IT Project Management Individual Assignment
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Lesson8ProjectScheduleMgmt1.pptxIT Project Management
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Diploma in Information Technology
Copyright © 2020 by Singapore Institute of Management Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lesson 8: Project Schedule Management - Part 1
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Learning objectives
Understand the importance of project schedules and good project time management
Define activities as the basis for developing project schedules
Describe how project managers use network diagrams and dependencies to assist in activity sequencing
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Learning objectives
Understand the relationship between estimating resources and project schedules
Explain how various tools and techniques help project managers perform activity duration estimating
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8.1 Project Schedule
A project schedule is a timetable that organises project tasks, activity durations, calendar start and end dates, and sets overall project milestones on a timeline.
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8.1 Project Schedule
Defines the team members & resources needed to complete tasks.
A fundamental tool for project planning and control.
Accounts for all the work necessary to complete the deliverables.
Includes all associated costs as outlined in the project budget.
An essential tool to deliver a project on time and within budget.
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8.2 Project Time Management
Project time management, simply defined, involves the processes required to ensure timely completion of a project. Achieving timely completion of a project, however, is by no means simple.
There are six (6) main processes involved in project time management
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The 6 processes of project time management
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8.2.1 Define Activities
Define Activities is the process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables. The key benefit of this process is to break down work packages into activities that provide a basis for estimating, scheduling, executing, monitoring and controlling the project work.
PMBOK, 5th Edition, Section 6.2, “Define Activities”
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8.2.1 Define Activities
Create a list of tasks that must be completed in order to deliver the project.
For complex projects, organise the tasks in the form of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), a chart visualising tasks and their sub-tasks.
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8.2.1 Define Activities
Rules of thumb for defining the activity list:
Make sure the cost and duration can be reliably estimated.
Base the activities on the project Deliverables.
Have only one Responsible Party for each activity.
Make it measurable in percentage completed.
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8.2.2 Sequence Activities
After listing the activities, determine their dependencies to identify which tasks rely on others to be completed.
It’s important to correctly define all the task dependencies so that the activities sequencing can be done accurately and avoid delays.
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8.2.2 Sequence Activities
At this stage, the amount of time (work hours or due dates) to the activities are yet to be assigned.
Instead, the focus is on the order in which all project activities should be done in an efficient flow.
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8.2.3 Task Dependencies
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8.2.3 Task Dependencies
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8.2.4 Estimate Resources
Estimate the resources (manpower, materials, tools etc.) needed for each project activity.
The resource allocation will affect the schedule.
For example, if the same team member is responsible for multiple tasks at once, there is a schedule conflict.
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8.2.4 Estimate Resources
To estimate resource availability, consider:
Task sequence
Time restrictions (team members’ vacations & other work, company holidays & office closures)
Cost restrictions (the number, skill levels, & hourly requirements of team members under the budget)
Skills & experience of team members affect their ability to complete work within certain time frames
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8.2.5 Estimate Durations
This is one of the hardest parts of project scheduling, but it’s also one of the most important since it has a huge impact on project cost.
“Duration” refers to the number of working hours, days, weeks, or months expected to complete a task.
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8.2.5 Estimate Durations
One good way to estimate duration is to use data from similar previous jobs.
If there is neither data to work from nor industry standard to refer, then an estimate can be based on the average of the best, worst, and most likely scenarios.
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8.2.5 Estimate Durations
Estimating duration correctly keeps clients happy (since work progresses on schedule) and team members happy (since they can easily meet deadlines).
However, it is a common mistake to underestimate how long tasks will take.
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8.2.5 Estimate Durations
Project “frenzy” occurs when the team hurries to complete too much work in too little time, and the client has to be compensated with additional funds.
In this case, quality suffers, and morale decreases on both sides.
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8.2.5 Estimate Durations
It is a common practice among project managers to keep some buffer time in the schedule.
When things don't always go as planned, the buffer time helps to get things back on track.
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8.3 Tools and Techniques for Activity Duration Estimating
Six (6) tools and techniques:
1. Expert Judgment
2. Analogous Estimating
3. Parametric Estimating
4. Three Point Estimates
5. Reserve analysis
6. Group Decision Making Techniques
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8.3.1 Expert Judgement
Using experts who have knowledge of the related field and experience in estimating activity duration.
It can be provided by a member or multiple members of the project management team.
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8.3.2 Analogous Estimating
It analyses a similar project completed in the past and makes a rough estimation for the current project by using the past project’s data.
It makes duration calculations easier and faster but with less accuracy.
It is useful when little information about the project is known, and management needs quick answers.
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8.3.3 Parametric Estimating
It is similar, but more accurate, than the analogous estimation.
To use it, multiply the number of units you need by the time it takes to produce the units.
Historical information about similar activities is needed to complete the estimate. The method is scalable.
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8.3.3 Parametric Estimating
For example, if the historical data shows that it takes 1 person an hour to produce 1 unit, we can reasonably estimate that 3 units can be completed by 3 workers within an hour.
When this method is used, it's important to account for all tasks that impact the activity.
(For example, if the workers spend part of the time preparing materials, account for that time in the estimates).
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8.3.4 Three Point Estimates
| Estimate | Description |
| Most Likely Estimate (Tm) | This is the activity duration for most cases. |
| Pessimistic Estimate (To) | This is the activity duration in the worst-case scenario. |
| Optimistic Estimate (Tp) | This is the activity duration in the most favorable case. |
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8.3.4 Three Point Estimates
Two popular formula:
1. Triangular distribution:
Te = (To + Tm + Tp ) / 3
2. Beta (or PERT):
Te = (To + 4Tm + Tp) / 6
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8.3.4 Three Point Estimates
For Activity A:
To = 4 hours , Tm = 8 hours , Tp = 16 hours
Triangular Distribution:
Te = (4 + 8 + 16 ) / 3
= 28 / 3
= 9.3 hours
Beta Distribution (PERT):
Te = [4 + 4(8) + 16] / 6
= 52 / 6
= 8.7 hours
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8.3.4 Three Point Estimates
The beta distribution is a weighted average in which more weight is given to the most likely estimate and hence increase the accuracy of the estimate.
Hence, Beta (PERT) distribution has been proven to be more accurate than the 3-Point triangular estimation.
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8.3.4 Three Point Estimates
Standard Deviation (SD) = (Tp-To)/6
Mean +/- 1 SD range – Probability is 68.4%
Mean +/- 2 SD range – Probability is 95.5%
Mean +/- 3 SD range – Probability is 99.7%
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8.3.4 Three Point Estimates
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8.3.5 Reserve Analysis
It is considered as a contingency reserve.
Once the schedule for each activity is fixed, contingency reserve duration can be added.
The contingency reserve duration can be changed depending on the situation.
It helps the project team to manage schedule risks to minimise their impacts.
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8.3.6 Group Decision Making Techniques
Group decision making techniques can be used to estimate the duration of each activity.
In this technique, the team members or experts are consulted to provide the best estimates for the project activities.
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Questions?
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