Project Management Planning and Scheduling

Introduction to Scheduling Practice Standard

• This practice standard assumes a basic understanding of Project Management Process Groups and Knowledge Areas as defined in the PMBOK Guide—Fourth Edition
• The project should have a work breakdown structure (WBS) that conforms to the processes defined in the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition
• This standard is applicable to individual projects, not programs or portfolios

Scheduling Principles and Concepts

• The schedule model creation and use are guided by principles and concepts outlined in this chapter
• The chapter is divided into sections covering scheduling methods, techniques, tools, and model instances
• The schedule model management plan identifies the scheduling method and tool used
• The Create Schedule process incorporates all project activities and milestones to achieve project objectives

Buffers

• Three types of buffers are used: feeding buffers, resource buffers, and project buffers
• Buffers are statistically determined and aggregated safety margins assigned to individual chains of activities
• Resource buffers alert resources to prepare for work on successor activities based on forecast finish dates
• Project buffers are added to the end of the project to account for uncertainties

Resource Loading and Performance Indicators

• Resource loading of the schedule model is considered a good practice
• Resources should be considered when determining activity durations and sequencing
• Performance indicators such as key performance indicators (KPIs) can be used to measure project progress and performance

Master Schedule Model and Earned Value Management

• The schedule model can be designed as a master project containing subprojects
• Earned Value Management (EVM) can be used to combine measurements of scope, schedule, and cost in a single integrated system
• EVM can be expanded to include the concept of earned schedule for time-based indicators