Develop Schedule

Develop Schedule

Introduction: Why This Matters

The schedule is the heartbeat of a project. It dictates when deliverables will be produced, when resources are needed, and when stakeholders should expect outcomes. The Develop Schedule process takes defined activities, their sequencing, and estimated durations, and integrates them into a complete project schedule.

On the PMP exam, schedule related questions often test your ability to identify the critical path, calculate float, and apply schedule compression techniques. In practice, a well developed schedule enables realistic commitments, proactive monitoring, and effective stakeholder communication (Project Management Institute, 2021).

Purpose and Objectives

Primary Purpose: To analyze activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and constraints in order to produce the project schedule and establish the schedule baseline.

Key Objectives:

• Create a realistic and achievable schedule.
• Identify the critical path and total float.
• Apply resource leveling and smoothing to balance workloads.
• Evaluate schedule risks and apply reserves where needed.
• Produce the schedule baseline for performance measurement.
• Generate the project schedule in formats suitable for communication.

Overview

Develop Schedule integrates activity definitions, dependencies, durations, resources, and constraints into a single, coherent project schedule that can be baselined and used to manage performance.

• Inputs: Schedule management plan, activity list and attributes, resource requirements and calendars, activity duration estimates, project scope statement, risk register, agreements, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets.
• Outputs: Schedule baseline, project schedule (Gantt charts, network diagrams, milestone charts), schedule data, project calendar, change requests, and updates to the project management plan and project documents.

Characteristics

• Driven by the network: Uses schedule network analysis and Critical Path Method to understand sequence and timing.
• Resource aware: Applies resource optimization techniques such as leveling and smoothing so the plan reflects actual capacity.
• Risk informed: Uses what if analysis, simulations, and reserves to account for uncertainty.
• Baseline focused: Produces an approved schedule baseline used to measure variance during execution and control.

The Schedule Baseline

• The schedule baseline is the approved version of the schedule and is used to measure performance.
• It includes start and finish dates for activities, milestones, and deliverables.
• Changes to the baseline require formal integrated change control.

Common Schedule Formats

• Network diagrams: Show logical relationships and dependencies between activities and support critical path analysis.
• Gantt charts (bar charts): Widely used visual tool that shows activities across a time scale and is excellent for communication.
• Milestone charts: Focus on significant events and decision points rather than all detailed activities.
• Agile burndown charts: Track work remaining versus time in iterative or agile projects.

Practical Example

Context: A company is building a new office tower.

Schedule development steps:

1. Activities are defined for excavation, foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, finishing, and inspections.
2. Sequences are established with dependencies and lags such as a 7 day curing period after the foundation.
3. Durations are estimated using analogous and parametric techniques.
4. The critical path is identified as: Excavation → Foundation → Framing → Electrical → Finishing → Inspection.
5. Resource leveling is applied to avoid overloading electricians and key trades.
6. Fast tracking is applied by starting some interior finishing work before all inspections are fully completed, accepting an increase in risk.

Outcome: The project team creates a network diagram and Gantt chart. The schedule baseline is approved and becomes the reference point for monitoring progress and variance.

Common Pitfalls

Unrealistic compression

• Pitfall: Overusing crashing or fast tracking to satisfy pressure on deadlines.
• Prevention: Use compression selectively, communicate cost and risk trade offs, and validate feasibility with the team.

Ignoring resource constraints

• Pitfall: Schedule looks achievable on paper but ignores resource availability.
• Prevention: Use resource leveling and calendars so the plan reflects reality.

Not accounting for risk

• Pitfall: Schedule assumes best case scenarios and omits reserves.
• Prevention: Use the risk register, schedule reserves, and simulations to model uncertainty.

Poor communication of schedule

• Pitfall: Team and stakeholders misunderstand schedule intent and milestones.
• Prevention: Tailor schedule outputs such as detailed Gantt charts for the team and milestone charts for executives.

Quick Recap Table

Key Takeaways

• Develop Schedule integrates activities, durations, resources, and dependencies into a cohesive project schedule.
• The process outputs the project schedule, schedule baseline, and supporting schedule data.
• Techniques such as critical path analysis, resource optimization, crashing, and fast tracking are essential for schedule optimization.
• On the PMP exam, know how to calculate float, identify the critical path, and distinguish between compression methods and resource optimization.
• In practice, a well communicated schedule baseline aligns stakeholders and provides the roadmap for execution and control.

Next Step

With the schedule developed and baselined, the next Planning process focuses on costs. You move into Plan Cost Management, which defines how project costs will be estimated, budgeted, and controlled.

Bibliography

Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Project Management Institute.