Schedule development and control

Schedule development is the process of analysing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model. Schedule control is monitoring the status of the project to update progress and managing changes to the schedule baseline. Both belong to the Project Time Management knowledge area.

Schedule development

Inputs: activity list, sequence, resource requirements, duration estimates, constraints, calendars.

Tools and techniques:

• Network diagram analysis and Critical Path Method: forward and backward pass to find ES, EF, LS, LF, float.
• Critical chain method: add buffers for resource constraints.
• Resource levelling and smoothing.
• What-if analysis and simulation (Monte Carlo).
• Schedule compression: crashing (add resources, more cost) and fast tracking (do activities in parallel, more risk).
• Leads and lags, scheduling software.

Outputs: project schedule (Gantt chart, milestone chart, network diagram), schedule baseline, schedule data, updated calendars.

Schedule control

Concerned with determining current status, influencing factors that cause change, determining that the schedule has changed and managing the changes. Tools: performance reviews, variance analysis, trend analysis, earned value (SPI = EV/PV), what-if analysis, resource levelling, schedule compression, progress reports. Outputs: work performance measures, change requests, updates to the schedule baseline and plan.

Activities + durations + resources
        -> CPM / Gantt -> Baseline schedule
        -> Track actuals -> Variance -> Corrective action

Control steps

1. Measure actual progress.
2. Compare with baseline.
3. Analyse variances.
4. Decide on corrective actions (crash, fast track, re-sequence).
5. Process changes through change control and update the schedule.

Example: If testing slips by 5 days, the manager fast-tracks documentation in parallel and adds one tester to recover.