- Describe the following Programme Management Tools and why they are of benefit to a project team
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is the process of creating new ideas which aims to find a solution for solving a specific problem. This process is usually used at the very start of a project, so the team can have some sort of idea of what direction they are going in. For instance an example of Brainstorming could be a bathroom company writing down all possible parts they can market and produce that would meet their customers needs. The better the brainstorming is the more successful the project will be as the ideas generated are appropriate and effective. By using this Programme Management Tool it can be beneficial to a team that is working on a project, this is because of many reason these can consist of;
- easy to understand
- inexpensive
- promotes thinking out of the ordinary
By brainstorming being easy to understand it can be beneficial for a project team, this is because it isn't a very difficult process to conduct meaning they are able to do it straight away without much training needed which leads to unnessary time wasted. This could allow the team to spend more time focusing on the task in hand allowing for a more successful project to be outputted. Another beneficial point brainstorming can have on a project team is it can be inexpensive. This can be beneficial because a team wouldn't need to spend a lot of money to brainstorm ideas, this is because all that needs to be done is writing down the idea that is created which means not much money spent on the the brainstorming process. One other beneficial point brainstorming can have on a project team is it can push a team to think out of the ordinary. By thinking outside the box they are able to think about fresh new creative ideas they may not of been thought off previously, by using these ideas from a team can find new directions they can take with the project which could lead to the project being successful.
Gantt Chart
Gantt Chart is basically a type of bar charts that helps displays a project schedule this is mostly used in project management, Gantt charts offers a visual diagram of the project schedule which can help a individual or a team plan and track what they are going to do in the project. Gantt Chart was developed in 1917 by Henry L. Gantt as a control production tool. A Gantt Chart is created using a horizontal axis that displays the total duration of the project on that horizontal axis it is broken down into section for instance days, weeks, months or years. The vertical axis of the Gantt Chart is used to show the task that are going to be done in the project. Within the actual chart itself is horizontal bars which is used to represent the timing or time span of each task being conducted, each horizontal bars can vary as some take may take longer or quicker to be completed. An example of a Gantt Chart is shown below in Figure 1. Also Gantt Chart can be created in apllication such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Presentation and etc.
PERT Charts
PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) Charts is a tool that can also be used for project management such as scheduling and organizing tasks within a project, also it shows a critical path that should be kept to for deadlines to be met accordingly through a network diagram. The network diagram can be created with a number of attributes such as start date for each task, end date for each stage, contingency time and etc. The PERT Charts was developed in the 1950s by United States Military. By having a PERT chart it can allow a team or individual in a project to be able to evade unreal timings and scheduling. As PERT Charts are mostly used in project management it is useful for planning the project as a whole such as scheduling and keeping track for successful project and project management.
PERT Charts involves;
- Identify main activities
- Create appropriated activities arrangement
- Create a Network Diagram
- Organize time required for each task
- Create appropriate path for project
Critical Path Analysis
Critical Path Analysis (CPA) is also another project managment tool that is created into a model of the project as a whole, i.e. showing all actvites that will need to be undertaken in a spercifc order and also the time taken for each actvites need to be taken for completion. The Critical Path Analysis was developed in the 1950s by Morgan R. Walker and James E. Kelley Jr. The Critical Path Analysis tool is most used for mangaments in the projects especially in projects under construction, software development, research project, engineering and man more. Critical Path Analysis are usally shown in a graphical diagram dispalying how each task is related to each other.
