Chapter # 6

PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT

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

Total 7 processes in this knowledge area. First 6 processes are belongs to Planning Process Group and
last process belongs to Controlling & Monitoring Process Group

6.1 PLAN SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT

This is a methodology or a guide line which help teams members to perform time management on
project.

In this process we prepare the Schedule Management Plan, policies, procedures and documentations.

INPUT

(i) Project Management Plan

(ii) Project Charter

(iii) EEF

(iv) OPA

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

(i) Expert Judgment

(ii) Analytical Technique

(iii) Meetings

OUTPUT

(i) SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT PLAN

It contains details like; Project Schedule Model Development, Level of Accuracy, Units of Measures,
Organizational Procedures Links, Project Schedule Model Maintenance, Control Threshold, Rule of
Performance Measurement.

6.2 DEFINE ACTIVITIES

Create Scope ---> WBS ---> Work Packages/Deliverables ---> Activities

It is a process of identifying specific actions to produce deliverable

INPUTS
(i) Schedule Management Plan

(ii) Scope Baseline

(iii) EEF

(iv) OPA

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

(i) Decomposition

(ii) ROLLING WAVE PLANNING

Iterative planning technique in which work in near time will be decomposed in detail and the work in
future will be decomposed in later time. In a contractually bound environment regarding time, this
option is not very applicable.

(iii) Expert Judgment

OUTPUTS

(i) ACTIVITY LIST

It is a document which shows activity description, scope of work, activity identifier etc...

(iii) ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES

Supporting document which contain more details about activity like; sequential logic, activity code,
duration, resource requirements, resource constraints etc.....

(iii MILESTONE LIST

Milestone is just a mark for the sense of achievement or sense of completion

Mile stone have zero duration and does not have any resource requirement.

6.3 SEQUENCE ACTIVITY

It is a process of identifying the logical relationship between activities.

INPUTS

(i) Schedule Management Plan

(ii) Activity List

(iii) Activity Attributes

(iv) Milestone List

(v) Project Scope Statement

(vi) EEF

(v) OPA

TOOLS & TECHNIQUE

(i) PRECEDENCE DIAGRAMMING METHOD (PDM)

This is also known as Activity on Node

Used in Critical Path Method (CPM)

In this method activities are shown by nodes and graphically linked by logical relationship (FS, FF, SS, SF)

(ii) DEPENDENCY DETERMINATION

a) Mandatory Dependencies / Hard Logic

It is a relationship which is contractually required for the nature of the work.

b) Discretionary Dependencies / Soft Logic / Preferential Logic

It is a relationship which is best on knowledge of practice and not contractually required.

c) External Dependencies

d) Internal Dependencies

(iii) APPLYING LEADS & LAGS

Application of lead & lags majorly depends on nature of work & activities relationship.

Lead: It is the amount of time where successor activity can be advance with respect to a predecessor
activity. (e.g. FS + 2 weeks lead; meaning successor activity will be start prior 2 weeks finishing the
predecessor activity)

Lag: It is the amount of time where successor activity can be delayed with respect to the predecessor
activity (e.g. SS + 15 days lag; meaning successor activity will be start after 15 days of starting
predecessor activity.)

Lead & Lag both can be used interchangeably.

In Lead we count time from the end of predecessor activity while in Lag we count time from the start of
predecessor activity.

OUTPUTS
(i) PROJECT SCEDULE NETWORK DIAGRAM

It is a schematic display of project activities in a logical sequence.

6.4 ESTIMATE ACTIVITY RESOURCES

Majorly we do estimation for three attributes i.e. Resource, Duration & Cost.

It is advisable that estimation should be done who is going to perform the work.

Never accept unrealistic estimation.

Never pad an estimate (add days or cost just for the sake of "just in case")

It is a process of estimating the type & quantity of resources to perform each activity.

The benefit of this process is that it identifies he type, quantities and characteristics of resources which
will help in more accurate cost & duration estimates.

INPUTS

(i) Schedule Management Plan

(ii) Activity List

(iii) Activity Attributes

(iv) RESOURCE CALENDAR

A calendar that identifies the working days & shifts of specific resource availability.

(v) RISK RIGISTER

A document in which the results of risk analysis & risk response planning are recorded.

(v) ACTIVITY COST ESTIMATE

There is always a connection between resource & cost estimation. Later we have a chapter for this.

(vi) EEF

(v) OPA

TOOLS & TECHNIQUE

(i) Expert Judgment

(ii) ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS

A technique in which we find out different options of resources of performing activity.

(iii) PUBLIHSED ESTIMATION DATA

It is a data based different organizations published for the production rates & unit costs of resources
according to particular location/city/country.

(iv) BOTTOM UP ESTIMATING

A technique in which we decompose the work packages in to activity level and estimate resources,
duration, cost of those activities and summing up those estimate for work packages and above level/s.

OUTPUT

(i) ACTIVITY RESOURCE REQUIREMENT

To complete particular activity what resources we required (labor, material, machinery etc...)

(ii) RESOURCE BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE

A hierarchical representation of resources by category & type.

(iii) Project Documents Updates

6.5 ESTIMATE ACTIVITY DURATION

It is an estimation of number of work period (hours, days, weeks etc...)

Estimation of number of work periods are based on resource estimation.

This process is based on availability of resources and progressive elaboration.

Due to resource constraint, It can be an iterative process.

INPUTS

(i) Schedule Management Plan

(ii) Activity List

(iii) Activity Attributes

(iv) Activity Resource Requirement

(v) Resource Calendar

(vi) Project Scope Statement

(vii) Risk Register

(viii) Resource Breakdown Structure

(ix) EEF

(x) OPA

TOOLS & TECHNIQUE

(i) Expert Judgment

(ii) ANALOGOUS ESTIMATING

It is also known as Top Down Estimate

Estimation based on historical data of the same nature of work.

This is not a good estimating technique, can be used for preliminary estimation purpose just to know
quickly what will be the estimate.

(ii) PARAMETRIC ESTIMATING

Estimating technique in which algorithm used based on historical data.

(see example on handout)

(iii) THREE POINT ESTIMATING

It is popularly known as PERT estimating.

Optimistic (O), Most Likely (M), Pessimistic (P)

Triangular Distribution T = (O+M+P)/3

Beta Distribution T = (O+4M+P)/6

One Standard Deviation = (P-O)/6

(see example on handout)

Normal Distribution: 68% (with one standard deviation), 95% (with two standard deviation), 99.7% (with
three standard deviation)

Statistically we cannot sum the standard deviation, in this case we have find out the Variance of each
activity. Variance = SD2; then Sum of variance and then square root of variance will give us total SD.

Find Z value; Z = (X-X')/SD

Use tables of Z (standard normal distribution table)

(iv) RESERVE ANALYSIS

Contingency Reserve & Management Reserve

Will Study in detail in Risk Management Chapter.

OUTPUT

(i) Activity Duration Estimates

(ii) Project Document Updates

6.6 DEVELOP SCHEDULE

It is a process of preparing Project Schedule

It generates a Schedule Model with Planned Dates.

This process can be iterative.

INPUTS

(i) Schedule Management Plan

(ii) Activity List

(iii) Activity Attributes

(iv) Project Schedule Network Diagram

(v) Activity Resource Requirements

(vi) Resource Calendar

(vii) Activity Duration Estimates

(viii) Project Scope Statement

(ix) Risk Register

(x) PROJECT STAFF ASSIGNMENT

It is basically human resource assignment on each activity and it will help in Resource Levelling.

(xi) Resource Breakdown Structure

(xii) EEF

(xiii) OPA

TOOLS & TECHNIQUE

(i) SCHEDULE NETWORK ANALYSIS

It is a technique which generates Project Schedule Model.

It uses various techniques such as CPM, CCM, What-if Analysis, Resource Optimization etc.

(ii) CRITICAL PATH METHOD

Critical path is a longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration.

Precedence Diagramming Method

Forward Pass

Backward Pass

Early Start (ES)

Early Finish (EF)

Late Start (LS)

Late Finish (LF)

Activity Duration

Total Float = LF -EF (TF is an amount of time we can delay an activity without delaying project end date)

Critical path activities total float normally will be zero.

Free Float: The amount of time we can delay the activity without delaying the successor activity.

(iii) CRITICAL CHAIN METHOD

It is a method which accounts resource limitations & project constraint as well, while in CPM we assume
that resources are unlimited and we concentrate only on time but in reality it is not a case.

After resource limitations consideration, CPM can be change.

Resource constrained critical path is known as Critical Chain.

Critical chain also use Buffers (additional duration) to accommodate uncertainties.

(iv) RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION

It is a technique which takes in consideration, resource availability.

Two Types:

a) Resource Leveling: Level resources according to availability, duplicate resources should be level.
Resource leveling will result into increased project duration. CPM might change because of resource
leveling.
b) Resource Smoothing: In this technique we use floats for utilizing resources. CPM will not be change in
this because we are utilizing floats to adjust resources.

(v) WHAT-IF ANALYSIS

Asking questions what will happen if we do this or if we do that.

SIMULATION: By using computer model, probability curves, statistics we can generate simulated models.

MONTE CARLO ANALYSIS: It is a simulation technique which uses Range Estimation (minimum,
maximum values)

(vi) Lead & Lags

(vii) SCHEDULE COMPRESSION

Always perform Schedule Compression techniques on Critical Path to impact the Project Duration.

It is a technique to shorten the project duration without reducing the project scope.

a) Crashing: Adding more resources with least incremental cost. Side effect of crashing is Increased Cost.

b) Fast Tracking: Activities done in parallel manner to fast track the project based on dependency type
(mandatory or discretionary). Side effect of fast tracking is Increased Risk.

(viii) SCHEDULING TOOLS

Any project management software tool.

OUTPUT

(i) SCHEDULE BASELINE

It is a latest approved version of project time schedule. It can only be change through Formal Change
Control Procedure.

(ii) PROJECT SCHEDULE

Actual representation of Project Schedule Model (Bar chart, milestone, network diagram etc...)

(iii) SCHEDULE DATA

Any information about the schedule which we have developed.

(iv) Project Calendar

6.7 CONTROL SCHEDULE

It is all about that we are following the schedule by monitoring.

INPUTS

(i) Project Management Plan

(ii) Project Schedule

(iii) Work Performance Data

(iv) Project Calendar

(v) Schedule Data

(vi) OPA

TOOLS & TECHNIQUE

(i) PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

It is basically a comparison between Planned & Actual performance

(ii) Project Management Software

(iii) Resource Optimization Technique

(iv) Modeling Technique

(v) Leads & Lags

(vi) Schedule Compression

(vii) Scheduling Tool

OUTPUTS

(i) Work Performance Information

(ii) Schedule Forecasts

(iii) Change Requests

(iv) Project Management Plan Updates

(v) Project Documents Updates

(vi) OPA Updates.

End of Chapter