Project Controlling | Schedule
Problem Statement
To deliver the total project scope on time, in the right sequence by the right people.
Goals
Ensure that:
- total project scope is broken down into manageable, sequenced activities,
- resources needed are calculated and activity durations planned,
- progress is tracked, deviations highlighted, and corrective action taken to meet the milestone deadlines.
Approach
Once the scope of work is established the following steps are taken:
- work broken down into manageable packages and completion milestones set,
- packages further broken down into activities which are sequenced to reflect their interdependencies,
- resource needs calculated and predecessors and successors linked,
- durations planned and schedules developed.
Benefits
The schedule brings visibility to the activities required to complete a project. By sequencing and linking the activities and calculating durations milestone and completion dates are can be checked to see if they are realistic and achievable. The schedule informs team members of what they need to do and highlights the interfaces. This enabling them to focus at the right time. Deviations quickly become evident so that remedial action can be put in motion.
Process Implementation
Teamwork is essential in the project. The teamwork between Project Management and Project Controlling as part of Project Services is summarised as follows:
Use Case
Equipment in a biotech production facility was to be upgraded. Mary, the project lead, had ensured that all necessary activities, including off-site manufacturing of equipment, had been scheduled. Two short production shutdowns were necessary, the first to upgrade the infrastructure, the second to install the new equipment. Once fixed, these deadlines could not be changed.
Preparation work was completed, and the team was readying to commence upgrading the infrastructure. However, Mary discovered that the necessary documentation allowing equipment and supply lines to be disconnected was incomplete. This threatened to negatively impact schedule and budget.
We were contracted as project controller and began by reviewing the schedule, including the change and risk logs. We then checked project progress. We realised that while the preparatory works had been a focus of the schedule, completion of the necessary documentation had not.
Actions to mitigate the initial delay were identified and commenced. A process was then established to manage the schedule whereby:
- the completion of all future documentation was scheduled and expedited,
- key document delivery milestones were included in the schedule and progress regularly checked,
- key milestones for the off-site manufacturing of equipment were scheduled and progress regularly checked,
- delivery risks were minimised by introducing a staged equipment delivery.
By prioritising, the critical infrastructure was installed by the end of the first production shutdown. Non-critical activities were carried forward to the second shutdown.
Regular schedule reviews now take place during which issues are quickly raised and steps to mitigate negative impact are taken timeously. In addition, a document expediting is established which ensures that document deliverables are available on time.
More Project Services
Personnel resources are required to complete a project. The control of these resources is critical to project success, Actual resources are tracked against the plan, deviations highlighted …
The cost of total project scope is estimated and checked. The budget is established once the estimate is approved. The scope is then broken down into work packages and procured …
Identification of procurement and design deliverables, establishment of timelines, progress tracking, highlighting deviations, and status reporting including expected delivery dates.