calculated critical path and understood the essence of float.
The knowledge area of Project Time Management consists of the following seven processes:
Process Name
|
Project Management Process Group
|
Key Deliverables
|
Plan Schedule Management
|
Planning
|
Schedule Management Plan
|
Define Activities
|
Planning
|
Activity List, Milestone list
|
Sequence Activities
|
Planning
|
Project Schedule network diagrams
|
Estimate Activity Resources
|
Planning
|
Activity resource requirements, Resource breakdown structure
|
Estimate Activity Durations
|
Planning
|
Activity duration estimates
|
Develop Schedule
|
Planning
|
Schedule Baseline, Project Schedule
|
Control Schedule
|
Monitoring and Controlling
|
Work Performance Information, Change Requests
|
- A schedule model is 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.
- On some projects, especially those of smaller scope, defining activities, sequencing activities, estimating activity resources, estimating activity durations, and developing the schedule model are so tightly linked that they are viewed as a single process that can be performed by a person over a relatively short period of time.
- The Project Time Management processes and their associated tools and techniques are documented in the schedule management plan.
- The schedule management plan is a subsidiary plan of, and integrated with, the project management plan through the Develop Project Management Plan process.
- As the project activities are being performed, the majority of effort in the Project Time Management Knowledge Area will occur in the Control Schedule process.
- The schedule management plan defines how schedule contingencies will be reported and assessed.
- The schedule management plan may be updated to reflect a change in the way the schedule is managed.
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Plan Schedule Management process are given below.
Project Management Plan
|
Expert Judgment
|
Schedule Management Plan
|
Project Charter
|
Analytical Techniques
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
Meetings
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
- Define Activities is the process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables.
- Work packages are typically decomposed into smaller components called activities that represent the work effort required to complete the work package.
- Decomposition is a technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts.
- The Define Activities process defines the final outputs as activities rather than deliverables, as done in the Create WBS process.
- 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.
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Define Activities process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Decomposition
|
Activity List
|
Scope Baseline
|
Rolling Wave Planning
|
Activity Attributes
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
Expert Judgment
|
Milestone List
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
- Sequence Activities is the process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities.
- Every activity and milestone except the first and last should be connected to at least one predecessor with a finish-to-start or start-to-start logical relationship and at least one successor with a finish-to-start or finish-to-finish logical relationship.
- Bar charts (or Gantt charts) are used to display tasks and their dates in a graphical fashion. They are used to display information of the type task 1 is scheduled from date A to date B. Typically the date range is displayed in the X-axis and the tasks on the Y-axis. Bar charts do not show task dependencies. They are generally used to track progress and show to the team.
- Milestone charts are similar to bar charts but display only major events. They display major milestones (for example bridge design completed). They are used to report status to Management.
- Network diagrams are used to display activities and their dependencies. Network diagrams can be used to perform critical path analysis. Network diagrams can also be used to perform crashing and fast tracking of the project. There are two type of network diagrams:
- Activities on Node (or Precedence)
- Activities on Arrow (or AOA)
- Precedence is most commonly used. AON and AOA cannot have loops or conditional relationships.
- Precedence (or Activity on Node) diagrams can be used to display four type of relationship between activities. These are:
- Finish-To-Start
- Start-To-Start
- Start-To-Finish
- Finish-To-Finish
- Finish-to-start relationship means the dependent activity cannot start until the first activity is finished. This is the most common way to represent relationships between activities.
- Activities on Array (AOA) network diagrams have the following characteristics.
- AOA only uses Finish-To-Start relationship between tasks.
- PERT and CPM can only be used with AOA.
- Dummy events are shown with dotted lines. They do not take any time. They show dependencies between tasks.
- Longest path through the network diagram is called the critical path. The activities on the critical paths are called critical activities.
- Lags are inserted waiting times in between tasks. For example Task B cannot start until three days after task A completes.
- Slack or Float is the amount of time a task can be delayed without delaying the project. Tasks on the critical path have zero float.
- Critical Path Method (CPM) has the following characteristics.
- It uses one time estimate per activity
- It can be drawn only using AOA diagrams
- It can have dummy events
- Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) has the following characteristics.
- It uses three estimates per activity – optimistic, pessimistic and most likely
- It can be drawn only using AOA diagrams
- It can have dummy events
- PERT utilizes more information than CPM as it considers the “Pessimistic” and “Optimistic” values in addition to the “Most Likely” value in its calculations. The following are formulae used by PERT:
Mean = (P + 4M + O)/6
Standard Deviation = (P-O)/6
Variance = ((P-O)/6)2
Here P is the pessimistic estimate, O is the optimistic estimate and M is the most likely estimate.
- GERT is another type of network diagram. It can support looping.
- If a project has more than one critical path then the risk to the project increases.
- Resource leveling refers to keeping the resources same across the duration of the project.
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Sequence Activities process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
|
Project Schedule Network Diagrams
|
Activity List
|
Dependency Determination
|
Project Documents updates
|
Activity Attributes
|
Leads and Lags
|
|
Milestone List
|
|
|
Project Scope Statement
|
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Estimate Activity Resources process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Expert Judgment
|
Activity Resource Requirements
|
Activity List
|
Alternatives Analysis
|
Resource Breakdown Structure
|
Activity Attributes
|
Published Estimating Data
|
Project Documents updates
|
Resource Calendars
|
Bottom-Up Estimating
|
|
Risk Register
|
Project Management Software
|
|
Activity Cost Estimates
|
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Estimate Activity Duration process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Expert Judgment
|
Activity Duration Estimates
|
Activity List
|
Analogous Estimating
|
Project Documents updates
|
Activity Attributes
|
Parametric Estimating
|
|
Activity Resource Requirements
|
Three-Point Estimating
|
|
Resource Calendars
|
Group Decision Making Techniques
|
|
Project Scope Statement
|
Reserve Analysis
|
|
Risk Register
|
|
|
Resource Breakdown Structure
|
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Develop Schedule process are given below.
Schedule Management Plan
|
Schedule Network Analysis
|
Schedule Baseline
|
Activity List
|
Critical Path Method
|
Project Schedule
|
Activity Attributes
|
Critical Chain Method
|
Schedule Data
|
Project Schedule Network Diagram
|
Resource Optimization Techniques
|
Project Calendars
|
Activity Resource Requirements
|
Modeling Techniques
|
Project Management Plan Updates
|
Resource Calendars
|
Leads and Lags
|
Project Documents updates
|
Activity Duration Estimates
|
Schedule Compression
|
|
Project Scope Statement
|
Scheduling Tool
|
|
Risk Register
|
|
|
Project Staff Assignments
|
|
|
Resource Breakdown Structure
|
|
|
Enterprise Environmental Factors
|
|
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
|
|
The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Control Schedule process are given below.
Project Management Plan
|
Performance Reviews
|
Work Performance Information
|
Project Schedule
|
Project Management Software
|
Schedule Forecasts
|
Work Performance Data
|
Resource Optimization Techniques
|
Change Requests
|
Project Calendars
|
Modeling Techniques
|
Project Management Plan Updates
|
Schedule Data
|
Leads and Lags
|
Project Documents updates
|
Organizational Process Assets
|
Schedule Compression
|
Organizational Process Assets updates
|