PM-C6-myNotes
Buffer
Additional time to complete the task. Project buffer is time added before the project's due date. Feeding buffers are time added before tasks on the critical chain if they are preceded by other tasks that are not on the critical path
task
Also an activity. It's an element of work. Has an expected duration,cost, and resource requirements. It's normally found on the work breakdown structure
Activity List
Activities included on the project schedule. Should include the name, and activity identifier or number, and a brief description of the activity. It should agree with the WBS and the WBS dictionary
(#20.)Dependancies
Relationship. Does one thing have to proceed the other? Can project things be done in parallel? Can some overlap?
To make milestones meaningful, some people use _______criteria to help to find them.
SMART: specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, time-framed
Controlling the schedule
controlling and managing changes to the project schedule
Defining activities
identifying the specific activities that the project team members and stakeholders must perform to produce the project deliverables
bursts
occur when a single node is followed by two or more activities.
Planning schedule management
determining the policies, procedures, and documentation that will be used for planning, executing, and controlling the project schedule
Rolling Wave Planning
The imminent work is planned in detail, while the work in the future is planned at a higher level. This is a form of progressive elaboration.
PERT Chart (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)
(Network diagram) is a graphical network model that depicts a project's task and their sequencing(relationships between them). Also called a project schedule network diagram. A-J is for the activity sequencing. A before B, etc.
Four types of relationships or dependencies between activities
1. Finish to start dependency. The 'from' must finish before the 'to'. Example-you cannot provide user training until software has been installed. This is the most common type of relationship and AOA networks use only this kind. 2. Start to start dependency. The "from" activity cannot start until the "to" activity or successor is started. Example-agroup of activities might start simultaneously such as many tests that occur when a new system goes live. 3. Finish to finish dependency. The "from" must be finished before the "to" can be finished. One task cannot finish before another task finishes. For example: quality control efforts cannot finish before Production finishes although the two activities can be performed at the same time. 4. Start to finish dependency. The "from" starts before the "to" can be finished. This type is rarely used but works in some cases. Example: the company might stock raw materials just in time for the manufacturing process to begin. A delay in starting the manufacturing process should delay completion of stocking the raw materials. Example 2: the babysitter wants to finish watching a young child who is dependent on the parents arrival. Parents will show up or start before the babysitter can finish the task.
Describe four types of dependencies
1. Mandatory dependencies. Also called 'hard logic'. Example-you cannot test code until you write it. 2. Discretionary dependencies. . 'soft logic'. Example-you might follow good practice and not start a new design until the users have signed off and all the analysis work is turned in. This could create scheduling problems. 3. External dependencies. Example-suppose you were going to build some software that would operate on some new hardware from an external supplier. You might not have the hardware delivery in your scope but it would be an external dependency. If they were late, you may be late. 4. Internal dependencies. From inside the project team. Example-you might have to create software before you can test a unit.
Tracking Gantt chart
A Gantt chart that compares planned versus actual schedule information. It allows the project manager to monitor schedule progress on individual tasks and the whole project.
Theory of Constraints (TOC)
A chain is only as good as it's weakest link.
Gantt Chart Symbols
Black diamond=milestone. Thick white bars with rectangles at the beginning and end(Or thick black bars) = summary tasks. Light blue horizontal bars=duration of task. Arrows connecting the symbols=relationships or dependencies between tasks. White diamond= slipped milestone(was completed later than planned).
CPM
Critical Path Method. Also called critical path analysis. A network diagramming technique used to predict total project duration. This helps you to combat project schedule overruns.
(#58.) probabilistic time estimates
Duration estimates based on using optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates of activity durations instead of using one specific or discrete estimate
Three-Point Estimate
Example: three weeks= optimistic estimate, four weeks= most likely, and five weeks for the pessimistic scenario
Project schedule management overview: 6.2 define activities
INPUTS: project management plan, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets. TOOLS: expert judgment, decomposition, rolling wave planning, and meetings. OUTPUT: activity list, activity attributes, milestones list, change requests, and project management plan updates.
Project schedule management overview: 6.1 plan schedule management-Inputs. Tools and techniques. Outputs.
INPUTS:1. project charter, 2. Project management plan. 3. Enterprise environmental factors., And 4. Organizational process assets. TOOLS:1. Expert judgment, 2. Data analysis, and 3. Meetings. OUTPUTS: just 1. Schedule management plan
effort
Number of work days or work hours to complete a task.
slack
Or float. Amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying a succeeding activity or the project finish date.
More on project evaluation and review technique including a formula for it's weighted average
PERT. Can be used to estimate project duration. It applies the critical path method(CPM) to a weighted average duration estimate. PERT weighted average=(optimistic time + 4* most likely time + pessimistic results time)/6
PDM
Precedence Diagramming Method. Boxes represent activities. Good for visualizing certain types of time relationships.
project schedule management
Processes required to ensure timely completion of a project
Activity Attributes
Schedule related information about each activity, such as predecessors, successors, logical relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, constraints, imposed dates, and assumptions related to the activity. Should agree with the WBS and the WBS dictionary.
(#30.)duration
The actual amount of time worked on an activity plus elapsed time. Example: even though it might take five days to do the work, the duration estimate maybe two weeks to allow extra time needed to obtain outside information. Example 2: somebody asked me how long it would take to read a book. I said two months. Two months would be the duration estimate. It may only take me 20 hours to read the book.
free slack (free float)
The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of any immediately following activities
total slack (total float)
The amount of time an activity may be delayed from its early start without delaying the planned project finish date
early finish date
The earliest possible time an activity can finish based on the project network logic
early start date
The earliest possible time an activity can start based on the project network logic
Schedule dates
The entire approved planned schedule
late finish date
The latest possible time an activity can be completed without delaying the project finish date
late start date
The latest possible time an activity may begin without delaying the project finish date
Baseline dates
The planned schedule dates for activities in a Tracking Gantt chart
Inputs to activity duration estimates
The project management plan, project documents, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets.
Nodes
The starting and ending points of an activity.
Summary tasks
Thick black bars or thick white bars with rectangles at the beginning and end in a Giant chart
#60. How his schedule management radically different using agile and scrum in particular?
Those projects rely heavily on critical path method. They consider meeting the estimated completion date as a crucial component of success. Agile projects on the other hand may not even need to estimate activity durations or project schedules at all. The overall project completion time is not important. Customer/product owners can demand what they want in each and every short iteration in the product backlog and they get to see and touch a working product and approve of it by the end of each iteration. Customer satisfaction in project progress I s extremely transparent at each iteration.
feeding buffers
Time added before tasks on the critical chain if they are preceded by other tasks that are not on the critical path
Multitasking
When a resource works on more than one task at a time. This is not a good thing if you want to finish a project on time.
merge
When two or more nodes go in front of a single mode
Parkinson's law
Work expands to fill the time allowed
Estimating activity durations
____ involves estimating the number of work periods that are needed to complete individual activities
Sequencing activities
____ involves identifying and documenting the relationships between project activities.
developing the schedule
_______involves analyzing activity sequences, resource requirements, and activity duration estimates to create the project schedule.
Calculating the Critical Path
● First develop a good network diagram ● Add the duration estimates for all activities on each path through the network diagram ● The longest path is the critical path but it represents the shortest time required to complete a project. ● If one or more of the activities on the critical path takes longer than planned, the whole project schedule will slip unless the project manager takes corrective action
dummy activities
Activities with no duration and no resources used to show a logical relationship between two activities in the arrow diagramming method of project network diagrams
AOA & ADM
Activity on arrow and arrow diagramming method. Uses arrows and nodes.
6 main processes in project schedule management
1. Planning schedule management. 2. Defining activities. 3. Sequencing activities. 4. Estimating activity durations. 5. Developing the schedule. 6. Controlling the schedule.
(#10.)Schedule Management Plan(can be informal and broad or formal and detailed) usually includes:
1. Project schedule model development(make a team project activities with a lot of time, dependencies, etc). 2. Level of accuracy in units of measure(how accurate time estimates are and units-hours, days, etc). 3. Control thresholds(variance,+or - 10%?). 4. Rules of performance measurement(how to determine what percentage of a project is complete). 5. Reporting formats(what format and how frequent). 6. Process descriptions(how will the processes be performed).
critical chain scheduling
A method of scheduling that takes limited resources into account when creating a project schedule and includes buffers to protect the project completion date
Forward Pass
A network diagramming technique that determines the early start and early finish dates for each activity
(#50.) Backward Pass
A project network diagramming technique that determines the late start and late finish dates for each activity
Fast Tracking
A schedule compression technique in which you do activities in parallel that you would normally do in sequence
Crashing
A technique for making cost and schedule trade-offs to obtain the greatest amount of schedule compression for the least incremental cost. Example: maybe one of the items on the critical path that will take two weeks part-time could be done in one week full-time. It wouldn't cost any more. It could shorten the project end date. The main advantage of crashing is to shorten the time needed to finish a project. The main disadvantage is that it could increase the project cost.
(#40.) critical path
the sequence of activities that determine the earliest date by which the project can be completed.