PMP, CAPM, PgMP, PMI-SP , PMI-RMP, OPM3 and PMBOK

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Chapter 6Time Management
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Project Time Management

• Who is responsible for project delays?
• What Tools and techniques do you use
• To estimate activity durations?
• To Manage Time?
• How to handle changes?

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Time Management Processes

• Which Process Group do each of these activities
  belong in?
• Define Activities
• See WBS section under Scope Management
• Sequence Activities
• Estimate Activity Resources
• Estimate Activity Duration
• Develop Schedule
• Control Schedule

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Sequence Activities

• Process of identifying and documenting
  relationships among project activities.
• Sequenced using logical relationships
• Connected to a predecessor and successor
• Except the first and last activities
• May be necessary to include lead or lag times
• To support a realistic/achievable schedule

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Precedence Diagram Method

• PDM method used in Critical Path Methodology
  (CPM) for constructing a project schedule network
  diagram.
• Also called Activity-On-Node

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PDM Dependencies

• PDM includes four types of dependencies or
  logical relationships
• Finish-to-start (FS)
• Initiation of the successor (S) depends upon the
  completion of predecessor (P)
• Finish-to-finish (FF)
• Completion of S depends upon completion of P
• Start-to-start (SS)
• Initiation of S depends upon initiation of P
• Start-to-finish (SF)
• Completion of S depends upon initiation of P
  (rarely used)

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Dependency Determination

• Mandatory dependencies
• Contractually required or inherent in the nature
  of work (Hard Logic)
• Discretionary dependencies
• Preferred logic or soft logic based on best
  practices
• External dependencies
• Usually outside the teams control

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Applying Leads and Lags

• A lead allows an acceleration of the successor
  activity. Shown as a finish-to-start dependency
• A lag directs a delay in the successor activity.
  Shown as a start-to-start relationship.

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Quick Quiz

• Define Activities and Sequence Activities
  belong to which process group?
• Initiation
• Planning
• Monitoring and Controlling
• Closing

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Quick Quiz

• The reason we build a network diagram during the
  Time Management Process is to
• Identify activities
• Help estimate time and resource
• Identify relationships between activities
• Verify WBS

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Estimate Activity Resources

• Process of estimating type and quantities of
  resources
• Material
• Equipment
• People
• Closely linked to Estimate Cost Process
• Needs experience and industry knowledge for
  accurate estimates.
• Historic documents a key asset in this process

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Estimating Activity Duration

• One-Point Estimate
• Estimator submits one estimate per activity
• Requires specialized knowledge and experience
• Analogous Estimating (Top-down)
• Expert judgment and historical information
• Less costly and time consuming but less accurate
• Parametric Estimating
• Regression analysis (scatter diagram)
• Learning curve

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Estimate Activity Duration (Cont)

• Heuristics - Rule of thumb
• Design work is always 15 of total project length
• Three-Point Estimates
• Pert Analysis uses three estimates to define an
  approximate range for an activity duration
• Most likely tm, Optimistic to, Pessimistic tp
• tE (to4tmtp) \ 6
• Standard Deviation (tp-t0) \ 6
• Activity Variance (tp-t0) \ 62

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Reserve Analysis

• Discussed in Risk management chapter
• Contingency reserves
• After risk planning
• Also called time reserve or buffers
• Management reserves
• Unforeseen risk

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Develop Schedule
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Develop Schedule Questions
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Drawing Network Diagrams
Duration 5 days
Dig Foundations Float 3 Days
ES Day 3
EF Day 8
LF Day 11
LS Day 6
Source Rita Example Exercises Page 200
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Critical Path Example
3
6
0
3
3
9
A
D
9
3
3
0
Start
End
4
4
0
4
4
8
B
E
9
5
5
1
5
0
5
C
4
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Calculate paths and their durations.
F LS ES or LF - EF
How much float does a critical path have?
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Exam Tip

• Network diagrams are repeated between questions
  in the exam

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Trick Question

6
A
ES ?
C
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B
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Trick Question 2

F
10
D
LF ?
G
2
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Critical Path Method

• Critical Path the longest path in the network
  diagram and the shortest time to complete the
  project, using the logical network
• Outcome
• Forward pass calculations identify the early
  start (ES) and early finish (EF) dates
• Backward pass calculations identify the late
  start (LS) and late finish (LF) dates
• Can a critical path change?
• Can there be more than one critical paths?
• What is the impact of more than one critical
  paths?

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Critical Path Method Benefits

• As the critical path is identified, additional
  risks may be identified, based on their position
  in the network
• Shows explicit relationship
• Co-ordinates big picture
• Lays out flow of work
• Encourages careful task analysis
• Facilitates fact based problem solving

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Critical Path Considerations

• Near Critical Path
• Has duration very close to Critical Path
• Needs to be closely monitored
• Can become Critical Path in certain circumstances
• Why watch near critical paths?
• Float (Slack)
• Total float delay does not impact
  project/milestone
• Free float delay does not impact successor
• Project float delay does not impact external
  date

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Schedule Compression

• Fast Tracking
• Activities running in series are split to run
  parallel
• Impacts?
• Crashing
• Taking resources from non-critical path or from
  outside

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Control Schedule

• Process of monitoring the status of the project
  to update project progress and manage changes to
  the schedule baseline
• Performance reviews
• Variance Analysis
• Project management software
• Resource leveling
• What-if scenario analysis
• Adjust leads and lags
• Schedule compression

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End of Chapter quiz
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Question 1

• Activity A can start right away and takes 1 day
• B can start after A finishes and takes 2 days
• C can start after A finishes and takes 4 days
• D can start after B C and takes 5 days
• E can start after D and takes 6 days
• F can start after C and takes 3 days
• G can start after E F and takes 4 days
• Project finishes after G is completed
• What is the duration of the Critical Path?
• 12
• 30
• 20
• 19

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Question 2

• It takes the least amount of time to use which
  estimation technique?
• One-Point
• Three-Point
• Parametric
• Peer review

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Question 3

• During execution phase an unforseen risk is
  encountered, what should the project manager do?
• Fast Track
• Crash resources from a non critical path activity
• Use Management Reserve
• Use Contingency Reserve

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Question 4

• Activity A can start right away and takes 1 day
• B can start after A finishes and takes 2 days
• C can start after A finishes and takes 4 days
• D can start after B C and takes 5 days
• E can start after D and takes 6 days
• F can start after C and takes 3 days
• G can start after E F and takes 4 days
• Project finishes after G is completed
• What is the duration of the Float of Activity E?
• 8
• 0
• 1
• 2

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Question 5

• During estimating an activity three estimates
  were given
• Optimistic 2 days
• Most likely 5 days
• Pessimistic 8 days
• The calculated estimate for this activity is
• 4 days
• 6 days
• 5 days
• 9 days