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“The Softer Side of Scheduling”

How simple, non electronic, collaborative efforts make for a more robust, accurate and better functioning project schedule.

Sreedhar “Sree” Yedavalli, PMPTechnical Project ManagerSamsung-WorldLink

Thursday, February 18, 2016, 5:01PM

•Temporary - Defined Start and End dates•Unique deliverables (Product, service result)Project• Group of similar, but distinct,

projectsProgram

• Collection of programs and projectsPortfolio

About ProjectsYedavalli – Scheduling2

XYVEX Labs

ProductsSTM LITHOGRAPHY CONTROL SYSTEM

Project 1 – New HDL Scripting

Project 2 – Position Controls upgrade

mechanism

ZETCHER™

Project 1 – Software Customization - UTD

Project 2 – Hardware Upgrade

ServicesProject 1 –

Stainless Steel metalworking for

SY, Inc.

Project 2 – At installation

materials, Dallas Art Festival

ResearchGrant#1 –

DoE Nanite manipulation

SBIR to DoD Application

Portfolio List?

Portfolio

Programs &

Projects

Projects

Yedavalli – Scheduling3

Master Schedule6.6.3.2

Stakeholders 2.2.1

WBS5.4

Activity List and Gantt

6.2.3.1

Project Charter

4.1

About Scheduling

Yedavalli – Scheduling4

Work Breakdown Structure

WBS = Hierarchical decomposition of the TOTAL SCOPE OF WORK to be carried out for the project.

100% Rule = the WBS includes 100% of the work defined by the project scope and captures all deliverables – internal, external, interim – in terms of the work to be completed, including project management.

 Key project deliverable that organizes the team's work into manageable sections

PMBOK & MIL-STD-881C

Yedavalli – Scheduling5

WBS Will help you organize Personnel assignments Activity List - Major and minor tasks Material acquisition – when and how

much Asset allocation – the tools you need

and when you need them.

Why a WBS?6 Yedavalli – Scheduling

“The Group Hug” All stakeholders, management and

key personnel involved in the project Representatives from consultants or

vendors One room, one day, all out free for all (Example on Whiteboard)

Who does the WBS?7 Yedavalli – Scheduling

Creates a hierarchy within the project. Defines the “Project Manager” Defines the “Project Sponsor” Defines deliverables

How WBS benefits you?

8 Yedavalli – Scheduling

9 Yedavalli – Scheduling

Complete – make sure that we do not forget anything (what we forget here will not be part of further project planning, and thus, can cause time delays and additional costs).

Free of contradictions – check if the WBS contains any work packages with contradicting or inconsistent specifications or descriptions (of pre-conditions, expected results, etc.), and revise accordingly.

Work packages on lowest level - clearly specifying responsibility, pre-conditions, expected results, necessary skill levels, special expertise, so that we have a reliable basis for estimation of effort and duration (minimum requirement: verb + object).

Criteria of a WBS10 Yedavalli – Scheduling

"80 hour rule – no activity at the lowest level to produce a single deliverable, should be more than 80 hours of effort.

If the project team is reporting progress monthly, then no single activity or series of activities should be longer than one month long.

“Common sense" when creating the duration of a single activity or group of activities.

Level of Detail11 Yedavalli – Scheduling

Other Benefits to WBS & PM

12 Yedavalli – Scheduling

Better project budgeting – complete projects in less time with less money

Predictability – reduce unknowns in project process

Control scope – reduce the risk of adding unnecessary scope to an ongoing project - “Scope Creep”.

Better solutions – planning with client or stakeholders leads to better outcomes that weren’t originally understood.

Resolve problems more quickly – stick to the plan!

Resolve future risk before problems start.

Better product, better service, better outcome. Avoids “bad” projects

More metrics and fact based decision making

Improved work flow and work environment