PJM330 Effective Project Scheduling and Control (2 discussion post replies)
Please reply to both POST 1: and POST 2: discussion posting with at least 150 words
Required
Chapters 12 and Sections 13.0, 13.2, 13.3, 13.6, 13.17, and 13.19 in Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling
Part 1: Chapter 6 in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)
Recommended
Chapters 8 & 9 in Fundamentals of Project Management
Kirpes, C. (2014). Evaluating the use of scheduling techniques: Critical chain project management. IIE Annual Conference. Proceedings, 3878-3884.
Nelson, R. R., & Morris, M. G. (2014). IT project estimation: Contemporary practices and management guidelines. MIS Quarterly Executive, 13(1), 15-30.
Richardson, D. A. (2018). Digital downside. PM Network, 32, 26-27.
POST 1:
Module 2: Discussion Forum
Good afternoon team,
Scheduling is a very important piece of project management. In order to get all the pieces put together in a logical format, and to get an idea of how long a project is going to take requires scheduling. I prefer to use the Gantt chart. I have not been using it long, but it has shown to be a valuable tool. I like how it identifies the critical path visually and how each activity within the path is laid out.
This tool can aid project scheduling in multiple ways. Visually it is easy to read. It shows when a project starts and finishes, identifies all activities within the project and how long the project will take. Dates and activities can be easily adjusted, and the result of the adjustments are immediate. According to (Kashyap, 2019) it improves communication between team members, it helps to avoid resource overload, it can measure the progress of the work being performed, it provides for a visual of any overlapping activities and it promotes transparency of the project.
Since I just recently started integrating this software into my team, I have not used it on a current project. A Gantt chart would have been most beneficial in the creating of a most recent training we created that is a 6-week process. There were a lot of different steps and processes that needed to be managed in order to keep the process moving and to ensure a “go-live” date. The training was completed but there were a lot of missing parts that could have easily been avoided should we have had a better layout of the project initially.
-Amy
References:
Kerzner, H. (2013). Project Management, A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controling (11th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Kashyap, S. (2019, October 1). Top 11 Benefits of Gantt Charts in Project Management. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from https://www.proofhub.com/articles/benefits-of-gantt-charts.
POST 2:
Deadlines are probably one of the few things consistent with all PMs. It doesn’t matter which field of industry from construction and R&D to the medical field, deadlines drive production. A schedule is necessary to achieve any significant tangible results by a deadline. Hence, the importance of employing a scheduling technique to achieve the desired results.
CPM
Critical Patch Method (CPM) is a technique that determines how much time is needed to complete a project. In CPM, key tasks known as critical tasks are found. Once the critical tasks are known the critical path will be established and the earliest date an event can start, or end can be identified by determining the normal time it takes to complete each event (Kerzner, 2013). Due to the thoroughness of CPM, it is often used in complex projects. The intensive labor and detail planning in completing a CPM is also considered a disadvantage with smaller projects because of the complex nature of a CPM.
Example
If I were assigned a project of relocating my entire organization from one building to another, I would employ CPM. Assuming I had to find a new site, plan for renovation/updates at the new site, install furniture and prepare the building with required necessities for operations I think the best way to identify interdependencies and stay on schedule would be to utilize CPM.
References:
Kerzner, H. (2013). Project Management, A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controling (11th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solution Preview
Discussion Post Replies
Reply 1
In the post, the peer suggests that scheduling is a critical aspect of project management. I think the assertion given the benefits that come from scheduling in any project that is being undertaken. Without scheduling, it is difficult to assess whether the project goals will be met either in the short-term or in the long-term.
(332 words)