©Paul Taaffe

Project Schedule Management

Time is a Non Renewable Resource

Once it is gone, it is gone.
You will never see this moment again.
 Project Plan - Project Schedule
 A Project Plan is a formal document containing all pertinent
project information. It should contain project assumptions and
constraints, baselines for scope, quality, cost and time, project
schedules and project risks. It should be used as the primary
document for project communications.

 A Project Schedule on the other hand is a chart or diagram

outlining what activities are being undertaken, how long they will
take, what order they will be undertaken in, who will do them and
when they will be done.

The last point is the important difference between a plan and a

schedule. A schedule is a plan with a calendar attached to it
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 Project Schedule Management
 6.1 Plan Schedule Management—The process of establishing the
policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing,
executing, and controlling the project schedule.

 6.2 Define Activities—The process of identifying and documenting the

specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables.

 6.3 Sequence Activities—The process of identifying and documenting

relationships among the project activities.

 6.4 Estimate Activity Durations—The process of estimating the number

of work periods needed to complete individual activities with the estimated
resources.

 6.5 Develop Schedule—The process of analyzing activity sequences,

durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project
schedule model for project execution and monitoring and controlling.

 6.6 Control Schedule—The process of monitoring the status of the project to

update the project schedule and manage changes to the schedule baseline.
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Source: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 2017, 6th Edition, Page 173
 Scheduling: Tailoring Considerations
Because each project is unique, the project manager may need to tailor the way
Project Schedule Management processes are applied. Considerations for tailoring
include but are not limited to:

 Life Cycle Approach. What is the most appropriate life cycle approach that
allows for a more detailed schedule?

 Resource Availability. What are the factors influencing durations (such as the
correlation between available resources and their productivity)?

 Project Dimensions. How will the presence of project complexity,

technological uncertainty, product novelty, pace, or progress tracking (such as
earned value, percentage complete, red-yellow-green (stop light) indicators)
impact the desired level of control?

 Technology Support. Is technology used to develop, record, transmit, receive,

and store project schedule model information and is it readily accessible?
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Source: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 2017, 6th Edition, Page 178
 The Schedule Management Plan can Establish the Following:
 Project Schedule Model Development. The scheduling methodology and the scheduling
tool to be used in the development of the project schedule model are specified.

 Release and Iteration Length. When using an adaptive life cycle, the time-boxed periods
for releases, waves, and iterations are specified. Time-boxed periods are durations during
which the team works steadily toward completion of a goal. Time-boxing helps to
minimize scope creep as it forces the teams to process essential features first, then other
features when time permits.

 Level of Accuracy. The level of accuracy specifies the acceptable range used in
determining realistic activity duration estimates and may include an amount for
contingencies.

 Units of Measure. Each unit of measurement (such as staff hours, staff days, or weeks for
time measures, or meters, liters, tons, kilometers, or cubic yards for quantity measures) is
defined for each of the resources.

 Organizational Procedures Links. The work breakdown structure (WBS) provides the
framework for the schedule management plan, allowing for consistency with the estimates
and resulting schedules.
Source: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 2017, 6th Edition, Page 182
 The Schedule Management Plan can Establish the Following:
Project Schedule Model Maintenance. The process used to update the status and record progress
of the project in the schedule model during the execution of the project is defined.

Control Thresholds. Variance thresholds for monitoring schedule performance may be

specified to indicate an agreed-upon amount of variation to be allowed before some action
needs to be taken. Thresholds are typically expressed as percentage deviations from the
parameters established in the baseline plan.

Rules of Performance Measurement. Earned value management (EVM) rules or other physical
measurement rules of performance measurement are set. For example, the schedule
management plan may specify:
 Rules for establishing percent complete,
 EVM techniques (e.g., baselines, fixed-formula, percent complete, etc.) to be employed (for more
specific information, refer to the Practice Standard for Earned Value Management), and
 Schedule performance measurements such as schedule variance (SV) and schedule performance
index (SPI) used to assess the magnitude of variation to the original schedule baseline.

Reporting Formats. The formats and frequency for the various schedule reports are defined.

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Source: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 2017, 6th Edition, Page 182
 Source: Hamilton, 2001:191

Remember: If it’s not in the WBS, it’s not in the project.

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 Project Schedule Management
Helps answers questions such as:
– What is the expected project completion date.
– What is the scheduled start & completion date for each
specific activity.
– Which activities are “critical” [i.e.; must be completed exactly
as scheduled in order to keep the project on schedule]
– How long can “non critical activities be delayed before they
cause a delay in the total project

Note: poor planning & the omission of activities will be

disastrous and lead to completely inaccurate schedules
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 Activity Duration Estimating

 Duration includes the actual amount of time

worked on an activity plus the elapsed time.

 Effort is the number of workdays or work

hours required to complete a task.

 Effort may not always be equal to duration.

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 Activity Sequencing
Activity on Node [AON]
A E G

Start B F H J Finish

C K

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 Activity Sequencing
Precedence Diagramming Methods [PDM]
also called Activity on Node [AON] or Logic Diagram

A E G
ES D EF
A
LS F LF

Start B F H J Finish

C K

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Source: Derived from A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 2017, 6th Edition, Page 193
 Activity Attributes
 Unique Activity Identifier (ID): WBS ID, Name
 Float
A E G
 Risk
 Dependency
 Resource
 Work/Effort Start B F H J Finish

 Imposed Dates: Time

 Cost
 Location C K

 Constraints/Assumptions
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 Logical Task Relationships/Constraints
Finish to Start Constraint
A B Predecessor must finish before Successor can start. [Land must
be purchased before road building can start]

Start to Start Constraint

Activity ‘A’ must Start at the same time as activity ‘B’
A B

Finish to Finish Constraint

Activity ‘A’ must finish at the same time as activity ‘B’
A B

Start to Finish Constraint

A B
Activity ‘A’ must Start before activity ‘B’ can finish

Source: Derived from A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 2017, 6th edition, Page 190
Logical Task Relationships/Constraints

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Source: Mantel et al.
 Advantages of Network Diagrams
It’s easy to compare progress with plan

Allows on going re-scheduling

Reduces project risk by identifying critical activities

Helps clarify understanding of how the work must be

done and how activities relate to one another

Excellent communication tool

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Helps identify what needs to be done, and when it
 Earliest start (ES) = earliest time at
Activity Description Time (weeks)
which an activity can start, assuming all
A Build internal components 2
predecessors have been completed
B Modify roof and floor 3
C Earliest
Construct finishstack
collection (EF) = earliest 2time at
D Pour which
concretean andactivity can be finished
install frame 4
E BuildLatest start (LS)burner
high-temperature = latest time4 at which
F Installan activity
pollution can start
control system so as to 3not delay
G Installthe
air completion time of the entire
pollution device 5 project
H Inspect and test
Latest finish (LF) =latest time2 by which
Total an
Time (weeks)has to be finished25so as to
activity
not delay the completion time of the
entire project
Early Early Early Early
Duration Duration
Start Finish Start Finish
Task name Task name
Late Float - Late Late Float - Late
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Start Slack Finish Start Slack Finish
 Worked Example No 1

Activity Predecessor Duration

W -- 4
X -- 6
Y W 2
Z X 5

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 Worked Example No 1
Activity Predecessor Duration
W -- 4
X -- 6
Y W 2
Z X 5
0 6 6 6 5 11
X Z
0 0 6 6 0 11

Start Finish
Backward Pass 11

0 4 4 4 2 6
W Y
5 5 9 9 5 11

Early Early
Duration
Start Finish ES D EF
Task nam e A
LS F LF
Late Float - Late
Start Slack Finish 18
 The Critical Path
 The critical path is the series of activities, usually with zero float,
that when added together are the project’s shortest duration.

 The critical path is the longest path through the network

 The critical path is the shortest time in which the project can be
completed

 Any delay in critical path activities delays the project

 Critical paths may have positive, zero, or negative total float

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depending on the constraints applied.
 Float - Slack
 Free Float [Slack] the amount of time a task can
be delayed without delaying the early start date of
its successor or violating a schedule constraint.

 Total Float [Slack] the amount of time a task can

be delayed without delaying the project
completion date. [LS-ES= or LF-EF]

 Project Float [Slack] the amount of time a project

can be delayed without delaying the externally
imposed project completion date.
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 Float - Slack
 Positive Total Float is caused when the backward pass is
calculated from a schedule constraint that is later than the early
finish date that has been calculated during forward pass
calculation.

 Negative Total Float is caused when a constraint on the late dates

is violated by duration and logic.

 Negative Float Analysis is a technique that helps to find possible

accelerated ways of bringing a delayed schedule back on track.

 Schedule networks may have multiple near-critical paths.

Source: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 2017, 6th Edition, Page 210
 When 2 activities are carried out at the same time they are
known as PARALLEL or CONCURRENT activities

 Fast Tracking [Technique ]. A specific project schedule

compression technique that changes network logic to run phases
in parallel or overlap phases that would normally be done in
sequence, such as the design phase and construction phase, or to
perform schedule activities in parallel. Can increase project risk.

 Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT), allows

loops back to earlier events.

 Throughout the project, work packages are progressively

elaborated into activities.
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 Worked Example No. 2
Dealing With Multiple Predecessors

Activity Predecessor Duration

A -- 5
B -- 7
C A, B 9
D B 2

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Exercise No 22, A project has been defined in the table below:

Tasks Duration Predecessors

1 Agree Scope 2 --
2 Assessment of Market 3 1
3 Analyse Data 3 2
4 Develop Prototype 7 2
5 Revisions by customer 6 2
6 Order Inventory 1 3, 4
7 Recruit Staff 5 4, 5
8 Produce Documentation 4 6, 7
9 Final Inspection 8 7
10 Complete Installation 2 8, 9
Required:
1) Draw a fully labelled network diagram.
2) What would happen if task 5 was revised to take 8 weeks instead of 6
week?
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 Exercise No 22,
 Look again at the activities outlined Exercise No 22, and assume
that your team is in its first week of the project and has discovered
that each of the activity duration estimates is wrong.
 Activity 2 will take only two weeks to complete.

 Activities 4 and 7 will each take three times longer than

anticipated.
 All other activities will take twice as long to complete as
previously estimated.
 In addition, a new activity, number 11, has been added. It will take
one week to complete and its immediate predecessors are activities
10 and 9.
 Adjust the network diagram and recalculate the earliest expected
completion times.

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 Activity Sequencing
 Mandatory Dependencies - [aka hard logic] are legally,
contractually or inherent in the nature of the work being done &
cannot be changed.

 Discretionary Dependencies - [aka soft logic, preferred logic,

preferential logic] are those that are defined by the Project Team

 External Dependencies - are those that involve a relationship

between project activities & non-project activities and are usually
outside of the control of the project team.

 Internal Dependencies – involve a precedence relationship

between project activities and are generally inside the project
team’s control. 26
Source: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 2017, 6th Edition, Page 191
 Leads & Lags

 A “Lead” is used when it is necessary to

start an activity BEFORE its predecessor
has been finished

 A “Lag” is used when it is necessary to

delay the start of an activity once its
predecessor has been finished [means a gap
between activities]

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Source: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 2017, 6th Edition, Page 192
 Estimate Activity Durations
Expert Judgement: individuals or groups with specialized knowledge or
training

Analogous Estimating: a technique used to estimate the duration or cost of

an activity or a project using historical data from a similar activity or project e.g.
duration, budget, size, weight, complexity, etc.

Parametric Estimating: e.g. if the assigned resource is capable of installing

25 meters of cable per hour, the duration required to install 1,000 meters is 40
hours (1,000 meters divided by 25 meters per hour).

Bottom-up Estimating: a method of estimating project duration or cost by

aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components of the WBS.

Triangular Distribution (3-Point Estimating):

tE = (to + tm + tp ) / 3
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 Programme Evaluation & Review Technique [PERT] {Beta Distribution}
 Optimistic Time: [tO] the ideal time if everything progresses in
an ideal manner (best case scenario).
 Most Likely Time: [tM] the most likely activity time under
normal conditions
 Pessimistic Time: [tP] the activity time if we encounter
significant problems and/or delays (worst case scenario).

0 + 4 M + P
Expected Time = T E
=
6

P - 0
Standard Deviation = s =
6

2
æ P - O ö
Variance = s 2
= ç ÷
è 6 ø
 PERT or CPM
 Network techniques

 Each uses a different estimate of activity times.

 CPM assumes we know a fixed time estimate for each

activity and there is no variability in activity times.
Developed in 1950’s by DuPont for chemical plants.

 PERT by Booz, Allen & Hamilton with the U.S. Navy,

for Polaris missile (1958) PERT uses a probability
distribution for activity times to allow for variability.
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Arrow Diagramming Method
[ADM]

Activity on Arrow Diagram

[AOA]
 Activity Sequencing
Arrow Diagramming Method [ADM]
Activity on Arrow Diagram [AOA]
A E G
3 4 7

B F H K
1 2 5 6 8

• Uses only Finish-to-Start dependencies &

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can require ‘dummy activities’
 Activity on Arrow Diagram [AOA]
 The AOA is also known as the 'i-j' method.
 i is the designation given to the start node of an activity and
j is the designation, given to the finish node of the same
activity
 Nodes are usually numbered as a means of identifying the
activities in the network.
 Each activity should have unique i-j node numbers and at no
time should two activities have the same i-j numbers.
A E G
3 4 7

B F H K
1 2 5 6 8

C 33
 Dummy Activities
 A dummy activity is not an activity in itself, but a line that helps
overcome the situation where activities have:
the same start and end nodes or
the same start or end node.

 In arrow diagrams, dummy activities indicate relationships

between activities and are shown as dashed lines.
 Show the correct sequence of activities in drawing the diagram.
 Also used to prevent duplication of node numbers used to identify
activities.
 Keep Number of Dummy Activities to a minimum

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Draw an AOA based on the following logic

Activity Predecessor
W --
X W, Y
Y --
Z Y
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 Exercise No. 11
1. Required
2. Compute the Expected Time, the Variance, and the Standard
Deviation for all activities
3. Draw an AOA and AON network and determine the project
duration.
4. Draw a Gantt Chart for the Early start and Late Start Scenarios
5. Draw A Resource Histogram and Level the Resources
6. Use the Time Constraint Method, & A Minimum Resource Level
Per Activity of 1
7. Crash The Project Fully.
8. How Far Can it be Crashed ?
9. What is the Optimum Crash Point, assuming overheads of €800
per day. 36
 Exercise No. 11

Predece Crash Duration Crash Standard Varia

Activity Cost Resources to tm tp Te?
ssor cost duration Deviation nce

A - €4,000 €5,300 4 3 5 8 3
B - €3,600 €4,200 2 2 3 7 2
C - €10,500 €12,750 2 5 7 12 4
E A,B €5,200 €5,550 1 3 4 8 3
F B €8,220 €9,720 2 3 6 9 3
G E €6,400 €7,800 4 2 4 7 2
H E,F €4,200 €5,550 2 5 6 9 3
J G,H,C €12,600 €14,250 3 5 7 10 4
K H,C €3,900 €4,500 2 2 4 8 2
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38
 Activity
Earliest start time Earliest finish time
A
0 12
Latest start time 2 14
12 Latest finish time

Duration 39
 References

 Erik W. Larson, Clifford F. Gray; 2018, Project Management: the Managerial

Process, 7th edition, McGraw-Hill.
 Fuller, 2008, Information Systems Project Management, A Process and Team
Approach, Pearson.
 Kerzner, H., 2013, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning,
Scheduling, and Controlling, 11th Edition, Wiley.
 Meredith J. & Mantel S., 2012, Project Management, A Managerial Approach,
8th Edition, Wiley.
 Project Management Institute (PMI), 2017, A Guide to the Project
Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 6th edition, Newton
Square, PA

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