Explore the Project Planning and IMS (Integrated Master Schedule) content from RTConfidence Project Scientists
Going back about thirty years when I was a relatively new Program Manager, I was given an interesting proposition by my manager – “We want you to take on a new project that the executive team knows will be impossible to execute successfully, but it is strategically important, and we would like you to run… Continue reading “Solving the Impossible” – Find out how!
What would I (or you) be able to do if the IMS (Integrated Master Schedule) SRA (Schedule Risk Analysis) Model was always set up properly and the Monte Carlo Simulation only took a few seconds to both compute results and provide all the graphic outputs (e.g., the Probability Distribution charts for every task and milestone,… Continue reading The things I could do if my SRA Monte Carlo Simulation was faster!
If someone asks you “How long will it take for you to drive home from the grocery store?” you could probably give a very accurate estimate, especially if you made that drive many times before. If they ask you “How long will it take you to fix the facet?”, (and you don’t even know what’s… Continue reading What does a 3-Point Estimate Give Me?
Schedule Creation/Validation Checklists Most commercially available scheduling tools support creating what are called “well-formed schedules” in the trade. These are schedules that can predict project outcomes, monitor project progress, and recalculate task times based on status updates. Because some organizations use schedules as pretty pictures rather than project management tools, these same commercial tools have… Continue reading Schedule Creation: Know The Difference Between A Picture And A Schedule
Building a credible project schedule can be challenging, even for experienced professionals. This essay explains a process I’ve refined and used with success for almost 30 years. Start with a well-defined project goal – There should be a clear written definition of the project that includes deliverables and success criteria before investing much time in… Continue reading Basic Tips for Building a Schedule
I’ve been beaten up in the “project management” business for over 25 years – and I discovered that there was no good reason for it! I’ve worked on technology development projects my entire career. It didn’t matter if the projects were large or small. Invariably, mid-way through the effort, it became obvious to everyone that we were driving toward unrealistic schedule goals. The options to recover a slipped schedule in the middle are always limited. In most cases, either the schedule… Continue reading Unrealistic Schedules: It doesn’t have to be this way!
Project management would be a lot easier if our original plans were accurate and reliable. This is relatively easy when it comes to follow-on production or deployment of a well-established repeat services. It gets progressively more difficult as the complexity and risk associated with development projects increases. In certain organizations, a top-down estimate suffices. In… Continue reading Why Good Estimating practices are so important to project risk management.
In some organizations, budget reserves and schedule buffers are taboo. I have heard countless arguments on both sides of this issue. I am an advocate of doing what makes most sense for the organization, its culture and its valuable human resources. Those which conduct a multitude of complex, highly scrutinized projects (e.g., risky contracts), and… Continue reading Budget Reserves and Schedule Buffers can be Palatable.
Signing up to a schedule based on the project’s IMS critical path, without any buffer, is usually a losing proposition, especially if the project is complex and team performance is highly scrutinized. This topic is treated in detail within my book, “Project Risk Management: A Practical Implementation Approach.” Several factors tend to skew our schedules… Continue reading The Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Critical Path May be Misleading.
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