HKSM

An ongoing practice of tracking actual progress against the schedule plan, analyzing variances and trends, updating forecasts, and implementing approved changes so the schedule remains realistic and aligned with objectives.

Purpose & When to Use

• Confirm the project is progressing to plan and milestone dates remain achievable.
• Detect schedule variances early, understand causes, and choose the best corrective or preventive actions.
• Update forecasts for completion dates and release plans based on real performance data.
• Apply through delivery at a defined cadence (e.g., weekly), after major milestones, when thresholds are breached, or when scope, resource, or risk changes occur.
• In adaptive approaches, use daily standups, iteration reviews, burndown/burnup, and flow metrics to steer schedule.

Mini Flow (How It’s Done)

• Collect current performance data: actual start/finish, remaining duration, percent complete, throughput, cycle time, WIP, and any impediments.
• Update the schedule model or team board with actuals and new estimates to complete.
• Analyze performance and trends: critical path and float consumption, resource constraints, earned value (e.g., SPI, SV), burndown/burnup, cumulative flow, and trend charts.
• Identify root causes and constraints; run what‑if scenarios (e.g., resequencing, alternative resources, splitting work, buffer usage, or risk responses).
• Select responses: fast track where feasible, crash selectively, level or smooth resources, adjust WIP limits, or reorder backlog to protect milestone or release goals.
• Update forecasts: milestone dates, completion date, and confidence ranges; communicate impacts and assumptions to stakeholders.
• Raise change requests when the schedule baseline or agreed release plan must change; obtain approval before changing baselines.
• Implement approved actions, monitor results against control thresholds, and capture lessons learned.

Quality & Acceptance Checklist

• Performance data is recent, complete, and sourced from the delivery team and tools.
• The schedule model is current and reflects approved scope, dependencies, calendars, and resource availability.
• Critical path and total float are recalculated after each update.
• Flow and agile metrics (throughput, cycle time, WIP) are reviewed for trends and bottlenecks.
• Variance analysis and forecasts clearly state assumptions and confidence levels.
• Proposed actions balance time, cost, risk, and quality; side effects are assessed.
• Only approved changes modify the baseline; all changes are logged and communicated.
• Stakeholders receive clear visuals (e.g., milestone chart, burndown) and next steps.
• Risks, issues, and dependencies are updated to reflect schedule impacts.

Common Mistakes & Exam Traps

• Revising the baseline without formal approval; always use change control for baseline changes.
• Acting before understanding root causes; analyze first, then choose targeted actions.
• Relying on percent complete alone; combine with remaining duration, critical path, and flow metrics.
• Ignoring float and critical path shifts after updates; recalculate each cycle.
• Assuming crashing always helps; it increases cost and risk and may create new bottlenecks.
• Misreading agile charts; a flat burndown can signal scope change or blocked work, not just low productivity.
• Overusing SPI late in the project; schedule indices lose diagnostic value near completion.
• Skipping dependency or calendar updates; nonworking time and external dependencies can invalidate forecasts.
• Failing to integrate risk responses and backlog reordering as valid schedule control actions.

PMP Example Question

Midway through the project, SPI is 0.78 and the critical path shows increasing float consumption due to an external dependency. What should the project manager do next?

1. Rebaseline the schedule immediately to match actual progress.
2. Submit a change request to crash all critical path activities.
3. Analyze root causes and evaluate schedule options, then propose targeted changes for approval.
4. Add additional resources to all delayed tasks without waiting for approvals.

Correct Answer: C — Analyze root causes and evaluate schedule options, then propose targeted changes for approval.

Explanation: The best next step is to diagnose and compare alternatives before altering baselines; only implement approved, targeted actions that address the true causes.