Scheduling and Estimating

The schedule isn't the project plan, but it's a core component of it. Estimating work and managing schedules is a core competency for any project manager. Here you'll find examples of project schedules, guidelines on how to develop an accurate and comprehensive project schedule, and resources to help you improve your task estimating across the team. Also see our Scheduling and Estimating Know-How.

• Estimating Process and Methods
  Provides an overview of project estimating methods.
• Agile Technique Brief: Estimating
  This agile approach to generating task estimates -- or "story points" -- makes a challenging task more fun and more accurate, by focusing more on relative feature sizes and actual production during a project iteration.
• Pete's Estimating Laws
  A loosely bound set of Universal Laws that provides the project manager with amusing reminders of possible influences on and errors encountered when estimating work on a project.

• Resource Leveling using Microsoft Project
  Guidelines for the complex and critical task of leveling the resources working on a project. Includes an overview of the general approaches, and detailed instructions for using the leveling features of MS Project.
• Scheduling Checklist
  A checklist to use during the planning and scheduling phase of your project.
• Introduction to Software Release Trains
  Key requirements and suggestions for successfully implementing release trains, along with observations and indicators to help you decide if release trains are right for your organization.
• Planning and Scheduling: Task Identification and Work Breakdown
  Guidelines for developing a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to identify all the activities required to complete a project, with examples. First in a series.
• Planning and Scheduling: Assigning Resources
  Guidelines on identifying resources needed for each item in a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), including a sample tracking worksheet. Second in a series.
• Planning and Scheduling: Identifying Dependencies
  How to identify and capture dependencies in a work breakdown structure (WBS). Third in a series.
• Planning and Scheduling: Estimating Work and Costs
  Guidelines on estimating effort, duration, and costs for items in the work breakdown structure (WBS). Fourth in a series.
• Planning and Scheduling: Project Schedule and Critical Path
  Guidelines on scheduling activities to perform on WBS tasks in order to arrive at an integrated schedule in calendar time. Fifth in a series.
• Planning and Scheduling: Make Trade-offs and Optimize
  Guidelines for making trade-offs and optimizing the first-pass base schedule, to address conflicts among the scope, time, and resources/costs. Sixth in a series.
• Planning and Scheduling: Create Project Plan Document
  Guidelines for creating a project plan document providing project essentials like objectives, justification, and how the objectives are to be achieved, and describing how the project will be managed. Seventh in a series.

• Infrastructure Deployment WBS
  This Microsoft Project schedule for an infrastructure deployment plan includes a detailed work breakdown, draft scheduling estimates and dependencies, and role-based resource allocation. The WBS runs from project scope investigation to post-project review (including lessons learned).
• WBS Example: Marketing Project
  This WBS and early schedule (in MS Project format) includes a work breakdown, general scheduling and dependencies, and preliminary resource allocation for planning a marketing project.
• WBS Example: Market Research Planning
  This WBS and early schedule (in MS Project format) includes a work breakdown, general scheduling and dependencies, and preliminary resource allocation for planning a market research project.
• Renovation WBS and Draft Schedule
  WBS and schedule example for an office renovation project, from design to move-in. This schedule illustrates decomposition of a complicated project into manageable work packages.
• WBS and Project Schedule for Event Planning
  WBS and schedule (in MS Project format) created for planning an event, to ensure no important elements are overlooked.
• ISO 9000 Registration
  Are you stretching toward ISO compliance in 2013? This WBS will help. It outlines a process for moving from initial exploration and gap analysis through registration and auditing. While specific to ISO, this four-level phase-based breakdown should be useful for any quality management or certification process.
• Brochure Planning WBS and Schedule
  Brochure creation is a great example of a simple project that can benefit from some simple work breakdown planning. This WBS in MS Project format includes general scheduling and dependencies, plus notes on the potential scheduling conflicts they raise.
• Integrated Hardware/Software Mechanical WBS
  This is a work breakdown structure in its purest form: All tasks, no dates. Developed for a mechanical hardware/software integration project, it runs from charter to installation without descending to an unmanageable level of detail.
• WBS Example: Vendor Selection Project
  This WBS and early schedule (in MS Project format) includes a work breakdown, general scheduling and dependencies, and preliminary resource allocation for a vendor selection project.
• WBS Example: Agile Project Plan
  WBS and schedule created for starting a new business, including task estimates, resource allocation, preliminary leveling information, and more.
• WBS Example: Consulting Planning
  This WBS and early schedule (in MS Project format) includes a work breakdown, general scheduling and dependencies, and preliminary resource allocation for planning a new consulting engagement.
• WBS Example for LAN Installation Planning
  WBS and draft schedule for a LAN installation, including task estimates, resource allocation, and cross-functional work.
• Software Application Development WBS
  This WBS and schedule example for a software application development project, includes detailed notes for new software PMs, as well as a phase-based WBS from team formation to post-project review.
• WBS Example: Presentation Planning
  WBS and early schedule (in MS Project format) includes a work breakdown, general scheduling and dependencies, and preliminary resource allocation for planning a presentation or seminar event.
• Commercial Construction WBS and Draft Schedule
  WBS and schedule example for a commercial construction project, from demolition to doorknobs. This complex project illustrates breaking a years-long project into manageable work packages.
• WBS and Project Schedule for House Construction
  This Microsoft Project schedule for a home construction project includes a detailed work breakdown, general scheduling and dependencies, and high-level resource allocation. The WBS runs from the initial space planning work to site shutdown and computer relocation. Work packages are described for both the planning and construction phases.
• User Manual Planning WBS and Schedule
  As any technical writer can tell you, there's no such thing as "just" writing a user manual. This work breakdown in MS Project format includes notes on task estimates and resource allocation, and incorporates cross-functional tasks you could easily overlook.
• Department- and Project-Level WBS Example
  Work Breakdown Structures examples, created for a multi-project IEEE 802.11 department project portfolio.
• WBS and Project Schedule for New Business Planning
  This Microsoft Project schedule planning a new business launch includes a work breakdown, general scheduling and dependencies, resource allocation, and even beginning leveling information. The WBS runs from the initial corporate entity setup to production of marketing materials and hiring employees.
• WBS and Project Schedule for Trade Show Planning
  WBS and schedule created for planning a trade show, including task estimates, resource allocation, preliminary leveling information, and more.
• WBS & Gantt for 802.11 Master Development Schedule
  WBS with dependencies created for a 100-person project to develop an Access Point and PCMCIA card using IEEE 802.11b technology.
• MS Project Template for IT Software Development Project
  A model MS Project cross-functional work breakdown structure (WBS) for IT/software development projects.
• WBS & Gantt for USB Development Schedule
  WBS/Gantt chart created for a project to create client laptop or desktop connections using IEEE 802.11b technology and USB version 1.1.
• WBS for Electromechanical Systems Project
  Task list/Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in Microsoft Project, from a multi-subsystem electromechanical development project, covering activities from the early planning phase through the end of the alpha and beta testing activities.
• WBS and Project Schedule for Office Relocation
  WBS and schedule created for an office move, including task estimates, resource allocation, preliminary leveling information, and more.
• Party Planning WBS and Schedule
  This WBS and schedule covers planning a party, from guest list to greetings. This would also make a good example for project management newcomers.
• WBS Example: Planning a Holiday Dinner
  Tongue-in-cheek example of applying project management to a product development with a small team -- by scheduling a holiday dinner with everything ready at the same time.
• WBS for Large Network Software Project
  WBS for a large-scale software project for a commercial data acquisition network; an example of a very thorough plan requiring many areas to change simultaneously before anything will work correctly again.
• Software Release Life Cycle WBS
  An MS Project work breakdown structure covering all 10 phases of the Software Release Life Cycle.