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Running head: Project time management Name: University: Lecturer: Date: Project time management Outline of contents Content Page Executive summary 3 Introduction 4 Relevant terminologies 4 Activity definition 5 Activity sequencing 6 Activity duration estimation 7 Schedule development 8 Schedule control 8 References 10 Executive summary Project time management involves several distinctive phases, also known as phases. During the planning stage the activities are defined, and both activity lists and milestone lists are produced. Afterwards, the activities are sequenced, and project schedules and network diagrams are created. With these in place, the resources needed for each activity are estimated, leading to the creation of a resource breakdown structure.
The duration of each activity is then estimated, and any later modification to the activity list defined as a subsequent update. Schedule development happens next, and it results in the development of a project schedule and a schedule model data. Finally, with regard to time management, the planning stage moves over to the control stage, whereby schedule control is implemented, with related performance measurement and acknowledgement of requested changes. These phases, collectively, are known as the elements of time management in projects.
Each will be covered in further detail within this paper. Introduction The project manager has to deal with time management for every project initiated. Time management in this case refers to all the activities undertaken to ensure the timely completion of the project. For the project manager, these activities are not only necessarily vital to the project, but they are central to the project definition. This is because the project by definition is the set of sequential activities initiated and executed in order to reach a certain specific and desired goal. Specific activities are fitted within specific time packages to ensure coherence and accountability to the overall project.
This partitioning of activities gives the project manager a basis for evaluating the progress of the project, and the chance to make remedial measures should the progress not measure up to expectations (Max, 2002). Relevant terminologies There are several terminologies associated with time management in IT projects. The specific units of work performed in order to ultimately bring the project to a completion are called activities. Activities normally have laid down durations, costs and scopes. Sometimes, as the project proceeds, the project manager may see the potential for compressing some of the activities into smaller time frames. Fitting the activities into such smaller time frames is called crashing, and might be executed as a way of saving on resources (Bonnie, 2003).
It is different from overlapping, which involves executing several activities simultaneously that would otherwise have been executed sequentially (Dovico, 2009). At the initial draw-up of activities needed to finish off a project, sometimes a dummy activity may be introduced into the activity list in order to show a logical procession of activities from one to the other. Dummy activities have a zero duration and only serve to fill the logical gaps in the activity list (Richard, 2009). Although activities are ideally specific units of time duration which a certain facet of the project is accomplished, in reality most activities require more than one work period in order to finish them. These work periods may be in terms of man-hours, man-days and so on. Collectively, they are called periods, and they exclude all non-working time spans like weekends or holidays (Gary, 2001: 60).
It is important to note that these periods are different from effort, which in this context refers to units of labor needed to finish an activity or element within a project. Efforts and periods are used to define project milestones, which are basically marked by the completion of a major, tangible deliverable in the project (Spotty, N. D. ). And finally, slack and float are synonymous, both referring to the amount of time that an activity may be delayed without affecting the total time length of the project (Richard, 2009). Activity definition Project activity definition is the first element in project time management. It identifies the specific activities that will be used to reach a certain deliverable.
Several inputs are essential to ensure a successful activity definition. They include a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), a scope statement, background information, any envisaged constrains, and any assumptions associated with the project. These inputs are deliberated upon and used to form a unified, coherent definition of the project activity (Tutorials, N. D. ).
Two methods are used in defining activities. They are decomposition and use of templates. Decomposition involves breaking down the project elements into smaller, manageable components such that tangible execution steps can be evolved. Decomposition ensures that there are no ambiguities or gray areas once the project starts its run (PM, 2002). Templates, on the other hand, take advantage of previous, similar projects to come up with the activity definition.
They serve to hasten the activity definition process. Their basic assumption is that the projects are not significantly different, and that any variance will be spotted during the definition stage and put into consideration (Method, 2003). Finally, after the deliberations associated with the activity definition stage, several deliverables are expected. A clear cut, all-encompassing activity list evolves. The work breakdown structure document is updated to fit in with the current activity definition. And all assumptions and constrains associated with the activity are clearly described (Prepare, N.
D. ). With that, the activity definition stage is complete. Activity sequencing The activity sequencing stage starts after the activity definition stage is over. This sequencing stage seeks to identity and clearly defines all interrelationships between the activities.
All dependencies from one activity to the other are marked out, so that a logical base for sequencing them can be laid out. The inputs necessary here are the activity list, the project scope statement, the milestone list, approved change request and activity attributes. These inputs form the base for determining what will happen at what time frame, and what will happen prior and after that activity (Prepare, N. D. ).
Several tools are used in the activity sequencing stage. The Precedence Diagramming Method uses a graphic outlay to show how the various activities are dependent on each other, and thus how they should follow each other. It uses nodes to represent the activities. The Arrow Diagram Method is slightly different in that it uses arrows to show the flow of events from one activity to the next.
Sometimes, in complex projects, the conditional diagramming method is used to show the conditional dynamics between the activities. Other times, if similar projects have been undertaken before, network templates can be used from previous projects (Joseph, 2003: 231). The final products of the activity sequencing stage are the project network diagram and the activity list updates. The project network diagram is a non-linear representation of all activities involved in a project, together with all floats that dont fit the projects critical path- the shortest path that leads straight from the beginning to the end of the project (Economic, N. D. ).
The activity list updates are a necessary product of the sequencing stage, since sequencing always unearths new, minor activities previously uncovered by the other stages of time management. Activity duration estimation Once each activity has been laid down in its proper place within the sequence, the activity duration estimation is done. It involves trying to come up with a practical number of work periods needed to finish each specified activity. The inputs at this stage are constrains and assumptions, a breakdown of resource requirement and resource capabilities, the activity list and historical information (Joseph, 2003). Several methods are used when estimating the duration of activities. They include use of expert judgment whereby specialists in all phases of the projects are sought and asked for a professional estimate.
Analogous estimations are also used whereby similar projects in the past are used to find an analogous estimate of the current projects duration (Project, N. D. ). Sometimes though, there may be no precedence to such a project, and parametric estimation may then have to be done. This involves calculating the total time needed for the project by adding up all the time duration for the components which are easier to estimate than the whole.
And finally, if all else fails, the three point estimate is used. It involves picking up three view points pessimistic, optimistic and neutral, and getting the time estimates from them (John, 2007). The final product from all this is the activity duration estimation and a documentation of the basis of estimation. Schedule development Once the duration estimate has been established, the schedule development commences. It involves bring together all the data from event duration estimates, the interrelations and the resources available to create a project schedule. The development of a schedule requires many inputs.
They include organization process assets, Project scope statement, resource pool description, resource calendars, project management plan and risk registers. The tools and techniques used are extensive too. They include the schedule network analysis, the critical path method, schedule compression scenarios, resource leveling based on observed rationalization, project management software, use of calendars, adjusting leads and lags, and use of a schedule model from past projects (Prepare, N. D. ).
The out put from this stage is the project schedule, schedule management plan and resource requirement update. Schedule control Finally, the schedule is maintained by establishing a schedule control regime. This regime ensures that the actual project follows the schedule laid out, and notes if any deviations from this plan occurs or is imminent (Roger, 2009). In order to accomplish this, the project schedule, change requests, performance reports, and schedule management plans are utilized.
The tools used to control the schedule include the schedule change control system and project management software. The output includes schedule updates, corrective action in case of deviations from the ideal, and a documentation of any lessons learned. References Bonnie Before (2003) About project crashing (shortening a project schedule) < web > Dovico (2009) Project management software glossary 3 rd April 2009 < web > Economic Expert (N. D. ) Earned value management 3 rd April 2009 < web > John Reading (2007) The four keys to accurate estimating 3 rd April 2009 < web > Joseph Phillips (2003) PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide: Project Management Professional Study Guide McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003 pg 231.
Gary Heerkens (2001) Project management McGraw-Hill Professional pg 59 - 65. Max Wideman (2002) Project management issues and considerations 3 nd April 2009 < web > Method (2003) Project management templates 3 rd April 2009 < web > PM (2002) The process of project management- decomposition 3 nd April 2009 < web > Prepare (N. D. ) Project quality management 3 rd April 2009 < web > Project Knowledge Management (N. D. ) Analogous estimating (Technique) 3 rd April 2009 < web > Richard Yancy (2009) Time management 3 rd April 2009 < web > Roger Lever (2009) Project tracking and managing project time delay 3 nd April 2009 < web > Spotty (N. D. ) Project management guides 3 rd April 2009 < web > Tutorials (N. D. ) Project time management 3 rd April 2009 < web >
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