4 | Preparing to Develop the Project Schedule Flashcards
In this lesson, you will: • Develop a WBS. • Create an activity list. • Identify the relationships between activities. • Identify resources. • Estimate time.
WBS stands for?
Work Breakdown Structure
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?
Is a logical grouping of project deliverables arranged in a
hierarchical structure. A WBS defines the total scope of work required to complete the project. The deliverables and their component sub-deliverables are represented on the WBS in levels of descending order.
Work Package?
The smallest, most granular deliverable that is represented on the WBS. A work package must describe a deliverable that can be adequately scheduled, budgeted, and assigned to an individual person or group.
A work package refers to the planned work or the deliverables that are contained in the lowest level
component of the WBS. The work package can also be described as manageable work effort, or a
level at which the cost and schedule for the work can be easily estimated.
In a WBS, major components of work can be grouped by?
- Major project deliverables.
- Life cycle phases.
- Organizational or functional responsibility.
- Geographical location
The WBS Dictionary?
The WBS dictionary is an auxiliary document containing details about each element in the WBS. It may contain information, such as description of work, code of accounts identification, milestones, contract information, cost, quality requirements, resource requirements, time estimates, or resource information, for measuring performance and completeness.
Decomposition?
Decomposition is a technique for creating the WBS by subdividing project work to the work package level. An analysis of the scope statement will help identify the project work. The level of decomposition varies for different projects. Decomposition of project work is stopped when the components of the work packages are sufficient to complete the work and can be assigned to an
individual person or group, cost estimated, scheduled, and monitored.
Code of Accounts?
A code of accounts is any system that is used for numbering the elements in a WBS. A code of accounts system allows project managers to easily track individual WBS components. This system is helpful in the areas of performance, reporting, and costing.
The Scope Baseline?
Scope baseline describes the need, justification, requirements, and boundaries for the project. It is
a component of the project management plan.
Scope Baseline components?
Components of the scope baseline include the detailed project scope statement, the WBS, and the WBS dictionary.
Duration?
Duration is the amount of time that a particular task or work package will take to complete. The metrics used to express duration are units of time such as days, weeks, months, or years
What are the two types of duration?
- Fixed duration
2. Elapsed time
Fixed duration?
Fixed duration is a term that is used to describe a task or work package that requires a set amount of time to complete. The application of additional resources will not change the time required.
Elapsed time?
Elapsed time is the actual calendar time required for an activity from start to finish. An activity that requires two weeks to complete will take four calendar weeks of elapsed time if there is a two-week plant shutdown in the middle.
Effort?
Effort is the measure of labor that must be applied to the completion of a particular task or work package. The metrics used to express effort are the number of resources multiplied by the duration of the work; generally “person-hours,” “person-days,” and “person-months.”
Effort-driven?
Effort-driven is a term that is used to describe a task where the effort (or work) remains fixed regardless of the number of resources used to complete the work. In other words, the task can be completed faster through the application of additional energy or labor resources.
Work packages can be broken down or subdivided into smaller, manageable, and executable components called?
Activities
The 8/80 Rule?
The 8/80 rule refers to a general guideline regarding work packages; they require more than 8 and fewer than 80 hours of effort to be completed. The 8/80 rule helps project managers create the work package list by identifying which work components should be considered work packages. Any work component that can be completed in fewer than 8 hours does not rise to the level of a work package; it can be combined with other work. Also, any work component requiring more than 80
hours of work is too large to be categorized that way; it should be broken into smaller components.
Activities?
An activity is an element of project work packages that requires action to produce a deliverable. Activities lay the foundation for estimating, scheduling, executing, and monitoring and controlling the project work. The characteristics of an activity are:
- It has expected duration.
- It consumes budget and human resources.
Activity Lists?
An activity list is a definitive list of activities that must be completed to produce the desired project deliverables. It includes an activity identifier and a description of the scope of work for each activity so that each team member understands the work required for completion. The activities in an activity list are listed in a sequential order and are used to estimate project duration and create the
project schedule.
Activity Attributes?
Activity attributes contain additional information about all activities in an activity list. Similar to the WBS dictionary but for activities, the activity attributes describe the activities by listing the different components associated with the activities, which include responsible team members and the level of effort required. Activity attributes are used to develop project schedules and select, order, and sort planned activities.
Milestones?
A milestone is a control point event in a project with zero duration that triggers a reporting requirement or requires sponsor or customer approval before proceeding with the project. Milestones serve as markers and are defined by the project manager, customer, or both.
Milestone Lists?
A milestone list is a document that contains the project milestones and indicates if achieving the milestones is mandatory or optional for the project to move to the next phase. Milestone lists are used as indicators of a project’s progress and the goals that must be reached. They may also list the scheduled dates for each milestone. Milestone lists are usually accompanied by milestone charts.
Entry/Exit Criteria?
Entry/exit criteria are conditions or circumstances that are required to enter into or exit from a particular milestone. An entry criterion corresponds to a condition that has to exist for the work to begin. An exit criterion corresponds to what must be accomplished for the milestone to be
considered complete. The exit criterion for the completion of one or more milestones is the entry criterion for the next subproject work.
Activity Dependencies?
An activity dependency is a logical relationship that exists between two project activities. The relationship indicates whether the start of an activity is contingent upon an event or input from outside the activity. Activity dependencies shape the sequence among project activities.
What are the four Activity Dependency Types?
- Mandatory
- Discretionary
- External
- Internal
Activity Dependency Type | Mandatory?
A mandatory dependency is inherent to the work itself. It is usually affected by physical constraints. Activities must be performed in a specific sequence for the work to be successful. Mandatory dependency is also known as “hard logic.”
Example: Books can’t be bound before they are printed.
Activity Dependency Type | Discretionary?
A discretionary dependency is defined by the project and the project management team at their discretion. It is defined based on the best practices followed in a specific application area or on specific requirements. If there is no mandatory or external dependency between
two activities, the team has some flexibility in activity sequencing. It is also known as “soft logic,” “preferential logic,” and “preferred logic.”
Example: The sponsor would like to see the book’s cover design as soon as possible, so the team may decide to have the cover artwork done before the inside illustrations.
Activity Dependency Type | External?
An external dependency is contingent on inputs from outside the project activities. Can be either mandatory or discretionary.
Example: The books can’t be printed until the shipment of paper arrives.
Activity Dependency Type | Internal?
An internal dependency is contingent on inputs from within the organization. Like external dependencies, internal dependencies can be either mandatory or discretionary.
Precedence Relationships?
A precedence relationship is the logical relationship between two activities that describes the sequence in which the activities should be carried out. Each activity has a Start and Finish. The precedence relationship considers appropriate logic while connecting these points. Precedence relationships are always assigned to activities based on the dependencies of each activity.
What are the 2 types of precedence relationship activities?
- Predecessor activity
2. Successor activity
Lag?
A lag is a delay in the start of a successor activity. Some relationships require a lag before a subsequent activity can begin. Lags are determined by an external or mandatory dependency and may affect activities with any of the four precedence relationships.
Lead?
A lead is a change in a logical relationship that allows the successor activity to start before the predecessor activity ends in an FS relationship. A lead is implemented when you need to accelerate a successor activity in order to shorten the overall project schedule.
Leads will vary in length, depending on the acceleration required by the amended schedule. Sometimes, a lead introduces a risk of rework because the successor activity starts before the completion of the predecessor activity, and the complete, comprehensive inputs may not be available. Leads are sometimes referred to as “negative lags” because in project management software, leads are displayed as negative numbers.
Project Schedule Network Diagram?
A project schedule network diagram is a graphical representation of the sequence of project activities and the dependencies among them. Project schedule network diagrams read from left to right or top to bottom and are typically accompanied by summary information. The diagram can either include the entire project or just specific parts of it. Parts of a schedule network diagram may be referred to as a subnetwork or a fragmented network.
Summary Activities?
A summary activity is a group of related activities that, for reporting purposes, is shown as a single aggregate activity in a bar chart or graph. It may also be called a hammock activity. Summary activities have their own internal sequence of activities.
Graphical Evaluation Review Technique (GERT) model?
Is the most common type of Conditional Diagramming Method.
Resource Calendar?
A resource calendar is a calendar that lists the time during which project resources can participate in the project tasks. It helps prevent resource scheduling conflicts because it includes details such as vacation time and other project commitments.
