10 Minute Guide to Project Management Part 4

Lesson 9. Reporting Results. In this lesson, you learn why it is getting more difficult to report your results, how to effectively use communication tools and techniques, the importance of giving credit to your team, and the importance of assuming any blame alone.
Nội dung trích xuất từ tài liệu:
10 Minute Guide to Project Management Part 4Lesson 7. Gantt ChartsIn this lesson, you learn what a Gantt chart is, why it is so useful in project management, variationsyou can devise, and how to use Gantt charts to keep your project on schedule.Chart Your ProgressHenry L. Gantt, for whom the Gantt chart is named, was employed at the Aberdeen ProvingGrounds (part of what is now the U.S. Department of Defense—then called the War Department)in Aberdeen, Maryland—as an ordinance engineer during the First World War. Although nearly acentury has passed, the Gantt chart remains widely recognized as a fundamental, highlyapplicable tool for project managers everywhere. A Gantt chart enables you to view start and stoptimes easily for project tasks and subtasks. TIP Gantt charts are derived from your work breakdown structure (WBS).If you use an outline for your WBS, the Gantt depicts each of the tasks and subtasks inchronological order. For tasks that begin at the same time and run concurrently, the Gantt chart isa highly convenient tool. However, over-lapping tasks and subtasks can easily be depicted on theGantt chart as well.A WBS is created from tree diagrams, which also lend themselves to depiction on a Ganttchart—although the process is a bit tricky when it comes to determining overall project sequenceand start and stop times. (More on converting tree diagrams to critical path analysis in Lesson 8,PERT/CPM Charts. )Two basic forms of Gantt charts are depicted here. The following chart uses bars extending fromleft to right along the horizontal axis to denote starting and ending times for events or activities.Greater detail could be added if you wish to add subtasks. Color-coding allows you to pinpointwhich project workers are handling which tasks and subtasks. The chart shown in the followingfigure offers a simple plan for depicting the planned sequence of events versus the actual (theshaded bars). It is a rare project indeed where the brunt of the planned events or tasks are closelymirrored by the actual performance and completion of them: A Gantt chart with bars.The chart shown in the next figure is merely an alternative to the previous one. Rather than usingbars to depict start and stop times and shaded bars to depict actual performance versus plannedperformance, this chart uses ● Unshaded triangles pointing up to depict plan start time ● Unshaded triangles pointing down to depict plan end time ● Shaded triangles pointing up to depict actual start time ● Shaded triangles pointing down to depict actual completion time A Gantt chart with triangles.One of the advantages of preparing a Gantt chart in this format is that tasks and subtasks, andplanned versus actual timeframes can be depicted on a single line emanating from the left of thechart, extending out along the horizontal axis to the right.The two variations of the Gantt chart depicted above (there are many others), offer a snapshot of aprojects progress based on timeframes.In the first figure, although Task 1 didnt start on time, its duration was roughly equal to the originalplanned time.In Task 2, however, the start time was not only delayed, but the actual completion time for the taskwas far greater than originally planned. This could signal potential budgetary problems or humanresource bottlenecks here or at other points as the project progresses.If the start of Task 3 is not dependent upon the results of Task 2, then the manager can make adecision to initiate Task 3 as scheduled or even earlier, since delays in starting Task 2 mayindicate the availability of idle resources.If Task 3, however, is dependent upon the completion of Task 2, or at least the brunt of it, then theproject manager may have no alternative but to have Task 3 start late as well. You can see thatthe delays in Task 1 and Task 2 may have a cascading effect which puts all project activitiesbehind schedule unless the project manager is able to reallocate resources so as to pick up theslack where possible.Variations on a ThemeThe Gantt chart in the following figure for a construction project depicts an eight-week period thatincludes four events, three of which are actual tasks and one representing completion of theproject. Each of the three tasks has between four and six subtasks. Virtually all project activity isdependent upon maintaining the sequence of events as depicted.The coding at the bottom of the chart indicates critical and noncritical progress related andmanagement critical events. ● Scheduled start and stop times for the duration of tasks are earmarked by solid, downward- pointing triangles emanating from the start and end of progress bars. ● Milestones are depicted by dark diamonds. ● More detail could be added to this cha ...