Project Time Management

Project Time Management: Work that Clock

Most resources used in a project will have an easily determined cost. You know which staff members can work on which parts of a project. And you know what needs to be done, and when. But making sure that everything stays on schedule (within your project management life cycle) and handling the project time management can be the trickiest part of reaching the project goals.

Knowing exactly what needs to be done and when it needs to be completed is really only the first step in effective project management and good time management. Without some careful planning and organization of the tasks, deadlines are just lofty ideas that it's not likely you'll be able to live up to. Project time management should be broken down, step by step, just as other parts of the project are broken down in the planning phase. This will help make sure that everything is done when it needs to be, and to keep the project from going over its budget because it went well past the time scheduled for it.

Methods of Project Time Management

One popular method of project time management is the use of a Gantt chart, although this isn't used as often in a change management communication plan. This is something you can do on paper on in a simple spreadsheet. You can also find similar tools in project management software to help you plan tasks and timing. To make a Gantt chart for your project, follow some basic steps:

1. List each task that must be completed during the project.
2. Number the list or assign a letter to each task.
3. Decide if each task can be done at the same time as something else, or if it must follow other steps. If it's something that can be done independently, then label it "Parallel." If it must be done in a sequence, note the number or letter of the task it must follow.
4. Write down the amount of time you estimate each task will take.
5. Transfer your spreadsheet data into a chart such as on graph paper, scheduling each task in the order it must be done. The columns represent chunks of time, like days or weeks. Each task will be represented by a bar that lasts the length of time it will take to complete.

Computer project time management software is the easiest way to produce a Gantt chart, because it will list each task at the earliest possible start date and organize them automatically into the proper order. But it can be done by hand with a little effort. Once you have your graph or chart, you'll be able to see when each task will be started and finished, the order of the steps, and exactly how long the entire project will take from start to finish.

Critical Path Analysis Time Management

Another popular method of project time management that's similar to a Gantt chart is known as a Perth chart, or Critical Path Analysis. To create this kind of a chart, you follow steps 1 – 4 that you follow to create a Gantt chart: write everything down and assign information about estimated times, as well as which tasks must follow others.

When you're ready to plot a Perth chart, however, you don't use the length of bars to represent time, but instead you use circles and arrows. Each circle represents a task or event, and lines with arrows lead from circle to circle. Along that line, the amount of time the previous task will take is listed as well as what the task is. Then next circle represents a task that must be done immediately following the previous one.

Lines branch off from circles in different directions if they can be done simultaneously, and often many lines converge on one circle if that one task can only be done once each of the independent tasks are finished. A Perth chart ends up looking a little more like a mind map than a Gantt chart, but they each portray the same thing, just in a slightly different way. By far the easiest way to create either chart is with project time management software.

The Importance of Accurate Project Time Management

Not only will the ability to accurately estimate time help you get your projects done before their deadlines, but the skill will benefit you in other ways. Hourly work can be billed at a more reliable cost. If you underestimate the time a project will take, then you either charge too little or you surprise the client with a bigger than estimated cost, which can cause conflict. You can also avoid conflicts and problems with other project by not having to delay them or pull people away from those tasks to continue working on something that went over its schedule.

Remember that it's always best to allow extra time for emergencies, technical problems, breakdowns, illnesses and other unexpected situations. One rule of thumb that many freelancers follow is to guess how long something will take, and then add 10% to 20% to that estimate. It's not an unreasonable amount of time to add, but it allows a big enough cushion to handle surprises and problems. This cushion of time allows for much more effective project time management, which means more successful projects and achievable goals.