This document discusses various aspects of project schedule management. It begins by defining activities and sequencing them using logical relationships and precedence diagramming. It then addresses estimating activity resources, durations, and developing the schedule using critical path and critical chain methods. The document emphasizes keeping the schedule realistic and controlling the schedule through performance reviews and other techniques.

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Project Management
Elodie Descharmes
Elodie.descharmes@gmail.com

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Time management
(Plan Schedule Management)
Define Activities
Sequence Activities
Estimate Activity Resources
Estimate Activity Duration
Develop Schedule
Control Schedule

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From activities to
schedule
WBS
TimeManagement
Activity
Activity
Activity
Activity
Activity
Activity list
Sequencing
activities
Activities
identification
Network diagram (PERT)
Adding dates
Bar chart (Gantt)
Adding constraints
Constrained schedule
Schedule
compression
Validation

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Don’t do it alone !!!
Quand le commercial propose un déploiement le week-end sans que le
client l'ait demandé
http://lesjoiesducode.fr/

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DEFINE ACTIVITIES

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Define Activities
• Decompose work package in activities
• Activity = specific action
Rolling waves planning models (GITHENS, 1998)

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Define activities
• Milestone list
Time
Ex : Scope statement
is completed
Ex : Scope statement
is approved

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SEQUENCE ACTIVITIES
Quand la recetteuse attend que les devs
finissent leur taf
http://lesjoiesducode.fr/

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Sequence Activities
• Sequence activities using logical relationships
End
Star
t
1 2 3
4 5
6
Activity Dependenc
y
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
(activity on node network diagram)

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Sequence Activities
• PDM allows 4 types of dependencies

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Sequence Activities
• Dependencies determination
– Mandatory (hard logic)
– Discretionary (soft logic)
– External
( see risk management)

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Sequence Activities
• Leads and lags
A BLag 1
8 7
16
A
BLead 1
8
7
14

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ESTIMATE ACTIVITY
RESOURCES

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Estimate Activity Resources
• For each activity
– What resource ? (person, materiel…)
– What quantity ?
– Availability ?
Closely coordinated
with the “estimate
costs” process

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Estimate Activity Resources
Beware of scare
resources
Update risk
register !

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ESTIMATE ACTIVITY
DURATIONS

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Estimate Activity
Durations
• Duration ≠ workload
• Estimation techniques
– Analogous estimating
– Parametric estimating
– Three-point estimates
Three-point estimates (triangular
distribution)
0 : Optimist
ML : Most Likely
P : Pessimist
Estimate =
𝑂 + 𝑀𝐿 + 𝑃
3
Three-point estimates (beta
distribution)
0 : Optimist
ML : Most Likely
P : Pessimist
Estimate =
𝑂 + 4 ∗ 𝑀𝐿 + 𝑃
6

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Estimate Activity Durations
• Do not include any lags
• May include some indication of the range of possible
results
2 weeks +/- 2 days
15% probability of exceeding 3 weeks

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DEVELOP SCHEDULE

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Develop Schedule
• Activity sequences + durations + resources
requirements + constraints = project schedule

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Critical path method
• Definitions
– Early Start (ES)
– Early Finish (EF)
– Late Start (LS)
– Late Finish (LF)
– Total Float : flexibility
• Calculates
– the shortest time necessary
– the float
Task
duration
ES EF
LS LF
Forward pass
Backward pass

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Critical path method
• Critical path method
1. Calculate the Forward Pass
2. Calculate the Backward Pass
3. Calculate the Float
Activities with zero Float are on the critical path

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Critical path method
Start
0 0
0 0
Task 1
Duration 2
Task 2
Duration 4
Task 3
Duration 3
Finish
Task 4
Duration 7
Task 5
Duration 1
Task 6
Duration 5

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Critical path method
Start
0 0
0 0
Task 1
Duration 2
0 2
1 3
Task 2
Duration 4
2 6
3 7
Task 3
Duration 3
7 10
7 10
Finish
10 10
10 10
Task 4
Duration 7
0 7
0 7
Task 5
Duration 1
7 8
9 10
Task 6
Duration 5
0 5
5 10
Float = 1 Float = 1 Float = 0
Float = 0 Float = 2
Float = 5

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Critical chain method
• Identify scarce resources
• Add buffers
–Feeding buffers
–Project buffer

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Critical chain method
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Task 5
Task 2
On critical path

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Critical chain method
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Task 5
Task 6
Need scarce resource
On critical path

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Critical chain method
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Task 5
Task 2
Feeding buffers
Project buffer
Critical chain
(and new critical path for this example)

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Resource leveling
Start
Task 1 Sam : 8h
Dean : 8h
Task 2 Sam : 8h
Task 3 Dean : 8h
Start Task 1 Sam : 8h
Dean : 8h
Task 2 Sam : 8h Task 3 Dean : 8h

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Resource leveling

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Schedule compression techniques
• Crashing
– add resources for tasks
on critical path
• Fast tracking
– performing activities in
parallel
Increase costs Increase risks

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
KEEP CALM
and
KEEP IT
REALISTIC
Develop Schedule

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CONTROL
SCHEDULE
Quand je boucle mon projet le jour de la deadline…
http://lesjoiesducode.fr/

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Control Schedule
• Tools & Techniques
–Performance review
• Trend analysis
• Critical path method
• Critical chain method
• Earned value management
• Project management software
See « EVM »
technic in « cost »
chapter

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Quiz

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Practice
• Define Activities
• Sequence Activities
• Estimate Activity Resources
• Estimate Activity Duration
• Develop Schedule