Scheduling Workshops

Project Scheduling Workshops

Without effective project time management, there can be no effective resource management, cost management or delay management! This intensive one-day workshop is focused on defining the standards by which project schedules should be prepared, quality controlled, updated, reviewed and revised by an effective project scheduler. The workshop is designed to help planners and schedulers who know how to use their software effectively to move up to the next level of developing and using schedules that proactively contribute to the timely completion of complex projects. It is designed to be a valuable skills development process for working

It is designed to be a valuable skills development process for working schedulers who want to move beyond simply processing data in a scheduling tool, and elevate their planning and scheduling practice to a more advanced level by focusing on the skills and know-how needed to use the schedule to make a positive contribution to successful project delivery.

We offer a range of 1 and 2 workshops on a variety of project controls subjects, customised to your requirements.  A typical 1-Day intensive scheduling course plan is outlined below, for more options visit our workshops and short courses page. 

Or, Contact Us with your training requirements. 

How To: develop an effective schedule - 1 Day format

This intensive workshop lays out the basis for an effective planning and scheduling practice.   It is based on the PMIPractice Standard for Scheduling and the CIOB 'Guide to Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects' plus other key references. The workshop covers:

Design and Structure your Road Map

1. Basic framework of a schedule: 
   Purpose = communication, not control; Understand audience; Optimum update cycle; Role of the scheduler
2. Activities & Milestones: 
   Milestones; Attributes of an activity; Durations
3. Logic Links: 
   Rules of logic; Link types (FS/SS/FF/SF - Progressive feed - AP and Ladders - Mandatory/discretionary/external); Leads and Lags; Problems with links
4. Schedule Design: 
   Planning -v- scheduling; Heuristics size; Schedule Levels; What-if scenarios

Analyse the Schedule

1. Basic calculations: 
   Forward Pass; Back Pass; Integers -v- elapsed time
2. Free Float & Total Float: 
   Calculations and definitions; Using float wisely
3. Uncertainty: 
   PERT and Monte Carlo; Probability and contingency; Logic and Duration issues

Resources and Tools

1. What is a resource:
   Cost (using resources incurs costs); Capability (resources do the work); Stakeholder / team member (need communication and motivation)
2. Resource levelling: 
   Smoothing, Levelling; Resource levelled schedule (No float – balanced by time - Critical resources & resource float)
3. Resource problems: 
   Motivation & productivity (Critical Chain / Viper); Schedule compression (Fast tracking / Crashing)
4. Scheduling tools and methods:
   ADM / PDM / PERT; History of scheduling; 
   Software tools (Presentation / Project focus / EPM focus); 
   Schedule assessment (PMI Practice Standard for Scheduling); 
   Emerging ideas (RDM, Momentology, Complexity)

Maintaining the Schedule

1. Schedule baselines
2. Updating the schedule:
   Status the schedule; Update the schedule
3. Reporting options:
   Variance reports; Trend reports (Earned Schedule); Management Reports (Milestone trends); Team reports
4. Data management:
   Version control; Change management; Photo diaries & records
5. Allied processes and options:
   WBS / OBS / Control Accounts; Earned Value; Line of Balance & Chainage Charts

All workshop attendees will be provided with a course workbook, a copy of the CIOB Guide to Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects and references to an extensive library of papers to assist planners and schedulers develop their skills, and the managers of planners and schedulers appreciate the direct linkage between ‘good scheduling’ practice and the successful delivery of any project or program.

The ideas and practices discussed during this practical workshop are applicable to any schedule, developed using any software tool, to provide a framework that today’s schedulers can use to build their careers; and that project, program, PMO, and other senior managers can use to improve the scheduling practice within their organisations.

See more on PMI's PDUs

In addition to the course outlined above, we offer a range of 1 and 2 workshops on a variety of project controls subjects, customised to your requirements.  For more options visit our workshops and short courses page. 

Or, Contact Us with your training requirements.