From the course: Project Management Foundations

Build a project schedule

From the course: Project Management Foundations

Build a project schedule

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- [Instructor] A WBS identifies the work needed to complete a project, but it doesn't tell you how long the work will take or when it can be performed. To do that, you need to turn your list of tasks into a schedule. First, put the tasks into the right sequence. You add dependencies or links to tasks to identify which tasks have to finish before other tasks can start, which tasks finish at the same time, and so on. For example, the task "Build Specs" has to finish before "Review Specs" can start. Likewise, "Review Specs" has to finish before "Approve Specs" can start. We'll look at dependencies in detail later in the course. For now, the most common dependency type is finish to start. Next, you add the time you estimate each task will take. Time estimates and task sequence help determine how long the entire project will take. Third, you assign the people on your project team to tasks. With the estimated time and people assigned to do the work, you can calculate the task duration. Finally, take into account other constraints like deadlines and when resources are available. If your initial schedule doesn't work, you can tweak it in various ways whether you're trying to shorten the schedule, cut costs, or even out people's workloads. The schedule is one of the most important aspects of your project. It tells you how long the project will last, and when you need the people who will do the work.

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