This area of project management is focused on controlling of time that it takes to complete not a project but also various tasks within that project.
The 7 Processes of Project Time Management
While project time management is just one of the ten PMP knowledge areas, it is vital to manage the project as well as measure project performance. This area of project management is focused on controlling of time that it takes to complete not a project but also various tasks within that project.
There are 7 processes that comprise project time management. Successful project managers can master each of these areas. The best way to begin gaining the steps necessary to master these steps is to fully understand what each step includes.
# 1 - Plan Schedule Management
During this phase of project management, the project team establishes all the important documentation and policies that are required for successfully managing a project. The goal of this process is to create a schedule management plan. While it is not common for project managers to end up creating an independent plan to manage a schedule, many of the details decided on in this phase end up part of the project management plan.
# 2 - Defining Required Activities
Project managers in this step define what tasks are needed for a successful project. In many cases, this process involves an up-close analysis of documents related to the scope that can determine which individual tasks are required. This process often results in the creation of a list of defined project tasks.
# 3 - Sequence Activities
While it is important to understand what tasks are required to successfully complete a project, it is equally important to determine the most effective order in which tasks should be performed. The purpose of this process is to gain an understanding of how a project’s tasks are connected to one another so that the most efficient use of a project’s resources can be made.
# 4 - Estimate Activity Resources
After a project manager gains an understanding of what is required to achieve a project, it then becomes important to determine what resources will be needed to reach a project’s goals. During the Estimate Activity Resource process, a list of the necessary materials including equipment and workers will be required to fulfill a project’s goals.
# 5 - Estimate Activity Durations
Once it is determined what resources are required to perform a project, it is important to decide the length of time that each required task for a project will last. This phase is performed after the estimate activity process so that it can be determined how long each necessary task will take given the resources that are on hand.
# 6 - Develop Schedule
Once the information mentioned in the previous processes has been collected, a project manager assembles a project schedule, which is one of the most challenging parts of project time management. The project schedule if written correctly will prove to be an invaluable tool for managing a project and ensuring successful results.
# 7 - Control Schedule
Schedule control provides project managers with the tools required to track and update a project school. While creating a suitable project schedule can be a time-consuming process, it can also take a substantial amount of time to track the execution of a schedule.
Enroll in a Project Management Class Today
Strong time management is an important part of being an effective project manager. There are a number of strategies that have been proven to help effective time management. If you are interested in developing your project management skills, we suggest enrolling in one of our PMP certification classes or NYC project management courses/certifications.