Module 30Project Scope

The WBS & Project Schedule

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1. Project I. A group of related tasks organized to

achieve a goal.

2. Critical PathD. The sequence or path of tasks with the longest duration.

3. TaskA. A segment of work.

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4. Dependent Task

K. A task which cannot begin until its predecessor task or tasks are complete.

5. Parallel Tasks

B. Two or more tasks that can be performed during the same period of time.

6. Early Start

C. The earliest date a task can start based on defined tasks, logic, and durations.

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7. Late Start

F. The latest data a task can start without delaying the start of sequel tasks, in essence without delaying the project.

8. Resource

J. Money, material, equipment, or people required to complete a task.

9. Lag

E. A critical period of time between the finish of one task and the start of another, usually involving no resources.

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10. Float/Slack

H. The extra time available to complete a task without delaying the project.

11. Project Management

G. The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.

12. WBS

L. A decomposition of project deliverables.

Manual – Scope – Page 55

How do you Eat an Elephant?

One bite at a time…

At the heart of every large project…is a small project trying to get out.

High-Level Work Breakdown Structure

A deliverables-oriented grouping of the full scope of work for a project.

Helps confirm a common understanding of the full scope of the project.

Any work not included in the WBS is not included in the scope of the project.

DeliverableLevel 1

Deliverable Level 2

Deliverable Level 2

Deliverable Level 2

Deliverable Level 3

Deliverable Level 3

Deliverable Level 3

Work Breakdown Structure

Developed by identifying the high-level deliverables and then successively subdividing that deliverable into increasingly detailed and manageable subsidiary deliverables or components.

A WBS is not the work, but the actual deliverables the customer expects from the project work.

DeliverableLevel 1

Deliverable Level 2

Deliverable Level 2

Deliverable Level 2

Deliverable Level 3

Deliverable Level 3

Deliverable Level 3

WBS Benefits*

Better communication to project sponsors, stakeholders, and team members.

More accurate estimation of tasks, risks, timelines, and costs.

Increased confidence that 100% of the work is identified and included.

Strong foundation for the control processes within the project.

*According to PMI® in their Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Second Edition, 2006

Reasons to Create a WBS1. Cost Estimating

Because a WBS requires you and your project team to account for everything you'll be creating, you can create more accurate cost estimates of what the project will cost to complete.

2. Cost Budgeting Cost budgeting is the tracking of

actual dollars committed to a project deliverable.

Cost budgeting allows the project manager to track the cost baseline of the project.

Reasons to Create a WBS

3. Resource Planning How do you know how much help you'll need to complete the project? Most project managers rely on expert judgment, experience, and gut

feelings. The WBS reveals the deliverables

and the required talent to create the deliverables.

Reasons to Create a WBS

4. Risk Management Planning The WBS allows us to consider the circumstances and conditions of

each deliverable for risks within our project, analyze them, and develop risk mitigation measures.

5. Activity Definition A WBS can help you better define

the activities needed to create the deliverables.

100% Rule

The WBS includes 100% of the work defined by the project scope

It captures ALL deliverables the project is to produce including project management deliverables

Common Pitfalls A WBS is not an exhaustive list of work. A WBS is not a project plan or a project schedule, and it is

not a chronological listing. Difficult to follow the 100% Rule at all levels without WBS

hierarchy. A WBS is not an organizational hierarchy. Short-term memory capacity should not dictate the size and

span of a WBS tree structure.

Formats

Planning Meeting

Agenda Participants Location Date/Time

PurposeOn Location Participants

Call In Participants

Room Set Up

Desired Outcomes

Room Supplies

Meeting Length

Availability

Formats

Planning Meeting1. Agenda

1.1 Purpose1.2 Desired Outcomes

2. Participants2.1 On Location Participants2.2 Remote Participants

3. Date/Time3.1 Availability3.2 Meeting Length

4. Location4.1 Room Set Up 4.2 Meeting Supplies/Equipment

Formats

WBS Summary Last two bullets…

Grows in detail as the project progresses normally. Does not grow in deliverables and methodology without a scope

change.

Time

Tips to Remember If I had all these

deliverables, would I achieve the planned objectives for the project?

Your High-level WBSDeliverables Based

Review your project requirements, objectives, and deliverables

Work with your team to develop a high-level WBS for your project Deliverables only No tasks or activities

Be prepared to share with the big group on flipchart/wall

Using the WBS as a Technique to Plan

A plan is a roadmap describing how we get from where we are, the current state, to where we want to be, the desired state. 

A work breakdown structure (WBS), in its simplest form, is a formal process for laying out desired state (deliverables) and the project tasks or activities describing the path to the desired state. 

Generic Tree Structure

1.0 Deliverable

1.2 Work PackagePackage 2

1.3 Work PackagePackage 3

1.1 Work PackagePackage 1

2.0 Deliverable

2.2 Work PackagePackage 2

2.3 Work PackagePackage 3

2.1 Work PackagePackage 1

1.2.2 Activity 2

1.2.3 Activity 3

1.2.1 Activity 1

1.2.2.3Task 3

1.2.2.1Task 1

1.2.2.2 Task 2

PROJ ECT XYZ

2.2.2 Activity 2

2.2.3 Activity 3

2.2.1 Activity 1

2.2.2.3Task 3

2.2.2.1Task 1

2.2.2.2 Task 2

By Stage

2.0 Kickoff

3.0 Scope

PROJ ECT XYZ

1.0 Initiation

1.1 Project

Documentation

2.1.2 Project

Organization

2.1.3 Project Constraints

2.1.1 Project Purpose

Statement

2.1 Project

Charter Draft

1.1.2 Project Journal

1.1.3 Issue Log

1.1.1 Common Folder on

Share Drive

2.2.2 Areas Involved

2.2.1 Validate Leadership

Roles

2.2 Kickoff

Meeting

3.1.2Objectives & Approaches

3.2 Risk

Management Plan

3.1.1 High-level Project

Schedule

3.1 Project Scope

Document

3.2.1 Risk Matrix

3.2.2 Residual & Secondary Risks

3.3 Context Diagram

Project Management Deliverables

Outline1. Initiation

1.1 Project Documentation1.1.1 Common Folder on Shared Drive1.1.2 Project Journal1.1.3 Issue Log

2. Kickoff2.1 Project Charter Draft

2.1.1 Project Purpose2.1.2 Project Constraints2.1.3 Project Organization

2.2 Kickoff Meeting2.2.1 Validate Leadership Roles2.2.2 Areas Involved

3. Scope3.1 Project Scope Document

3.1.1 High-level Project Schedule3.1.2 Objectives and Approaches

3.2 Risk Management Plan3.2.1 Risk Matrix3.2.2 Residual & Secondary Risks

3.3 Context Diagram

Tips to Remember If I had all these

deliverables, would I achieve the planned objectives for the project?

If I do all these activities, will I complete that deliverable?

If I do all these sub-activities, will I complete that activity?

Ten Step Planning Process

1. Identify your business requirements, objectives, and approaches.

2. Build your WBS3. Brainstorm the tasks required to

create deliverables.4. Sequence your task.5. Look at the relationships &

dependencies.

6. Identify resources for each task.7. Estimate time required for each

task.8. Remember control is primary

consideration.9. Convert the data into a project

schedule.10. Review the project schedule with

the project team.

Task Dependencies

Predecessors Task A is a predecessor to Task B if Task A must be completed before Task B

can be completed.

Successors Successors are the reverse of predecessors.  Task B is a successor of Task A

when the completion of Task B depends on the completion of Task A.

Task A Task BPredecessor Successor

Task Relationships

Finish to Start

Task A

Task B

Predecessor

Successor

Buy ingredients

Make cake

Task Relationships

Start to Start

Task A

Task B

Predecessor

Successor

Mix ingredients

Preheat oven

Task Relationships

Finish to Finish

Task A

Task B

Predecessor

Successor

Mix ingredients

Preheat oven

Lag – Waiting Time

Task A

Task B

Predecessor

Successor

Bake the Pie

Wait 45 Minutes

Put Topping on Pie for Browning

Lead – Hurry Up Time

Bake Pie

Clean up Kitchen

Task A

Task B

Predecessor

Successor

The Critical Path Sequence of tasks or activities with the longest duration. Float/Slack – activities not on critical path…can be delayed

GANTT Charts

ID Task Name Start Finish DurationMar 2007

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1

1 3d3/21/20073/19/2007Task A

2 5d3/28/20073/22/2007Task B

3 2d3/23/20073/22/2007Task C

4 2d3/27/20073/26/2007Task D

5 1d4/2/20073/30/2007Task E

GANTT Chart Exercise

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

A Design Pit

B Buy Materials

COrder and Receive Accessories

D Lay Foundation

E Build Pit

FPlan and Prepare for first Bar-B-Q

GANTT Chart Exercise

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

A Design Pit

B Buy Materials

COrder and Receive Accessories

D Lay Foundation

E Build Pit

FPlan and Prepare for first Bar-B-Q

Which tasks are on the critical path?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

A Design Pit

B Buy Materials

COrder and Receive Accessories

D Lay Foundation

E Build Pit

FPlan and Prepare for first Bar-B-Q

Start Dates?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

A Design Pit

B Buy Materials

COrder and Receive Accessories

D Lay Foundation

E Build Pit

FPlan and Prepare for first Bar-B-Q

Early Start Date

Start Dates?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

A Design Pit

B Buy Materials

COrder and Receive Accessories

D Lay Foundation

E Build Pit

FPlan and Prepare for first Bar-B-Q

Latest Start Date

Slack/Float?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

A Design Pit

B Buy Materials

COrder and Receive Accessories

D Lay Foundation

E Build Pit

FPlan and Prepare for first Bar-B-Q

Slack – 4

Slack - 9

Network Diagrams Provides a graphical view of the project. Predicts the time required to complete the project. Shows which activities are critical to maintaining the schedule

and which are not.

PERT DIAGRAM CRITICAL PATH METHOD DIAGRAM

Exercise

PERT/CPM Diagrams

47 Days – Critical Path

GANTT Chart

The Post-It Note Technique

Time Estimating

Use actual times from similar tasks on other projects Always involve the person (resource) most knowledgeable or

responsible. Periodically audit for trends, and coach as appropriate. Research new vendors or contractors. Give special consideration to critical path tasks. Use MS Project software to make time calculations and include resource

information that makes conflicts more apparent.

Time Estimating

Task Duration – elapsed time Work Effort – effort

Estimating Project Durations

Constraints – anything that restricts or limits your project options

Assumptions – something we take for granted without proof

Available resources

Law of Diminishing Returns

You can’t just add more resources…

It takes one woman nine months to have a baby.

It cannot be done in one month by impregnating

nine women.

Parkinson’s Law

Work will expand to fill the amount of time allotted Padding occurs Think how effective and efficient you are working before

your vacation…

Manual Page 38

The Truth…

Murphy, O'Malley, Sod, and Parkinson are alive and well—and they are working on your project.

If it can go wrong, it will. Murphy's law

If it can't possibly go wrong, it will. O'Malley's corollary to Murphy's law

It will go wrong in the worst possible way.Sod's law

Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.

Parkinson's law

Resource Allocation

Resource Loading Specifying the types and quantities of resources

Load = Effort/Duration

Resource Loading

Resource Loading Specifying the types and

quantities of resources Load = Effort/Duration

Budget 40 hours out of an employees’ 40 hr. week

Load = 40/40 100% Load

0

10

20

30

40

Effort inHours/Week

Duration inHours/Week

Manual Page 39

Resource Allocation

Resource Loading Load = Effort/Duration

Budget 40 hours out of an employees’ 40 hr. week

Load = 40/40 100% Load

Budget 20 hours out of an employees’ 40 hr. week

Load = 20/40 50% Load

0

10

20

30

40

Effort inHours/Week

Duration inHours/Week

0

10

20

30

40

50

Effort inHours/Week

Duration inHours/Week

Resource Allocation Resource Loading Load = Effort/Duration

Budget 40 hours out of an employees’ 40 hr. week

Load = 40/40 100% Load

Budget 20 hours out of an employees’ 40 hr. week

Load = 20/40 50% Load

Budget 50 hours out of an employees’ 40 hr. week

Load = 50/40 125% Load

25 % Over Allocated

Resource Leveling

Resource Leveling Smoothing resources – assuring that resources are not

overcommitted. Common Options

Shifting non-critical path tasks, consuming slack Adding another resource to help on the task Replacing the resource Overtime Extending task duration

8/80 Rule

How much detail is too much detail? 8/80 Rule: More of a guideline to help you determine how much

detail should be in your schedule. Tasks should be no less than 8 hours or more than 80 hours.

Develop meeting recap 1 hour

Complete first three project phases 120 hours or 3 weeks

Your Assignment

START

FINISH

Using your deliverables-based WBS, begin building your project schedule. Use the sticky notes to build a network diagram with the major tasks for

your project.