Scheduling is what project management is all about, right?
Among the plethora of project management tools available, what aspect is most widely promoted?
Jumping right into MS Project or any other scheduling tool is a mistake.
Projects like this are built on very unstable footing, and it’s likely they will fall apart in some way.
It’s just not safe.
If you haven’t fully developed a good Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)/PBS, requirements, and Basis of Estimates (BOE) before you start scheduling (and subsequently estimating costs and setting a budget), you’ve done it wrong.
So please, don’t open up a scheduling tool the moment you start a new project. For me, there is a general order of operations to acheive project planning which is built on a sturdy foundation. I don’t care if it’s waterfall, agile, whatever. There are pieces between steps that go back and forth a bit before moving forward, but in general:
- Why – (business case, charter)
- What – (charter, WBS, requirements, use cases/user stories)
- How/Who – (ConOps, Trade Studies, Design, Basis of Estimates)
- When – (schedule, prioritized backlog)
- Iterate – (progressive elaboration, sprint cycle)
[All wrapped inside a Project Management Plan/Approach, based on proven system engineering/industry practices, and supported by risk and configuration management.]
Note that MS Project or other scheduling tools don’t enter the picture until Step #4. I have never heard a convincing argument as to why anyone would think of scheduling anything until you had a good grasp on the foundational prerequisites I list in steps 1-3 above.
So what do you think? Does my take on this topic match up with your own, or are you mad at me now because I’m talking about you? Either way, please leave a comment and let’s discuss what you think.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I am not mad at you Josh
however this is one of the biggest odds of project management, many organizations mistakenly mix between MS Project and project management, whoever follows this style, wouldn’t call it a methodology!, is putting the cart before the horse, and things end up in a dramatic way.. I have addressed a similar topic before in a previous post called: Microsoft Project Doesn’t Make you a Project Manager, http://kareemshaker.com/project-management/microsoft-project-does-not-make-a-project-manager/
BTW, I like the title
Thank you Josh
Josh,
You’ve got it right. The step between the WBS and the schedule is the Plan for the projects success. This Plan is the Integrated Master Plan (IMP). The IMP describes the maturity assessment points, the Significant Accomplishments, and the Criteria (exit criteria) for the Work Packages in the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS).
The guidance for this approach – in support of your post – can be found at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/sse/docs/IMP_IMS_Guide_v9.pdf
AMEN!
A schedule is only a reflection of some other primary artifact(s), i.e. BOE, CWBS Dictionary, staffing plan, IMP, etc…
Can you just jump into scheduling before building any of the scope artifacts? Sure, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Thanks for the comment Travis! I think I can almost hear Professor Bernhard saying those words. “just because you can doesn’t mean you should!”
Your right Josh! Yes, agree.
I would add something at your stage 4. (though I realise this is a subset of your stage 4). This is where we have to explain to people on our PM courses that there is a need for:
1)a PBS/WBS (the UK definition – see Mike Clayton blog for more!)
2)develop clear dependency realtionships
3)develop realistic estimates (time and cost)
The and only then do you consider hitting the software.
Our training focuses on giving people the skills in 1-3 above (my 1-3). Many benefit by understanding and drawing Gantt charts on paper.
You’r right Josh!
Ron Rosenhead
Thanks for the comment Ron! Mike and I had a conversation recently on his blog about the PBS/WBS.
Although we may call things by a different name, and some steps may be changed between us, the fundamentals are the same.
Cheers!
This makes absolute sense. Even with opening the scheduling tool in my mind I start thinking about the schedule or a quick scribble in the day book. In addition throwing a complete methodology at a project without considering what governance and control is needed is crazy too.