Lots of project managers put time into creating a great project schedule, either working with an in-house planner or an expert contractor. They end up with a brilliant, robust and integrated schedule in Oracle Primavera P6 or another equally good enterprise project management scheduling tool.
But the work doesn’t stop there.
After you have created the schedule, there are more tasks to do to maintain and report and on project performance. Each time, the schedule needs to be updated to reflect progress and changes.
So what does that actually look like? Once the work breakdown structure is complete, the dates and dependencies are calculated, what more needs to happen?
Here are 10 things to do with your schedule once you’ve hit the save button on the baselined version.
1. Identify the critical path
First up, work with your schedule to identify the critical path. The critical path is made up of tasks that have zero float. In other words, if the task does not start or end on time, the overall delivery dates of the project are affected.
Many software packages have the option of displaying the critical path with a couple of clicks, but simply having tasks highlighted red doesn’t really help you in a practical sense. An experienced scheduler can help the project team raise the visibility of these activities and protect the tasks around them so they are more likely to start when planned.
2. Resource loading
The DOE defines a resource loaded schedule as one that includes “resources of staff, facilities, cost, equipment and materials which are needed to complete the activities required.” In other words, a schedule isn’t complete until each task is “loaded” with the people and other resources required for it to happen.
When resources are added to tasks, you can then run resource loading reports in Primavera. These show resource loading histograms and charts that plot the pattern of required resources throughout the project. They can be used to inform resource leveling activities – where you smooth out the resources required so that individuals are not overloaded.
3. Cost loading
Budget information relating to direct and indirect costs and expenses can also be loaded into the schedule. This data gives you a phased budget that represents costs across the life of the project. Costs are often tied to resources, so you’ll need to enter the right rates for each team member or other resource allocated to the work.
Simple lump sum cost loading in Primavera is a common way to ensure costs are accounted for, but there are a variety of best practices to follow so make sure you approach this the right way.
4. Cost and schedule integration
When the cost data is integrated to the schedule, you can complete the formal aspects of earned value management that allow for the creation of an integrated baseline.
Set up the right earned value reports and tracking mechanisms to keep your actual cost data and actual schedule progress aligned.
5. Total float management
“When a project schedule has multiple activity calendars in use, the Total Float values for a string of activities on the same driven network path may be different,” writes Paul Epperson. Getting your head around managing float and slack on the project can be tricky, especially in tools that have the flexibility to set parameters and values. What should you set? What boxes are worth ticking?
We have a detailed guide to total float and the critical path in Primavera and Microsoft Project if you’d like to read more about this aspect of schedule management.
6. Schedule updates
The baseline is great, but real life happens and then you have to update the plans! The team’s scheduler needs to work closely with those on the front line to make sure the schedule always reflects what work has been completed and what is still to do. Any changes to scope also need to be incorporated. It’s a never-ending job that can either be simple or a headache – that’s why it’s important to choose the right person for the job.
7. Importing/exporting data
Let’s say something changes in the project and you have to import a set of new tasks from a sub-contractor. Or your client requests an export of the data. Or you want the scheduling data in a different format in order to run reports outside of your tools.
Any of these reasons would require you to use the import/export features of your scheduling software, so it’s worth knowing how they work. Otherwise you have a huge job ahead of you keying in the data manually!
8. Forensic schedule analysis
In our experience, it’s surprisingly easy to break something in an enterprise project management tool. An experienced scheduler will be able to spot what has happened before it affects the team’s performance, and put it right.
Schedule analysis gives you confidence that everything on the schedule is working as planned.
9. Risk analysis
Schedule risk is a huge worry for any project manager. Primavera has a special risk analysis tool designed to help you risk assess your schedules. Again, it’s another task to do. Outsourcing schedule risk analysis to a contractor frees up your time to deliver the project. All you have to do is act on the results and consider any recommendations that would help address the risk.
10. Schedule delay analysis
Finally, schedule delay analysis is a key skill for any scheduler. They should be able to work out the impact of any delay, and recommend options for addressing it. Together with the project manager, they can use critical path method to investigate the cause of any delay and calculate the extent of the impact.
Complex schedules have many dependencies, and one small delay might not seem like much until you realize the impact it has on the rest of the workload. Schedule delay analysis helps you keep the schedule up to date and address any potential slippages before they become significant.
Your project schedule is a living, working document that should be frequently updated. The baseline version is just the start, and that’s why having someone on the team who can proactively manage the schedule is the best way to make sure your project gets delivered on time.