Resource Scheduling Methods: Analysis

599 Words2 Pages

Resource Scheduling Methods Analysis

It has been said, “A schedule is… An instruction to a fool… A guide to a wise person. In retrospect scheduling is an important part of project management to anyone that has and ever will be engaged in such a task.. This monograph will be an analysis of the concept of resource scheduling, evaluation of various methods used to schedule resources, the benefits and challenges associated with each, and methods of when each would be most appropriate. As well a choice will be made about which is most appropriate for the authors’ Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) project.

In resource scheduling as with almost anything in life, there are benefits and challenges. A few of the benefits of resource scheduling can be listed as: It improves the probability for the project team to meet its goal, it establishes overall schedule parameters, aids in determining staffing requirements, assist in the determination of resource loading basis, identifies long lead items, and areas of high risk (Gray, Larson, 2011).

Challenges to resource scheduling are; having sufficient detail to control the project. Too much detail is cumbersome to maintain. Not enough detail and analysis of the schedule is difficult. Communication will definitely be challenged when relaying the status of the project to others. When communication is poor, lacking or non-existent, project time as well as cost may be extended and or increased, which may lead to unfavorable conditions up to and including project failure (SRS, 2010).

There are numerous methods of scheduling resources; the methods that will be examined here are the Milestone Scheduling System, and activity network / Critical Path Method (CPM). With the Milestone Scheduling Sys...

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...defined activities with time long time schedules.

As has been demonstrated in project management some form of resource scheduling is necessary for the project, depending on its scope and size. Early in the planning phase the project team needs to establish the appropriate method and apply the method in order to be able to meet expected and unexpected consequences.

Works Cited

Gray, C. F., & Larson, E. W. (2011). Project management: The managerial process (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Galloway P. D. (2006). CPM Scheduling - How Industry Views Its Use. Cost Engineering, 48(1), 24-29. Retrieved July 1, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Complete. (Document ID: 974632461).

Savannah River Site (SRS) Project Controls (2010). Planning and scheduling 101 module 3. Retrieved June 24, 2011, from http://shrine01.srs.gov/ProjectWeb/controls/ProjectControls/P&S101.htm

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