Once we have the project management plan created in particular the schedule management plan the subsidy
plan.
Then we can go about defining activities.
This is to create the activities list all of the activities that we have to do in order for the scope
to be complete.
So to define activities we're talking about taking our work break down structure and the smallest item
in the WB is a work package.
We're correlating that work package to the activities that are needed in order to create the work package.
So I need the WTS.
I'm going to rely on the decomposition of scope to identify the work package and that allows me then
to create the activity list the activity list is really needed because it helps me estimate what I'm
going to schedule.
And also to control the work along with our activities will define what are the activity attributes
so that each activity will have different attributes or characteristics that we want to be aware of.
The milestone list shows all of the activities that lead up to creating that milestone.
So recall typically at the end of a phase we get a milestone or do you have a key deliverable in your
project.
That's a milestone as far as activities go.
We can see the activities that are needed in order to create that milestone.
Let's look at the Ito's for the activity list.
Our inputs the implant in particular the schedule management plan and the scope baseline.
Maybe the scope baseline scope statement the work breakdown structure and the WTS dictionary and then
we'll have E.F an opiate some tools and techniques here.
Expert judgment composition rolling wave planning and meetings.
Our outputs will be the activity list the activity attributes that milestone list we were just talking
about.
You could have change request we might have updates to the project management plan in particular your
schedule baseline and your cost base line could be an output here to fighting the project activity so
the project work and project manager work.
So there's a difference here.
The project work we're talking about the activities that will create the project scope the project manager
work sometimes called L.E. level of effort are the activities that you have to do in order to manage
the project.
So quality control of the inspection the creation of a report that's p m word planning is P word.
While those are needed they don't necessarily contribute to the creation of the project scope but often
we still need to schedule those activities to make certain they happen.
So you might schedule of quality control inspection after key deliverables or you might schedule when
reports are to happen on a regular basis or when meetings happen on a regular basis in your project.
So that's project management work that doesn't necessarily contribute to the scope the creation of the
product scope.
Other planning processes.
So you think about in each one of our knowledge areas that takes time to play and see think about scope
and cost quality planning for H.R. communications planning in risk we'll spend a lot of time in risk
planning and then in procurement You may have some planning issues there in stakeholder engagement and
planning is iterative.
So you're never really done with planning until you finally go into closing.
What about the procurement time and the sequence of activities.
So the sequence of activities we're talking about what order should these happen.
So that helps us to create the schedule or at least the flow of the work the procurement time we have
to consider the lead time to purchase something.
So I need these cabinets installed in 40 days from now procurement takes 30 days for it to happen to
get the materials on site.
So I have to think about 30 days from now I need the cabinets so that affects my schedule internal and
external events so internal events could be things like resource availability company holidays where
resources are used in other projects or somebody is taking a vacation.
External events the weather laws and regulations the vendor has an issue with getting the materials.
Those are really outside of your control known and unknown events known events we're talking about risk
that I know these things are going to happen.
Unknown's are you know.
No one knows that a project team member could quit in the middle of your project or the project could
get cancelled.
They may not have the money to put in to the project to continue to fund it.
So unknown events can obviously wreck your schedule.
The decomposition of project activities we're talking about taking the work packages and the WTS and
then breaking those down into the work the activities to create the work packages.
So in theory if we do the activities we're creating the work packages if we complete all of the work
packages then we're completing that deliverable in the WTS.
If we create all the WB deliverables then we have satisfied the project scope to satisfy the project
scope.
You've met the product scope and then your project is accepted.
So that's kind of the roll up of activities here.
There's a little rule you ought to be familiar with called the 880 rule.
When we decompose the work break down structure we don't want to get so granular that we just keep breaking
things down or breaking things down all the way down to the screw that goes into a cabinet.
We want to use a general rule here it's called a heuristic that we say between eight hours in 80 hours
that's how long each word package should take to create.
So if it's you know installing a door knob All right that might take two hours.
That's a little too granular might just say install the door.
Well that might be four hours.
So you might say install all the doors or complete the finishing for each room.
So it's just a way of sizing the work that needs to be done.
It's a general rule sometimes you might want to be very clear.
We need a door a special door that's going to go into the laundry room.
All right so the 80 rules just heuristic.
So anything less than eight hours in your activity list is too small.
Anything greater than 80 hours though is too big.
So it's just try to stay in that window between eight and 80 hours decomposed to project activities
three inputs that we really need the scope baseline because we're talking about the WTS.
And that would be a dictionary and a scope statement enterprise environmental factors at O.P..
Those are all things that we need to decompose project activities.
Some other planning components to consider.
We have control accounts in planning packages.
I talked a little bit about this way back in the scope management lets just have a clear definition
here a control account or a control account plan.
It's like a little marker in your WPX.
So recall that I'm building a house for you.
And in this example we know we need a kitchen I don't need to know everything today for the kitchen
deliverable but I know that we need a kitchen and that kitchen is going to have a budget of 75000.
And most kitchens take us about a month to complete everything.
So 75000 and about a month of labor not saying just one contiguous that much labor equates to 30 days.
Well you have to make decisions about what goes in to the kitchen and we have $75000.
So you have to decide what are the appliances What's the countertop What's the cabinets you are like
what's the flooring.
That's all part of the kitchen all of those decisions our planning packages.
So planning packages as you say well I want this countertop and these are going to it's going to cost
$10000.
Well that planning package is now worth 10000.
And we have 75000 So you have 65000 left to make decisions on appliances and counters on the flooring
and so on.
So it's the some accountability in that control account plan based on your choices will determine how
we consume the budget and the time to actually make that happen.
Now there can be some issues that happen here with planning components.
For example we have to know what type of countertops you want by December 1.
So if you don't tell me by December 1 then we're going to be late because I didn't know do you want
a marble doing granite up poured concrete.
You know what's the material of the type of countertops that you want.
And we have to know by December 1.
So you have deadlines.
If you missed the deadline and the decision then some of your choices might go away.
Right you've missed the deadline.
You can't do marble Now that takes too long.
So now you have to choose you know one of these choices or it could just be an issue it's going to push
the project.
So those are planning components that affect scheduling.
Great job.
Keep moving forward.