modeling tough scheduling problems with software alex s. brown mitsui sumitomo marine management...
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Modeling Tough Scheduling Problems with Software
Alex S. Brownhttp://www.alexsbrown.com
Mitsui Sumitomo Marine Management (USA), Inc.
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Objectives• Get Past Frustration (Intermediate)
• Learn New Tools and Techniques (Expert)
• Not For Beginners– Basic Skills Assumed– Assume Experience Using Scheduling Software
• Software-Brand Neutral - Not Taking Sides
• Interactive, Case-Study Format
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Key Terms• Network Diagram
• Gantt Chart
• Two Types of Projects
Serial Dependencies Parallel Opportunities
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Scenario• Six Tasks
• Three Resources
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Four Directions - Pick One!• Resource Leveling
• Representing Hard & Soft Dependencies
• Quickly-Changing Work & Assignments
• Maintaining Schedules During Execution
Go!
Go!
Go!
Go!
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Resource Leveling - Key Data• Gather Complete Data At the Start
– Resource start dates and availability– Vacations– Accurate work and duration estimates– Accurate sequence relationships
• Good Data is Essential• When Data Is Good Enough, Level To
Discover The Real End Date
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Principles of Leveling• Find a Repeatable Method -- Level
Regularly
• Changes in Any Estimate or Assumption May Require Re-Leveling
• Leveling is Iterative -- Methods Should Allow Small, Frequent Adjustments
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Scheduling Tools for Leveling• View Resource Use Over Time
• Adjust Key Task Info– Start Dates– Delays on Tasks– Allocation of Work Over Time by Task
• Resource Availability vs. Work Assigned
Resource/Task Total Work Week 1 Week 2Resource A 40 20 20 Construct #1 20 15 5 Construct #2 20 5 15
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Breakout Discussion• Level the Scenario for 40-Hour Weeks, 8-
Hour Days for Each Resource• Different Approaches on the Handouts• Key Questions
– What method do you normally use?– Which is easiest to set up?– Which is easiest to maintain?
• Five Minutes for Discussion
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Possible Solutions• Stretch All Work to Five Days Duration
• Make Work Sequential– Move Start Dates– Add Delays
• Break Down the Task List Differently to Simplify Leveling
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Selecting A Technique• What is Easiest in Your Software?
• How Hard is Maintenance?
• What Methods Allow for Automation for All or Part of the Work?
• What is the Impact on Reporting and Analysis Techniques?– Critical Path– Earned Value
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Questions & Answers on Leveling
Pick NextTopic
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Hard & Soft Dependencies• Hard Dependencies MUST Be Obeyed
• Soft Dependencies SHOULD Be Obeyed
• Real-Life Schedules Often Break or Change Soft Dependencies to Achieve Required End Dates
• Challenge Your Assumptions:– Is It Really IMPOSSIBLE for Task B to Start
Until Task A Ends?
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Issues with Dependencies• Software Usually Recognizes Only Hard
Dependencies
• Critical Path Analysis is 100% Dependent Upon an Accurate Network Diagram
• Documenting Dependencies is a Challenge
• Documenting Dependencies is Essential
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Breakout Discussion• Scenario Uses Soft Dependencies• Soft Dependencies Driven By Resource
Limitations• Questions
– Where do you document dependencies?– What is the critical path?– What do you WANT the critical path to be?– How does the schedule respond to change?
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Documenting Dependencies• Many Options
– Two Network Diagrams - “Hard Only” and Current
– Narrative Explanation of Dependencies– Separate Columns or Spreadsheets Track Hard
and Soft Dependencies
• Pick a Method You Can Maintain Easily
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Dependencies in Software• Scheduling Software Usually Enforces
Dependencies Strictly (All Hard)
• Options– Only Enter Hard Dependencies - Satisfy Soft
Dependencies During Leveling– Enter Both Hard and Soft Dependencies for
Each Task, Update As Needed– Enter Only the Constraining Dependency
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Consequences of Approaches• Calculation of Critical Path
• Clarity of Network Diagram– “Only Hard” is Clearest Diagram– “Hard & Soft” Creates Overlapping Lines– “Only Constraining” Looks Like a Serial
Project’s Network
• Respond to Change Differently -- Task Estimates vs. Task Assignments
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Questions & Answers on Dependencies
Pick NextTopic
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Quickly-Changing Schedules• Real Schedules Change Every Reporting
Period– Estimate Changes - Work & Duration– Assignment Changes– Resources Added, Removed, and Rescheduled– Resource Availability Changes
• Optimize Schedule, Make New Forecasts• The Only Certainty is Change Itself
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Planning for Changes in the Plan• Predict Future Changes
– What is likely to change?– What changed often in the past?– What project risks will cause change?
• Create a Small Schedule with Typical Tasks• Try Making Typical Changes• Experiment, Experiment, Experiment to Find
Best Scheduling Techniques
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Breakout Discussion• Start with Initial Scenario
• Apply Changes– Resources No Longer Available– Resources Available More Hours Per Week– Estimate Changes
• Model the Schedule Differently and Repeat– Hard and Soft Dependencies– Different Leveling Techniques
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Change is Fundamental• Experiment with Change in a Small
Schedule– Best way to evaluate and compare different
techniques– Great way to explore, understand, and evaluate
scheduling software
• Best Techniques Will Vary -- Find the Best for Your Schedules, for Your Software
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Change Drives Automation• Change is Difficult with Hand-Drawn
Schedules and Budgets• Software Facilitates Change by Updating
Every View of a Schedule Simultaneously• WARNING: If the Model is Poor, Software
Can Be MORE Difficult to Update• LESSON: Understand Basic Principles
BEFORE Automating
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Questions & Answers on Quickly-Changing Schedules
Pick NextTopic
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Maintenance During Execution• Key Steps
– Apply actual work– Update estimates for remaining work– Optimize the schedule and update forecasts
• Many Managers Shelve Schedules After Developing Them
• Schedule Maintenance Key to Learning as an Organization and as a Manager
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Benefits of Maintenance• Compare Actuals to Estimates
– Improve estimates for next time– Improve control of work and scope
• Required for Earned Value and Benchmarking
• Accurate, Up-to-Date Forecasts of Delivery Dates
• Prove Scheduling Techniques
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Package-Specific Features• Timesheets Automate and Distribute Entry
of Actuals
• Entry of Actuals Vary by Software Package
• Different Packages Reschedule Remaining Work Differently
• Do Not Focus on Software Differences, Focus on Creating a New Forecast
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Breakout Discussion• Review Actual Progress After Week 1
• Schedule the Remaining Work
• Questions– Can you predict how your software would
reschedule the remaining work?– Do we change dependencies now that work is
started?
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What SHOULD Software Do?• Actuals Sometimes Break “Rules” in the
Schedule– Actual work starts before predecessor is
complete– “Must Meet” deadlines missed
• Software Packages Make Assumptions and Raise Warnings -- Each Has a Different Approach
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Responsibility As Software Users• Understand That Actual Work Might Break
Our Model
• Software May React Unpredictably When Our Models Are Wrong
• Understand Software Settings, Defaults, and Options
• Experiment, Experiment, Experiment -- Create Small Schedules to Test and Learn
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Important Choices• Techniques Used When Building Schedule
Determine Maintenance Procedures
• Schedule Time to Update the Schedule
• Update the Schedule and Forecast New End Dates Regularly
• Larger Projects = Maintenance is Critical
• Larger Projects = Maintenance is Difficult
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Questions & Answers on Schedule Maintenance
Pick NextTopic
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Review - Four Tough Problems• Resource Leveling
• Representing Hard & Soft Dependencies
• Quickly-Changing Work & Assignments
• Maintaining Schedules During Execution
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In the Paper• Exercises
• More Details on All Four Topics
• Comparison of Novice vs. Expert Use of Scheduling Software
• Ideas to Improve Your Skills
• References and Additional Reading
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Complete Your Learning Experience
• This Presentation is a First Step
• Download the Paper
• Run Exercises Using Your Software
• Select Scenarios From Your Schedules and Try New Techniques
• Hear It and You Will Forget It
• Do It and You Will Remember It!
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Questions & Answers• Contact Speaker at
http://www.alexsbrown.com or [email protected]
• Evaluation Forms
• Feedback on New Case Study Format Appreciated
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Modeling Tough Scheduling Problems with Software
Alex S. Brownhttp://www.alexsbrown.com
Mitsui Sumitomo Marine Management (USA), Inc.