MONTHLY
WORDS OF
WISDOM
FEBRUARY
2000
PROJECT TIME CONTROL
POINTS
Estimating
project time slots will depend on several considerations. These considerations include:
v
Loss
of Control:
What time span can be assigned without loss of control?
Too short a span increases the cost of control; too long a span invites
additional costs through loss of control. Shorter
time slots may allow for more time to recover.
v
Project
Milestones:
The placing of milestones in a project plan typically occurs when a key
approval is required or standard element of project documentation is due.
v
Skill
of Resources: Inexperienced staff should be given shorter time
assignments since their performances are less predictable.
v
Resources
Available: The actual time that resources are available from
other commitments may effect the plan and time slots. If the best person is not available when needed, the time
estimate may have to be adjusted. Project
leaders need to keep up with progress on other projects that utilize the same
resources as your project.
v
Critical
Path: Special attention to the tasks on the critical path
may change or add time slots. Conversely,
tasks with float time may have longer time slots.
v
Project
Leader Confidence: The confidence a project leader has that a task or
activity will be completed on time will affect the time slots. Some activities involve greater uncertainty, so a larger
safety margin should be allowed.
* * * * * *
Project estimates and time slots for various checkpoints and milestones are normally established during the planning phase. These should be re-examined on a regular basis, in effect, a series of checkpoints to review the checkpoints!
These above
Words of Wisdom come from the "Red" workbook used in our Project
Management & Control course. The
course is taught from real life experiences and not from a book.
The Red workbook is a reference and resource which, we are told by former
attendees, gets passed around the office as the expert word.