Defining Activities
Defining an activity means chopping up the different parts into specific actions that need to be taken to achieve the goals set. Every task must have its own definable, measurable outcome or deliverable associated with it. Take a typical example of a website development project:
Project: Website Development
- Activity 1: Requirements Gathering
Description: Meeting clients and understanding their needs and expectations from the site.
- Activity 2: Wireframe Design
Description: Create visual representations of how the structural layout will be on the website.
- Activity 3: Develop HTML/CSS Templates
Description: Create the basic HTML and CSS pages for the site.
- Activity 4: Development Backend Capabilities
Description: Through server-side programming, implement interaction with the database, user authentication, and other diffusing properties.
- Activity 5: Integrate Frontend and Backend
Description: Where the frontend templates will be connected with the backend functionalities to make a complete website work.
- Activity 6: User Testing
Description: Tests with potential users for issues and feedback.
- Activity 7: Design and Functionality Improvement.
Description: As per user feedback and test results, improve design and functionality.
Activity sequencing.
Now, after identifying the activities, they need to be connected to each other in a relevant way to create a project schedule: such sequencing will create the necessary dependencies and relationships between activities, with reference to the actual order of execution.
Example Activity Sequencing in Developing a Website:
- Gather Needs: Gather requirements from the client that will serve as the baseline all actions will be based.
- Wireframe Design: It covers the design and architecture of the website combined with the requirements.
- HTML/CSS Templates: Wireframe designs are converted into static templates.
- Back End Development: It concerns database systems at the server end to manage authentication and dynamic features.
- Integrating Frontend and Backend Together: Integrates templates with backend functions of the integrated web portal into the actual integrated web portal.
- Usability Test: Do the most effective usability tests and give feedback through testing and locating shortcomings.
- Feeding Testing Results Improvement on Design and Functionality: This will seal the loop for improvements based on test results.
Various Categories of Dependencies Induced in Activity Sequencing
Different dependence relationships exist between phases, which determine the start and finish timelines of activities:
- Finish-to-Start (FS): Task B cannot start until Task A is finished (for example: wireframes created prior to development of template).
- Start-to-Start (SS): Task B can start as soon as Task A starts (for example, backend and frontend development may start after sometime instead of developing front ends after the completion of the backend).
- Finish-to-Finish (FF): Task B cannot finish until Tasks A finish (for example: Testing and refining).
- Start-to-Finish (SF): Task B can finish just as Task A starts (less commonly used).
Sequencing of tasks helps project managers in framing realistic schedules and thus minimizing delays and optimum utilization of resource. Proper Activity definition and sequencing will develop an accurate and efficient roadmap toward the successful execution of a project.
