Project Planning and Control: Techniques and Methods
ITEM 15: Project Planning and Control
Introduction
A project is a series of partially ordered tasks aimed at achieving a significant result, requiring a considerable period for completion. Project management involves planning, programming, implementing, and controlling resources to execute a project successfully. Examples include developing a new product, constructing civil works, or writing a book.
15.1 Project Planning
Before starting a project, a plan is developed to guide its successful completion. Project planning involves:
- a) Identifying the basic objectives (final outcome, cost, and execution time).
- b) Defining its basic characteristics.
- c) Determining resource requirements.
- d) Organizing the project and equipment.
a) Identifying Basic Objectives
The result is the primary objective, representing the project’s justification and success. Cost is contractually defined and should be adhered to or improved for better profit margins. Runtime is crucial for project quality, with efficient time management being key to success. Penalties may apply for delays.
Balancing these objectives is essential, along with considering project quality and customer satisfaction.
b) Defining Basic Characteristics
This involves identifying phases and activities, typically structured in a hierarchy: project, milestone, sub-milestones, and tasks.
c) Determining Resource Requirements
This includes materials, aids, workers, and machinery hours, considering their impact on the project’s objectives.
d) Project Organization
For long-term projects, project teams are created, led by a project manager responsible for coordination, implementation, monitoring, and decision-making. Key skills include leadership, organizational abilities, and interpersonal skills.
15.2 Project Programming
This phase involves allocating resources (people, money, materials) to activities, optimizing resource allocation using techniques like GAM, CPM, and PERT. These methods help determine necessary actions to meet deadlines and reduce time.
15.3 Project Control
Regular monitoring is essential to detect deviations and take corrective actions to meet initial objectives and customer needs. Periodic reports facilitate corrective actions. GAM charts, CPM, and PERT methods are used for control.
Project Planning and Control Techniques
Gantt Chart
This chart represents project activities as horizontal bars, showing their duration and order. It helps track progress and identify delays. Shading indicates completion percentage. Regular updates help identify issues and take corrective actions.
Critical Path Method (CPM and PERT)
Developed in the 1950s, CPM and PERT are used for project planning with deterministic (CPM) and probabilistic (PERT) activity durations.
CPM Stages
- Draw the Graph: Represent activities and nodes (start/end points) using arrows and circles. Rules include having one start and end node, using dummy activities for precedence, and numbering nodes sequentially.
- Calculate Activity Times: Determine start and end times for each activity to assess project schedule.
- Number Levels or CPM Group Event: Assign numbers to nodes sequentially, ensuring activities start from lower-numbered nodes.
- Determine Critical Path(s): Identify activities with zero total float, which impact project duration. The critical path is the sequence of critical activities determining the project’s overall duration.
Reducing project duration involves adjusting critical activities through overtime, additional resources, or outsourcing, while ensuring proper project definition and sequencing.