MGMT 6058 Project Time Management - Module 1 Notes

Course context and delivery

  • MGMT 6058 Project Time Management at Fanshawe College (Course title shown in slides)

  • Module 1 focus: Introduction to project time management, PMBOK references, schedule management basics, and MS Project introduction

  • Delivery: Online/asynchronous with weekly professor video and office hours

  • Announcements on FOL (Fanshawe Online) are the primary communication channel; read them and enable auto-notifications

  • Some slides labeled FYI Only are for interest and NOT part of course content

Course information, program, and resources

  • Program: Project Management Graduate Certificate (PRJ1)

  • If new to PRJ1, consult PRJ HOMEROOM in FOL for program overview

  • Textbooks and standards referenced:

    • Harold Kerzner, Project Management, Twelfth Edition

    • APM / PMBOK GLOBAL STANDARD / PMBOK GUIDE (Sixth Edition)

    • PMBOK GUIDE Seventh Edition and The Standard for Project Management (ANSI/PMI 99-001-2021)

    • PMI materials include PMP and CAPM designations

  • Required software: MS Project (in addition to Word, Excel, PowerPoint); MS Project is required for graded assignments

  • MS Project resources: a Beginner’s Tutorial is available; a link is provided for non-MAC computers

  • Schedule-related links and resources are detailed in FOL (Course Information > Required Course Resources)

What is a project? (PMI definition)

  • A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result

  • Project characteristics:

    • An established objective

    • A defined life span with a beginning and an end (temporary)

    • Typically involves doing something that has never been done before (unique)

    • Specific time, cost, and scope/performance/quality requirements

  • Implication: Projects are distinguished from ongoing operations by temporality and uniqueness

Projects, projects everywhere (domains of application)

  • Examples of domains where projects occur:

    • Business improvement, marketing, agriculture, arts, construction, energy, engineering, fashion, finance

    • Health, hospitality, manufacturing, education, public services, IT, transportation, etc.

  • Significance: Projects span across industries; project management principles are broadly applicable

Is it a project? key checks

  • Criteria to identify a project:

    • Established objective

    • Unique product, service, or result

    • Temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end

    • Specific time, cost, and scope/performance/quality requirements

  • Example prompt: Is a wedding a project? Yes, if it meets the above criteria (temporary, unique wedding, with defined budget and timeline)

Projects vs operations/routine work (examples)

  • Operations/routine work examples (repetitive, ongoing):

    • Daily sales data entry, routine accounting, regular maintenance tasks

  • Projects examples (unique, finite):

    • Building a supply chain information system, implementing RFID pilots, opening a new location

  • Note: The slides provide contrast using everyday activities (e.g., cooking at McDonald’s) to illustrate the difference between routine tasks and project initiatives

The project life cycle (level of effort)

  • Phases typically depicted:

    • Initiating

    • Planning

    • Implementation/Executing

    • Closing

  • Emphasis: Each phase has distinct objectives and deliverables; the life cycle outlines the flow from start to finish

  • Start and end points mark the project’s temporariness

Project constraints and the general concept of constraints

  • What is a constraint?

    • A constraint is something that limits or controls what you can do

    • In plain language: a limiting factor or boundary

  • Examples provided in slides include financial constraints affecting travel and development decisions

  • Understanding constraints helps in balancing project objectives and making trade-offs

Project constraints in practice: the triple constraint

  • The main constraints highlighted:

    • Time (schedule)

    • Cost (budget)

    • Scope (deliverables/quality)

  • The triple constraint is often depicted as a triangle; changing one constraint impacts the others

  • Alternative representations shown in slides include ordering variations such as:

    • Cost, Scope, Time

    • Time, Quality, Cost

    • Quality, Time, Scope

    • Scope, Cost, Quality

  • Core principle: A change in one constraint affects the others, and all work needed to meet project objectives is encompassed by the triangle

  • Note: Some slides include “Quality” or “Resources” as part of the constraint set, illustrating multi-dimensional trade-offs

The wedding project as a running example

  • Wedding details (as of Jan 15):

    • Budget: 20,00020{,}000

    • Timeline: 6 months until wedding on July15July 15

    • Theme: Canadian Wilderness

    • Guests: 5050

    • Deliverables: three-course meal, DJ, photographer

    • Location: rustic camp in northern Ontario; rented for weekend

  • Triple Constraint triangle for the wedding: timeline, budget, scope/quality deliverables

  • A scenario: budget fully allocated; illness requires hospitalization; question arises: postpone or proceed; impacts on constraints are explored (with slide notes prompting further discussion)

Practical implications of constraints (wedding scenario continued)

  • If external constraint (budget, time, or quality) shifts (e.g., extended illness affecting plans), you must evaluate:

    • Which constraints are most critical to adjust?

    • What are feasible options (e.g., postponement, scope adjustment, vendor renegotiation)?

  • This exercise demonstrates how constraint management drives decision-making in real projects

PMI and the PMBOK family

  • PMI background:

    • Established in 1969

    • Global standard for project management practices

  • Certifications:

    • Project Management Professional (PMP): requires 3–5 years of project management experience and passing an exam; ongoing professional development

    • Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM): does not require prior project management experience

  • PMBOK Guide and standards:

    • Sixth Edition: foundational knowledge areas and processes

    • Seventh Edition: introduces a more flexible, principle-based approach; the Standard for Project Management included with the seventh edition

    • ANSI/PMI 99-001-2021 standard referenced

  • PMBOK knowledge areas (10 domains) are fundamental for delivering projects successfully (as per PMBOK 6)

  • Membership and resources: PMI provides access to standards, communities, and professional development

PMBOK Guide editions and evolution (high level)

  • PMBOK Guide 6th Edition: organized around 10 knowledge areas and process groups

  • PMBOK Guide 7th Edition (current): shifts to principles-based framework and performance domains; emphasizes tailoring to the project context and delivering value

  • The standard and guide together provide models, methods, and performance measurement concepts for project work

Project scheduling: Introduction to schedule management

  • Core objective: Plan and manage the timely completion of the project

  • Key processes in schedule management (as listed in slides):

    • Plan schedule management

    • Define and sequence project activities; estimate activity durations

    • Develop project schedule

    • Control project schedule

  • Schedule management plan: “the result of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the project schedule”

  • Importance: Provides a formal approach to how scheduling will be conducted, monitored, and revised throughout the project

Detailed look at schedule management processes (as outlined in slides)

  • Plan schedule management

    • Establish the framework for how the schedule will be managed on the project

  • Define activities

    • Identify and document the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables

  • Sequence activities

    • Identify and document relationships among activities (e.g., dependency order such as “walls framed before roof placement”)

  • Estimate activity durations

    • Estimate the number of work periods needed to complete each activity, given available resources (units: hours, days, weeks, months)

  • Develop project schedule

    • Create the project schedule model to guide execution and monitoring/control

  • Control project schedule

    • Monitor status, update the schedule baseline, and manage changes to the schedule

  • Overall objective: Create a realistic, dynamic schedule model and maintain it throughout project execution

Monitoring and updating the schedule

  • Ongoing activity: Monitor status and adjust the schedule baseline as needed

  • Importance of change management: Schedule changes can cascade to cost, scope, and quality considerations

MS Project: tool for scheduling (and learning aid)

  • MS Project is a required tool for graded assignments

  • Non-MAC users can access the download link provided in the module

  • A beginner’s tutorial video is available to help get started with MS Project

  • Rationale: Having a dedicated scheduling tool helps students apply the schedule management concepts to a practical model

Practical course expectations and conduct

  • Contact protocol: reach out to the professor during/after class or via email; response typically within 24 hours (excluding weekends/holidays)

  • Late submissions policy:

    • If an assignment is worth less than 10extextpercent10 ext{ extpercent} of the grade, it will not be accepted after the due date

    • If an assignment is worth 10extextpercent10 ext{ extpercent} or more, late penalty is 20extextpercent20 ext{ extpercent} per day after the deadline

  • Writing quality: all written work should be in correct English; poorly written emails/assignments may result in lost marks and may require rewrites

Group work guidance

  • Group work can be challenging; success relies on communication and mutual respect

  • Recommended group size: groups of 3−43-4 for the course group project

  • Details about group setup will be provided later in the course

Getting help and course logistics

  • For general questions about the course, you can email the professor or join the weekly professor office hour (details on FOL course page)

  • The course emphasizes proving clarity on course expectations, obtaining textbooks, and starting MS Project early

Connections to foundational principles and real-world relevance

  • Links to foundational PM concepts: scope, time, cost, quality, risk, resources, and stakeholder considerations as seen in PMBOK domains

  • Real-world relevance: scheduling is central to delivering projects on time and within budget; everyday life examples such as weddings illustrate constraints and trade-offs in a tangible way

  • Ethical and practical implications: timely communication, honesty about constraints, and transparency in trade-offs are essential for successful project delivery; inadequate scheduling can lead to budget overruns, delays, and compromised deliverables

References cited in the module

  • Kerzner, Harold (2017). Project Management, Twelfth Edition

  • Larson, Eric W., Gray, Clifford F. (2018). Project Management, The Managerial Process (Seventh Edition)

  • Project Management Institute (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (Sixth Edition)

  • Project Management Institute (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (Seventh Edition)

  • The standards and references include both the Sixth and Seventh Editions; PMBOK Guide editions may be used interchangeably depending on course context

  • Additional resources and links are provided on the FOL course site

Quick glossary (from slides)

  • PMBOK: Project Management Body of Knowledge

  • PMP: Project Management Professional

  • CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management

  • MS Project: Scheduling software used for project planning and tracking

  • FOL: Fanshawe Online system used for course information, announcements, and discussions

Summary takeaways for exam prep

  • Understand the definition and attributes of a project vs. operations

  • Be able to explain the triple constraint and how changes in one constraint affect the others

  • Recall the project lifecycle phases as presented: Initiating, Planning, Implementation/Executing, Closing

  • Describe the eight (or ten, depending on edition) PMBOK knowledge areas and the role of schedule management within them

  • Outline the schedule management processes and what each process accomplishes (plan, define, sequence, estimate durations, develop, control)

  • Recognize the practical steps to start using MS Project for scheduling tasks and managing timelines

  • Be prepared to discuss the ethical and practical implications of scheduling decisions (trade-offs, delays, budget constraints)

  • Remember key course logistics: evaluation weights, submission policies, and collaboration expectations