As stated in the PMP training course, the control schedule is the final step of the time management knowledge. The other process groups that precede Control Schedule have helped us to determine the project activities, their relationship, estimate the duration of activities, and then create a project plan. This schedule must be monitored throughout the project to ensure that actual results match the planned values. This is done in the Control Schedule group, according to PMP Project Management course. This article will explain what a control schedule is and what the main activities should be in it.
What is the purpose of this process group’s work?
The control schedule is used to monitor the progress of project activities and to manage changes to the baseline schedule to reach the plan. Once the schedule development process is completed, you will be able to view the project schedule. It will contain the start and end dates for each project activity. Actual results may differ from what was planned during project execution. Some activities may be completed sooner than expected, while others will take longer. To determine any deviations, the actual activities’ results will be compared to the baseline schedule.

Project managers must monitor and control the project’s progress during the control schedule process. If the schedule performance control shows a deviation, and the project is not completed on time, corrective measures must be taken. Schedule compression can be used to finish the remaining activities of the project earlier than was planned in order to complete it on time.
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If there are factors that cause a lot of changes during project execution, these factors should be eliminated in order to stop the root cause. These factors cannot be eliminated. Preventive actions can reduce their impact.
What activities are included in the Control Schedule Process?
The control schedule process has 9 steps. Let’s take a look at each step individually.

The first activity of the process: Re-estimation and re-evaluation of all remaining components of a project. All future activities of a project are estimated based only limited information. As the project progresses, any ambiguities will be clarified and the project team will have more information. This will allow them to estimate the remaining activities better. To ensure that the project’s target completion date is met, the control schedule process involves a re-estimation of the remaining activities.
The 2nd Activity of Control Schedule Process is to conduct performance reviews. During the process, actual results of each activity will compare with the scheduled values. The performance review will determine if the project is on track.
The 3rd Activity of Control Schedule: Adjust future sections of the project to address delays. If the project is not on schedule, the appropriate actions must taken to get it back on track. This is why the control schedule process is necessary. The project must be adjusted to address delays if it is not on schedule. A project that is behind schedule can be compressed using techniques such as fast-tracking and crashing.
The fourth activity of the process: Measure variances from schedule: Schedule variance and scheduleperformance index of project will indicate how far behind the project is from the planned values. These are measured during the control schedule process. For instance