Fundamentals of Scheduling

Purpose of a Project
The purpose of a project is to bring
about change

Fundamentals

Scheduling Philosophy
Scheduling Terms and Definitions
Types of Schedules
Relationships
Resources
When you dont know where you are going, it is hard to tell
when you get there. Yogi Berra

Scheduling Philosophy
Why do you schedule?
What do you schedule?
When do you schedule?

Scheduling Philosophy
(contd)
Why do you schedule?
Better manage the project
Control change
Satisfy customer or contractual
requirements
Monitor and measure progress against
goals
A schedule is a formalized method of
managing time and resources

Scheduling Philosophy
(contd)
What do you schedule?
Milestones
Activities required by contract or
customer
Activities critical to the performance of
the project
Changes to the original plan
A simple schedule that is used is far more
valuable than the most detailed schedule
created to satisfy a contractual
requirement!

Scheduling Philosophy
(contd)
When do you schedule?
Prior to, or at the beginning of a
project. This schedule is referred to as
the baseline
At periodic intervals during the
project. This is commonly referred to
updating
If there are changes in the scope of
the project
If the project is substantially behind
or ahead of the baseline

Even if youre on the right track, youll get run over if

you just sit there. Will Rogers

Scheduling Terms and

Definitions
Common scheduling terms and what
they mean
Project
Activity (Schedule or Task)
Duration
Relationship
Bar Chart (Gantt)

Scheduling Terms and Definitions

(contd)
Lag
Critical Path
Milestone
Float
Work breakdown Structure (WBS)
Resource

Scheduling Terms and Definitions

(contd)
Project
A project is finite, it has a specific
beginning and endpoints
A project contains resources, typically
time, money and people
A project is measurable

Scheduling Terms and

Definitions (contd)
Activity (Schedule or Task)
The activity is the basic building block
of a schedule
An activity defines a measurable
quantity of work

Scheduling Terms and Definitions

(contd)
Duration
Measurable unit to perform an
activity
Typically, durations are in work hours
or work days

Relationship
The interdependency of one activity
to another

Scheduling Terms and

Definitions (contd)
Bar Chart (Gantt)
Graphical representation of a group
of activities making up a project,
represented by bars along the
horizontal time axis. Shows duration
and planned sequence of activities
Lag
The time associated in the
relationship between two activities.
For example, stripping forms can not
be completed until 10 days after
concrete is placed. In this case,
there is a 10 day lag between the

Scheduling Terms and Definitions

(contd)
Critical Path
The path or paths which are the series
of activities having zero float and must
be completed on their scheduled dates
or the project is in jeopardy

Milestone
A point in time that signifies either the
beginning or the end of a series of
related activities. A milestone has zero
duration