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

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.

(#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.

(#40.) critical path

the sequence of activities that determine the earliest date by which the project can be completed.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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