Discuss advanced technologies and project scheduling software to make project successful!

Software for project planning:

In this modern age, in order to make any project successful within a limited deadline, project  managers  need  to  take  the  help  of  different  advanced  technologies  and  project  scheduling software. With the help of the project, planning software managing and scheduling the projects can be easier  (Taghipour et al. 2020). Some of the project planning software are described below. With the help  of a stacked chart, team members and project managers can see when projects have started, finished, and reached the milestones.

Gantt chart:

A “Gantt chart”  represents project tasks visually using a bar graph that spans the duration of the  projects (Robles, 2018). A Gantt chart displays the work planned for each day when a project is planned. This type of chart consists of vertical bar graphs displaying project tasks and horizontal ones displaying task durations (Armenia et al. 2019).

Critical path method:

Methods such as the critical path method (CPM) and critical path analysis (CMA) determine the degree  of  scheduling  flexibility  required  to  complete  projects.  The  critical  path  in  project management refers to the longest sequence of tasks that needs to be completed on time to ensure the completion of the whole project. If important activities are not completed on time, the rest of  the project will be delayed. CPM includes finding the most critical activities, estimating task durations, and figuring out task dependencies. The flexibility of a project can be better understood when large projects are broken down into smaller jobs. Slack, or flexibility, is the  degree  to  which a particular work can accommodate a change in the environment. It demonstrates how much time can  be added  to  the work  without  affecting  others  or  the project's due date.

In  the  OSC  project,  the  Critical  path  method  can  play  an  important  role  in  prioritizing  the important  task and breaking a long task into small flexible tasks. This method allows the projects to be fined  within the limited deadlines. The scalability of the project can be determined by the float. In the event of project risks or unforeseen challenges, the float needs to be utilized.

PERT chart:

PERT charts provide a visual representation of a project's timetable when used in project  management.  The  “Program  Evaluation  Review  Technique  (PERT)”  makes  it possible to  review  individual  tasks within a project.  In  the management of  tasks, some project managers prefer the PERT or Gantt chart for its task dependencies and easy-to-understand  features (Evdokimov et al. 2018). A PERT chart is used by the project manager to  estimate the time required to complete each task. In this way, the project can be budgeted and  resources allocated in order to ensure its success. The nodes  in a PERT diagram represent  project events or milestones.

In the case of OSC projects, the PERT chart can be used to schedule tasks, prioritize the tasks,  and budgeting  and resource allocation  can  be done with  the  help  of the  PERT chart.

WBS:

“Work  Breakdown  Structures  (WBS)”  are  hierarchical  systems  used  to  organize  a project's activities. A WBS is used to divide the project deliverables into manageable pieces. Depending on specific circumstances, subtasks may need to be allocated to each deliverable during the assigning of a job or set of tasks. Large, complex projects can be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks, which are then assigned to individuals  or teams.

Stakeholders Roadmap:

A project needs to have a clear road map with specific goals and objectives that are not changed after the  initial phases are completed in order to be successful. Each respective stakeholder's requirements need to be outlined throughout the planning phase of the project, including those who will benefit from the project's outcome (Schelly et al. 2019). However, it can be a mistake to assume that the stakeholder’s goals and demands are obvious to the project. Therefore, before developing the synergies, the project manager needs to talk with the team and learn everything about the project and the capabilities of the stakeholders.

Deliverables list:

It is important to compile a  list of all deliverables and each deliverables news to be assigned to the team members with a calculated deadline. The project also needs to  ensure that every created deliverable bead is documented and explains the approval procedures (LEE, 2022). The internal  approval procedure also  needs  to  be understood by  the project manager in order  to avoid delays in  the project.