Scheduling Challenges in Agile & Distributed Projects

Our paper looking at the scheduling challenges in agile and distributed projects has been published in the February 2003 edition of PM World Journal: https://pmworldjournal.com/

Critical path theory is based on an assumption that to deliver a project successfully there is one best sequence of activities to be completed in a pre-defined way. Consequently, this arrangement of the work can be modelled in a logic network. However, while CPM has proved to be an effective controls tool for many types of projects, it is equally apparent the CPM paradigm does not apply to a wide range of other project types including soft projects and distributed projects.

The focus of this paper is to:

• Briefly define the management assumptions that support the use of CPM scheduling, its origins, and limitations
• Develop a classification framework of project characteristics to help define the potential usefulness of CPM scheduling
• Briefly describe some of the management approaches currently used in non-CPM projects including agile and lean, their benefits and limitations
• Consider the application of the framework discussed above applied to a typical wind farm project
• Develop general recommendations for the management of non-CPM projects focused on optimizing the efficient use of resources.

Based on this foundation, two additional papers will look at:

1. Implementing a robust system for reporting progress and predicting completion in agile and distributed projects that can be applied to any class of project.
2. Assessing delay and disruption in agile and distributed projects where the use of a CPM schedule is not viable.

Download Scheduling Challenges in Agile & Distributed Projects: https://mosaicprojects.com.au/PDF_Papers/P208_Scheduling_Challenges_in_Agile_+_Distributed_Projects.pdf  

For more on this topic see: https://mosaicprojects.com.au/PMKI-SCH-010.php#Issues-A+D