PROJECT SCHEDULING

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
 INTRODUCTION

 Scheduling can be developed after WBS is

established and the time estimation for each activity is
done.
 Scheduling is the most important step in planning
because it is the basis for
 allocating resources,
 estimating revenue and spending
 controlling the cash flow
 monitoring project performance
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INTRODUCTION

The scheduling process will integrate:

 The estimated duration of activities.
 The technological precedence relations
among activities.
 Constraints imposed by the availability of
resources and budget.
 Due-date requirements
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ROLE OF SCHEDULING IN PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
 They provide a basis for you to monitor and control
project activities.
 They help you determine how best to allocate
resources so you can achieve the project goal.
 They help you assess how time delays will impact the
project.
 You can figure out where excess resources are
available to allocate to other projects.
 They provide a basis to help you track project
progress. 4
INPUTS TO CREATE A PROJECT SCHEDULE
 Personal and project calendars – Understanding working days, shifts, and
resource availability is critical to completing a project schedule.
 Description of project scope – From this, you can determine key start and
end dates, and key constraints and restrictions. You can also include
stakeholder expectations, which will often determine project milestones.
 Project risks – You need to understand these to make sure there's enough
extra time to deal with identified risks – and with unidentified risks (risks
are identified with thorough Risk Analysis).
 Lists of activities and resource requirements – Again, it's important to
determine if there are other constraints(limitations) to consider when
developing the schedule. Understanding the resource capabilities and
experience you have available – as well as company holidays and staff
vacations – will affect the schedule.

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Elements of Project Management
Work Breakdown Structure

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WBS for Computer Order-processing System Project
Elements of Project Management
Responsibility Assignment Matrix

A responsibility assignment matrix

DEFINITION – ACTIVITY (TASK)
·Activity – any task, any job or any operation which must
be completed to finish the project.
·It requires time (for people to work or to wait) and may
require resources.
·Have to consider logical relationships between
activities.

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DEFINITION – CALENDAR

 Calendar/ Workpattern » the days on

which the works are scheduled.
 Like what days of the week will be working or
How many days a week (e.g. 5 days per week,
8 hours per day).
 The work pattern allows the activity durations
to be related to calendar dates. 9
DEFINITION – MILESTONE
·Milestones are any significant events in a project.
·They should represent major segments of work - should be
a natural, important control point.

·Milestone chart is the skeleton for the project schedule which

senior managers should know.

·Examples:
 completion of critical or difficult tasks v' availability of
crucial resources
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 Completion of major tests
Elements of Project Management
Project Scheduling

■ Schedule development steps:

1. Define activities, 2. Sequence activities,

3. Estimate activity times, 4. Construct schedule.

■ Gantt chart and CPM/PERT techniques can be useful.

■ Computer software packages available, e.g. Microsoft Project.

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PRECEDENCE RELATIONS AMONG THE
ACTIVITIES

.  Precedence relations – technological constraints of the

project that limit the availability of resources to perform

activities.
 How to arrange “the order of activities”.
 Finish-to-start relationship
 Start-to-start relationship
 Finish-to-finish relationship
 Start-to-finish relationship. 12
FINISH-TO-START RELATIONSHIP

.  Finish-to-start relationship: typical, generic

relationship mostly used in scheduling. Requires that an

activity can start only after its predecessor has been
completed.
 Activity 020 can not start until activity 010 is finished.

 Space shuttle can be launched after all payloads are in

place.
 Shipment can begin after the quality inspection is done. 13
START-TO-START RELATIONSHIP

. Start to start relationship - exists when an activity can start

only after a specified activity has already begun.
 Sequential activities can be worked in parallel and
concurrently.
 activity 060 can start after activity 050 has started.

 In the construction of a house, the foundation work can be

started even though the final design is not finished. Usually, only
the initial design plan is required for the foundation work. 14
FINISH-TO-FINISH RELATIONSHIP

.  Finish-to-finish relationship – The finish of one

activity depends on the finish of another activity.

 Activity 2000 can finish, after activity 1000 is completed.

 For example, if you have two tasks, "Add wiring" and "Inspect
electrical," the "Inspect electrical" task cannot be completed until the
"Add wiring" task is completed
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START-TO-FINISH RELATIONSHIP
 Start-to-finish relationship – an activity cannot finish
.
until another activity has begun
 After activity A100 starts, A200 can finish

 For example, the roof trusses for your construction project are
built off-site. Two of the tasks in your project are "Truss
delivery" and "Assemble roof." The "Assemble roof" task cannot
be completed until the "Truss delivery" task begins.

 A security guard’s shift cannot end until the

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next guard has commenced his/her shift.
SCHEDULE PRESENTATION

.  Schedules can be presented in several different ways

to match the needs of the user.
 Chart
 Milestone chart
 Gantt chart

 Networks either AOA (Activity on arrow) or AON

(activity-on-node) method.
 Critical Path Method (CPM) .
 Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT).

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BUILDING THE PROJECT SCHEDULE
Allocate resources to the tasks:
 The first step in building the project schedule
is to identify the resources required to
perform each of the tasks required to
complete the project.
 A resource is any person, item, tool, or
service that is needed by the project that is
either scarce or has limited availability.

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BUILDING THE PROJECT SCHEDULE
Identify the Interdependencies:

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS

 PERT Chart- (program evaluation

and review technique). A PERT
chart is a project management tool
used to schedule, organize, and
coordinate tasks within a project.

 Gantt Chart - popular type of

bar chart that illustrates a
project schedule

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GANTT CHART
 Most projects, however complex, start by being
depicted on a bar chart. The principles are very
simple:

 Prepare list of project activities

 Estimate the time and resources needed
 Represent each activity by a bar
 Plot activities on a chart with horizontal time scale
showing start and end

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GANTT CHART

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ESTIMATING ACTIVITY TIME
 Time to complete a task is random:
 Skill
levels and knowledge of the individuals
 Machine/equipment variations
 Material availability
 Unexpected events
 Illness
 Strikes

 Employee turnover and accidents

 Changed soil/site conditions

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ESTIMATING ACTIVITY TIME
 We know unexpected events and occurrences will
happen but are unable to predict the likelihood with any
confidence

 We must however account for the possibility of the

occurrence of these events

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ESTIMATING ACTIVITY TIME
 Optimistic Completion Time - is the time the
activity will take if everything goes right
 Pessimistic Completion Time - is the time the
activity will take if everything that can go wrong
does go wrong but the project is still completed
 Most Likely Completion Time - is the time
required under normal circumstances
 It can also be the completion time that has
occurred most frequently in similar
circumstances
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ESTIMATING ACTIVITY TIME
 To compute the expected duration time the following
formula is used:
 E = (O+4M+P)/6

 E = Expected duration time

 O = Optimistic time

 M = Most likely time

 P = Pessimistic time

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SEQUENCING ACTIVITIES
 Bar chart
 Produce a Logical Network

 Critical Path Method

 Arrow Diagrams
 Precedence Diagrams

 IdentifyCritical Activities
 Locate the Critical Path

 Determine Floats

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PERT CHART

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CPM: CRITICAL PATH METHOD
 Graphic network based scheduling technique
 Arrow Diagrams
 Precedence Diagrams

 Useactivities created by the WBS process

 Analysis of timing and sequencing logic
 Aids in identifying complex interrelationship of
activities

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CPM: CRITICAL PATH METHOD
 Allows for easy revision of schedule and simulation and
evaluation of the impact of changes
 Also used as a control tool during execution of the
project

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STEPS IN PRODUCING A NETWORKS
 List the activities
 Produce a logical network of activities

 Assess the duration of each activity

 Produce a schedule - determine the start and finish times

and the float available for each activity

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STEPS IN PRODUCING A NETWORKS
 Determine the time required to complete a project and
the the longest path on the network
 The longest path is the Critical Path
 Assess the resources required

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ACTIVITY SEQUENCING
 ACTIVITY IMMED.
TIME(WEEKS)
PRED. (E)
 A Set conference date - 2.0
 B Establish theme/program - 5.0
 C Select conference site A 5.0
 D Obtain speakers B 6.0
 E Develop brochure C,D 9.0
 F Obtain mailing labels C,D 5.0
 G Mail brochure E,F 2.0
 H Obtain speaker materials D 4.0
 I Receive registrations G 6.0
 J Confirm all arrangements H,I 1.0 33
 K Prepare conference kits J 2.0
SAMPLE NETWORK

a c e

start g i

j k end
f

b d h

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ACTIVITY TIMES/CRITICAL PATH

0 2 2 7 11 20

a2 c5 e9 20 22 22 28

4 6 6 11 11 20

Start g 2 i6 28 29 29 31

11 16
20 22 22 28
j1 k2 End
0 5 5 11 f5
11 15 28 29 29 31
b5 d6 15 20 h4

0 5 5 11
24 28 35
CRITICAL PATH
 Calculations for precedence diagrams and arrow
diagrams are essentially the same
 Critical path is where there is zero slack time
 If an activity takes longer than estimated on the
critical path then the project will be delayed
 The critical path can change if there is a delay
that make an alternative path longer

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FLOAT (SLACK)
 Slack or float time is amount of delay that could
be tolerated in the start or completion time
without causing a delay in completion of the
project
 Total float or calculations to determine how long
each activity could be delayed without delaying
the project
 Total float = LF - ES - duration

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SUMMARY
 Critical path identifies the project time requirements
 Slack or float time is amount of delay that could be
tolerated in the start or completion time without causing
a delay in completion of the project
 Zero slack time equals the critical path

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