This document discusses the importance of realistic scheduling and accurate estimating for projects. It describes techniques for scheduling like Gantt charts and milestones, and outlines the steps involved in planning a project, which include defining the project, assessing risks, structuring tasks, estimating work packages, calculating the initial schedule, assigning resources, and leveling resources. While the planning steps generate information on how a project will be executed, they may not produce the perfect answer. The document also discusses different levels of accuracy for estimates and techniques for estimating like phased estimating, apportioning, parametric estimates, and bottom-up estimating.

1. Realistic Scheduling and
accurate estimating
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2. Scheduling is the fundamental
element of any project.
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3. Realistic Scheduling
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4. Gantt Chart
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Technique: Focuses on Schedule
Management
Representing the phases and activities of a
project work breakdown structure (WBS)
Great tool for managing smaller projects
Does not give you a holistic view of a project
magnitude.
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5. •
•
A realistic schedule takes into consideration
all the objectives of the project .
Each planning step relies on the one
preceding it, and each adds a new element
to the plan .
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6. Recap of the steps involved in
planning a project
1. Create the project definition
2. Develop a risk management strategy.
3. Build a work breakdown structure .
4. Identify tasks relationships .
5. Estimate work packages.
6. Calculate initial schedule.
7. Assign and level resources.
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7. These steps generate all the information
required to understand how a project will be
executed. The steps are systematic, but they
don't necessarily come up with the 'right
answer'.
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9. Milestones
Milestones have zero duration, so adding them
to a project doesn't affect the schedule at all.
1. Project start and finish milestones are useful
anchor for the network.
2. Milestones can be used to mark input from one
party to one another.
3. A milestone can represent significant events that
aren't already represented by a work package or
summary.
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10. 3 Levels of Accuracy
1. Idea evaluation or "ball park estimate"
2. Project selection or order of magnitude
3. Detailed estimate
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12. Estimating techniques
1. Phased estimating
2. Apportioning
3. Parametric estimates
4. Bottom- up estimating
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