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Float/Slack/Lag/Lead
Dependencies
Defining and planning the schedule activities such that the project
objectives are met
1.Scope Baseline
Project deliverables, constraints and assumptions documented in project scope
baseline are considered explicitly while defining activities
2. Enterprise environmental factors
Availability of project management information systems and scheduling
software tools
3. Organizational process assets
Formal / informal policies, procedures and guidelines for activity definitions
Lessons learned / Historical information on activity lists from previous similar
projects
1. Decomposition
Subdividing project work packages into smaller, manageable components
called activities
Define Activities process defines final outputs as activities rather than
deliverable
WBS and WBS dictionary are basis of development of activity list (they can be
developed in parallel as well)
Involving team members in decomposition can lead to more accurate results.
1.Activity lists
Its a comprehensive list including all schedule activities required on the
project
Activities are discrete components of project schedule, but NOT a part of
WBS
Verified against WBS for completeness
Only contains the activities required as a part of project scope
Includes descriptions (activity identifier, scope of work) of activities for the
team to understand
Are used in the schedule model and is part of the project management plan
No Dummies
START
Activity FINISH
D E F
A B FINISH TO START
A B START TO START
A B
FINISH TO FINISH
A B START TO FINISH
2. Dependency determination
Three types of dependencies are used to define the sequence among the
activities.
Mandatory
Discretionary
External
Task Dependencies
Discretionary Dependencies defined by the An additional level of review Also called as SOFT
project management team before delivery to the client LOGIC, PREFERRED
LOGIC
Should be used with care
Should be fully documented
1.Activity list
Activity List identifies the activities which will need resources.
2. Activity attributes
Developed during the define activities and sequence activities processes
3. Resource Calendar
Provides information on which resources are potentially available during
planned activity period and is used for estimating resource utilization
Specify when and how long identified project resource will be available
during project.
Includes availability, capabilities, and skills of human resources.
1.Expert judgment
People or group with specialized knowledge in resource planning and
estimating
2. Alternatives analysis
Alternative methods for accomplishing schedule activities
Various levels of resource capabilities or skills
Different size or type of machines
Hand operated tools versus automated tools
Make or buy decisions regarding resource (equipment, supplies)
3. Published Estimating data
Published updated production rate and unit costs of resources for an extensive
array of labor trades, material, and equipment for different countries and
geographical locations within a country
4. Bottom-up Estimating
If project team does not have adequate confidence in the estimates at the
schedule activity level, it needs to be further decomposed
Resource needs at these decomposed levels are estimated and quantities are
rolled up to the scheduled activities resources
Dependencies between these activities may impact application and use of
resources and such pattern of resource usage is documented
5. Project Management Software
Helps planning, organizing, managing resource pools and develop resource
estimates
Sophisticated tools have capabilities to define resource breakdown structures,
resource availabilities, resource rates and resource calendars
4. Resource calendars
Developed as part of Estimate activity resource process.
Type of resource assigned, quantity, availability, capability of both equipment &
material resources could significantly influence the activity duration
For example senior staff members are expected to complete the activity in
lesser time as compared to junior staff members
5. Project scope statement
Constraints and assumptions are considered when estimating activity
durations.
Example of constraints are available skilled resources, contract terms and
requirements.
Example of assumptions are existing conditions, availability of information and
length of reporting periods.
1. Expert judgment
Should be used along with historical information
Can also be used to determine whether to combine methods of estimating and how to
reconcile differences between them
2. Analogous estimate
Also called as Top-Down estimates
Form of expert judgment
Uses performance results of similar past activities
Used when there is only limited amount of detailed information about project.
3. Parametric estimating
Uses a statistical relationship between historical data and other variable to calculate an
estimate for activity parameter such as cost, budget & duration.
Can produce higher levels of accuracy depending upon sophistication and underlying
data built into the model.
Levelled Resources
Uneven Resource loading
250 225 200
200 157 157 157 157 157 157
200 180 150
160
150
100 100
100 80
50
50
0 0
Jan Feb Mar April May June Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
Hours Hours
7.Schedule compression
Shortening of schedule without changing the project scope, to meet the schedule
constraints, imposed dates, or other schedule objectives
Crashing
Maintain scope and add more resources to the critical path activities
Almost always associated with increase in cost
Not all activities can be executed faster by adding resources
Fast tracking
Performing critical path activities in parallel
Increases the probability of rework
Increases risks
8. Scheduling tool
Can be used in conjunction with other project management Software application as well
as manual methods.
Project schedule
Contains milestone schedule, summary schedule and detailed schedule with
logical relationships.
Remains preliminary until resource assignments are confirmed
This process is completed on or before the completion of project management
plan
Can be at summary level master schedule or at a detailed level
Can be presented in tabular or graphical format
Project schedule network diagram
Bar charts or
Milestone charts
1 A 15 -
2 B 5 1
3 C 4 2
4 D 4 2
6 F 15 2
7 G 30 6
8 H 4 7
9 I 10 5
STEP2: Assign duration
10 J 20 9,8
11 K 5 3,10
C J
B D E I J
Mon 7/3 0 Fri 7/7 Mon 8/23 32 Mon 8/28 Mon 8/29 32 Mon 8/31 Fri 9/1 32 Thu 9/14 Fri 9/15 0 Thu 10/12
Mon 7/10 15 Fri 7/28 Mon 7/31 30 Fri 9/8 Mon 9/11 4 Thu 9/14
F G H
Mon 7/10 0 Fri 7/28 Mon 7/31 0 Fri 9/8 Mon 9/11 0 Thu 9/14
2. Schedule baseline
Specific version of the project version developed from the schedule network
analysis of the schedule model
Approved and accepted by project management team as schedule baseline
Contains baseline start and finish dates
3. Schedule data
Supporting data schedule milestones, schedule activities, activity attributes,
assumptions and constraints
Resource requirements by time periods resource histograms
Alternative schedules best case, worst case schedules etc
Scheduling of contingency reserves
2. Project Schedule
Most recent version of the project schedule with notations to indicate updates,
completed activities and started activities as of the indicated data date.
1. Performance Reviews
Measure, compare and analyze schedule performances such as actual start
and finish date, percent complete and remaining duration of work in progress
An important part of Schedule Control is to decide if the schedule variation
requires corrective action.
2. Variance analysis
Schedule performance measurements (SV,SPI) are used to asses magnitude
of variation to the original schedule baseline.
Identifying which variance would call for corrective actions
Mainly focused on critical activities / sub-critical activities (less float)
3. Project Management Software
Ability to track planned versus actual, ability to forecast effects of schedule
changes
4. Resource leveling
PMP Workshop | Financial Services
All work described was performed by Capgemini or a Capgemini affiliate
2009 Capgemini - All rights reserved 64
Tools & Techniques Control Schedule(Contd.)
Float/Slack/Lag/Lead
Dependencies
Arrow diagramming method
Analogous estimating
Duration compression
Resource Leveling
Critical Path
Variance Analysis
Fast Track / Crash
AON/ADM/GERT
Review Questions
www.capgemini.com/financialservices