Page 166 - DCAP304_DCAP515_SOFTWARE_PROJECT_MANAGEMENT

Software Project Management

Notes There are four processes you can do to affect the flow of project schedule:
 Fast tracking: This method allows activities to be done in parallel that would normally be
done in sequence.

Example: You may allow two phases of the project to overlap slightly where
normally you’d have quality control events, walkthroughs, or other events scheduled
before the second phase of the project would be allowed to begin.
This approach usually increases project risk.

 Crashing: Crashing allow the project manager to add more resources to effort-driven
activities in an attempt to shorten their duration. For example, if you have to physically
install 1,000 workstations and you’ve only eight people assigned to the task, it may take
them months to complete. If you crash the project, you might assign 16 more people to this
task to complete it in a matter of weeks. Crashing doesn’t always work because some
activities are a fixed duration and additional labor won’t ensure the activities will finish
faster. Crashing usually increases project costs because of the expense of the labor.
 Lead time: Lead time is negative time because it brings activities closer together–even
allowing them to overlap. For example, you may have to install a new network cable
throughout a campus. Your schedule calls for all of the network cables to run before any
PCs plug into the new network. To speed up the schedule, you elect to allow the activity
to connect the PCs to the new network as soon as half of the new cables are ready. The first
activity, to run the network cables, does not have to be complete for the second activity,
connecting to the new network, to begin.
 Lag time: Lag time is waiting time. It’s often applied to activities where there must be an
added duration between the tasks. For example, after installing a database, you have to
wait four hours for all of the records from other databases in the network to recognize the
database and synch with this database server. Lag time adds time to the project schedule.
To begin schedule compression, do the following:
 Analyze the critical path to move tasks earlier in the workflow—where possible.

 Consider relationships between tasks to change FS to SS.
 Identify tasks that require lag time and evaluate the predecessor task to move it earlier in
the workflow.

 Consider any tasks and the level of acceptable risks by changing relationship types.
 Consider adding additional resources to tasks to shorten the duration required to complete
tasks.

!
Caution Not all tasks can be shortened with additional resources.

8.4 Management Reserve

You and your project team will no doubt be tempted during the creation of each task to overstate
the estimated amount of time for it to be completed. Don’t yield to this temptation. Always
reflect the accurate amount of time it should take to complete a task.
The reason is explained in Parkinson’s Law. Parkinson’s Law states that work will expand to the
fill amount of time allotted to it. In other words, if your project team says an activity will take

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