4 Inputs For Sequencing Activities For Projects
Sequencing activities for projects is the process of identifying relationships among the project activities. The key benefits of this process are that it defines the logical sequences of work to obtain the greatest efficiency given all project constraints. In this article, I want to talk about the inputs for sequencing activities for projects. Follow me as we look at that in this article.
Every activity except the first and the last should be connected to at least one predecessor and at least one successor activity with an appropriate logical relationship.
Logical relationships should be designed to create a realistic project schedule. It may be necessary to use lead and lag between activities to support a realistic and achievable project schedule.
Sequencing can be performed by using project management software or by using manual or automated techniques.
The sequence activities process concentrates on converting the project activities from a list to a diagram to act as a first step to publish the schedule baseline.
Here are some of the inputs for sequencing project activities…
#1 Project Management Plan
There are some subsidiary plans that are part of a project management plan that you will need in order to sequence project activities. This include schedule management plan which already has details of how you intend to define, manage, monitor and control project schedule. It defines the method to be used and the level of accuracy that is needed as well as the criteria required to sequence project activities.
Scope baseline is another tool that is needed in order to sequence activities effectively. The scope baseline for a project consists of the project WBS, deliverables, constraints and assumptions. These are documented in the scope baseline and are considered when you are sequencing your project activities.
#2 Project documents
There are some project documents that are also needed when the project manager needs to sequence activities for the projects. Some of these documents include:
- Activity attributes: Activity attribute may describe a necessary sequence of events or defined predecessor or successor relationships, as well as defined lead and lag and logical relationships between the activities.
- Activity list: The activity list contains all schedule activities required on the project that are to be sequenced. Dependencies and other constraints for these activities can influence the sequencing of these activities.
- Assumption log: Assumption and constraint recorded in the assumption log may influence the way activities are sequenced, the relationship between activities, and the need for leads and lags and may give rise to individual project risks that may impact the project schedule.
- Milestone list: The milestone list may have scheduled dates for specific milestones, which may influence the way activities are sequenced.
#3 Enterprise Environmental Factors
In many of my previous articles, I have defined Enterprise Environmental Factors as conditions that you need to fulfil. I said it that, most of these conditions might be internal or external to the organisation. You have no power over them. Some of these conditions include government or industry standard, project management information system, scheduling tools for the project as well as the organization work authorization systems.
#4 Organizational Process Assets
I have also discussed it some of my articles that Organizational Process Assets are tools that the organisation have at their disposal that they can use to guarantee their project success. Some of these OPAs that are useful for project sequencing include:
- Portfolio and program plans and project dependencies and relationships.
- Existing formal and informal activity planning-related policies, procedures and guidelines, such as the scheduling methodology that is considered in developing logical relationships.
- Templates that can be used to expedite the preparation of networks for project activities. Related activity attributes information in templates can also contain additional descriptive information useful in sequencing activities.
- Lesson learned repository containing historical information that can help optimize the sequencing process.
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