Define activities (Planning process group)

Define Activities is the process of identifying the specific actions

Inputs
to be performed to produce the project deliverables.
• Scope baseline Project work packages are decomposed into smaller components
• Enterprise environmental called activities (rather than deliverables) that represent work
factors (EEF) necessary to complete the work package. Activities provide basis
• Organizational process for estimating, scheduling, executing & monitoring and controlling
assets (OPA) project work. The activity list, WBS & WBS dictionary can be
Tools & Techniques developed either sequentially or concurrently, with the WBS and
• Decomposition WBS dictionary as the basis for development of the final activity
• Rolling wave planning list. Involving team members in the decomposition can lead to
• Templates better and accurate results.
• Expert judgment Templates: A standard activity list or a portion of an activity list
Outputs from previous project. Templates can also be used to identify
• Activity list typical schedule milestones
• Activity attributes Activity List: It includes the activity identifier and a scope of
work description for each activity sufficient detail to ensure that
• Milestone list
project team members understand what work is required to be
completed. It is a scheduling tool while WBS is planning tool.
Activity identifier is a short unique numeric or text identification assigned to each schedule activity to
differentiate that project activity from other activities and it is unique within any one project schedule
network diagram Activity list provides a baseline for cost, schedule & resource estimates.
Activity Attributes: They are associated with any activity & these change over time. During initial
stages, they include the activity ID, WBS ID and activity name & when schedule development is
completed, they may include activity codes (categorise the schedule activity), activity description,
predecessor activities, successor activities, sequence of events, logical relationships (predecessor or
successor), leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints & assumptions. Activity
attributes can be used to identify the person responsible for executing the work, geographic area or
place where work has to be performed and activity type such as level of effort (LOE), discrete effort
and appointed effort (AE). Activity attributes are used for schedule development and for selecting,
ordering and sorting the planned scheduled activities in various ways within reports. The number of
attributes varies by application area. Activity list is component of project schedule not WBS
Milestone List: A milestone is significant point or event in the project e.g. a completed design or
deliverable due dates from the customer. The sponsor may impose milestones and a summary of the
milestones are included in the project charter. Project manager can impose additional milestones
during the sequence activities or develop schedule processes, as checkpoints to help control the project
A milestone list identifies all milestones and indicates whether milestone is mandatory, such as those
required by contract or optional, such as those based on historical information and scheduled dates for
specific milestones. Milestone doesn’t have time duration.

Sequence activities (Planning process group)

Sequence Activities is the process of identifying & documenting relationships among the project
activities. Activities are sequenced using logical relationships.
Project scope statement: It contains the product scope description which includes characteristics that
affect activity sequencing, such as the physical layout of plant to be constructed.

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 Graphic Evaluation and review technique (GERT): It shows
Inputs
repeated activities & uses loops & conditional branches. It uses
• Activity list conditional dependency. You have an activity to design a
• Activity attributes component & then test it. After testing, it may or mayn’t be needed
• Milestone list
• Project scope statement
• Organizational process to be redesigned.
assets (OPA) Arrow diagramming method(ADM):[Activity-On-Arrow(AOA]
Tools & Techniques It uses finish to start dependencies & allows dummy activities.
• Precedence diagramming Arrows represent activities & nodes connect activities to represent
method (PDM) relationships. Dummy activities are represented by dotted arrows.
• Dependency determination Dummy activity is a schedule activity of zero duration with no
• Applying leads & lags actual work content It is used to complete logical relationship
• Schedule network between two scheduled activities that is either incomplete or can’t
templates correctly described by the existing relationship
Precedence diagramming method (PDM):[Activity-On-Node
Outputs
(AON)] It is used in Critical path methodology (CPM) for
• Project schedule network
constructing PSND. It is used by most PM software packages In
diagrams (PSND)
this method, nodes (or boxes) are used to represent the activities
• Project document updates and arrows show activity dependencies.
PDM includes four types of dependencies or logical relationships.
Name Description
Finish-to-Start (FS) An activity must finish before successor can
start (most commonly used by PM s/w )
Finish-to-Finish (FF) An activity must finish before successor can
finish. You must finish testing before you
finish documentation
Start-to-Start (SS) An activity must start before successor can
start e.g. You must start designing and wait
for two weeks lag in order to have enough
design completed to start coding.
Start-to-Finish (SF) The activity must start before the successor
can finish (rarely used). Task B can’t finish
until task A starts.
PDM & ADM don’t use loops and conditional branches while PDM & GERT don’t use dummy
activities.
Dependency determination: Following types are used to define the sequence among the activities.
Mandatory dependencies (Hard Logic) :The dependency is inherent in the nature of the work doing
done or required by the contract e.g. you must design before you construct. It often involves physical
limitations e.g. ceiling can’t be built until walls are constructed.
Discretionary dependencies (Preferred, Preferential, or soft logic): They can be changed if needed
while other types of dependencies can’t be easily changed. They are important when fast tracking the
project. Expert judgement and best practices often dictate that particular activities are performed in
particular order They should be used with care and well documented since they limit later scheduling
options & can create arbitrary total float values. Example- suggestion of preferred method

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External dependency: This dependency is based on the needs or desires of a party outside the project
(e.g. government or suppliers). They are outside project team’s control e.g. weather for rocket launch
Applying leads and Lags: These are used to support to support a realistic and achievable project
schedule. A lead allows an acceleration of the successor activity. A lead may be added to start an
activity before the predecessor activity is completed e.g. coding might able to start five days before the
design is finished. This would be shown as a finish –to-start with 5 days lead. A lag directs a delay in
the successor activity e.g. a technical writing team can begin editing the draft of large document 15
days after they begin writing it. This could be shown as a start-to-start relationship with a 15 day lag.
The use of leads and lags should not replace schedule logic. Activities and their related assumptions
should be documented.
Schedule network templates: They are used to expedite the preparation of networks of project
activities. They can include an entire project or only portion of it. Portions of a project schedule
network diagram are often referred to as a sub network or a fragment network. Sub network templates
are especially useful when a project includes several identical or nearly identical deliverables.
Schedule Network diagrams
• They show interdependencies between activities & justify time estimate for the project.
• Show work so the team will know that what activities need to happen in a specific sequence.
• Identify opportunities to compress the schedule throughout the life of the project.
• Shows project progress when used for controlling the schedule & reporting.
Project document updates: Activity lists, activity attributes and Risk register.

Estimate activity resources (Planning process group)

Inputs
• Activity list
• Activity attributes
• Resource calendars
• Enterprise environmental
factors (EEF)
• Organizational process
assets (OPA)
Tools & Techniques
• Expert judgment
• Alternatives analysis
• Published estimating data
• Bottom up estimating
• Project management
software
Outputs
• Activity resource
requirements
• Resource breakdown
structure
• Project document updates
Estimate Activity Resources is the process of estimating the type
and quantities of material, people, equipment or supplies required
to perform each activity.
It should be performed in parallel with Estimate Costs process. This
is done because using more expensive resources decreases time. So,
there can be time & cost trade-off. It must be performed after
Define Activities process & before Develop schedule.
Resource calendars: They give information about what resources
(such as people, equipment & material) you can use for various
activities, and when & how long they’re available to you.
Expert Judgment: It can be used to determine whether to combine
methods of estimating and how to reconcile differences between
them.
Alternatives Analysis: They include using various levels of
resource capability or skills, different size of machines, different
tools (hand vs. automated) & make or buy decisions regarding
resource.
Published estimating data : Several companies routinely publish
updated geographical production rates & unit costs of resources for
physical and human resources.
Bottom up estimating: Break the activity down further if the
activity is too complex to resource estimate, Resource needs are
estimated. This can be performed using WBS & activity list &
when scope is well defined (Requires an accurate WBS)

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These estimates are then aggregated into a total quantity for each of activity’s resources. If there are
dependencies between activities, the pattern of resource usage is reflected & documented in estimated
requirements of activity. Smaller work items increase both cost & accuracy
Resource Breakdown structure:It is a hierarchical structure of the identified resources by resource
category (labor, material, equipment) & resource type(skill level, grade level etc). RBS is useful for
organizing & reporting project schedule data with resource utilization information.
Activity resource requirements (ARR): This identifies the types & quantities of resources required
for each activity in a work package. These requirements can be aggregated to determine estimated
resources for each work package. AAR documentation for activity includes the basis of estimate for
each resource, as well as the assumptions that were made in determining which types of resources are
applied, their availability & what quantities are used.
Project Document Updates: Activity list, Activity attributes & recourse calendars
You always want to be honest with your estimates. Every project has unknowns and risks, and there’s
no way to estimate any activity exactly. You can use reserve analysis, a tool of Estimate Activity
Durations, to come up with a contingency reserve that you can use to plan for these risks.

Estimate Activity durations (Planning process group)

Inputs
• Activity list
• Activity attributes
• Activity resource
requirements
• Resource calendars
• Project scope statement
• Enterprise environmental
factors (EEF)
• Organizational process
assets (OPA)
Tools & Techniques
• Expert judgment
• Analogous estimating
• Parametric estimating
• Three-point estimates
• Reserve analysis
Outputs
• Activity duration estimates
• Project document updates
Estimate Activity Durations is the process of approximating the
number of work periods needed to complete individual activities
with estimated resources. Assumptions made during estimated
should be recorded for future review. They should be created by
person or team who is most familiar with the nature of the work in
the specific activity. The duration estimate is progressively
elaborated and the process considers the quality and availability of
the input data. It can be assumed to be progressively more accurate
& of better quality. Availability of the resources will significantly
influence the duration of most activities
Project scope statement: The constraints and assumptions of
project scope statement are considered e.g. Assumptions: Existing
conditions, Availability of info & length of the reporting periods.
Constraints: Available skilled resources & contract terms and
requirements
Expert judgment: Delphi technique, heuristic estimating is
example of expert judgment. Heuristic estimate is derived from
trial & error.
Analogous estimating: It uses parameters such as duration,
budget, size, weight, complexity from a previous, similar project as
the basis for estimating same parameter or measure for a future
project. It is generally less costly and time consuming than other

techniques, but it is generally less accurate. It is most reliable when the previous activities are similar
in fact & not just in appearance & the project team members preparing the estimates have needed
expertise. It is frequently used to estimate the project duration where there is little amount of detailed
duration about the project e.g. in early phases of the project. It uses historical information & expert
judgment. It is also known as top down / high level estimating/ gross estimating approach. It is at the

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project level, generally given to PM from Management or Sponsor. It can be applied to a total project
or to segments of a project and may be used in conjunction with other estimating methods.
Parametric estimating: They are quantitatively based. This method involves calculations e.g.
Quantitative Activity duration=the quantity or work to be performed* labor hours / unit of work
This technique can produce higher levels of accuracy depending upon the sophistication and
underlying data built into the model. There are two ways an estimator might use
Learning curve : e.g. the 100th room painted will take less time than the first room because of
improved efficiency.
Regression Analysis (scatter diagram): Regression analysis is the statistical technique that identifies
the relationship between two or more quantitative variables: a dependent variable whose value is to be
predicted, and an independent or explanatory variable (or variables), about which knowledge is
available. The technique is used to find the equation that represents the relationship between the
variables.
A heuristic means a rule of thumb. The results of parametric estimates can become heuristics e.g.
80/20 rule applied to quality which suggests that 80 percent of quality problems are caused by 20
percent of potential sources of problems. A schedule heuristic might be “Design work is always 15%
of total project length”
One-Point estimate: Estimator submits one estimate per activity. It can be made based on expert
judgement, by looking at historical information or even by guessing. It can force people into padding
their estimates. A pad is extra time or cost added to an estimate because estimator doesn’t have enough
information. It hides important information about risks and uncertainties
Three-Point estimates (also called PERT estimates) : The accuracy of activity duration estimates
can be improved by considering estimation uncertainty and risk. It provides a risk based duration
estimate. PERT uses three estimates to define an approximate range for an activity’s duration
Most Likely (M): There may be some problem but a lot will go right
Optimistic (O) : Best case scenario in which nothing goes wrong & all conditions are optimal
Pessimistic (P) : The worst case scenario in which everything goes wrong.
Duration estimates based on following equation may provide more accuracy & the three points clarify
range of uncertainty of duration estimates. Activity which has the widest range, the highest standard
deviation and the largest variation has the most risk.
Expected Activity duration (EAD) = (P+4M+O)/6
Activity Standard deviation (SD) = (P-O)/6
Activity Variance= {(P - O)/6}2
A Range for individual activity estimate=EAD +/- SD
Where start of the range is EAD-SD and the end of the range is EAD+SD
A project duration estimate range = expected project duration (sum of
the EADs for each activity) +/- Project standard deviation (the square
root of the sum if the activity variances)
Reserve analysis: It means adding extra time ( % of estimated activity duration or fixed number of
work periods or using quantitative analysis methods) to the schedule (called a contingency reserve or a
buffer) to account for extra risk. Contingency should be clearly defined in the schedule documentation.
As more precise about the project becomes available, the reserve may be used, reduced or eliminated.
Activity Duration Estimates: They are quantitative assessments of the likely number of work periods
that will be required to complete an activity. They don’t include lags. They may include some
indication of the range of possible results e.g. 2 weeks ± 2 days or 15% probability of exceeding three
weeks to indicate a high probability. Duration is the total number of work periods (not including

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holidays or other nonworking periods) required to complete a schedule activity or WBS. Usually
expressed as workdays or workweeks. Sometimes incorrectly equated with elapsed time, contrast with
effort. Elapsed time is a period of time in workweeks which includes non working days. Effort is
number of labor units required to complete a schedule activity or WBS component. Usually expressed
as staff hours, staff days or staff hours.
Project Document Updates: Activity attributes and Assumptions made in developing the activity
duration estimate such as skill levels and availability

Develop Schedule (Planning process group)

Inputs
• Activity list
• Activity attributes
• Project schedule network
diagrams
• Activity resource
requirements
• Resource calendars
• Activity duration estimates
• Project scope statement
• Enterprise environmental
factors (EEF)
• Organizational process
assets (OPA)
Tools & Techniques
• Schedule network analysis
Critical path method
Critical chain method
Resource leveling
What-if scenario analysis
 Monte Carlo analysis
• Applying leads & lags
• Schedule compression
• Scheduling tool
Outputs
• Project schedule
• Schedule baseline
• Schedule data
• Project document updates
Develop schedule is the process of analyzing activity sequences,
durations, resource requirements & schedule constraints to create
the project schedule. It is performed after processes of estimate
activity resources; estimate activity durations and Sequence
activities have been performed and before Determine Budget is
performed. Developing acceptable schedule is an iterative process.
It determines planned start & finish dates for project activities &
milestones. The difference between a time estimate and a schedule
is that the schedule is calendar based. Schedule should be created
at the beginning of the project and used during the project to
measure overall project performance. The project Performance
Measurement Baseline should generally change only in response
to a scope or deliverable change.
Project scope statement: contains assumptions & constraints such
as imposed dates in Scope Statement restrict the start or finish date
Critical path Method: This method calculates the theoretical early
start and finish dates and late start and finish dates for all activities
without regard for any resource limitations, by performing forward
and backward pass analysis through the schedule network. The
resulting early & late start and finish dates indicate the time periods
within which activity can be scheduled, given activity durations,
logical relationships, leads, lags and other known constraints.
The critical path is the longest duration path through a network
diagram and determines the shortest time to complete the project.
The easiest way to find the critical path is to identify all paths
through the network and add activity durations along each path.
The path with the longest duration is the critical path. It is not
unusual to have more than one critical path. In this event, schedule
risk is increased because there are an increased number of ways
project could be delayed. The Critical path helps to calculate
projects’ finish date and to identify float

A near-critical path(s) is one or more paths that are not critical, but could become critical. A path
could become critical because the probabilistic outcomes of durations on one of these paths become
longer than the identified critical path. The closer in length the near critical & critical paths are, more
risk the project has. If activity is on the critical path, you must treat it differently than activity that is
not on the critical path

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Total float (slack) is the amount of time activity can be delayed without delaying project end date or
an intermediary milestone.
Free float (slack) is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying early start date of
any immediate successor.
Project float (slack) is the amount of time a project can be delayed without delaying the externally
imposed project completion date required by customer or management or previously committed to by
the project manager.
Critical paths have either a zero or negative total float, and scheduled activities on critical path are
called “Critical activities”. Critical path activities that are delayed or have dictated results can result in
negative float.Negative float occurs when an activity’s start date occurs before preceding activity’s
finish date. It most often occurs when immovable constraints or milestones are imposed by forces
outside the project. It can be resolved by several methods such as reworking the logic of the schedule,
crashing or fast tracking (Select the choice that has less negative impact)
Float allows better allocation of resources. Float is computed using
Float = Late Start – Early start or
Float = Late finish – Early finish
Critical chain method: It is a schedule network analysis technique that modifies the project schedule
to account for limited or restricted resources. To use critical chain method, you first perform normal
critical path analysis & enter resource availability in the schedule & recalculate critical path. The new
critical path showing the resource restrictions is called the critical chain. The resource constrained
critical path is known as critical chain. It adds duration buffers (non work schedule activities) to
manage uncertainty. One buffer is placed at end of the critical chain is known as the project buffer &
protects the target finish date from slippage along the critical chain. Buffers known as feeding buffers
are used for paths that feed into critical chain & protect the critical chain from slippage along the
feeding chains. The size of each buffer should account for the uncertainty in the duration of the chain
of dependent tasks leading up to that buffer. Once buffer schedule activities are determined; the
planned activities are scheduled to their latest possible planned start and finish dates. It allows for
combining several tasks into one task when one resource is assigned to all the tasks
Resource leveling (resource-based method): It is applied to schedule that has already been analyzed
by the critical path method. It is used when resources are over-allocated (assigned to more than one
activity at same time) or only available at certain times, are only available in limited quantities or to
keep resource usage at constant level. Resource leveling of over-allocated team members extends the
project end date. Resource leveling often causes the original critical path to change. It should be
performed on activity path which has positive float. Reverse resource allocation scheduling technique
schedules the resources in the reverse order (that is, from the end date of the project rather than the
beginning) in order to assign this key resource at the correct time. It is used to optimize the
distribution of work among resources.
What –if scenario analysis: What-if scenario analysis uses different sets of activity assumptions to
produce multiple project durations. What-if analysis weighs different scenarios and their assumptions
and determines the feasibility of the project schedule under adverse conditions. The outcome can be
used in preparing contingency and response plans to overcome or mitigate the impact. Simulation
techniques such as Monte Carlo analysis use a range of probable activity durations (e.g. three point
estimates) for each activity, and calculate a range of probable duration results for the project It can
help deal with “path convergence,” places in the network where multiple paths converge into one or
more activities, thus adding risk to the project. The simulation can tell you probability of completing
project on any specific day & for any specific amount of cost, probability of any activity being on

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critical path & overall project risk. It is more accurate than other methods because it simulates the
actual details of the project and takes into account probability
Schedule compression: It shortens project duration without changing the project scope, to meet
scheduled constraints, imposed dates or other schedule objectives. It is required when project end date
has been predetermined or if, after performing the CPM or PERT techniques, you discover that the
project is going to take longer than the original promised date. Application of schedule compression
requires analysis of risks. Schedule compression techniques include
Crashing: The idea with crashing is to try to gain the greatest amount of schedule compression with
the least incremental cost while maintaining scope. Examples of crashing could include approving
overtime, bringing in additional resources or paying to expedite delivery to activities on critical path.
Crashing only works for activities where additional resources will shorten the duration. Crashing
doesn’t always produce viable alternative and may result in increased risk and/or cost. Work overtime
should be last option as it limits the possibility of resources responding to emergencies for any other
project they are working on, thereby putting other projects at risk. If the budget is fixed, you can’t use
this technique. While crashing, focus on accelerating the performance of tasks on the critical path.
Fast tracking: A schedule compression technique in which phases or activities normally performed in
sequence are performed in parallel e.g. constructing the foundation for a building before completing
all architecture drawings. Fast tracking may result in rework and increased risk. It only works if
activities can be overlapped to shorten the duration. Consider removing discretionary dependencies.
Fast tracking & crashing my add management time for PM. Reducing scope may save cost & time but
may negatively impact customer satisfaction. Cutting quality could probably save cost & resources
but may increase risk & requires good metrics. You should look at risks & re-estimate them.
Project Schedule: It includes the start and finish dates for each of the project activities & resource
assignments. Project schedule remain preliminary until resource assignments have been confirmed
(which is especially more important when you are working in functional organization).. The project
schedule may be presented in summary form, sometimes referred to as the master schedule or
milestone schedule, or presented in detail. Although the schedule can be presented in tabular format, it
is typically represented graphically using one or more following formats
Bar charts (Gantt charts): Bars represent activities, show activity start and end dates as well as
expected durations, & typically have a calendar along the horizontal axis. They are relatively easy to
read and frequently used in the management presentations. They are used to track progress & to report
the team. These are weak planning tool. They neither show interdependencies nor assigned resources.
They don’t help organize the project as effectively as a WBS and network diagrams do. For control
and management communication, the broader, more comprehensive summary activity called a
hammock activity is used between milestones or across multiple interdependent work packages.
Milestone chartsThey are similar to bar charts, but only identify the scheduled start or completion of
major deliverables and key external interfaces. They are good tools for reporting to management and
the customer
Project schedule network diagram It is the best representation for calculating the critical path and to
show interdependencies between activities. It can be presented in the activity-on-node diagram format
or presented in a time-scaled schedule network diagram that is sometimes called a logic bar chart. The
work in progress is reported through data date, which is sometimes also called the as-of / status date.
Schedule baseline :It is accepted and approved schedule by the customer, the sponsor, the PM , FM &
possibly team & has baseline start and finish dates. It can be only changed by approved changes.

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Schedule data : It includes alternative schedules, specific requirements (by time period in form of
resource histogram) for resources, scheduling of contingency reserves, milestones, activities, activity
attributes, identified assumptions & constraints, cash-flow projections & order & delivery schedules.
Project document Updates: Activity resource requirements (If resource leveling analysis changes the
project resource requirements), Activity attributes, Calendar (each project may use different calendar
units as the basis for scheduling the project), Risk register to reflect opportunities or threats through
scheduling assumptions.
Schedule development:
• Work with stakeholder priorities & look for alternative ways to complete the work
• Look for impact on other projects &
• Meet with managers to negotiate for resources availability
• Give a team to approve the schedule. It is most important to get approval of schedule from FM
• Look at calendar estimates to see if they are feasible.
• Compress the schedule & adjust all the component of Project management plan
• Simulate using Monte Carlo analysis & Level resources
• Conduct meetings and conversation to gain stakeholder and mgmt approval.

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Control Schedule (Monitoring and controlling process group)
Inputs
• Project management plan
• Project schedule
• Work performance
information
• Organizational process
assets (OPA)
Tools & Techniques
• Performance reviews
• Variance analysis
• Project management
software
• Resource leveling
• What-if scenario analysis
• Adjusting leads & lags
• Schedule compression
• Scheduling tool
Outputs
• Work performance
measurements
• Organizational process
assets updates (OPA)
• Change requests
• Project management plan
updates
• Project document updates
Control Schedule is the process of monitoring the status of project
to update project progress and manage changes to schedule
baseline. It is performed throughout the life of the project from the
moment the schedule is developed until all scheduled activities
have been completed. Schedule management plan and schedule
baseline are part of project management plan
Performance reviews: They measure, compare & analyze schedule
performance such as actual start and finish dates, percent complete
& remaining duration for work in progress. Magnitude of schedule
variations are accessed by schedule variance (SV) & SPI (using
EVM). If using critical chain method, comparing the amount of
buffer remaining to the amount of buffer needed to protect delivery
data can help determine schedule status.
Variance Analysis: The total float variance can also be used.
Adjusting leads and lags & schedule compression are used to find
ways to bring project activities that are behind into alignment with
plan
Work performance measurements: The calculated SV & SPI for
WBS components, in particular the work packages and control
accounts, are documented and communicated to stakeholders.
Change requests Schedule variance analysis, along with review of
progress reports, results of performance measures, & modifications
to the project schedule can result in change requests to the schedule
baseline &/or to other components of the project management plan.
Preventive actions may include recommended changes to reduce the
probability of negative schedule variances
Project management plan updates: Includes updates to schedule
baseline as result of approved change requests related to project

scope changes, activity resources or activity duration estimates, updates to the schedule management
plan and cost baseline (to reflect changes caused by compression or crashing techniques)
Project document updates to schedule data and project schedule
New project schedule network diagrams may be developed to display approved remaining durations
and modifications to the work plan. If the project schedule gets delayed severely, then new target
schedule with new forecasted start and finish dates is needed to provide realistic data for directing the
work and for measuring performance and progress. (re-baselining). If there are small changes to
project schedule, then the schedule baseline is kept constant, but new target schedule may be used.
Certain impact of scope change is a schedule change to shorten or lengthen subsequent activities
Constraints and Milestones
Constraints:
• Factors that will limit a management team's options for a defined course of action.
• An internal or external restriction that will affect the project's performance
• internal to the project - Dates imposed on any planned activity, used to restrict the start or finish
dates for the tasks, "start no earlier than' and "finish no later than" types, etc.

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• External to the project - Market window on a technology project, weather restrictions on outdoor
activities, government-mandated compliance requirements, etc.
Key event or major milestone schedule:
• Summarizes schedules that identify significant or major milestones in the project
• Denotes identified deliverables and their specified dates of completion, as requested by project
sponsor, customer, or other stakeholders
• Once scheduled, the milestones may be difficult to shift
Notes
• The standard deviation tells you the amount of uncertainty or risk involved in the estimate for
activity.
• If schedule activities are not properly decomposed, the team encounters difficulty in creating the
responsibility assignment matrix. Bar charts don't show time constraints
• Inexperienced person should be assigned to the activity having most float
• More interdependencies between activities increase the need for communication
• If there is more than one critical path, if you want to reduce the project time, activities who are
common should be consider first.
• Simulations can be used to assess the feasibility of meeting scheduled dates under adverse conditions
• The project is completed ahead of schedule means expected risks didn't materialize.
• Project Management software is designed to create & control schedule. It can't create a complete
PMP nor can it manage a complete project
• Schedule revisions - changes to the scheduled start & finish dates in the approve schedule.
• Updating the WBS during define activities are often called refinements. It occurs with riskier
projects.
• CPM manages the total float of schedule network paths, whereas critical chain manages buffer
activity durations.
• Analogous estimating: Extremely difficult for projects with uncertainty, doesn’t take into account
differences between projects, difficult to get biggest piece of budget without justification, activities
need not be identified. You need not need to use historical data
• Bottom-up estimating: More accurate, gains team buy-in, Provides basis for monitoring,
controlling, performance measurement & management, requires project should be well understood,
tendency for team to pad estimates unless taught about reserves.

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