Manage Project Time
Project Time Processes Part 2
Diploma of Project Management 17872
Qualification Code BSB51507
Unit Code BSBPMG503A
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Project Time Processes – Part 2
•
PMBOK Project Time Management Processes  6.1 Define Activities
 6.2 Sequence Activities
 6.3 Estimate Activity Resources
 6.4 Estimate Activity Duration
 6.5 Develop Schedule
 6.6 Control Schedule
•
Related processes from Project Integration
Management –
 4.1 Develop Project Charter
 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Learning Objectives – Part 2
1. Understand how to estimate the duration of activities
and how to develop the project schedule
2. Understand the importance of defining the Critical Path
for a project and the importance of delays to critical path
activities
3. Understand how to control the project schedule to
ensure projects can stay on track
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.3 Estimate Activity Resources
• The process of estimating the type and quantities of
material, people, equipment or supplied required to
perform each activity
• Closely related to the Estimate Costs process (7.1) and
normally done simultaneously
• Sometimes the resources are captured in project
management software, most particularly human resources
• Supplementary registers are often maintained for non
human resources
Monitor
• Occurs during the Planning Phase
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.3 Estimate Activity Resources
• Inputs to Estimate Activity Resources
 Activity list and attributes
 Resource Calendars
 Resource availability and skills
 Staffing policies and procedures
 Procurement policies and procedures
• Tools and techniques to Estimate Activity Resources
Alternatives
Analysis
Published
Estimating
Data
Bottom-Up
Estimating
Expert
Judgement
Project
Management
Software
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.3 Estimate Activity Resources
• Published Estimating Data
 Many industries (eg Construction) have standard production
rates and unit costs for common activities
• Bottom-Up Estimating
 Decomposing activities into more detail to assist with
estimation
• Project Management Software
 Can assist with planning, organising and managing
resources
Monitor
 Different levels of sophistication
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Practical Tips to Estimate Duration
• Experience has taught me that often the best way to
estimate the duration of an activity is to ask the person
who will be performing the activity to make an estimate
• I have also learnt that most people are –
– Optimistic so that they underestimate the work effort
required;
– Assume they are productive for more hour per day than
they really are; and
– Fail to include rework and sign off activities as part of
their estimate
• In practice I will double, or sometimes triple, these
estimates before putting them in the project schedule
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.3 Estimate Activity Resources
• Outputs of this process include –
 Activity Resource Requirements
– Captured in project management software or supplementary registers
 Resource Breakdown Structure
– Hierarchical chart of resources required
– Commonly depicted as the project organisation structure for human
resources
 Revised Activity List and Attributes
 Revised Resource Calendar
– Resources marked as unavailable
Monitor
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.4 Estimate Activity Duration
• The process of approximating the number of work periods
needed to complete individual activities with the assigned
or estimated resources
• Previous experience in the type of project and activities
being estimated greatly helps with the accuracy of duration
estimates
• Duration is a function of work effort and resources
• Most project management software can perform this
function
Monitor
• Occurs during the Planning Phase
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.4 Estimate Activity Duration
• Inputs to Estimate Activity Duration
 Activity list and attributes
 Activity Resource requirements and estimates
 Resource Calendars
 Project Scope Statement
 Productivity metrics and estimating data
• Tools and techniques to Estimate Activity Duration
Analogous
Estimating
Parametric
Estimating
Three-Point
Estimating
Expert
Judgement
Reserve
Analysis
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.4 Estimate Activity Duration
• Analogous Estimating
 Develops duration estimates based on previous projects with
similar size, risk and complexity
 Relies heavily of expert judgement and previous experience
 Less costly and less time consuming than other methods
 Least accurate
 Most common form of duration estimating
• Parametric Estimating
 Duration is quantified by multiplying the quantity of work by
Monitor
the labour hours required
 Relies on published estimating data
 Common in Construction
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.4 Estimate Activity Duration
• Three-Point Estimates - PERT
 Calculates the Expected activity duration based on the
weighted average of the Most Likely, Optimistic and
Pessimistic estimates
 Often more accurate than other methods and quantified
range of uncertainty
• Reserve Analysis
 Inclusion of contingency
 Can be calculated for each activity
 Can be calculated for entire project
Monitor
Initiation
 Often a percentage based on risk or complexity
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.4 Estimate Activity Duration
• The major output of this process
 Activity Duration Estimates
 Draft or High Level Project Duration Estimate
• Often include some form of range of possible results
• Most common form of range is plus or minus - eg
 2 weeks +/- 2 days – the activity could take between 8 and
12 days
 3 weeks +/- 30% - the activity could take between 2 weeks
Monitor
and 4 weeks
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.5 Develop Schedule
• The process of analysing activity sequences, durations,
resource requirements and schedule constraints to create
the project schedule
• All this data is entered into a project scheduling tool which
generates a schedule with planned dates for completing
project activities
• An iterative process with several cycles of refinement
• Baseline Schedule developed in Planning Phase
• Simultaneous with 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 & 6.4
Monitor
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.5 Develop Schedule
• Inputs to Develop Schedule
 Activity list and attributes
 Project Schedule Network Diagrams – relationships and
dependencies
 Activity Resource Requirements
 Resource Calendars
 Activity Duration Estimates
 Project Scope Statement
 Project Scheduling Tool
 Scheduling Methodology and Standards
 Overall Project Calendar and Priorities
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Monitor
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
6.5 Develop Schedule
• Tools and techniques to Develop Schedule
Schedule
Network
Analysis
Critical Path
Method
Critical Chain
Method
Scheduling
Tool
Schedule
Compression
Resource
Levelling
What-if
Scenario
Analysis
Applying
Leads &
Lags
Monitor
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Critical Path & Critical Chain
• Critical Path Method
 Was developed in the 1950s by the Dupont Corporation
 The Critical Path Method, abbreviated CPM, or Critical Path
Analysis, is a mathematically based algorithm for scheduling
a set of project activities.
 It takes the activities in the Work Breakdown Structure, the
durations and the interdependencies, and calculates the
longest path through the project.
 It is the longest total duration of all the activities required to
complete a project
 Advanced techniques and calculations (such as early start
and early finish dates, and late start and late finish dates) are
now carried out using project scheduling tools
 Does a forward and backward pass through the schedule
with no regard for resource limitations
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Critical Path and Critical Chain
• Critical Chain Method
 Undertakes the same form of analysis and calculations, but
takes into consideration the resource availability and
constraints
 Takes the Critical Path and resource availability to produce a
resource constrained critical path OR Critical Chain
 It is the longest total duration of all the activities required to
complete a project, considering resource availability and
limitations
 Often done simultaneously with Critical Path
Critical Chain
=
Resource Constrained Critical Path
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Schedule Compression
Shortens the project schedule without changing project scope
1. Crashing
 Only works for activities where additional resources will
shorten duration
 Does not always produce a viable schedule
 Always results in increased cost
 Sometimes results in increase risk
increased Cost
Crashing
leads to
increased Risk
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Schedule Compression
Shortens the project schedule without changing project scope
2. Fast Tracking
 Phases or activities normally performed sequentially are
performed in parallel
 Only works if activities can be overlapped to shorten duration
 May result in rework and increased risk
 Can result in decreased cost
decreased Cost
Fast Tracking leads to
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
increased
Rework
increased
Risk
6.5 Develop Schedule
• The major outputs of this process
 Project Schedule
– Milestone charts
– Bar chart – GANTT charts
– Project Schedule Network Diagrams – PERT Charts
 Schedule Baseline
 Revised Activity Resource Requirements
 Revised Activity Attributes
 Project Calendar
 Revised Risk register
Monitor
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
6.6 Control Schedule
• The process of monitoring the status of the project in order
to update progress and manage any changes to the
baseline project schedule
• Includes –
 Determining the current status of the project schedule
 Influencing the factors that create the schedule changes
 Determining that the project schedule has changed
 Managing changes as they occur
• Occurs during Monitoring & Controlling
• Is part of Perform Integrated Change
Control (4.5)
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Monitor
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
6.6 Control Schedule
• Inputs to Control Schedule
 Project Management Plan
 Project Schedule
 Performance data
 Project Reporting standards
• Tools and techniques to Control Schedule
Performance
Reviews
Project
Management
Software
Status
Reports
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Resource
Levelling
Variance
Analysis
Applying
Leads &
Lags
Scheduling
Tool
Schedule
Compression
What-if
Scenario
Analysis
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
6.6 Control Schedule
• The major outputs of this process
 Work Performance measurement
 Costs and impacts of variance and corrective actions
 Lesson learned
 Change Requests
 Project Management Plan updates
– Schedule baseline
– Schedule management plan
– Cost baseline
 Project Schedule updates
 Status Reports
Monitor
Initiation
Planning Execution
Close
Control
Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Project Scheduling
Take some time to reflect on the different tools and
techniques that can be used to develop the project
schedule. Consider how you develop schedules for your
projects.
1. Are there any policies, standards or templates used
within your organisation to assist with project
scheduling?
2. Do you have access to estimating and actual time data
from previous projects?
3. How do you record progress against the activities in the
project schedule?
Research
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time
Practice
Comment
Next Steps
Please proceed to Tests & Tasks and take
the Project Time Quiz and the Project Time Knowledge
Test
Be sure that you have participated in the Forums.
Best of Luck!
These are all due during Weeks 7 and 8 in the Course Delivery Schedule
BSBPMG503A Manage Project Time