Apart from brainstorming tasks for each stage of the project, is there any other systematic way that we can list all the tasks and start assigning them?
The way we systematically organized the tasks for my senior capstone project was by breaking up the overall device into smaller components. For example, we broke our device into the circuitry, vibrational motors, Arduino programming, and belt design. Due to many of the components relying on the circuitry, we further broke that into motor circuitry and sensor circuitry. Once all the components were determined we were able to establish an order of succession and produce a tentative schedule for the project.
In terms of project management, splitting up each processes into teams and having them focus on their own specific tasks would allow for more focused tasks and having each team have bite sized products to work on. This ensures that each team is able to focus on one specific thing and not have to worry about the other teams and processes. Integrating each team to one another should be the job of the project manager and being able to coordinate between each team. By splitting up each team and allowing them focus on one task allows for them to give more detailed tasks to the project manager to achieve the goal. This focused mindset allows for a well operating machine with the project manager as the lead.
Yes, but I was wondering if there is an algorithmic way to break a project into smaller chunks. DevDesai mentioned one way which if I understand correctly focuses on the subject area. Different areas such as circuits or programming will be divided into different chunks. Are there similar criteria like this to divide a project? Or does this always depend on a case by case basis?
I find it best to list out broad categories and then making sub categories ensuring that all components of the project are being accounted for. After breaking up the different categories of tasks, it makes assigning the tasks easier since you can visually see which departments are appropriate for their respective task.
Another way to break up a project is by starting with what departments need to be involved and what they need to be responsible for. There should be a pattern in how projects are broken up and which departments are typically involved making it easier for tasks to be created as the departments have already been chosen. This option is advantageous because you can reach out to people in different departments that you prefer to work with and are more familiar with which helps ensure that you are assembling a reliable team.
In my opinion, assigning tasks based on priority and urgency could be an efficient way for a project team to schedule their work. At the same time, the project manager should know the personal properties of each team member and assign the work based on that. For example, in a lab, people might be good at different things, some people may be good at cell culture, some people may be good at western blot or pcr. If the manager assigns the work randomly, the people who are good at cell culture may need to learn how to perform western blot and that will waste time. If the manager could assign the work based on what they are skilled in , people who are good at culture will only be in charge of culture and give the cell sample to the people who are good at western blot for characterization. The team could save time and may obtain better results.
I think assigning tasks is a crucial step in the progression of any project. From a management standpoint, I believe that assigning the right people to the right task can make or break a project (as cheesy as it sounds).
Putting individuals in assigned work which they would excel in could really allow the project to move at an efficient rate, with results having potentially better than average outcomes.
How you would assign the tasks is the difficult part, as you do not want to divide it based on bias or on what people ask for. I think breaking the project down into smaller parts and putting those that have the best background, skills, and knowledge in that area should take that part, even if it may be something they do not prefer. It is important to benefit the group and the project, not the individual.
A great tool for exactly this problem that we talked about previously was the Gantt chart. In Microsoft project one can assign dates, dependences, tasks and roles to different parts of a project. These roles can also be shared through the program using Microsoft teams and allow everyone to work of one Gantt chart. The Gantt can also track progress which is helpful and allows one to track their path and see if they missed any little tasks or deadlines. Having used it previously for a multi staged project it is a great tool and can be very helpful in organizing and keeping everyone on the same page.
In order to understand all the tasks that make up a project one would need to fully understand the fundamentals of the product as well as all variables involved in its production. Next, one can look at each specification and create a test to accurately test this variable isolated from the rest of the system. By breaking down a larger project into smaller portions one can more clearly see what tasks are needed both in the verification process but also when it comes to assigning a certain problem to an individual by grouping similar issues with one person.
It is important to break a large task into much more manageable, smaller tasks. This will ensure that nothing gets overlooked when completing the project. If an SOP is being followed, splitting up tasks according to the way the SOP is structure may be beneficial. This way, each task will be sequentially done and can be split among more people. Like Lei Has mentioned, the tasks that are urgent should be required first. Typically these tasks may take more time or manpower, so it would be best to execute them as soon as possible. Another way to split up tasks would by assigning each person a certain chunk/section that would need to be completed. These people would then be the SMEs for their respective sections. Anyone that would have a question of an item/task within a section could then refer to that SME.
When I interned with the Navy, a large portion of my time was spent in classes teaching different teams how to implement Scrum or different agile thinking methods to improve productivity. To prioritize the way that tasks were sequenced in different projects, the first step was to break down the project into the major milestones and from there into smaller subcategories. They were then ranked on difficulty and effort needed to complete each task using the Fibonacci sequence. This was because we are better at predicting the amount of effort something will take, as opposed to time. These are then put into an order depending on the amount of effort and every day during the sprint of the project totaled up to measure productivity. This gave teams a way to organize their tasks and plan a way to finish everything by each deadline. Many teams came back and said this worked extremely well in keeping everyone organized and on the same page. This was how I completed tasks, and really liked the organization and the way it was laid out.
The project manager is responsible for breaking down the project into tasks and reviewing the skill level of the project team to assign those tasks. The project manager has various means for determining and transferring those tasks, and one of the best is known as the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
WBS is a project management method for dividing work into manageable elements that integrate the scope, cost, and deliverables into a single tool. Project managers can utilize WBS as a starting point for figuring out and assigning tasks (Organ, 2022).
References
Organ, C. (2022, March 25). How to use work breakdown structure as a project management tool. Forbes Advisor. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/what-is-work-breakdown-structure/#:~:text=A%20work%20breakdown%20structure%2C%20or,deliverables%20into%20a%20single%20tool.
One way that can be effective is that task management is monitoring your project's tasks through their various stages from start to finish. This involves actively making decisions for your tasks to accommodate changes in real-time, with your end goal being to complete your studies. Project task management also means managing all aspects of a job like budget, time, scope, resources, recurrence, and so on effectively. Another option that I have learned through this course is the Gnatt Chart.
Yes, there is another systematic way to list and assign tasks. I believe defining a complete scope of the project is crucial to listing, organizing and assigning tasks. The scope of the project will help you to name the deliverables required from the project. Once you understand your deliverables you can begin to breakdown each deliverable into a series of tasks. From this point paying attention to which tasks are related to other tasks and which tasks are contingent upon other tasks completion to be able to begin. This will be the system you can begin to organize and assign tasks outside of brainstorming.
Apart from brainstorming tasks for each stage of the project, is there any other systematic way that we can list all the tasks and start assigning them?
When starting a project, I believe the best way to list all the tasks and assign them to one another is to have an initial meeting with all group members. By doing this, you will meet your group members, but you will also see who is most comfortable with each section. Also, another critical factor is to make sure everyone understands the topic at hand. If even one person does not understand the project, it can lead to a faulty and non-accurate project. So the best way to list all the tasks is first to understand the project entirely, then assign each task to everyone, and one can listen to other people's opinions to see which part of the project they would like to do. Which will not always work in everyone's favor. It will allow everyone to have some word on what sections they want to complete for the project.
