Project Scheduling

About Project Scheduling

A Project Schedule can be defined as an effective and efficient tool put to use to communicate the work that needs to be carried out by a particular resource within particular time frames or timelines allocated by the project. The progress of the project is determined as per the project schedule and how the different activities allotted get completed with the passage of time by the resources allotted to the activities and tasks.

Delivery of work on time is in close association with the project schedule. A project manager is in in-charge of the project schedule and has to conduct all the work on project scheduling. A complete project schedule alone can help the project manager to communicate the necessary effort required in terms of the cost and the resources to effectively deliver the project.

For project management, it’s essential that a project schedule is carefully drafted with all different considerations made and adopted. With the latest technologies coming into the project management scene, project scheduling has turned out to be easier as the different online and desktop scheduling tools have been introduced. With them, project managers are able to track different project schedules, resource utilization, the budget fluctuations, and all the different aspect of project progress onto a single software. Updating and monitoring these inputs and outputs with regard to software is made easier and even visible to all project team members, increasing transparency and openness.

What is a Schedule?

Essentially, a schedule is a complete plan employed with a view to carrying out a given pre-planned process, procedure, or workflow. The schedule gives a complete list of events and timelines associated with each event/task.

In terms of a project, a schedule is a some sort of a timetable with all the activities and task, resource names, and timeline mentioned to achieve the goal stated by the project.

At the end of the schedule, the work is assumed to be completed successfully, with effective communication to all parties involved or concerned about the work, and the deliverables are the outputs. The approach used for the scheduling of a project will depend on the nature of the project, including the project type and the triple constraints that bind the project to a particular angle. We can have some projects that need to be completed or the deliverables be met by a certain date; others have either limited budget or limited resources allocated. These factors are very instrumental in determining the schedule for your project, and managing these schedules is what project scheduling is all about.

Schedule Model

Schedule model is a schedule network analysis tool whose output is a completely generated project schedule. This schedule model is put to work and performs either manually or using a project management software. The schedule model primarily aims at being used during project execution to manage and track the project schedule that was planned in the earlier phase.

This schedule model will take into consideration all the activities, prioritization, sequencing, and different dependencies and connections to set up a plan. It’s a representation of the project you want to achieve, or in other words, the model of the project itself; just like the concept modeling that one would find with the architect of a building, car, or any design-driven element. The only and main difference between these would be modeling of the tasks/activities, along with task relationships, timeline, time constraints, and resources handling these tasks.

The project schedule is finalized once the dates are allocated to the activities mentioned in the schedule model. It’s in the execution of this schedule model that commences work on the project schedule.

Project Scheduling Course Description

Introduction to Practice Standards for Scheduling – In this section, you will gain a wholesome perspective on the standards in the industry over scheduling and the practices undertaken over the entire project management paradigm.

Overview of Schedule Model – Learn all about the Schedule Model and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that can aid in all your endeavors to make a suitable and accurate project schedule to complement your project plan. Understand the importance of activities in the schedule model and how these activities eventually make up your plan and schedule.

Schedule Development Process Overview – In this section, you will have yourself immersed into the entire schedule development process and how it can bring you to a complete project schedule, ready for execution. Understand the maintenance steps and how you can get there through your projects.

Schedule Model Good Practices – In this section, you will essentially learn the concepts and tricks behind designing the schedule module, developing the schedule framework, designing the coding structure, and putting to use the project logic into the schedule model. Your project schedule will be the output and you can also learn the tips and tricks to analyzing it.

Best Industry Practices for Schedule Creation – Learn about the different tools and techniques and industry best practices held for creating and generating a project schedule. Learn the ways to go about with MS Project and auto scheduling. Understand how important is a resource to a plan and how to define these resources to carefully and correctly impact a schedule and the execution of a project plan.

Target Audience

• Associate Project Managers
• Project Managers
• Project Management Professionals
• Program Managers
• Portfolio Managers
• Candidates aspiring for the PMP, ACP, PMI-SP certifications
• Project Schedulers / Schedule Executives
• Project Schedulers