The document discusses how overly detailed schedules can bury project teams and lead to high costs and surprises. It recommends controlling schedule detail by only including the minimum needed for effective management. Details should diminish over time and schedules should use a rolling wave approach focused 6 weeks forward. This allows for situational awareness and flexibility to changing requirements. The author is an experienced project manager who founded a consulting firm to help clients manage projects through balanced scheduling.
11. 9/23/05 8/21/08, PDR
8/22/08 6/16/11, CDR 6/30/11
11/20/14
7/1/11 6/17/11 11/5/14, Dev & Test
10/3/14 4/7/15 US to GO for O1
5/19/15 8/13/15 US to GO for O2
10/1/09 MAF Construction to Support RWT
2/1/10 5/22/12, Tooling Setup/Weld Development 3/21/11
3/22/11 5/23/12 3/19/13, IVGVT CB M&A 11/9/11
6/23/11 6/17/11 7/17/12, SQ02A M&A 7/31/12
4/19/11 6/17/11 1/30/13, ISTA MAF I&A 11/20/12
Ares I Upper Stage Engine 11/20/12 1/30/13 ISTA US Avail. to Ship 11/20/12
2/10/06 8/9/07, PDR 2 STA CB M&A
8/10/07 11/13/08, CDR
6/1/10 10/1/10 J2x ATP
4/21/10 A-2 Handover to Ares
6/30/11 12/30/10 A-2 Available 2/21/12
3 8/31/12 A-3 Available
11/14/08 8/26/10, Fab E10001 2/9/11
8/30/11 1/3/11 4/6/11, #10001 A2 Test 2/17/12
5/18/12 7/11/11 3/27/12, #10003 A2 Test 11/23/12
12/28/12 3/28/12 8/7/12, #10004 A2 Test 4/25/13
What’s the right amount of detail? 6/4/13 1/22/13
7/30/13 3/22/13
3/15/13, USE Testing 7/23/13
O1 USE to US
3/20/13 1/18/13 3/18/13, Cert Engine 1 5/14/13
The minimum amount of detail required to 7/3/13 4/2/13
6/6/13 6/14/13
5/28/13, Cert Engine 2 8/28/13
9/9/13, O2 Flt Engine 8/29/13
successfully manage the project at a given point 12/23/13 9/10/13
3/4/14 10/29/13
10/29/13, A3 Tests 3/4/14
Avail for O2 US
4
Ares I Software in time. 5/13/10* FSW PDR2
10/20/14 8/4/14 USE DCR
6/30/11* FSW CDR
13. Moving Focus – 6 Week
Rolling Wave Forward
Shuttle Tile Repair
Kit
STS-114
Return to Flight
14. Flat schedules
Each level adds an order of magnitude of
detail.
Learn to capture projects with fewer levels.
15. Example
Use metrics Requirements
Development
Define Progress TABLE B Requirements
5% Started
20 % Per Assignee
40 % Per Assignee
50 % From/To Language
Delivered
60 % From/To Language
Approved
75 % Submitted to SEIWG
85 % SEIWG Approved
90 % (Kickback for MOD)
100 % SCB Approved
17. Why is this all so important?
Schedules
Situational Enfranchisemen Boundary
Awareness t Maintenance
18. About the author
Mr. Smith has over 20 years experience
managing complex projects with geographically
dispersed teams. Norm Smith is Founder and
Vice President of SmithOps, a consulting firm
providing progress management
services, products, and training to government
(NASA) and commercial clients in industry
(Power and Construction). Mr. Smith authored
the book “Got Progress? Managing Projects
with Ease, Results, and Style” now available on
Amazon. Prior to founding SmithOps, Mr. Smith
served as a civil servant at NASA Marshall
Space Flight Center involved in management of
such projects as the US Propulsion Module for
Space Station and the X34 Rocket Plane. Mr.
Smith holds US patents in rocketry and robotics
and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in
Mechanical Engineering from the University of
Texas at Austin.
norm@smithops.com
713.929.3920
