Creating a project schedule
Creating a project schedule is a crucial part of the project planning process – setting out tasks, project dates and deadlines, and an initial project calendar, among other key project makers. As such, it’s important that a coherent, workable and realistic project schedule is created early on in the process to support project success.
Here, we’ll explore how to create a project schedule…
What to include in a project schedule
Depending on the individual project, thorough project schedules tend to include:
- Key deliverables and tasks with task start and end dates
- Any task dependencies
- An overall project calendar
- Task duration and project timeline(s)
- Budgets
- Resource availability
- Risk breakdown/analysis
How to create a schedule
The easiest way to think about and get started on a project schedule is to consider and work to the following 4 elements:
- What needs to be done to complete the project?
- When should these tasks be done?
- Who in your team will do it?
- Where will it be done (i.e. in the office or on-site)?
This will help you break down your project schedule into a workable schedule of tasks and deadlines.
Gantt charts or PMO software for project scheduling
Traditional, copy ‘n’ paste PMOs tend to use Excel spreadsheets and Gantt charts to visualise project schedules and, whilst this can be effective way to get a project off of the ground, Excel-based PMOs and Gantt charts tend to be static and difficult to update, let alone to keep track of – often because multiple copies are saved locally and rarely updated as new information is shared.
As such, although a Gantt chart layout is a very effective way to structure a project schedule – something the vast majority of project teams and their Project Managers will recognise and understand – they’re not always the most efficient way of presenting or creating a project schedule.
In fact, using a similar, Gantt layout or traffic light layout within a cloud or app-based, dedicated PMO solution – a solution that updates in realtime – could be a much more cost effective, efficient and streamlined solution; saving time, improving communication and increasing productivity within project teams.
To find out more about Sycamore Gap’s PMO, please contact us or email us to book a demo
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