Project managers need to understand the various constraints that can affect the project’s success. Time is one of the most important project constraints. Project managers are responsible for completing projects on time. They need to devise a schedule to overcome this constraint. Plan Schedule Management is an important aspect of project management since it serves as the project’s timeline. Project managers and teams will struggle to finish tasks on time if they do not have a project schedule.
What Is Plan Schedule Management?
Plan Schedule Management is the process of establishing policies, processes, and procedures for planning, managing, executing, and monitoring projects. It outlines the start and end dates of tasks and milestones that should be met to complete the project. Moreover, it provides guidance for managing project schedules throughout the project lifecycle and ensures that a project is completed on time.
Inputs In Plan Schedule Management Process
The inputs of plan schedule management process is as follows:
Project management plan
A project management plan is a formal document that specifies how a project will be implemented, monitored, and managed. It defines a project’s scope, goals, budget, timeline, and deliverables. Furthermore, it is used as a reference to ensure that project management is carried out regularly and per the rules and procedures.
Project charter
A project charter is a formal document that serves as the foundation for a project. It defines the project’s aims and objectives, as well as the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in the project. Furthermore, it helps in identifying the key stakeholders and defines the project manager’s authority.
Enterprise environmental factors
Enterprise environmental factors refer to variables that are not under the control of the organization but affect the project and its outcome. It can be either internal or external factors and can have a positive or negative influence on the project. It includes government regulations, market conditions, external and internal political conditions, infrastructure, resources, organizational culture, and structure.
Organizational process assets
Organizational process assets are valuable information, documents, and knowledge tools. It is used to manage the project and achieve the objectives. These assets are kept in a centralized repository for future projects.
They are categorized into two types:
Processes and procedures: It includes organizational policies, procedures, guidelines, and templates.
Corporate knowledge base: It includes various databases and registers that are documented while carrying out previous projects.
Tools And Techniques Involved In Plan Schedule Management Process
Expert judgement
Expert judgement is a technique that helps to make an opinion based on skill, expertise, or specialized knowledge in a particular area. It involves key members, operational managers, consultants, or subject matter experts.
Analytical techniques
Analytical technique is an approach for analyzing issues, facts, or status to properly estimate prospective outcomes while taking project factors into account. They are utilized to tackle specific problems in a specific task. It includes simple profiling, cross tabulation, and regression analysis.
Meetings
At the end of project planning and before the commencement of project execution, project managers hold a project kick-off meeting. Such meetings are held to discuss the project strategy, identify how the project work will be carried out to achieve the project objectives, and develop a method for monitoring and controlling the project. Furthermore, it conveys the project objectives, and team commitments, and clarifies the stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities.
Outputs of Plan Schedule Management Process
Schedule management plan
The schedule management plan is a document that specifies how to establish, manage, and monitor the schedule of a project. It outlines the methods and tools for developing a project schedule. Furthermore, it specifies how the project time will be handled throughout the project.
PMBOK update
The latest edition of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, and the PMP Exam content outline has been updated. As a result, candidates taking the PMP Exam should refer to the PMBOK 7th edition. PMBOK 6th prioritized processes, inputs, tools, approaches, and outputs for the project. On the other hand, the seventh version of the PMBOK Guide concentrates on performance domains and delivery principles in order to offer value-based outcomes. Regardless of the development approach, these principles influence the activities and behaviors of project management practitioners, and performance domains help them achieve project outcomes more effectively.
PMBOK 7 changes do not indicate that process-based approaches are no longer relevant. It is still widely used by organizations and project management practitioners, and it is relevant in the context of the PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition. Therefore, PMP aspirants should prepare for the exam using both the PMBOK 6th and 7th versions.
Final words
Plan Schedule Management is vital for project managers to manage project schedules. It aids them in ensuring that the project is completed on schedule. Moreover, it serves as a roadmap for the project management team to accomplish the given project on time.
