Project planning is part of
project management
Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process. T ...
, which relates to the use of
schedules
A schedule or a timetable, as a basic time-management tool, consists of a list of times at which possible tasks, events, or actions are intended to take place, or of a sequence of events in the chronological order in which such things are i ...
such as
Gantt chart
A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule, named after its popularizer, Henry Gantt (1861–1919), who designed such a chart around the years 1910–1915. Modern Gantt charts also show the dependency relationsh ...
s to plan and subsequently report progress within the project environment. Project planning can be done manually or by the use of
project management software.
Description
Initially, the
project scope is defined and the appropriate methods for completing the project are determined. Following this step, the
durations for the various
tasks necessary to complete the work are listed and grouped into a
work breakdown structure
A work-breakdown structure (WBS) in project management and systems engineering is a deliverable-oriented breakdown of a project into smaller components. A work breakdown structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the team's work int ...
. Project planning is often used to organize different areas of a project, including
project plans,
work loads and the management of teams and individuals. The logical
dependencies between tasks are defined using an
activity network diagram
A project network diagram is a graph that displays the order in which a project’s activities are to be completed. Derived from the work breakdown structure, the terminal elements of a project are organized sequentially based on the relationsh ...
that enables identification of the
critical path. Project planning is inherently uncertain as it must be done before the project is actually started. Therefore, the duration of the tasks is often estimated through a weighted average of optimistic, normal, and pessimistic cases. The critical chain method adds "buffers" in the planning to anticipate potential delays in project execution.
Float
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or slack time in the schedule can be calculated using project management software. Then the necessary
resources
Resource refers to all the materials available in our environment which are technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally sustainable and help us to satisfy our needs and wants. Resources can broadly be classified upon their ...
can be
estimate
Estimation (or estimating) is the process of finding an estimate or approximation, which is a value that is usable for some purpose even if input data may be incomplete, uncertain, or unstable. The value is nonetheless usable because it is de ...
d and
cost
In Production (economics), production, research, retail, and accounting, a cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something or deliver a service, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one o ...
s for each activity can be allocated to each resource, giving the total project cost. At this stage, the
project schedule may be optimized to achieve the appropriate balance between
resource usage and project duration to comply with the project objectives. Once established and agreed, the project schedule becomes what is known as the baseline schedule. Progress will be measured against the baseline schedule throughout the life of the project. Analyzing progress compared to the baseline schedule is known as
earned value management
Earned value management (EVM), earned value project management, or earned value performance management (EVPM) is a project management technique for measuring project performance and progress in an objective manner.
Overview
Earned value manag ...
.
The inputs of the project planning phase 2 include the
project charter
In project management, a project charter, project definition, or project statement is a statement of the scope, objectives, and participants in a project. It provides a preliminary delineation of roles and responsibilities, outlines the project's k ...
and the concept proposal. The outputs of the project planning phase include the project requirements, the project schedule, and the
project management plan.
[Filicetti, John]
Project Planning Overview
PM Hut (Last accessed 8 November 2009).
See also
*
Cost overrun
A cost overrun, also known as a cost increase or budget overrun, involves unexpected incurred costs. When these costs are in excess of budgeted amounts due to a value engineering underestimation of the actual cost during budgeting, they are known ...
*
Dependency structure matrix
*
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is the integrated management of main business processes, often in real time and mediated by software and technology. ERP is usually referred to as a category of business management software—typically a sui ...
*
Megaproject
*
Operations research
Operations research ( en-GB, operational research) (U.S. Air Force Specialty Code: Operations Analysis), often shortened to the initialism OR, is a discipline that deals with the development and application of analytical methods to improve dec ...
*
PRINCE2
PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a structured project management method and practitioner certification programme. PRINCE2 emphasises dividing projects into manageable and controllable stages.
It is adopted in many countries wor ...
*
Project Management Institute
The Project Management Institute (PMI, legally Project Management Institute, Inc.) is a U.S.-based not-for-profit professional organization for project management.
Overview
PMI serves more than five million professionals including over 680,0 ...
*
Project plan
*
Project slippage
In project planning, a slippage is the act of missing a deadline. It can be an arbitrary milestone put in place to help track progress.
To avoid slippage, one must plan their projects (especially research) carefully to avoid delays in schedule ...
*
Project stakeholders
*
Scope creep
References
External links
International Project Management AssociationAssociation for Project Management (UK)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Project Planning
Schedule (project management)
Planning