We explain what schedules are, why they are useful and what they are used for. Also, some examples and methods to make them.
What is a schedule?
A schedule (word derived from Greek kronos“time”, and gramma“letter”) is a graphic, orderly and schematic representation of eventsgenerally coming. It normally serves as a project, function or activity management tool. Its use is very common in a huge variety of areas, especially in work and business.
By allowing the orderly display of future events, timelines They are ideal for planning, monitoring and forecasting tasks. Therefore, they constitute a common and popular tool.
Its visual representation can take place in many forms and styles, but usually consists of a delimited set of spaces that correspond to moments in time: days, hours, etc., and in which some event or activity is more or less detailed.
Sometimes, schedules serve as a preview of future work. They can be evaluated as the basis of a project, and based on them determine the amount and/or frequency of resources that will be needed for it, since essentially They are tools for time management.
For this reason, there are computer programs suitable for different types of schedules, such as planner, KPlate either Microsoft Project.
See also: Diagram
Examples of schedules
There can be as many different schedules as needed, whether it's detailing the steps to be taken in an architectural project, marking important milestones in a pregnancy, organizing the work of a factory, or simply announcing upcoming movies at a neighborhood film club.
However, there are usually two important methods for creating schedules, known as:
- The Gantt chart. It usually consists of a double entry bar, in which the activities (rows) and their duration (columns) are noted, in order to organize them in time. It is the type that is mostly used in the management of spaces, such as classrooms, that are frequented by various groups of people.
- The Pert diagram. Also called “Pert network”, it consists of the organization of activities based on which ones precede which ones, applying a flow diagram, which connects the spaces (circular or rectangular) using arrows to indicate priority or continuity. In this case, what is important is not so much the time in which each activity is carried out, but rather the specific order in which it is done.
Continue with: Timeline
References
- “Schedule (project management)” on Wikipedia.
- “Schedule definition” in EconomíaSimple.net.
- “What is a schedule?” in Sinnaps.
- “What are schedules?” at EAE Business School.
