6 - PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT

Project Management Plan Updates

updates to schedule baseline, schedule management plan Output of Develop Schedule Output of Control Schedule Input to Develop Project Management Plan

Modeling Techniques

What-If Scenario Analysis - the process of evaluating scenarios in order to predict their effect, positively or negatively, on project objectives Simulation - involves calculating multiple project durations with different sets of activity assumptions, usually using probability distributions constructed from the three-point estimates to account for uncertainty; most common simulation technique is Monte Carlo analysis in which a distribution of possible activity durations is defined for each activity and used to calculate a distribution of possible outcomes for the total project T&T of Develop Schedule T&T of Control Schedule

Activity Attributes

____ extend the description of the activity by identifying the multiple components associated with each activity ____, distinct from milestones, have durations, during which the work of that activity is performed, and may have resources and costs associated with that work Output of Define Activities Input of Sequence Activities Input of Estimate Activity Resources Input of Estimate Activity Duration Input of Develop Schedule

Leads and Lags

_____ is the amount of time whereby a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity ___ is the amount of time whereby a successor activity will be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity T&T of Sequence Activities T&T of Develop Schedule T&T of Control Schedule

Schedule Management Plan

a component of the project management plan that establishes the criteria and the activities for developing, monitoring, and controlling the schedule may be formal or informal, highly detailed or broadly framed, based upon the needs of the project, and includes appropriate control thresholds the _____ can establish the following: project schedule model development level of accuracy units of measure organizational procedures links project schedule model maintenance control thresholds rules of performance measurement reporting formats process descriptions Output of Plan Schedule Management Input of Define Activities Input of Sequence Activities Input of Estimate Activity Resources Input of Estimate Activity Durations Input of Develop Schedule Input of Identify Risks Input of Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis

Activity List

a comprehensive list that includes all schedule activities required on the project includes the activity identifier and a scope of work description for each activity in sufficient detail to ensure that project team embers understand what work is required to be completed Output of Define Activities Input of Sequence Activities Input of Estimate Activity Resources Input of Estimate Activity Duration Input of Develop Schedule

Risk Register

a document in which the results of risk analysis and risk response planning are recorded; contains outcomes of other risk management processes as they are conducted contains a list of identified risks and a list of potential responses risk events may impact resource selection and availability updates to the _____ are included with project documents updates Input of Estimate Activity Resources Input of Estimate Activity Duration Input of Develop Schedule Output of Identify Risks

Project Schedule Network Diagrams

a graphical representation of the logical relationships (aka dependencies) among the project schedule activities produced manually or by using project management software can include full project details or have on or more summary activities a summary narrative can accompany the diagram and describe the basic approach used to sequence the activities Output of Sequence Activities Input of Develop Schedule

Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS)

a hierarchical representation of resources by category and type; useful for organizing and reporting project schedule data with resource utilization information examples of resource categories include labor, material, equipment, and supplies examples of resource types include skill level, grade level, or other information Output of Estimate Activity Resources Input of Estimate Activity Durations Input of Develop Schedule

Bottom-Up Estimating

a method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components of the WBS resource needs are estimated T&T of Estimating Activity Resources

Critical Chain Method (CCM)

a schedule method that allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for limited resources and project uncertainties T&T of Develop Schedule

Milestone List

a significant point or event in a project a list identifying all project milestones and indicates whether the milestone is mandatory or optional have zero duration because they represent a moment in time Output of Define Activities Input of Sequence Activities

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 PERT: program evaluation and review technique; uses three estimates to define an approximate range for an activity's duration: 1. Most likely (tM): estimate is based on the duration of the activity, given the resources likely to be assigned, their productivity, realistic expectation of availability for the activity, dependencies on other participants, and interruptions 2. Optimistic (tO): activity duration based on analysis of the best-case scenario for the activity 3. Pessimistic (tP): activity duration based on analysis of the worst-case scenario for the activity Beta Distribution >> expected duration (tE) = (tO+4tM+tP)/ 6 duration estimates based on three points with an assumed distribution provide an expected duration and clarify the range of uncertainty around the expected duration T&T of Estimate Activity Durations

Alternative 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 ex. various levels of resource capability or skills, different size or type of machines, different tools, and make-rent-or-buy decisions regarding the resource T&T of Estimate Activity Resources

Reserve Analysis

an analytical technique to determine the essential features and relationships of components in the project management plan to establish a reserve for the schedule duration, budget, estimated cost, or funds for a project Contingency reserves: estimated duration within the schedule baseline, which is allocated for identified risks that are accepted and for which contingent or mitigation responses are developed; associated with the "known-unknowns"; may be a percentage of the estimated activity duration, a fixed number of work periods, or may be developed by using quantitative analysis methods such as Monte Carlo simulation; may be separated from the individual activities and aggregated into buffers Management reserves: a specified amount of the project duration withheld for management control purposes and are reserved for unforeseen work that is within scope of the project; intended to address the "unknown-unknowns" that can affect a project; not included in the schedule baseline, but it is part of the overall project duration requirements; may require a change to the schedule baseline T&T of Estimating Activity Durations

Group Decision-Making Techniques

an assessment process having multiple alternatives with an expected outcome in the form of future actions useful for engaging team members to improve estimate accuracy and commitment to the emerging estimates T&T of Estimate Activity Durations

Project Schedule

an output of a schedule model that presents linked activities with planned dates, durations, milestones, and resources Output of Develop Schedule Input of Control Schedule Input of Estimate Costs Input of Determine Budget Input of Plan Procurement Management

Work Performance Information

calculated SV and SPI time performance indicators for WBS components, in particular the work packages and control accounts, are documents and communicated to stakeholders Output of Control Schedule Input of Monitor and Control Project Work

Resource Calendars

calendar that identifies the working days and shifts on which each specific resource is available specify when and how long identified project resources will be available during the project Input of Estimate Activity Resources Input of Estimate Activity Duration Input of Develop Schedule Output of Acquire Project Team Output of Conduct Procurements

Project Management Plan

contains information used to develop the schedule management plan which includes but is not limited to: Scope Baseline (includes the project scope statement and the work breakdown structure (WBS) details used for defining activities, duration estimation, and schedule management), and other information (other scheduling related cost, risk, and communications decisions from the project management plan are used to develop the schedule) Input of Plan Schedule Management Input of Control Schedule Output of Develop Project Management Plan

Project Scope Statement

contains the product scope description, which includes product characteristics that may affect activity sequencing includes project deliverables, project constraints, and project assumptions Input of Sequence Activities Input of Estimate Activity Durations Input of Develop Schedule Output of Define Scope

Scheduling Tool

contains the schedule model and expedites the scheduling process by generating start and finish dates based on the inputs of activities, network diagrams, resources and activity durations using schedule network analysis; can be used in conjunction with other project management software applications as well as manual methods T&T of Develop Schedule T&T of Control Schedule

Project Charter

defines the summary milestone schedule and project approval requirements that will influence the management of the project schedule Input of Plan Schedule Management Output of Develop Project Charter

Schedule Forecasts

estimates or predictions of conditions and events in the project's future based on information and knowledge available at the time of the forecast Output of Control Schedule Input of Monitor and Control Project Work

Expert Judgement

guided by historical information, provides valuable insight about the environment and information from prior similar projects can also suggest whether to combine methods and how to reconcile differences between them T&T of Plan Schedule Management T&T of Define Activities T&T of Estimate Activity Resources T&T of Estimate Activity Durations

Project Management Software

has the capability to help plan, organize, and manage resource pools and develop resource estimates ex. scheduling software tool T&T of Estimating Activity Resources T&T of Control Schedule

Organizational Process Assets Updates

updates can include causes of variances, corrective action chosen and the reasons, and other types of lessons learned from project schedule control Output of Control Schedule

Meetings

held in order to develop the schedule management plan participants may include the project manager, the project sponsor, selected project team members, selected stakeholders, anyone with responsibility for schedule planning or execution, and other as needed T&T of Plan Schedule Management

Project Calendars

identifies working days and shifts that are available for schedule activities Output of Develop Schedule Input of Control Schedule

Activity Resource Requirements

identify the types and quantities of resources required for each activity in a work package Output of Estimate Activity Resources Input of Estimate Activity Durations Input of Develop Schedule Input of Plan Human Resource Management

Project Time Management

includes the processes required to manage the timely completion of the project

Rolling Wave Planning

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 form of progressive elaboration T&T of Define Activities

Dependency Determination

mandatory dependencies - legally or contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work; sometimes referred to as hard logic or hard dependencies; the project team determines which dependencies are mandatory during the process of sequencing the activities discretionary dependencies - sometimes referred to as preferred logic, preferential logic, or soft logic; established based on knowledge of best practices within a particular application area; the project team determines which dependencies are discretionary external dependencies - involve a relationship between project activities and non-project activities; project team determines which dependencies are external internal dependencies - involve a precedence relationship between project activities and are generally inside the project team's control; project team determines which dependencies are internal T&T of Sequence Activities

Project Document Updates

may include activity lists, activity attributes, milestone list, and risk register Output of Sequence Activities Output of Estimate Activity Resources Output of Estimate Activity Durations Output of Develop Schedule Output of Control Schedule

Performance Reviews

measure, compare, and analyze schedule performance such as actual start and finish dates, percent complete, and remaining duration for work in progress Trend Analysis - examines project performance over time to determine whether performance is improving or deteriorating Critical Path Method - comparing the progress along the critical path can help determine schedule status Critical Chain Method - comparing the amount of buffer remaining to the amount of buffer needed to protect the delivery date can help determine schedule status 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 T&T of Control Schedule

Critical Path Method

method used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of scheduling flexibility on the logical network paths within the schedule model calculates the early start, early finish, late start, and late finish dates for all activities without regard for any resource limitations by performing a forward and backward pass analysis through the schedule network Critical Path - the sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible project duration T&T of Develop Schedule

Organizational Process Assets

monitoring and reporting tools, historical information, schedule control tools, existing formal and informal schedule control related policies, procedures, and guidelines, templates, project closure guidelines, change control procedures, risk control procedures including risk categories, probability and impact definitions, and probability and impact matrix Input of Plan Schedule Management Input of Define Activities Input of Sequence Activities Input of Estimate Activity Resources Input of Estimate Activity Durations Input of Develop Schedule Input of Control Schedule

Enterprise Environmental Factors

organizational culture and structure, resource availability and skills,project management software, published commercial information, organizational work authorization systems Input of Plan Schedule Management Input of Define Activities Input of Sequence Activities Input of Estimate Activity Resources Input of Estimate Activity Durations Input of Develop Schedule

Activity Duration Estimates

quantitative assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to complete an activity do not include any lags may include some indication of the range of possible results Output of Estimate Activity Durations Input of Develop Schedule Input of Identify Risk

Activity Cost Estimates

quantitative assessments of the probable costs required to complete project work the cost of resources may impact resource selection Input of Estimate Activity Resources Output of Estimate Costs

Work Performance Data

refers to information about project progress such as which activities have started, their progress, and which activities have finished Input of Control Schedule Output of Direct and Manage Project Work

Change Requests

schedule variance analysis, along with review of progress reports, results of performance measure, and modifications to the project scope or project schedule may result in ____ to the schedule baseline, scope baseline, and/or other components of the project management plan Output of Control Schedule Input of Perform Integrated Change Control

Analytical Techniques

scheduling methodology, scheduling tools and techniques, estimating approaches, formats, and project management software T&T of Plan Schedule Management

Published Estimating Data

several organizations routinely publish updated production rates and unit costs of resources for an extensive array of labor trades, material, and equipment for different countries and geographical locations within countries T&T of Estimate Activity Resources

Project Staff Assignments

specify which resources are assigned to each activity Input of Develop Schedule Output of Acquire Project Team

Analogous Estimating

technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity or a project using historical data from a similar activity or project relies on the actual duration of previous, similar projects as the basis for estimating the duration of the current project frequently used to estimate project duration when there is a limited amount of detailed information about the project T&T of Estimate Activity Durations

Parametric Estimating

technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters uses a statistical relationship between historical data and other variables to calculate an estimate for activity parameters, such as cost, budget, and duration T&T of Estimate Activity Durations

Schedule Network Analysis

technique that generates the project schedule model employs various analytical techniques, such as critical path method, critical chain method, what-if analysis, and resource optimization techniques to calculate the early and late start and finish dates for the uncompleted portions of project activities T&T of Develop Schedule

Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)

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 activity-on-node (AON) is one method; method used by most project management software packages includes 4 types of dependencies or logical relationships: 1. Finish-to-Start (FS) - successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished; most commonly used type of precedence relationship 2. Finish-to-finish (FF) - successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished 3. Start-to-start (SS) - successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has started 4. Start-to-finish (SF) - successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has started; very rarely used T&T of Sequence Activities

Decomposition

technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts activities represent the effort needed to complete a work package the Define Activities process defines the final outputs as activities rather than deliverables, as done in the Create WBS process T&T of Define Activities

Schedule Compression

techniques are used to shorten the schedule duration without reducing the project scope, in order to meet schedule constraints, imposed dates, or other schedule objectives Crashing - used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources; only works for activities on the critical path where additional resources will shorten the activity's duration ex. approving overtime, bringing in additional resources, or paying to expedite delivery to activities on the critical path Fast Tracking - technique in which activities or phases normally done in sequence are performed in parallel for at least a portion of their duration; may result in rework and increased risk; only works if activities can be overlapped to shorten the project duration T&T of Develop Schedule T&T of Control Schedule

Resource Optimization Techniques

techniques that can be used to adjust the schedule model due to demand and supply of resources: Resource Leveling - technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing demand for outsources with the available supply Resource Smoothing - technique that adjusts the activities of a schedule model such that the requirements for resources on the project do not exceed certain predefined resource limits T&T of Develop Schedule T&T of Control Schedule

Schedule Baseline

the approved version of a schedule model that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison to actual results; accepted and approved by the appropriate stakeholders Output of Develop Schedule Input of Develop Project Management Plan

Schedule Data

the collection of information for describing and controlling the schedule ex. schedule milestones, schedule activities, activity attributes, and documentation of all identified assumptions and constraints, resource histograms, cash-flow projections, and order and delivery schedules Output of Develop Schedule Input of Control Schedule

Develop Schedule

the process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model by entering schedule activities, duration, resources, resource availabilities, and logical relationships into the scheduling tool, it generates a schedule model with planned dates for completing project activities

Plan Schedule Management

the process of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the project schedule the key benefit of this process is that it provides guidance and direction on how the project schedule will be managed throughout the project

Estimate Activity Durations

the process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources provides the amount of time each activity will take to complete, which is a major input into the Develop Schedule process

Estimate Activity Resources

the process of estimating the type and quantities of material, human resources, equipment, or supplies required to perform each activity identifies the type, quantity, and characteristics of resources required to complete the activity which allows more accurate cost and duration estimates

Sequence Activities

the process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities it defines the logical sequence of work to obtain the greatest efficiency given all project constraints

Define Activities

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

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 provides the means to recognize deviation from the plan and take corrective and preventive actions and thus minimize risk

Scope Baseline

the project WBS, deliverables, constraints, and assumptions Input of Define Activities Output of Create WBS