Project planning
Encyclopedia
Project planning is part of project management
, which relates to the use of schedules
such as Gantt chart
s to plan and subsequently report progress within the project environment.
Initially, the project scope
is defined and the appropriate methods for completing the project are determined. Following this step, the durations
for the various tasks
necessary to complete the work
are listed and grouped into a work breakdown structure
. The logical dependencies
between tasks are defined using an activity network diagram that enables identification of the critical path
. Float
or slack time in the schedule can be calculated using project management software
. Then the necessary resources
can be estimated and cost
s for each activity can be allocated to each resource, giving the total project cost. At this stage, the project plan
may be optimized to achieve the appropriate balance between resource usage
and project duration to comply with the project objectives. Once established and agreed, the plan becomes what is known as the baseline. Progress will be measured against the baseline throughout the life of the project. Analyzing progress compared to the baseline is known as earned value management
.
The inputs of the project planning phase include Project Charter
and the Concept Proposal. The outputs of the Project Planning phase include the Project Requirements, the Project Schedule, and the Project Management Plan.
Project management
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
, which relates to the use of schedules
Schedule (project management)
In project management, a schedule consists of a list of a project's terminal elements with intended start and finish dates. Terminal elements are the lowest element in a schedule, which is not further subdivided...
such as Gantt chart
Gantt chart
A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. Terminal elements and summary elements comprise the work breakdown structure of the project. Some Gantt charts...
s to plan and subsequently report progress within the project environment.
Initially, the project scope
Scope (project management)
In project management, the term scope has two distinct uses: Project Scope and Product Scope.Project Scope"The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions."Product Scope...
is defined and the appropriate methods for completing the project are determined. Following this step, the durations
Duration (project management)
Duration of a project's terminal element is the number of calendar periods it takes from the time the execution of element starts to the moment it is completed.Do not confuse duration with work. E.g...
for the various tasks
Task (project management)
In project management a task is an activity that needs to be accomplished within a defined period of time. An assignment is a task under the responsibility of an assignee which should have a start and end date defined. One or more assignments on a task puts the task under execution. Completion of...
necessary to complete the work
Work (project management)
Work or Work Package in project management is the amount of effort applied to produce a deliverable or to accomplish a task or a group of related tasks defined at the same level in the WBS....
are listed and grouped into a work breakdown structure
Work breakdown structure
A work breakdown structure , in project management and systems engineering, is a deliverable oriented decomposition of a project into smaller components. It defines and groups a project's discrete work elements in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the project.A work...
. The logical dependencies
Dependency (project management)
In a project network, a dependency is a link amongst a project's terminal elements.There are four kinds of dependencies with respect to ordering terminal elements :# Finish to start...
between tasks are defined using an activity network diagram that enables identification of the critical path
Critical path method
The critical path method is an algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities. It is an important tool for effective project management.-History:...
. Float
Float (project management)
In project management, float or slack is the amount of time that a task in a project network can be delayed without causing a delay to:* subsequent tasks * project completion date...
or slack time in the schedule can be calculated using project management software
Project management software
Project management software is a term covering many types of software, including estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to...
. Then the necessary resources
Resource (project management)
In project management terminology, resources are required to carry out the project tasks. They can be people, equipment, facilities, funding, or anything else capable of definition required for the completion of a project activity. The lack of a resource will therefore be a constraint on the...
can be estimated and cost
Cost
In production, research, retail, and accounting, a cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which case the amount of money expended to acquire it is counted as cost. In this...
s for each activity can be allocated to each resource, giving the total project cost. At this stage, the project plan
Project plan
A project plan, according to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, isPRINCE2 defines:In some industries, particularly information technology, the term "project plan" can refer to a Gantt chart or other document that shows project activities along a timeline. While common, this use is inaccurate...
may be optimized to achieve the appropriate balance between resource usage
Resource management
In organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed. Such resources may include financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology...
and project duration to comply with the project objectives. Once established and agreed, the plan becomes what is known as the baseline. Progress will be measured against the baseline throughout the life of the project. Analyzing progress compared to the baseline is known as earned value management
Earned value management
Earned value management is a project management technique for measuring project performance and progress in an objective manner. EVM has the ability to combine measurements of scope, schedule, and cost in a single integrated system. Earned Value Management is notable for its ability to provide...
.
The inputs of the project planning phase include Project Charter
Project charter
In project management, a project charter or project definition is a statement of the scope, objectives and participants in a project. It provides a preliminary delineation of roles and responsibilities, outlines the project objectives, identifies the main stakeholders, and defines the authority of...
and the Concept Proposal. The outputs of the Project Planning phase include the Project Requirements, the Project Schedule, and the Project Management Plan.
See also
- Cost overrunCost overrunA cost overrun, also known as a cost increase or budget overrun, is an unexpected cost incurred in excess of a budgeted amount due to an under-estimation of the actual cost during budgeting...
- Project stakeholdersProject stakeholdersProject stakeholders are those entities within or outside an organization which:# sponsor a project, or# have an interest or a gain upon a successful completion of a project;# may have a positive or negative influence in the project completion....
- Project management softwareProject management softwareProject management software is a term covering many types of software, including estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to...
- Dependency Structure Matrix
- Project Management InstituteProject Management InstituteThe Project Management Institute is a not-for-profit professional organization for the project management profession with the purpose of advancing project management.- Overview :...
- Kitchen sink syndrome
- MegaprojectMegaprojectA megaproject is an extremely large-scale investment project. Megaprojects are typically defined as costing more than US$1 billion and attracting a lot of public attention because of substantial impacts on communities, environment, and budgets. Megaprojects can also be defined as "initiatives that...
- PRINCE2PRINCE2PRojects IN Controlled Environments 2 is a structured project management method endorsed by the UK government as the project management standard for public projects. The methodology encompasses the management, control and organisation of a project...
- Enterprise resource planningEnterprise resource planningEnterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
- Project slippageProject slippageIn project planning, a slippage is the act of missing a deadline. It can be an arbitrary milestone put in place to help track progress.To avoid slippage, one must plan his or her projects carefully to avoid delays in schedule. Using Gantt charts and timeline diagrams can help....