Implementing the process of schedule and cost control
Process Scheduling involves all the activities that are used to organize the nature and sequence of occurrence of different processes during the production processes. It is mainly concerned with organizing the sequence of execution of events. Process scheduling begins with work breakdown structure which defines the project activities according to the project’s scope. The execution of the activities also needs to be established. The costs of each activities is then determined and the duration of each activity estimated. Once all these have been laid down, it is therefore possible develop a reasonable schedule which can serve as a schedule control. Process scheduling is very essential as it helps in ensuring that activities are executed sequentially and that not activity is left unattended (Kerzner, 2003).
Cost Control on the other hand helps in improving the business cost-efficiency by reducing costs or restricting the rate of growth. The cost control processes is used to monitor and enhance specific areas of production within a business establishment. Cost cutting can be implemented during the cost control process; however this should be carefully done so that the quality of services and products delivered in a company are not compromised. The cost control process is a continuous process that deals with the proposed annual budget and it helps to organize and coordinate production and service delivery. It also helps to take the advantage of available opportunities as the business’ fiscal year progresses. The control process helps in managing the price or the cost of different operations within the firm. The cost control process consists of the actions which are necessary to assure that the operations of the business entity are focused towards attaining the laid objectives and goals. Cost control includes investigative procedures used to detect the difference of actual costs from the budgeted costs. It is also aimed at determining the cause in difference of costs and establishing measures that can be taken to ensure that the costs are aligned so that they tend towards each other (Project Management Intitute, 2004).
If a proper cost control is not put in place, the project budgets may be easily overrun as the business units may decide to include an item or a process that was not catered for in the initial budget. The project cost control should be followed strictly so as to ensure that the process of carrying out activities during the project implementation phase is not ruined (Tichacek, 2005).
In order to successfully manage a project, it is necessary to implement the process schedule and cost control. The tasks that are needed in order to successfully complete a project must be well identified and structured in a systematic order so as to ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated deadline and budget. Different tasks are executed during the project implementation stage. There are some tasks that will precede others while others can run concurrently. This helps in ensuring that no time is wasted and that the project is completed within the shortest time possible. Scheduling and cost control are therefore strategic components of a project management model.
The cost and schedule processes are two of the most important aspects during management as they help in ensuring that the process of project implementation goes on successfully. They help the project to be completed within time and budget. They also help in ensuring that as the project execution procedures are being modeled to fit into budget and time limit, the integrity and quality of the project are not compromised (Tichacek, 2005).
A cost and schedule control helps in establishing the goals for a project and how the goals are supposed to be achieved. They also define all the tasks and methods that can be used for achieving the stipulated goals. The cost and schedule control forms the plan of the project which is mainly concerned with organizing the sequence of the system. When establishing a plan, the historical databases and past experience are essential assets as they help in establishing and predicting the performance of the project given some predetermined conditions. The control system collects the actual data which is used in the project implementation (Tichacek, 2005).
The cost control and schedule control can also be used to collect quality data within a timely duration and in the provision of quality historical databases for future planning of the project. A good cost control and process scheduling procedures helps in predicting the quality of the project and the possible completion time.
The process of cost control involves both the senior managers and the junior staff in the organization. The sections of the company concerned with the implementation of the cost and schedule control is the team concerned with the implementation of the project. The project design team should ensure that once the project’s budget estimates have been made and the completion time stated for each module, execution of activities should begin as they use the time budget and cost estimates as their guiding principles. All their activities should be inclined towards achieving the stated goals and ensuring that the quality is upheld (Wilson, 2005).
Plan for cost control and schedule control
The process of cost control and schedule control should not be complicated. It should be made as simple as possible so that the project implementers can easily understand it and ensure strict adherence to laid goals and objectives. In the case of the e-mail consolidation and upgrade, the following plan can be used for the process.
The section for remarks is to be filled once the given phase is complete. The project managers will then fill them depending on whether the project has been completed within the stipulated time limit and within the budget.
Benefits in implementing the project plan
The plan laid above has positive effects on the project implementation phase as it helps in ensuring that there are some guiding principles towards the achievement of the laid goals. Each module has to be completed while taking into account the time and budget estimates.
The project plan also helps in ensuring that all the activities for the project are successfully completed. All the activities of the project implementation are well stated in each of the phases stated. Once all the activities have been stated, it will be easy to determine which activity precedes the other and which of the activities can run concurrently. This plays a very important role in ensuring that all the activities are well executed.
If an effective cost and control procedures are ignored, the project is likely to get stalled or some of the activities may not be completed. The project cost could easily go high due to the incorporation of some activities into the project implementation phase that is not necessary. This may result into a project taking more resources or more time to complete and in some cases the project may be ended prematurely leading to low quality project (Wilson, Hejna & Hosking, 2004).
References
- Kerzner, H. (2003). Project management a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling (8th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Project Management Institute. (2004). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide) (3rd ed.). Newton Square, PA: Author.
- Tichacek, R. L. (2005). Effective cost management-back to basics. AACE International Transactions, CS111. Retrieved February 11, 2006, from ProQuest database.
- Wilson, M., Hejna, W., & Hosking J. (2004). Activation and operational planning: ensuring a successful transition. Journal of Healthcare Management, 49, 358-362. Retrieved Feb 09, 2006, from Business Source Elite database.
- Wilson, T. (2005). What’s a project manager to do? Network Computing, 16, 67-72. Retrieved February 11, 2006, from Business Source Elite database.
