Project Schedule and Planning Schedule Management 

The Importance Of Project Schedules  

Project schedules are vital for ensuring timely project delivery, measuring performance, involving stakeholders, maintaining control, utilizing effective tools, adapting to different methodologies, and conducting regular reality checks. Proper schedule management can significantly enhance the likelihood of project success and stakeholder satisfaction.  

The six main processes involved in project schedule management are as follows:  

1. Plan Schedule Management: This process involves defining how the project schedule will be managed, monitored, and controlled. It includes establishing policies, procedures, and documentation for scheduling activities. The output of this process is the schedule management plan, which serves as a guideline for the project team.  
2. Define Activities: In this process, the project manager and team identify and document the specific actions required to produce the project deliverables. This involves breaking down the work into smaller, manageable components, often using techniques like decomposition. The output is an activity list that details all the tasks necessary for project completion.  
3. Sequence Activities: This process involves determining the order in which project activities will be performed. It includes identifying dependencies between tasks and establishing a logical sequence to optimize the project schedule. The output is a network diagram that visually represents the relationships among activities.  
4. Estimate Activity Durations: In this process, the team estimates the amount of time required to complete each activity. This involves considering various factors such as resource availability, complexity, and historical data. The output is a duration estimate for each activity, which is crucial for developing the overall project schedule.  
5. Develop Schedule: This process involves analyzing the activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and constraints to create the project schedule. It includes determining start and finish dates for each activity and integrating all components into a cohesive schedule. The output is the project schedule, which outlines when each task will be completed.  
6. Control Schedule: The final process in project schedule management focuses on monitoring the status of the project schedule and managing changes as they occur. This involves comparing actual progress against the planned schedule, identifying variances, and implementing corrective actions when necessary. The goal is to ensure that the project remains on track and that any schedule changes are effectively managed.  

Planning Schedule Management 

Planning schedule management is a critical first step in the project schedule management process. Here below are the following information:  

1. Project Schedule Model Development: This section outlines the creation of a schedule model that contains project activities, estimated durations, dependencies, and other planning information necessary for producing the project schedule.  
2. Level of Accuracy and Units of Measure: This part specifies the expected accuracy of schedule estimates and determines the units of measure for time (e.g., hours, days, weeks).  
3. Control Thresholds: Variance thresholds are established for monitoring schedule performance. For example, a threshold might be set at ±10% to indicate acceptable deviations from the planned schedule.  
4. Rules of Performance Measurement: This section describes how progress will be tracked and reported. It may include guidelines on how to measure the percentage of work completed for various tasks.  
5. Reporting Formats: The schedule management plan specifies the format and receive timely and relevant information regarding project progress.  
6. Process Descriptions: This part details how all schedule management processes will be performed, including planning, defining activities, sequencing, estimating durations, developing the schedule, and controlling the schedule.  

References:  

Schwalbe, K. (2019). Information technology project management (9th ed.). Cengage.