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Project Time Management
Knowledge Areas Major Processes desc. Primary Inputs Tools & Techniques Primary Outputs
Time
Activity Definition Identifying the specific schedule activities that need be performed to produce the various project deliverables 1. Enterprise environmental factors
2. Organizational Process Assets
3. Project Scope Statement
4. Project Management Plan
5. Work breakdown structure
6. WBS dictionary		 1. Decomposition
2. Templates
3. Rolling wave planning
4. Planning component
5. Expert Judgment		 1. Activity List
2. Activity Attributes
3. Milestone list
4. Request Changes
Activity Sequencing Identifying and documenting dependencies among schedule activities 1. Project Scope Statement
2. Activity list
3. Activity Attributes
4. Milestone list
5. Approved Change Requests		 1. PDM
2. ADM
3. Schedule Network templates
4. Dependency determination
5. Applying leads and lags		 1. Project Schedule Network diagrams
2. Activity list (updates)
3. Activity attributes (updates)
4. Requested changes
Activity Resource Estimating Estimating the type and quantities of resources required to perform each schedule activity 1. Enterprise environmental factors
2. Organizational Process Assets
3. Project Management Plan
4. Activity list
5. Activity Attributes 6. Resource Availability		 1. Bottom-up estimating 2. Alternatives Analysis
3. Published estimated data
4. Project Management Software
5. Expert Judgment		 1. Activity resource requirements
2. Activity attributes (updates) 3. Resource calendar (updates)
4. Resource Breakdown Structure
5. Requested changes
Activity Duration Estimating Estimating the number of work periods that will be needed to complete each schedule activities. 1. Enterprise environmental factors
2. Organizational Process Assets
3. Project Scope Statement
4. Project Management Plan .Risk register .Activity Cost estimates
5. Activity list
6. Activity Attributes
7. Activity Resource requirements 8. Resource Calendar		 1. Analogous estimating
2. Parametric estimating
3. Three-point estimates
4. Reserve Analysis
5. Expert judgment		 1. Activity Duration estimates
2. Activity attributes (updates)
Schedule Development Analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule. 1. Enterprise environmental factors
2. Project Scope Statement
3. Project Management Plan . Risk register
4. Activity list
5. Activity Attributes
6. Project Schedule network diagrams
7. Activity Resource requirements
8. Resource Calendars
9. Activity duration estimates		 1. Schedule Network analysis
2. Critical path method
3. Schedule Compression
4. What-if scenario analysis
5. Resource leveling
6. Critical chain method
7. Project management software
8. Applying calendars
9. Adjusting leads and lags
10. Schedule model		 1. Project schedule
2. Schedule model data
3. Schedule baseline
4. Resource requirements (updates)
5. Activity attributes (updates)
6. Project calendar (updates)
7. Requested Changes
8. Project Management Plan (updates) .Schedule Management Plan (updates)
Schedule Control Controlling changes to the project schedule. 1. Schedule management plan
2. Schedule baseline 3. Performance reports
4. Approved Change requests		 1. Progress Reporting 2. Schedule change control system
3. Performance measurement
4. Project management software 5. Variance analysis
6. Schedule comparison bar charts		 1. Schedule model data (updates)
2. Schedule baseline (updates) 3. Activity list (updates)
4. Activity Attributes (updates)
5. Performance measurements
6. Requested changes
7. Recommended Corrective actions 8. Project Management Plan (updates)
9. Organizational Process Assets (updates)
Project Time Management
processes required to ensure timely completion of the project
Activity Definition
defines activities that must take place to produce project deliverables
Activity
consumes time (eg testing
Events
specified accomplishment / does not consume time (eg tested
Time Management
In small projects Activity Definition, Sequencing, Resource Estimation, Duration Estimation and Schedule development are so tightly linked that they are viewed as single process.
Schedule Management Plan
Development of Schedule Management Plan is part of Develop Project Management Plan Process. SMP is a subsidiary plan of PMP and may formal or informal, highly detailed or broadly framed depending on the project

Decomposition(Tools and Techniques used in Activity Definition)
Involves sub dividing the Work Packages into smaller components called activities. Activity Definition output is schedule activities not Deliverables (Create WBS output is Deliverables) Activity list, WBS and WBS dictionary can be developed either sequentially or concurrently. Performed by team members responsible for the work package.
Control Account
From management Perspective a control line is drawn in the WBS Hierarchy levels. All the Planning components above this line belong to what is called the Control Account. All efforts performed within a control account are documented in a control account plan.
Planning Package
It is a WBS Component below the control account but above the work package.
Activity List
Does not include any schedule activity that is not required as part of the project scope It includes a activity identifier and scope of work description for each schedule activity in sufficient detail. It is used in schedule model and is part of PMP(Project Management Plan) Discrete components of Project Schedule but are not components of the WBS.
Activity Attributes
Contain Activity identifier, activity Code, Activity Description, Predecessor Activities, Successor activities, logical relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints and assumptions.
Milestone
Can be mandatory or optional, it a component of PMP, included in SS and WBSD and used in schedule model. PM can impose additional milestones.
Fragment Network
Portions of project schedule network diagram are often referred to as a Sub network or Fragment Network. Sub Network templates are useful when project has several identical or nearly identical deliverables.
Lead and Lag
Lead allows acceleration of the successor activity, A lag direct a delay in Successor activity
Bottom Up Estimation
Estimation is done for lower level items and then aggregated.
Activity Resource Estimation
Identifies type and quantities of resources required for a schedule activity. These are aggregated to determine the estimated resources for each work package
RBS (Resource Break Down Structure)
Output of Activity Resource Estimation process, it is a hierarchical structure of resources by category & type.
Tools and Techniques for Activity Duration Estimation
  • Analogous Estimation – Using actual duration of previous similar schedule activity. It is project level, given to PM from Management or Sponsor; it is a form of Expert Judgment.
  •  Parametric Estimation – Quantity of Work * Productivity Rate - 1.Regression Analysis (Scatter Diagram) 2.Learning Curve. Results of Parametric Estimation can become heuristics.
  • Three Point Estimates – Most Likely, Optimistic, Pessimistic. Reserve Analysis
  •  Expert Judgment
Imposed Dates
Imposed dates in Scope Statement (I/P to Schedule Development Process) restrict the start or finish date.
Schedule Network Analysis (Tools abd Techniques for Schedule Development)
  • Critical Path Method – Calculate Project Duration, Critical path length and Float. Critical path can have 0 or negative total float.
  • Schedule Compression – Crashing (Additional Resources) and Fast Tracking (Parallel)
  • What if Scenario – Monte Carlo Analysis Resource Leveling – Applied after Critical Path Method, Keep resource usage at constant level
  •  Critical Chain Method – Uses Pessimistic resource availability, Adds duration buffers that are non work schedule activities.
Monte Carlo Analysis
1. Probability of Completion 2. Probability of Completion in amount of Cost 3.Probability of activity in critical path 4. Risk
Project Schedule
Should at least include planned start date and finish date for each schedule activity, project schedule is preliminary till resource allocations are done, which usually happens before completion of PMP. Project schedule is when presented in summary form is called as master schedule or milestone schedule.
Time Estimate – Non-Calendar Schedule – Calendar Based
Hammock Activity
Output of Schedule Development -> Bar Charts -> For Control and management communication, the broader more comprehensive summary activity called Hammock Activity is used between milestones or across multiple interdependent work packages
Project network diagrams.
Project network diagrams are schematic displays of the project’s activities and the logical relationships (dependencies) among them.
Coding structure
Activities must have different attributes (as responsibility, geographic area ,… - Used for sorting)
Critical Path Method (CPM) (ML)
calculates start and finish date for each activity & float
Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT)
allows for probabilistic treatment of both network logic and activity duration estimates. It is a form of ADM (A Network Drawing Method) that allows loops between activities. The easiest example is when you have an activity to design a component and then test it.
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
(O+4ML+P/6)—uses a weighted average duration estimate to calculate activity durations.
Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM PERT and CPM focuses on float duration, to determine which activities have the least scheduling flexibility. Activity on Arrow. Only Show finish-to-start relationship
PERT
  • Program Evaluation and Review Technique
  • Emphasis on meeting schedules with flexibility on cost
  • Three time estimates per activity: pessimistic, most likely, and optimistic
  • The probability of completing a project at or later than its expected time is 50%
  • Event oriented; uses dummy; activity on arrow (AOA)
  • Finish-to-Start logical relationship
  • Time estimates appear on arrow
Critical Path Method (CPM)
  • Emphasis on controlling cost and leaving the schedule flexible
  • One time estimate per activity
  • Activity oriented; uses dummy; activity on arrow
  •  Time estimates appear on arrow
Precedence Diagram Method (PDM)
  • Represents improvement to PERT and CPM by adding lag relationships to activities
  • [Start to Start; Start to Finish; Finish to Start; Finish to Finish]
  • Work is done during activity. Arrow indicates dependancy Activity on node;
  • no dummy finish-to-start is the most commonly used type of logical relationship. Start-to-finish relationships are rarely used
GERT A network diagram drawing method that allows loops between tasks. It is a method of sequencing (e.g. a project requires redesign after completion of testing)
Dependencies
Mandatory or Hard Often involve physical or technological limitations (based on the nature of work being done)
Discretionary
  • may also be called preferred logic, preferential logic, or soft logic.
  • Soft: desirable and customary (based on experience)
  • Preferential: preferred or mandated by a customer (also, need of the project sponsor)
  • Defined by PM Team
External Input needed from another project or source
Critical chain is a technique that modifies the project schedule to account for limited resources.
Monte Carlo Analysis
computer simulation of project outcomes using PERT estimates; result represented in S curve. Provides the ability to compute the probability of completing a project on a specific day. Can also be used to assess feasibility of schedule under adverse conditions (eg when a schedule constraint is identified)
Heuristics - rules of thumb
Critical Path – longest path (almost always have no float)
Near Critical Path – Path is close in duration to critical path, the close it is the more RISK project has.
Variance - Plan minus Actual
Float / Slack
1.Free 2. Total 3. Project Float. Time an activity may be delayed from its early start without delaying the project finish date. Difference between the required end date and the expected project completion date. A negative slack on the critical path means that the project is behind schedule.
Free Float
Amount of time a task can be delayed without delaying the early start of its successor
Total Float
amount of time that an activity may be delayed from early start without delaying the project finish date
Lag – waiting time between two tasks (negative lead)
Schedule Baseline
the original, approved project schedule; should never be changed without proper review and approval. Any approved change should be documented in writing. Should be created at the beginning of the project and used during the project to gauge (measure) overall project performance, not just schedule. The project Performance Measurement Baseline should generally change only in response to a scope or deliverable change. The project performance measurement baselines should generally change only in response to a scope or deliverable change
Corrective action - in project time management primarily concerns expediting to ensure that activities remain on schedule. Is anything done to bring expected future schedule performance in line with the project plan.
Revisions are changes to the scheduled start and finish dates in the approved project schedule; generally revised only in response to scope changes. Rebaselining may be needed to provide realistic data to measure performance. Scheduling and allocating resources to multiple projects may affect schedule slippage and in-process inventory.
Duration Compression Methods – occurs after activity duration estimating and before finalizing the schedule. Include crashing, fast track,
Crashing – when you are worried about time, not so much about costs.
Fast Track – resources in parallel, involve increase rework. Should fast track tasks on the critical path (float = 0) in order to save time.
Resource Leveling – often results in a project duration that is longer than the preliminary schedule.
Resource reallocation from non-critical to critical path activities is a common way to bring the schedule back, or as close as possible, to the originally intended overall duration. So 1. Schedule Can Slip 2. Cost increase
Finish to Finish - activities must finish on a specific sequence
Start no earlier than” & “Finish no later than” – Respectively #1 and #2 most popular date constraint in project management software
Root Cause Analysis – used to identify the cause of the variation
Variance analysis – key element to time control. Float variance is an essential planning component for evaluating project time performance
Revision – category of schedule update that result in change to the project’s scheduled start or finish dates. New target schedule should be the usual mode of schedule revision.
Schedule Management Plan -defines how schedule changes will be managed; may be formal or informal.
Schedule Change Control System-defines procedures for changing the project schedule and includes the documentation, tracking systems, and approval levels required for authorizing schedule changes.
Resource Planning Tools
Responsibility Matrix Identify who does what at what time/phase of the project
Resource Spreadsheet Quantifies how much work is needed from each resource during each time period
Resource Gantt Chart Identify the periods of time (e.g. calendar date) when a particular resource is working on a particular task
Resource Histogram (Resource Loading Chart) Vertical bar chart showing the total number of resources needed during each time period
Scheduling Tools
Networks (PERT, CPM, PDM) Interdependencies; how related
Barchart (Gantt) Effective progress reporting tool; no logical relationships shown between activities
Milestone Chart Significant events; good for communicating status (used to track success)
Bar Chart (Grant Chart) – 1. Weak Planning Tools 2. Good reporting tools 3. No Dependency Shown 4. No Resources shown
Progress Report – 50/50, 20/80, 0/100 – An Activity is considered X percent complete when it begins and gets credit of the last 100-X percent only when it is completed.