Overview: Project Schedule Management
Project Schedule Management involves the processes required to plan, develop, manage, and control the timely completion of the project. It ensures that all work is scheduled logically, accurately estimated, and tracked throughout the project lifecycle.
Purpose
The goal of Schedule Management is to:
- Define and sequence project activities
- Estimate durations and allocate resources
- Develop a realistic, achievable project timeline
- Monitor progress and control changes to the schedule
This knowledge area supports predictability, accountability, and coordination by structuring when work happens and how progress is tracked.
Key Characteristics
- Time-bound and milestone-driven
- Closely linked to resource and cost planning
- Requires logical relationships and dependencies
- Uses baselines for tracking and forecasting
Core Processes in Project Schedule Management
| Process | Process Group | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Schedule Management | Planning | Establishes policies and documentation for planning and controlling the schedule. |
| Define Activities | Planning | Breaks down work packages into individual, actionable tasks. |
| Sequence Activities | Planning | Determines logical order and dependencies between tasks. |
| Estimate Activity Durations | Planning | Approximates the time required for each activity. |
| Develop Schedule | Planning | Creates the final project timeline based on all inputs. |
| Control Schedule | Monitoring and Controlling | Tracks progress and manages schedule deviations. |
Why Project Schedule Management Matters
- Improves Time Predictability – Enables better forecasting and timeline commitments.
- Supports Resource Planning – Coordinates work with availability and dependencies.
- Drives Accountability – Helps assign and track responsibility for deadlines.
- Enables Critical Path Analysis – Identifies time-sensitive tasks that impact project completion.
Key Tools and Concepts
- Critical Path Method (CPM)
- Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
- Gantt charts and network diagrams
- Leads and lags
- Schedule compression (crashing and fast tracking)
- Monte Carlo simulation (for schedule risk analysis)
Interactions with Other Knowledge Areas
- Scope & Cost Management – Work and cost estimates are built around the schedule.
- Resource Management – Resource availability affects task sequencing and duration.
- Risk Management – Helps identify and mitigate time-based risks.
- Communications Management – Drives timely reporting and coordination.
Project Schedule Management provides the temporal structure that supports all other aspects of project planning and control.