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Maximum duration of Work package

11 replies [Last post]
Sanjay Rao
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Joined: 17 Jun 2008
Posts: 22
Groups: GPC Qatar
Dear all
I want conformation or reference, WBS need to be decompose up to work package Level. What is maximum duration for this work package is it 14 day. If so can any one guide me for reference for this 14 days.
Thanks

Replies

Samer Zawaydeh
User offline. Last seen 5 years 8 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 3 Aug 2008
Posts: 1664
Dear Ravi/ Shahul,

Please note that the recommended Activity duration is mentioned in "The Practice Standard for Scheduling, section 3.3.2.2 Developing the Baseline Schedule,item #5, page 17, as follows:

The work contained in an activity should be scoped so that the activity’s durtation will be less than two times the update cycle (ideally never more than three times the update cycle.
"

I will report to you the Work Package duration when I come across it again.

With kind regards,

Samer
R. Catalan
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Joined: 15 Aug 2005
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Sanjay,

The 14 days duration is normally an upper limit for work activities except non-construction activities such as procurement and delivery of materials. Some specifications requires this limit to easily track progress (progress turnover).

Work packages (i.e, substructure, elevators) consist of work activities and the duration will be based on anticipated quantities, productivity rates and resource crew assumptions. You can have pull some assumptions from your historical project datas for durations of typical projects that you’ve completed.

Samer/Shahul,

This 14 days upper limit for duration of activities is usually mentioned in project scheduling requirements under project Technical Specifications.

Best regards,

R. Catalan

Lawrence Cuozzo
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"If ppl know in and out of programming, then y they wil come on this forum?"

Personally, I visit the forum for its entertainment value :-)
Shah. HB
User offline. Last seen 18 weeks 6 days ago. Offline
Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Posts: 773
Many thanks Samer

Please post the link when you come across it
Samer Zawaydeh
User offline. Last seen 5 years 8 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 3 Aug 2008
Posts: 1664
Dear Shahul,

The upper limit of 14 days or 80 working hours on workpage is to improve the schedule performance. You have activities that are completed within a reasonable time. I have read it somewhere, and will get you the source when i come across it again.

With kind regards,

Samer
Shah. HB
User offline. Last seen 18 weeks 6 days ago. Offline
Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Posts: 773
Raviraj sab

Workpakages could be decomposed from WBS based on the requirement of project team and nature of the projects.
Do they (Work Package) have durations to be fixed up?
Mike Testro
User offline. Last seen 5 weeks 3 days ago. Offline
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 4418
Hi Raviraj

Sanjay was asking about 14 days per work package - not tasks.

And he does state 10.5 years planning experience.

Best regards

Mike Testro
A D
User offline. Last seen 3 years 23 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 20 May 2007
Posts: 1027
Hi Mike,

How do u know sanjay has been into programming for 10.5 years? His expeience is 10.5 years and may be not into programming.

I hav seen ppl on this forum who hav entered planning profession after 20-30 years of field experience.

Being a responsible and one of d respectful member, u shud encourage ppl to come fwd on this forum and resolve their issues. If ppl know in and out of programming, then y they wil come on this forum?

Sanjay,
The duration for an activity shud not be more than 14 days in general; however, for engineering and procurement deliverables it can be more than 14 days.

For site based activities, in program, u shud not hav activities with duration more than 14 days.
Samer Zawaydeh
User offline. Last seen 5 years 8 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 3 Aug 2008
Posts: 1664
Dear Sanjay,

You can search for details about the Work Package in the "Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures" 2e , from PMI.

With kind regards,

Samer
Mike Testro
User offline. Last seen 5 weeks 3 days ago. Offline
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 4418
Hi Mimoune

I doubt if Sanjay understood any of your wise words.

He has been programming for 10.5 years and still hasn’t got a clue about what he is doing.

Best regards

Mike Testro
mimoune djouallah
User offline. Last seen 4 years 40 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 14 Oct 2006
Posts: 388
hell no (sorry for the tone, but i always liked to use this expression)

imho , you have to ask some questions before deciding of the level of detail that you will use for your baseline.

- how much manpower you have to update the schedule, and the frequency of updating ( weekly, bi-weekly, monthly).

- what the client( consultant) wants.

of course a baseline must represent all the deliverable, i prefer to split one work package by discipline (civil, mechanical erection, piping....), and at the same put the maximum of details in the job card, so we can have the maximum accuracy of work progress.

better simplify the baseline in the beginning and add ( or remove) details in the life of the project.( in any case with work progress, baseline always end changing all the time)

a very detailed program can be a nightmare to maintain.

best regards,