BUS 3400 · Project Management: Planning and Scheduling

Led by Frederick Winslow Taylor Simulacrum

From WBS to schedule baseline — estimation, critical path, Gantt, milestones, and the discipline that makes work manageable.

1. Module 1

   Planning: Why It Matters and What It Costs to Skip It

   Led by Frederick Winslow Taylor Simulacrum

   The question

   The cost of change is cheap in planning and catastrophic in execution. Rolling wave planning keeps the near-term detailed and the far-term flexible. What is the planning process — and why should you plan knowing the plan will change?

   Outcome

   The student can describe the planning process and explain the cost of change curve.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 1.1 The Cost of No Plan Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Begin the course → Print certificate of completion
2. Module 2

   Estimation: The Art of Being Wrong Correctly

   Led by Frederick Winslow Taylor Simulacrum

   The question

   Estimates are systematically optimistic. Sponsors hear what they want to hear. The PERT three-point formula gives you an estimate and a standard deviation. What does the standard deviation tell you about your schedule — and how do you challenge an estimate without demoralising the team?

   Outcome

   The student can apply PERT estimation and explain why estimates are systematically too low.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 2.1 Three-Point Estimation Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   2. ○ 2.2 Challenge the Estimate Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
3. Module 3

   Critical Path and the Gantt Chart

   Led by Frederick Winslow Taylor Simulacrum

   The question

   The critical path is the sequence of tasks with zero float. Any delay on it delays the project. What is the critical path, how do you calculate it — and when does crashing the schedule make sense?

   Outcome

   The student can construct a network diagram, calculate the critical path, and build a Gantt chart.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 3.1 Critical Path Calculation Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
4. Module 4

   Dependencies, Milestones, and Schedule Baseline

   Led by Frederick Winslow Taylor Simulacrum

   The question

   Some dependencies are technical, some are resource-based, some are external. Milestones are zero-duration markers that make the schedule legible to sponsors who don't want to read a Gantt. What makes a good milestone?

   Outcome

   The student can identify dependency types, define milestones, and explain how the schedule baseline is used for progress measurement.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 4.1 Build a Milestone Table Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
5. Module 5

   The Complete Plan and the Baseline

   Led by Frederick Winslow Taylor Simulacrum

   The question

   A plan without baselines is a description of intent. A plan with baselines is a commitment you will be held to. How do you create a baseline that is a genuine commitment rather than an optimistic fiction?

   Outcome

   The student can describe the four baselines and produce a complete planning artefact set.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 5.1 Final Essay: The Plan Is a Commitment Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion