BUSN300 UNIT 5DB - Research Paper Example

Project planning Number: Lecturer: Project planning Meticulous project planning is critical in the planning and implanting a project. All activities are put in time schedule with either related activities or independent. The implementation can be done; either one after another, if they are interdependent or one can be done to completion as others run. The scope of the project is defined and all appropriate methods of completion are determined over the entire period. Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) is a tool used to plan and control a project.

It can also be referred as Critical Path Method (CPM). In general both of them can be used interchangeably in studying, meaning that one can be used while implementing a project (Haugan, 57). The primary role of PERT is to identify the critical path that a project takes from planning to completion. It lays down the activities that need to be done in the entire project period giving the timelines to be used in implementing a series of activities performed either sequentially or parallel with other activities.

A simple example of a PERT chart is shown below;In the flow chart, the initial stage of project implementation must start from step 1 before it proceeds to step 2. Some part of the project can directly go straight to step 5 from step 2 so long as at this stage it is independent. A part of the project can go through step 3, on the diagram, before finalizing at step 5. Still, some task can take the direction through step 4 and end at step, so long as it is independent of step 2 and 3. Each step has planned number of days, weeks or months to complete.

It can be in terms of days, weeks or even months. Step 1 to step 4 and eventually to step 5 can take months while in the other hand, step 1 to step 2 can take days or weeks and step 2 to step 5 can take months or several weeks. Through step 3, the timeline can be months but eventually ending at step 5. Each step’s timeline can be different, but when implemented either in parallel or concurrently, it will all end at step 5 at the project completion stage. All stages of the process are what are referred to as the critical path that the project takes in order to realize completion as planned.

The stages have to be meticulously planned and implemented as planned in order not to delay the entire project from completion. The steps have to be synchronized accordingly, and necessary resources should be allocated and availed in time. Such resources include tools and equipment, labor and materials. The necessary inspection and servicing of tools and equipment should be done to reduce chances of breakdown. All materials should be in place when required and the relevant labor should be available at each stage.

The labor required also includes repairing and fixing broken down machines in time. Financing adequately the implementation of the project is the most important requirement as it determines how fast all the relevant resources will be mobilized in time. Downtime will be minimized with enough financing to either repair in time, acquire a new spare part or buy a whole machine in case of a complete breakdown. It is, therefore, imperative to have everything in place in order to realize timely project completion (Carpenter, 89).

Works CitedHaugan, Gregory. Project Planning and Scheduling. Virginia. Management Concepts, Inc. 2002Carpenter, Charles. Real World Project Management. Raleigh: Lulu Publishing Inc. 2004.