One big mistake I see on some projects is that the project
manager is diligent about creating an initial workplan
(schedule) but then does not proactively manage the workplan
during the project. Obviously, doing one without the other is a big mistake.
The initial workplan will help you launch your
project, but most projects are too dynamic to utilize the original workplan throughout the project. There are many issues that
come up that require the workplan to be modified and
updated.

Like much of project management, updating the workplan requires discipline and habit. On most projects,
you can follow this simple ten-step process.

  1. Update
    and review the workplan with progress to-date.
    This is probably a weekly process. For larger projects the frequency might
    be every two weeks. A simple routine is to have the team members send you
    status updates on Friday with progress on the activities assigned to them
    during the week. The project manager then would update the workplan on Monday morning to reflect the current
    status.
  2. Capture
    and update actual hours (optional). If you are capturing actual effort
    hours and costs, update the workplan with this
    information.
  3. Reschedule
    the project. Run your scheduling tool to see if the project will be
    completed within the original effort, cost, and duration estimates. 
  4. Review
    your schedule situation. See if you are trending past your due date. If
    you are, you will need to determine how you can get back on schedule.
  5. Review
    your budget situation. Review how your project is performing against your
    budget. Because of how financial reporting is done, you may need to manage
    the budget on a monthly basis. 
  6. Look
    for other signs that the project may be in trouble. These trouble signs
    could include team morale problems, quality problems, a pattern of late
    work, etc. Look for ways to remedy these problems once you discover them.
  7. Adjust
    the workplan and add more details to future
    work. When the workplan was created, many of the
    activities that are further into the future may have been vague and placed
    into the workplan at a high level. On a monthly
    basis, this work needs to be defined in greater detail. You should always
    maintain a rolling three months of detailed activities on your workplan.
  8. Evaluate
    the critical path of the project and then keep your eye on it. It is
    possible for the critical path to change during the project.
  9. Update
    your project forecast. After you’ve updated your workplan
    to reflect the work remaining to complete the project, you should also
    estimate the cost of the remaining work. This is usually referred to as “forecasting.”
  10. Communicate
    any schedule and budget risk. If you are at risk of missing your budget or
    deadline, communicate this risk to the sponsor and management stakeholders.
    You do not have to state that you will miss your estimates for sure.
    However, you should start to communicate the risk while you implement
    actions to try to get the project back on track.

That’s it. If you do this weekly, you will probably find that
this review and update process takes less than one hour per week — maybe only
30 minutes or so.