Iterative Integrated Planning and Scheduling Model in Project Management
Vinod Savji Bopalia · 2023
Abstract Quite often, project planning and scheduling are used interchangeably but they have different roles in the successful completion of a project. On a higher level, the project plan is the master blueprint which drives the project towards achieving objectives while the project schedule details the specific tasks to be executed by individual or set of groups to achieve project's goal. Project planning primarily involves selecting the appropriate procedures and methodologies required to deliver the project on time. Project scheduling, on the other hand, converts the defined plans, scope, and cost into an operational timeline with specific set of objectives within allocated budget. Main factors in planning and scheduling those differentiate these two phases in the project management specified in the below table. FactorsPlanningSchedulingDeals withWhat and HowWhen and WhoDefinitionPlanning is process of developing a tool to design and produce the desired unique deliverables.Scheduling is the process that defined the time frame in which the project's deliverables will be accomplished and the sequence of tasks.Focus onOverall project objectives and business value creation.Assign various sets of tasks to the available resources for a specified time duration.ImpactFrom beginning until end of the project.During project execution and closure. Some organizations integrate the jobs and functions of planning and scheduling in a single position. There are benefits to this approach because a project scheduler can't fully understand the nitty gritty when it's time to have resources on the floor without also having firsthand information about the project's entire scope in place. This approach gives remarkable results when the project is small to medium with less engineering disciplines involved. However, for the medium to large scape project will require dedicated functions of planning and scheduling independently.