A Gantt Chart is to a project manager like a hammer is to a carpenter. It is the project manager's most used tool. It is used to convey the most critical information. And it plays an outsized role in project success. Since a project is by definition temporary, the completion date is a critical item in virtually every project. The gantt chart is used during project … [Read more...]
Critical path analysis is a method used in project management for optimizing the completion of project tasks. If you need to go to yoga class and buy groceries, but yoga class doesn't start for 2 hours, you should buy the groceries first. The critical path is defined as the list of tasks which determine the completion date of the project. If you need an extra day … [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...]
Resource leveling is the smoothening of resource usage to increase project efficiency. It is performed to realize a trade off between project duration and project cost. Traditional project scheduling techniques do not take resource usage into account, and often produce erratic resource usage that drives up the project budget. For example, let's say you have a … [Read more...]
In project management, the network diagram is a graphical depiction of a project schedule which uses boxes to represent each task. It is used to determine the critical path, as well as the float of each task. Critical Path: The tasks which define the completion date of the project. They cannot finish late, or be moved, or the overall project completion … [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...]
If there's one part of project management that's bigger than all the rest, it's project scheduling. Since a project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, defining when that end takes place and making sure it finishes on time are extremely important to any project, large or small. Professional project managers look at the schedule every day and … [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...]
