In many areas of life there are multiple ways to accomplish a goal, and project management is no different. At its most basic level, project management is the organization of people to accomplish a task. Humans have been successfully performing complex projects, like the ancient pyramids of Egypt, for thousands of years however today the processes and methods are … [Read more...]
The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is an important step in project scheduling. A PERT chart is a tool used to plan the execution of tasks within a project. PERT charts are a central part of any project management course. They are quick to draw and intuitive to use. How to Draw a PERT Chart There are two rules: Tasks (activities) are represented … [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...]
Total Float is a concept within the Critical Path Method which tells the project manager how much a task can be delayed without impacting the project completion date. Float is the final product of the project network diagram. The network diagram is used to determine two things: Tasks which are on the critical path Float (total) of each task The Two … [Read more...]
In yesterday's post we outlined the critical path method which is one of the professional project manager's techniques to ensuring project deadlines are met. Today we will walk through an example with a complete solution using MS Excel. Our example project is to build a new driveway. We will be hiring our friend, Jon, who is a concrete worker, and we will … [Read more...]
In its most basic form a project schedule is a list of tasks with assigned start and finish dates. It can also be a graphical bar chart produced with project management software or in a spreadsheet. In professional schedule development, a critical path analysis using a network diagram produces the critical path tasks and their floats. Since a graphical bar … [Read more...]
If there's one part of project management that's bigger than all the rest, it's project scheduling. Since a project is defined as a temporary endeavor with a distinct beginning and end, defining when that end takes place and making sure it finishes on time are, by definition, extremely important to any project, large or small. Professional project managers look at … [Read more...]
Making sure a project finishes on time is a core competency for all project managers. Although it is partly an art form, the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), the PMP exam, and project management curricula all outline the science aspect. If you know the science part well, you can practice the art form and deliver project after project without a sweat. The … [Read more...]
