Section 5: Schedule Management

Schedule Management

We (PMs) do not manage time; we manage our use of time

- James J O’Brien

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Schedule Management Plan

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The Schedule Management Plan describes the processes that will be used to help ensure the timely completion of the project.

Project Delivery Plan 1. Risk Management2. Roles & Responsibilities3. Scope Management4. Cost Management

5. Schedule Management6. Change Management7. Procurement Management8. Communications Management9. Quality Management10. Transition to Construction Plan

Schedule Management

This topic covers the following:

• Learning Objectives

• Why does the PDP include a Schedule Management Plan?

• Example of a Schedule Management Plan

• What is the PM’s Role in Schedule Management?

• How do you create a Schedule Management Plan?

• Project Management Tool: The CPM Schedule

• Class Exercises & Quiz

• Summary

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Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Recognize the value and purpose of a Schedule Management Plan

• Be able to complete a Schedule Management Plan

• Be familiar with the Preconstruction Schedule Template

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Why Include a Schedule Management Plan?

Accurately estimating and managing project schedules is important to managing CDOT’s construction program.

• The schedule indicates whether a project will make the Ad Date. The “Start Construction” and “End Construction” milestones predict when construction funds will be spent.

• Managing expenditures helps CDOT to honor commitments to the Transportation Commission, the contracting community, and the public.

• Bye-bye SPI ! Hello Ad-date Float!

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The Project Schedule provides estimated completion dates for project milestones in SAP. These milestones are used to report project progress.

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The PM enters milestone dates in the SAP Project Portal, populating the Forecast column. SAP milestones are used by the Region to track whether projects will achieve Ad dates.

Note: CAPP is the Construction Agreed Price Proposal and it applies to CM/GC contracts.

How does it work?

The amount of “float” available to the Ad Date is reviewed monthly by the Region and the PMO.

Float is the amount of time that an Ad Date can change without impacting the construction schedule.

Monitoring float changes from month to month is used to predict expenditures and monitor the Annual Spending Target (set on first working day in January and reviewed monthly).

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Example Schedule Management Plan

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What is the PM’s Role in Schedule Management?

Develop a Schedule Management Plan. Create the initial Project Schedule.

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Request status from the team and update the schedule with actual dates.

Monitor changes and analyze impacts to the schedule. Use change control when appropriate.

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The Schedule Management Plan describes the process for developing and managing the project schedule, including:

• Roles and responsibilities for updating, and monitoring and controlling the schedule.

• The timing of schedule reviews and updates.

How do you create a Schedule Management Plan?

How do you create a Schedule Management Plan?

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The Schedule Management Plan consists of:

• A narrative or table that describes the development and management of the Schedule and assigns responsibilities for reporting project status

• A critical path method (CPM) project schedule that uses a standardized schedule template

A few key scheduling terms:• Activity- A task needed for the accomplishment of a project

• Duration- The amount of time needed to complete an activity

• Logic – The dependency and sequencing between activities

• Float or Slack – The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project

For an introduction to MS Project scheduling, please see the “CPM Scheduling: MS Project 2013 Basic eLearning” course in the LMS.

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Project Management Tool: The CPM Schedule


What is the Preconstruction Schedule Template? A CPM schedule created in MS Project that:

• Includes preconstruction activities common to most projects,

• Has logic ties and typical durations, and

• Needs to be customized with project specific information.

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Why can’t I just use a list of milestones or a bar chart?• CPM scheduling calculates the critical path and float or slack.

— Recall, float/slack is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project.

• A CPM analysis provides a basis for discussing realistic dates and schedule risks with your RE.

• A CPM schedule can be used to analyze the impact of changes (i.e. adding scope) and help make fact-based decisions.

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Can a “one-size” template really fit all projects?

• Developed by several Region folks to be representative of a “typical” project

• Durations can, and should, be adjusted to be project-specific

• Has built-in logic to save development time

• Promotes consistency and supports portfolio analyses

• Supports future implementation of new PM software tools

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The Template:

• Can be customized by activating/deactivating activities (we advise against adding/deleting activities)

• Is pre-programmed with logic ties

• Is organized using key project milestones

• Includes the six Milestones needed for SAP

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To use the Schedule Template, the PM will:

• Need MS Project (contact the Service Desk)

• Consult with groups and Specialty Units that have a role in the project

• Determine the work required to complete the project:

— Determine applicable activities (de-activate unneeded activities; don’t delete them, because you might need them later and/or it could impact schedule logic!)

—Estimate activity durations

—Tailor the schedule template

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How do you estimate durations?

• Utilize your past experience

• Engage the Team

– Team members need to provide durations for their activities (or concur with durations in template)

– Note, they are often balancing commitments to multiple projects

– Asking team members to help create the schedule helps to get buy-in (specialty units, stakeholders, etc.).

– Involved team members are more likely to be committed to meeting the schedule

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Other ways to estimate durations:

• Get Advice / Phone a Friend

— An experienced PM in your Region

• Use Analogous Estimates

– Research durations used in similar projects

• Use Parametric Estimates

– Extract quantities and time durations/unit

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At FIR, the current schedule becomes the baseline or plan.

• Changes after this point may require formal change control

• Analyze the critical path and the completion date to determine if your project is on track to be advertised as planned

• Use the schedule when changes are contemplated and analyze impacts; use “what if” analyses to help make decisions (hint: when doing “what if” scenarios, use a temporary copy of the file)

• Update the schedule when changes have been approved

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Update the schedule to reflect:

• Actual completion dates

– Make sure “auto schedule” is the default

• New activities and/or estimated durations due to changes (Recommend using activate/deactivate feature for changes to scope)

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Demonstration of Template

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Schedule Demo showing:

• How to use Activate/Inactivate

• How to Hide/Unhide activities

There are two templates available on the website:

• A fully expanded version, with all activities active

• A “Simple” version with nearly half of the activities de-activated and hidden

Baseline Schedule Exercise

Open the file Schedule Template -- workshop exercise #1.mpp on your desktop

• The oldest person in the group is the “driver”

• Verify Ad-date = 11/03/2020 (line #146)

• In mid-October 2020, the ROW Manager informs you:

— It has become all too clear that CDOT will need to proceed to condemnation from a landowner for ROW needed to flatten a curve

— The condemnation will delay the ROW clearance until mid-December-2020 (30 additional working days on line #137 are anticipated)

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Anticipated Ad-date?

What is your new Ad-date?

• Correct answer = 12/17/2020

Anyone see anything unusual on the Ad-date line?

Any thoughts on what the PM should do?

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Schedule Maintenance/Upkeep Exercise

Open the file Schedule Template -- workshop exercise #2.mppon your desktop• The youngest person in the group is the “driver”

• Verify Ad-date = 11/03/2020 (line #146)

• Modify using info below:— In mid-March 2019, the design consultants inform you their FIR plans

were so clean that it took only a couple of weeks to finalize the FOR plans

— They will be ready to have the FOR Meeting on 04-01-2019 rather than 07-26-2019

— After speculating that witchcraft must have been involved, you decide to do a “what if” scenario by entering an Actual Finish of 04-01-2019 for the FOR Meeting. (line #105)

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Anticipated Ad-date?

What is your new Ad-date?

• Correct answer = 07/08/2020

• It was originally 11/03/2020

Assuming the PM is 100% convinced the consultant’s information and assessment is accurate, any thoughts on what the PM might consider doing?

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When to Create and Maintain Schedule?

When should the PM create the schedule?

• At/prior to Design Scoping Review Meeting

At what point of the project should maintenance of the schedule occur?

• Throughout the design phase

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Summary

The Schedule Management Plan provides the framework for creating and managing the project schedule.

• Engaging the team to develop the schedule helps create buy-in with schedule commitments.

• CPM scheduling provides a valuable tool that can be used to track progress and evaluate impacts from changes.

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Questions/Discussion

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Section 5: Schedule Management

Documents

Transcript of Section 5: Schedule Management