This presentation talks about the scientific approach one should adopt while creating a project schedule. I used some references from PMI and PMBOX.

1. Wise Talk Thursdays

2. • Science Behind SchedulingTopic
• One HourPlanned Duration
• Open
Type of
Interaction
• Management Sciences
Area of
Knowledge

3. Definition
•Brief History and Evaluation of Scheduling
•What is Scheduling
Explanation
•Definition of related terms
•The Process of Schedule Development
Example
•Practical

4. The concept of Scheduling is not new; Sun Tzu
wrote about scheduling and strategy about
5000 years ago from a military prospective
Pyramids in Egypt (3000 years ago approx),
Transcontinental railways (200 years) ago;
None of these could have been accomplished
without some sort of scheduling i.e.,
understanding of activities and sequencing.

5. Henry L Gantt An American engineer and social scientist
invented a bar chart which we know as Gantt Chart - 1917
Kelley and Walker invented CPM -1956-57
The Pert Project invented the name “Critical Path” and
everyone else borrowed it -1957
In 1968 PERT and CPM emerged as a standard
nomenclatures
Dr. Fondhal invented a non- computerized methodology for
scheduling which is being used by every scheduling
computer package today (Precedence Diagramming Method
-1977 )
The Science of Scheduling as defined by Critical Path
Analysis “CPA” celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007.

6.  The term Schedule means
 Arrange or plan (an event) to take place at a
particular time.
 Make arrangements for (someone or
something) to do something.

7.  Work Breakdown Structure
 Work Package
 Decomposition
 Rolling Wave Planning
 Schedule Compression
◦ Crashing
◦ Fast Tracking

8.  Resource Leveling
 Bottom-up Estimating
 Project Network Diagram
 PERT (Program Evaluation and Review
Technique)

9.  According to Project Management Institute, The
Following is the process from Start to End in order to
create a Project Schedule
 Activity Definition
 Activity Sequencing
 Activity Resource Estimating
 Activity Duration Estimating
 Schedule Development
 Schedule Control

10.  Activity Definition is a process of defining
the Activities which are part of scope of
work in order to complete the Project
 We drive the following things after Activity
Definition process
◦ Activity List
◦ Activity Attributes
◦ Milestone List

11.  For Activity Sequencing , different
Techniques can be used which are
◦ Precedence Diagramming Method (AON)
◦ Activities can have four types of
dependencies under this method which
are
 Finish to Start
 Start to Start
 Start to Finish
 Finish to Finish

12. ◦ Arrow Diagramming Method
◦ Activities can have one type of
dependency under this method which is
 Finish to Start

13.  Durations in Project Network Diagram are
calculated by using the following
 Early Start
 Early Finish
 Late Start
 Late Finish
 Forward Pass Calculation
 Backward Pass Calculation

14.  Activity Resource Estimation is a
process where the resources
(physical, human, infrastructure) are
determined
 Top down or
 Bottom up
 Estimation

15.  Activity Duration Estimation is a process where
the duration against each Activity is calculated.
 Following Techniques can be used to calculated
Duration for activity
◦ Analogous Estimating
◦ Parametric Estimating
◦ Three Point Estimate or PERT Estimate
 Reserve Analysis

16.  PERT Estimation uses the following
concept

18. ◦ Following are some methods to develop
the Project Schedule
◦ Project Network Diagram Method
◦ Critical Path Method, longest path in
project network diagram
◦ Critical Chain Method , adjusted schedule
after incorporating dead lines and
resources constraints in critical path
method

20.  Suppose we have a project with Following
Activities
 Start
 Requirement Analysis -TASK 1 – 3 Days
 Development - TASK 2 – 10 Days
 Installation - TASK 3 - 6 Days
 Deployment - TASK 4 - 8 Days
 UAT - TASK 5 - 4 Days
 Close

21.  Second Step would be to find the
dependencies among activities and draw a
network diagram
 Lets say we have only Finish to Start
Relationship between activities as under
 Start-TASK 1-TASK 2- TASK 5-End
 Start –TASK 1-TASK3-TASK4-TASK5-End

22.  Let us Calculate Early Start and Early Finish of
Theses Tasks by Forward Pass.