Modeling Tough Scheduling Problems with Software

1. Modeling Tough Scheduling Problems with Software Alex S. Brown http://www.alexsbrown.com Mitsui Sumitomo Marine Management (USA), Inc.

2. 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 Participate!

3. Key Terms • Network Diagram • Gantt Chart • Two Types of Projects Parallel Opportunities Serial Dependencies

4. Scenario • Six Tasks • Three Resources

5. Four Directions - Pick One! Go! • Resource Leveling • Representing Hard & Soft Dependencies • Quickly-Changing Work & Assignments • Maintaining Schedules During Execution Go! Go! Go!

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Questions & Answers on Leveling Pick Next Topic

13. 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?

14. 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

15. 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?

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Questions & Answers on Dependencies Pick Next Topic

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. Questions & Answers on Quickly-Changing Schedules Pick Next Topic

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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?

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. Questions & Answers on Schedule Maintenance Pick Next Topic

34. Review - Four Tough Problems • Resource Leveling • Representing Hard & Soft Dependencies • Quickly-Changing Work & Assignments • Maintaining Schedules During Execution

35. 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

36. 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!

37. Questions & Answers • Contact Speaker at http://www.alexsbrown.com or alexbrown@msigusa.com • Evaluation Forms • Feedback on New Case Study Format Appreciated

38. Modeling Tough Scheduling Problems with Software Alex S. Brown http://www.alexsbrown.com Mitsui Sumitomo Marine Management (USA), Inc.