PERT analysis

Contents

• Introduction to PERT Analysis
• What is PERT Analysis?
• How PERT Analysis Helps Business
• What Does PERT Analysis Include?
• Steps of PERT Analysis
• Advantages and Disadvantages of the PERT Method

Introduction to PERT Analysis

PERT analysis, which stands for "Program Evaluation and Review Technique," is a powerful tool for planning and organizing complex projects. It helps teams effectively allocate tasks and set clear deadlines, which is particularly important when implementing large-scale projects that the team has not encountered before. This method does not provide ready-made solutions but serves as a framework for organizing work in situations where it is necessary to understand where to start.

What is PERT Analysis?

PERT analysis is especially useful for organizations planning events or projects similar to those they have not previously encountered. For example, if a company has never organized a press conference, PERT analysis can help determine how much time and resources will be needed to conduct it. The team can outline key stages, such as finding a venue, inviting journalists, and preparing materials, and then estimate each of these stages in terms of time and resources.

The essence of PERT lies in creating a diagram that represents a visual scheme of the project, consisting of "bricks," each corresponding to a specific task. Dependencies between tasks are illustrated with arrows, making it easy to see which tasks need to be completed before starting others.

How PERT Analysis Helps Business

The PERT methodology is ideally suited for large-scale projects involving large teams and various departments. It helps address three main tasks:

• Establish a Timeline: allows for an overall view of the project, assessing its scale and prioritizing key stages.
• Evaluate Resources: helps to understand which tasks can be accomplished internally and which will require external specialists.
• Calculate Time: allows for determining the duration of individual tasks and the overall project duration, which is especially important for new assignments.

What Does PERT Analysis Include?

PERT analysis includes several key components:

• Events: stages of the workflow that begin only after the last tasks of the previous event are completed.
• Tasks: specific actions required to achieve events, including resources and responsible individuals for completion.
• Critical Tasks: important tasks whose completion is necessary to proceed to the next stages of the project.
• Deadlines: a key aspect of the analysis that allows for optimizing team work, including optimistic, pessimistic, and realistic estimated completion times.

Steps of PERT Analysis

The PERT analysis process includes several steps:

1. Formulate a Vision for the Project: describe the mission and values, define the team, and set deadlines.
2. Identify Key Tasks: list all necessary tasks and break them down by difficulty level.
3. Determine Priorities: prioritize tasks by importance, including the use of the Eisenhower matrix for organizing priorities.
4. Estimate Timelines: determine how much time will be needed for each task, considering various forecasts.
5. Establish Contingencies: ensure there are sufficient resources and plan in advance where additional resources can be obtained.
6. Create a PERT Diagram: visually display all important variables, including the task list, their priorities, and dependencies.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the PERT Method

The PERT methodology has its pros and cons:

Advantages:

• Visualization of the project plan and steps.
• Clear distribution of roles and tasks within the team.
• Ability to track delays.
• With proper resource allocation, it can accelerate project execution.

Disadvantages:

• Excessive breakdown of tasks can lead to overload.
• Not suitable for small projects or creative tasks.
• The methodology shows expectations rather than the actual status of the project.