Most project scheduling tools, such as MS Project, Primavera, and Project Libre, do not encourage essential project management best practices. Their outputs are also tricky to print and read, even with a large format printer, unless care is taken in formatting. As a result, you may find you have...

The definition of a project includes having a start and an end date, making a project a temporary endeavor.  Even though more flexibility is required for agile projects, senior management may still have an expectation of some form of high level schedule so other projects in the organization...

Effective sprint planning is essential for the success of any agile project.  The agile project manager should ensure every iteration delivers the highest possible value to customers to stay true to agile values.  Without effective planning, the team will not start the sprint with a...

I was recently asked, "What is the time frame for total project completion?" The time frame for total project completion is the time when all project work is done, and all project resources, including the project manager, can be released.  Total project completion should include the...

Project management can be a demanding role.  Use these time management tips to manage time more effectively, from day-to-day and month-to-month.

1. Know When You are Most Productive. The first step in effectively managing time is to know when you are the most productive.  This time is...

One of the most challenging tasks for project managers is creating a schedule. Any number of dependencies need consideration – logical progressions of work, resource availability, client or sponsor delivery demands, team preferences, and more.  Here are five tips for getting the best...

These can assist you to keep a project on schedule:

1. Ask for "as soon as possible," rather than set a deadline.
2. Never say, "I don't have time." According to Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, it is the same as saying, "I don't want to." Better: "I can fit it in next week, would that work?"
3. If falling...

Getting good estimates is often challenging for projects.  Here are 5 tips for getting better estimates for difficult-to-estimate tasks:

1. Decompose the work further to understand it more fully. Document all assumptions and constraints.
2. Look for similar estimates provided for past...

These tips are from Pursuing Project Excellence: Six Ideas to Improve Your Projects by Bob Jewell, PMP (with permission).

1. Define the word "scope" carefully. It is "the ... work to accomplish the ... deliverables (product, service, or other results) to the agreed-upon requirements."
2. Get clear...

A lot of folks in San Diego wonder how the construction of Petco Park, a managed project, could have possibly spent all the funding before it was half completed without anyone knowing. While I certainly don't have proof as to the actual cause, there is a very good way a project can get into this...

To recap parts one and two of this post, we saw:

- how earned value is useful for monitoring both costs and schedule
- the basic formulas used to see if our projects are off track (and by how much)
- the recommendation that earned value be looked at weekly
- the ideal values for cost and schedule...