Unrealistic schedules - a common pitfall in project management

In many projects, schedules are set too optimistically. The focus is often on meeting ambitious deadlines instead of planning realistic timeframes for implementation. The consequence? Bottlenecks occur, quality suffers and the team is under unnecessary pressure.

The problem: lack of realistic planning

Projects are often characterized by time pressure. However, if deadlines are not based on realistic estimates, this leads to delays, overload and unexpected bottlenecks. Reasons for unrealistic schedules include

Underestimation of actual expenses
Lack of consideration of vacation periods and public holidays
Lack of expert assessments for complex tasks
Insufficient methods for scheduling

The solution: Realistic scheduling

Using proven methods to create realistic schedules, the following methods should be applied:

Lack of consideration of vacation periods and public holidays
- Use calendar dates to include absences in planning at an early stage.
- Plan buffer times to cover unforeseeable bottlenecks.
Obtain expert estimates
- Consult experienced team members to obtain realistic assessments.
- Use methods such as the Delphi method to generate well-founded forecasts.
Use forward and backward calculation
- Forward calculation: Start with the first tasks and calculate the earliest possible project end date.
- Backward calculation: Start with the set deadline and determine when the individual tasks must start at the latest.
- Compare both calculations to define realistic time windows.

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in scheduling

AI technologies can significantly support the creation of realistic schedules. They enable:

Automatic analysis of historical project data to identify realistic time frames
Early detection of bottlenecks through intelligent forecasting
Optimization of resource allocation based on availability and empirical values

Concrete prompt suggestions for project managers to ensure realistic scheduling:

You as project manager should analyze the attached project schedule and ensure that the following vacation periods and public holidays in state xx have been taken into account. Use calendar dates and buffer times to determine realistic time windows. Listing of vacation planning: Resource xx: dd.mm.yyyy
You are a specialist for xx use methods such as Delphi estimates or Planning Poker to determine a well-founded expert estimate for the following project tasks/stories/features. What are the uncertainties?
You are a project planner and should compare the forward and backward calculations in the attached project plan in order to create a realistic schedule. Calculate the earliest possible end of the project and the latest possible start of individual tasks. What differences result from the forward and backward calculation? Which tasks need to start earlier to avoid bottlenecks?

Conclusion: Successful projects through realistic scheduling

Eine durchdachte Zeitplanung ist essenziell, um Projekte effizient und erfolgreich abzuschließen. Durch die Berücksichtigung von Urlaubszeiten, die Einholung fundierter Expertenschätzungen und die Anwendung von Vorwärts- und Rückwärtsrechnung lassen sich realistische Zeitrahmen setzen. Setzen Sie auf eine durchdachte Zeitplanstrategie, um Verzögerungen zu minimieren und Ihr Projektteam nachhaltig zu entlasten.

Wenn Sie mehr über Herausforderungen in der Projektarbeit erfahren möchten – insbesondere zu den Themen unklare Projektziele, mangelnde Nachbereitung and regulatorische Anforderungen werfen Sie gern einen Blick in den Bereich Expertenwissen auf unserer Website.

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