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_______________________ We can help you.... _______________________
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How to create an effective project plan 1. Firstly, list all the activities or steps that need to be taken from the start to the end of the change process. Think of it like a route map to get from A to B. However, unlike a journey some activities in a project can feasibly be we worked on in parallel, this creates many potential paths through the project. 2. So that you know which activities need to be worked on first, sequence them by identifying all interdependencies between them. 3. In order to determine how long the project should take you then need to estimate the time for each individual activity or task. Once you know this, coupled with how the various activities interelate, you can then calculate the duration of each path through the project, from start to finish, simply by adding the duration’s up. 4. For most projects there will be many different paths, but there will normally be one that takes the longest amount of time. This longest path is the minimum time it will take to complete the project. This is also sometimes called the Critical Path because any slippage on completing activities on this path will cause the projects end or completion date to move out. Sound simple so far? However, it is normally more difficult than that as you then need to consider availability of resources (people, time, money etc.,) for the project. Normally there will be limitations and commonly conflicts for the same resource on different activities at the same time or simply demands on them to run the business itself. These limitations can then extend the project’s completion date unless additional resources can be identified and made available. And so it goes on, there will almost always be unplanned activities or outside influences that impact on the project. Such events are normally allowed for when creating the initial plan by the inclusion of contingency. This can be achieved by either inserting "dummy" activities which act as buffers or by reducing the number of hours/days per planning week. One other common mistake is assuming that all people are available for 5 days of the week, invariably this in untrue as we all take time doing other administrative tasks……. Again, this is normally handled by reducing the number of hours each resource is available per day or week. Oh yes, and don’t forget about holidays….. Whilst this all sounds very complex and difficult to maintain the complexity of manipulating and calculating the plan itself can be well supported through PC software products such as Microsoft’s Project. Whilst for simple projects it is in theory possible to use spreadsheets to store this information the use of the correct tool is recommended. If you wish to discuss how Assisting You can help in managing change in your business please telephone us on +44 (0)1908 639101 or +44 (0)7950 270079 or email us at inquiry@assistingyou.co.uk and we will contact you.
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