This concept is more critical to a projects success than most may think at first look. So, how do you manage time so that the project is completed on time? And, how do you determine what “on time” is? This leads us to software development’s most hated topic: Estimating. No, it’s not a black magic art. Here, we will delve into the world of estimation and time management and, hopefully, come out with a brighter outlook.

So, where do we start? A great place to start is with identifying and defining the activities required to meet the requirements of the project. Start with analyzing the project deliverables, requirements and scope to identify the necessary activities. From there, these activities should be broken down into smaller, manageable components that can be more easily estimated. This process is known as decomposition.

Once a list of activities has been developed, the next step is to look at how to layout the sequence of these activities. Be sure to document the dependencies and relationships between all of the activities identified. There are many methods to use for this activity.
- Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) – Also known as Activity on Node
- Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM) – Also known as Activity on Arrow. This method can also be used to calculate the critical path of a project.
- Conditional Diagramming Methods
- Network Templates

Once all activities have been identified and all dependencies have been documented, you will then have a clearer picture of the work ahead and thus a better chance of creating accurate estimates. These estimates will be used to develop your schedule (which management will keep a close eye on) so the more accurate the better.