BC205 Project & Vendor Management

Seminar 10: Time Management (part II)

Neerja Sethi j
aneerja@ntu.edu.sg

Learning Objectives
Understand the various techniques for schedule compression p Understand the control schedule process

Readings
Chapter 6: Project Time Management

Time Management Processes Ti M tP

Schedule Compression
Schedule Compression shortens the project schedule to meet schedule constraints, imposed dates, or other schedule objectives Schedule Compression Techniques
Crashing Fast tracking Descoping

Crashing
Crashing is a technique for making cost and schedule trade-offs to obtain the greatest amount of schedule compression for the least incremental cost.
Reanalyze the critical path tasks and reduce the l h l h k d d h duration of some of the tasks, if possible Add more resources to critical path tasks
Examples approving overtime, bringing in additional resources

Crashing Example

Before Crashing

After Crashing

Fast Tracking
Fast Tracking is a duration compression technique that looks for:
Opportunities to overlap the work on the critical path
Task T k 4 can be started after th fi t t b t t d ft the first two d days of f work are completed on Task 1

Do critical pat tas s in pa a e instead o o c t ca path tasks parallel stead of sequentially

Tasks 5 & 6 can be done in parallel

Fast Tracking Example

Before Fast Tracking

After Fast Tracking

Descoping
Descoping is a duration compression technique that focuses on removing work from the project When you descope, you remove or change descope one or more of the following:
Features of the product Functionality of the product

Time Management Processes

Control Schedule
Process of monitoring the status of the project to update project progress and manage changes to the schedule baseline

Variance Analysis
Variance analysis involves looking at the difference between the planned and actual work. You must look at each task in step-by-step p y p fashion to determine the amount of variance, if y any. Determine the impact of the variance on the entire project and take corrective action if actual performance is behind planned performance

Reporting Period
How much work (hours or days) has been completed on task? What is the percentage of completion? p How much work is remaining to be done? What was the actual start date? Are any issues preventing the completion of task?

Status of Week 1 Work

All work has been completed on the task It is 100% complete There s Theres 0% left to do The task started on the correct start date There are no outstanding issues at this point in time

Gantt Chart View (Planned Work)

Status at Week 1

Status of Week 2 Work

Gantt Chart View (Planned Work)

Status at Week 3

Gantt Chart View (Actual Work versus Planned Work)

Sample Tracking Gantt Chart

Determining the Impact

Is the schedule variance for critical path tasks? Is the schedule variance for noncritical path tasks? Determine fl t/ l k f every t k t k ?D t i float/slack for task.
If the variance is less than the amount of float available, a ailable then no impact on schedule sched le If the variance is equal or greater than the amount of float that is available then the path available, has become new critical path

Corrective Action Step St 1

Do root cause analysis
Was the handoff from the last task not done well enough for the person who was supposed to start the task to know he or she could begin? Is the person performing the task able to get the work done? Is there a deficiency of execution or a deficiency of knowledge? Was the person who is performing the task waiting for another dependency that the project plan did not identify? Did a risk cause the delay? Was the estimated time for the task just too low?

Corrective Action Step 2

Variance on critical path task
Crash, fast track or descope the project to get it back on track Fix the d l i Fi th underlying problem when the project is back on track. bl h th j ti b k t k You may need to address resource issues, or how the estimates were created

Variance is on noncritical path task

The float can accommodate the variance. Calculate the new slack time available. Monitor this path for additional problems that will keep the project from completing on time Work on fixing the underlying problem that caused the variance

Schedule Control Process Summary

Project Time Management Summary

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