Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, Tenth Edition

Project Graphics

13.0 INTRODUCTION

PMBOK^® Guide, 4th Ediiton

Chapter 9 Time Management

Chapter 10 Communications Management

6.6.2.3 Schedule Comparison Bar Charts

In Chapter 11, we defined the steps involved in establishing a formal program plan with detailed schedules to manage the total program. Any plan, schedule, drawing, or specification that will be read by more than one person must be expressed in a language that is understood by all recipients.

The ideal situation is to construct charts and schedules in suitable notation that can be used for both in-house control and out-of-house customer status reporting. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Customers and contractors are interested mainly in the three vital control parameters:

• Time
• Cost
• Performance

All schedules and charts should consider these three parameters and their relationship to corporate resources.

Information to ensure proper project evaluation is usually obtained through four methods:

• Firsthand observation
• Oral and written reports
• Review and technical interchange meetings
• Graphical displays

Firsthand observations are an excellent tool for obtaining unfiltered information, but they may not be possible on large projects. Although oral and written reports are a way of life, they often contain either ...