Project Time Planning: Strategies for
Effective Scheduling
Dr. Apata
Introduction to Project Time Planning
Definition: The process of defining and
controlling project schedules to ensure timely
completion.
Importance: Helps in resource allocation, cost
estimation, and project success.
Challenges: Scope creep, resource shortages,
unforeseen risks.
The Project Management Triangle
Balancing these three is key
to project success.
Trade-offs: Adjusting one
affects the others.
Example: Shortening time
may increase cost or reduce
scope.
Key Components of Project
Scheduling
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) –
Hierarchical breakdown of tasks.
• Activity Sequencing – Defining logical
relationships between tasks.
• Estimating Activity Duration – Using expert
judgment, historical data, or three-point
estimation.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Activity Sequencing & Dependencies
• Types of Dependencies:
- Finish-to-Start (FS): The most common dependency type. The next
activity cannot start until the previous one finishes.
- Start-to-Start (SS):Two activities must start at the same time but do
not need to finish together.
- Finish-to-Finish (FF): Two activities must finish at the same time,
but they may start at different times.
- Start-to-Finish (SF): A rare dependency where the start of one task
determines the finish of another.
Estimating Activity Duration
Scheduling Techniques
Gantt Charts
1. Basic Gantt Chart – Simple bar chart for tracking tasks.
2. Task Dependency Gantt Chart – Includes arrows to
show dependencies.
3. Resource-Loaded Gantt Chart – Assigns resources to
tasks.
4. Milestone Gantt Chart – Highlights key deadlines.
5. Baseline vs. Actual Gantt Chart – Compares planned
vs. actual progress.
6. Rolling Wave Gantt Chart – Focuses on near-term tasks
with detailed scheduling.
Critical Path Method (CPM)
• Definition: Longest path through a project determining
shortest completion time.
• Float/Slack: Time a task can be delayed without
affecting the project.
• Float=LS−ES or LF−EF
Earliest Start (ES) and Earliest Finish (EF).
Latest Start (LS) and Latest Finish (LF).
Critical Path Method (CPM)
Critical Path Method (CPM)
Program Evaluation and Review
Technique (PERT)
(O + 4M + P) / 6
• standard deviation (σ) =
Program Evaluation and Review
Technique (PERT)
You are managing a project to design and implement a smart grid energy
system. The project requires estimating the time to complete certain tasks,
and you will use the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) to
determine the expected duration and uncertainty of the project schedule.
For Task A, the project team has provided the following time estimates:
Optimistic Time (O) = 4 weeks
Most Likely Time (M) = 6 weeks
Pessimistic Time (P) = 10 weeks
Use the PERT formula to calculate the following:
1. Expected Time (TE) for Task A
2. Standard Deviation (SD) for Task A
3. If Task A has a variance of the project time, calculate the project's
standard deviation if Task A is the only task that contributes to the total
project duration.
Program Evaluation and Review
Technique (PERT)
Managing Project Delays & Risks
• Common Causes of Delays:
- Poor planning
- Scope changes
- Resource constraints
- External factors (e.g., regulations, market
shifts)
Managing Project Delays & Risks
• Mitigation Strategies:
- Schedule Compression (Crashing & Fast
Tracking)
- Buffer time allocation
- Risk assessment tools.
Monitoring and Controlling the
Schedule
• Tracking Progress- Compare actual progress
with the baseline schedule.
• Earned Value Management (EVM):
Key metrics:
• Planned Value (PV): Budgeted cost of work
scheduled.
• Earned Value (EV): Budgeted cost of work
performed.
• Actual Cost (AC): Actual cost of work performed.
Monitoring and Controlling the
Schedule
Monitoring and Controlling the
Schedule
You are managing an engineering project to design and implement a smart microgrid.
Below are the actual and planned performance metrics at the end of a project phase.
Given:
Planned Value (PV): $150,000
Earned Value (EV): $120,000
Actual Cost (AC): $130,000
Using the information provided, calculate the following:
1. Schedule Variance (SV)
2. Cost Variance (CV)
3. Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
4. Cost Performance Index (CPI)
Monitoring and Controlling the
Schedule
Tools for Project Time Planning
• Microsoft Project – Task scheduling, Gantt
charts.
• Primavera P6 – Enterprise project scheduling.
• Trello, Asana, Jira – Agile project management.
Case Study Discussion
• Case: Analysis of a failed project due to poor
time planning
(New Coke project, The Concorde supersonic
passenger jet )
• Lessons Learned:
• Strategies that could have prevented failure.
Task: Create a simple Gantt chart for a
hypothetical project.
Summary & Key Takeaways
• Importance of structured time planning.
• Tools and techniques for scheduling.
• Managing risks and delays.
• Practical applications in real-world projects.
