PM592 Week 4 Discussion

7/11/13 Topic Print View

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Week 4: Advanced Scheduling and Crashing - Discussion

Resource Allocation and Leveling (graded)

This week we discuss the advantages of resource leveling to increase the efficiency of our schedule and our resourceutilization. During our discussion we will address several questions, including:

How much detail should be demanded by the project manager in resource assignments?

What factors might intervene between the plan and its execution to disrupt the resources assigned to theproject?

How can the PM reduce the potential effect of these factors and obtain resource commitment as the project isimplemented?

Responses

Response Author Date/Time

Getting Resource Commitments Professor Orr 5/25/2013 2:36:47 PM

One of the topics not addressed too much so far is getting resource commitments. How do you get managers to dedicate

scarce resources to the project? What do you do if w ork is not getting done?

Regards,

Susan

RE: Getting Resource

Commitments Nishan Ragoonanan 5/26/2013 6:17:11 PM

The first area or hurdle in getting resource commitment for a project is inter-project visibility. Its extremely diff icult for

a functional manager to commit a resource w ithout an understanding of that resource's role in several projects or

how that resource needs to be allocated in the months to come. So the f irst step is presenting all projects to the

functional manager so they have a top level view of the requirements for a resource w ithin the coming months so

they can plan allocation.

The next step in achieving a commitment to a resource is prioritization or making a case for prioritization. With

resource over-allocation, the project w ith the highest priority needs to have access to the resource and this

prioritization needs to come from upper management, so as a project manager, you need to make your case for

project prioritization to upper management, perhaps by demonstrating in terms of a dollar amount, w hat w ould

happen w ithout that resource and getting upper management to commit to a high priority for your project and hence

making a case for getting your resource allocated.

RE: Getting

Resource

CommitmentsEsperanca Rosa 5/26/2013 11:57:35 PM

Hi class,

Project managers have to deal with scare resources in an efficient manner. They have toovercome this as soon as possible to avoid project failure. According to the “projectmanagement guide”, project managers



Project managers are facing new challenges when dealing with scarce resources andother issues in organizations. They have to be aware of all needs of the employees, dotheir work in order to achieve project success. Scare resources are considered one ofthe most difficult times for a project manager. Frequently, the PM endeavors to findpeople to perform the work packages. Additionally, they have to get enough money inthe budget to pay vital supplies. Then it’s vital to be able to explain the benefits of yourproject, and strive to get the resources you need to succeed.

If work is not getting done, I have to ask upper management for additional support ingetting enough resources. There’s no easy way to deal with this. The project managerworks on is for the benefit of the organization as a whole, and unfortunately that meanssome people within it may suffer. Understand their feelings, but keep working to makethe project a success.

Retrieved from:

http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/project-management/times-of-scarcity

RE: Getting

Resource

CommitmentsMaria Ventura 5/27/2013 6:29:14 PM

Hello class,

I agree with you Nishan, when saying that "With resource over-allocation, the projectwith the highest priority needs to have access to the resource and this prioritizationneeds to come from upper management", so some of the things a manager could do:resource level the project. This is a method of resolving resource over allocation bydelaying the start date of an assignment or an entire task or splitting up the work on atask.In addition to that, one of the ways to identify resource availability is during the projectplanning phase; you can get a calendar and identify working and non-working days. Thisincludes holidays, vacations, three day weekends, federal holidays, foul weather seasonand etc. Then include work hours and the rate, so that overtime and the schedule canbe calculated.

Thank you//

RE: Getting

Resource

CommitmentsChukie Okunzua 5/29/2013 10:09:46 PM

Project managers need to build very good interpersonal relationship with thefunctional managers and those who work with them. It is easier to get wholehearted commitment from managers one has built close relationship over theyears than just through instructions from above. Leadership quality and teambuilding spirit are important when chasing commitment

RE: Getting

Resource

CommitmentsCauretta Bell 6/2/2013 6:18:42 PM

That w as the very f irst item I thought of, overallocation of resources can be the underlining cause of the

w ork on a project no being completed. The project need to be analyzed to see how much w ork has been

http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/project-management/times-of-scarcity



completed and w hat additional w ork is left to be completed. For there, a list of the projects need to be

placed in order based on priority. once the priority is in place a plzn needs to be in place for the

resources and the amount of time that needs to be spent on the current project in order for it to be w ithin

budget.


Commitments Philip Eff iong 5/27/2013 6:06:29 AM

According to our text, if the quantity of resources available is limited we have a resourceconstrained project. If the resources available are less than required it will result in an increasedschedule or additional cost to resolve.

Two approaches to solve the problem

Heuristic methods will produce a solution but not necessarily the best solution. Startingwith the PERT/cpm schedule and analyzing resource use period by period, resource byresource; if resource supply is exceeded in a given period, examine tasks and allocateresources to them sequentially, according to some priority rules.

Priority rules: (examples)shortest task firstmost resources firstminimum slack firstmost critical followersmost successors

If excess resources are left idle, they can be reassigned in the organization or usedto accomplish future tasks.If resources are exhausted, tasks must be slowed or delayed.

Optimization method will produce the best solution based upon the project requirements andobjectives. There are two types of optimization: mathematical (linear) programming andenumeration.

RE: Getting

Resource

CommitmentsVarune Ramoutar 5/27/2013 9:32:31 AM

Phillip Good post. I think we should also remember the very initial step which is determining if the

required resource is available internally or if we need to obtain the resourceexternally. When undertaking a project the project manager / project management

team determines the resources required and when they are required. In the case offunctional / week matrix organizations the functional managers are to supply therequired resources. If these resources are not available from within the organization

then they must be obtained externally from the organization. In the case of personnel

this could mean finding and hiring on new personnel, going to an outside company

that has the required personnel and contracting that company i.e. subcontracting, orit could mean temporarily hiring the personnel for a period of the project they are

required. For equipment it could mean renting or buying the equipment.

Risk planning is very important as this will tell the project management team thecontingencies they need to allocate in the event resources fail or are lost etc.

Contingency planning also involves knowing how to obtain additional resources at



short notice if things are not getting done.

RE: Getting

Resource

CommitmentsNishan Ragoonanan 5/27/2013 7:03:02 PM

Varune,

Your discussion post w ith respect to hiring in resources during resource shortage leads me

to reflect on occasions w ithin our organization w hen resources have been scarce for

offshore projects and w e have had to hire in resources in the form of contractors. I'd like to

point out some of the risks and costs associated w ith these actions that must be considered

w hen hiring in outside help. The f irst is schedule slippage in either direction, either moving

forw ard or backw ard that leaves you in a predicament w hen depending on contractors w ho

could now be on the payroll and are either unavailable due to the schedule coming forw ard or

are left w aiting as w e w ait for that task of the project to start. This f its in nicely w ith your

discussion of risk w hich is higher w hen w e employ contractors due to schedule constraints.

In the end its the job of the project manager to mitigate these risks, and monitor and control the

project in order to have resources available as and w hen needed.


Commitments Herminio Dionisio 5/28/2013 5:07:00 PM

Modified:5/28/2013 5:12 PM

When the unplanned happens, w e need to know exactly w ho ow ns the problem and its extent so w e can take the

necessary measures available in f inding the solution to resolve the problem. If the problem occurs w ithin a

noncritical- path activity, it can be resolved by using available slack by rescheduling the activity later in its ES - LF

w indow or extend the duration to use some of the available slack. Another approach is to continue using the

schedule compression technique, and the last option is to use the resource pool under your control and reassign

resources from noncritical -path activities to assist w ith the problem activity. If after you have exhausted all the

above option, the f inal option is to ask help from the resource manager for additional resources or rescheduling of

already committed resources. Expect to make a trade off in the form of added staff or funds to acquire contract help.


Commitments Dwayne Grant 5/28/2013 9:18:08 PM

I know that resource commitments is a topic that is not often addressed, but this is what is goingto set average project managers and good project managers apart. A good project managerunderstands the people process, and can get people to do stuff that does not necessarily work forhim or her. The other most important part is follow-up and follow through, and this can be summedup with persistence. You can start by getting the functional managers verbal commitment toallocate resource and keep building on that concept. A follow-up and follow-thru is the tool is tomake sure that the work is getting done, and does not fall through the cracks.

RE: Getting

Resource

CommitmentsTanika Thomas 5/28/2013 9:54:54 PM

What do you do if work is not getting done?

If work is not getting done, realign the slackers (relocate or let go) andmaximize the use of the talents available but not burn them out. (Speaking



of personnel). Before asking for more resources management must makesure they audit their resources to understand exaclty where the projectstands (cost wise) and what resources are available. My fellowclassmates make great points in regards to increasing cost, realign workschedule (critical path), know your staff, but most importantly mointoringresources(money, personnel, equipment) and making adjustments in atimely manner instead of waiting until things fall behind or off track.


Commitments Mary Hart 5/29/2013 7:40:48 PM

If work is not getting done then the project schedule and cost should be analyzed. One method todo so is project schedule crashing, and the decision to crash should only take place after carefully analyzing all of the possible alternatives. The key is to attain maximum decrease inschedule time with minimum cost. Crashing a project schedule costs money. It should only bedone when the benefit/cost has have been analyzed and it is determined to be of value to thebusiness.

Ref: Lecture.


Commitments Bruce Foley 5/29/2013 10:24:12 PM

In the ideal w orld w hatever resources are needed are readily available and the Functional Manager readily allow s

them to do so. If the resources or personnel are not being allotted as needed, it is the job of the General Project

manger to call a meeting w ith the relevant stakeholders and functional managers and approach the problem in a

manner that is non-confrontational. There should be contingencies in the Risk Plan also to address just such an

issue.

Strategies for Dealing w ith Staff Turnover Professor Orr 5/27/2013 12:17:10 PM

Good points. What are some strategies for dealing w ith staff turnover during the project?

Regards,

Susan

RE: Strategies for Dealing w ith

Staff Turnover Serge Ndongo 5/27/2013 1:13:42 PM

Some strategies to dealing with staff turnover during the project would be to:

* Determine the Cause of Turnover As employees quit their jobs, ask for honest reasons why they're leaving. If you candetermine the cause for high turnover, you may be able to prevent job loss. If formeremployees aren't forthcoming with you since you were their boss, consider enlistinghuman resources to conduct an exit interview. Ask what about their job made them wantto leave. For instance, if it the deciding factor was long workdays, consider reducing theamount of hours for employees on the project or hiring an extra hand.

http://www.brighthubpm.com/project-planning/16782-tips-for-creating-a-master-project-schedule/



* Listen to Current Employee Complaints Ask current employees how they feel about the turnover on the project. Many may feellike the project is getting muddled or slowed down since so many employees areleaving. Since new hires don't have experience with the project, there could be stresson current employees who feel they have to keep training new people. Listening toemployees and understanding their problems is one of the best ways to reduceemployee conflict. Listen to their opinions on how the project could be improved interms of staff turnover.

* Reorganize Project Employees Project managers run the project as a whole and delegate tasks to employees workingto complete the assignment. If you hire new employees when there's turnover for theproject manager role, this can cause a lot of conflict and may lead to delays. If theturnover is presenting a problem, promote a temporary replacement from within. Choosesomeone to take over the project manager position who already knows the project,timeline, milestones and what is at stake. This is especially essential as the project nearscompletion.

* Create a Project Overview Build a comprehensive overview of the project to give to all new hires. List the expectedtimeline for all milestones so everyone knows when certain aspects are due. Also list theduties of each member of the team and what is expected of them. Have new hires studythe guide so they can jump in with coworkers in the middle of the project. This shouldwaylay any concerns current employees may have with the effectiveness of newcomers.

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/strategies-dealing-staff-turnover-during-project-10061.html

RE: Strategies for Dealing

with Staff Turnover Philip Effiong 5/28/2013 7:25:28 AM

Staff turnover can slow or even halt the progress or completion of a project due to a variety offactors. Often, turnover results when there is no clear direction on the goals and objectives of aproject, or team members feel unqualified to complete the tasks requested of them.

Educate all team members on key elements of the project. Clearly define goals andobjectives, as well as a time line and step-by-step direction on the individual roles andresponsibilities of each team memberPlace well-established, knowledgeable team members in key project roles. If turnover doesoccur, the project's chance for successful completion increases if seasoned andexperienced employees are in lead roles.Develop a policy whereby team members are required to keep daily journals charting thespecifics of their individual involvement in a project

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/deal-turnover-during-projects-20217.html

RE: Strategies for

Dealing w ith Staff

TurnoverVarune Ramoutar 5/28/2013 11:55:50 AM

One key strategy used to keep staff and avoid Turn Over is offering a completion

bonus. This usually works by staff being paid a percentage of what they earned

throughout the entire period while on the project. Once they stay till the end then

they are paid their bonus e.g. if a person earned $120,000 for the entire time they

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/strategies-dealing-staff-turnover-during-project-10061.html

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/deal-turnover-during-projects-20217.html



were assigned to a project and they have a completion bonus of 10% then if theystay till the end they are paid a bonus of 10% of $120,000 = $12,000. So they are

offered an incentive to stay till the end.

RE:

Strategies

for

Dealing

with Staff

Turnover

Nishan Ragoonanan 5/28/2013 12:55:34 PM

Another strategy / incentive to reduce employee turnover is education. Providing opportunities

for training and education w ithin one's profession is a key retention point for many employees

and the company gets a direct benefit through the increased skill base and know ledge pow er

of their employees, w hich leads to increased productivity and performance. Employers

typically w orry that providing training w ill increase the employees ability to leave and f ind

another job, how ever keeping an employee stif led w ith no opportunity for grow th also leads

to employee departure.

RE:

Strategies

for

Dealing

with Staff

Turnover

Cauretta Bell 5/29/2013 8:10:11 PM

Projects can be alot of fun. Employees leave their employment w hen they are

frustrated w ith their job. People leave w hen they do not feel appreciated.

The f irst w ay to reduce turnover is proper training in the job. The next w ay to

reduce turnover is having team building exercises to help build team cohesivenes.

next, giving an incentive package for the employees for meeting the goals and

starting on budget upon the completion of the project.

RE:

Strategies

for

Dealing

with Staff

Turnover

Esperanca Rosa 5/28/2013 1:42:35 PM

Modified:5/28/2013 1:48 PM

Hi class,

Great comments!

Varune, I totally agree with your comments regarding to the bonus that certaincompanies offer to the team members in order to avoid team turnover. Thishappens in my company too. While we are involved in a project, our uppermanagement offers us a bonus, great amount of money ($15,000), for theresults and success of the project. Sometimes, our company makesagreements with the team members and asks for their opinion regarding to thebenefits. They offer many option. For instance, upper managers don't offer justmoney but cars too. Thus this tactic helps to get everyone involved in theproject, and endeavor to get the best results. Therefore, managers can avoidturnover during the project and get every employee motivated to be involved in



the project.

Thanks,

Esperanca

RE:

Strategies

for

Dealing

with Staff

Turnover

Chukie Okunzua 5/30/2013 11:20:45 PM

Monetary reward have short term effect on employee retention. Majorcauses of employees wanting to leave are1. Lack of Job satisfaction 2. Lack of job security 3. Lack ofopportunity for profession development. 4.Lack of opportunity foradvancement and the least is inadequate compensation.For an organization to retain it workforce is must take a look atmotivational factors such as recognition, advancement, achievementand the nature of work. The organization and the project managermust find a way of creating a sense of pride and joy in members ofthe project team and the organization's workforce in general.Workers that find satisfaction, joy and pride in what they do tend tostay. Recognizing employee contribution and creating opportunity forgrowth and development are far more important than bonus and payrise. Work conditions and job must be made to create a sense ofpride and joy. Quality management demand that workforce must beengaged to get the best out of them. It is important that employeefeel that their job is secured as insecurity cause employee to look forjob where they feel secured.Project managers must work at having a closer work tie with theirteam members through creating an enviroment of trust, respect ,satisfaction and loyalty.


Staff Turnover Joel Khan 5/29/2013 3:23:39 AM

As a Project Manager, you know you should avoid and deal w ith turnover in your project team – the problem is,

sometimes it isn’t alw ays so clear-cut how to do that. That’s w here this article comes into play. We’ll discuss some

of the top techniques you can implement w ithin your project team to avoid and deal w ith turnover.

Is History Repeating Itself?

Let’s begin by examining the f irst step: comparing the project context w ith similar previous projects. Before getting

your project into gear, take a close look at the project scope and compare it to other projects in your organization that

w ere similar in background and duration. If this project is unique to your company, consider taking a look at case

studies of organizations that are similar to your ow n. Determine if these projects encountered high turnover rates of

critical staff members such as engineers, project accountants, programmers, etc. If the turnover rate w as high in

the previous project, chances are that history may repeat itself in your current one.

Establish Trusting Relationships

High turnover rates in project teams are often reflective of the relationship betw een employees and their job



satisfaction on the project. Be sure to establish trusting relationships w ith your employees. This not only

encourages open communications about motivations and aspirations, but it also makes your employees feel that they

can be honest about their anxieties and frustrations.

Keep An Eye Out For The Signs

Project leaders w ill w ant to keep an eye out for the signs that employee turnover is about to become a problem.

These signs may include a lack of motivation, unexplained absences, job hunting signs such as resume updates,

delays in responsiveness, and poor performance. If these signs materialize w ithin your project team, be sure to take

the team member(s) aside to discuss their behavior. You may often discover that these efforts at honest and

productive communication can be enough to dissuade employees from leaving the project team.

Prepare Yourself For The Turnover

Of course, there are some instances w here turnover w ithin your project team may be inevitable. If an employee is

determined to leave, you should prepare yourself by creating a “transition” strategy. You may w ant to consider

having the employee give you more than tw o w eeks’ notice if they plan on leaving the company. Oftentimes, tw o

w eeks is not enough notif ication to train new employees and gain access to necessary f iles and documents.

Speaking of w hich, it’s vital for you and the employee’s manager to identify all the critical documents that the team

member has on his or her w ork computer. This is an especially vital step to take if the employee hasn’t given you

enough notif ication regarding his or her leaving date. By gathering these critical documents, you can maintain the

integrity and security of critical organizational processes and projects.

Smooth Over The Transition

Throughout the transition period, you’ll w ant to maintain a positive relationship w ith the employee w ho’s leaving.

This can help ensure that the new employee has access to the training and materials he or she needs to integrate

into the project team. The replacement w ill need time to absorb everything and ask the right questions, so f ind out if

you can motivate the leaving employee (using an incentive) to stay a bit late during the next few w eeks or even

come back for a day or tw o after leaving the organization. This can make the transition much smoother for the

replacement, w hich can minimize or even eliminate project disruption altogether.

Track The Transition To Closure

After the employee leaves the organization, you w ant to track the transition to closure. This means paying attention

to how the replacement is handling his or her new role on the project team. Be sure to pay extra attention to the

new employee and ask questions about how he or she feels about the project. Encourage other employees to

mentor the replacement. By fostering a positive and productive project team, you can ensure that the replacement

becomes a successful f it, as w ell as minimize any future employee turnover.

In conclusion, by developing a turnover strategy before the beginning of major projects, you can help ensure that

employee turnovers don’t prevent you from achieving major project milestones.

Reference: https://w w w .pmchampion.com/blog/pmp-benefits/turn-over-on-project-teams/


Staff Turnover Dw ayne Grant 5/29/2013 8:40:07 PM

There are several strategies for dealing with staff turnover, and no strategy is going to work forevery situation. However, do the little things can prevent the big things later, and one of the majorfactor is communications. Some project managers just want to deliver the good news to theirstaff, but you need to be prepared to deliver the good, the bad, and the ugly. Another strategy thatis often overlooked is taking care of your people, and look out for their best interest. It a clichéused in education, but it actually works. I goes student don’t care how much you know, until theyknow how much you care. It a proven fact workers work harder for people they like, and the sameconcept can be all to independent contractors.

https://www.pmchampion.com/blog/pmp-benefits/turn-over-on-project-teams/


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with Staff Turnover Herminio Dionisio 5/30/2013 2:39:11 PM

One of the major concern an organization may encounter especially w hile the project is on going is the inability to

retain competence and core skills w ithin their organization. Unplanned staff turnover is problematic and expensive.

Addressing the issue w ill mean an acknow ledgement of problems by senior management , and a commitment to

invest time, support, and funding in understanding the causes, developing solutions and implementing them. As a

normal approach, one must identify those reasons behind this turnover and to name some are the follow ing in order

of priorities: 1. Better pay/terms and conditions elsew here 2. poor leadership/values/culture 3. Lack of career

opportunities and grow th 4. Burnout/ disillusionment/ frustration 5. Impact on personal life and w ork - life balance 6.

poor systems/bureaucracy. Maintaining motivational levels among the entire w orkforce is one retention strategy an

organization should target on, and the follow ing are recommended suggestion to correct the problem: 1. Introduce or

improve career paths and professional development 2. Better pay/terms and conditions including rew ards and

recognition 3. Better w ork - life balance/ family-friendly policies 4. Better leadership. People are motivated if they feel

they are valued in the organization.


with Staff Turnover Bruce Foley 6/1/2013 10:31:43 PM

You should rew ard top performers w ith bonuses. Have a meeting about expectations in the beginning of the project

and announce the rew ards. Have periodic individual meetings w ith functional managers to see if they are having

meetings w ith their groups to check their morale and also to keep them in the loop, w hich goes to help w ith morale.

Detail in Resource Assignments Professor Orr 5/28/2013 11:35:40 AM

Good points. Class, how do you know how much detail is enough in resource assignments?

Regards,

Susan

RE: Detail in Resource

Assignments Nishan Ragoonanan 5/29/2013 6:52:32 AM

You require enough detail to allow the project manager to make decisions, and monitor and control the project. Items

that a project manager requires for resource assignments are:

Task duration using the required resource

Task duration w ith an alternative resource

Resource type e.g. assembly technician, database administrator

Skill level required e.g. technician 3 or senior database administrator

RE: Detail in

Resource

AssignmentsCauretta Bell 5/31/2013 8:20:10 PM

You bring up a great point. As a PM you never w ant to give too much detail in the assignment. You do not

people to feel overw helmed w ith the amount of w ork and the amount of time it takes to complete the

project. As a manager, I w ant to give my staff enough information to get the project done. I w oyld like for

them to have the opportunity to make decision to improve the task




Assignments Philip Eff iong 5/29/2013 7:26:58 AM

According to our text, resource needs vary as the project progresses which means the amount ofresources required will fluctuate, making the task even more difficult. It is beneficial to the projectnot only that the right resources be available when needed but also that, to the best of our ability,we schedule the resources on an even basis to reduce the changes in the team's work schedule.

RE: Detail in

Resource

AssignmentsVarune Ramoutar 5/29/2013 9:49:06 PM

Philipe I agree with you.

Resources vary depending on the task and project. Typical resource assignments in

oil and gas projects consist of materials, manpower and equipment e.g. 100lbs

welding rod, 3 - welders, 3- diesel powered welding plants, 1 -fitter, 1-Welding

inspector.

RE: Detail in

Resource

AssignmentsEsperanca Rosa 5/30/2013 12:14:21 AM

Hi class,

The amount of resources depends on the type of the project like my classmates saidbefore. Adding to their comments I would say that, in the oil industry, whether we drillOffshore, the type of resources or material, and costs will be different comparing todrilling Onshore. The offshore expenses will be higher in terms of amount of money,cost, and time consuming. For instance, to make a core analyses in a laboratory, we’llneed a specialist to cut the samples, another to prepare the samples formicrolaboratorial analyses, then a specialist to analyze them and make a report. Allthese processes require several tasks to be completed and consequently resourcessuch as human and material. The PM have to make sure that all tasks will becompleted on time and that they’ll have personnel to perform and complete them ontime.

Thanks,

Esperanca


Assignments Herminio Dionisio 5/30/2013 3:36:54 PM

Resource requirements contains information on specif ic needs such as people, equipment, and location.The amount

of detail and the level of specif icity of the resource requirement description can vary by application area, like for

example, w hich types of resources are needed, their availability, and in w hat quantities. It is of utmost importance to

anticipate and plan ahead for resources needs, the further in advance the better to be able to manage effectively the

natural f low of activities w ith no dow ntime. The key challenge is to assign the right amount of resources to the right

activities at the right time.


Assignments Huyen Bui 6/2/2013 3:10:42 PM

In my opinion, the best way is understanding the scale and scope of the project first. If project



managers then push their resource allocation beyond obtainable limits in order to meet constrained

schedules and budgets. Overallocation puts unreasonable pressure on resources and can be costly

not only in overtime monies but in resource burnout. But you don't want to touch too much into details

that will make PM overwhelm with workload. Just like the WBS, in resource assignments can be details

to the level that the PM comfortable with managing

Advance Schedule Techniques Professor Orr 5/29/2013 1:27:43 PM

Please add any suggestions you might have w hen one of the methods for Advance Schedule Techniques w ould be effective.

Regards,

Susan

RE: Advance Schedule

Techniques Serge Ndongo 5/29/2013 11:48:23 PM

When one of the methods of advanced Schedule Techniques would be effective,some important practical problems would be addressed such as, scheduling inthe face of uncertain estimates on activity durations, Integrated planning ofscheduling and resource allocation, and scheduling in unstructured or poorlyformulated circumstances.

RE: Advance

Schedule

TechniquesVarune Ramoutar 5/30/2013 8:58:36 AM

To expand on Serge's post, we can use an advanced leveling technique like Crashing

when we want to decrease the schedule of a project but we are not sure which taskto decrease or what the cost of decreasing the task would be. Also we when we are

constrained by particular resources that are used on several tasks on the project wecan employ resource leveling technique to see the impact of resource leveling on theschedule i.e. how far the schedule will be pushed out and thus how much it will cost

the project.

RE:

Advance

Schedule

Techniques

Maria Ventura 5/30/2013 5:52:32 PM

Modified:5/30/2013 6:03 PM

Hello class,

According to my research, Critical Chain is often seen as the first majordevelopment in project management since CPM and PERT. For the last halfcentury Critical Path Method (CPM) and PERT have helped improve project



performance. They've been applied to all types of projects from construction toproduct, development to IT development and to shutdowns and turnarounds.However, business needs are now demanding improvements that are beyondwhat the critical path method is capable of delivering. Critical Chain is as moreof an approach and mind set that it is just a “scheduling technique”. Projectteams using Critical Chain to develop networks by questioning traditionalassumptions behind. Like, how work is performed and are willing to suboptimize tasks and resources in order to optimize the project.

Source: http://paradigm-360.com/services/projectproduction-quality-management-solutions

Thank you//

RE:

Advance

Schedule

Techniques

Tanika Thomas 5/30/2013 6:43:24 PM

These techniques address some important practical problems, such as:

scheduling in the face of uncertain estimates on activity durations,integrated planning of scheduling and resource allocation,

scheduling in unstructured or poorly formulated circumstances.

(http://pmbook.ce.cmu.edu/11_Advanced_Scheduling_Techniques.html)

In a recent conversation I had with another teacher who operated/ownrental space (hall), I think the "what if" would have been beneficial to himbecause he described the scenario as he worked the front door andhandle the money, there were no other employees. However the firstevent went well with no problem, but has business picked up, hisproblems began to increase; there was only one restroom, no crowdcontrol, security, extra exits and over crowdedness. If he talked to hisparents who ran successful operations he could have been betterprepared for the issues that arise. In speaking with him today he wasable to reflect on how project management could have been of a benefitto him in trying to handle multiple ideas of running his own business.

I think this example is good one because if talking over his ideas with acouple of people and brainstorming he could have had better resultsfinancially by increasing his business and managing the operation of thebusiness to handle other issues that could/would have arise.

RE:

Advance

Schedule

Techniques

Maria Ventura 5/31/2013 12:51:42 PM

http://paradigm-360.com/services/projectproduction-quality-management-solutions

http://pmbook.ce.cmu.edu/11_Advanced_Scheduling_Techniques.html



Hello class,

Scheduling tasks in your project plan to reflect the reality ofyour situation, as well as your customer requirements, canbe a challenge.The six key factors that drive the calculation of time (datesand duration ) in Project are:

- Project start date- Task durations- Task dependencies- Project calendars- Task constraints and deadlines- Resource assignments and task types

When you understand how these six aspects of schedulingaffect your project plan, you will have the necessaryframework to develop and maintain your project plans. Youwill also know how to troubleshoot and eliminate anyproblems that occur when you optimize your plan for time,which is one side of the project triangle ( interrelationship oftime, money, and scope.)

Source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project-help/6-factors-that-affect-how-project-calculates-time-HA001207485.aspx

Thank you//

RE:

Advance

Schedule

Techniques

Chukie Okunzua 5/31/2013 10:03:11 PM

Critical Chaim Method incorporate resource requirement intonetwork analysis and help over come the problems of delay that mayarise on over reliance on the critical path method. The Critical chainconcentrates on the link that is the weakest along the chain andproceed to optimize the weakest link prior to increasing its strength.If the constraint posed by the weakest link is not addressed theproject will be delayed.


Techniques Mary Hart 6/1/2013 12:02:29 AM

Modified:6/1/2013 10:44 PM

Please add any suggestions you might have w hen one of the methods for Advance Schedule Techniques w ould be

effective.

A CCM (Critical Chain Method) w ould be effective in a project that has a few or one element identif ied that can

prevent the system from achieving a goal or goals. The constraint of the individual project is its duration or due date,

and the aim of the method is to reduce the duration. CCM acknow ledges the stochastic nature of activity duration

taking into account the impact of human behavior on project scheduling and execution.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project-help/6-factors-that-affect-how-project-calculates-time-HA001207485.aspx



Ref. PM. Nicholas- Steyn, 3rd edition, 2008.


Techniques Herminio Dionisio 6/1/2013 9:27:23 AM

In developing our schedule, there are different tools and techniques that w e can employ under schedule netw ork

analysis. It is a technique that generates the project schedule w hich employs various analytical techniques such as

the critical path method, critical chain method, w hat if analysis and resource leveling to calculate the early start and

late f inish dates for the uncompleted portions of the project activities. Some netw ork paths may have points of path

convergence or path divergence that can be identif ied and used in schedule compression analysis. Most projects

encounter but one serious problem w hich is the limited resources, and all these netw ork analysis can be used

depending on w hat the current problem is and how you w ant to solve it. With the exception of Critical Path Method

w hich is w ithout any regard for any resource limitation, the rest are the best tool that a PM can use w hen shared or

critical required resources are available in limited quantities.

Preventing Conservative Estimating Professor Orr 5/31/2013 2:33:33 PM

Conservative estimating is a problem in both time and resource estimates. How can it be prevented?

Regards,

Susan

RE: Preventing Conservative

Estimating Huyen Bui 5/31/2013 3:47:50 PM

In order to prevent the conservative estimate, I think we need to understand the situation thathappen that lead to the issue. There are several reasons for bad estimate such as:_Estimate need interpretation: An estimate may be optimistic, pessimistic or realistic, whateverthis may mean. An estimate may be communicated to achieve a target. An estimate may bemade according to a lot of experience or be just a ballpark number assigned to something yetunknown. An estimate may be fairly reliable or extremely uncertain. And after all—it will alwaysremain an estimate, a kind of assumption. Unless we have the actual numbers. Do we alwaysknow what somebody really means when we are given an estimate?

_Estimates get implicitly convert to commitment: when the PM based solely on the estimate fromthe team member to input estimate to the project, the estimate may not be accurate due to lackof necessary information for both timing and resources._Estimates are too often subject to politics that will affect to the estimation. Avoid discussingestimating during any political conversation_Estimates can not be better than the requirements against which they have been made: Beforeyou can estimate costs, effort or duration of an activity, you must really understand it. There mustbe a joint understanding by all stakeholders what the requirements are.


Estimating Dwayne Grant 6/1/2013 7:41:31 AM

We already learned from previous discussions that you can have different estimates for quantitiesand costs, but this week open up the discussion about time estimates. The same foundationalconcepts of estimating are used, and each estimate is going to have three variables. The threeestimating variables are optimistic, most likely and pessimistic, and from these variable you will



derive you actual time estimate. It applies to time because as a project manager one of you tasksis estimating how long it will take to complete a task on your work breakdown structure. Thesame concept will be applied to the resources, but estimating resources is more complex.


Estimating Herminio Dionisio 6/2/2013 1:53:13 PM

Conservativeness is a close cousin of the precautionary principle. In a very simple explanation, w e intentionally

overestimate in order to be confident w e are not underestimating. This can be avoided if w e have a great and w ide

idea w hat the product or service is all about. The more information and details w e can get, the more w e can define

w hat our client really w ant w ith the assurance that w e w ill give them the right cost, and time for the product they

exactly w ant. It is all about complexity, risks and technical issues that are so important to consider in estimating and

most of all, nothing is w rong if w e w ill ask the opinion and judgement of those w ho are experts in their f ield or trade.

Lessons Learned for Week 4 Professor Orr 6/1/2013 9:39:01 AM

What are your most important/valuable lessons learned from Week 4?

Regards,

Susan

RE: Lessons Learned for Week

4 Herminio Dionisio 6/2/2013 1:28:34 PM

Lessons learned for this Week 4, is not to w ait for the last moment to w ork on my course project assignment w hich

w as discussed since day one, rushing to f inish it and resulting to frustrations and disappointments. Being one of

those w ho procrastinate, I w ill never let this w ill happen again, and w ill use and manage my time eff iciently. I w ill

start to w ork on the assigned Course Project 2 this w eek, for me to have enough time to prepare, review and submit

a much, much better presentation of assignment.

RE: Lessons

Learned for Week

4Mary Hart 6/2/2013 10:51:15 PM

Modified:6/2/2013 10:51 PM

I agree w ith you Herminio, the lesson learned this w eek is planning ahead to complete on time w ith our

course project dead line. Priceless!

I w ill also try my best of the course project 2.

RE: Lessons Learned for Week

4 Huyen Bui 6/2/2013 3:02:16 PM

In this w eek, I learn to leverage several tools for planning and scheduling. Just looking at the critical path is not

enough due to its optimism, I also need to calculate the earned value for a better estimate on not only timing but

resource. And again, this has to depend on the scope and scale of project. The critical chain also a great tool to level

resource to prevent from running out of or over resources for certain tasks.



RE: Lessons

Learned for Week

4Tanika Thomas 6/2/2013 3:14:35 PM

Modified:6/2/2013 3:18 PM

Lesson learned in week 4 includes both of my previous colleaguescomments time management and utilizing all tools available.Understanding critical path and how to manually level it to acquire the bestresult with all resources (money, time and personnel). Combing tasks andreadjusting critical task to maximize results such as the example given inclass by Mary with what's more important and less important with regardsto time (painting or installing material).

Last but not least balancing married life, school and teaching.

Documents

PM592 Week 4 Discussion