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Programme 7
Project Management
Plan the work, protect the critical path, deliver on time.
The six steps
From approved idea to a Work Plan
Drawn from our OPI project management module. The Gantt chart is the last output of planning, not the first.
| Step | What happens | Typical tools |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Define scope | Agree the objective, what is in and out, success criteria and constraints. | Project charter; SMART objective |
| 2 Break down the work | Split the scope into deliverables and work packages one person can own. | Work breakdown structure (WBS); 100% rule |
| 3 Sequence | Ask what must happen before each task can start. | Dependencies; network diagram |
| 4 Estimate | Set durations, owners and resources with the people doing the work. | Estimates; RACI; lead times |
| 5 Find the critical path | Find the longest chain of tasks and the float everywhere else. | Forward and backward pass; float |
| 6 Build and run the plan | Turn it into a Gantt chart, manage risks and stakeholders, and track progress. | Gantt chart; risk log; progress reviews |
A good Work Plan
Ten features we check for
- Clear objectives: the compelling need
- Activities for each objective
- A measurable goal for every activity
- An agreed priority order
- A schedule, such as a Gantt chart
- All related people and departments
- A named owner for each activity
- Milestones and deadlines
- A schedule of progress meetings
- Team availability, and sign-off by the managers involved
Programme outline
What the programme covers
| Module | What it covers | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and work breakdown | Why plans fail; agreeing scope; breaking the work into deliverables and work packages. | Plan a small, light-hearted project from scope to work breakdown. |
| Sequencing and estimating | Dependencies, network diagrams, durations, owners and resources. | Draw the network for a case project. |
| Critical path and the Gantt chart | Finding the critical path and float; building a Gantt chart with the ten features of a Work Plan. | Find the critical path in a 10-day case and fix a flawed plan. |
| Risks and stakeholders | Identifying risks and mitigations; involving the right stakeholders. | Build a risk log for the case. |
| Running the project | Tracking progress, managing change and slippage, running progress meetings and leading the team. | Build the Work Plan for one of the team’s real projects and present it for sign-off. |
Delivered as a 1 to 3 day programme, tailored to what your team needs.
Link to OPI
Turning solutions into results
In OPI, the agreed solutions become a Work Plan that leaders approve before implementation. This programme teaches that planning discipline on its own, so any project, not just improvement work, is planned and delivered well.
Using AI in Project Management
A faster first draft of the plan
| Where AI helps | How | Human check |
|---|---|---|
| Break down the work | Draft a first work breakdown and task list from the project scope. | The team checks nothing is missing or doubled. |
| Risks and stakeholders | Suggest likely risks, mitigations and stakeholders to involve. | The team rates and owns each risk. |
| Track progress | Summarise updates into a short status report and flag slipping tasks. | The project lead decides the response. |
Example
A shutdown that finished on time
IllustrativeA plant team plans a short maintenance shutdown with a list of tasks and a deadline, but no dependencies. Building a work breakdown and network shows that one spare-part delivery sits on the critical path. Ordering it early and tracking it daily brings the shutdown in on schedule.
Talk to us about your performance gap
Email our consulting advisor at advisor@oscarinitiatives.com or call +60 16 323 7799.