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Advantages and Disadvantages of project scheduling
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Regardless of industry, earned value management (EVM) has become the preferred method of metrics monitoring. Considering that EVM can be tailored to fit the needs of any project, and is easily done through electronic methods with technology today, it is the most user friendly tool for obtaining real-time status and progress reports for project managers and clients alike. This technique is recognized and put in motion at the initiation of a project, integrating costs, schedules, technical performance management, and risk management to more accurately relate cost to performance (Kerzner, 2013). “EVM is a method that uses scope, cost, and schedule to measure and communicate real physical process of a project” (Chen, 2014, p. 135). Moreover, the …show more content…
As this project was Franklin Electronics first attempt at utilizing EVM, it is plausible that the planning stage was not executed well, suggesting that the forecasted costs and schedules are not accurate. The simple fact that only four of forty-five work packages were being scheduled to be completed in the first four months, should have caused questions regarding the ability to complete more work as time continues, creating concern about the possibility of getting behind schedule. Schedule and cost variances were identified at the month two and month three reporting periods, increasing in value as the project moved forward. A schedule variance is calculated by subtracting planned value (PV) from earned value (EV), and a cost variance is determined by subtracting actual cost (AC) from the EV (Usmani, 2016). Given the equations for cost and schedule variances, one can identify those variances by a dollar amount, or a percentage. Using both equations, a negative result indicates either over budget or behind schedule (Usmani,
Management tools such as 3-point estimation, critical path analysis, work breakdown structure and earned value analysis are used.
Yes! As we have seen in the case study the Spokane industries are very particular about the earned value reports, as we seen in the reports that the Franklin electronics provided is seemed to be a very basic according their view. The values of cost variance at the 2nd month are like 6K, 2K, 3K, 3K, here the total comes to 14k ($14,000) and the same cost variance values in the following month are presented as 7K, 3K, 5K, 10K ($25,000) respectively, so here we can see that the values that were provided in the 2nd month are less than 3/4th of the 3rd month. Comes to the scheduling variance the values given to the 2nd month are said to be 8K, 1K, 2K, 20K ($31,000), the 3rd month calculations are in the order 12K, 3K, 4K, 26K($45,000), so by seeing this we can easily say that the scheduling variance is overrated nearly 50% of its value in the previous month. So, whatever the sponsor said in the case study is true.
Case questions Cost variance is calculated by subtracting budgeted cost for work performed from actual cost for work performed and schedule variance is calculated by subtracting budgeted cost for work scheduled from budgeted cost for work performed.... ... middle of paper ... ... In H. Kerzner, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (pp. 1).
Projects are widely used by many organizations and government institutions in the course of conducting their business. One of the reasons for this is because they have been proven to be effective in initiating change and translating strategic programs into daily activities. However, it has been established that most projects fail to deliver on time, budget, and customer specifications. In most cases, this failure is caused by over-optimism by the project management team. This over-optimism commonly referred to as optimism bias can simply be defined as overestimating the projects benefits and conversely underestimating its cost and duration time. Research have portrayed that this is often caused by failure to properly identify, understand, and manage effectively the risk associated with the project therefore putting its success at jeopardy(Mott McDonald, 2002). Fortunately, this biasness can be detected and minimized during the project gateway process.
Budgetary planning may differ between organizations. Single-period budgets and rolling budgets have methodologies that provide advantages and disadvantages that may make one budget time frame better than another. A single-period may require less time in planning during a fiscal year, but is less accurate than a rolling budget that is continuously planned on a repetitive basis. In either case, budgets are planned in advance in order for a company to operate profitably, and less so to have "actual results equal budgeted results." (p. 496)
Quantitative plans are called budgets. Budgets are prepared to impose cost controls on the activities of an organization (Chenhall, 1986).Budgets are then used to evaluate the performance of the management and budget itself is considered as a standard to evaluate the performance Solomon, 1956). The purpose of the budget is also to implement the strategy of the organization and communicate it to the employees of the organization Rickards (2006). The change in the external environment has led to the change in the budgeting approaches from the initial cash based budgets to the zerio based budgets (Bovaird, 2007).
Project Management Institute (PMI) (2013). Project Management Professional (PMP) Handbook. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.pmi.org/certification/~/media/pdf/certifications/pdc_pmphandbook.ashx. [Last Accessed 20 April 2014].
To test the financial feasibility and plan acceptability, there must be information on the magnitude, and share of estimated project cost that are reimbursable. This information can be derived from cost allocation. Also where cost sharing is required in the multipurpose planning process cost allocation can be applied. Cost allocation also provides information necessary for allocating the real expenditures ensuring that the cost account are maintained in line with plan formulation and allocation principles during the subsequent c...
Project management is said to be completed within time when it completed within the “triple constraints”: cost, time and quality. And in a lot of causes, one them is sacrificed so as to meet the other two. Project managers prioritize which ones are the most important.
Alice Johnson has to make a presentation to the management team that explains how ABC can add value to the decision-making process within Wilson Electronics. The presentation focuses on a cost-reduction proposal as a way to demonstrate that ABC is capable of aiding the decision-making process. This proposal is the redesign of the A12 junction box. The current used standard cost system is unable to link the reduction in the number of parts to activity reductions and cost saving, so it is a good chance to demonstrate the value of Activity-based costing system.
In conjunction with the operational control system, managers can develop a flexible budget, to minimize the shortfalls, due to both internal and external factors (Beckett & Doamekpor, 2011). Along with a flexible budget plan, managers are able to view the firm’s long term goals for the period and possibly envision some departmental needs, which may result in the reallocation of resources to support those areas (Kirby, 2003). Furthermore, reallocations of resources are likely to influence divisional managers’ behavior, whereas optimal utilization of these resources are achieved (Al-Ramadan, 2014). The use of a flexible budget is to make adjustments for revenues and expenses, measure against the actual output levels achieved and it is useful during short financial performances (Blocher et al, 2013). Huang (2012) added that the method identifies the differences and similarities between the original budget and the current output level. A flexible budget and standard cost, allow managers to subdivide the total operating income variance for the period, into component variances related to each of the five factors mentioned above (Blocher et al, 2013). In the next section, an analysis of the Ortiz & CO manufacturing, presents a flexible budget, master budget, an interpretation of the results and a summary of the
Budgeting helps organize and formalize management's planning activities. This unit extends the study of budgeting to look more closely at the use of budgets to evaluate performance. Evaluations are important for controlling and monitoring business activities. This awareness helps managers make decisions that protect the financial health of their companies.
Identifying Needed Changes in the Overall Business Strategy - In some cases, budget vs actual variances might point out the need to reevaluate the company's product line or target customer base. A lot of assumptions go into preparing a budget. If those assumptions are causing the budget to blow up, it might be because related projections are simply wrong for a variety of reasons. It might be as simple as a change in the economy or as complicated as delays is getting products out to customers.
The purpose of my paper is to discuss the budget process, “make” or “buy” decisions, and nonfinancial performance measures. I will explain what they do and why they are used. They each have a distinct importance and are important for any business. A basic definition of a budget process is “to provide a budget figure for each item” (Schmidt, 2017).
When planning a new project, how the project will be managed is one of the most important factors. The importance of a managers will determine the success of the project. The success of the project will be determined by how well it is managed. Project management is referred to as the discipline that entails the processes of carefully planning, organizing, controlling, and motivating the organization resources so as to foster and facilitate the achievement of specific established and desired goals and meet the specific criteria of success required in the organization (Larson, 2014). Over the course of this paper I will be discussing and analyzing the importance of project management.