Session 4 Flashcards
Schedule Planning Process- What does the PM ensure
( Predictive)
• work package is broken down into required activities
• dependencies and precedence relationships are determined
• activity durations are estimated based on average resources
• critical path is determined
• resource overallocations are resolved
• schedule is compressed to meet any constraints
Schedule Planning Process- What does the Project Team ensure
(Hybrid)
• uses either time boxes ( cadences) or continuous flow method
• adopts release time frames
• plans each iteration with work
• prioritizes, estimates and decomposes user stories into tasks and determines iteration velocity
• works with product owner to refine the backlog after each iteration and plan the next
Schedule Management Plan
(Predictive)
• describes how activities will be defined and progressively elaborated
• identifies scheduling method and scheduling tool used
• determines schedule format
• establishes criteria for developing and controlling the schedule
• may be tailored for use in any type of project
• defines the maintenance process for updating status and records project progress in the schedule model during execution
Schedule Management Plan
(Hybrid)
• can help by placing managment controls on the project time line
Schedule Management Plan Components— Project Schedule Model
• methodology/tool for schedule development
• includes maintenance planning, including status updates and progress during execution
Schedule Management Plan Components— Accuracy
• acceptable range used to determine realistic activity duration estimates
• may include risk contingency
Schedule Management Plan Components— Units of Measure
• defined for each resource
~ example staff hours, days and weeks
Schedule Management Plan Components— Organizational Procedural Links
• Use of WBS to ensure consistency with estimates and schedules
Schedule Management Plan Components— Control Threshold
• monitoring schedule performance before taking action~escalation
• expressed as percentage deviation from the baseline~ percent ahead or behind schedule
Schedule Management Plan Components— Rules
• performance measurement ~ earned value management ( EVM)
Schedule Management Plan Components— Reporting
• frequency and formats for schedule- related reports
Schedule Management Plan Components— Process Description
• describes how schedule management processes are documented
Should a project start with Benchmarks and Historical Data?
T or F
True
Benchmarking
• compares current project schedule with a similar product/service schedule
• provides a good “starting point” for estimation before detailed analysis
• assesses feasibility in the initial stage of scheduling
Historical
• learn lessons from completed projects in the organization
Hybrid Schedules characteristics and benefits
• tailored plans to combine consistency and management oversight with flexible scheduling of work
• better product/deliverable quality with incremental or short-term value delivery and change (improvement, fixes) incorporated at intervals
• product delivery can be divided into subsets according to plan (milestones or cadence)
Predictive Schedule Planning—Project Manager
• breaks down a work package into required activities
• determines dependencies and precedence relationships
• estimates the duration of activities based on average resources
• determines the critical path
• resolves resource overallocations
• compresses the schedule, if needed, to meet constraints
Predictive Break Down Project Activities
• break down project work packages into activities (noun)
• enter activities into the activity list using a verb statement
• use the activity list to develop the project schedule
• include duration (start and end day) every activity
Predictive Activity Dependency Types
Mandatory
• contractually required or inherent in the nature of work
~ PM must schedule it- no way around the sequence
Predictive Activity Dependency Types
Discretionary
• established because of best practices or a specific sequence is desired
~ PM can be modified as needed, if replaceable with a better sequence, or if schedule compression is required
Predictive Activity Dependency Types
External
• activities performed outside the project team’s work
~ PM limited or no control
Predictive Activity Dependency Types
Internal
• in project work, contingent on inputs
~ PM has contol
Precedence
• indicates which activity drives the relationship
Predecessor
• usually occurs earlier in time than successor
Types of Precedence Relationships
( Finish to Start -FS)
•successor cannot start until predecessor is completed
Types of Precedence Relationships
( Start to Start SS)
• successor cannot start until predecessor starts
Types of Precedence Relationships
( Finish to Finish FF)
• successor cannot finish until predecessor is finished
Types of Precedence Relationships
( Start to Finish- SF)
• successor cannot finish until predecessor starts
Activity Duration Estimate
(Predictive)
• the quantitative assessment of the likely number of time periods required to complete an activity
Activity Duration-Elapsed Time
(Predictive)
• the actual calendar time required for an activity from start to finish
Activity Duration-Effort
(Predictive)
• the number of labor units required to complete a scheduled activity or WBS component, often expressed in hours, days, or weeks; contrast with duration
Estimating Techniques
Analogous
• uses historical data from a similar activity or project to estimate, duration, (or cost)
• aka “top- down estimating
~ less costly and time consuming
~ used she project information is limited
Estimating Techniques
Parametric
• uses an algorithm to calculate, duration or cost based on historical data and project parameters
• durations can be quantitatively determined—multiply quantity of work to be performed by the number of labor hours per unit of work
~ can produce higher levels of accuracy depending on sophistication of data from model
~ scalable and linear
Estimating Techniques
Three Point
• defines an approximate range of an activity’s duration, using most likely optimistic, and pessimistic
• used when historical data is insufficient, or subjective
~ may improve accuracy of single point estimations by including risk and uncertainty factors
Estimating Techniques
Bottom- Up
• uses aggregate of the estimates of the lower level components of the WBS
~ very accurate and gives lower-level managers more responsibility
Project Schedule
Predictive & Hybrid
• include start and finish activities
• used specific dates and I’m a certain sequence
• sets dates for project milestones
• coordinates activities to ensure on-time project completion
• tracks project progress based on schedule performance and provides visibility of project status to upper management and project stakeholders
Schedule Presentation Formats
• roadmap
• gantt chart
• milestone chart
• project schedule network diagram
Gnatt Chart
• visualize and track project over a time line
Milestone Schedule
• present milestones with planned dates
Project Schedule Network Diagram
• visualize interrelationships of activities
Schedule Compression Techniques
Fast Tracking
• perform activities in parallel to reduce time
• may result in rework, increased risk and increased cost
Schedule Compression Techniques
Crashing
• shorten schedule duration for the last incremental cost by adding resources— overtime, additional resources
• works only for activities on the critical path
• does not always produce a viable alternative and may result in increased risk and/ or cost
Special Intervals- Negotiate
Predictive
• how and when required scheduled “down” time intervals will take place
Special Intervals- Black Out times
Predictive
• deliverables are handed over for implementation:
~ suspends changes
~ reduces risks as the solution is releases to customers
Special Intervals - Go Live
Predictive
• at the end of the project timeline