Comments on: If there isn’t an R in the month, check your project plans http://www.colin-beveridge.com/index.php/if-there-isnt-an-r-in-the-month-check-your-project-plans/ joined-up management for a joined-up world ™ by Colin Beveridge Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: colinb http://www.colin-beveridge.com/index.php/if-there-isnt-an-r-in-the-month-check-your-project-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-3624 colinb Fri, 01 May 2009 09:00:24 +0000 http://www.trilliondollarbonfire.com/?p=57#comment-3624 thanks to all who have responded, some call me cynical but I prefer to be considered pragmatic. Your feedback raises a few more nuances of project planning so I will return to the topic very soon, projects are a rich seam for improvement. I have long held the belief that most project plans are routinely 'tinkered with' (i.e. fudged) to achieve an aspirational timescale, regardless of common sense. thanks to all who have responded, some call me cynical but I prefer to be considered pragmatic. Your feedback raises a few more nuances of project planning so I will return to the topic very soon, projects are a rich seam for improvement.

I have long held the belief that most project plans are routinely ‘tinkered with’ (i.e. fudged) to achieve an aspirational timescale, regardless of common sense.

]]> By: Grahm Rae http://www.colin-beveridge.com/index.php/if-there-isnt-an-r-in-the-month-check-your-project-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-3615 Grahm Rae Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:11:47 +0000 http://www.trilliondollarbonfire.com/?p=57#comment-3615 Colin so...its just not me then? The amount of project plans I have seen over the years that have non-working time not added into them amaze me! ( Wossat? Tools, "Change Working Time", select day/date, select non working option) An esteemed large expensive consultancy supplied me a robust IT migration plan Gantt Chart which met our delivery timescales on the dot! As it ran over Christmas and New Year, and some Bank Holidays, I checked as per usual (cos no one does it and no - its not OCD) for non working time of these happy days of merriment. Well quelle surprise, these were working days in the plan?? Once I had added this non working time into the project plan the Gantt chart delivery had slipped by two months!!. (Dependency and critical path played a part) I had to then tell the project board of my revised view of the scheduled go live. Was I popular, not. So next time you get a project plan, lets not just check for holiday inclusion of those project workers but those non working days are also set. Oh and also the resources are usually set for 100% of that person, and we know that only happens in fairytales:-). So make it 50% and you may be some way to avoiding embarrassment of looking an idiot. By Graham Rae Project Management Implementation Consultant Colin
so…its just not me then? The amount of project plans I have seen over the years that have non-working time not added into them amaze me!
( Wossat? Tools, “Change Working Time”, select day/date, select non working option)
An esteemed large expensive consultancy supplied me a robust IT migration plan Gantt Chart which met our delivery timescales on the dot!
As it ran over Christmas and New Year, and some Bank Holidays, I checked as per usual (cos no one does it and no – its not OCD) for non working time of these happy days of merriment. Well quelle surprise, these were working days in the plan??
Once I had added this non working time into the project plan the Gantt chart delivery had slipped by two months!!. (Dependency and critical path played a part)
I had to then tell the project board of my revised view of the scheduled go live. Was I popular, not.
So next time you get a project plan, lets not just check for holiday inclusion of those project workers but those non working days are also set.
Oh and also the resources are usually set for 100% of that person, and we know that only happens in fairytales:-).
So make it 50% and you may be some way to avoiding embarrassment of looking an idiot.

By
Graham Rae Project Management Implementation Consultant

]]> By: Ian Comley http://www.colin-beveridge.com/index.php/if-there-isnt-an-r-in-the-month-check-your-project-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-3607 Ian Comley Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:00:25 +0000 http://www.trilliondollarbonfire.com/?p=57#comment-3607 A good reminder - it always amazes me how many project plans do not incorporate known absences into their workings and just hope good luck will somehow cover it. This is a sort of negative contingency which is not to be recommended! A good reminder – it always amazes me how many project plans do not incorporate known absences into their workings and just hope good luck will somehow cover it. This is a sort of negative contingency which is not to be recommended!

]]> By: Diane http://www.colin-beveridge.com/index.php/if-there-isnt-an-r-in-the-month-check-your-project-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-3597 Diane Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:18:50 +0000 http://www.trilliondollarbonfire.com/?p=57#comment-3597 Good to see you took one of my room 101 issues on board Colin! Poor planning and accident or real life does interfere when human beings are involved and there is never enough reality checking done when trying to follow prescriptive methodologies - with resulting delays and failures. Challenge the contingency plans too, I'd say. Diane Good to see you took one of my room 101 issues on board Colin!

Poor planning and accident or real life does interfere when human beings are involved and there is never enough reality checking done when trying to follow prescriptive methodologies – with resulting delays and failures. Challenge the contingency plans too, I’d say.

Diane

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