Method and system for assessing schedule performance issues of a project

• US 20080082389A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gura, Gerald Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system for assessing schedule performance issues of a project. A Behind Schedule Performance Index (BSPI), an ahead/behind trend graph, a behind schedule report or an ahead of schedule report is generated. The BSPI excludes an ahead of schedule component from the project'"'"'s scheduled performance index. The ahead/behind trend graph has ahead of schedule and behind schedule indicators indicating that a portion of the project is behind schedule while the project, as a whole, is ahead of schedule. The behind schedule report filters out ahead of schedule tasks and includes only behind schedule tasks. The ahead of schedule report filters out behind schedule tasks and includes only ahead of schedule tasks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of assessing schedule performance of a project, said method comprising one of:

generating, by a computing application capable of managing said project, a Behind Schedule Performance Index (BSPI) that excludes an ahead of schedule component from a scheduled performance index (SPI) associated with said project, said ahead of schedule component being a first component of a schedule variance (SV) associated with said project;

generating, by said computing application, an ahead/behind trend graph having a first plurality of graphical indicators of ahead of schedule values associated with said project and a second plurality of graphical indicators of behind schedule values associated with said project, wherein said first plurality of graphical indicators and said second plurality of graphical indicators indicate that a portion of said project is behind schedule while said project, as a whole, is ahead of schedule;

generating, by said computing application, a behind schedule exception report that includes a first set of one or more tasks of said project that are behind schedule based on a baseline of said project and that excludes any task of said project that is ahead of schedule based on said baseline; and

generating, by said computing application, an ahead of schedule exception report that includes a second set of one or more tasks of said project that are ahead of schedule based on said baseline and that excludes any task of said project that is behind schedule based on said baseline.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said BSPI comprises:

calculating said BSPI, said calculating including utilizing one of (BCWP−

AHEAD)/BCWS and (BCWS+BEHIND)/BCWS, wherein said BCWP is a budgeted cost of work performed associated with said project, wherein BCWS is a budgeted cost of work scheduled associated with said project, wherein AHEAD is greater than or equal to zero and is said ahead of schedule component, and wherein BEHIND is less than or equal to zero and is a behind schedule component that is a second component of said SV.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said method comprises said generating said BSPI, said method further comprising:

classifying said project as being ahead of schedule based on a baseline of said project;

identifying a difference between said BSPI and said SPI that exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

determining, in response to said identifying said difference, that one or more tasks of said project are behind schedule even though said project is classified as being ahead of schedule via said classifying.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said method comprises said generating said ahead/behind trend graph, said method further comprising:

classifying said project as being ahead of schedule based on said SPI;

identifying a behind schedule value associated with a behind schedule indicator of said second plurality of graphical indicators;

determining that said behind schedule value is a non-zero behind schedule value associated with at least one task of said project; and

determining that said at least one task of said project is behind schedule even though said project is classified as being ahead of schedule via said classifying.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said behind schedule exception report comprises:

calculating a plurality of behind schedule values associated, in a one-to-one correspondence, with a plurality of tasks of said project, wherein said calculating includes;

setting a behind schedule value of said plurality of behind schedule values to BCWP−

BCWS if BCWP−

BCWS is less than zero, said behind schedule value associated with a task of said plurality of tasks, and

setting said behind schedule value to zero if BCWP−

BCWS is greater than or equal to zero,

wherein said BCWP is a budgeted cost of work performed associated with said task, and

wherein said BCWS is a budgeted cost of work scheduled associated with said task.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said ahead of schedule exception report comprises:

calculating a plurality of ahead of schedule values associated, in a one-to-one correspondence, with a plurality of tasks of said project, wherein said calculating includes;

setting an ahead of schedule value of said plurality of ahead of schedule values to BCWP−

BCWS if BCWP−

BCWS is greater than or equal to zero, said ahead of schedule value associated with a task of said plurality of tasks, and

setting said ahead of schedule value to zero if BCWP−

BCWS is less than zero,

wherein said BCWP is a budgeted cost of work performed associated with said task, and

wherein said BCWS is a budgeted cost of work scheduled associated with said task.

7. A computer program product, comprising a computer-usable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein, said computer-readable program code comprising an algorithm adapted to implement the method of claim 1.

8. A system for assessing schedule performance of a project in a computing environment, said method comprising one of:

means for generating, by a computing application capable of managing said project, a Behind Schedule Performance Index (BSPI) that excludes an ahead of schedule component from a scheduled performance index (SPI) associated with said project, said ahead of schedule component being a first component of a schedule variance (SV) associated with said project;

means for generating, by said computing application, an ahead/behind trend graph having a first plurality of graphical indicators of ahead of schedule values associated with said project and a second plurality of graphical indicators of behind schedule values associated with said project, wherein said first plurality of graphical indicators and said second plurality of graphical indicators indicate that a portion of said project is behind schedule while said project, as a whole, is ahead of schedule;

means for generating, by said computing application, a behind schedule exception report that includes a first set of one or more tasks of said project that are behind schedule based on a baseline of said project and that excludes any task of said project that is ahead of schedule based on said baseline; and

means for generating, by said computing application, an ahead of schedule exception report that includes a second set of one or more tasks of said project that are ahead of schedule based on said baseline and that excludes any task of said project that is behind schedule based on said baseline.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for generating said BSPI comprises:

means for calculating said BSPI, said means for calculating including means for utilizing one of (BCWP−

AHEAD)/BCWS and (BCWS+BEHIND)/BCWS, wherein said BCWP is a budgeted cost of work performed associated with said project, wherein BCWS is a budgeted cost of work scheduled associated with said project, wherein AHEAD is greater than or equal to zero and is said ahead of schedule component, and wherein BEHIND is less than or equal to zero and is a behind schedule component that is a second component of said SV.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said system comprises said means for generating said BSPI, said system further comprising:

means for classifying said project as being ahead of schedule based on a baseline of said project;

means for identifying a difference between said BSPI and said SPI that exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

means for determining, in response to said identifying said difference, that one or more tasks of said project are behind schedule even though said project is classified as being ahead of schedule via said classifying.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said system comprises said means for generating said ahead/behind trend graph, said system further comprising:

means for classifying said project as being ahead of schedule based on said SPI;

means for identifying a behind schedule value associated with a behind schedule indicator of said second plurality of graphical indicators;

means for determining that said behind schedule value is a non-zero behind schedule value associated with at least one task of said project; and

means for determining that said at least one task of said project is behind schedule even though said project is classified as being ahead of schedule via said classifying.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for generating said behind schedule exception report comprises:

means for calculating a plurality of behind schedule values associated, in a one-to-one correspondence, with a plurality of tasks of said project, wherein said means for calculating includes;

means for setting a behind schedule value of said plurality of behind schedule values to BCWP−

BCWS if BCWP−

BCWS is less than zero, said behind schedule value associated with a task of said plurality of tasks, and

means for setting said behind schedule value to zero if BCWP−

BCWS is greater than or equal to zero,

wherein said BCWP is a budgeted cost of work performed associated with said task, and

wherein said BCWS is a budgeted cost of work scheduled associated with said task.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for generating said ahead of schedule exception report comprises:

means for calculating a plurality of ahead of schedule values associated, in a one-to-one correspondence, with a plurality of tasks of said project, wherein said means for calculating includes;

means for setting an ahead of schedule value of said plurality of ahead of schedule values to BCWP−

BCWS if BCWP−

BCWS is greater than or equal to zero, said ahead of schedule value associated with a task of said plurality of tasks, and

means for setting said ahead of schedule value to zero if BCWP−

BCWS is less than zero,

wherein said BCWP is a budgeted cost of work performed associated with said task, and

wherein said BCWS is a budgeted cost of work scheduled associated with said task.

14. A process for supporting computing infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing a method of assessing schedule performance of a project, said method comprising:

generating, by a computing application capable of managing said project, a Behind Schedule Performance Index (BSPI) that excludes an ahead of schedule component from a scheduled performance index (SPI) associated with said project, said ahead of schedule component being a first component of a schedule variance (SV) associated with said project;

generating, by said computing application, an ahead/behind trend graph having a first plurality of graphical indicators of ahead of schedule values associated with said project and a second plurality of graphical indicators of behind schedule values associated with said project, wherein said first plurality of graphical indicators and said second plurality of graphical indicators indicate that a portion of said project is behind schedule while said project, as a whole, is ahead of schedule;

generating, by said computing application, a behind schedule exception report that includes a first set of one or more tasks of said project that are behind schedule based on a baseline of said project and that excludes any task of said project that is ahead of schedule based on said baseline; and

generating, by said computing application, an ahead of schedule exception report that includes a second set of one or more tasks of said project that are ahead of schedule based on said baseline and that excludes any task of said project that is behind schedule based on said baseline.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein said generating said BSPI comprises:

calculating said BSPI, said calculating including utilizing one of (BCWP−

AHEAD)/BCWS and (BCWS+BEHIND)/BCWS, wherein said BCWP is a budgeted cost of work performed associated with said project, wherein BCWS is a budgeted cost of work scheduled associated with said project, wherein AHEAD is greater than or equal to zero and is said ahead of schedule component, and wherein BEHIND is less than or equal to zero and is a behind schedule component that is a second component of said SV.

16. The process of claim 14, wherein said method comprises said generating said BSPI, said method further comprising:

classifying said project as being ahead of schedule based on a baseline of said project;

identifying a difference between said BSPI and said SPI that exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

determining, in response to said identifying said difference, that one or more tasks of said project are behind schedule even though said project is classified as being ahead of schedule via said classifying.

17. The process of claim 14, wherein said method comprises said generating said ahead/behind trend graph, said method further comprising:

classifying said project as being ahead of schedule based on said SPI;

identifying a behind schedule value associated with a behind schedule indicator of said second plurality of graphical indicators;

determining that said behind schedule value is a non-zero behind schedule value associated with at least one task of said project; and

determining that said at least one task of said project is behind schedule even though said project is classified as being ahead of schedule via said classifying.

18. The process of claim 14, wherein said generating said behind schedule exception report comprises:

calculating a plurality of behind schedule values associated, in a one-to-one correspondence, with a plurality of tasks of said project, wherein said calculating includes;

setting a behind schedule value of said plurality of behind schedule values to BCWP−

BCWS if BCWP−

BCWS is less than zero, said behind schedule value associated with a task of said plurality of tasks, and

setting said behind schedule value to zero if BCWP−

BCWS is greater than or equal to zero,

wherein said BCWP is a budgeted cost of work performed associated with said task, and

wherein said BCWS is a budgeted cost of work scheduled associated with said task.

19. The process of claim 14, wherein said generating said ahead of schedule exception report comprises:

calculating a plurality of ahead of schedule values associated, in a one-to-one correspondence, with a plurality of tasks of said project, wherein said calculating includes;

setting an ahead of schedule value of said plurality of ahead of schedule values to BCWP−

BCWS if BCWP−

BCWS is greater than or equal to zero, said ahead of schedule value associated with a task of said plurality of tasks, and

setting said ahead of schedule value to zero if BCWP−

BCWS is less than zero,

wherein said BCWP is a budgeted cost of work performed associated with said task, and

wherein said BCWS is a budgeted cost of work scheduled associated with said task.

20. A computer-implemented method of validating a task of a project, comprising one of:

identifying, by a computing application capable of managing said project, a milestone flag for work error associated with whether said task is a milestone, said identifying said milestone flag for work error facilitating at least one of a validation of a milestone of said project and an analysis of a date conflict associated with said task, wherein said identifying said milestone flag for work error comprises;

determining that a milestone flag associated with said task indicates that said task is not a milestone,

determining that a work value associated with said task is equal to a zero amount of work,

determining that a baseline work value associated with said task is equal to a zero amount of baseline work, and

determining that a summary task flag associated with said task indicates that said task is not a summary task;

identifying, by said computing application, a work error to facilitate at least one of a validation of said task and said analysis of said date conflict, wherein said task is one of;

said milestone, a key milestone, a deliverable, a dependency, a major dependency, and a key work product, and wherein said identifying said work error comprises;

determining that said milestone flag indicates that said task is a milestone, and

determining that said work value is not equal to a zero amount of work; and

identifying, by said computing application, a missing data for a milestone error to facilitate said analysis of said date conflict, wherein said identifying said missing data for a milestone error comprises one of;

determining that a completed task value indicates that said task is completed and an actual finish date field value associated with said task is not equal to an actual finish date associated with said task, and

determining that said completed task value indicates that said task is not completed and said actual finish date field value is equal to said actual finish date associated with said task.