2008 PMP Chap6 TimeManagementch

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6

Introducing ProjectTime Management

CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES

6.01 Defining the Project Activities6.02 Mapping the Activities6.03 Examining the Sequencing Outputs6.04 Considering the Resource Requirements6.05 Estimating Activity Durations6.06 Developing the Project Schedule6.07 Creating the Project Schedule6.08 Considering the Outputs of Schedule Development6.09 Controlling the Project Schedule

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Two-Minute Drill

Q&A

Self Test

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Chapter 6: Introducing Project Time Management

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here’s an old joke when it comes to project management time: “The first 90 percent of a project schedule takes 90 percent of the time. The last 10 percent takes the other90 percent of the time.”

And isn’t that the way it goes? You always hope it won’t, but far too often that’sprecisely what happens. Projects, especially projects that are running behind schedule,fail at the beginning, not at the end. The importance of planning a project is nevermore evident than when you reach the rush to completion. The final actions tocomplete a project are dependent on the plans and motivations set during the projectplanning processes.Effective project management requires adequate time for planning—and based onthe results of that planning, adequate time for the implementation of those plans.In this chapter, we’ll discuss how project activities are decomposed and then howthe work packages are sequenced, calculated, and accounted for. We’ll also discussthe art and science of estimating the time for work packages in new and familiarprojects. Once the work’s been decomposed, we’ll create and visualize the networkdiagram.Time management is an essential element on the PMP exam. You’ll need a solidunderstanding of the activities and methods to predict and account for projecttime. Time management is crucial to not only passing the PMP exam, but also tosuccessful project management.

CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 6.01

Defining the Project Activities

Projects are temporary undertakings to create a unique product or service. Theidea of time is inherent to the very definition of a project in that all projects aretemporary. Even though they may seem to last forever, sooner or later they mustend. Adequate planning of the temporary project can predict when a project willend. Within this short, limited time, the project manager must create something:a product or a service. The creation is about change—and change, as you may haveguessed, takes time. Figure 6-1 shows the components of project time management.

Deﬁning the Project Activities

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Creation of the product or service comes about due to the work the project teamcompletes. The sum of the time of the work equates to when the project is completed.In addition to the duration of activities, there are other factors of time to consider,such as the following:

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Project management activities

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Planning processes

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The sequence of activities

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Procurement

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Reliance on internal and external events

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Known and unknown events affecting the projectProject time management is based predominantly on planning. The rest is aboutcontrol and execution. Planning for project schedules may stem from deadlines,customer demands, hard and soft logic, and a bit of prediction.

Getting to Work: Deﬁning the Activities

The activity list is an output of activity definition, and includes all of the activitiesto be performed within the project. The list must be in line with the project scope.Remember the project scope? It’s a description of all the required work, and onlythe required work, to complete the project. In a sense, the activity list is a furtherdefinition of the project scope since it includes only those actions needed tocomplete the project scope.

ActivityDefinitionActivitySequencingActivityDurationEstimatingScheduleDevelopmentScheduleControlProjectTime Management

FIGURE 6-1

Time management relies on several inputs to monitor and control the project schedule.

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