"Techniques for Managing Complex Projects with Planning and Scheduling Software" by Paul E Harris

Abstract:

Project Managers and Directors often become frustrated with planners and schedulers when a schedule becomes so complex that even the scheduler has difficulty in understanding where he is or what is happening in the schedule. 

This paper will discuss techniques that may be used for developing and managing schedules that have a large number of activities and a number of compex relationships. 

These techniques may be used with other planning and scheduling software packages but were developed for and will be demonstrated using Primavera P3 and SureTrak. 

The target audience are people who are beginner and intermediate project schedulers and people who are interested in schedule review and analysis. 

The techniques to be demonstrated are: 

• “Activity Coding” – This part of the presentation outlines some practical guideline on how to use Primavera WBS, Activity Codes and Activity ID Codes in large project schedules. It will outline the advantages and disadvantages of each and show some practical examples of each. 
• “Milestone Hammocks” – This is a technique developed by the author for the management of a complex process plant commissioning schedule. 
• “Staged” development of a schedule – A process following the PRINCE2 methodology of developing a master or project schedule dividing a project into Stages.