Project Management Guide

 lindsay sherwin logo

          OverviewScoping a ProjectOn Project ManagementGuidance Helpnotes

Guidance Helpnotes
bullet Scoping a Project
bullet Drawing Planning Charts
Stages Diagram (Word)
Gantt Charts (Word)
Gantt Charts (Excel)
Milestone Plans (Word)
Microsoft Project
Word Drawing Tools
Template WORD Gantt 1
Template WORD Gantt 2
Template EXCEL Gantt
bullet Estimating Guidelines
bullet Implementation Planning
bullet Managing Contractors
bullet Project Communications
bullet Communications Strategy
bullet Communicating Change
bullet Success Checklist
bullet Project Leadership Tips
bullet Project Leadership Article

   Print Button    

© Copyright 2007
Lindsay Sherwin

Click here to access the Lindsay Sherwin Homepage and further toolkits.

Using Microsoft Project or similar

There are a number of software programs which are specifically designed for Critical Path Analysis. They tend to be used by people who are continuously working on complex projects. The market leader is Microsoft Project at £400. A good value package is TURBO PROJECT EXPRESS - less than £50.

Their strength is that they not only help to create the Critical Path Networks but that they also offer capabilities in project control, resource management and cost control. Probably essential for capital and IT projects I feel they have less to offer for Policy and Organisational projects.

Essentially, assuming you have attended our workshop, they take the Critical Path Network that you created with post-its, do the calculations for forward-pass and backward-pass, and create a network and Gantt Chart similar to the one below.

Microsoft Project