3.2 Time Planning | The Design Methods H

3.2 Time Planning (Project Management Tools)

3.2.1 PERT/CPM

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and Critical Path Method (CPM) help managers to plan the timing of projects involving sequential activities.

PERT/CPM charts identify the time required to complete the activities in a project, and the order of the steps. Each activity is assigned an earliest and latest start time and end time.

Activities with no slack time are said to lie along the critical path–the path that must stay on time for the project to remain on schedule.

CPM – Critical Path Method

Task on the “critical “ path are those that if delayed will delay project completion.

Succession of connected tasks that will take the longest to complete.

The Critical Path is the longest path to complete the project.

PERT – Program Evaluation and Review Technique

PERT Example:

PERT Network Example:

3.2.2 Gantt Chart

The first known tool of this type was developed in 1896 by Karol Adamiecki, who called it a harmonogram. These were also static representations of a planned schedule.

The chart is named after Henry Gantt (1861–1919), who designed his chart around the years 1910–1915.

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule.

Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. It illustrates the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project.

The Gantt chart provides a quick visual reference

to see where activities may be overloaded during particular dates.

How do I identify a critical path?

In order to determine your project’s critical path, follow these steps:

List the tasks required
First, you need to separate the project into a list of tasks. This may involve using a work breakdown structure to organize the tasks involved in the project. By identifying the important deliverables and deadlines, you can calculate the timeframe your project needs
Assess the length of time required for each task
Once you’ve listed all the tasks you need to complete, figure out how long each step will take.
Use estimated times for tasks if necessary. Some tasks may have a period of lag or times where
they don’t require any resource input for a portion of their duration.
Check task dependencies
If one or more of your tasks cannot be completed until another has been finished, then you need to ascertain the details of these dependencies as well. Dependent tasks need to be scheduled in a way that eliminates clashes and ensures that delays don’t disrupt the entire plan.
Identify key milestones and deliverables
Depending on the nature of the project, you may need to report your progress to external stakeholders. These may form the basis of your milestone planning, but it can also be dependent on external deadlines or events.
Plan your critical path
Determine the most important tasks to schedule and calculate the earliest each task could start. It’s also possible to give tasks deadlines for completion to ensure that they don’t delay the project’s overall timeline. This method of organizing the tasks required for a project will help you find the most efficient way to schedule each project element. It makes it easier to allocate resources, assess reporting systems and finalize timelines.

Time planning is a vital part of project management.