5

Developing the Schedule

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Chapter Concepts
• Estimating the resources required for each activity
• Estimating the duration for each activity
• Establishing the estimated start time and required completion time for the overall project
• Calculating the earliest times at which each activity can start and finish, based on the project
estimated start time
• Calculating the latest times by which each activity must start and finish in order to complete
the project by its required completion time
• Determining the amount of positive or negative slack between the time each activity can
start or finish and the time it must start or finish
• Identifying the critical (longest) path of activities
• Performing the steps in the project control process
• Determining the effects of actual schedule performance on the project schedule
• Incorporating changes into the schedule
• Developing an updated project schedule
• Determining approaches to controlling the project schedule
• Implementing agile project management

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Learning Outcomes
• Estimate the resources • Prepare a project schedule
required for activities • Identify and explain the
• Estimate the duration for an critical path
activity • Discuss the project control
• Determine the earliest start process
and finish times for • Develop updated schedules
activities based on actual progress
• Determine the latest start and changes
and finish times for • Discuss and apply
activities approaches to control the
• Explain and determine total project schedule
slack • Explain agile project
management

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 Project Integration Management
Project Management
Project Resource Management
Knowledge Areas from
PMBOK® Guide Project Schedule Management

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Estimate Activity Resources

• Resources include
• People, materials, equipment, facilities
• Influence on the duration
• Availability of the resources
• Types of resources
• Sufficient quantities of resources for the activity durations
• Potential conflicts with other projects may cause
• Involve person with expertise in resource estimate
• Estimates influence costs

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Estimate Activity Durations

• Duration must be the total elapsed time

• Time for the work to be done plus any associated waiting
time

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Estimate Activity Durations

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Establish Project Start and Finish Times

• Define the overall window for project completion

• May not want to commit to a specific date
• Project not start until customer has approved the contract
• Delay in contract signing may impact project start
• Set finish time as number of days from project start

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Develop Project Schedule

• Prior activities for schedule development

• Estimate duration of each activity
• Establish overall window of time for the project
• Develop the schedule timetable
• Earliest start and finish times based on estimated start date
• Latest start and finish times based on required completion
date

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Earliest Start and Finish Times

• Earliest start time (ES)

• Earliest time at which a specific activity can begin
• Earliest finish time (EF)
• Earliest time by which a specific activity can be completed
• EF = ES + Estimated Duration
• Calculate forward through the network diagram

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Earliest Start and Finish Times Calculation

• Why is the ES for “Dress Rehearsal” 10?

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“Identify Target Consumers”

• Start date = 0
• ES = Start date = 0
• Duration = 3
• EF = 0 + 3 = 3

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“Develop Draft Questionnaire”

• ES = EF Task 1 = 3
• Duration = 10
• EF = 3 + 10 = 13

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“Pilot-Test Questionnaire”

• ES = EF Task 2 = 13
• Duration = 20
• EF = 13 + 20 = 33

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“Review Comments & Finalize Questionnaire”

• ES = EF Task 3 = 33
• Duration = 5
• EF = 33 + 5 = 38

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“Prepare Mailing Labels,” “Print Questionnaire,” “Develop Data
Analysis Software,” and “Develop Software Test Data”
• ES = EF Task 4 = 38
• Task 5
• Duration = 2
• EF = 38 + 2 = 40
• Task 6
• Duration = 10
• EF = 38 + 10 = 48
• Task 7
• Duration = 12
• EF = 38 + 12 = 50
• Task 8
• Duration = 2
• EF = 38 + 2 = 40
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“Mail Questionnaire & Get Responses”

• Latest of Tasks 5 and 6 = 48

• ES = EF Task 6 = 48
• Duration = 65
• EF = 48 + 65 = 113

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“Test Software”

• Latest of Tasks 7 and 8 = 50

• ES = EF Task 7 = 50
• Duration = 5
• EF = 50 + 5 = 55

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“Input Response Data”

• Latest of Tasks 9 and 10 = 113

• ES = EF Task 9 = 113
• Duration = 7
• EF = 113 + 7 = 120

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“Analyze Results”

• ES = EF Task 11 = 120
• Duration = 8
• EF = 120 + 8 = 128

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“Prepare Report”

• ES = EF Task 12 = 128
• Duration = 10
• EF = 128 + 10 = 138

• Project not complete in

required time
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Schedule Table ES and EF

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Latest Start and Finish Times

• Latest start time (LS)

• Latest time by which a specific activity must be started
• Latest finish time (LF)
• Latest time by which a specific activity must be completed
• LS = LF – Estimated Duration
• Calculate backward through the network diagram

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Latest Start and Finish Times Calculation

• Why is the LF for “Print Posters & Brochures” 20?

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“Prepare Report”

• Required completion = 130

• LF = Complete date = 130
• Duration = 10
• LS = 130 - 10 = 120

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“Analyze Results”

• LF = LS Task 13 = 120
• Duration = 8
• LS = 120 - 8 = 112

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“Input Response Data”

• LF = LS Task 12 = 112
• Duration = 7
• LS = 112 - 7 = 105

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“Test Software” and “Mail Questionnaire & Get Responses”

• LF = LS Task 11 = 105
• Task 9
• Duration = 65
• LS = 105 - 65 = 40
• Task 10
• Duration = 5
• LS = 105 - 5 = 100

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“Develop Data Analysis Software” and “Develop Software Test Data”

• LF = LS Task 10 = 100
• Task 7
• Duration = 12
• LS = 100 - 12 = 88
• Task 8
• Duration = 2
• LS = 100 - 2 = 98

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“Prepare Mailing Labels” and "Print Questionnaire”

• LF = LS Task 9 = 40
• Task 5
• Duration = 2
• LS = 40 - 2 = 38
• Task 6
• Duration = 10
• LS = 40 - 10 = 30

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“Review Comments & Finalize Questionnaire”

• LF = Earliest LS of Tasks
5, 6, 7, and 8 = 30
• LF = LS Task 6 = 30
• Duration = 5
• LS = 30 - 5 = 25

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“Pilot-Test Questionnaire”

• LF = LS Task 4 = 25
• Duration = 20
• LS = 25 - 20 = 5

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“Develop Draft Questionnaire”

• LF = LS Task 3 = 5
• Duration = 10
• LS = 5 - 10 = -5

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“Identify Target Consumers”

• LF = LS Task 2 = -5
• Duration = 3
• LS = -5 - 3 = -8
• Start date = 0

• Project is 8 days late at

start
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Schedule Table LS and LF

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Total Slack

• Sometimes called float

• The difference between EF time of last activity and the
project required completion time
• Negative slack
• Lack of slack over the entire project
• Amount of time an activity must be accelerated
• Positive slack
• Maximum amount of time that the activities on a particular
path can be delayed without jeopardizing on-time completion

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Critical Path

• Longest path in the overall network diagram

• Find which activities have the least amount of slack

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Critical Path Through a Project

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Change in Slack for Critical Path

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Free Slack

• Time a specific activity can be postponed without

delaying the ES of its immediate successor activities
• Calculation
• Find lowest of the values of total slack for all the activities
entering into a specific activity
• Subtract value from the values of total slack for the other
activities also entering into that same activity

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Total Slack Compared to Free Slack

• Total slack for Activity 7 = 50

• Total slack for Activity 8 = 60
• Free slack for Activity 8 = 60 – 50 = 10 days

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Bar Chart Format

• Gantt chart tool for

planning and scheduling
• Activities on side
• Time scale on top or bottom
• Estimated duration in bars
• Automatically generated in
software systems
• Can show relationships
between activities

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Project Control
Process
• Meetings occur
regularly
• Gather data on
actual performance
• Record changes
• Monitor progress

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Effects of Actual Schedule Performance
• Part (a) Total slack = +5

• Part (b) Total slack = +2

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Incorporate Changes into Schedule

• Changes may impact the schedule

• Initiated by customer or project team
• Result from unanticipated occurrence
• Early change may have less impact than later change
• Manage requested changes
• Estimate impact
• Obtain customer approval
• Revise project plan, schedule, and costs

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Update Project Schedule

• Generate forecasts for project finish

• Use actual finish dates of completed activities
• Enter project changes
• Update project schedule
• Determine if any changes occur in critical path

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Control Schedule
Schedule Control Steps Actions
1. Analyze the schedule for • Repeat steps if not acceptable
needed corrective action results
2. Decide specific corrective • Apply efforts to paths with
actions to be taken negative slack
3. Revise the plan to • Near-term activities
incorporate corrective • Long estimated durations
actions • Change may shift critical path
4. Recalculate the schedule • Trade-off of costs and scope
to evaluate the effects of
the planned corrective
actions
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Scheduling
for Information Systems Development
• Common problems
• Failure to identify all user requirements
• Failure to identify user requirements properly
• Continuing growth of project scope
• Underestimating learning curves for new software packages
• Incompatible hardware
• Logical design flaws
• Poor selection of software
• Failure to select the best design strategy
• Data incompatibility issues
• Failure to perform all phases of the SDLC

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IS Example: Activities, Predecessors,
Durations

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IS Example: ES and EF Times

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IS Example: LS and LF Times

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IS Example:
Schedule Table

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IS Example: Critical Path

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IS Example: Updated Network Diagram

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IS Example:
Updated
Schedule Table

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Project Management Information Systems

• Most systems perform scheduling functions

• Calculates at click of the mouse
• ES, EF, LS, and LF
• Total slack
• Critical path
• Perform control functions

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Agile Project Management

Scrum approach participants Process includes

• Product owner 1. Establish and authorize
• Development team 2. Define requirements
• Scrum master 3. Conduct daily Scrum
meetings
4. Conduct sprint review
meeting
5. Conduct sprint
retrospective meeting

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Critical Success Factors
• The person who will be responsible for performing the activity should estimate the duration
for that activity. This generates commitment from the person.
• The estimated duration for an activity must be based on the types and quantities of
resources required to perform the activity.
• Activity estimated durations should be aggressive yet realistic.
• Activities should not be longer in estimated duration than the time intervals at which the
actual progress will be reviewed and compared to planned progress.
• Project management involves a proactive approach to controlling a project to ensure that
the project objective is accomplished even when things do not go according to plan.
• Once the project starts, it is important to monitor progress to ensure that everything is going
according to plan.
• The key to effective project control is measuring actual progress and comparing it to
planned progress on a timely and regular basis and taking any needed corrective action
immediately.
• The key to effective schedule control is to address any paths with negative or deteriorating
slack values aggressively as soon as they are identified. A concentrated effort to accelerate
project progress must be applied to these paths.

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Critical Success Factors (continued)
• The amount of negative slack should determine the priority for applying these concentrated
efforts.
• When attempting to reduce the duration of a path of activities that has negative slack, focus
on activities that are near term and on activities that have long estimated durations.
• Addressing schedule problems early will minimize the negative impact on scope and budget.
• If a project falls too far behind, getting it back on schedule becomes more difficult, and
usually requires spending more money or reducing the scope or quality.
• If corrective actions are necessary, decisions must be made regarding a trade-off of scope,
time, and cost.
• A regular reporting period should be established for comparing actual progress to planned
progress.
• The shorter the reporting period, the better the chances of identifying problems early and
taking corrective actions.
• During each reporting period, data on actual performance and information on changes to
the project scope, schedule, and budget need to be collected in a timely manner and used to
calculate an updated schedule and budget.

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Summary
• The scheduling function depends on the planning function.
• The estimated types and quantities of resources required for an activity, together
with the availability of those resources, will influence the estimated duration for
how long it will take to perform the activity.
• The estimated duration for each activity must be the total elapsed time—the time
for the work to be done plus any associated waiting time.
• The estimate should be aggressive yet realistic.
• It may be easier to estimate the durations for near-term activities, but as the
project progresses, the project team can progressively elaborate the estimated the
durations as more information becomes known to allow for more accurate
estimated durations.
• A project schedule provides a timetable for each activity and shows the earliest
start (ES) and earliest finish (EF) times and the latest start (LS) and latest finish (LF)
times for each activity.
• The total slack for a particular path of activities through the network is common to
and shared among all activities on that path.
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Summary (continued)
• The critical path is the longest (most time-consuming) path of activities in the
network diagram.
• The key to effective project control is measuring actual progress and comparing it
to planned progress on a timely and regular basis and taking any needed
corrective action immediately.
• Actual progress—whether faster or slower than planned—will have an effect on
the schedule of the remaining, incomplete activities of the project.
• Any type of change—whether initiated by the customer, the contractor, the project
manager, a team member, or an unanticipated event—will require a modification
to the plan in terms of scope, schedule, and/or budget.
• Schedule control involves four steps: analyzing the schedule to determine which
areas may need corrective action, deciding what specific corrective actions should
be taken, revising the plan to incorporate the chosen corrective actions, and
recalculating the schedule to evaluate the effects of the planned corrective
actions.
• One of the most important factors in effective scheduling is estimating activity
durations that are as realistic as possible.
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