Interim Project Management, Project Planning
Project Planning - Key Factors
Many of the issues, which relate to late completion, are to do with poor definition of requirement, or late changes to design, layout and specification parameters. Another key factor in meeting completion targets, revolves around the correct selection of suppliers and contractors and efficient co-ordination of their work. Good project planning should be directed at early identification of any delays, so that the project management team has time to take corrective action.
MS Project has sufficient functionality for project planning of most production facilities programmes. The first step is to build up a logic network of the various activities, with an assessment of their duration. Sensible provision should be made for the duration and timing of design, approval, local authority permissions, tendering, construction and equipment and services installation work; also commissioning, performance testing, snagging and hand over to the client.
An expediting schedule is an essential control document, which can be derived from the MS Project programme. Float (the amount of time that an activity in a project schedule can be delayed by, without causing a delay to subsequent activities) should be shown on the expediting schedule, so that priority attention can be given to those key suppliers, contractors and other service providers, which are on the critical path (i.e. those activities with no float).
A bar chart (Gantt chart) is normally sufficient for overall management control and progress reporting, although evaluation of actual progress achieved has to be thorough and undertaken regularly. At each progress review, the project management team should make an objective assessment of the time required for completion - to point up any over-runs or areas for concern. This task is simplified if the schedule is broken down into work packages, which correspond to the respective contracts or orders.
The setting of milestones within MS Project planning documentation will help all parties to the project to evaluate the overall project progress situation and to point up any divergence within main task and activity areas.
