Guide to Schedule Development as per PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition

Schedule Development is a crucial concept in the PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition.

Why it is important: Project schedule development is the backbone of project management and plays a crucial role in time management. A well-defined schedule assists in effective allocation of resources, monitors project progress, and helps project managers to effectively manage time and meet deadlines.

What it is: Schedule Development encompasses the processes required to establish and manage timelines for project work. It includes defining project activities, sequencing those activities, estimating resources for activities, estimating durations, and finally developing the project schedule.

How it works: Schedule development starts with the identification of project activities. Then, the estimated time and resources for each activity is determined. Activities are sequenced in the order they need to be performed and a schedule baseline is established for monitoring and controlling process purposes. Changes to this baseline are often necessary due to unanticipated circumstances.

Exam Tips: For questions requiring knowledge about schedule development, it's essential to understand the sequence of tasks, the time and resources necessary, and the impact of changes to the schedule. Focus on understanding the relationship between tasks and the factors affecting task sequence and duration. Be aware of concepts such as float or slack (the total time you might delay a task without delaying the project), and critical path (the sequence of tasks that must be completed on time for the project to be completed on time).

For the exam, remember that poking scope, quality, or cost can directly affect the schedule. Comprehensive understanding and application of the schedule development processes are vital to answering these questions successfully.