Project Scope Management and Project Schedule Management PDF

Project Scope Management and Project Schedule Management INFO3019 INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Learning Objectives (1 of 2) List key reasons why good project scope management is important Describe the process of plann...

Project Scope Management and Project Schedule Management INFO3019 INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Learning Objectives (1 of 2) List key reasons why good project scope management is important Describe the process of planning scope management Discuss methods for collecting and documenting requirements to meet stakeholder needs and expectations Explain the scope definition process and describe the contents of a project scope statement Discuss the process for creating a work breakdown structure using the analogy, top-down, bottom-up, and mind-mapping approaches Explain the importance of validating scope and how it relates to defining and controlling scope INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Learning Objectives (2 of 2) Given an information technology (IT) project situation, show how recommended approaches for controlling scope can improve the potential for project success Describe how software can assist in project scope management Discuss considerations for agile/adaptive environments INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ What is Project Scope Management? Scope refers to all the work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them A deliverable is a product produced as part of a project, such as hardware or software, planning documents, or meeting minutes Project scope management includes the processes involved in defining and controlling what is or is not included In a project Ensures that the project team and stakeholders have the same understanding of what products the project will produce and what processes the project team will use to produce them INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Project Scope Management Processes (1 of 2) Main processes Planning scope management: determining how the project’s scope and requirements will be managed Collecting requirements: defining and documenting the features and functions of the products produced during the project as well as the processes used for creating them Defining scope: reviewing the project charter, requirements documents, and organizational process assets to create a scope statement Creating the WBS: subdividing the major project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components Validating scope: formalizing acceptance of the project deliverables Controlling scope: controlling changes to project scope throughout the life of the project INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Project Scope Management Processes (2 of 2) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Planning Scope Management (1 of 2) The project team uses expert judgment, data analysis, and meetings to develop two important outputs Scope management plan (subsidiary part of the project management plan) Requirements management plan Scope management plan contents Prepare a detailed project scope statement Create a WBS Maintain and approve the WBS Obtain formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables Control requests for changes to the project scope INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Planning Scope Management (2 of 2) Requirements Management Plan The PMBOK® Guide, Sixth Edition, describes a requirement as ““a condition or capability that is necessary to be present in a product, service, or result to satisfy a business need” The requirements management plan documents how project requirements will be analyzed, documented, and managed How to plan, track, and report requirements activities How to perform configuration management activities How to prioritize requirements How to use product metrics How to trace and capture attributes of requirements INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ What Went Right? U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected the number of jobs for business analysts to increase 19 percent by 2022 49 percent of survey respondents had the resources in place to do requirements management properly 53 percent failed to use a formal process to validate requirements There are several certification programs available for business analysis to help meet this need INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Collecting Requirements (1 of 3) Several ways to collect requirements Interviewing stakeholders Holding focus groups and facilitated workshops Using group creativity and decision-making techniques Utilizing questionnaires and surveys Conducting observation studies Generating ideas by comparing specific project practices or product characteristics (i.e., benchmarking) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Collecting Requirements (2 of 3) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Collecting Requirements (3 of 3) Requirements traceability matrix (RTM): a table that lists requirements, various attributes of each requirement, and the status of the requirements to ensure that all requirements are addressed Requirement Name Category Source Status No. R32 Laptop Hardware Project charter and Complete. Laptops memory corporate laptop ordered meet memory specifications requirement. Table 5-1 Sample entry in a requirements traceability matrix INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Best Practice Book called How Google Tests Software describes how Google changed their culture as quality rests on the shoulders of those writing the code Do not rely on testers to ensure quality Do not believe in fads or buzzwords Including Agile INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Defining Scope (1 of 2) Important elements of a project scope statement Product scope description Product user acceptance criteria Detailed information on all project deliverables It is also helpful to document other scope-related information Project boundaries, constraints, and assumptions Supporting document references (e.g., product specifications) As time progresses, the scope of a project should become more clear and specific INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Defining Scope (2 of 2) Project Charter: Upgrades may affect servers... (listed under Project Objectives) Project Scope Statement, Version 1: Servers: If additional servers are required to support this project, they must be compatible with existing servers. If it is more economical to enhance existing servers, a detailed description of enhancements must be submitted to the CIO for approval. See current server specifications provided in Attachment 6. The CEO must approve a detailed plan describing the servers and their location at least two weeks before installation. Project Scope Statement, Version 2: Servers: This project will require purchasing 10 new servers to support Web, network, database, application, and printing functions. Virtualization will be used to maximize efficiency. Detailed descriptions of the servers are provided in a product brochure in Attachment 8, along with a plan describing where they will be located. Table 5-3 Further defining project scope INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Media Snapshot Inaccurate requirements gathering continues to be one of the main causes of project failure For every dollar spent on projects and programs, 5.1 percent is wasted due to poor requirements management Organizations need to develop people, processes, and culture to improve requirements management INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (1 of 9) Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a deliverable-oriented grouping of the work involved in a project that defines the total scope of the project Foundation document that provides the basis for planning and managing project schedules, costs, resources, and changes Decomposition is the main tool or technique for creating a WBS Subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces A work package is a task at the lowest level of the WBS Outputs of creating the WBS are the scope baseline and project documents updates Scope baseline includes the approved project scope statement and its associated WBS and WBS dictionary INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (2 of 9) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (3 of 9) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (4 of 9) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (5 of 9) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (6 of 9) 1.0 Software Product Release 5.0 1.1 Project Management 1.1.1 Planning 1.1.2 Meetings 1.1.3 Administration 1.2 Product Requirements 1.2.1 Software 1.2.2 User Documentation 1.2.3 Training Program Materials Table 5-4 1.3 Detail Design 1.3.1 Software Tabular 1.3.2 User Documentation form of 1.3.2 User Documentation WBS 1.4 Construct 1.4.1 Software 1.4.2 User Documentation 1.4.3 Training Program Materials 1.5 Integration and Test 1.5.1 Software 1.5.2 User Documentation 1.5.3 Training Program Materials INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (7 of 9) Approaches to developing work breakdown structures Using guidelines: some organizations, like the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), provide guidelines for preparing WBSs Analogy approach: review WBSs of similar projects and tailor to your project Top-down approach: start with the largest items of the project and break them down Bottom-up approach: start with the specific tasks Mind mapping: uses branches radiating out from a core idea to structure thoughts and ideas INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (8 of 9) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (9 of 9) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Advice for Young Professionals It is very difficult to create a good WBS Attend meetings in your organization where teams work together Ask to see WBSs for projects that have been completed or are in process Conduct your own research to find examples of different WBSs INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ The WBS Dictionary (1 of 3) Many WBS tasks are vague WBS dictionary is a document that describes detailed information about each WBS item Format of the WBS dictionary can vary based on project needs INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ The WBS Dictionary (2 of 3) WBS Dictionary Entry March 20 Project Title: Information Technology (IT) Upgrade Project WBS Item Number: 2.2 WBS Item Name: Database Update Description: The IT department maintains an online database of hardware and software on the corporate intranet. We need to make sure that we know exactly what hardware and software employees are currently using and if they have any unique needs before we decide what to order for the upgrade. This task will involve reviewing information from the current database, producing reports that list each department’s employees and location, and updating the data after performing the physical inventory and receiving inputs from department managers. Our project sponsor will send a notice to all department managers to communicate the importance of this project and this particular task. In addition to general hardware and software upgrades, the project sponsors will ask the department managers to provide information for any unique requirements they might have that could affect the upgrades. This task also includes updating the inventory data for network hardware and software. After updating the inventory database, we will send an e-mail to each department manager to verify the information and make changes online as needed. Department managers will be responsible for ensuring that their people are available and cooperative during the physical inventory. Completing this task is dependent on WBS Item Number 2.1, Physical Inventory, and must precede WBS Item Number 3.0, Hardware and Software Acquisition. Table 5-5 Sample WBS dictionary entry INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ The WBS Dictionary (3 of 3) Advice for creating a WBS and WBS dictionary Unit of work should appear at only one place in the WBS Work content of a WBS item is the sum of the WBS items below it WBS item is the responsibility of only one individual, even though many people may be working on it WBS must be consistent with the way in which work is actually going to be performed; it should serve the project team first, and other purposes only if practical Project team members should be involved in developing the WBS to ensure consistency and buy-in Each WBS item must be documented in a WBS dictionary to ensure accurate understanding of the scope of work included and not included WBS must be a flexible tool to accommodate inevitable changes while properly maintaining control of the work content in the project according to the scope statement INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Validating Scope It is difficult to create a good project scope statement and WBS for a project Even more difficult, especially on IT projects, to verify the project scope and minimize scope changes Even when the project scope is fairly well defined, many IT projects suffer from scope creep Tendency for project scope to keep getting bigger and bigger Scope validation involves formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables Acceptance is often achieved by a customer inspection and then sign- off on key deliverables INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ What Went Wrong? A project scope that is too broad and grandiose can cause severe problems Scope creep and an overemphasis on technology for technology’s sake resulted in the bankruptcy of a large pharmaceutical firm, Texas-based FoxMeyer Drug In 2001, McDonald’s fast-food chain initiated a project to create an intranet that would connect its headquarters with all of its restaurants to provide detailed operational information in real time After spending $170 million on consultants and initial implementation planning, McDonald’s realized that the project was too much to handle and terminated it INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Global Issues Many countries have had difficulties controlling the scope of large projects Especially those that involve advanced technologies and many different users For example, the state government of Victoria, Australia, has a website for its public transportation smart card; there were many problems in developing and implementing the smart card INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Controlling Scope (1 of 3) Scope control involves controlling changes to the project scope Keeping project goals and business strategy in mind Goals of scope control Influence the factors that cause scope changes Ensure changes are processed according to procedures developed as part of integrated change control Manage changes when they occur Variance is the difference between planned and actual performance INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Controlling Scope (2 of 3) Suggestions for improving user input Develop a good project selection process and insist that sponsors are from the user organization Place users on the project team Conduct regular meetings with defined agendas Deliver something to users and sponsors on a regular basis Do not promise to deliver what the team cannot deliver in a particular time frame Locate users with the developers INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Controlling Scope (3 of 3) Suggestions for reducing incomplete and changing requirements Develop and follow a requirements management process Employ techniques such as prototyping, use case modeling, and JAD to get more user involvement Put requirements in writing and keep them current Create a requirements management database for documenting and controlling requirements Provide adequate testing and conduct it throughout the project life cycle Review changes from a systems perspective Emphasize completion dates to help focus on what’s most important Allocate resources specifically for handling change requests INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Using Software to Assist in Project Scope Management Word-processing software helps create several scope-related documents Spreadsheets or presentation software to develop various charts, graphs, and matrixes related to scope management Mind-mapping software can be useful in developing a WBS Communication software like e-mail and web-based applications can transmit project scope management information Project management software helps in creating a WBS; basis for creating a Gantt chart Specialized software is available to assist in project scope management INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Considerations for Agile/Adaptive Environments Stakeholders define and approve the detailed scope before the start of an iteration with an adaptive or agile product life cycle, producing a usable product at the end of each iteration Detailed scope develops over time Agile approach provides several usable products during the project INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Chapter Summary Project scope management includes the processes required to ensure that the project addresses all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully Main processes Define scope management Collect requirements Define scope Create WBS Validate scope Control scope INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Learning Objectives (1 of 2) Illustrate the importance that project schedules and good project schedule management can have in helping to make projects successful Discuss the process of planning schedule management Define activities as the basis for developing project schedules Describe how project managers use network diagrams and dependencies to assist in activity sequencing Explain how various tools and techniques help project managers perform activity duration estimates Use a Gantt chart for planning and tracking schedule information, find the critical path for a project, and describe how critical chain scheduling and the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) affect schedule development INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Learning Objectives (2 of 2) Compare how schedule management is addressed using Agile vs. more predictive project approaches Discuss how reality checks and discipline are involved in controlling and managing changes to the project schedule Describe how project management software can assist in project schedule management and review words of caution before using this software Discuss considerations for agile/adaptive environments INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ The Importance of Project Schedules (1 of 3) Managers often cite delivering projects on time as one of their biggest challenges Time has the least amount of flexibility; it passes no matter what happens on a project Individual work styles and cultural differences may also cause schedule conflicts Different cultures and even entire countries have different attitudes about schedules INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Media Snapshot In contrast to the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games (see Chapter 4’s Media Snapshot), planning and scheduling was very different for the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games Many articles were written before the opening ceremonies in Athens predicting that the facilities would not be ready in time The Greeks even made fun of critics by having construction workers pretend to still be working as the ceremonies began, but the games cost more than twice the planned budget The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, suffered even greater financial loss Originally budgeted at $12 billion, final costs reached over $51 billion, making it the most expensive games in history INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ The Importance of Project Schedules (2 of 3) Project time management processes Planning schedule management Defining activities Sequencing activities Estimating activity resources Estimating activity durations Developing the schedule Controlling the schedule INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ The Importance of Project Schedules (3 of 3) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Planning Schedule Management Elements of a schedule management plan Project schedule model development Scheduling methodology Level of accuracy and units of measure Control thresholds Rules of performance measurement Reporting formats Process descriptions INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Defining Activities (1 of 2) Defining activities involves identifying the specific actions that will produce the project deliverables in enough detail to determine resource and schedule estimates Activity list: a tabulation of activities to be included on a project schedule Activity name, activity identifier or number, and brief description of the activity Activity attributes provide more information Predecessors, successors, logical relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, constraints, imposed dates, and assumptions related to the activity INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Defining Activities (2 of 2) A milestone is a significant event that normally has no duration It often takes several activities and a lot of work to complete a milestone They’re useful tools for setting schedule goals and monitoring progress Examples: obtaining customer sign-off on key documents or completion of specific products INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ What Went Wrong? At the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), poor time management was one of the reasons behind the failure of Trilogy System was supposed to integrate intelligence within the Bureau In May 2006, the Government Accounting Agency said that the Trilogy project failed at its core mission of improving the FBI’s investigative abilities and was plagued with missed milestones and escalating costs Sentinel replaced Trilogy in 2007 During a test exercise in 2011, Sentinel experienced two outages, and the FBI determined that the current hardware structure was inadequate In 2014, the system still wasn’t working well INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Sequencing Activities (1 of 6) Sequencing process involves evaluating the reasons for dependencies and the different types of dependencies A dependency or relationship is the sequencing of project activities or tasks Mandatory dependencies: inherent in the nature of the work being performed on a project, sometimes referred to as hard logic Discretionary dependencies: defined by the project team, sometimes referred to as soft logic. and should be used with care since they may limit later scheduling options External dependencies: involve relationships between project and non-project activities Sequencing Activities (2 of 6) Network diagrams are the preferred technique for showing activity sequencing Schematic display of the logical relationships among, or sequencing of, project activities Two main formats are the arrow and precedence diagramming methods INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Sequencing Activities (3 of 6) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Sequencing Activities (4 of 6) Arrow diagramming method (ADM) (i.e., activity-on-arrow network diagrams) Activities are represented by arrows Nodes or circles are the starting and ending points of activities Only show finish-to-start dependencies Refer to the text for the step-by-step process of creating AOA diagrams Precedence diagramming method (PDM) Network diagramming technique in which boxes represent activities Types of dependencies or relationships between activities Finish-to-start Start-to-start Finish-to-finish Start-to-finish INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Sequencing Activities (5 of 6) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Sequencing Activities (6 of 6) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Estimating Activity Durations Duration includes the actual amount of time worked on an activity plus elapsed time Effort is the number of workdays or work hours required to complete a task and does not normally equal duration People doing the work should help create estimates An expert should review them A three-point estimate is an estimate that includes an optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimate Three-point estimates are needed for PERT and Monte Carlo simulations INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Advice for Young Professionals Some people find estimating to be challenging, especially for their own work It is very important to develop this skill Practice estimating how long it takes you to do different activities and then take actual measurements Define the activity in detail to help make better estimates If you realize that an activity estimate might not be a good one, let your team know as soon as possible so that adjustments can be made early in the project INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Developing the Schedule Uses results of the other time management processes to determine the start and end date of the project Ultimate goal is to create a realistic project schedule that provides a basis for monitoring project progress for the time dimension of the project Important tools and techniques Gantt charts Critical path analysis Critical chain scheduling PERT analysis INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Gantt Charts (1 of 5) Provide a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar form Symbols Black diamond: milestones Thick black bars: summary tasks Light gray horizontal bars: durations of tasks Arrows: dependencies between tasks INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Gantt Charts (2 of 5) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Gantt Charts (3 of 5) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Gantt Charts (4 of 5) Adding milestones to Gantt charts Many people like to focus on meeting milestones, especially for large projects Milestones emphasize important events or accomplishments on projects SMART Criteria for milestones Specific Measurable Assignable Realistic Time-framed INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Best Practice Shawn Anchor suggests the 20-second rule in his book, The Happiness Advantage People prefer the path of least resistance For example, if you have to wait in line 20 seconds to get a second scoop of ice cream, you might resist it Anchor recommends making it more difficult for yourself to be distracted at work by keeping email or websites closed while you are working Save time by adding time to the distracting behaviors at work INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Gantt Charts (5 of 5) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Critical Path Method (CPM) (1 of 2) Network diagramming technique used to predict total project duration Critical path: series of activities that determine the earliest time by which the project can be completed The longest path through the network diagram and has the least amount of slack or float; amount of time an activity may be delayed without delaying a succeeding activity or the project finish date Calculating the critical path Develop a good network diagram and add the duration estimates for all activities on each path through the network diagram Longest path is the critical path 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 INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Critical Path Method (CPM) (2 of 2) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Growing Grass Can Be on the Critical Path The fact that its name includes the word critical does not mean that it includes all critical activities Only accounts for time Example: growing grass for Disney’s Animal Kingdom There can be more than one critical path if the lengths of two or more paths are the same Project managers should closely monitor performance of activities on the critical path to avoid late project completion Critical path can change as the project progresses INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Using Critical Path Analysis to Make Schedule Trade-Offs (1 of 3) Free slack or free float Amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of any immediately following activities Total slack or total float Amount of time an activity may be delayed from its early start without delaying the planned project finish date Forward pass Determines the early start and finish dates Backward pass Determines the late start and finish dates INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Using Critical Path Analysis to Make Schedule Trade-Offs (2 of 3) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Using Critical Path Analysis to Make Schedule Trade-Offs (3 of 3) Task Name Start Finish Late Start Late Finish Free Slack Total Slack A 8/3/15 8/3/15 8/5/15 8/5/15 0d 2d B 8/3/15 8/4/15 8/3/15 8/4/15 0d 0d C 8/3/15 8/5/15 8/5/15 8/7/15 0d 2d D 8/4/15 8/7/15 8/6/15 8/11/15 2d 2d E 8/5/15 8/11/15 8/5/15 8/11/15 0d 0d F 8/5/15 8/10/15 8/14/15 8/17/15 7d 7d G 8/6/15 8/13/15 8/10/15 8/17/15 0d 2d H 8/12/15 8/19/15 8/12/15 8/19/15 0d 0d I 8/14/15 8/17/15 8/18/15 8/19/15 2d 2d J 8/20/15 8/24/15 8/20/15 8/24/15 0d 0d Table 6-1 Free and Total Float or Slack for Project X INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Using the Critical Path to Shorten a Project Schedule Main techniques for shortening schedules Shortening durations of critical activities/tasks by adding more resources or changing their scope Crashing activities by obtaining the greatest amount of schedule compression for the least incremental cost Fast tracking activities by doing them in parallel or overlapping them INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Importance of Updating Critical Path Data It is important to update the schedule with actual data Note actual activity durations as they are completed Revise estimates for activities in progress Monitor changes to make informed decisions INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Critical Chain Scheduling (1 of 4) Considers limited resources when creating a project schedule and includes buffers to protect the project completion date Uses the Theory of Constraints (TOC): management philosophy developed by Eliyahu M. Goldratt; attempts to minimize multitasking when a resource works on more than one task at a time INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Critical Chain Scheduling (2 of 4) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Critical Chain Scheduling (3 of 4) Additional concepts Buffer: additional time to complete a task Murphy’s Law: if something can go wrong, it will Parkinson’s Law: work expands to fill the time allowed Project buffer: additional time added before the project’s due date Feeding buffers: additional time added before tasks on the critical path INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Critical Chain Scheduling (4 of 4) INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ What Went Right? Scheduling at healthcare clinic’s can be more efficient by using critical chain scheduling National University Hospital in Singapore decreased patient admission times by more than 50 percent Improved scheduling lowered average wait times, which went from six to eight hours to less than three hours 63 percent of patients were admitted in less than 1.5 hours INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) Network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty about the individual activity duration estimates Uses probabilistic time estimates: duration estimates based on using optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates of activity durations By using the PERT weighted average for each activity duration estimate, total project duration estimate takes into account the risk or uncertainty in the individual activity estimates INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Agile and Schedule Management Core values of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan Example: product owner defines and prioritizes the work to be done within a sprint Collaboration and time management are designed into the process INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Controlling the Schedule Goals of schedule control Know the status of the schedule Influence the factors that cause schedule changes Determine that the schedule has changed Manage changes when they occur Main inputs to schedule control Project management plan Project documents Work performance data Organizational process assets INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Reality Checks on Scheduling and the Need for Discipline Important activities Review the draft schedule or estimated completion date in the project charter Prepare a more detailed schedule with the project team Make sure the schedule is realistic and followed Alert top management well in advance if there are schedule problems INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Using Software to Assist in Project Schedule Management Software for facilitating communications helps people exchange schedule-related information Decision support models help analyze trade-offs that can be made to address schedule issues Project management software can help in various time management areas INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Global Issues Microsoft tells the customer story of Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, who wanted to ensure that IT initiatives aligned with business goals and improved project management efficiency After implementing new software, their IT team could handle four times the number of concurrent projects without adding more staff INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Words of Caution on Using Project Management Software Many people misuse project management software because they don’t understand important concepts and have not had training Example: dependencies must be entered to have dates adjust automatically and to determine the critical path Many project management software programs come with templates or sample files It is very easy to use these files without considering unique project needs Project managers and their teams should be careful not to rely too much on templates or sample files and ignore the unique concerns of their particular projects INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Considerations for Agile/Adaptive Environments Schedule management is radically different using Agile and Scrum Projects that rely heavily on the critical path method consider meeting the project’s estimated completion date as a crucial component of success Agile projects may not even need to estimate activity durations or project schedules at all; overall project completion time is not important INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​ Chapter Summary Project time management is often cited as the main source of conflict on projects Most IT projects exceed time estimates Main processes Plan schedule management Define activities Sequence activities Estimate activity resources Estimate activity durations Develop schedule Control schedule INFO3019 - Western Sydney University​