A framework for enhanced project schedule design to aid project manager's decision making processes

Good schedule increases the chances of a project meeting its goals. The most popular formalisms for describing project schedules are very rigid and inflexible in modeling changes due to uncertainties. In this paper we describe a framework to support enhanced project schedule design. The proposed framework is based on the Enhanced Project Schedule (EPS) model. In addition to an initial Gantt Chart, EPS allows definition of Remedial Action Scenarios (RAS), which contain guidelines of actions to consider when uncertainties arise. This creates a dynamic and evolving schedule. It is meant to guide the project manager in the decision making processes throughout the project implementation. The process of selection of the remedial action scenario is an optimization one, based on simulation. We illustrate the dynamics of the EPS design framework by an example.