Unit 5 Project Scheduling in Software Project Management DCA3245 BCA Notes

 

Introduction to Project Scheduling

Have you ever planned a family trip or a birthday party? You probably made a list of tasks, like booking tickets, packing bags, and deciding the menu. You also decided when each task should be done.

That’s exactly what project scheduling means in software development — planning and organizing tasks with timelines so the project is completed smoothly and on time.

Objectives of Project Scheduling

Project scheduling helps in:

• Breaking the whole project into smaller tasks

• Setting deadlines for each task

• Assigning work to team members

• Keeping everything on track

In short, it helps avoid last-minute rushes and confusion.

🛠️ Popular Project Scheduling Techniques

📌 Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

✅ What is PERT?

PERT is a planning method used when you're not 100% sure how long each task will take in your project.

It’s like saying:

• “If everything goes perfectly, it’ll take 2 days.”

• “If things go wrong, it might take 6 days.”

• “But most likely, it’ll take 4 days.”

PERT takes all these guesses and calculates an average time, so you can plan better.

🧠 How PERT Helps in Project Planning

• Helps you deal with uncertainty in big projects.

• Gives you a realistic time estimate instead of just guessing.

• Helps identify which tasks are critical (must be done on time).

• Makes sure everything is planned step-by-step, in the correct order.

📊 Nodes, Arrows, and Time Estimates Explained Simply

• Nodes = Circles that show tasks (like “Book hall” or “Decorate stage”)

• Arrows = Lines that show which task comes after another

• Each arrow also shows how much time that task may take (best, worst, and average)

It's like drawing a flowchart of your project with timelines.

🧒 Layman Example: Planning a School Exhibition

Imagine you're the class monitor, and your class is putting up a science exhibition.

You have to do:

1. Decide a theme

2. Divide students into groups

3. Arrange materials

4. Decorate the classroom

5. Practice presentations

Now, some tasks depend on each other.
👉 You can't decorate until the theme is decided.
👉 You can't practice until students know what to say.

And you don’t know exactly how long each task will take. That’s where PERT helps.

You write:

• Best time = if everything goes well

• Worst time = if there are delays

• Most likely time = what you actually expect

Then you calculate the average and plan everything properly.

📊 Gantt Chart Explained in Simple Words

🧾 What is a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt Chart is a visual timeline that helps you plan tasks and see when they will start and finish.

It looks like a table on one side (listing all the tasks), and horizontal bars on the other side (showing when each task will happen).

✅ Why is it Useful?

• Shows tasks along with start and end dates

• Helps you track the progress of a project

• Makes it easy to spot delays

• You can see which tasks are running at the same time (parallel work)

📘 Layman Example: Making a Gantt Chart for Exam Preparation

Let’s say you have to prepare for 4 subjects: Math, Science, English, and Computer. Your exams start in 20 days.

You plan your study like this:

Now, in a Gantt Chart, it will look like this:

You can clearly see which subject is being studied when, and how much time is left before exams.

🎯 In Simple Words:

A Gantt Chart is like your study timetable, but visually designed so you can easily track:

• What to study

• When to study

• How much is done

• What’s pending

✅ What is the Critical Path Method (CPM)?

Imagine you're building a house. There are many steps involved:

• Laying the foundation

• Building walls

• Doing electrical work

• Painting the walls

• Adding furniture

Now, think about it – can you paint the walls before the walls are built? No!
Can you place furniture before painting? Again, no.

Some tasks depend on others. If one task gets delayed, the whole house project gets delayed.

That's where CPM comes in.

👉 Critical Path Method (CPM) is a scheduling technique that helps you:

• Find the longest chain of important tasks

• Identify which tasks must be completed on time

• Know which tasks can be a bit flexible

This "critical path" shows the most important tasks — if any one of them is delayed, the whole project will be delayed.

🧱 Layman Example: Building a House

Let’s say you have the following steps:

1. Dig foundation – 5 days

2. Build walls – 4 days

3. Do wiring – 3 days

4. Paint walls – 2 days

5. Place furniture – 1 day

These steps are linked. You must do them in order, and you can’t skip any.

So, total time = 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 15 days

👉 That’s your critical path. Any delay here = delay in the entire project.

🛠️ Automated Scheduling Tools

Managing all tasks by hand can get messy. So, there are smart tools that help!

Here are some easy tools you can use:

💻 1. Microsoft Project

• Used by big companies

• Great for professional-level project planning

• Tracks everything from timelines to resources

📋 2. Trello (Free for Students)

• Very simple to use

• Create “cards” for each task

• Move them as work progresses (To Do → Doing → Done)

Example: Make a board for “College Project”

• Task 1: Research

• Task 2: Create PPT

• Task 3: Submit
  You can easily drag and drop to manage progress.

📆 3. ClickUp / Asana (Free plans available)

• Better for teams and collaboration

• Add deadlines, checklists, and comments

• Track what everyone is working on

⚙️ 4. Jira

• Used mostly in software companies

• Great for coding tasks and bug tracking

• Bit technical but powerful

🎯 Why Use These Tools?

• Saves Time: No need to remember everything

• More Accurate: No missed tasks or deadlines

• Better Collaboration: Everyone knows their role

• Keeps You Organized: Clean layout of all work

👩‍🎓 Best Free Tools for Students

• Trello: Easy and visual

• ClickUp: All-in-one tool

• GanttProject: Great for making Gantt charts

• Notion: Use it like a digital notebook with tasks

✍️ Summary and Key Takeaways

Let’s do a quick wrap-up of what we learned:

🔹 PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)

Best for projects where time is uncertain, like software development ,where you can’t guess exact task durations.
Example: Like planning a birthday party without knowing exactly how long each task (like decoration, food delivery, etc.) will take.

🔹 Gantt Chart

Best for visualizing the timeline and progress of tasks. Great for students or beginners.
Example: Like making a study timetable – showing when to start each subject and how long it will take.

🔹 CPM (Critical Path Method)

Helps you find which tasks are most important and can’t be delayed.
Example: Building a house – foundation, walls, roof – you can’t paint before you build the walls, right?

🧠 When to use which method?

• Use PERT when your project has lots of uncertainty in time estimation.

• Use Gantt Chart when you want a clear visual schedule of all tasks.

• Use CPM when you want to identify key tasks that must be completed on time.

✅ Benefits of Good Project Scheduling

• Saves time and reduces stress

• Helps avoid missing deadlines

• Makes teamwork smoother

• Increases chances of project success

Proper scheduling is the backbone of successful projects, especially in software development. It helps you stay organized, avoid confusion, and finish work on time.

🎯 Try It Yourself!
Next time you start a college assignment or group project, plan it using a Gantt chart or Trello board.

👉 “Have you ever used a Gantt Chart or Trello board? Try one today for your next study plan!”