Project Management 4

Module 3: Develop schedules for project management

Module 3; Develop schedules for project management After completing this module, you will be able to: demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and process of scheduling project activities define and gather information about project activities from technical (subject matter) experts and within own field of expertise develop a simple schedule for a project or part thereof

After completing this module, you will be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and process of scheduling project activities

define and gather information about project activities from technical (subject matter) experts and within own field of expertise

develop a simple schedule for a project or part thereof

1. DEMONSTRATE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS AND PURPOSE OF SCHEDULING PROJECT ACTIVITIES After completing this outcome, you will be able to: explain the purpose and importance of a schedule of activities on a project explain the development process of a schedule in accordance with industry practices differentiate between completing a project within the shortest possible time, and at specified due date explain the use of a work breakdown structure in the development of a schedule

After completing this outcome, you will be able to:

explain the purpose and importance of a schedule of activities on a project

explain the development process of a schedule in accordance with industry practices

differentiate between completing a project within the shortest possible time, and at specified due date

explain the use of a work breakdown structure in the development of a schedule

1.1 Explain the purpose and importance of a schedule of activities on a project Normalising the schedule: You must review the schedule to determine whether the resources you assigned are actually available within each task’s schedule window Start with the activities on the critical path and work the rest of the schedule from there Move things around based on the float available to ensure that you don’t overload someone and that others are fully utilised

Normalising the schedule:

You must review the schedule to determine whether the resources you assigned are actually available within each task’s schedule window

Start with the activities on the critical path and work the rest of the schedule from there

Move things around based on the float available to ensure that you don’t overload someone and that others are fully utilised

1.1 Explain the purpose and importance of a schedule of activities on a project Three strategies to normalise the schedule: Schedule all non-critical tasks at the earliest date possible Schedule all non-critical tasks as late as possible Schedule a subset of non-critical tasks

Three strategies to normalise the schedule:

Schedule all non-critical tasks at the earliest date possible

Schedule all non-critical tasks as late as possible

Schedule a subset of non-critical tasks

1.1 Explain the purpose and importance of a schedule of activities on a project Loading up and levelling up: Some members will likely be overloaded and others may not have enough work Scheduled work should be redistributed from those who have too much work to those not fully booked – this is called levelling out

Loading up and levelling up:

Some members will likely be overloaded and others may not have enough work

Scheduled work should be redistributed from those who have too much work to those not fully booked – this is called levelling out

1.1 Explain the purpose and importance of a schedule of activities on a project International and local professional bodies linked to project management practice and standards PMBOK APM BOK PMI APMA and AIPM

International and local professional bodies linked to project management practice and standards

PMBOK

APM BOK

PMI

APMA and AIPM

1.2 Differentiate between completing a project within the shortest possible time and at specified due dates Project managers can do the following to shorten the time: Overlapping of activities Crashing Work overtime or 24 hour shifts

Project managers can do the following to shorten the time:

Overlapping of activities

Crashing

Work overtime or 24 hour shifts

1.3 Explain the use of a Work Breakdown Structure in the development of a schedule The purpose of a WBS is to subdivide the scope of the work into manageable packages In a WBS a project is broken down into the following levels or parts: The total project Sub-projects Milestones Major activities Work packages

The purpose of a WBS is to subdivide the scope of the work into manageable packages

In a WBS a project is broken down into the following levels or parts:

The total project

Sub-projects

Milestones

Major activities

Work packages

1.3 Explain the use of a Work Breakdown Structure in the development of a schedule The answers a project manager got from a well organised WBS refer to: How long (time duration) will it take to complete the activity? What skill(s) are required to perform the activity? What is the estimates cost (cost will be finalised at a later stage) to complete/perform the activity? The resources required to do the work – machinery, raw material and other equipment Does the work on the activity depend on the completion of any other activities?

The answers a project manager got from a well organised WBS refer to:

How long (time duration) will it take to complete the activity?

What skill(s) are required to perform the activity?

What is the estimates cost (cost will be finalised at a later stage) to complete/perform the activity?

The resources required to do the work – machinery, raw material and other equipment

Does the work on the activity depend on the completion of any other activities?

1.3 Explain the use of a Work Breakdown Structure in the development of a schedule The WBS should be able to help you do the following: Identify the major parts of the project so that all the work needing to be done is clearly indicated Organise the work in the most logical sequence so the work packages can be efficiently scheduled Identify work packages that need to be assigned to various team members Identify the resources necessary to complete each work package so a budget can be developed Communicate the work to be done in a unambiguous way so that team members understand their assigned jobs and responsibilities for completing the project Organise related work packages using logical milestones

The WBS should be able to help you do the following:

Identify the major parts of the project so that all the work needing to be done is clearly indicated

Organise the work in the most logical sequence so the work packages can be efficiently scheduled

Identify work packages that need to be assigned to various team members

Identify the resources necessary to complete each work package so a budget can be developed

Communicate the work to be done in a unambiguous way so that team members understand their assigned jobs and responsibilities for completing the project

Organise related work packages using logical milestones

1.3 Explain the use of a Work Breakdown Structure in the development of a schedule Four steps to the work breakdown structure Break the work into independent work packages that can be sequenced, assigned, scheduled and monitored Define the work packages at a level of detail appropriate for the length and complexity of the project Integrate the work packages in a format that can be easily communicated to people assigned to complete them during the project Verify that completion of the work packages will result in attainment of all the project goals and objectives

Four steps to the work breakdown structure

Break the work into independent work packages that can be sequenced, assigned, scheduled and monitored

Define the work packages at a level of detail appropriate for the length and complexity of the project

Integrate the work packages in a format that can be easily communicated to people assigned to complete them during the project

Verify that completion of the work packages will result in attainment of all the project goals and objectives

1.3 Explain the use of a Work Breakdown Structure in the development of a schedule Work packages – what are they? Each work package represents the lowest level of project activity that has both time and cost associated with it Work packages are useful in the following ways: They are a way of modularising the project into manageable segments By breaking work into work packages, you can determine the skills you need to complete the work on a project, and you can quantify how many people will be required to do the work They allow you to communicate the work that needs to be done to other team members without getting into too much detail Breaking the work into work packages ensures that all the work sequences are identified and understood

Work packages – what are they?

Each work package represents the lowest level of project activity that has both time and cost associated with it

Work packages are useful in the following ways:

They are a way of modularising the project into manageable segments

By breaking work into work packages, you can determine the skills you need to complete the work on a project, and you can quantify how many people will be required to do the work

They allow you to communicate the work that needs to be done to other team members without getting into too much detail

Breaking the work into work packages ensures that all the work sequences are identified and understood

DEFINE AND GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT ACTIVITIES FROM TECHNICAL EXPERTS AND WITHIN OWN FIELD OF EXPERTISE After completing this outcome, you will be able to: identify activities for the identified project prioritise activities within scope of project identify and explain the use of documents required for identified activities explain the need for documents to reflect activities at a level of detail to support further planning activities

After completing this outcome, you will be able to:

identify activities for the identified project

prioritise activities within scope of project

identify and explain the use of documents required for identified activities

explain the need for documents to reflect activities at a level of detail to support further planning activities

2.1 Identify activities for the identified project WBS for house project 1.1 Civil 1.1.1 Lay foundations 1.1.2 Walls and roof 1.2 Plumbing 1.2.1 Piping 1.2.2 Sewerage 1.3 Electrical 1.3.1 Wiring 1.3.2 Appliances 1.4 Security wall and gates 1.5 Landscaping 1.5.1 Garden outlay, trees and shrubs 1.5.2 Irrigation system

WBS for house project

1.1 Civil

1.1.1 Lay foundations

1.1.2 Walls and roof

1.2 Plumbing

1.2.1 Piping

1.2.2 Sewerage

1.3 Electrical

1.3.1 Wiring

1.3.2 Appliances

1.4 Security wall and gates

1.5 Landscaping

1.5.1 Garden outlay, trees and shrubs

1.5.2 Irrigation system

2.2 Prioritise activities within the scope of project

2.2 Prioritise activities within the scope of project

2.3 Identify and explain the use of documents required for identified activities Work Breakdown Structure Task list Risk Plan Quality plan

Work Breakdown Structure

Task list

Risk Plan

Quality plan

3. DEVELOP A SIMPLE SCHEDULE FOR A PROJECT OR PART THEREOF After completing this outcome, you will be able to: develop a simple schedule for the identified project to reflect the following components

After completing this outcome, you will be able to:

develop a simple schedule for the identified project to reflect the following components

WBS as a horizontal presentation House project Civil Plumbing Security wall and gates Electrical Landscaping Foundations Walls and roof Piping Sewerage Wiring Appliances Garden outlay Water irrigation system

WBS as an organogram illustration House project Civil work Plumbing work Electrical work Security walls and gates Landscaping Foundations Walls and roof Piping Sewerage Wiring Appliances Garden outlay Water irrigation

House project R84 000 Civil work 1.1 R44 000 Plumbing work 1.2 R8 000 Electrical work 1.3 R11 000 Security walls and gates 1.4 R12 000 Landscaping 1.5 R9 000 Foundations 1.1.1 R15 000 Walls and roof 1.1.2 R29 000 Piping 1.2.1 R6000 Sewerage 1.2.2 R2 000 Wiring 1.3.1 R3 000 Appliances 1.3.2 R8 000 Garden outlay 1.5.1 R3 000 Water irrigation 1.5.2 R6 000

Definition of an activity An activity may be defined as any task, job or operation that must be performed to complete the work packages or project Activities in series Activities in parallel

An activity may be defined as any task, job or operation that must be performed to complete the work packages or project

Activities in series

Activities in parallel

Characteristics of an activity An activity must have a unique activity code or number (A or 1 or 100, 200, etc). The code may be alpha, numeric or alpha-numeric An activity must have a description There will be logical relationships between the activities All activities will have a time duration for completing the task, even if it is zero All activities will have a calendar or work pattern to indicate when the work can be scheduled, even it is seven days a week The activity can have target start and finish dates assigned. Certainly a starting date or finishing date for the project is required An activity may need items to be procured, by linking the procurement to the activity a procurement schedule can be produced An activity may need resources, by linking the resources to the activity they can be scheduled to produce a resource histogram An activity will incur expenses. If these costs are linked to the activities the costs can be scheduled and rolled-up to produce a cash-flow statement and plan expenditure curves. If a WBS is used, the activities can be linked to the work packages. This will enable the costs to be entered at the activity level and roll-up to be reported at a higher level

An activity must have a unique activity code or number (A or 1 or 100, 200, etc). The code may be alpha, numeric or alpha-numeric

An activity must have a description

There will be logical relationships between the activities

All activities will have a time duration for completing the task, even if it is zero

All activities will have a calendar or work pattern to indicate when the work can be scheduled, even it is seven days a week

The activity can have target start and finish dates assigned. Certainly a starting date or finishing date for the project is required

An activity may need items to be procured, by linking the procurement to the activity a procurement schedule can be produced

An activity may need resources, by linking the resources to the activity they can be scheduled to produce a resource histogram

An activity will incur expenses. If these costs are linked to the activities the costs can be scheduled and rolled-up to produce a cash-flow statement and plan expenditure curves.

If a WBS is used, the activities can be linked to the work packages. This will enable the costs to be entered at the activity level and roll-up to be reported at a higher level

Example of an activity

Activity box

Network diagram What is a network diagram? The network diagram shows the path of the project, lists starting and completion dates, and names the responsible party for each task. Networks are usually drawn from left to right with times drawn between activities to indicate the procedure among activities in the project If properly sequenced, a network diagram will: Show the sequence and relationships among activities necessary to complete a project Identify relationships among milestones in the project that can be used for monitoring progress and completion Show the interrelationships of activities in different parts of the work breakdown structure (WBS) hierarchy Establish a vehicle for scheduling activities Help reduce uncertainty in the project by breaking it into many small phases that have been analysed and sequenced in advance of starting the work

What is a network diagram?

The network diagram shows the path of the project, lists starting and completion dates, and names the responsible party for each task.

Networks are usually drawn from left to right with times drawn between activities to indicate the procedure among activities in the project

If properly sequenced, a network diagram will:

Show the sequence and relationships among activities necessary to complete a project

Identify relationships among milestones in the project that can be used for monitoring progress and completion

Show the interrelationships of activities in different parts of the work breakdown structure (WBS) hierarchy

Establish a vehicle for scheduling activities

Help reduce uncertainty in the project by breaking it into many small phases that have been analysed and sequenced in advance of starting the work

5 Steps to create a network diagram List the activities using the WBS Establish the interrelationships between activities Identify the milestones that you want to specify Lay out the activities and milestones as a network Review the logic of the network Are the activities properly sequenced? Is all necessary precedence identified? Is there any precedence that isn’t really required? Are all of the activities really necessary? Are any activities missing? Does the completion of the activities in the network represent the accomplishment of everything necessary to meet the project goals that have been specified?

List the activities using the WBS

Establish the interrelationships between activities

Identify the milestones that you want to specify

Lay out the activities and milestones as a network

Review the logic of the network

Are the activities properly sequenced?

Is all necessary precedence identified?

Is there any precedence that isn’t really required?

Are all of the activities really necessary?

Are any activities missing?

Does the completion of the activities in the network represent the accomplishment of everything necessary to meet the project goals that have been specified?

Network diagram of our project

Notes Project manager and project team works 7 days a week (including Saturdays and Sundays) Project team also work on public holidays. The early start time (EST) of a new project is always 0-hours/days or months into the project In our project the plumbing and electrical work will take place at the same time – simultaneously

Project manager and project team works 7 days a week (including Saturdays and Sundays)

Project team also work on public holidays.

The early start time (EST) of a new project is always 0-hours/days or months into the project

In our project the plumbing and electrical work will take place at the same time – simultaneously