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Where time, money and timing collide...
Scheduling can make or break the budget, the quality
and, ultimately, the success of any project. To
develop communications that effectively motivate,
educate and inspire requires the ability to define
realistic timelines, then integrate and manage them
to on-time completion. Boiled down, it’s about putting
a Work Breakdown Structure on a calendar. Following
are several approaches.
Start-to-Finish is the simplest form of scheduling.
It assumes that all project tasks will be done one-at-a-time
in their logical sequence to create the finished
product. Using the annual report as an example,
that sequence might be 1) copy; 2) photography;
3) layout; and 4) printing. Figure the duration
(days or weeks) needed for each element, add those
times together and apply the result to a calendar
for a start-to-finish schedule.
Finish-to-Finish is a more complex, but more realistic
form of scheduling. It assumes that multiple activities
and project deliverables can take place at the same
time. Again, the Work Breakdown Structure is the
reference map used to determine which tasks can
be concurrent and which must be sequential. Also
at issue are the dependencies among them. In the
annual report example, copywriting and photography
conceivably could happen in the same time frame,
perhaps even layout could begin however, printing
is dependent upon those other tasks being completed
before it can begin.
Critical Path is a scheduling concept that identifies
activities or deliverables that can bring everything
to a halt if they are not monitored and actively
managed. For example, if the CEO has a busy travel
schedule, arranging his photo session could be considered
a critical path item to publishing the annual report
on deadline. Critical path items, typically, will
vary during the course of a complex project, requiring
the project team to make adjustments in timing,
priorities and sequencing of their work.
Scheduling is an essential skill that be done well,
yet never done perfectly. The good news for project
teams is that, when it comes to scheduling, experience
pays off.
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