Project Management

Class Meeting 3 Sessions 5&6 THE PLAN WBS & Estimating - Scheduling

Agenda
Documents Delivered any questions? Creating the WBS Scheduling what comes FIRST? Case Discussion - Canada Games Estimating Effort Team Meetings
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A Little British PM Humor

You can con a sucker into committing to an impossible deadline, but you cannot con him into meeting it.
Quantitative project management is for predicting cost and schedule overruns well in advance. There's never enough time to do it right first time but there's always enough time to go back and do it again. http://www.project-training-uk.freeserve.co.uk/
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Work Breakdown Structure

WBS the REAL detailed definition of the project
Hierarchy of Goals & Tasks, organized into work packages or sub-projects where appropriate

To Plan & Estimate any project, you need to do a WBS

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Work Packages
Small, meaningful, manageable units of work Meaningful = results with a clearly defined deliverable Manageable = units can be assigned to specific people for clear responsibility & accountability
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WBS Work Package Criteria

1. 2. 3. 4. Status/completion is measurable Start/end events are clearly defined Each activity has a deliverable Time/Cost is easily estimated
Resource requirements

5. Duration is within acceptable limits

1. 1 day to 2 week maximum (8-80)

6. Work assignments are independent

aim for 1-2 week units, unless short/small project

If these 6 criteria cannot be identified, decompose the activity further.

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Creating the WBS

Who would YOU involve in the meeting that was going to break a project definition down into its WBS?
What do you think will be the toughest part of building YOUR project WBS?
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THE Work Breakdown Structure

Defines for the Project:
What Who When How

WBS is used during project:

Thought Process Support Design Tool Planning Tool Project Status Reporting Tool
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Creating the WBS

Project/Functional Decomposition
Top-Down MOST COMMON Bottoms-Up start with end result and work backwards Keep in mind: Workable bits

Who does what, when for WBS details? Depends

Size & Complexity of Project Organizational Reach Vendor vs. Internal
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High Level WBS Working WBS

Define major deliverables FIRST
House example site, foundation, walls, etc Software upgrade needs/features, key users, all users, upgrade vs. replace, functional deliverables, data conversion, testing, training
House example: FOR WALLS: framing, electrical, plumbing, sheetrock, baseboard Software example: FOR FUNCTIONAL DELIVERABLES: screens, files, control program(s), action program(s), etc.

Break each deliverable down into its major TASK groupings

Break each TASK group into lowest level tasks that make sense for assignment, estimation, costing
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WBS Breakdown Example

We have been assigned to plan an office move involving 12 people (2 offices/10 cubicles) from the 4th floor to the 8th floor with a minimum of disruption, using only one moving day, if possible.
IN YOUR TEAMS, briefly discuss: 1. WHAT are the TOP LEVEL tasks involved? 2. For each top level activity, what are the tasks that are needed to accomplish the activity? 3. Are there any work packages that make sense to monitor/accomplish together?
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Organizing WBS Activities

Noun
Objectives Requirements - Deliverables

Verb
Action Phrases (Install, Design, Code, etc)

Organizational
Departmental Geographical Process

LOTS of ways to organize activities! Choose one you like or that fits the situation well.
BE CONSISTENT
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WBS Considerations
Status Roll-ups - MILESTONES Reporting who needs to see what when? Milestones are Points to take a Breath and are good to acknowledge a significant deliverable. Task definition by category of resource NOT a specific person! What skills should be on the team, not just WHO? Who/How & Authorizations WBS reviewed/approved? By Whom??

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Creating the WBS

Lets Do a Few Quick WBS Examples:
House Example Installing a new Firewall System New expense report processing (bottom-up) Modifying an existing report program
(either)

Defining more Details drilling down

Test environment task list in Excel
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 Canadian Games Case Discussion

HOW did the Games management team set-up the oversight/management of the army of volunteers? Why do you think it worked?
BRAINSTORM IN YOUR TEAMS: The 2013 games are coming up. With the estimated 4400 participants, 18 sports, and related services during the games, determine the following: IDENTIFY the major tasks/deliverables needed for the OPENING EVENT (pre-show, athlete parade, multimedia show, with TV & radio coverage)
Select ONE of your task groupings, and decompose it (as per our readings) to the major work packages that might be assigned to a specific volunteer or volunteer team.
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BREAK
Well look at scheduling & estimating when we get back..

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Defining Inter-Task Relationships

For each activity/task on the WBS, while you are organizing the tasks, ask yourself & the planning team:
Is there ANYTHING that must be done BEFORE this task can start? (aka predecessors) Is there ANYTHING that depends on the successful completion of THIS task? (aka successors) Make a note of these in the task list as you identify them.

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Creating THE SCHEDULE

All tasks, except START & FINISH, have a predecessor and a successor
START has NO predecessor FINISH only has a predecessor Tasks can have the same predecessor

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Planning Steps (to date)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Define SCOPE Prepare Statement of Work Build a WBS Identify Task Relationships Estimate Work Packages Calculate Initial Schedule Assign & Level Resources
Text - Pg 153+
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The Math of Estimating

Cost = work effort * resource cost + materials In construction: plumbing installation =
Number of hours plumber, assistant Number of hours finisher, painter PLUS Cost of materials to be installed

In system development: activity cost =

Number of direct labor hours programmer (level), screen designer, systems programmer Direct costs: labor, software licenses, training, etc Indirect costs: system access, telecom, tools, etc

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The Art of Estimating

How much time will it take staff level x to complete the defined task?
Previous experience
What did we estimate last time?

Historical data
How close is this to previous projects?

Expert advice
Depend on those who know

Delphi Technique
Alternative to Expert Advice 3 passes averaged

3-Point Technique
optimistic, pessimistic, most likely

Wide-band Delphi Technique = Delphi + 3-point SWAG = Scientific (silly?) Wild Ass Guess
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Effort vs. Duration

EFFORT = How many hours will it take to complete activity? DURATION = Based on available resources, when can the activity start and how long will it take to accomplish the hours needed? What is the REAL WORK TIME per day?
Ex: 25 hours effort, at 6 hours effective time per day, will take minimum of 4 and 1/6 days.

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Estimating Planned Work

Estimate at the lowest possible task/activity level where distinct resources are identifiable.
Collect your data (experience, expert, delphi) for each task identify any constraints or assumptions such as skill level for resource

REVIEW initial task list estimate with the project team and subject matter experts (SME)
Adjust per their input

Multiply by some factor (1.5 2.0 or more) for all activities over 5-8 days or with ANY degree of uncertainty
Different estimators will do this factoring differently

ENTER reviewed task list with factored effort and resource requirements into the PM system.
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From the experts

Process for estimating a project:
http://www.zdnetasia.com/techguide/techmanagement/0,3904 4902,62045063,00.htm Tom Mochal at builder.com (Tech Republic)

10 Steps for Managing Projects (see section on WBS & effort/duration):

http://www.roninweb.com/PMO/10Steps.htm Ronin Consulting suspect out of business (not updated since 2003), but still good info!
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Graph the Schedule = The Network Diagram

Take Task List from the WBS
Consider Predecessors & Successors Lay out the schedule White Board approach using yellow stickies Swath approach define & describe it and then do a group review for changes/adjustments.

Goal get it visual and then review it left & right, backwards & forwards
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Activity Representations

Activity on Node Diagrams ^

Activity on Arrow Diagrams >

Copyright 2003 by Robert K. Wysocki, Rudd McGary. All rights reserved.

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Task Relationships
FS Task B starts when A finishes (A then B most common activity relationship ex. code then test) SS Task B starts when A starts (ex: data entry & data collection) SF Task B cannot finish earlier than As start (ex: discontinue legacy B after system A is installed) FF Task B cannot finish before A finishes (data entry & data collection)
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Identify Constraints
Technical Constraints
Discretionary force a particular relationship because of specific

conditions (new hires, controlling risk, etc) Best Practices complete design then complete build vs agile cycles of design/build Logical project managers approach to sequencing (another form of discretionary) Unique specific to a project resource or situation (test equipment availability) Management Constraints often based on outside forces or strategic planning decisions Inter-project esp. for partitioned projects or connected subprojects Date for a specific date or no earlier/no later than a date

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Sequencing Tasks
CONSIDER:
1. What has to come first? 2. When can a specific task start?
Ex. Is it after activity X finishes or anytime after activity Y starts?

3. Use F-S (Finish Start) to begin with (simplest relationship) 1. What sub-projects can run simultaneously? 4. Include Lag variable (waiting for delivery) and Management Float (overall padding)
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Calculating THE SCHEDULE

Follow all paths through the arrow diagram, calculating the starts & finishes:
EF = ES+duration - 1 time unit ES = EF of predecessor + 1 time unit LS = LF-duration + 1 time unit LF = LS (next activity) 1 time unit Slack = LF-EF PM software tools will do this calculation for you, but it is good to know how to do it manually
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Types of Diagrams
Gantt Charts (bar chart) useful during ongoing project reviews (whats up next, how long, etc)

Network (arrow) Diagrams esp for the initial project analysis & review better way to view dependencies & task connections
Example: http://www.uyea.btinternet.co.uk/jaon.html

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Critical Path
Longest path or sequence of activities (in terms of duration) from START to FINISH Slack or Float: difference between duration and the LF-EF If on critical path, slack/float will be 0
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Free slack Total slack

Hands On Schedule Calculation

See handout for the MX project

Diagram the sequence of tasks with your team and calculation the Critical Path

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Compressing the Schedule

GOAL: Fit more activities into shorter periods of time (concurrent, sub-divide and run concurrently, etc) Change FS to SS to run groups of activities concurrently Partition or break down activity into smaller parts that will more easily run concurrently
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Analyze the Diagram & Schedule

Does it achieve the desired finish date? Have all the concurrent processes been identified and changed? If still significantly off the finish date, you may need to identify scope reductions to accommodate the desired finish.
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Schedule Compression Resource Leveling

Utilize available slack
Adjust starts/finishes to use up slack where it exists to allow for staff availability where resources are the primary constraint scheduled overtime to meet a specific deadline

Shift project finish date

Smoothing or outside resources

STREEETCHING activities across a longer timeframe (less % resource per day) LIKELY to IMPACT PROJECT SCHEDULE!
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Resource Management
What would you expect the initial resource plan to look like after compressing the schedule? Why does resource leveling make sense What role would you plan for outside or contract resources?
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Work Packages
Key Technical Deliverable Drill down one or more levels in technical detail for each task Assign Coordinator for each package What level of detail?
Enough that continuity can be maintained if the coordinator is no longer available. Enough that the Project Manager is confident that the task will meet the required deliverable.
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Other issues to consider

How to include time for Project meetings, administrative reporting time Project Manager deliverables reports, status updates
TO WHAT LEVEL OF DETAIL should the Project Manager manage?
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Process to date
1. IDENTIFY goals & requirements 2. BREAKDOWN requirements into activities

3. 4.
5.

that together will achieve the goals ANALYZE each activity for duration, required resources, predecessors & successors CREATE network diagram & compress schedule ASSIGN resources & level

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Content Re-Cap
Creating the WBS Case Canadian Games Scheduling the work Estimating the work effort DUE NEXT CLASS (Thursday): WBS, Initial Schedule, & Budget
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Team Meeting
Use this time to discuss
WBS for your project Order tasks for schedule Estimate work packages = budget

This is all the deliverables until after the mid-term!!!

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