Project scheduling is the key to ensuring the original project plan and final project outcome are at least close enough to call the project a success. It's the map that guides the ship. Good project managers look at the schedule constantly, sometimes on a daily basis, and take the actions necessary to stay on track. Because the definition of a project requires it to … [Read more...]
Although it isn't in the dictionary, the project management industry uses the term deliverables almost daily. I, for one am tired of MS Word underlining it as a spelling mistake. Deliverables are the products, services, and results that a project produces. Thus, they are the cornerstone to project success. Every project has to produce something. If you don't have any … [Read more...]
The Critical Chain Method is a relatively new concept in project management. It was developed and popularized by Dr. Elihayu M. Goldratt in his book Critical Chain (1997), which is written as a novel but outlines the methods used to ensure that projects complete on time. Critical Chain vs. Critical Path The Critical Chain method is similar to the Critical Path Method … [Read more...]
When you, the project manager, need to make sure a project finishes on time, there is a science as well as an art form involved. But the science tends to enhance the art, in other words, if you know the science you will be that much better at practicing the art form. In yesterday's post we outlined the critical path method which is the professional project manager's … [Read more...]
Every profession has a unique way of thinking, a perspective that must be adopted to practice it well, and project management is no different. In this day of agile project management, critical paths are as important as ever. Yes, it's a hard number, that is, a calculation that results in a completion date for a set of tasks. But more than that it's also a mindset. … [Read more...]
In project management, getting an early indication of problems is the silver bullet that allows the project manager to correct the problems before they start. The Schedule Performance Index, usually abbreviated as SPI, is one of the fundamental outputs of Earned Value Management. It tells the project manager how far ahead or behind the project is at the point of … [Read more...]
In project management, getting an early indication of problems is the silver bullet that allows the project manager to correct the problems before they start. Schedule Variance, usually abbreviated as SV, is one of the fundamental outputs of Earned Value Management. It tells the project manager how far ahead or behind the project is at the point of analysis (usually … [Read more...]
Earned Value is a method of calculating project status. It does this from two perspectives: Time (schedule) and Cost. After applying the earned value method the project manager will know whether the project is: behind or ahead of schedule. over or under budget. In this post we will outline each formula in the earned value management system. The first three … [Read more...]
Projects span a huge spectrum from big to small, innovative to routine, and technical to repetitive. But there is, in fact, a standard project organization chart within which all projects fall. The project management model within the PMBOK, as well as other project management methodologies, define this standard structure. The project management organization chart … [Read more...]
Like the tiny O-rings that brought down the space shuttle Challenger, one small underestimation often results in a chain reaction that the project can't recover from. Therefore, project planning needs to make sure that enough time is assigned to each task. Once the project has been divided into activities and resources assigned to those activities, the next step is to … [Read more...]
