Project management techniques and tools for creating and monitoring schedules

Richard P. Each task requires a particular mix of these tools and techniques structured to fit the task environment and life cycle from conception to completion of the task. Employing project management technologies minimizes the disruption of routine business activities in many cases by placing under a single command all of the skills, technologies, and resources needed to realize the project.

The skills required depend on each specific project and the resources available at that time. The greater the amount of adjustments a parent organization must make to fulfill project objectives, the greater chance exists for project failure. The form of project management will be unique for every project endeavor and will change throughout the project. The project management process typically includes four key phases: initiating the project, planning the project, executing the project, and closing the project.

An outline of each phase is provided below. Initiating the Project The project management techniques related to the project initiation phase include: [ 16 ]. Planning the Project The project management techniques related to the project planning phase include:[ 16 ]. Executing the Project The project management techniques related to the project execution phase include:[ 16 ].

Closing Down the Project The project management techniques related to the project closedown phase include:[ 16 ]. The techniques listed above in the four key phases of project management enable a project team to:[ 3 ]. Project management is a challenging task with many complex responsibilities. Fortunately, there are many tools available to assist with accomplishing the tasks and executing the responsibilities. Some require a computer with supporting software, while others can be used manually.

Project managers should choose a project management tool that best suits their management style. No one tool addresses all project management needs. Schedule Network Analysis The schedule network is a graphical display from left to right across a page of all logical interrelationships between elements of work — in chronological order, from initial planning through to project closure.

Critical Path Method The critical path of a project is the sequential string of activities that takes the longest time to complete, recognising any dependencies between tasks in this sequence e. The critical path method CPM determines by adding the times of all activities on the critical path, the earliest time that the project can be completed Non-critical activities have an earliest and latest start time ES and LS, respectively and an earliest and latest finish time EF and LF, respectively.

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Comments are closed. Author Spotlight Philip Baskerville. Philip Baskerville has significant strategic senior management experience. Course Price View Course. Note: Activities in the critical path do not contain any slack. Free Project Management Course. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you. Email ID. The project control process mainly focuses on:. Measuring planned performance vs actual performance. Providing information that supports status updates, forecasting and measuring progress.

Delivering forecasts that update current costs and project schedule. Monitoring the implementation of any approved changes or schedule amendments. Importance of project monitoring and control Monitoring and control keeps projects on track.