Ever struggled to clarify who’s doing what in a project? A RACI chart (pronounced “racy”) is a surprisingly helpful tool in project management that simplifies project responsibilities by mapping project tasks to stakeholders and/or team members. Standing for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, RACI visually defines each person’s role in every task or … [Read more...]
Picture the following (very common) scenario: a project manager marks a task as complete, only to find unexpected charges for time, materials, or expenses piling up the next week. Frustrating? Absolutely. It’s a common pitfall driven by the urge to check tasks off quickly. But rushing risks overlooking critical wrap-up steps, like administrative closeouts or final … [Read more...]
I once experienced a project horror story whereby a piece of equipment was snowed in at a previous project, delaying the project by several weeks until a transport vehicle could get to the stranded machine. Since there are relatively few of these around, the project either had to wait or additional costs had to be incurred to procure another one. Managing these types … [Read more...]
A project manager that fails to allocate project resources is like a carpenter without a hammer. That's why estimating task resources is an integral step in project planning. It also happens to be one of the most fundamental aspects of project management, one of the steps that the project manager utilizes on a day to day basis. Types of Resources Each task on … [Read more...]
In my industry, timelines are rarely met. I would guess that 20% of all projects meet their original completion dates. And yet, it is one of the most, if not the most, important criteria specified by the various levels of government when measuring project performance. (If anyone in the highways industry reads this, please leave your comments below - I'd like to know … [Read more...]
Have you ever been involved in a project where unexpected issues outside of the control of the project team cause the project schedule to change? Never? I didn't think so, you're way too good for that. But for the rest of us mere mortals, keeping projects on track is an important consideration. Actually, I think larger projects are more likely to see schedule hiccups … [Read more...]
In order to meet the completion dates on your projects, it is wise to develop a project schedule. Whether you're managing the construction of the new Oakland Bay bridge or building a new shed in your back yard, adequate planning can ensure any project is completed on time, on budget, and meets all of its intended goals. In this article I will give you a 5 step crash … [Read more...]
