PROJECT PLANNING (SCHEDULING)

Learning Objectives:
 Define terms related to scheduling.
 Calculate parametric estimates.
 Describe how cost and time are summarized in a WBS.
 Outline the process of decomposition is used to create a WBS.
 Identify the difference between a deliverable and work package.
 Describe the WBS numbering system.
 Outline top-down estimation methods.
 Outline bottom-up estimation methods.
 Be able to calculate learning curves and apply them.
 Discuss issues related to moving from the planning phase of a project to the scheduling
phase.
 Explain concepts related to the critical path method including schedule compression.

Scheduling Terms
Scheduling terms refer to a set of terms and concepts used in the field of project
management to organize and plan tasks efficiently.

The following definitions of scheduling-related terms are taken from a variety of sources.

 Activity- An element of work performed during the course of a project. An activity

normally has an expected duration, an expected cost, and expected resource requirements.

 Cost- An expenditure, usually of money, for the purchase of goods or services.

 Duration- The amount of time to complete a specific task given other commitments,
work, vacations, etc. Usually expressed as workdays or workweeks.

 Milestone- A significant event in the project; usually completion of a major deliverable.

 Resource- Any personnel, material, or equipment required for the performance of an

activity.

 Slack- Calculated time span during which an event has to occur within the logical and
imposed constraints of the network, without affecting the total project duration.

Defining Activities
 The activity definition process is a further breakdown of the work package elements of
the work breakdown structures (WBS).
  It documents the specific activities needed to fulfill the deliverables detailed in the
WBS.
 Expert judgment in the form of project team members with prior experience developing
project scope statements and WBS can help you define activities.
 If you are asked to manage a project in a new domain.
 You may want to create an activity list and then have the expert review it and suggest
changes.
 Rolling-wave planning lets you plan and schedule only the portion that you know enough
about to plan well.
 When you don’t know enough about a project, you can use placeholders for the unknown
portions until you know more.

Work Breakdown Structures

 The WBS is a hierarchical outline of all the deliverables involved in completing a project.
 The WBS is part of a project scope statement.

The creation of a WBS is one of the first steps in organizing and scheduling the work for a project.

Deliverables vs. Work Packages

  Deliverables and sub-deliverables are things such as physical objects, software code, or
events.
 Work packages are assignable units of work that will be performed to create the related
deliverable.
 A work package can be assigned to one particular project team member, one outside
contractor, or another team.

WBS Numbering
 Project managers use the WBS during project execution to track the status of deliverables
and work packages.
 The items in a WBS are numbered so it is easy to understand the deliverable, or sub-
deliverable, to which any particular work package is related.
 This numbering system allows for easy reference and filtering.

Decomposition
 Decomposition is the process used to break the project scope of work into the
deliverables, sub-deliverables, and work packages.
 This begins with identifying the highest-level deliverables and then broken into sub-
deliverables.
 General Rule: If the WBS has more than 5 layers of sub-deliverables, the project team
should reassess and try to simplify the WBS structure.

The WBS Dictionary

 Who is responsible for completing the work package?
 What resources will be needed to complete the work package?
 What deliverable(s) is the work package contributing to?
 What deadlines or milestones are associated with this work package?
 What are the acceptance criteria for this work package?

Time Estimation
1. Importance of Estimates:
  Estimates play a crucial role in project planning and are a significant source of project
risk.
 They determine project feasibility, funding requirements, and resource allocation.

2. Accuracy of Estimates:
 PMI defines ranges for estimates: ROM, Budget Estimate, Definitive Estimate.
 It's essential to avoid underestimation (leading to budget and time overrun) and
overestimation (causing resource over-allocation).

3. Top-Down Estimation:
 Also known as macro estimation, provides quick estimates based on historical data.
 Used for initial feasibility assessment and resource allocation.
 Less accurate but faster than bottom-up estimation. Unbiased estimates are crucial, and
buffers should be added to deal with uncertainty.

4. Analogous Estimating:
 Quick estimation method using information from similar past projects.
 Effective for providing initial estimates but requires caution due to differences in scope,
conditions, and resource costs.

5. Learning Curves:
 Learning curves depict improvement in productivity over time as workers gain
experience.
 Important for repetitive tasks; however, improvement saturates over time.
 Strategies like incentivizing workers and investing in technology can enhance learning
curve slopes.

6. Bottom-Up Estimation:
 Micro estimation approach involves detailed estimation from work packages or activities.
 More accurate but time-consuming as it requires assessing each activity individually.
 Relies on experienced individuals for estimation rather than historical data.

7. Parametric Estimating:
 Uses historical data or industry benchmarks to make estimates.
 Involves multiplying project size by established cost per unit.
 Provides rough estimates quickly, which can be refined later.

8. Single Point and Three-Point Estimates:

  Single point estimates are obtained from one estimator, while three-point estimates
involve optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates for each activity.
 Three-point estimates provide a range of outcomes and can be used for risk assessment.

9. Resource Levelling:
 Addresses resource conflicts and over-allocations by rescheduling tasks.
 Balances workload over the project duration, often at the expense of project finish date.
 Utilizes project management software for automatic task updates and delay calculations.

Overall, accurate estimation is critical for successful project management, and various
methods are available to ensure estimates align with project requirements and constraints.

Managing the Schedule

Schedule management is a procedure that requires the establishment of policies and
documentation for maintaining, developing, managing, and controlling the schedules for time
and resources for the completion of the project. The strategic benefit of the schedule
management process is, that it will monitor and manage the schedule throughout the project.
Time is one of the three constraints in the “Iron Triangle” of Project Management, and any delay
in the schedule can be very costly. Therefore, Schedule Management is crucial to ensure project
success.

Methodologies for creating a project schedule management plan

1. Gantt chart

Gantt charts are one of the most popular tools for project scheduling. A Gantt
chart is a type of bar chart, developed by Henry Gantt, that illustrates a project schedule.
Gantt charts are easy to read and are commonly used to display scheduled activities.
These charts display the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary
elements
of a project.
Once you’re done building this diagram, you should estimate individual activity duration.
Finally, find your critical path — the best path to complete your project.

2. Network Diagram

Many project managers use network diagrams when scheduling a project.

Managing the Schedule visualize the interrelationships of project activities. Network
diagrams provide a graphical view of the tasks and how they relate to one another.
3. Critical Path Method (CPM)

The critical path method is a scheduling methodology that helps you determine
the most efficient path possible for your project — a strong way to understand the logic
behind your tasks and calculate the duration of each.

Forward pass and Backward pass

 Early start: The earliest day you can begin the specified activity
 Early finish: The earliest day you can finish an activity, based on predecessors
 Late start: The latest day you can begin an activity
 Late finish: The latest day you can finish an activity
 Predecessors: Tasks you must complete before you can start another one — also
called dependency tasks
 Successors: Tasks in a dependency timeline that come after a given task — also
called successor tasks
 Critical path: The longest duration (from start to finish) necessary to complete a
project
  Total float: The difference between the earliest start and latest start of a given task;
this is how much time you have before a delay interferes with your project’s
completion
 Free float: The amount of time you can delay a task before it impacts any successor
tasks
 Zero float: This means an activity has no room for delays if the project is to complete
on time

Schedule Management allows for (among other things):

 Structuring project work,

 Sharing the plan with the whole team,
 Gathering data for reporting,
 Defining the interdependencies between tasks /activities and the task force,
 Visualizing the critical tasks which are important to pay special attention to,
 Understanding the project status in relation to the validated road map,
 Increasing the likelihood of achieving the project objectives.