PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT

Ilija Stojanović, Ph.D., PMP

WBS -example
 • An activity or task is an element of work normally
found on the work breakdown structure (WBS)

• Decomposition is a technique used for dividing and

subdividing the project scope and project deliverables
into smaller, more manageable parts.

• Rolling wave planning is an iterative planning

Defining technique in which the work to be accomplished in the
near term is planned in detail, while the work in the
Activities future is planned at a higher level. It is a form of
progressive elaboration.

• Activity list is a tabulation of activities to be included

on a project schedule that includes
• the activity name
• an activity identifier or number
• a brief description of the activity
• Activity attributes provide more information such as
predecessors, successors, logical relationships, leads
and lags, resource requirements, constraints, imposed
 Sequence Activities is the process of identifying
and documenting relationships among the
project activities.

Necesary to identify dependencies among

individual activities:
Sequence • Mandatory: inherent in the nature of the work being
activites performed on a project, sometimes referred to as hard logic
• Discretionary: defined by the project team, sometimes
referred to as soft logic and should be used with care since
they may limit later scheduling options (soft logic, best
practice)
• External: involve a relationship between project activities
and non-project activities. These dependencies are usually
outside the project team’s control.
• Internal: involve a precedence relationship between project
activities and are generally inside the project team’s control.
Precedence Diagramming Method
• PDM is a technique used for constructing a schedule model in which activities are
represented by nodes and are graphically linked by one or more logical relationships to
show the sequence in which the activities are to be performed
• PDM includes four types of dependencies
Leads & Lags

• A lead is the amount of time whereby a successor activity can be advanced with
respect to a predecessor activity.

FS FS - 2

• A lag is the amount of time whereby a successor activity will be delayed with respect to
a predecessor activity.
FS + 2
Estimate activity resources
Estimate Activity Resources is the
process of estimating the type and
quantities of material, human
resources, equipment, or supplies
required to perform each activity.
The key benefit of this process is
that it identifies the type, quantity
(not financial resources at this
process), and characteristics of
resources required to complete the
activity which allows more accurate
cost and duration estimates.

Outputs: Resource Breakdown

Structure, Activity Resource
Requirements
Estimate activity duration
• Estimate Activity Durations is the process of estimating the number of work periods needed to
complete individual activities with estimated resources.

• Analogous estimating is a technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity or a project
using historical data from a similar activity or project.

• Parametric estimating is an estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or

duration based on historical data and project parameters.

• Three-Point Estimating - improved by considering estimation uncertainty and risk. This concept
originated with the program evaluation and review technique (PERT):

• Most likely (tM). This estimate is based on the duration of the activity, given the resources likely to be
assigned, their productivity, realistic expectations of availability for the activity, dependencies on other
participants, and interruptions.

• Optimistic (tO). The activity duration based on analysis of the best-case scenario for the activity.

• Pessimistic (tP). The activity duration based on analysis of the worst-case scenario for the activity.

• Triangular Distribution. tE = (tO + tM + tP) / 3 or

• Beta Distribution (from the traditional PERT technique). tE = (tO + 4tM + tP) /6
    Optimistic Pessimistic Most likely Three point estimation

A Excavate 7 12 9 9,3

B Lay the foundation 10 18 12,5 13,5

C Put up the rough wall 40 65 50 51,7

D Put up the roof 20 38 25 27,7

E Install the exterior plumbing 2,5 4 2,9 3,1

F Install the interior plumbing 2,5 4 2,9 3,1

G Put up the exterior siding 3 7 3,8 4,6

H Do the exterior painting 4 7 5 5,3

I Do the electrical work 4 6 4,7 4,9

J Put up the wallboard 3 5,5 5 4,5

K Install the flooring 3 5,5 5 4,5

L Do the interior painting 4 7 5 5,3

M Install the exterior fixtures 2 3,5 2,5 2,7

N. Install the interior fixtures 2 3,5 2,5 2,7

• Try at home: Beta Distribution (from the traditional PERT technique). Triangular Distribution
tE = (tO + 4tM + tP) /6
tE = (tO + tM + tP) / 3
 Develop project schedule
• Critical Path Method - CPM is a network diagramming technique used to predict total project
duration

• A critical path for a project is the series of activities that determines the earliest time by which the
project can be completed and is the longest path through the network diagram with the least amount
of slack or float

• Slack or float is the amount of time an activity may be delayed without delaying a succeeding activity
or the project finish date

• Steps:
• develop a good network diagram
• add the duration estimates for all activities on each path through the network diagram
• find your critical path

Note: If one or more of the activities on the critical path takes longer than planned, the whole project
schedule will slip unless the project manager takes corrective action
Critical path

The critical path is the longest sequence of activities in a plan which must be

completed on time for the project to complete on due date.
 FIN
Let’s practice! D
YO
UR
CR
IT
IC
AL
PA
TH
1-2-5-6: 16 days
1-3-6: 21 days
1-4-6: 9 days
Examples
Let’s practice! DRAW YOUR NETWORK DIAGRAM
 FIN
Let’s practice! D
YO
UR
CR
IT
IC
AL
PA
TH
Let’s practice! FIN
D
YO
UR
CR
IT
IC
AL
PA
TH

31
 Project float
• Early start (ES): the earliest possible point in time
when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity
can start based on the schedule network logic, the data
date, and any schedule constraints.
• Early finish (EF): the earliest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule
activity can finish based on the schedule network logic, the data date, and any schedule constraints.
• Late Start (LS): the latest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule
activity can start based on the schedule network logic, the project completion date, and any
schedule constraints.
• Late Finish (LF): the latest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule
activity can finish based on the schedule network logic, the project completion date, and any
schedule constraints.
• A forward pass through the network diagram determines the early start and early finish dates
• A backward pass determines the late start and finish dates
• Free slack or free float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early
start of any immediately following activities
• Total slack or total float is the amount of time an activity may be delayed from its early start
without delaying the planned project finish date
 Schedule compression
• Three main techniques for shortening schedules
• Shortening durations of critical activities/tasks by adding more resources or
changing their scope
• Fast tracking activities by doing them in parallel or overlapping them
• Crashing activities by obtaining the greatest amount of schedule compression for
the least incremental cost by adding resouces
Gantt Charts

A bar chart of schedule information where activities are listed on the vertical axis, dates are
shown on the horizontal axis, and activity durations are shown as horizontal bars placed
according to start and finish dates.
Tr
y so
m
et
h in
gc
om
pl
ex
Solution!