Project Planning & Development
Lecture 11 – Defining & Sequencing Project
Activities
Decompose the project scope into specific
Predictive activities
Scheduling
Sequence related
activities
Estimate the effort, duration, people, and physical
resources required to complete the activities
Allocate people and resources to the activities based on
availability
Adjust the sequence, estimates, and resources until an
agreed- upon schedule is achieved.
Adaptive schedule planning uses incremental
Adaptive planning
Scheduling
One such scheduling approach is based on iterations
and releases
A high-level release plan is developed that
indicates the basic features and functionality to be
included in each release
Within each release, there will be two or more
iterations
• Adaptive approaches often use
timeboxes.
Adaptive • The work in each timebox is based on a prioritized
Scheduling backlog
• The project team determines the amount of work they
can do in each timebox, estimates the work, and self-
manages to accomplish the work
• At the end of the timebox, the project team
demonstrates the work completed
• At that point, the backlog and estimates of work
available to be done may be updated or reprioritized for
the next timebox
Topic 6
Chapter 6 - Overview
PROJECT SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT
▪Project Schedule Management includes the
processes required to manage the timely completion of
the project.
Topic 6
PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT
PROCESSES
6.1 Plan Schedule Management – The process of establishing
the policies, procedures, and documentation for
planning, developing, managing, executing, and
controlling the project schedule
6.2 Define Activities – The process of identifying and
documenting the specific actions to be performed to
produce the project deliverables.
6.3 Sequence Activities – The process of identifying and
documenting relationships among the project activities.
Topic 6.2
TOPIC 6.2
DEFINE ACTIVITIES
Topic 6.2
Define Activities
• Define Activities is the Process of identifying and
documenting the specific actions to be performed to
produce the project deliverables.
• The key benefit of this process is to break work packages
into activities that provide a basis for estimating, scheduling,
executing, monitoring, and controlling the project work.
• This process is performed throughout the project.
Topic 6.2
Define Activities
PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING AND DOCUMENTING THE SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE PERFORMED TO
PRODUCE THE PROJECT DELIVERABLES.
Tools and
1 Inputs
2 Technique
s
3 Outputs
[Link] [Link] [Link] List
Management
Judgment [Link]
Plan
Attributes
• Schedule [Link]
managemen tion [Link] List
t plan [Link]
[Link] requests
• Scope
Wave
baseline [Link]
Planning
[Link] management
Environmenta [Link] plan
l Factors updates
____________ • Schedule
[Link]
l Process baseline
Assets
• Cost
Topic 6.2.2
Define Activities
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
[Link] Expert Judgment
[Link] Decomposition
[Link] Rolling Wave Planning
[Link] Meetings
Topic [Link]
Define Activities
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
[Link] Decomposition
Topic [Link]
Define Activities
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
[Link] Rolling Wave Planning
Topic 6.2.3
Define Activities
OUTPUTS
[Link] Activity List
[Link] Activity Attributes
[Link] Milestone List
[Link] Change Requests
[Link] Project Managemet Plan Updates
• Schedule baseline
• Scope baseline
Output
• Activity Lists
– Includes all scheduled activities planned for a project
– Activity Id
– Scope of work description
– Unique Title
Output
ACTIVITY LIST
ID Activity Description of Work
Project Title: Date Prepared:
Output: Activity Attributes
• Activity ID • Imposed Dates
• WBS ID • Constraints
• Activity Name • Assumptions
• Activity Codes • Responsible Person
• Activity Description • Place of Work
• Leads and Lags • Calendar
• Logical Relationships • LOE
• Predecessor • Apportioned Effort
• Successor • Discrete Effort
• Resource Req
Output: Activity Attributes
• In project management, "Discrete Effort" refers to a
clearly defined work activity that produces a
specific deliverable
• "Apportioned Effort" is work that can't be directly
measured but is allocated proportionally to a
related "Discrete Effort,“
• "Level of Effort" is a supportive activity that
doesn't have a clear output and is measured based
on time spent, rather than specific deliverables.
Output: Activity Attributes
• Discrete Effort:
• Can be easily broken down into individual tasks with measurable outcomes.
• Examples: Designing a website page, writing a report, building a component.
• Apportioned Effort:
• Can't be directly measured but is allocated based on the progress of a related
"Discrete Effort" activity.
• Example: Quality assurance checks on a production line, where the effort is
proportional to the number of items produced.
• Level of Effort (LOE):
• Ongoing support activities like project management meetings, administrative
tasks, or general research that don't have a tangible deliverable.
• Measured by time spent rather than specific output.
Output: Activity Attributes
Date
Prepared
Project Title: :
ID: Activity:
Description of Work:
Predecessors Relat Lead or Successo Relationship Lead or Lag
ionsh Lag r
ip
Number and Type of Skill Other Required Resources:
Resources Required: Requirements:
Type of Effort:
Location of Performance:
Imposed Dates or Other Constraints:
Assumptions:
Output: Milestone List
• Significant point or event
• Mandatory
• Optional
• Zero duration (A moment in time)
Classroom Assignment
Classroom Assignment
• Plan a trip for Murree for the whole class
• Work in Project groups (2 to 3 students)
• Prepare a WBS for the trip with suitable no of work packages
• Decompose the work packages into activities
• Each group is to present to the class one by one
Topic 6.3
TOPIC 6.3
SEQUENCE ACTIVITIES
Topic 6.3
Sequence Activities
• Sequence Activities is the Process of identifying and
documenting relationships among the project activities.
• The key benefit of this process is that the logical
sequence of work to obtain the greatest efficiency given
all project constraints.
Topic 6.3
Sequence Activities
PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING AND DOCUMENTING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE PROJECT
ACTIVITIES.
Tools and
1 Inputs
2 Technique
s
3 Outputs
1. Project
Management Plan
[Link] [Link]
Diagrammin Schedule
• Schedule
management plan g Method Network
• Scope baseline
(PDM) Diagrams
2. Project documents [Link] [Link]
• Activity attributes Determinatio Documents
n
• Activity list • Activity
• Assumption log [Link] and attributes
• Milestone list Lags • Activity list
3. Enterprise
Environmental
[Link] • Assumption
Factors managemen log
4. Organizational t
• Milestone
Process Assets information list
system
Topic 6.3
Sequence Activities
• Every activity except the first and last should be
connected to at least one predecessor and at least one
successor activity with an appropriate logical
relationship.
• Logical relationships should be designed to create a
realistic project schedule. It may be necessary to use
lead or lag time between activities to support a
realistic and achievable project schedule.
Topic 6.3.2
Sequence Activities
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
[Link] Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
[Link] Dependency Determination
[Link] Leads and Lags
[Link] Project Management Information System
Tools and Techniques
• Precedence Diagraming Method
– Notations
• Initial technique of creating the schedule model
• Boxes/Rectangles Nodes (represent activities)
• Arrows to connect the nodes (Logical Relationships)
– Method of representation
• Activity on Nodes (Mostly Used)
• Activity on Arrows
Tools and Techniques
• Precedence Diagraming Method
– Types of Dependencies / Logical Relationships
• Finish to Start (Most Natural/Mostly Used)
• Finish to Finish
• Start to Start
• Start to Finish (Most Unnatural/Rarely Used)
Topic [Link]
Sequence Activities
PRECEDENCE DIAGRAMMING METHOD
Finish-to-Start – Activity A must finish
before Activity B can start
A B
Start-to-Start – Activity A must start
before Activity B can start
A B
Topic [Link]
Sequence Activities
PRECEDENCE DIAGRAMMING METHOD
Finish-to-Finish – Activity A must finish
before Activity B can finish
A B
Start-to-Finish – Activity A must start
before Activity B can finish
A B
Topic [Link]
Sequence Activities
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
[Link] Dependency Determination and Integration
Topic [Link]
Sequence Activities
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
[Link] Dependency Determination and Integration
• Dependencies may be characterized by the
following attributes:
• mandatory or discretionary,
• internal or external (as described below).
• Dependency has four attributes, but two can be
applicable at the same time as:
• mandatory external dependencies,
• mandatory internal dependencies,
• discretionary external dependencies, or
• discretionary internal dependencies.
Tools and Techniques
• Dependency Determination
– Mandatory Dependency
• Legal or Contractual
• Inherent in Nature of Work
• Physical Limitations
• Hard logic/dependency
• Technical Dependencies may be mandatory
• Different from constraints
Tools and Techniques
• Dependency Determination
– Discretionary Dependency
• Preferred/Preferential/soft Logic
• Established based on best practices in a particular
application area
• Optional Sequence
• All options are documented
• Reviewed and modified while fast tracking
• Chosen by Project Team
Tools and Techniques
• Dependency Determination
– External Dependency
• Relationship between project activities and non-project
activities
• Not in Project Team’s Control
• Government Regulations
• Supplier
• Contract
• Determined by Project team
Tools and Techniques
• Dependency Determination
– Internal Dependency
• Precedence relationship among project activities
• Within Project Team’s Control
• Example: Testing before final assembly
• Determined by Project team
Topic [Link]
Sequence Activities
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
[Link] Leads and Lags
Topic [Link]
Sequence Activities
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
[Link] Leads and Lags
Topic 6.3.3
Sequence Activities
OUTPUTS
[Link] Project Schedule Network Diagrams
[Link] Project Documents Updates
• Activity Attributes
• Activity List
• Assumptions Log
• Milestone List
Project Schedule Network Diagram
A C
START D G FINISH
E F
Project Schedule Network Diagram
The End