Building a Schedule

When building a schedule, a few important inputs are going to be the assumptions surrounding our timeline, the task list, and the calendar. Scheduling assumptions are the details of a project we can state for certain, including the start date, dead-drop date, and other known, immovable deadlines. This can serve as a backbone for the task list. In this stage of an operation, you’ll have already developed a task list outlining all of the necessary milestones needed to complete the project. Consider this, and a calendar, to properly develop a schedule throughout its nine steps: list tasks, create the WBS, identify milestones, assign responsible people, develop network diagrams, estimate effort, and task duration to assign dates. Essentially, it is the Project Manager’s job to make an extensively detailed “to-do list” through the task list/WBS- making sure all vital aspects identified in the procurement are accounted for. Then they must cultivate their team with competent colleagues. To make communication expectations more clear, network diagrams are valuable. Then the PM will utilize all this knowledge to make their schedule.

Task duration and task effort are two peas in one pod. Effort is calculated using PERT. Lidstrom states, “Standard PERT methodology uses an accepted algorithm for coming up with a reasonable estimate of a task’s effort”. It essentially shows how long something would take if everything went perfectlty. However, that is rarely the case, and the tasks duration is how long it will actually take due to varying circumstances.

Milestones are valuable to establish because it provides a big picture, checkpoint view on the project that can help keep team members motivated and on track. It can also help in creating the schedule itself, as it breaks down big tasks into manageable portions that are easier to estimate as whole.