Schedule Control of a Project

Before starting a project, an approved schedule baseline needs to be developed and agreed upon by the stakeholders. During project execution, having a good system of monitoring and updating the performance status of project activities is essential.

The activity duration is calculated according to the available resources one is ready to expend. Some activities will inevitably take more time and cause lag while some will complete early and cause lead. All this is associated with what is called Schedule Control.

What is Schedule Control?

The part of the project cycle that includes monitoring the current status of each activity associated with the project. Other than monitoring, it also includes updating any changes to the project process as well as the project schedule in order to complete the project.

The most effective method to perform schedule control is to check the actual progress on-site and compare it with the scheduled progress after a regular period and take the required corrective steps. Regular collection of project performance data is a necessity throughout the project. Taking the corrective steps actually reduces the risks associated with project delivery, if managed well.

A Good Schedule Control System

The process starts with establishing a baseline for the project which shows the theoretical plan of achieving the scope within the allocated budget and time. After that, the baseline is mutually agreed upon by the Client, and a daily, weekly, or fortnightly period is set for comparing and reporting the difference between the actual and planned progress. A period of reporting depends on the capacity of the contractor, the planning engineer, and the complexity of the project. Two kinds of data are usually gathered before the reporting time, the current status of the project on-site, and any changes to the scope, budget, or time frame of the project. In conclusion, the process consists of four steps:

1. Analysis of the project schedule to determine the activities that require corrections.
2. Agreeing on what corrections are required.
3. Reviewing and updating the plan to inculcate the chosen corrections.
4. Reforming the project schedule to evaluate the impact of the actions.

In the case that the required result is not achieved after these steps, the process is repeated until the desired goal is achieved.

Inputs for the Process

Different inputs required for this process are:

1. Schedule Baseline: The initially formed baseline of the project that serves as a benchmark for comparing the actual progress. It includes the planned project’s early start and the late finish.
2. Work Performance Reports: This entails the starting and ending dates of activities. It also includes the percentage of complete and remaining works. These are all numbers and raw data.
3. Planned Schedule: This is an understood and important input since it contains all the project information that is required for schedule control.
4. Approved Changes: It involves change requests to the plan that are approved and to be inculcated into the revised schedule.

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Tools and Techniques

1. Project Management Software: There are many software that can be used to assess the variance of different activities. Software like Primavera P6, MS Project, and PMIS can be used to evaluate the effect of any changes to the schedule.
2. Bar Chart comparison method: This is an easy way to compare the variance between the actual and planned schedules and calculate the lead and lag.
3. Resource Optimization: Multiple resource leveling techniques are used to balance and minimize the resource, time, and budget used for a certain activity.
4. Earned Value Analysis: This is one of the most important methods used during a project’s lifecycle. It measures the project’s progress based on the financial value of the work performed. Schedule Variance and Schedule Performance Index are used in this process.

Outputs of the Process

1. Work Performance Measurements: These are the results obtained from Key Performance Indices.
2. Changes in Baseline: There will be changes in both time and cost of the project to reflect the changes.
3. Activity Changes: Changes in the remaining activities, either deletion or addition or in their relationships with other activities are also apparent.
4. Project Management Plan: The process might cause changes to the overall plan. All the corrections and approved changes induce revisions in the overall process, policies, and the remaining activities in the project. These changes are reported in the Schedule Management section of this plan.