Activities should be scheduled according to the delivery approach used. The activity level should provide sufficient resolution for undertaking work, assigning resources, and finalizing the budget and management control. In addition to an activity network diagram, other scheduling formats can be adopted.
The schedule should be developed to determine:
a) whether the project’s objectives can be achieved on schedule;
b) the critical path and its related risks;
c) actual progress achieved in the schedule against a predefined baseline schedule.
Schedule development and verification should continue throughout the project. As work progresses, the project’s plan changes, anticipated risks occur or disappear, and new risks are identified. If necessary, duration and resource estimates should be reviewed and revised to develop an approved project schedule that can serve as the revised baseline against which progress can be tracked.
Developing the schedule in project management involves several key steps and techniques. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how the project organization can develop the schedule:
- Define Activities: The first step is to identify and define all the activities required to complete the project. Activities should be broken down into manageable tasks that represent the work needed to achieve project objectives. This involves decomposing the project scope into smaller, more manageable components.
- Sequence Activities: Once activities are defined, they need to be sequenced in the order they will be executed. Determine the logical relationships and dependencies between activities to establish the sequence in which they should be performed. Common types of dependencies include finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish, and start-to-finish.
- Estimate Activity Durations: Estimate the duration of each activity based on historical data, expert judgment, analogous estimation, parametric estimation, three-point estimation, or other estimation techniques. Consider factors such as resource availability, dependencies, constraints, and risks when estimating activity durations.
- Develop the Schedule: Using the activity sequencing and duration estimates, develop the project schedule. This involves creating a timeline that specifies when each activity will start and finish, as well as identifying critical paths, milestones, and key project dates. Project management software such as Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, or others can be used to create and manage the project schedule.
- Optimize the Schedule: Review the initial schedule to identify opportunities for optimization. Look for ways to streamline activities, reduce unnecessary delays, and improve resource allocation to optimize the project schedule. Resource levelling techniques may be used to balance resource demand and ensure more efficient use of resources.
- Consider Constraints and Assumptions: Take into account any constraints or assumptions that may impact the project schedule. Constraints could include fixed deadlines, resource limitations, contractual obligations, or other factors that restrict the flexibility of the schedule. Assumptions should be documented and validated to ensure their accuracy and reliability.
- Review and Validate: Review the developed schedule with key stakeholders, including project team members, sponsors, and other relevant parties. Ensure that the schedule is realistic, achievable, and aligned with project objectives and constraints. Validate assumptions and verify that all necessary inputs have been considered.
- Baseline the Schedule: Once the schedule has been reviewed and approved, baseline it to establish a reference point for measuring project performance. The baseline schedule represents the agreed-upon plan against which actual progress will be measured. Any changes to the schedule after baselining will require formal change control processes.
- Communicate the Schedule: Communicate the finalized schedule to all project stakeholders to ensure everyone is aware of project timelines, milestones, and expectations. Clear and transparent communication is essential for keeping stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycle.
- Monitor and Control: Continuously monitor and control the project schedule throughout the execution phase. Track progress against the baseline schedule, identify deviations or variances and take corrective actions as needed to keep the project on track. Regularly update the schedule to reflect actual progress and any changes to project scope, schedule, or resources.
By following these steps and techniques, the project organization can effectively develop a comprehensive project schedule that serves as a roadmap for successful project execution.
Activities should be scheduled according to the delivery approach used.
Scheduling activities according to the chosen delivery approach is crucial for aligning project management methodologies with project execution strategies. Different delivery approaches, such as waterfall, agile, iterative, or hybrid models, have distinct scheduling requirements and principles. Here’s how activities can be scheduled based on common delivery approaches:
- Waterfall Approach:
- Sequential Planning: In a waterfall approach, activities are typically scheduled sequentially, with each phase (e.g., requirements, design, development, testing) following the previous one in a linear fashion.
- Fixed Schedule: The schedule is often fixed upfront, with activities planned and executed according to predefined milestones and deadlines.
- Detailed Planning: Activities are planned and scheduled in detail at the beginning of the project, with a focus on completing each phase before moving to the next.
- Agile Approach:
- Iterative Scheduling: Agile projects are typically organized into iterations or sprints, with activities scheduled for each iteration based on priority and value. Activities are continuously reprioritized and scheduled in short cycles.
- Flexible Schedule: Agile projects prioritize flexibility and adaptability over fixed schedules. Activities are scheduled based on customer feedback, changing requirements, and emerging priorities.
- Time-Boxed Planning: Iterations are time-boxed, with fixed durations (e.g., two weeks), allowing teams to plan and schedule activities within the iteration timeframe.
- Iterative Approach:
- Incremental Planning: Iterative projects involve multiple cycles of planning, execution, and evaluation. Activities are scheduled for each iteration, focusing on delivering incremental value with each iteration.
- Adaptive Schedule: Iterative projects embrace change and uncertainty, allowing for adjustments to the schedule based on feedback and lessons learned from previous iterations.
- Continuous Improvement: Iterative scheduling emphasizes continuous improvement, with activities scheduled based on iterative feedback and opportunities for refinement.
- Hybrid Approach:
- Tailored Scheduling: Hybrid projects combine elements of waterfall, agile, or iterative approaches based on project requirements and constraints. Activities are scheduled according to a customized approach that blends the best practices of different methodologies.
- Adaptive Planning: Hybrid projects allow for flexibility in scheduling, with activities planned and adjusted based on project dynamics, stakeholder needs, and delivery requirements.
- Balanced Approach: Hybrid projects aim to strike a balance between predictability and flexibility, leveraging the strengths of different delivery approaches to optimize project outcomes.
Regardless of the chosen delivery approach, scheduling activities should consider the unique characteristics, constraints, and objectives of the project. By aligning activity scheduling with the selected delivery approach, project teams can optimize project execution, enhance collaboration, and deliver value to stakeholders effectively.
The activity level should provide sufficient resolution for undertaking work, assigning resources, and finalizing the budget and management control.
Ensuring that the activity level provides sufficient resolution is crucial for effective project management. Here’s why:
- Work Execution: Activities serve as the building blocks of the project plan, representing specific tasks or work packages that need to be completed to achieve project objectives. By defining activities at an appropriate level of detail, project teams can clearly understand what needs to be done and how to execute the work efficiently.
- Resource Assignment: Activities should be detailed enough to allow for accurate resource assignment and allocation. By specifying the tasks required for each activity, project managers can determine the necessary resources, such as personnel, equipment, and materials, needed to complete the work. This ensures that resources are effectively utilized and allocated according to project requirements.
- Budgeting: Detailed activities provide the basis for estimating and finalizing project budgets. By breaking down the project scope into specific tasks or work packages, project managers can estimate the cost associated with each activity, including labor, materials, and other expenses. This allows for more accurate budgeting and cost control throughout the project lifecycle.
- Management Control: Activities serve as the basis for monitoring and controlling project progress. By defining activities at an appropriate level of detail, project managers can track the status of each activity, identify potential issues or delays, and take corrective actions as needed to keep the project on track. This enables effective management control and ensures that project objectives are achieved within the defined constraints.
Overall, ensuring that activities provide sufficient resolution is essential for undertaking work, assigning resources, finalizing the budget, and maintaining management control throughout the project lifecycle. By defining activities at an appropriate level of detail, project teams can enhance efficiency, accuracy, and accountability, leading to successful project outcomes.
In addition to an activity network diagram, other scheduling formats can be adopted.
Besides activity network diagrams, several other scheduling formats can be adopted in project management to represent and communicate project schedules effectively. Here are some commonly used scheduling formats:
- Gantt Charts: Gantt charts are one of the most popular and widely used scheduling formats in project management. They provide a visual representation of project tasks over time, showing task durations, dependencies, and progress. Gantt charts are intuitive and easy to understand, making them useful for communicating project schedules to stakeholders.
- Milestone Charts: Milestone charts focus on key project milestones, such as major deliverables, key events, or significant project phases. They provide a high-level overview of the project schedule, highlighting important dates and milestones without detailing individual tasks or activities. Milestone charts are useful for tracking progress and communicating project milestones to stakeholders.
- PERT Charts: Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) charts are similar to activity network diagrams but include additional information such as activity durations, dependencies, and critical paths. PERT charts use nodes and arrows to represent activities and their relationships, allowing project managers to analyze the critical path and identify the shortest path through the project network.
- Resource Histograms: Resource histograms visualize resource utilization over time, showing how resources are allocated to project activities throughout the project duration. Resource histograms help project managers identify resource constraints, balance resource demand, and optimize resource utilization to avoid overallocation or underutilization of resources.
- Bar Charts: Bar charts, also known as bar graphs or timeline charts, provide a simple and straightforward visualization of project tasks and their durations. Each task is represented by a horizontal bar, with the length of the bar indicating the duration of the task. Bar charts are easy to create and interpret, making them suitable for presenting project schedules in a concise and visually appealing format.
- Kanban Boards: Kanban boards are visual boards that represent project tasks as cards or sticky notes arranged in columns corresponding to different stages of the workflow (e.g., to-do, in progress, completed). Kanban boards provide a flexible and interactive way to manage and track project tasks, allowing team members to visualize work progress and identify bottlenecks or blockers in real time.
- Resource Levelling Diagrams: Resource levelling diagrams illustrate the allocation of resources over time, showing how resource demand fluctuates throughout the project duration. Resource levelling diagrams help project managers identify resource conflicts, resolve overallocations, and optimize resource utilization to ensure a smooth and balanced workload distribution.
- Earned Value Management (EVM) Charts: Earned Value Management (EVM) charts integrate schedule performance, cost performance, and scope performance metrics to provide a comprehensive view of project progress and performance. EVM charts help project managers track project performance against baseline plans, forecast project outcomes, and identify trends or deviations that may require corrective action.
Each of these scheduling formats has its own advantages and limitations, and the choice of format depends on factors such as project complexity, stakeholder preferences, and communication requirements. Project managers can select the most appropriate scheduling format or combination of formats to effectively plan, monitor, and communicate project schedules throughout the project lifecycle.
The schedule should be developed to determine whether the project’s objectives can be achieved on schedule.
Developing the schedule is a critical step in project management to ensure that the project’s objectives can be achieved within the defined timeframe. Here’s how the schedule development process contributes to this goal:
- Alignment with Objectives: The schedule development process begins by clearly defining the project’s objectives, deliverables, and success criteria. These objectives serve as the foundation for developing the project schedule, ensuring that activities are aligned with the overall goals and desired outcomes of the project.
- Timeframe Consideration: During schedule development, project managers assess the time required to complete each activity and the overall duration of the project. By estimating activity durations, sequencing tasks, and allocating resources, project managers determine whether the project’s objectives can be achieved within the specified timeframe.
- Critical Path Analysis: Critical path analysis is a key technique used during schedule development to identify the longest sequence of dependent activities in the project, known as the critical path. Activities on the critical path determine the minimum duration of the project and highlight potential bottlenecks or delays that could impact the achievement of project objectives on schedule.
- Resource Allocation: The schedule development process involves allocating resources, such as personnel, equipment, and materials, to project activities based on their requirements and availability. By ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively, project managers can optimize project schedules and enhance the likelihood of achieving project objectives on time.
- Risk Assessment: Schedule development includes identifying and assessing potential risks that could impact project timelines and objectives. By considering uncertainties, dependencies, and potential obstacles, project managers can develop contingency plans and mitigation strategies to address risks and minimize their impact on the project schedule.
- Scenario Analysis: Project managers may conduct scenario analysis during schedule development to evaluate different options and assess their impact on project objectives and timelines. By exploring various scenarios and alternatives, project managers can identify the most feasible and realistic schedule that aligns with the project’s objectives.
- Stakeholder Involvement: Schedule development is a collaborative process that involves input from key stakeholders, including project sponsors, clients, and team members. By engaging stakeholders early and throughout the schedule development process, project managers ensure that project objectives are understood, expectations are managed, and consensus is reached on project timelines.
Overall, the schedule development process plays a crucial role in determining whether the project’s objectives can be achieved on schedule. By aligning activities with project objectives, assessing timeframes, analyzing critical paths, allocating resources, addressing risks, and involving stakeholders, project managers can develop realistic and achievable schedules that support the successful delivery of project outcomes within the defined timeframe.
The schedule should be developed to determine the critical path and its related risks.
Determining the critical path and identifying its related risks are essential aspects of schedule development in project management. Here’s why:
- Critical Path Analysis: The critical path is the longest sequence of dependent activities in the project, which determines the minimum duration required to complete the project. Activities on the critical path have zero slack or float, meaning any delay in these activities will directly impact the project’s overall duration. By identifying the critical path, project managers can prioritize activities and allocate resources to ensure timely completion of critical tasks.
- Schedule Compression: Understanding the critical path enables project managers to focus their efforts on activities that are critical to project success. Schedule compression techniques, such as fast-tracking or crashing, can be applied to activities on the critical path to accelerate project timelines without compromising quality or increasing risks. However, compressing the critical path may introduce additional risks that need to be carefully managed.
- Risk Identification: Activities on the critical path are inherently more susceptible to risks that could impact project timelines. Risks such as resource constraints, dependencies, technical challenges, or external factors can have a significant impact on critical path activities and, consequently, the overall project schedule. By identifying risks associated with the critical path, project managers can develop mitigation strategies to address these risks proactively.
- Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Once risks associated with the critical path are identified, project managers can assess their likelihood and potential impact on project timelines. Risk assessment techniques, such as qualitative and quantitative risk analysis, help prioritize risks based on their severity and develop appropriate mitigation strategies. Mitigation strategies may include contingency planning, resource allocation adjustments, schedule buffering, or alternative approaches to critical activities.
- Monitoring and Control: Throughout the project lifecycle, project managers must monitor critical path activities closely and track their progress against the baseline schedule. Any deviations or delays on the critical path should be addressed promptly through proactive risk management and corrective action. Regular monitoring and control help ensure that the project remains on track to achieve its objectives within the defined timeframe.
- Communication and Stakeholder Management: Communicating the critical path and its related risks to stakeholders is essential for managing expectations and ensuring alignment with project objectives. Stakeholders should be informed about potential risks that could impact project timelines and be engaged in discussions about risk mitigation strategies. Transparent communication fosters stakeholder trust and collaboration, enhancing the likelihood of project success.
By developing the schedule to determine the critical path and identify its related risks, project managers can effectively prioritize activities, allocate resources, and implement risk management strategies to ensure the timely completion of project deliverables within the defined constraints.
The schedule should be developed to determine actual progress achieved in the schedule against a predefined baseline schedule.
Comparing actual progress against a predefined baseline schedule is a fundamental aspect of project management. Here’s why it’s essential:
- Baseline Comparison: The baseline schedule represents the original plan for executing the project, including planned start and end dates for each activity. By comparing actual progress against the baseline schedule, project managers can assess how well the project is adhering to the initial plan and whether any deviations or delays have occurred.
- Performance Measurement: Monitoring actual progress against the baseline schedule allows project managers to evaluate project performance objectively. By comparing planned versus actual start and end dates for activities, project managers can identify variances, track progress, and determine whether the project is ahead of schedule, on schedule, or behind schedule.
- Early Warning System: Comparing actual progress to the baseline schedule serves as an early warning system for identifying potential issues or risks that may impact project timelines. Significant deviations from the baseline schedule may indicate problems with resource allocation, scope changes, dependencies, or other factors that need to be addressed promptly to prevent further delays.
- Decision Making: Baseline comparison provides valuable data for decision-making in project management. By understanding where the project stands relative to the baseline schedule, project managers can make informed decisions about resource allocation, schedule adjustments, risk mitigation strategies, and other corrective actions needed to keep the project on track and achieve its objectives.
- Performance Reporting: Comparing actual progress to the baseline schedule facilitates accurate and transparent reporting of project performance to stakeholders. Project managers can communicate progress, achievements, and challenges effectively by providing clear insights into how the project is progressing relative to the original plan. This helps build trust, manage expectations, and maintain stakeholder confidence in project management practices.
- Continuous Improvement: Baseline comparison enables project managers to identify lessons learned and opportunities for improvement throughout the project lifecycle. By analyzing variances between planned and actual performance, project managers can identify root causes of deviations, implement corrective actions, and refine future planning processes to enhance project success rates.
In summary, developing the schedule to determine actual progress against a predefined baseline schedule is crucial for monitoring project performance, identifying deviations, making informed decisions, reporting progress to stakeholders, and driving continuous improvement in project management practices. By establishing a clear baseline and regularly comparing actual progress to the baseline schedule, project managers can ensure that projects stay on track and achieve their objectives within the defined constraints.
Schedule development and verification should continue throughout the project.
Schedule development and verification are ongoing processes that continue throughout the project lifecycle. Here’s why it’s essential to maintain these activities:
- Dynamic Nature of Projects: Projects are dynamic endeavours with evolving requirements, changing priorities, and unforeseen challenges. As project circumstances change, the schedule must adapt accordingly to reflect the current state of the project. Continuous schedule development ensures that the project plan remains relevant and aligned with project objectives.
- Progress Monitoring: Schedule development involves updating the project schedule to incorporate actual progress, changes in scope, resource availability, and other relevant factors. By regularly monitoring progress and updating the schedule, project managers can track project performance, identify deviations, and take corrective actions to keep the project on track.
- Risk Management: Schedule verification involves assessing the impact of changes, risks, and uncertainties on the project schedule. By continually verifying the schedule against changing project conditions, project managers can identify potential risks, evaluate their impact on project timelines, and implement mitigation strategies to address them proactively.
- Stakeholder Communication: Continuously updating and verifying the project schedule ensures that stakeholders are kept informed about project progress, changes, and potential impacts on timelines. Transparent communication about schedule updates and adjustments helps manage stakeholder expectations, build trust, and maintain alignment with project objectives.
- Quality Assurance: Schedule verification ensures the accuracy and integrity of the project schedule. By regularly reviewing and validating the schedule data, project managers can identify errors, inconsistencies, or omissions that may affect the reliability of the schedule. Quality assurance processes help ensure that the project schedule serves as a reliable planning and management tool throughout the project lifecycle.
- Continuous Improvement: Schedule development and verification contribute to a culture of continuous improvement in project management. By analyzing schedule performance, identifying lessons learned, and implementing process improvements, project managers can enhance their ability to plan, execute, and control projects effectively.
- Adaptation to Change: Projects often encounter changes in scope, priorities, or external factors that impact project schedules. By continuously developing and verifying the schedule, project managers can adapt to change more effectively, minimize disruptions, and maintain project momentum.
In summary, schedule development and verification are ongoing processes that support effective project management. By continuously updating, monitoring, and verifying the project schedule, project managers can ensure that projects stay on track, risks are managed effectively, stakeholders are informed, and project objectives are achieved successfully.
As work progresses, the project’s plan changes, anticipated risks occur or disappear, and new risks are identified.
As work progresses on a project, changes to the project plan are inevitable due to various factors such as evolving requirements, unexpected challenges, shifting priorities, and emerging risks. Here’s how these changes occur:
- Change Management: As the project unfolds, stakeholders may request changes to project scope, deliverables, or requirements. These changes may result from new insights, stakeholder feedback, or external factors that impact project objectives. Project managers must evaluate change requests, assess their impact on the project plan, and implement approved changes through formal change management processes.
- Risk Management: Anticipated risks identified during project planning may materialize as work progresses. These risks may manifest due to factors such as resource constraints, technical challenges, stakeholder conflicts, or external market conditions. Project managers must actively monitor and manage identified risks, implementing mitigation strategies to address them and minimize their impact on project outcomes.
- Emerging Risks: In addition to anticipated risks, new risks may emerge as work progresses on the project. These risks may arise from unexpected events, changes in project circumstances, or gaps in risk identification during the planning phase. Project managers must remain vigilant in identifying and assessing emerging risks, implementing proactive measures to mitigate their impact and protect project objectives.
- Adaptation to Change: Projects operate within dynamic and uncertain environments, requiring flexibility and adaptability to respond to changing conditions. Project plans must evolve in response to new information, lessons learned, and evolving stakeholder needs. Project managers must lead their teams in navigating these changes effectively, making adjustments to the project plan as needed to ensure project success.
- Continuous Improvement: Changes to the project plan provide opportunities for continuous improvement in project management practices. Project managers should analyze the root causes of changes, identify trends or patterns, and implement process improvements to enhance project planning, execution, and control. By learning from experience and adapting to change, project teams can optimize project outcomes and deliver greater value to stakeholders.
Overall, as work progresses on a project, changes to the project plan, the occurrence of anticipated and emerging risks, and the identification of new risks are common occurrences. Project managers must actively manage these changes and risks, adapting the project plan as needed to ensure project success and deliver desired outcomes within the defined constraints.
If necessary, duration and resource estimates should be reviewed and revised to develop an approved project schedule that can serve as the revised baseline against which progress can be tracked.
Reviewing and revising duration and resource estimates as needed is essential to develop an approved project schedule that accurately reflects the current project status and can serve as the revised baseline for tracking progress. Here’s how this process unfolds:
- Reviewing Estimates: Project managers should periodically review duration and resource estimates to ensure their accuracy and relevance based on the latest project information and conditions. This review involves assessing the validity of initial estimates against actual progress, changes in project scope, resource availability, and other relevant factors.
- Identifying Variances: During the review process, project managers identify any variances between the initial estimates and actual performance. Variances may indicate discrepancies in activity durations, resource requirements, or other project parameters that need to be addressed to align the project plan with reality.
- Revising Estimates: Based on the findings of the review, project managers may need to revise duration and resource estimates to reflect the current project status accurately. This may involve adjusting activity durations, reallocating resources, updating dependencies, or modifying other aspects of the project plan to ensure its accuracy and feasibility.
- Developing the Approved Schedule: Once duration and resource estimates have been reviewed and revised as necessary, project managers can develop the approved project schedule. The approved schedule represents the updated plan for executing the project, including revised timelines, resource allocations, and dependencies.
- Establishing the Revised Baseline: The approved project schedule serves as the revised baseline against which progress will be tracked and measured. Project managers establish the revised baseline by formally documenting the approved schedule, including key milestones, deliverables, and performance metrics.
- Tracking Progress: With the revised baseline in place, project managers can track progress against the updated schedule to monitor project performance. Regular progress monitoring involves comparing actual progress to the revised baseline, identifying variances, and taking corrective actions as needed to keep the project on track.
- Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Communicating the revised baseline schedule to stakeholders is essential for ensuring alignment and understanding of project objectives and timelines. Stakeholders should be informed about changes to the project schedule, including the reasons for revisions and any implications for project outcomes.
- Continuous Improvement: The process of reviewing and revising duration and resource estimates contributes to continuous improvement in project management practices. By learning from past performance and adapting the project plan as needed, project teams can enhance their ability to plan, execute, and control projects effectively.
Overall, reviewing and revising duration and resource estimates to develop an approved project schedule that serves as the revised baseline is essential for aligning project plans with reality, tracking progress accurately, and ensuring project success.
