Ebook Effective project management (Third edition): Part 2 presents the following content: Organizing and Conducting the Joint Project Planning Session; Recruiting, Organizing, and Managing the Project Team; Monitoring and Controlling Progress; Introduction to the Adaptive Project Framework;... Đề tài Hoàn thiện công tác quản trị nhân sự tại Công ty TNHH Mộc Khải Tuyên được nghiên cứu nhằm giúp công ty TNHH Mộc Khải Tuyên làm rõ được thực trạng công tác quản trị nhân sự trong công ty như thế nào từ đó đề ra các giải pháp giúp công ty hoàn thiện công tác quản trị nhân sự tốt hơn trong thời gian tới.
cg f9 77 22 jr nc zto q ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y 1m cd cc z gư 5v m 7x eq t2 m k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av 5h m hg Finalizing the Schedule and Cost Based on Resource Availability xj g9 6c fz rg e6 hg ev v2 jh oq fvp eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb The hammer must be swung in cadence, when more than one is hammering the iron lg l gg 9w m ca 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh rw m r1 v nx l2 90 ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o 77 vq u fk m n1 d6 28 w3 n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x k0 99 vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f vr 7v jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs 6t pi wm j2 pd ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 s9 9x pv te i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 59 5h le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 h m hf au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd vo b8 vw ho bk 3n sb ec 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư ưd 3f w4 dg q4 31 7b as v0 p1 85 rg 9n qd 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 90 1q 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư he final step to putting together the project plan is to assign the resources according to the schedule developed in Chapter Up to this point, we have identified the activities in the project and developed a schedule that meets the expected end date of the project Now you need to determine if you can accomplish this schedule with the resources available This chapter looks at tools and methods available to help you answer this question T 9t —Anonymous 9r c3 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r zo fw 4s zs n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb Chapter Learning Objectives x3 o3 z5 uư yfp 71 o fk 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw ws c2 7n iq 09 t8 3y gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb ◆ Define a work package and its purposes 143 Installing Custom Controls CHAPTER —Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher Behind an able man there are always other able men —Chinese proverb Work smarter, not harder Considering Resource Availability After reading this chapter, you will be able to: ◆ Understand why resources should be leveled ◆ Utilize various approaches to leveling resources ◆ Determine the appropriate use of substitute resources yi bs lz 2r fh 3f 8jm m gy wk 8y or jk rb ◆ Describe the format and explain the contents of a work package pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig ◆ Know when to require a work package description 0ja 0w 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq g fj8 jz im d j3i 143 zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc 144 Chapter cg f9 There could be cases where the resources are not available according to the project schedule In those situations, the project manager has to revert to the original project definition, budget, time, and resource allocations to resolve the scheduling problem, which may require additional time, budget, and resource allocation in order to comply with the requested deliverables and deliverable schedule 77 22 jr nc zto q ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn xj iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y 1m cd cc z gư 5v m 7x eq t2 m k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av Leveling Resources 5h m hg g9 6c fz rg lg l gg 9w m e6 hg ev v2 jh oq fvp eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb ca 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh Resource leveling is part of the broader topic of resource management This is an area that has always created problems for organizations Some of the situations that organizations have to deal with are these: rw m r1 v nx l2 90 ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o 77 vq Committing people to more than they can reasonably handle in the given timeframe, reasoning that they will find a way to get it done u fk m ■■ n1 d6 28 w3 n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x k0 99 vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f Changing project priorities and not considering the impact on existing resource schedules ■■ The absence of a resource management function that can measure and monitor the capacity of the resource pool and the extent to which it is already committed to projects ■■ Employee turnover that is not reflected in the resource schedule vr 7v ■■ jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs 6t pi wm 9t j2 pd ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 s9 9x pv te i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 59 5h le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 h m hf au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd b8 vo Any organization that does not have a way of effectively handling these situations will find itself in the situation analogous to the flow through a funnel, as depicted in Figure 7.1 vw ho bk 3n sb ec 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư ưd 3f w4 dg q4 31 7b as v0 p1 85 rg 9n qd 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 90 1q 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư 9r c3 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r zo fw 4s zs n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb x3 o3 z5 uư yfp 71 o fk 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw ws c2 7n iq 09 t8 3y gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb yi bs lz 2r fh 3f 8jm m gy wk 8y or jk rb pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig 0ja 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr Resources 0w Resources zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq Figure 7.1 The resource scheduling problem g fj8 jz im d j3i zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc Finalizing the Schedule and Cost Based on Resource Availability 145 cg f9 Figure 7.1 is a graphic portrayal of the resource-scheduling problem The diameter of the funnel represents the total of all the resources available for the project Activities can pass through the funnel at a rate that is limited by the amount of work that can be completed by the available resources according to the schedule of the activities You can try to force more into the funnel than it can accommodate, but doing so only results in turbulence in the funnel You are familiar with the situation where managers try to force more work onto your already fully loaded schedule The result is either schedule slippage or less-than-acceptable output In the funnel example, it results in rupture due to overload (weekend time and long hours are the root cause of the rupture) 77 22 jr nc zto q ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn xj iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y 1m cd cc z gư 5v m 7x eq t2 m k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av 5h m hg g9 6c fz rg lg l gg 9w m e6 hg ev v2 jh oq fvp eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb ca 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh rw m r1 v nx l2 90 ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o 77 vq u fk m n1 d6 28 w3 The core teamwork takes place at the center of the pipeline This center is where the activity flow through the funnel is the smoothest because it is based on a well-executed schedule The work assigned to the contract team takes place along the edge of the funnel According to the laws of flow in a pipeline, there is more turbulence at the walls of the structure The deliverables are the completed activity work Because the diameter of the funnel is fixed, only so much completed work can flow from it Too many organizations think that by simply adding more into the top, more will come out the bottom of the funnel Their rationale is that people will work harder and more efficiently if they know that more is expected While this may be true in a limited sense, it is not in the best interest of the project because it results in mistakes and compromised quality Mistakes will be made as a direct result of the pressure of the overly ambitious schedule forced on people In this chapter, we develop resource-leveling strategies that the project manager can adopt to avoid the situation depicted in the funnel example n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x k0 99 vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f vr 7v jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs 6t pi wm 9t j2 pd ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 s9 9x pv te i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 59 5h le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 h m hf au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd vo b8 vw ho bk 3n sb ec 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư ưd 3f w4 dg q4 31 7b as v0 p1 85 rg 9n qd 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o Let’s take a step back for a moment When you were creating the project network diagram, the critical path was the principal focal point for trying to finish the project by a specified date Resource over- or under-allocation was not a consideration We this for a reason It is important to focus your attention on planning one portion of the project at a time If you can’t hit the desired finish date based strictly on the logical order in which activities must be completed, why worry about whether resources are over- or under-allocated? You’ve got another problem to solve first After the finish date has been accepted, you can address the problem of over-, and in some cases, under-allocation 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 90 1q 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư 9r c3 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r zo fw 4s zs n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb x3 o3 z5 uư yfp 71 o fk 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw ws c2 7n iq 09 t8 3y Resource leveling is a process that the project manager follows to schedule how each resource is allocated to activities in order to accomplish the work within the scheduled start and finish dates of the activity Recall that the scheduled start and finish dates of every activity are constrained by the project plan to lie entirely within their ES-LF window Were that not the case, the project would be delayed beyond its scheduled completion date As resources are leveled, they must be constrained to the ES-LF window of the activities to which they are assigned, or the project manager must seek other alternatives to resolve the conflict between resource availability and project schedule gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb yi bs lz 2r fh 3f 8jm m gy wk 8y or jk rb pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig 0ja 0w 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq g fj8 jz im d j3i zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc 146 Chapter The resource schedule needs to be leveled for two reasons cg f9 To ensure that no resource is over-allocated That is, we not schedule a resource to more than 100 percent of its available time ■■ The project manager wants the number of resources (people, in most cases) to follow a logical pattern throughout the life of the project You would not want the number of people working on the project to fluctuate wildly from day to day or from week to week That would impose too many management and coordination problems Resource leveling avoids this by ensuring that the number of resources working on a project at any time are fairly constant The ideal project would have the number of people resources relatively level over the planning phases, building gradually to a maximum during the project work phases, and decreasing through the closing phases Such increases and decreases are manageable and expected in the life of a well-planned project 77 22 ■■ jr nc zto q ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn xj iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y 1m cd cc z gư 5v m 7x eq t2 m k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av 5h m hg g9 6c fz rg lg l gg 9w m e6 hg ev v2 jh oq fvp eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb ca 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh rw m r1 v nx l2 90 ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o 77 vq u fk m n1 d6 28 w3 n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x k0 99 vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f vr 7v jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs pi 6t Acceptably Leveled Schedule wm 9t j2 pd ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x As we begin this discussion of leveling resources, let’s be clear on one point It is very unlikely, perhaps impossible, that you will develop a resource schedule that simultaneously possesses all the desirable characteristics we discussed Of course, you will the best you can and hope for a resource schedule that is acceptable to management and to those who manage the resources employed on your project When a resource schedule is leveled, the leveling process is done within the availability of the resource to that project When we discussed activity estimating and resource assignments in Chapter 5, we said that resources are not available to work on an activity 100 percent of any given day Our current observations show that this number ranges between 50 and 65 percent This value, for a typical average day, is the resources maximum availability Project management software products may also refer to it as max availability or max units Some software applications allow this value to be varied by time period; others not l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 s9 9x pv te i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 59 5h le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 h m hf au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd vo b8 vw ho bk 3n sb ec 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư ưd 3f w4 dg q4 31 7b as v0 p1 85 rg 9n qd 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 90 1q 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư 9r c3 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r zo fw 4s zs n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb x3 o3 z5 uư yfp 71 o fk 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 Ideally, we want to have a project in which all resource schedules can be accommodated within the resources’ maximum availability On occasion this may not be possible, especially when project completion dates are paramount, which means that some overtime may be necessary We’re all familiar with this Overtime should be your final fall-back option, however Use it with discretion and only for short periods of time If at all possible, don’t start your project off with overtime as the norm You’ll probably need it somewhere along the line, so keep it as part of your management reserve xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw ws c2 7n iq 09 t8 3y gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb yi bs lz 2r fh 3f 8jm m gy wk 8y or jk rb pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig 0ja 0w 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq g fj8 jz im d j3i zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc Finalizing the Schedule and Cost Based on Resource Availability 147 cg f9 CROSS-REFERENCE Chapter contains an in-depth discussion of management reserve 77 22 jr nc zto q ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn xj iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 Resource-Leveling Strategies ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y 1m cd cc z gư 5v m t2 m 7x eq You can use three approaches to level project resources: k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av 5h m hg g9 6c fz rg lg l gg 9w m e6 hg ev v2 Utilizing available slack ■■ Shifting the project finish date ■■ Smoothing jh oq fvp ■■ eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb ca 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh rw m r1 v nx l2 90 Let’s take a look at each of these strategies in more detail ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o 77 vq u fk m n1 d6 28 w3 n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x 99 k0 Utilizing Available Slack vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f vr 7v jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs 6t pi wm 9t j2 pd Slack was defined in Chapter as the amount of delay expressed in units of time that could be tolerated in the starting time or completion time of an activity without causing a delay in the completion of the project Recall that slack is the difference between the ES-LF window of an activity and its duration For example, if the ES-LF window is days and the duration of the activity is days, its slack is – 3, or day ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 s9 9x pv te i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 59 5h le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 h m hf au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd vo b8 ho vw Slack can be used to alleviate the over-allocation of resources With this approach, one or more of the project activities are postponed to a date that is later than their early start date but no later than their late finish date In other words, the activities are rescheduled but remain within their ES-LF window bk 3n sb ec 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư ưd 3f w4 dg q4 31 7b as v0 p1 85 rg 9n qd 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 90 1q 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư 9r c3 When you are seeking to level resources, having free slack can come in handy Free slack, as mentioned in Chapter 6, is the amount of delay that can be tolerated in an activity without affecting the ES date of any of its successor activities When you need to resolve the “stack-up” of activities on the schedule, first look to see if any of the activities has free slack If any of them do, and if rescheduling the activity to that later start date will solve the resource overallocation problem, you are done If moving the start date of the activity does not resolve the over-allocation, you have to use total slack, and at least one other activity will have its early start date delayed 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r zo fw 4s zs n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb x3 o3 z5 uư yfp 71 o fk 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw ws c2 7n iq 09 t8 3y gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb yi bs lz 2r fh 3f 8jm m gy wk 8y or jk rb pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd Shifting the Project Finish Date t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig 0ja Not all projects are driven by the completion date For some, resource availability is their most severe constraint On these projects, the critical path may 0w 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq g fj8 jz im d j3i zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc 148 Chapter cg f9 have to be extended to achieve an acceptably resource-leveled schedule This case could very well mean that the parallel scheduling on the activity network diagram that moved the original finish date to an earlier one needs to be reversed The start-to-start and finish-to-finish dependencies might need to be set back to the linear finish-to-start type 77 22 jr nc zto q ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn xj iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz In some cases, a project is of a low enough priority within the organization that it is used mostly for fill-in work In that case, the completion date is not significant and doesn’t have the urgency that it does in a time-to-market project For most projects, however, moving the finish date to beyond a desired date is the least attractive alternative 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y 1m cd cc z gư 5v m 7x eq t2 m k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av 5h m hg g9 6c fz rg lg l gg 9w m e6 hg ev v2 jh oq fvp eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb ca 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh If you find yourself caught between over-allocated resources on a schedule that cannot be acceptably leveled and a firm fixed completion date, you may have to consider reducing the scope of the project Consider delaying some of the features to the next release as one way of resolving the issue In saying this, we’re referring to the concepts introduced regarding the scope triangle in Chapter rw m r1 v nx l2 90 ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o 77 vq u fk m n1 d6 28 w3 n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x k0 99 vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f vr 7v jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs 6t pi wm 9t j2 pd ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x Smoothing l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 9x s9 Occasionally, limited overtime is required to accomplish the work within the scheduled start and finish dates of the activity Overtime can help alleviate some resource over-allocation because it allows more work to be done within the same scheduled start and finish dates We call this smoothing, and through its use, we eliminate resource over-allocations, which appear as spikes in the resource loading graphs In effect, what we have done is move some of the work from normal workdays to days that otherwise are not available for work To the person doing the work, it is overtime pv te i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 59 5h le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 h m hf au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd vo b8 vw ho bk 3n sb ec 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư ưd 3f w4 dg q4 31 7b as v0 p1 85 rg 9n qd 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 90 1q 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư 9r c3 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r zo fw zs 4s Alternative Methods of Scheduling Activities n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb o3 x3 Rather than treating the activity list as fixed and within that constraint leveling resources, you could resolve the leveling problem by considering further decomposition of one or more activities One of the six characteristics of a complete WBS mentioned in Chapter was activity independence Activity independence means that once work has begun on an activity, work can continue without interruption until the activity is complete Usually, you not schedule the work to be continuous for a number of reasons, such as resource availability, but you could if you wanted Other than for resource availability issues, the decision to that may simply be a preference of the project manager z5 uư yfp 71 o fk 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw ws c2 7n iq 09 t8 3y gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb yi bs lz 2r fh 3f 8jm m gy wk 8y or jk rb pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig 0ja 0w 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq g fj8 jz im d j3i zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc Finalizing the Schedule and Cost Based on Resource Availability 149 Further Decomposition of Activities cg f9 77 22 jr nc zto q ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn xj iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y 1m cd cc z gư 5v m 7x eq t2 m k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av 5h m hg g9 6c fz rg lg l gg 9w m e6 hg ev v2 jh oq fvp eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb ca 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh rw m r1 v nx l2 90 ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o 77 vq u fk m n1 d6 28 w3 Resource availability, or rather, the lack of it, can require some creative activity scheduling on the part of the project manager For example, suppose that an activity requires one person for three days within a five-day window There are two days of slack in the schedule for that activity In other words, the ESLF window of the activity is five days, and the activity duration is three days The project manager would prefer to have the activity scheduled for its early start date, but the unavailability of the resource for three consecutive days beginning on the ES date will require scheduling the activity work to a longer period of time One solution would be to have the resource work for three nonconsecutive days as early as possible in the five-day window Continuing with the example, let’s say that the resource is available for the first two days in the five-day window and for the last day in the five-day window To simplify the scheduling of the resource, the project manager could decompose the five-day activity into two activities—one two-day activity and one one-day activity The two-day activity would then have an FS dependency on the one-day activity The scheduled start and finish dates of the two activities would be set so that they fit the availability of the resource There are other solutions to this scheduling problem, but we not discuss them here The one we have presented is the best approach to situations similar to the example n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x k0 99 vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f vr 7v jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs 6t pi wm 9t j2 pd ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 s9 9x pv te i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 59 5h le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 m hf h Stretching Activities au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd vo b8 vw ho bk 3n ec sb Another alternative that preserves the continuity of the activity work is to stretch the work over a longer period of time by having the resource work on the activity at a percent per day lower than was originally planned 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư ưd 3f w4 dg q4 31 7b as v0 p1 85 rg 9n qd 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 1q 90 Let’s modify the previous example to illustrate what we mean by stretching the activity Suppose the resource is available 80 percent of each day in the five-day window, and you need four days of work The resource is therefore available for 0.80 times five days, or four days of work, over the five-day window You need only four days of work from the resource, so how you schedule the work in the five-day window to accomplish the four days of work you need? The solution is to stretch the activity from four days to five and schedule the resource to work on the activity for those five days Because the resource can only work 80 percent of the time on the activity, the resource will accomplish four days of work in five days 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư 9r c3 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r zo fw 4s zs n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb x3 o3 z5 uư yfp 71 o fk 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw ws c2 7n iq 09 t8 3y gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb yi bs lz 2r In this simple example, the percentage was constant over the five days, but it might also follow some profile For example, suppose you needed the resource for three days and the resource was available full-time for the first and second days but only half-time for the remaining three days of the five-day window fh 3f 8jm m gy wk 8y or jk rb pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig 0ja 0w 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq g fj8 jz im d j3i zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc 150 Chapter cg f9 You could first split the activity into two activities—a two-day activity and a one-day activity The two-day activity would fully use the resource and get two days of work completed The second activity would be stretched to two days, and the resource would be assigned half-time for two days to complete the remaining day of work on the activity In other words, you got the three days of work in four days—the first two days at full-time and the next two days at half-time Resource availability can be the determining factor for how the activity can be stretched within its ES-LF window and still get the required amount of work from the resource 77 22 jr nc zto q ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn xj iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y 1m cd cc z gư 5v m 7x eq t2 m k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av 5h m hg g9 6c fz rg lg l gg 9w m e6 hg ev v2 jh oq fvp eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb ca Assigning Substitute Resources 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh Our estimate of activity duration was based on the assumption that a typically skilled resource will be available to work on the activity That may not be possible, though, because of unavailability of the resource This unavailability will be especially true in the case of scarce resources such as some of the newer technologies The project manager needs to find some other strategy One approach would be to use less-skilled resources and add to the total number of hours requested Here, the thinking is that a less-skilled resource would require a longer period of time to complete the activity work rw m r1 v nx l2 90 ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o 77 vq u fk m n1 d6 28 w3 n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x k0 99 vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f vr 7v jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs 6t pi wm 9t j2 pd ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 s9 9x pv te i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 5h 59 WARNING Be careful in using this tactic, however, because there will be additional risk in using le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 h m hf au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd a less-skilled person, and it is not clear exactly what increase in activity duration is needed to account for the lesser skilled person This strategy works only for noncritical path activities Using it for a critical path activity would extend the completion date of the project vo b8 vw ho bk 3n sb ec 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư ưd 3f w4 dg q4 31 7b as v0 p1 85 rg 9n qd 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 90 1q 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư 9r c3 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r fw zo Cost Impact of Resource Leveling 4s zs n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb x3 o3 z5 uư yfp o fk 71 It should be obvious to you that resource leveling almost always stretches the schedule The case where it doesn’t stretch the schedule may occur if slack is available in the right places in the schedule Scheduling the work of a resource over a longer period of time not only removes scheduling conflicts, but it also removes any over-allocations of that resource To all that, the project completion date is moved out in time, which can have the following results: 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw ws c2 7n iq 09 t8 3y gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb yi bs lz 2r fh 3f If the resources are billable based on the labor expended, project costs not increase ■■ If there are resources that are charged on a calendar basis, project costs will increase Such expenses would be attributable to equipment and 8jm ■■ m gy wk 8y or jk rb pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig 0ja 0w 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq g fj8 jz im d j3i zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc Finalizing the Schedule and Cost Based on Resource Availability 151 space that is on a rental agreement In some cases, there may be increased people costs as well cg f9 77 22 jr nc If there are incentives for early completion and penalties for late completion of a project, a cost impact will be felt as well zto q ■■ ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn xj iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y Implementing Micro-Level Project Planning 1m cd cc z gư 5v m 7x eq t2 m k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av 5h m hg g9 6c fz rg lg l gg 9w m e6 hg ev v2 jh oq fvp eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb ca 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh rw m r1 v nx l2 90 ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o 77 vq u fk m n1 d6 28 w3 Micro-level planning is another step in the decomposition of the tasks that are assigned to an individual It involves a decomposition to what we will call subtasks In some cases, these subtasks may be a very simple to-do list or, in more complex situations, might appear as a very small project network Remember that we are dealing with tasks that have met the six WBS completion criteria and are therefore relatively simple tasks or short duration n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x 99 k0 Micro-level project planning begins with the lowest-level activity that is defined in the WBS Because it appears in the WBS, it will have management oversight by the project manager The responsibility for completing this activity within a defined window of time will be assigned to an activity manager (or team leader, if you prefer) The activity may be simple enough so that all of the work of completing it is done by the activity manager In more complex situations, a small team assigned to the activity manager will actually complete the work of the activity We’ll use the word subteam in the discussion that follows, but recognize that the team may be only one person, the activity manager vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f vr 7v jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs 6t pi wm 9t j2 pd ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 s9 9x pv te i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 59 5h le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 h m hf au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd vo b8 vw ho bk 3n sb ec 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư ưd 3f dg w4 The first thing the subteam must is to continue the decomposition that was done in building the WBS But this decomposition will be at the task level The tasks might be nothing more than a simple to-do list that is executed in a linear fashion More complex activities will actually generate an activity network diagram composed of tasks and their dependency relationships Recall that the activity met the completeness criteria discussed in Chapter These activities will each be less than two weeks’ duration, so the tasks that make them up will be of lesser duration The decomposition should be fairly simple and result in tasks of one to three days’ duration We would be surprised if it took more than 10 tasks to define the work of the activity q4 31 7b as v0 p1 85 rg 9n qd 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 90 1q 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư 9r c3 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r zo fw 4s zs n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb x3 o3 z5 uư yfp 71 o fk 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw ws c2 7n iq Using a project management software package to create the micro-level plan and its accompanying schedule is overkill Our suggestion is that you define the tasks, their dependency relationship, and schedule on a white board using Post-It notes and marking pens Figure 7.2 is an example of what that white board display might look like The activity consists of seven tasks that are shown in the upper portion of the figure along with their dependencies 09 t8 3y gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb yi bs lz 2r fh 3f 8jm m gy wk 8y or jk rb pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig 0ja 0w 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq g fj8 jz im d j3i zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc Chapter 152 cg f9 77 22 jr nc zto q ư6 r5 ot t5 0ư q3 ke 28 76 y8 uj r9 5ư 9p zn xj The lower portion of the figure shows the time scaled schedule for the three members of the subteam The shaded areas of the schedule are non-workdays and days when a resource is not available Half-day time segments are the lowest level of granularity used iy wt p1 0x d tzp zs yy hk y0 u7 98 ba x0 m bm ew 8a kư aw m sx xz 5k zo 9v t0 m pq g0 2p 0y 1m cd cc z gư 5v m 7x eq t2 m k2 5t nz xf 0j ưq ab av 5h m hg g9 6c This activity is typical of others in the project plan It is simple enough so that all of the work can be done at the white board Updating is very simple There is no need for software support It simply adds management overhead with little return on the investment of time expended to capture and manage it fz rg lg l gg 9w m e6 hg ev v2 jh oq fvp eh 9q fy oy vs uo bu dd ij vh nb ca 8g u7 bl hd 1u o5 ah qy 36 55 pr tv h j2c uư vq h 1i1 2x 8a 7u wa bc e4 9y db dk zh rw m r1 v nx l2 90 ic sm st og qu 3d b0 d2 kd 6o In the next section, we make the transition to work packages What we have done so far is decompose a task into subtasks In other words, we have a list of things that have to be done in order to complete the task The work package describes exactly how we are going to accomplish the task through the identified subtasks In other words, it is a mini-plan for our task 77 vq u fk m n1 d6 28 w3 n l3l it8 nb u8 s6 2x k0 99 vl he 3e ưr ư1 yk kw 7f vr 7v jn xp u 8il 2s 3o 2z o sq ffs 6t pi wm 9t j2 pd ok 3n vl o oh l8e vf ưe oiw yq hu d1 fd nx ru 3m 56 sq br n0 v3 ep 36 di 7ư ey 0x l4 e7 gs em tb q9 8d 12 pv i9 d5 26 ưz nk d1 nt ư9 59 5h le lf qc kd ưp rư 46 k8 aa gj id 17 h m hf au th fx sp ym an 5r 43 uj yu 8q e6 dz ưd vo b8 vw ho bk 3n sb ec 37 kf j0 ưư fz rn fx yư w4 dg q4 31 7b as v0 p1 A2 ưd 3f 85 rg 72 jw vq lh 69 2v q4 4o 9n qd 9r a9 e5 5m ak y 9f vjl 6p k8 2c zx jp ey 90 1q S S F 0ư r qq y lk8 t jl5 m qư 9r c3 78 xv ew 20 q4 f 6x l4u 69 0v 2h 4r zo fw 4s zs n lr6 im yr 2ib m 22 o cg l73 4z v1 llo a9 p3 1q f yp lxh 4x hb x3 o3 z5 uư yfp 71 o fk 6p za et ưc ls n8 9n gư 4g 8l ưq t3 ez n2 6d oo tg 2f ita ưz d1 lsv du ke 7ip tk n7 xn t0 ei ư1 m f jzs cfd 0k q1 s7 rc g fv0 e8 sw Fran te Ernie C3 s9 9x Duffy R W T M S S F R W T M 2 B2 B1 A1 C2 C1 ws c2 7n iq 09 t8 3y gu xe pm jg 9h m xf q 2c ip ư6 uv bc qh sv ig ex 4g lx 1p zv g1 p3 0f 7a 3m tjb Figure 7.2 An example of a task dependency diagram and time-scaled resource schedule yi bs lz 2r fh 3f 8jm m gy wk 8y or jk rb pe dz 4b nr 2o zs 06 sd t4 xh xs a 3y 4la 5e ig 0ja 0w 4v k4 dc oq ư8 bư m xq v xr zu n8 b1 d3 np ab ciw ib i ws 7x a8 zy c7 gq 7r j7 a qg 8iu hm o7 ae z4 d zlh rf wr 8e xe xi 7h 5d 94 3p j rs 0ie g 4ih qx 1v tn yq g fj8 jz im d j3i zz 1r 4u 76 vo 26 s gm jkr 1i m q c8 9z k3 1l ah xx oh v7 dr l2 bu kk 13 a3 95 2a irc