Project
Planning & Scheduling
"Someone's
sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time
ago."
Warren
Buffett.
| Core
Papers: |
|
The questions ''what
makes a good schedule?'
'what makes a good planner?' and 'what should they do?'
are addressed in these papers:
- A Guide to Scheduling Good
Practice
describes the work undertaken by a scheduler to create an effective
'dynamic
schedule' and is consistent with the PMBOK Guide and PMI
Practice Standard for Scheduling. [Open
the paper]
- Attributes of a Scheduler
considers the personal skills and competencies needed by a person to be
an effective scheduler and describes the various 'roles' a scheduler
will have during the life cycle of a typical project. [Open
the paper]
- Dynamic
Scheduling describes
the benefits derived from developing a 'good schedule' as
defined in a 'A Guide to
Scheduling Good Practice'. [Open
the paper]
- Links,
Lags & Ladders
focuses on the issues, problems and challenges of overlapping tasks in
a
schedule using various link types (F-S, S-S, F-F-, S-F) with or without
lead and lag durations, the more sophisticated 'ladder' concept, and
the importance of actively managing the 'space' between tasks. [Open
the paper]
- Schedule Levels
provides a guide the the 5 levels of schedule typically used on major
projects from the 'Master Schedule' to the 'Detailed Short Term
Schedule', adapted from Bechtel & Fluor standards. [Open
the paper]
Also:
 |
The Practice Standard for
Scheduling
Price: $60.50
+
Delivery charges $11 (Australia only)
Effective project scheduling is critical to the success of a project.
PMI's The Practice
Standard for Scheduling is a systematic guide describing
the
hallmarks of an effective scheduling methodology, as well as providing
quantifiable means for assessing the maturity of a schedule model.
Chapters: 1 - Intro
(1 p)
2 - Schedule development process (6 p)
3 - Good Practices (9 p)
4 - Scheduling Components (33p)
ie, a listing of items and their
characteristics:
name, required/optional, calculated/manual, data format, behaviour
description, good practices, associated component, definition
5 - Conformance Index (2 p) and Conformance Scoring in Appx D. See
more on Schedule Conformance Scoring
Plus a lengthy Glossary (20 p) |
This standard is also available from:
The PMI Bookshop: www.pmi.org
Amazon: www.amazon.com |
|
The need for good scheduling
practice:
The
disastrous state of schedule practice in the construction industry is
canvassed in the report Managing the
Risk of Delayed Completion in the 21st Century.
Between December 2007 and January 2008, The Chartered Institute of
Building (CIOB) conducted a survey of the construction
industry’s
knowledge and experience of different methods of project control, and
time management, record keeping, monitoring and training. The
findings suggest there is a lot of work needed to achieve general 'best
practice', more worrying the building industry is probably far more
advanced in it's use of scheduling than most. Download the report
from www.ciob.org.uk/resources/research.
One of the key people driving the report and the on-going work by CIOB
to develop a 'Best Practice' standard and scheduling certification in
Keith Pickavance, CIOB President and Keynote speaker at PM Asia 2008.
Read 'Time is NOT money', a conversation with
Keith Pickavance' for some background on this initiative and
Keith's assertion the 21st Century will be 'The Age of Time'. We
are working to support
the CIOB initiative to develop its 'Guide to good practice in project
scheduling' and definitely expect to see the management of 'time risks'
improved from this work and the comparable efforts being lead
by the PMI
College of Scheduling - http://www.pmicos.org.
Publication of 'The
Practice Standard for Scheduling' is only the beginning!
Mosaic's key contributions to improving schedule practice are the
conformance scoring tool and our training courses outlined below.
| Schedule
Conformance Scoring Tool |
|
The new PMI Practice Standard for Scheduling
include a conformance scoring system that allows schedules to be rated
for conformance with accepted good practice. This version of the
Standards allows assessors to assess whether a schedule uses (ie
contains) a component correctly, not the way it is utilised (ie, its
usefulness). Mosaic plans to release a tool to facilitate the
assessment of schedules in accord with the Standard this year.
Manual assessments based on the standard are
available now. For a quotation email:
conformance@mosaicprojects.com.au
To purchase a copy of the PMI Practice Standard
for
Scheduling go to our [ books
page
]
To register interest in this new tool
email: conformance@mosaicprojects.com.au
| Scheduling
Training and Certifications |
|
- PMI-SPsm
Scheduling Professional Credential - PMI
has announced a new certification for
schedulers and initial on-line applications are now
open.
PMI's near term objective is to secure at least 100 approved scheduling
credential candidates to take the examination during the pilot period
from 30 May – 31 July 2008. This will enable PMI to establish
an
official cut-score in a timely manner. For more information see
http://www.pmischeduling.com/Home.aspx. - visit our training page for
the latest information.
Email: training@mosaicprojects.com.au
to be kept up to date with developments.
- 'How
To' Develop
an Effective Schedule -
Mosaic's 5-STEPS™
(Five Steps To Effective Planning & Scheduling)
workshop is designed
to build and maintain a positive stakeholder
consensus using the power of pro-active 'dynamic scheduling' to
build and
foster a strong team commitment. Based on the PMI Practice Standard for
Scheduling, the workshop focuses on effective
schedule planing and control techniques.
[See more on our
5-STEPS
Scheduling Training]
- Project
Planning and Control
- Mosaic's software based training courses focus on the optimum way to
use the software as a tool to assist in developing effective dynamic
schedules
to plan and control time, resources and costs on a project. [ See more on our Scheduling
Software Training ]
Our
thoughts on the value of scheduling credentials were presented to the Victorian
Primavera User Group (VPUG) in August 2008 - [view
the presentation]
| Planning
& Scheduling Resources |
|
Mosaic's
Published Papers
- 5-STEPS,
Five Steps To Ensure Project Success
- The ‘5 Steps To Ensure Project Success’
methodology is a
proven process designed to focus the thinking of the key Stakeholders
onto the parameters required to achieve a successful project outcome.
[View Abstract]
- A
Brief History of Scheduling - Back to the Future
- A Brief History of the first 50 years of 'Critical Path'
Scheduling; and arguably the evolution of modern project management.
The suggestion is that the growth of modern project management is a
direct consequence of the need to make effective use of the data
generated by the schedulers in an attempt to manage the 'project' and
control the 'critical path'.
[View Abstract]
- (The)
Cost of Time - or who's duration is it anyway?
- Probably the most common action undertaken by schedulers
everywhere is assigning a duration to a task. This paper outlines the
factors influencing the choice of an optimum duration. Considers the
factors that can cause the duration to be modified during the planning
phase and then outlines some of the likely costs associated with
accelerating the project.
[View Abstract]
- Float
- Is It Real?
- The existence of a ‘critical path’ and
non-critical
activities (with their associated ‘float’) grew out
of the
science of ‘scheduling’ as defined by Critical Path
Analysis (CPA) and are barely 50 years old! This paper analyses the
factors creating the ‘critical path’ and
‘float’ within a schedule and then look at ways of
resolving the conflicting views of float encountered in the literature.
Potential solutions include the UK ‘Delay and Disruption
Protocol’, client led integrated teams and the use of
alternative
planning methods such as location based scheduling, trend analysis and
earned schedule.
[View Abstract]
- Improving Schedule Management - This
paper describes the changing role of scheduling within the complex
dynamic environment of modern projects and programs. PMI’s
contributions including the SEI, standards and credentials are
identified. The attributes needed for an effective schedule and the
skills needed by an effective scheduler are described and linked to the
emerging paradigms of complexity theory.
[View Abstract]
- Managing
for Success - The power of regular updates
- Critical path scheduling techniques, supported by efficient
scheduling software have long been recognised as a standard component
in the overall project management process. This paper looks at the
interaction between the analytical and psychological processes involved
in schedule development and control systems to identify ways to deliver
major enhancements in the planning / scheduling process.
[View Abstract]
- Project
Controls in the C21 – What works / What’s fiction
- This
paper takes a controversial look at the relevance of project control
systems and suggests
the changes in
skills, attitudes and practices needed to keep scheduling, cost control
and EV relevant in the coming years.
[View
Abstract]
- Scheduling
in a Defence Environment -
The primary purpose of any schedule should be to help the project
manager and project team optimise the overall strategy for the delivery
of the project, coordinate workflows and assist in the decision making
processes needed to resolve dilemmas and issues on a day-to-day basis.
This paper identifies some of the symptoms of scheduling failure and
then addresses three topics; a discussion of the real purpose and
usefulness of scheduling. the current ‘state of
play’ in
the development of scheduling and some emerging trends that may
re-focus scheduling. [View
Abstract]
- Scheduling
in the Age of Complexity -
This
paper suggests that a radically different approach is needed to make
scheduling relevant and useful in the 21st Century. Starting
with
the ideas derived from Complexity Theory, Complex Responsive Processes
of Relating (CRPR) and the concept of the project team as a
‘Temporary Knowledge Organization (TKO) one can see the
delivery
of the project being crafted by thousands of individual decisions and
actions taken by people who are ‘actors’ within the
social
network of the project team and its immediate surrounds. The
role
of ‘project management’ is to motivate, coordinate
and lead
the team towards the common objective of a successful project outcome.
The project scheduler has a key role in this complex environment
provided the right attitudes, skills and scheduling techniques are used
in the optimum way.
[View
Abstract]
- Standardising
Quality in Project Scheduling -
The
publication by PMI of its ‘Practice Standard for
Scheduling’ in May 2007 goes a long way towards defining
‘good scheduling practise’
and providing a tool that for the first time allows the unambiguous
assessment of the technical competence of any schedule. Based on the
Practice Standard, PMI have also announced the development of a new
certification for schedulers.
This paper provides a detailed review of the standard, its use as a
conformance measurement tool and an outline of the PMI Scheduling
Credential.
[View Abstract]
- Time IS NOT Money - “Time
is not money; with money you can put it on the table and you can see
it, and if you leave it, it may even accumulate - whereas with time,
you can’t see it or touch it. It expires at a regular and
consistent rate whether you use it or not.”
- Read the interview 'Time is NOT money', a conversation with
Keith Pickavance' for some background on Keith's assertion the 21st Century will be 'The Age of Time'.
[View PDF]
- Or you can view the broadcast of his keynote presentation at PM Asia by clicking on: http://www.multichanneltv.com/ciob/cio004/
Mosaic's Sheduling Blogs - [visit blog]
Scheduling
Organisations and
Useful Links
Scheduling
Books and Standards
- Preview and buy PMI's Practice
Standard for Scheduling -a
systematic guide describing the hallmarks of an effective schedule
methodology and providing a quantifiable means for assessing the
maturity of a schedule model. For more information, see:
Mosaic's Book Shop
- Preview and buy Murray Woolf's 'Faster
Construction Projects with CPM Scheduling' - Written by
a 30 year scheduling veteran,
this book is packed with hundreds of 'tricks of the trade'. For more
information see:
Mosaic's Book Shop
Scheduling
Software, Tools and Techniques
- Tools we know and/or use:
- ACOS PLUS.1
is a sophisticated MIS and offers a range of progressive features such
as Milestone Trend or Cost Trend Analysis. Sophisticated layout options
allow compressed bar chart outputs and combined reports. [ See
more ]
- Deltek Open Plan -
Powerful Project Management software for project planners and
schedulers.
[ See
more ]
- Micro Planner X-Pert and Manager
- Microplanner has the best network diagram of any tool we know.
[ See
more ]
- Microsoft Project -
The ubiquitous project management tool found in every office.
[ See
more ]
- Pertmaster project
risk analyses your project risk in time and/or money.
[ See
more ]
- Primavera
provides a range of software for every aspect of project management
including project planning and scheduling, risk analysis, contract
administration.
[ See
more ]
- Synchro 4D Modelling links to Primavera and other scheduling tools: http://www.synchroltd.com
- Methodologies
- 5-STEPS,
the ‘5 Steps To Ensure Project Success’ methodology
is a
proven process designed to focus the thinking of key Stakeholders onto
the parameters required to achieve a successful project outcome.
5-STEPS uses the development of the schedule as a central plank in its
approach to developing an effective project team and fostering positive
stakeholder involvement. [ See
more ]
- Other
interesting scheduling tools:
- AMS Realtime
solution-set with powerful scheduling, earned value management and
other functionality including an excellent report writing module and
multi resource management to effectively plan and control work, time
and resources in real time at project, programme and portfolio level.
Distributors for AMS Realtime in the Asia - Pacific Project Plus Ltd. Or see http://www.amsrealtime.com
- Asta Powerproject is
a professional project management software application for construction
and related industries. See http://www.astadev.com/software/powerproject/index.asp
- CASCAD-e a new
time-scaled precedence diagramming (TSPD) planning tool from CASCAD-e
Systems. Dr. J. Gordon Davis says "Showing
project status on a time-scaled precedence diagram (TSPD) is a very
unforgiving process. Behind-schedule activities and
out-of-sequence work stand out like a sore thumb. But the
recovery opportunities are also apparent." CASCAD-e imports
data from most standard scheduling applications. For more information
see http://www.cascad-e.net
- Critical Tools: The tools can be used by themselves or as an add-on to Microsoft Project. For more information
see http://www.criticaltools.com
WBS Chart Pro - plan and display your projects using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Chart.
PERT Chart Expert, plan and display your projects using a Precedence Diagram
- NetPoint™ PMA’s
intuitive Graphical Planning Method™ (GPM) application that
provides an activity network-based process for simplified and
collaborative planning and scheduling to give clarity to all
stakeholders by creating an effective communication tool. See
http://pmatechnologies.com/index.htm
- OpenProj™ is
a free, open source desktop alternative to Microsoft Project. It's
available on Linux, Unix, Mac or Windows, and it's free. See http://openproj.org
- Project Commander -
easy to use, low cost,
intuitive product with it's extensive use of the mouse and WYSIWYG
screens. See www.pmscsolutions.co.uk
- RPM - Relationship
Driven Critical Path Method of planning and schedule analysis (based on
a melding of ADM and PDM ideas) - http://www.fplotnick.com/RDCPM.htm
- Spider - Integrated
schedule, cost and resource management - http://www.spiderproject.ru
- More tools
to be added........
