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Unit - 2

Project Planning and Scheduling

Q1) What is Work Break down Structure? What are the reasons for creating WBS in a project?

A1) Work Breakdown Structure

Work breakdown structure is a type of project management that offers visual way to detail the deliverables within a project.

It works by presenting key milestones within a hierarchy that simplifies large projects into smaller, more manageable groups.

As a result, work breakdown structure is ideal for complex projects that involve numerous steps and stakeholders.

Following are a few reasons for creating a WBS in a project:

Accurate and project organization form which is readable.

Accurate assignment of responsibilities to the team involved in the project.

Indicates the project milestones and control points.

Enables to estimate the cost, time and risk.

Illustrate the project scope, so the stakeholders can have a better understanding of the same.

Q2) How to create Break down structure?

A2) Below are the steps required to create a working exploded view from scratch.

Step 1: Bring your team together to identify project deliverables and by-products. This includes project managers and subject matter experts.

Step 2: Gather the required documents such as the project charter, project scope statement, project scope management plan.

Step 3: Identify the key deliverables of the project. These should be at the second level of the WBS. Key deliverables are essential to the completion of the project and are carried out by an independent team. That is, the same team does not work to complete another deliverable.

Step 4: Divide the main deliverables into smaller parts of the work (work packages) with the help of experts in the subject area. In other words, identify the work required to complete each deliverable.

Step 5: Create a WBS dictionary. This is a document that contains definitions and scopes for the various elements of the working exploded view. The WBS dictionary contains information such as the name and ID of the work package, the name of the assigned person, the due date, and the estimated cost. This gives the team a better understanding of the work package.

Step 6. You can create a WBS using a variety of formats, including text-based work breakdowns, tabular structures, or more visual formats such as flowcharts. When you're done, share it with your team. Creately's working exploded view can be quickly shared with other members of the team using secure sharing links. Sharing allows you to collaborate in real time.

Q3) What are the components for break down structure?

A3) Components for Break down structure

Below is the weather of the working exploded view and therefore the general terms you'll encounter when creating it.

Working Package: These are rock bottom parts of the working exploded view. They define the work, duration, and price of the tasks that require to be performed to finish the deliverable. don't believe other working packages and must not exceed 10 days to finish.

Deliverables: Activity or product achievements or measurable outcomes created at the top of every milestone.

Then, there are sub-components under the box. These boxes represent the deliverables of the project.

Under each deliverable, there are sub-elements listed. These sub-elements are the activities that should be performed in order to achieve the deliverables.

Although most of the WBS diagrams are designed based on the deliveries, some WBS are created based on the project phases.

WBS is the input for Gantt charts, a tool that is used for project management purpose. Gantt chart is used for tracking the progression of the tasks derived by WBS.

Q4) What is Gantt chart? What are its components?

A4) A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that visually represents a project plan over time. Modern Gantt charts typically show you the status of—as well as who is responsible for—each task in the project.

The components of Gantt chart are:

Task list: Runs vertically down the left of the gantt chart to describe project work and may be organized into groups and subgroups

Timeline: Runs horizontally across the top of the gantt chart and shows months, weeks, days, and years

Dateline: A vertical line that highlights the current date on the gantt chart

Bars: Horizontal markers on the right side of the gantt chart that represent tasks and show progress, duration, and start and end dates

Milestones: Yellow diamonds that call out major events, dates, decisions, and deliverables

Dependencies: Light gray lines that connect tasks that need to happen in a certain order

Progress: Shows how far along work is and may be indicated by % Complete and/or bar shading

Resource assigned: Indicates the person or team responsible for completing a task

Q5) What are its limitations?

A5) Limitations

The first limitation of a Gantt chart is that it relies upon the work breakdown structure to have already been constructed – and for it to be complete.

In fact, if you attempt to create the work breakdown structure at the same time you are constructing the Gantt chart, you run the risk of having to recreate the entire project schedule if something is left out, a duration is mis-estimated, or another mistake has been missing.

A second limitation of the Gantt chart is that it only works well with smaller projects. Once the durations and tasks stretch past one page, the Gantt chart begins to lose its functionality.

Moreover, the Gantt chart does not do well to depict complexities.

For example, if a milestone has multiple tasks required for its completion, and each of those tasks has sub-tasks, the Gantt chart cannot depict this well. For this reason, project managers should not rely solely upon the Gantt chart for project management needs.

Q6) What is network analysis?

A6) Network analysis is a system which plans the projects by analyzing the project activities.

Projects are broken down into individual tasks or activities, which are arranged in logical sequence. It is also decided that which tasks will be performed simultaneously and which other sequentially.

A network diagram is prepared, which presents visually the relationship between all the activities involved and the cost for different activities.

Network analysis helps designing, planning, coordinating, controlling and in decision-making in order to accomplish the project economically in the minimum available time with the limited available resources.

The network analysis fulfils the objectives of reducing total time, cost, idle resources, interruptions and conflicts.

Q7) What is Critical Path Method?

A7) CPM- Critical Path Method

The critical path method (CPM) is one of the basic deterministic methods of network analysis. Its purpose is to determine the duration of the project based on the length of the critical path, which is a sequence of interdependent activities with minimal floats. CPM facilitates effective time adjustment of individual interconnected activities within a project.

It is an algorithm for planning, managing and analyzing the timing of a project.

The method was developed by one of the American companies in 1957.

This method is used to avoid routine tasks.

The step-by-step CPM system helps to identify critical and non-critical tasks from projects’ start to completion and prevents temporary risks.

Critical tasks have a zero-run-time reserve. If the duration of these tasks’ changes, the terms of the entire project will be “shifted”.

Critical tasks in project management require special control and timely detection of risks.

Q8) What are the steps to calculate the early dates of subsequent activities, assuming finish-start relationships?

A8) The steps to calculate the early start dates of subsequent activities, assuming finish-start relationships:

Add the predecessor activity’s duration to its start date.

Add the lag time or subtract the lead time.

Refer to the resource calendar(s) that applies to the people and equipment necessary for the activity, and then add the number of off-days that the activity would span on those calendars.

Assign the calculated date as the early start date of the successor activity.

Q9) What is Float? What is the type of floats?

A9) Float, sometimes called slack, which is the amount of time on an activity, network path, or project that can be delayed from the early start without changing the completion date of the project.

Type of Floats

Total float is the difference between the finish date of the last activity on the critical path and the project completion date. Any delay in an activity on the critical path would reduce the amount of total float available on the project.

A project can also have negative float, which means the calculated completion date of the last activity is larger than the targeted completion date established at the beginning of the project.

If activities that are not on the critical path have a difference between their early start date and their late start date, those activities may be delayed without affecting the project completion date. The float on those activities is called free float.

Q10) What is Precedence Network Analysis?

A10) Precedence Network Analysis

A Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) is a graphical representation technique. It shows the inter-dependencies of activities and is used in schedule development. The other name for this technique is Activity on Node (AON).

We use this method in drawing the project schedule network diagrams; for example, critical path network, critical chain network diagram, etc.

The Precedence Diagramming Method shows the activity relationships, therefore it is an important communication tool for stakeholders.

Q11) Explain four dependencies.

A11) The PDM uses four dependencies:

Mandatory Dependency

Discretionary Dependency

External Dependency

Internal Dependency

Mandatory Dependency

This dependency is also known as hard logic. You cannot avoid it. Starting the next activity depends on it.

2. Discretionary Dependency

This dependency is also known as preferential or soft logic, it plays a role in optimizing resources.

Here, you can change the sequence of activities as per your preferred logic.

3. External Dependency

The project management team has no control over an external dependency.

4. Internal Dependency

These are dependencies are within the control of your project or organization.

Q12) What are the benefits of Precedence Diagramming Method?

A12) Benefits of Precedence Diagramming Method

This method offers many benefits to project management:

It helps you find relationships and dependencies among activities. This helps you in planning and avoiding risks. If any task is missing, can be easily identify it.

You can find critical activities and focus on them. Any delay in critical activities will delay your schedule.

A project schedule network diagram is a good communication tool. Stakeholders can visualize activities and understand the schedule.

Without the Precedence Diagram, you cannot develop your project schedule.

Q13) Explain PERT analysis.

A13) The method was developed by the US Navy in 1957 on the Polaris nuclear submarine project. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a method used to examine the tasked that are in a schedule and determine a variation of the Critical Path Method (CPM). It analyzes the time required to complete each task and its associated dependencies to determine the minimum time to complete a project. It estimates the shortest possible time each activity will take, the most likely length of time, and the longest time that might be taken if the activity takes longer than expected. To conduct PERT Analysis, three-time estimates are obtained (optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely) for every activity along the Critical Path. Then use those estimates in the formula below to calculate how much time for each project stage:

Formula = (P+4M+O)/6

Optimistic Time (O): the minimum possible time required to accomplish a task, assuming everything proceeds better than is normally expected.

Pessimistic Time (P): the maximum possible time required to accomplish a task, assuming everything goes wrong (excluding major catastrophes).

Most likely Time (M): the best estimate of the time required to accomplish a task, assuming everything proceeds as normal.

Q14) What are the managerial applications of network analysis?

A14) Managerial applications of network analysis are as follows:

Assembly line scheduling,

Research and development,

Inventory planning and control,

Shifting of manufacturing plant from one site to another,

Launching of new products and advertising campaigns,

Control of traffic flow in cities,

Budget and audit procedures,

Launching space programmes,

Installation of new equipment,

Long-range planning and developing staffing plans, etc.

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