Project Activity Planning

Define Activities

• Breaking down work into clear, actionable steps to achieve project goals
• Turns large work packages into manageable tasks
• Provides a foundation for estimating, scheduling, and tracking
• Is used throughout the project to maintain organization and control

Rolling Wave Planning

• A flexible approach to project planning
• Focuses on tasks happening soon while maintaining a broader view of future
• Works for agile and waterfall projects
• Applies to work packages, planning packages, and release planning
• Tasks are detailed to varying degrees based on project lifecycle stage
• Work packages are broken down to available levels of detail when information is scarce
• Activities are refined as clarity emerges

Sequence Activities

• Identifies and documents connections and workflow between project tasks
• Ensures efficient work organization, even with constraints
• Is carried out throughout the project to maintain smooth progress

Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)

• A scheduling technique that clarifies project planning
• A visual roadmap where activities are nodes connected by logical relationships
• Keeps projects on track
• Relies on four dependency types that define related tasks

Finish-to-Start (FS) Dependency

• A successor task begins after predecessor completes
• Example: installing an OS after hardware assembly

Finish-to-Finish (FF) Dependency

• Tasks must be finished at the same time
• Example: finishing a document before editing

Start-to-Start (SS) Dependency

• Tasks start together
• Example: pouring a foundation before leveling concrete

Start-to-Finish (SF) Dependency

• A predecessor finishes only when successor starts
• Example: shutting down the old accounts system only when the new system is running
• SF is used sparingly and is important for certain scenarios
• Tasks can share logical relationships but sticking to one avoids complications
• PDM creates a streamlined blueprint for project flow

Dependency Determination and Integration

• Managing dependencies is crucial for project success and involves four key types
• Mandatory dependencies: Essential steps such as building walls after a foundation
• Discretionary dependencies: Based on best practices such as finishing plumbing before electrical work
• External dependencies: Depend on outside factors such as vendor deliveries
• Internal dependencies: Within the team’s control such as testing a machine after assembly
• Identifying dependencies reduces risks, improves efficiency, and maintains project tracking

Project Management Information System (PMIS)

• A project's command center with tools and methods to gather, integrate, and share project management process outputs
• Includes scheduling software, work authorization systems, configuration management, and info distribution tools
• Connects to automated systems such as organizational knowledge repositories
• Automates tracking/reporting of key performance indicators (KPIs)

Project Reporting

• Keeping stakeholders informed
• Involves collecting/sharing project data in tailored formats
• Frequency depends on the situation from regular updates to special reports

Estimate Activity Durations

• Estimating time to complete each task using available resources
• Helps to stay on track and meet deadlines
• Ensures accuracy and adaptability

Analogous Estimating

• Quick, cost-effective timeline prediction with less precision
• Compares current project segments to similar past projects
• Requires closely matched previous activities and expert team comparisons
• Is balanced with other methods for reliability

Parametric Estimating

• Uses algorithms and historical data to calculate project costs/durations based on specific parameters/statistical relationships
• Flexible method for budgets and timelines, saving time and planning effectively

Three-Point Estimating

• Improves the accuracy of project duration estimates by factoring in uncertainty and risk
• Uses a range instead of a single number
• Most Likely (tM): Best guess considering dependencies, resources, productivity, availability, and interruptions
• Optimistic (tO): The best-case scenario
• Pessimistic (tP): The worst-case scenario
• The expected duration (tE) is calculated: tE = (tO + tM + tP) ÷ 3
• Three-point estimating is useful when historical data is lacking or judgments are required

Bottom-Up Estimating

• A detailed approach to predict project duration/costs
• Breaks projects into smaller components using the WBS, with each component estimated individually
• Activities are broken down further if duration is uncertain
• Evaluates smaller tasks, combining durations to create a total estimate
• Ensures an accurate picture of time/cost by capturing details, dependencies, and use of resources

Project Meetings

• Virtual or face-to-face meetings bring plans to life
• Supported by document collaboration platforms, emails, and project websites, keeping teams aligned
• Making key decisions
• Resolving challenges
• Reflecting on lessons learned
• Kicking off new projects
• Planning sprints
• Sharing status updates

Develop Schedule

• Analyses activity sequences, durations, resource needs, and constraints, developing a clear execution/monitoring plan
• Provides you with a schedule model with planned dates for project tracking

Schedule Network Analysis

• Shapes a project’s timeline and identifies key dates for activities
• Creates a schedule model
• Uses critical path method, optimization, and modeling techniques
• Aggregates schedule reserves to minimize risk when paths converge or diverge
• Reviews critical path to identify high-risk activities, ensuring reserves/risk responses
• Is iterative and is refined until viable

Critical Path Method (CPM)

• Manages projects efficiently by estimating duration
• Identifies schedule flexibility by analyzing logical network paths
• Calculates early start, early finish, late start, and late finish dates
• A forward and backward pass reveals the longest task sequence which is the critical path
• Critical Path Method determines the shortest time to complete the project
• Highlights activity timeframes by identifying critical paths and calculating total/free floats

Resource Optimization

• Adjusts activity dates so resource usage stays within limits by balancing demand and supply

Resource Leveling

• Adjusts start/finish dates based on resource constraints to balance demand with availability
• Is useful if resources are available at limited times or are overallocated
• Shifts the project’s critical path and potentially extends the timeline

Resource Smoothing

• Keeps resource usage within limits without affecting the critical path or completion date
• Activities are adjusted within their float

What-If Scenario Analysis

• Explores the "what ifs" of your project, predicting how different situations affect goals
• Asks “What if scenario X happens?”
• Uses schedule network analysis to simulate scenarios in order to assess feasibility, build buffers, and craft response plans

Simulation

• Brings risks/uncertainties to life, helping teams understand their impact on project goals
• Models different scenarios and variables, providing insight
• Most commonly uses Monte Carlo analysis to factor in risks and uncertainties to predict project outcomes
• Calculates package durations using assumptions, constraints, risks, and scenarios
• An example probability distribution shows a 10% chance the project will be done by May 13, 2022 and a 90% chance by May 28, 2022

Schedule Compression Techniques

• Speed up project timelines without reducing scope
• Negative float analysis: identifies how constraints push the critical path into action

Crashing

• Saves time by adding resources to critical path activities
• Can increase costs/risks, applying only to tasks on the critical path

Fast Tracking

• Overlaps tasks done in sequence to accelerate progress
• May lead to rework, higher risks/costs, needing coordination

Agile Release Planning

• Creates a high-level timeline for product evolution, spanning 3–6 months
• Based on the product roadmap/vision
• Defines iterations/sprints needed
• Maps when the product will be ready for release
• Aligns with business goals, dependencies, and obstacles
• Breakdown of timeline gives customers exactly what they want