Planning Stage & Planning Tools and Techniques

Planning Stage
Estimating Scheduling
Resources Dependencies Milestones

Outputs

Scheduling
Setting out all project activities & tasks logically so

dependencies & resource constraints are satisfied

The project schedule is constrained by: Resource availability Logical dependencies Milestone constraints

Resources
Resource availability affects task schedule Ensure the right resources are used Ensure resources are used efficiently Affects cost, quality and time Relationship between these is not linear

(see Brooks, 1995)

Resources
Human Other Equipment Tools Office space Information Raw materials and so on ...

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Resources
Ensure the person allocated to the task:
Understands their role Has the correct skills Has the necessary authority Has access to other necessary resources Understands the role of others in the task

(QA, management, etc.)

Responsibility matrix
Person Activity Content Design Print Distribution
I - input R - review

A I I R

B C D E F I S R I R P I P I I S S R

S - sign off P - participant

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Dependencies
Logical relationships between tasks
start-to-start start-to-finish finish-to-start finish-to-finish

Dependencies
Finish-to-start is common
task A must finish before task B can start
may include lag (delay) and lead (overlap) times

in finish-to-start dependencies

Dependencies
Other constraints on tasks: task cannot start before a specific date task must finish by a specific date task must start on a specific date task must start as soon as possible task must start as late as possible task must run in parallel with another task task must wait X days after another task ends

caution: these may be consecutive working days

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Milestones
Milestones significant events in the project plan normally correspond to key deliverables milestones and dates are agreed with key stakeholders at the baseline plan stage milestones often become fixed

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Scheduling
Tasks must be scheduled to satisfy all constraints, logical dependencies and milestone dates There are tools to help achieve this Project schedule must also be stable Small disruptions to tasks must not have significant impact on the whole schedule

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Outputs
Baseline plan descriptions supporting the schedule (more than diagrams or lists of tasks )

activities resources cost quality risk configuration

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Outputs
Baseline plan highlights project milestones Plan sign-off
could be limited number of milestones at a time

Phased approach Reduces risk Allows further decision points

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Any Questions?

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Planning Tools and Techniques

Planning tools
Network diagrams Critical path method PERT analysis Gantt charts Resource histogram Containment of risk

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Network diagrams
Powerful tools to represent and optimise complex schedules Not as intuitive as Gantt charts (see later) Planning rather management reporting tool Two main formats: Activity on Arrow (A-o-A) Activity on Node (A-o-N)

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Activity on Arrow
The network consists of nodes and arrows Each node represents an event Each arrow starts and ends at an event Each arrow represents an activity Arrows and nodes are uniquely labelled Arrows point from left to right (indicating time)

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Activity on Arrow
10 A 2 20

Activity A runs from event 10 to event 20 and has a duration of 2 time units.
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Activity on Arrow
30 E 2 50 40 G 3 H 7 F 3 70 I 80 3

10

A 2

C 20 5 D 3

B 4

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Activity on Node
The network consists of nodes and arrows
Each node represents an activity Each arrow represents a logical dependency between activities Can represent different dependencies Different conventions are used Arrows can include a time lag

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Activity on Node
Task 1 10 days Task 1 10 days 4 Task 2 5 days 3 Task 2 5 days Finish-to-start dependency 3 days lag Start-to-start dependency 4 days lag

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Activity on Node
task 1 1 4 days task 2 2 3 days task 3 3 8 days

Fri 10/03/00 15/03/00 Wed

Thu 16/03/00 20/03/00 Mon

Tue 21/03/00 30/03/00 Thu

MS Projects convention for A-o-N

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Critical path method

Either A-o-N or A-o-A networks can be
used to calculate the critical path We will use A-o-A terminology

A-o-N method looks slightly different, but the result is the same!

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Critical path method

Earliest Event Time (EET):
Earliest time an event can occur Equal to the earliest time all activities leading into the event can be completed Determines the earliest time any activity leading from the event can start

Latest Event Time (LET):

Latest time an event can occur (and still complete the project
in the shortest possible time) Greater than or equal to the earliest event time

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Critical path method

Notes: two passes through network diagram

first pass to calculate EETs, left to right second pass to calculate LETs, right to left

cannot have LET earlier than EET - by definition cannot have negative times for EETs and LETs start time of project will be zero (EET=LET=0) finish time of project will have EET=LET

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Critical path method

Some definitions
Float is the difference between LET and EET: Float = LET - EET Slack is slightly different from float, but the terms are often used in the same way Float is always greater than or equal to zero The critical path is the sequence of activities with zero float The critical path is the longest path through the network, but the shortest time in which the project can be completed The critical path must go all the way through the network diagram

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Critical path method

EET
30

10 0

A 2

B 4
20 2

E 2
50

40

C 5 D 3

EET 0 plus duration 2 gives EET 2 for the next activities B, C & D

60

G 3 H 7

F 3
70

I 3

80

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Critical path method

EET B 4
20 2 30 6
EET 2 plus duration 4 gives EET 6 for the next activity E

E 2
50 7

40

10 0

A 2

C 5 D 3

EET 2 plus duration 3 gives EET 5 for the next activity H

60 5

G 3 H 7

F 3
70

I 3

80

EET 2 plus duration 5 gives EET 7 for the next activity G

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Critical path method

EET B 4
20 2 30 6

E 2
50 7

From F, EET 8 plus duration 3 gives EET 11 for the next activity I

40 8

10 0

A 2

C 5 D 3

From H, EET 5 plus duration 7 gives EET 12 for the next activity I

60 5

G 3 H 7

F 3
70 12

I 3

80

From G, EET 7 plus duration 3 gives EET 10 for the next activity I
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Critical path method

EET B 4
20 2 30 6
Choose the latest EET; need to wait until longest activity has finished

E 2
50 7

40 8

10 0

A 2

C 5 D 3

60 5

G 3 H 7

F 3
70 12

I 3

80 15

EET 12 plus duration 3 gives 15 for the end of the project

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Critical path method: table

Activity A B C D E F G H I Duration 2 4 5 3 2 3 3 7 3 EET 0 2 2 2 6 8 7 5 12 LET Float/Slack

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Critical path method

EET LET A 2 B 4
20 2
LET 15 minus duration 3 gives LET 12 for activity I

30 6

E 2
50 7

40 8

10 0

C 5 D 3

60 5

G 3 H 7

F 3
70 12,12

I 3

80 15,15

LET = EET for the end of the project

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Critical path method

EET LET A 2 B 4
20 2
LET 12 minus duration 3 gives LET 9 for activity F

30 6

E 2
50 7,9

40 8,9

10 0

C 5 D 3

LET 12 minus duration 7 gives LET 5 for activity H

60 5,5

G 3 H 7

F 3
70 12,12

I 3

80 15,15

LET 1 minus duration 3 gives LET 9 for activity G

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Critical path method

EET LET A 2 B 4
20 2,2
LET 7 minus duration 4 gives LET 3 for activity B

30 6,7

E 2
50 7,9

40 8,9

10 0

C 5 D 3

LET 5 minus duration 3 gives LET 2 for activity D

60 5,5

G 3 H 7

F 3
70 12,12

I 3

80 15,15

LET 9 minus duration 5 gives LET 4 for activity C

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Critical path method

EET LET A 2 B 4
20 2,2 30 6,7

E 2
50 7,9

40 8,9

10 0

Choose the earliest LET so that the longest activity will have enough time to finish

C 5 D 3

60 5,5

G 3 H 7

F 3
70 12,12

I 3

80 15,15

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Critical path method

EET LET A 2 B 4
20 2,2 30 6,7

E 2
50 7,9

40 8,9

10 0,0

C 5 D 3

LET 2 minus duration 2 gives LET 0 for the start of the project

60 5,5

G 3 H 7

F 3
70 12,12

I 3

80 15,15

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Critical path method: table

Activity A B C D E F G H I Duration 2 4 5 3 2 3 3 7 3 EET LET Float/Slack 0 0 2 2 or 3 2 2 or 4 2 2 6 7 8 9 7 9 5 5 12 12

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Critical path method

EET 30 LET 6,7 Critical path B 4 A 20 C 10 0,0 2 2,2 5 D 3 E 2
50 7,9 40 8,9

The longest path through the network is the shortest time the project can take

60 5,5

G 70 I 80 3 12,12 3 15,15 H path is the path with 7 The critical any delay will mean zero float;
the whole project will be late
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F 3

Critical path method: table

Activity A B C D E F G H I Duration 2 4 5 3 2 3 3 7 3 EET LET Float/Slack 0 0 0 2 2 or 3 1 2 2 or 4 2 2 2 0 6 7 1 8 9 1 7 9 2 5 5 0 12 12 0

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Network diagrams & CPM

check out the suggestions for further reading try out the tasks (including past exam papers)

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References & further reading

Bentley C (1997) PRINCE 2: A Practical Handbook Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Brooks F. (1995) The Mythical Man-Month (Anniversary Edition), Harlow: Addison-Wesley Burke R (1999). Project Management: Planning and Control Techniques, Chichester: Wiley Central Computer & Telecommunications Agency (1997) PRINCE 2: An Outline, London: The Stationery Office Field M & Keller L (1998) Project Management, Oxford: International Thomson Business Press
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