Inputs: Plan Schedule Management
- PM Plan
- Project Charter
- EEFs
- OPAs
Outputs: Plan Schedule Management
Schedule Management Plan
Schedule Management Plan
Outlines how the project carry out each process in the knowledge area, as well as how to measure the schedue and make corrections for variances.
Components of Schedule Management Plan
- sheduling methodology and software
- rules for how estimates should be stated: what measure of time, and should effort be included?
- schedule baseline
- performance measures
- plan for managing variances and determining which ones to act on
- schedule change control procedures
- reporting procedures and cadences
- length of releases and iterations (adaptive life cycle)
Inputs: Define Activities
- PM Plan
- EEFs
- OPAs
Outputs: Define Activities
- Activity list
- Activity attributes
- Milestone List
- Change Request
- PM Plan updates
Schedule Data
used to show what data were used to create the schedule, including constraints and assumptions made to create the schedule
Inputs: Sequence Activities
- PM Plan
- Project docs, including:
- Activity list
- Activity attributes
- Milestone List
- Assumption Log
- EEFs
- OPAs
Outputs: Sequence Activities
- Project Schedule Network Diagrams
- Project Docs updates
Activity Attributes
More detailed information about each individual activity.
Can include resources needed, location of the activity, cost, assumptions, constraints, leads and lags, and relationships to other activities
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
used to create network diagram.
nodes (boxes) represent activities, arrows represent dependencies. numbers on nodes show activity duration estimates
Types of Dependencies
Mandatory
Discretionary
External
Internal
Keys to Increasing Estimate Accuracy
- should be based on a WBS
- should be done by the person doing the work
- historical information should be used
- estimate smaller work-components then aggregate
Note: no padding of estimates under PMI.
Inputs: Estimate Activity Durations
- PM Plan
- Project docs
- activity list and activity attributes
- assumption long
- lessons learned register
- resource breakdown structure
- resource requirements
- project team assignments
- resource calendars
- risk register
- EEFs
- OPAs
Outputs: Estimate Activity Durations
PM’s role in estimating
- provide team with info to properly estimate each activity
- establish how refined estimates must be
- complete a reality check of estimates
- prevent pading
- formulate a reserve
- ensure assumptions made during estimating are recorded
Analagous Estimating
aka top-down estimating
aggregate estimate of project costs, using histoical data from past, similar projects.
Parametric Estimating
Creating a mathematical equation to determine relationships between historical data & other variables. Includes historical information review, regression analysis, learning curves.
3-point estimates
Triangular estimate
Beta distribution
Bottom-up Estimation
estimates each activity (or work packages, if activities not available), then aggregates to control accounts and overall project estimate
Types of Reserves
Contingency Reserves (known unknowns)
Management Reserves (unknown unknowns)
Schedule Compression Options
Fast Track (do activities on critical path in parallel instead of sequence (increases risk)
Crash (more resources, increases costs, sometimes increses risk)
Reduce Scope (may save cost, time, resources)
Cut Quality (may save cost, time, resources, but increase risk)
Critical Chain Method
places project buffer at end of project instead of throughout project.
build aggressive schedule, then at end of schedule add large buffer
Resource Optimization Techniques
- Resource Leveling – extend activity dates or resequence activities to accomodate resource that is over-allocated)
- Resource Smoothing – form of resource leveling that is limited to activities with float, so there is no impact to the critical path
