2010-05-13 May 13, 2010 - Five Secrets of Project Scheduling (Part II)

PMI - Sacramento Valley Chapter's I-80 Breakfast Roundtable Meeting – May 13, 2010 at 8:00 AM
Five Secrets of Project Scheduling

Michelle Colodzin, PMP, PMI-SP

Introductions

Here is information about the Five Secrets of Project Scheduling topics that were presented:

Overview, this presentation is intended to be a sharing of ideas.

PMs are assumed to create and maintain their own schedules.

The five secrets must be consistently used for project schedules for them to be successful.

The “Five Secrets”:
1. Create deliverable-based project schedules
2. Determine and apply the appropriate level of detail
3. Implement a regular status update and reporting process
4. Review and adjust the schedule regularly
Projects are supposed to change
5. Create and follow scheduling standards
Standard practices that an organization defines to create consistency
Give options to get back on track

There is a notion that good scheduling practices takes time away from Project Management.

Proven approaches to minimize the time to build a successful project schedule
Scope – If it’s not on the project it shouldn’t be done
Project schedule should be centralized

Successful approaches:
· Use schedule templates
· Apply the same standards to all schedules
· Learn from successes and pitfall of other project and project managers
· Follow processes that have worked well in the past

Scheduling Center of Excellence
Staff with knowledge, skills and abilities to:
Define scheduling standards
Build and manage good project schedules
Need processes for continuous improvement

Need lessons learned repository

Sufficient authority to influence to enforce processes and practices

Need executive management willing to actively support and promote ScoE

Steps to build ScoE:
· Gain executive buy-in and support
o Understand how the PMO is aligned with the organization’s goal and objectives
o Understand what is expected of PMO
o Understand the evolution of PMO
· Identify strengths and maturity level of PMO
o Build on the strengths to help improve PMO and organization
· Create the plan
· Implement the plan

Understand who the decision makers are

Characteristics of a mature PMO:
· Clear, well defined process that are followed and enforced
· Templates and tools are used regularly

Pitching the SCoE Idea to Executives
Estimate funding requirements
Be prepared to answer questions
Anticipate resistance

Establishing SCoE
Start small
Review goals and objectives
Review your metrics – update or add as needed
Establish a baseline for each metric
Refine your success criteria
Establish standards
Basic WBS
Level 1: All deliverables listed in the project charter
Level 2: Key milestone
Establish scheduling standards
Level of detail each schedule is to contain
Report templates
Common metrics to be tracked by all project managers
Basic schedule change control process
Rolling window approach
Schedule should be no shorter than one project cycle and no longer than two project cycles
Build tools for success

Make it easy to do the right thing and difficult to do the wrong thing.
Make sure the executives and stakeholders are aware of your successes.