I agree that one of the most important things in a project is meeting the deadlines. Planning properly is a crucial step in ensuring that the project is on schedule to meet the deadline. Breaking the tasks down into even smaller steps and estimating the time required for each step may definitely help with that. Moreover, I think it is important to also account for any obstacles that one might face in the project timelines because not a single project in life will perfectly be on schedule; there will always be complications and obstacles that one will face especially when working with different groups and departments. Also, I think that making your progress and goals visible might help you stay on track; this can be done by posting graphics, pictures, or calendars to stay on schedule.

I agree with @hodafattel that accounting for obstacles is a very important quality to have in a plan. I also work in a lab and almost everything goes wrong always so I've learned to keep my expectations low and my ability to be flexible and problem solve high. Keeping your team and manager informed on any issues can also make sure everyone is aligned and can work collectively to reprioritize tasks since the timeline is a living document.

The posts above mention useful advice in accounting for obstacles. While I have not worked in a lab, I quickly learned that everything that can go wrong, will go wrong, especially working in industry. This is often why the planning phase is extremely lengthy, in order to anticipate any obstacles and make the appropriate contingency plans. This has ensured that we never miss any project deadlines or shipments. It is also helpful to really make use of a calendar and mark down your project deadlines and personal deadlines. For example, in capstone, our professor made it so that our finish date was not a couple days before project presentations, but two weeks earlier than that. This was extremely helpful as this slack allowed us to make last minute refinements and solve any last minute issues that arose and still complete the project in a timely manner. I found that setting a personal deadline a week or two before the actual deadline really helps to keep the project on track. 

The above responses have pointed out the importance of managing time to the best of a teams ability and allowing for sufficient time for each and every project. I too work in a lab and i have quickly come to realize that anything that can go wrong will go wrong at some point and because of this it is important to allocate enough slack and then enough slack for the slack to make sure that nothing goes over time as going over time will result in delays downstream. I think it is also important not only to allocate enough time for each process, but also to manage your resources in the best manner possible for the project. For example, an effective project manager or senior scientist will figure out every single team members strengths and weaknesses and also find secondary roles and responsibilities just to create contingencies in the event of a mishap in the plan. A plan and schedule must be flexible with day to day activities as there are always going to be unforeseen circumstances that pop up.

While I agree with many of the responses above I would like to also say that you have to make a clear plan however this plan will most likely not account for all the issues that you will face. It is important sometimes to recognize that you cannot spent too much time planning since that will cut into your time working towards the goal. Another thing is that if the team is motivated and sees progress they will be more likely to perform better and have the drive to complete the project on time. This is where (as mentioned above) the project must be broken into smaller deliverables not just to make it easier to keep track of but also to give a sense of accomplishment when one of those is met to fuel the morale of the team.

The lecture for this week mentioned the use of a Gantt chart. I believe this is very useful since it allows you to think about the project and the course you want it to run ahead of time. In the process of making a Gantt chart, you have to allocate a certain amount of days for each phase/period of a project. In doing so, you have the ability to build in some "wiggle room" for the project timeline on more important tasks. This is also useful because some tasks may be completed sooner than you expected and then you have those extra days to move on to another portion of the project that needs to be completed. 

On a smaller scale, I use an agenda to stay organized. By planning my week in advance, I can see what responsibilities I have for the upcoming week and how I need to time manage. This allows me to allocate chunks of time to complete assignments and read textbook for classes. While I don't have an agenda at work, I use Post-Its to remind myself of what needs to get done and rank things in order of importance to make sure I complete it in a timely manner.

When creating your detained project schedule, it is crucial to account for slack. Slack refers to a certain amount of time that a task may be delayed, without affecting or delaying another task. Accounting for slack is necessary to ensure that you meet your required deadlines. 

I don't necessarily agree with the Gannt chart, planning that far ahead with through details in mind is not only hard but sometimes outright impossible. Gannt chart can only really be used effectively to plan a project lifetime and certain major milestones that need to be met so the project can move forward but beyond that any project that has multiple moving parts that are working parallel it can make it very hard to keep it organized. I think using a agenda or a shared note file where people log there week ahead and what they accomplished so far can be more potent when combined with a Gannt chart.

When doing project management to meet deadlines, I think the key factor is to make a solid plan with a lot of “what if’s” and also give each milestone some wiggle room for time. Being in the pandemic has shown me to create a timeline to finish my projects, and then also create an additional one that could would show how much wiggle room is allotted for each milestone in the event of a shipping delay, or any other factors such as working from “home” because of the pandemic. Understanding how to make a timeline for different scenarios, where to prioritize, and also how to manage the small details really helped to ensure the project was completed on time.  The smaller details typically were the ones that would cause the overall bigger milestones to fail, so having those sorted out creates an easier time for the “larger” details to be achieved. 

I think in order to get a realistic schedule and ensure the project is on schedule is to talk to the people who will be doing the work at each stage of the process. As said in earlier posts, the planning phase is extremely crucial to set up the flow for the rest of the project life cycle. Here is where, as a project manager, it is best to communicate with your project team. Communication is vital to correctly plan a schedule and to keep the team on schedule. In addition to pre-project meetings, weekly progress meetings are also vital to ensuring the project stays on course. Being efficient during these meetings includes everyones input to be heard and respected, while also allowing them more time to focus on task completion. Additionally these efficient weekly progress meetings encourage team members to participate in project meetings and builds goodwill between team members and project manager. Overall, a strong trust and relationship between team members and project member through constant communication will always help keep the schedule on time as best as possible and meet deadlines.

As you mentioned, handling projects in real-life situations can be quite stressful, and meeting deadlines often proves to be challenging, even with a detailed plan. In my role within the CNALab at NJIT, I have encountered situations where unforeseen interruptions disrupted my initial plans, leading to delays in project completion. I am eager to learn more about effective strategies for handling interruptions and adapting project plans in real-time. Additionally, insights into optimizing resource allocation, managing team dynamics, and developing contingency plans will prove invaluable in my research endeavors. I hope that by the end of this course, I will be better equipped to handle the complexities of project management, ultimately contributing to more efficient and successful project outcomes! 

One method to ensure the project remains on schedule to meet deadlines is identification of the critical path. The critical path is the longest sequence of dependent activities (in time) that are required to complete the project. Identification ensures the project manager is aware of task priority, realistic scheduling, budget constraints, and potential delays. There are 4 types of  dependencies: start to start, finish to finish, start to finish, and finish start. Determining the dependency of each task enables managers to be more conscious of the relationships between tasks. Therefore as the schedule is created and updated, they understand the priority of each task. Scheduling can be completed more accurately, leading to realistic and efficient schedules.

Meeting project deadlines is crucial for several reasons and plays a fundamental role in the success of a project. Not only does it impact the overall performance of the project, but it impacts other aspects like relationships and finances. Companies and organizations that are able to prioritize and consistently meet the deadlines of their project will be better positioned for growth in their respective industry. However, depending on how detailed and specific the project plan is, deadlines are not always easy to follow. In order to meet project deadlines, plenty of careful planning must be executed.

To start, the project's scope must be defined. This will include a clear outline of the project's objectives, deliverables, and constraints. It is also important to understand the project's scope so that any unnecessary work can be avoided. Next, now that the scope has been defined, the project can be decomposed into smaller and more manageable tasks. Within this section of planning, a work breakdown structure (WBS) can be created to organize and categorize tasks. Along with this, each task should be given an estimation of time, either based off of historical data or expert judgment. Once each task is given a proper estimation of time, a timeline can be created. The timeline should include milestones that will act as checkpoints so that progress can be tracked, identify critical tasks that will directly effect the success of the project, and identify any potential risks that may impact the timeline. Lastly, it is critical that a thorough communication plan is set and regular monitoring is conducted so that the project does not fall behind the desired timeline.

I agree with the majority of the comments above that fulfilling deadlines is one of the most crucial and challenging aspects of a project. There are a few essential components of project management that can improve the efficiency of meeting deadlines. At the beginning of the project, careful planning is crucial. The project completion schedule, all required materials, and necessary steps should be included in the plan. Weekly meetings and effective team communication can help keep everyone updated on project developments, modifications, and issues. Furthermore, it helps to divide major tasks into smaller ones because time can be better managed and smaller projects are easier to handle.