Project
Planning & Scheduling
"Someone's
sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time
ago."
Warren
Buffett.
| Core
Papers & White Papers: |
|
The questions 'what
makes a good schedule?' 'what makes a good planner?' and 'what should
they do?'
are addressed in these papers:
|
Core
Papers
These
are substantial papers focusing
on core aspects of our profession.
- A Guide to Scheduling Good
Practice
describes the work undertaken by a scheduler to create an effective
'dynamic
schedule' and is consistent with the PMBOK Guide and the PMI
Practice Standard for Scheduling. [Open
the paper]
- Attributes of a Scheduler
considers
the personal skills and competencies needed by a person to be
an effective scheduler and describes the various 'roles' a scheduler
will have during the life cycle of a typical project including the
difference between planning and scheduling and the scheduling value
proposition. [Open
the paper]
- Dynamic
Scheduling describes
the benefits derived from developing a 'good schedule' as
defined in a 'A Guide to
Scheduling Good Practice'. [Open
the paper]
- Links,
Lags & Ladders
focuses on the issues, problems and challenges of overlapping tasks in
a
schedule using various link types (F-S, S-S, F-F-, S-F) with or without
lead and lag durations, the more sophisticated 'ladder' concept, and
the importance of actively managing the 'space' between tasks. [Open
the paper]
- Schedule
Float discusses
the various calculations
and definitions
for float in both ADM
and PDM networks. [Open
the paper]
- Schedule
Levels
provides a guide the 5 levels of schedule typically used on major
projects from the 'Master Schedule' to the 'Detailed Short Term
Schedule', adapted from Bechtel & Fluor standards. [Open
the paper]
- Schedule
Calculations a
guide the Time Analysis and Float
calculations used in PDM schedules. [Open
the paper]
|
Latest White Papers
These
are relatively short papers on a
specific subject.
See
below for a listing of our
published
conference papers |
The
need for good scheduling
practice:
The
disastrous state of schedule practice in the construction industry is
detailed in the report Managing
the
Risk of Delayed Completion in the 21st Century
[or download the smaller executive summary].
Between December 2007 and January 2008, The Chartered Institute of
Building (CIOB) conducted a survey of the construction
industry’s
knowledge and experience of different methods of project control, and
time management, record keeping, monitoring and training. The
findings suggest there is a lot of work needed to achieve general 'best
practice', Based on the reports findings, the CIOB believes
that it
is essential to educate project planners and schedulers in time
management best practice with an aim to reduce the
incidence of delayed project
completion.
To achieve
this, the CIOB have adopted a three-phase strategy to develop the
required standards for the performance of effective time control. The CIOB’s
Policy Statement
defines their 3 phase approach to improving schedule management in the
construction industry. Mosaic's Patrick
Weaver
is a member of the group of international planners and schedulers
working on this project.
The key person driving the report and the on-going work by CIOB
to develop the 'Best Practice' standard and scheduling certification
was
Keith Pickavance, former CIOB President and Keynote speaker at PM Asia
2008.
Read 'Time
is NOT money', a conversation with
Keith Pickavance' for some
background on this initiative and
Keith's assertion the 21st Century will be 'The Age of
Time'. We
are working to support
the CIOB initiative to develop 'The
Guide' and it's associated
training/certification.
We definitely expect to see the management of 'time risks'
improved from this work and the comparable efforts being lead
by Planning
Planet and
the PMI
Scheduling Community of Practice.
Publication of 'The
Practice Standard for Scheduling' was
only the
beginning!
|
The Practice Standard for
Scheduling 2nd Edition
Price: $60.50 (Australia only)
Effective project scheduling is critical to the success of a project.
PMI's The
Practice
Standard for Scheduling is a
systematic guide describing
the
hallmarks of an effective scheduling methodology, as well as providing
quantifiable means for assessing the maturity of a schedule model.
Chapters:
1
- Intro
2 - Schedule Model principles and concepts (methods and techniques)
3 - Good Practices Overview
4 - Scheduling Components
ie, a listing
of items and their
characteristics:
name, required/optional, calculated/manual, data format, behaviour
description, good practices, associated component, definition
5 - Conformance Index and Conformance Scoring in Appx D and E. See
more on Schedule Conformance
Scoring
Plus a lengthy Glossary |
This standard is available from:
Mosaic's
book shop
The PMI Bookshop: www.pmi.org
Amazon: www.amazon.com |
|
|
Guide
to
Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects.
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell
& CIOB
UK
Price:
$88.oo (Australia
only)
Without
effective time management there can be no effective resource
management, cost
management or delay management. The primary purpose of this Guide
is to
set
down the standards necessary to facilitate the effective and competent
management of time in complex projects. It defines the standards
by which
project schedules will be prepared, quality controlled, updated,
reviewed and
revised in practice and describes the standards of performance which
should
reasonably be required of a project scheduler.
The
Guide has been developed as
a scheduling reference
document capable of
wide
application. It is a practical treatise on the processes to be followed
and
standards to be achieved in effective management of time. It can be
used in any
jurisdiction, under any form of contract, with any type of project and
should be identified as the required standard
for the
preparation and updating of contract programs, progress reporting and
time
management.
Read the background
to
the development of The
Guide.
|
| Scheduling
Training and Certifications |
|
- PMI-SPsm
Scheduling Professional Credential
- PMI's
credential for professional schedulers. For more information
on the credential and Mosaic's PMI-SP exam prep course options, see:PMI-SP
Exam Information & Courses
- CIOB (UK) Project Time
Management
Qualifications - the
CIOB has launched a three level scheduling certification structure
consisting of the PTMC, PTMP and PTMS qualifications,
supported by authorised training - Mosaic is an authorised
CIOB trainer. For
more information on the Time Management credentials and our training
courses,
see:CIOB-TM
Exam Information & Courses
- 'How
To' Develop
an Effective Schedule - These
workshops are designed
to build and maintain a positive stakeholder
consensus using the power of pro-active 'dynamic scheduling' to
build and
foster a strong team commitment. Based on the PMI Practice Standard for
Scheduling and the CIOB Guide
to Good Practice in
the
Management of Time in Complex Projects,
the workshops
focuses on effective
schedule planning and control techniques.
These courses are designed for people who already know how to use a
scheduling tool and wish to move their practice to a more advanced
level focused on achieving positive outcomes. The workshops can also
form the initial classroom phase for both the PMI-SP and CIOB PTMC Blended
exam prep courses.
- The Guild of Project
Controls Scheduling
Qualifications - The Guild of
Project Controls have announced
the development of a scheduling certification
structure. For updates visit www.TheGuild.net
- AACE Planning
and
Scheduling
Professional™ (PSP™)
– An
advanced credential focused on construction & engineering
professionals with 4 to 8 years experience. See: http://www.aacei.org/educ/cert/PSP/
- Our
thoughts on the value of scheduling credentials Should
you certify your
schedulers? presented at the Construction
CPM Conference, Florida, 2012
- download
the presentation
|
Quick Links
|
| Scheduling
Consultancy and Support |
|
- Mosaic's
consultants have a wide range of skills, honed over 30 years, designed
to enhance the ability
of business to harness the skills of their staff to, plan and track
projects. [ See
more ]
- Mosaic
offers on-site software training and support focusing on the
implementation of practices and procedures to optimise the way the
project management software is used as a tool to assist in developing
effective schedules to plan and control time, resources and costs.
[ See
more ]
- Forensic
schedule analysis. Mosaic, our associates and consultants have
extensive experience in the preparation, analysis and defending of
contract claims. [ See
more ]
| Schedule
Risk Assessment & Management |
|
Every
estimate included is a schedule has a degree of risk (ie, uncertainty
that matters) associated with the estimate. It is impossible to predict
the future with complete certainty - recognising and managing this risk
leads to far better project outcomes than attempting to avoid the risk
through contracts or simply ignoring the issue. For more on managing
risk, visit our PM Knowledge Index.
Tools
to help assess schedule risk include:
- Acumen Risk™
- proves that project risk analysis doesn’t have to be
complicated to provide true and accurate risk forecasts. It is the
first truly integrated and easy-to-use cost/schedule risk analysis and
risk register software that helps you effectively account for and
proactively reduce project risk exposure. Acumen Risk’s
Uncertainty
Factor is a simple-to-use sliding scale that project teams can relate
to, to develop a
truly integrated
means of linking schedule risk to cost risk so that you can determine
the impact of schedule delays on your project cost estimate. See: http://www.projectacumen.com/resource-product/acumen-risk/
- Barbecana’s Full
Monte is schedule risk
analysis software that integrates
seamlessly with Microsoft Project 2007 and 2010. Full Monte utilizes
the Monte Carlo simulation method, and is fast and easy-to-use. See: http://barbecana.com/
|
 |
| Assessing
Schedule Delay and Disruption |
|
- Mosaic's
published papers focused on assessing delay and disruption to contracts:
- Forensic
schedule analysis; we have
extensive experience in the preparation, analysis and defending of
contract claims. [ See
more ]
| Schedule
Quality & Conformance Scoring |
|
One
of the foundations for successful project management is to start with
the right schedule. The devil is not in the detail.... it is in the
schedule!! Always
check the schedule. The
subjective
view of someone in the project team which in itself is open to
inconsistency
is often based on their personal assessment
of what the ‘right’ schedule looks like and whether
a
particular schedule is good enough. there are better options:
The PMI
Practice
Standard for Scheduling
include a conformance scoring system that allows schedules to be rated
for conformance with accepted good practice. This version of the
Standards allows assessors to assess whether a schedule uses (ie
contains) a component correctly, not the way it is utilised (ie, its
usefulness). Assistance
with manual
assessments based on the standard are
available now. For a quotation email:
conformance@mosaicprojects.com.au
To
purchase a copy of the PMI Practice Standard
for
Scheduling go to our [ books
page
]
Effective
analyitical tools are available to
automate the checking process.
These tools reverse engineer schedules created in a range of software
tools and check for errors and inconsistencies. Some of the
better options include:
- Acumen
Fuse: A powerful analytical
tool that integrates with most of
the major scheduling tools:
www.projectacumen.com
Acumen is a comprehensive analysis and
correction tool that includes:
- Schedule
Quality Assurance: Set your own metrics and thresholds to use as a
benchmark against future plans or status updates.
- Performance
Evaluation & Schedule Acceleration: Identify potential problems
while there is still time for recovery and automatically generate
scenarios to get your project back on track, or even ahead of
schedule!
- Schedule
Comparison & Forensic Analysis: Fuse can compare an unlimited
number of schedule updates and identify not only the differences, but
the impact of those changes.
- Customization:
Evaluate schedule, cost,
risk, earned value and performance using a combination of
Acumen-specific and industry-standard metrics, all customizable to meet
your project’s specific needs.
- Project
Reporting: Quickly generate reports on quality, performance, or status
of the project from Fuse. Even use the API to automatically publish
these reports to 3rd party applications, the web, or Microsoft
Sharepoint.
- Acumen
Cloud™: Connect to Acumen’s cloud-based knowledge
base for quick comparison of similar project’s scores to
understand your project’s viability.
- Schedule
Analyzer:
For Primavera P3 or P6, detailed analysis and expert recommendations
with a wide range of capabilities and reports for schedule maintenance
add the eForensic package for forensic analysis - http://scheduleanalyzer.com
- Schedule Inspector: Barbecana’s
Schedule Inspector does 28 different
tests on your schedule, including all 14
points in the Defense Contract Management Agency's (DCMA's) assessment
guide for
Microsoft
Project 2007 or 2010 schedules, plus many others including: redundant
relationships, out-of-sequence
progress, connectivity index (ratio of relationships to tasks), and
resources or relationships on summary tasks
- www.barbecana.com
|
The
Acumen Fuse Cloud
|
Assessing
the 'usefulness' of a schedule is more
complex,
the APM Planning SIG’s
scheduling maturity model can help to
providing an objective, consistent method for firstly establishing what
attributes the ‘right’ schedule should have and
then for
assessing an individual schedule against this standard. For more
information on the
APM Planning SIG’s template, email:
conformance@mosaicprojects.com.au
| Planning
& Scheduling Resources |
|
Mosaic's
Published Papers
- 5-STEPS,
Five Steps To Ensure Project Success
- The ‘5 Steps To Ensure Project Success’
methodology is a
proven process designed to focus the thinking of the key Stakeholders
onto the parameters required to achieve a successful project outcome. [View Abstract]
- A
Brief History of Scheduling - Back to
the Future
- A Brief History of the first 50 years of 'Critical Path'
Scheduling; and arguably the evolution of modern project management.
The suggestion is that the growth of modern project management is a
direct consequence of the need to make effective use of the data
generated by the schedulers in an attempt to manage the 'project' and
control the 'critical path'. [View
Abstract]
- Avoiding
the
'Tipping Point to
Failure' -
A
performing organisation can manage a level of complexity in its
projects based on prior experience, maturity, supporting systems and
the capability of the people managing the work. As long as
this ‘complexity quotient’ is within the management
capability of the organisation and the people it deploys, reasonably
predictable outcomes can be expected
and normal risk management
practices are likely to be effective. Change any of these
parameters to the point where the overall tipping point is reached and
there is a sudden breakdown that causes a significant negative change
in the likely project outcomes. Recovery is no longer a simple process
of marginally increasing the resources deployed, what’s
needed is a massive change in the capability of resources. Whilst it is
impossible to predict where a tipping point may occur until after it
has been reached, effective project control systems can provide early
warnings.
[View
Abstract]
- Beyond Reporting - The
Communication Strategy
- Communication is a science and an art. Communicating
effectively
with the project’s important stakeholders, so that their
expectations can be both managed and met, is central to achieving a
successful outcome. Reports are not enough! Communication is a complex
two way process within the overall relationship between the project and
the stakeholder. This paper identifies
the key processes involved in
developing and implementing an effective communication strategy. [View Abstract]
- Calculating and Using Float
-
This paper argues that the lack of defined calculations for most of the
float values in a PDM schedule must reduce the overall value of the
schedule model compared to more rigorous approaches
but also recognises
that if scheduling is a modelling process designed to affect the future
behaviours of people working on the project other factors may be more
important. [View
Abstract]
- CIOB’s
Contribution to the Effective Management of Time in Construction
Projects - This paper
outlines the major advances in the
practice of
project planning and scheduling introduced by the Guide to Good
Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects (see more on The
Guide) and gives an up-to-date report on current developments in the
effective management of time being led by CIOB. [View Abstract]
- Communication
in organisations: making the schedule effective
- There is no point working hard to develop a schedule that is not
used! Once the schedule has been created or updated, it is its role as
a communication medium that can have the most powerful influence on the
successful delivery of a project and the skills outlined in this
presentation become critical to realising the value embedded in the
scheduling tool. [View
Abstract]
- (The)
Cost of Time - or who's duration is it anyway?
- Probably the most common action undertaken by schedulers
everywhere is assigning a duration to a task. This paper outlines the
factors influencing the choice of an optimum duration. Considers the
factors that can cause the duration to be modified during the planning
phase and then outlines some of the likely costs associated with
accelerating the project. [View
Abstract]
- (The)
Effective Management of Time in the 21st century
-
This paper overviews a range of ideas to assist in the effective
management of time including:
* The need for effective planning ahead
of scheduling and the different objective of these two processes.
* The concept of ‘schedule
density’ and
the need to schedule at an appropriate level of detail based on the
contemporary knowledge available to the project team.
* The need for on-going dynamic
scheduling to manage time.
* The need to contemporaneously assess
the impact of
delaying events in real time based on accurate and current schedules to
allow effective mitigation.
* The need for effective training and
credentialling of planners and schedulers.
[View
Abstract]
- (The)
Effective Management of Time in Complex Projects - an ICT perspective
-
The IT industry’s inability to effectively manage time has
been widely
documented, other industries fare no better! In response to this
challenge, the CIOB
assembled an international team of project planning and scheduling
experts to develop a Guide
to Good
Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects
(the Guide). This paper will identify the key elements within the Guide
that proactively contribute to the successful delivery of complex
projects and offer a way forward to improve time management.
[View
Abstract]
- (The)
Effective Management of Time on Mega Projects - Why there are so many
problems and how to solve them?
- The construction
industry’s ability to effectively manage time is
getting worse. In response to this challenge, the CIOB assembled an
international team of project planning and scheduling experts to
develop a Guide
to Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects
(the Guide). This paper will identify the key elements within the Guide
that proactively contribute to the successful delivery of mega
projects, relate these ideas to practical examples of their use on
mega-projects and offer a way forward to improve time management. [View Abstract]
- Estimating Fallacies -
excessive detail
does not help -
Estimating
costs and durations can be done in great detail, however, detailed is
not synonymous with accurate! This paper sets out a pragmatic framework
for estimating that offers realistic levels of accuracy to generate
sensible expectations for a reasonable investment of estimating effort.
[View
Abstract]
- Float
- Is It Real?
- The existence of a ‘critical path’ and
non-critical
activities (with their associated ‘float’) grew out
of the
science of ‘scheduling’ as defined by Critical Path
Analysis (CPA) and are barely 50 years old! This paper analyses the
factors creating the ‘critical path’ and
‘float’ within a schedule and then look at ways of
resolving the conflicting views of float encountered in the literature.
Potential solutions include the UK ‘Delay and Disruption
Protocol’, client led integrated teams and the use of
alternative
planning methods such as location based scheduling, trend analysis and
earned schedule. [View
Abstract]
- Henry L. Gantt - A
Retrospective view of
his work - This
paper describes
the important contributions made by Henry Gantt to modern management
and
defines what a 'Gantt Chart' really is. What the modern worked calls a
'Gantt Charts' pre-dates Gantt by more than a century. A second paper
looks at the potential source of the misuse of term Gantt Chart. [View Abstract].
- Improving
Schedule
Management - This
paper describes the changing role of scheduling within the complex
dynamic environment of modern projects and programs. PMI’s
contributions including the SEI, standards and credentials are
identified. The attributes needed for an effective schedule and the
skills needed by an effective scheduler are described and linked to the
emerging paradigms of complexity theory.
[View
Abstract]
- Managing
for Success - The power of regular updates
- Critical path scheduling techniques, supported by efficient
scheduling software have long been recognised as a standard component
in the overall project management process. This paper looks at the
interaction between the analytical and psychological processes involved
in schedule development and control systems to identify ways to deliver
major enhancements in the planning / scheduling process. [View Abstract]
- Project
Controls in the C21 – What works / What’s fiction - This
paper takes a controversial look at the relevance of project control
systems and suggests
the changes in
skills, attitudes and practices needed to keep scheduling, cost control
and EV relevant in the coming years.
[View
Abstract]
- Project
management vs Project scheduling - This
presentation focuses on the differences between successful schedulers
and successful project managers and how together they can create
successful project outcomes.
[View
Abstract]
- Resource optimisation - a
new paradigm for
project scheduling - A
resource
optimisation approach would involve changing the underlying
philosophical approach embedded in CPM from a belief that the
pre-determined duration and sequencing of activities takes precedence,
to one that recognises the real objective of scheduling is to keep the
resources working effectively. This paper looks at two alternative
approaches to achieving this objective. [View Abstract]
- Scheduling
in a Defence Environment -
The primary purpose of any schedule should be to help the project
manager and project team optimise the overall strategy for the delivery
of the project, coordinate workflows and assist in the decision making
processes needed to resolve dilemmas and issues on a day-to-day basis.
This paper identifies some of the symptoms of scheduling failure and
then addresses three topics; a discussion of the real purpose and
usefulness of scheduling. the current ‘state of
play’ in
the development of scheduling and some emerging trends that may
re-focus scheduling. [View
Abstract]
- Scheduling
in the Age of Complexity -
This
paper suggests that a radically different approach is needed to make
scheduling relevant and useful in the 21st Century. Starting
with
the ideas derived from Complexity Theory, Complex Responsive Processes
of Relating (CRPR) and the concept of the project team as a
‘Temporary Knowledge Organization (TKO) one can see the
delivery
of the project being crafted by thousands of individual decisions and
actions taken by people who are ‘actors’ within the
social
network of the project team and its immediate surrounds. The
role
of ‘project management’ is to motivate, coordinate
and lead
the team towards the common objective of a successful project outcome.
The project scheduler has a key role in this complex environment
provided the right attitudes, skills and scheduling techniques are used
in the optimum way.
[View
Abstract]
- Seeing the Road Ahead -
the
challenge of communicating schedule data -
The successful delivery of projects requires a broad understanding of
what is required to be achieved, by whom and when. However, one of the
key challenges facing schedulers has been to convert the rich data
contained in their schedules into useful information that the project
team can actually use. This paper outlines the evolution of
the
graphical presentation of time related data from 1765 through to
the current time.
[View
Abstract]
- Should your schedulers be
certified? -
This paper focuses on initiatives to revitalise our industry by
creating a career path for planners and schedulers as well as clearly
identifying the benefits of certification for organisations that employ
planners and schedulers.
New initiatives by the CIOB and Planning Planet are designed to deliver
a career framework for professional ‘Time
Managers’, taking
people from novice, to a practitioner skilled in the art of planning
and scheduling.
[View
Abstract]
- Standardising
Quality in Project Scheduling -
The
publication by PMI of its Practice Standard for
Scheduling
in May 2007 followed by the CIOB Guide
to Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects
go a long way towards defining
‘good scheduling practice’and
providing tools that for the first time allows the unambiguous
assessment of the technical competence of any schedule. The definition
of planning and scheduling and the certification of schedulers has also
been the subject of much attention. This paper provides an overview of
the Practice
Standard, The Guide
and the emerging credential
framework for schedulers.
[View
Abstract]
- Time
IS NOT Money - “Time
is not money; with money you can put it on the table and you can see
it, and if you leave it, it may even accumulate - whereas with time,
you can’t see it or touch it. It expires at a regular and
consistent rate whether you use it or not.”
- Read the interview 'Time
is NOT money', a conversation with
Keith Pickavance' for some
background on Keith's assertion
the 21st Century will be 'The Age of Time'.
[View PDF]
- Time management -v-
Contract
administration - This
paper defines the standards by which project schedules should be
prepared, quality controlled, updated, reviewed and revised in practice
to effectively manage time. And then describes the standards of
performance which should reasonably be required of a project scheduler.
[View
Abstract]
- Why Critical Path
Scheduling
(CPM) is Wildly Optimistic
- CPM tends towards an optimistic representation of the
project’s
completion date. Used appropriately, this can be a performance
motivator. However, prudent management also requires an accurate
prediction of the completion date. This paper will describe how both
processes can be used in combination for the effective management of
time. [View
Abstract]
Scheduling
Resources
Mosaic's
Scheduling Blogs - Visit blog
Scheduling
White Papers - PM Knowlege Materials
Planning
& Scheduling Articles - View
the
series
Scheduling
Organisations and
Useful Links
Scheduling
Books and Standards
- Preview
and buy CIOB's Guide
to Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects
- The Guide
defines the standards by which project schedules will be prepared,
quality controlled, updated, reviewed and revised in practice and
describes the standards of performance which should reasonably be
required of a project scheduler. For more information, see: Mosaic's Book Shop
- Preview
and buy PMI's Practice
Standard for Scheduling 2nd
Edition - a
systematic guide describing the hallmarks of an effective schedule
methodology and providing a quantifiable means for assessing the
maturity of a schedule model. For more information, see: Mosaic's Book Shop
- Preview
and buy Murray
Woolf's 'Faster
Construction Projects with CPM Scheduling'
- Written by
a 30 year scheduling veteran,
this book is packed with hundreds of 'tricks of the trade'. For more
information see: Mosaic's
Book
Shop
- Other
useful books and references:
- Murray
Woolf's 'CPM Mechanics '
- a comprehensive, coherent, and practical guide to the raw, underlying
mechanics of the Critical Path Method (CPM): http://www.cpmmechanics.com/
- U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO) - Schedule
Assessment Guide: Best
Practices for Developing and Managing Capital Program Schedules
(GAO-12-120G): http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-3SP
Scheduling
Software, Tools and Techniques
- Tools
we know and/or use:
- ACOS PLUS.1
is a sophisticated MIS and offers a range of progressive features such
as Milestone Trend or Cost Trend Analysis. Sophisticated layout options
allow compressed bar chart outputs and combined reports. [See
more]
- Deltek Open Plan
-
Powerful Project Management software for project planners and
schedulers.
[See
more]
- Micro Planner X-Pert and
Manager
- Micro Planner has the best network diagram of any tool we know.
[See
more]
- Microsoft Project
-
The ubiquitous project management tool found in every office.
[See
more]
- Primavera
provides a range of software for every aspect of project management
including project planning and scheduling, risk analysis, contract
administration.
[See
more]
- Primavera Risk (formally
Pertmaster)
project
risk analyses your project risk in time and/or money.
[See
more]
- Synchro 4D Modelling links to Primavera and other
scheduling tools: http://www.synchroltd.com
- Methodologies
- 5-STEPS,
the ‘5 Steps To Ensure Project Success’ methodology
is a
proven process designed to focus the thinking of key Stakeholders onto
the parameters required to achieve a successful project outcome.
5-STEPS uses the development of the schedule as a central plank in its
approach to developing an effective project team and fostering positive
stakeholder involvement. [See
more]
- RD CPM™,
The Relationship Diagramming variation of the Critical Path Method of
schedule analysis developed by Fredric L. Plotnick - http://www.fplotnick.com/rdcpm/
- Other
interesting scheduling tools:
- Acumen
Fuse metrics
analysis & visualization software assessing quality of
schedules, cost forecasts and risk - http://www.projectacumen.com
- AMS Realtime
solution-set with powerful scheduling, earned value management and
other functionality including an excellent report writing module and
multi resource management to effectively plan and control work, time
and resources in real time at project, program and portfolio level.
Distributors for AMS Realtime in the Asia - Pacific Project Plus Ltd.
Or see http://www.amsrealtime.com
- Aurora intelligent
scheduling and Critical Chain software:
- Asta's Project Management
Software:
- CASCAD-e
a new
time-scaled precedence diagramming (TSPD) planning tool from CASCAD-e
Systems. Dr. J. Gordon Davis says "Showing
project status on a time-scaled precedence diagram (TSPD) is a very
unforgiving process. Behind-schedule activities and
out-of-sequence work stand out like a sore thumb. But the
recovery opportunities are also apparent." CASCAD-e
imports
data from most standard scheduling applications. For more information
see http://www.cascad-e.net
- Critical Tools: The
tools
can be used by themselves or as an add-on to Microsoft Project. For
more information
see http://www.criticaltools.com
WBS Chart
Pro - plan and display your
projects using a Work
Breakdown Structure (WBS) Chart.
PERT Chart Expert,
plan and display
your projects using a Precedence Diagram
- Full
Monte:
Full Monte is a cost
and schedule risk analysis tool supplied as an add-in for Microsoft
Project 2007 or 2010 - www.barbecana.com
- Gantter.com: Is
a
free simple web based tool for drawing bar charts - http://www.gantter.com/
- GanttProject: Is
a
free
tool for drawing bar charts, flexible open source application - http://www.ganttproject.biz/
- jxProject:
a free
scheduling tool with resource optimisation and durations down to
minutes - http://www.jxproject.com/
- LBMS:
Location-based management Solutions (see also Vico below). Location
based construction scheduling (LoB) for construction projects - http://www.lbms.com.au/
- LinearPlus:
Entry-level time chainage diagrams
for linear projects (eg railways
& pipelines) - http://www.pcfltd.co.uk/
- Merlin 2:
Project management software for Mac
OS X. - http://www.projectwizards.net/en/merlin/
- NetPoint™ PMA’s
intuitive Graphical Planning Method™ (GPM) application that
provides an activity network-based process for simplified and
collaborative planning and scheduling to give clarity to all
stakeholders by creating an effective communication tool: http://pmatechnologies.com/
- OnePMO Project
planning and scheduling software for
Mac
& Windows OS. The focus is on multi-project resource levelling
for
PMOs in small/medium sized organisations and programs. See
http://www.onepmo.com
- OpenProj™ is
a free, open source desktop alternative to Microsoft Project. It's
available on Linux, Unix, Mac or Windows, and it's free (this is
probably the best of the free tools). See http://openproj.org
- Open Workbench: An
open source scheduling tool similar to OpenProj - download
- One
Pager Pro &
Express Build
PowerPoint-ready project presentations from Microsoft Project or Excel.
See http://www.chroniclegraphics.com
- Phoenix Project Manager, Simple
and feature rich critical path method (CPM) scheduling system with high
quality graphics and network diagrams - http://www.phoenixcpm.com
- PlanningForce,
Free
resource planning software and management tool - http://www.planningforce-express.com/
- pmBLOX:
Resource and project
optimisation. The underlying engine is based on the system
dynamics simulation methodology: http://www.pmblox.com
- Project Commander
-
easy to use, low cost,
intuitive product with it's extensive use of the mouse and WYSIWYG
screens. See www.pmscsolutions.co.uk
- Project Plan -
easy to use, low cost scheduling tool focused on tasks, resources and
links. See http://www.projectplan.com
- RPM - Relationship
Driven Critical Path Method of planning and schedule analysis (based on
a melding of ADM and PDM ideas) - http://www.fplotnick.com/RDCPM.htm
- Spider
- Integrated
schedule, cost and resource management - http://www.spiderproject.ru
- Synchro 4D Modelling:
4D modelling, integrates with Primavera, MSP and other scheduling tools
(or stand alone) - http://www.synchroltd.com
- Vico Software:
An
integrated Line-of-Balance, or Flowline-based system designed for
construction projects - http://www.vicosoftware.com/
- More
tools
to be added........
PMI
Credentials