PROJECT MANAGEMENT CYCLE:PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT

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PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT
Processes

Project Time Management involves five processes:

1. Activity definition

2. Activity sequencing

3. Activity duration estimating

4. Schedule development

5. Schedule control

The purpose of time management is to ensure timely completion of the project. The main output of time management is a schedule that defines what is to be done, when, and by whom. This schedule is used throughout the project execution to synchronize between people and organizations involved in the project and as a basis for control.

Description

Each work package in the WBS is decomposed into the activities required to complete its predefined scope. A list of activities is constructed and the time to complete each activity is estimated. Estimates can be deterministic (point estimates) or stochastic (distributions). Precedence relations among activ- ities are defined, and a model such as a Gantt chart, activity on arc (AOA), or activity on nodes (AON) network is constructed (Shtub et al. 1994). An initial schedule is developed based on the model. This unconstrained schedule is a basis for estimating required resources and cash. Based on the constraint imposed by due dates, cash and resource availability, and resource requirements of other projects, a constrained schedule is developed. Further tuning of the schedule may be possible by changing the resource combination assigned to activities (these resource combinations are known as modes).

The schedule is implemented by the execution of activities. Due to uncertainty, a schedule control is required to detect deviations and decide how to react to such deviations and change requests. The schedule control system is based on performance measures such as actual completion of deliverables (milestones), actual starting time of activities, and actual finishing time of activities. Changes to the baseline schedule are required whenever a change in the project scope is implemented.

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