The Use of Project Time Management Processes and the Schedule Performance of Construction Projects in Mexico

Table 1

Examples of PTM processes and corresponding tasks [7].

Processes	Associated tasks
Activity definition	To identify project work packages and decompose into schedule activities to provide a basis for estimating, scheduling, executing, and monitoring and controlling the project work.
	To consider enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets, as well as the project deliverables, constraints, and assumptions documented in the project scope statement.
	To elaborate an activity list that includes all schedule activities that are planned to be performed on the project (i.e., it does not include any schedule activities that are not required as part of the project scope).
	To elaborate the scope of work description for each schedule activity in sufficient detail to ensure that project team members understand what work is required to be completed.
	To determine the attributes associated with each schedule activity (e.g., the activity identifier, activity codes, activity description, predecessor and successor activities, leads and lags, and resource requirements).
	To obtain the list of schedule milestones identifying all milestones and indicating whether the milestone is mandatory or optional.
	To generate requested changes that can affect the project scope statement and WBS.
Activity duration estimating	To consider historical information maintained as part of organizational process assets, as well as the constraints and assumptions from the project scope statement.
	To consider the estimated activity resource requirements and resource calendars since resources assigned to the schedule activity, and the availability of such resources, will significantly influence the duration of most activities.
	To estimate activity durations through techniques such as expert judgment, analogous estimating, parametric estimating, three-point estimates, or reserve analysis.
	To update the activity attributes to include the durations for each schedule activity, the assumptions made in developing the activity duration estimates, and any contingency reserves.
Schedule monitoring	To implement the schedule change control system that defines the procedures by which the project schedule can be changed. It includes the paperwork, tracking systems, and approval levels necessary for authorizing changes.
	To measure the progress of schedule activities in order to obtain the data required for determining the project schedule performance.
	To report the progress and current schedule status, including information such as actual start and finish dates, remaining durations for unfinished schedule activities, and the percent complete of in-progress schedule activities.
	To use a comparison bar displaying two bars: one depicting the current actual status and the other the status of the approved project schedule baseline for each schedule activity, in order to facilitate analysis of schedule progress.
	To update the project schedule for determining if the schedule baseline has changed; this includes developing new project schedule network diagrams to display approved remaining durations and modifications to the work plan.
	To develop, when project schedule delays are severe, a new target schedule with revised target start and finish dates, in order to provide realistic data for directing the work, and for measuring performance and progress.
	To calculate schedule variance (SV) and schedule performance index (SPI) values for WBS components, in order to provide useful information for the detection of deviations.