Website Upgrade Incoming - we're working on a new look (and speed!) standby while we finalise the project

Tips on using this forum..

(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?

(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.

Activity Decomposition Standards

2 replies [Last post]
Sat, 2005-12-17 02:31
Naveed Tariq, PE,...
User offline. Last seen 15 years 27 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 19 Dec 2002
Posts: 45
Groups: None
Dear Planners!

We are using 40hrs or 80 hrs rule for activity decomposition based on complexity of the project and reporting requirements as per contract. i.e. every activity is less than 1 week or 2 week duration.

I was just interested in knowing about what activity decomposition standards are used by oter planners.

Regards!!
Top

Replies

Thu, 2005-12-22 13:40
#1
Marsha Peterson
User offline. Last seen 6 years 13 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 4 Mar 2004
Posts: 19
Groups: None
I’ve worked in capital project construction and also am a Primvera certified trainer. When I teach, I use a simple formula to describe to my students how to break down work.

If an activity has more than one noun, one active verb or one responsible party, then it should not be one activity. This will ensure that work is easier to measure. (rough-in MEPS (mechanical electrical plumbing sprinkers)is my greatest example of too much scope)When scope is too general, control of specific duration is too hard to acheive.
I also recommend that the location designation always be included in each scope description for the activity. This location designation can be larger or smaller to monitor real identifiable work.

I get a lot of pushback from my construction contractor clients when I recommend this, as they are afraid that they will have "too many" activities. The ones that insist on grouped activities usually spend more on the schedule to fragment the schedules during replanning-updating. There was an old television commercial that suggested preventative maintenance, their punch line was "pay me now or pay me later".
Top
Sat, 2005-12-17 09:03
#2
Bernard Ertl
User offline. Last seen 9 years 49 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 20 Nov 2002
Posts: 757
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas, TURNAROUND & SHUTDOWN (T/A & S/D)
Quote: Turnaround Project Planning Primer - Defining Activities
Activities must be clearly defined, and should be measurable. This means anyone should be able to determine if a particular activity (as defined) is in progress, or completed.

Activities must be defined every time there is a break or change in work content, and/or by changes in the work crew. Activities that are overly broad in scope are difficult to estimate, schedule and measure/report progress against.I also consider whether there is any value in breaking down any tasks that have durations spanning more than a reporting period (shifts in my case) - both for tighter critical path scheduling possibilities and for easier progress measurements. For example, in turnaround schedules, refractory and coke removal are often planned as one task (per equipment of course) but they are very difficult to measure progress against accurately. I prefer to see them broken down into sections (by bay, wall, etc.) so that instead of just one task (remove refractory), you might see four (remove refractory @ north wall, south wall, east wall, west wall).

Bernard Ertl
eTaskMaker project planning software
Top