What is PROJECT SCHEDULE?
Can you imagine starting a long car trip to an unfamiliar destination without a map or navigation system? You're pretty sure you have to make some turns here and there, but you have no idea when or where, or how long it will take to get there. You may arrive eventually, but you run the risk of getting lost, and feeling frustrated, along the way.
Essentially, driving without any idea of how you're going to get there is the same as working on a project without a schedule. No matter the size or scope of your project, the schedule is a key part of project management. the schedule tells you when each activity should be done, what has already been completed, and the sequence in which things need to be finished. Luckily, drivers have fairly accurate tools they can use. Scheduling, on the other hand, is not an exact process.
It's part estimation, part prediction, and part 'educated guessing.' Because of the uncertainty involved, the schedule is reviewed regularly, and it is often revised while the project is in progress. It continues to develop as the project moves forward, changes arise, risks come and go, and new risks are identified. The schedule essentially transforms the project from a vision to a time- based plan.
Schedules also help you do the following:
1.They provide a basis for you to monitor and control project
activities.2.They help you determine how best to allocate resources so
you can achieve the project goal.3.They help you assess how time delays will impact the
project. 4.You can figure out where excess resources are available to
allocate to other projects. 5.They provide a basis to help you track project progress.
Project managers have a variety of tools to develop a project schedule - from the relatively simple process of action planning for small projects, to use of Gantt Charts and Network Analysis for large projects. Here, we outline the key tools you will need for schedule development.
