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Project Time Management: What May Be Done at Any Time Will Be Done at No Time

This document discusses 6 key processes for project time management: [1] Define Activities, [2] Sequence Activities, [3] Estimate Activity Resources. Each process has inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs to help plan the schedule and resources. Defining activities involves breaking work down into smaller tasks. Sequencing determines dependencies between tasks to build a network diagram. Estimating resources identifies type and quantities of people, equipment needed for each task.

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39 views20 pages

Project Time Management: What May Be Done at Any Time Will Be Done at No Time

This document discusses 6 key processes for project time management: [1] Define Activities, [2] Sequence Activities, [3] Estimate Activity Resources. Each process has inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs to help plan the schedule and resources. Defining activities involves breaking work down into smaller tasks. Sequencing determines dependencies between tasks to build a network diagram. Estimating resources identifies type and quantities of people, equipment needed for each task.

Uploaded by

bemaddox
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Project Time Management

What may be done at any time will be done at no time.

Scottish proverb

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't


happen at once.”

Albert Einstein
6 Processes for Project Time Management

Process 1 – Define Activities


Process 2 – Sequence Activities
Process 3 – Estimate Activity Resources
Process 4 – Estimate Activity Durations
Process 5 – Develop Schedule
Process 6 – Control Schedule
Define Activities

“The Process of identifying the specific actions to be performed to produce the project
deliverables.”
Define Activities – Preliminary Concept for Discussion

What are some of the challenges with defining activities that you
may have encountered in previous or existing project work?

How challenging do you find it to define activities in projects that


span multiple departments or groups?
Define Activities – 3 Inputs
Scope Baseline –

Reference WBS and WBS Dictionary – work packages and details of each
Project Scope Statement clearly states the following:

oProject deliverables
oConstraints
oDocumented Assumptions

Enterprise Environment Factors

External factors within the environment that can influence the Define Activities
process.

Organizational Process Assets

Existing scheduling methods


Other activity planning methods
Previous experience for similar projects with related activity lists
Define Activities – 4 Tools and Techniques

Decomposition

A technique of breaking down work packages in smaller units called activities. These
activities in detail allow for more accurate estimates and results

Rolling Wave Planning

Short term work is very detailed and planned; however, future work is detailed at higher
level in the WBS. Later activities are detailed more when additional information is available

Templates

Common forms from a previous similar project activities or similar milestones

Expert Judgment
Define Activities – 3 Outputs

Activity List

Conclusive and clearly defined list of activities to be completed

Activity Attributes

A listing of various components or variables for each activity in detail (similar to


WBS dictionary) and can be updated over time as activities are completed

Milestone List

 An event or deliverable achieved in the course of the project. The milestone list
is typically used to help develop the schedule
Sequence Activities

“The Process of identifying and documenting relationships among


project activities.”
Sequence Activities – 5 Inputs

Activity List*

Activity Attributes*

Milestone List*

Project Scope Statement

Organizational Process Assets

*Simply, the first 3 are previous outputs of the Define


Activities
Sequence Activities – 4 Tools and Techniques

PDM (Precedence Diagramming Method)

A common network diagram used in the critical path methodology (CPM) for
building a schedule using activities and dependencies or relationships between
each. Also called AON (Activity on Node)

FS Finish-to-start: initiation of successor activity with predecessor completed –


most commonly used

FF Finish-to-finish: completion of successor activity with predecessor


completed

SS Start-to-start: initiation of successor activity with predecessor initiated

SF Start-to-finish: completion of successor activity with initiation of


predecessor initiated – rarely used
Sequence Activities – 4 Tools and Techniques (cont.)
Dependency Determination

Mandatory - often involve physical factors and requirements; also called hard logic

Discretionary – based on best practices and preferential thought; also called soft logic

External

Leads and Lags – used in conjunction with PDM

Lead – Allows for the accelerated start of a successor activity


Lags - Allows for a delayed start in the successor activity

Scheduled Network Templates

Standardized scheduling templates for activities that can be utilized from previous
similar projects
Sequence Activities – 2 Outputs

Project Schedule - Network Diagrams

A diagram that shows the activities that have been defined


and scheduled and the relationships and dependencies
between them

Project Document Updates

May include but not limited to changes for the following:

1. Activity Lists
2. Activity Attributes
3. Risk Register*
Sequence Activities – Concept for Discussion

Around the room for each individual – How would you rate
yourself overall on the ability to sequence activities in your
project work?

What are some Sequence Activity Tools you may have used
that you find the most beneficial?
Estimate Activity Resources

“The process of estimating the type and quantities of material,


people, equipment, or supplies required to perform each activity.”

Commonly related to Project Estimation of Costs for Project


Estimate Activity Resources – 5 Inputs

Identified Activities – which will need resources and types of resources

Activity Attributes

Resource Calendars – technical staff, hardware, equipment, …

Enterprise Environmental Factors

Organizational Process Assets


Estimate Activity Resources – 5 Tools and Techniques
Expert Judgment

Alternative Analysis

Various methods for completing activities based on resource skills, tools, equipment,
etc…

Published Estimating Data

Available, pre-determined rates and costs for resource estimating

Bottom Up Estimating

Decomposition of an activity based into more detailed components to resource


needs and costs can be more accurately calculated

Project Management Software


Estimate Activity Resources – 3 Outputs

Activity resource Requirements – Identification of key resources, quantities of


resources, etc… to complete defined activities

Resource Breakdown Structure – Identification of resources by various factors such


as type and category which gives additional insight into organizing and updating
project information for scheduled activities and project resources

Project Document Updates

References and some concepts/terminology from PMBOK, 4the Edition

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