Estimating Resources

If you cannot make a plan to have the right people at the right time, then your project will not succeed. But how do you arrive at that plan with the number of resources? And how do you ensure that the number of people is right, and the start and finish dates are correct? It all starts with estimating.

A Theoretical Approach to Traditional Project Metrics-Bridging the Gap Between Earned Value and Critical Path Project Management

Since work completed from tasks not on the critical path does not affect the completion date of a project, it is important to differentiate tasks that are “critical” from those that are not in order to better monitor and control them. The project performance metric, critical path task index (CPTI), offers a more holistic view in terms of schedule performance for tasks directly related to schedule completion.

Keys for Agile Co-Evolution of the WBS and Schedule Network: The "Schedule Network 100 Percent" Rule and the "Add and Prune Dependencies" Algorithm

The pressure for greater agility in project management approaches increases the challenge of achieving coherence between the WBS and the schedule network. This article elaborates on best practices where the goal of full coherence between the WBS and schedule network can be taken for granted and maintained without effort by the project planner.

Topic Teasers Vol. 71: Better Estimates

The Importance of Tasks: Using an Additional Filter of Task Importance for Better PM

Project managers have the daunting task of being able to predict project progress--and then ensuring that what is planned and projected is what is achieved. Rarely does planned schedule and actual progress match, unless unwanted buffer is factored in. Of course, that has its own disadvantages, and leaner projects mean better efficiency. Would viewing the project activities using a separate set of filters provide a better understanding?

The Art of the Estimate

Early on in the career of a project manager, there are things known, things that are unknown and things that he or she doesn’t know they don’t know. And therein lies the dilemma of estimating. There is no perfect estimate, and this is where the foundational techniques of estimating bridge the existing estimating gap that exists between senior leadership and the project manager.

Effective Use of Kanban for Monitoring and Controlling Low-Complexity Projects in a High-Volume Project Environment

Kanban is an effective tool for monitoring and controlling high-volume/low-complexity projects when the goal is to increase throughput, limit work in process (WIP), and measure flow in project environments. Implementation of this approach has the ability to reduce the project management team’s level of effort while optimizing resource utilization.

Divide and Direct

Dividing your project into smaller parts that are more controllable helps you move closer to your ultimate goal: successfully achieving your project deliverables and high user satisfaction. Follow these seven tips to gain more direct control over your project.

Stop Starting and Start Finishing!

The amount of work we take on is just as important as the projects that we select. Taking on too many projects at the same time often results in cascading and systemic project failures and leads to a multitude of organizational and stakeholder dysfunctions. This article discusses some of the pitfalls of taking on too much work and offers a simple, yet elegant, solution.

Dynamic Project Management

Large infrastructure project teams continuously struggle to manage several issues posed by the volatile environment of projects. It's time to develop a holistic and dynamic project planning and monitoring tool for the effective management of ever-changing project requirements and environments.