You've probably been there. A project manager gets a weekly report that shows the project's time and expenses, and it's a little too high. The project hasn't advanced as far as its expenses have. Someone, somewhere has introduced inefficiencies that now need to be addressed. This is scope creep, the unauthorized inclusion of unplanned work into a project. Scope … [Read more...]
In project management, like most things in life, there is no free lunch. If you want to finish sooner, you will have to cut the project scope. If you want lower costs, you have to cut expenses. If you want higher quality, you have to pay more. This constant tug of war is called the Triple Constraint, also known as the Project Management Triangle, or the Iron … [Read more...]
Sometimes the easiest way to create a Gantt chart is by starting from a template and customizing it to your project. To that end, we present the following 10 templates, which have been designed to be easily customized to your project. Using only basic Excel skills, you should be able to complete your own Gantt chart in 10 minutes or less. Template 1: Build a … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]
When a patient is first wheeled into the emergency room, the first priority of any doctor is their vital signs, that is, pulse, breathing, body temperature, and blood pressure. Regardless of the injury, if the vital signs are not stable the patient is dying and all efforts must be directed toward stabilizing them prior to treating the original injury. Project management … [Read more...]
The project manager is the ultimate authority responsible for the successful completion of a project. They establish the critical success factors and take responsibility for achieving them. The buck stops here. Usually the project manager inherits requirements that the project must work with, such as budget, stakeholder concerns, and so forth. These are codified … [Read more...]
Most projects have a million things that can go wrong. Because a project is by definition temporary, it is inevitable that the budget and schedule factor prominently in project success. But it is a surprisingly common scenario that project managers think the project is going great because the variables they are concerned with are on track (usually the deadlines and … [Read more...]
In 1986, the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger exploded spectacularly upon take-off in front of one of the largest live TV audiences in history (to that time). The investigation concluded that several tiny O-rings that sealed the rocket booster to the fuel supply failed. These O-rings were about 1 foot in diameter. Just like the tiny O-rings were able to bring down the … [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 extremely important to any project, large or small. Professional project managers look at the schedule every … [Read more...]
