h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The desired result is achieved before you've finished planning?

The first task doesn't start on time?

This kind of reminds me of the QI on the Valkire aircraft.
It looked good in the planning stage but technology changed so fast that only three of them ever got built.
I'm sure somebody in school supply was planing a better slide-rule fifty years ago but never dreaqmed about the pocket calculator.
What can't be planned for? Someone else devising a better product.

Of course!

The oxymoron is both an unknown risk and an invisible stakeholder.

How can Project Manager Icy "expect the unexpected"?

All excellent points, and certainly valid.

The first task has to be on the critical path, so if it doesn't start on time your end date will be delayed. If you have a choice of tasks to do on the first day, then only delaying the critical path one(s) will delay the final outcome.

***

OK, let's say I produce and deliver my plan. I've used Microsoft Project, say. It contains hundreds of activities. The project is delivered (say) on 1st June 2012. Even if nothing external happens to scupper it, why do I have to worry about meeting that date?

You have been of course properly meticulous about making provision for all the scheduled public holidays and other non-working days.

The weather's an unknown.

Maybe they're planning a new October 1582? Some days will just be removed from the calendar, and then the 1st June 2012 won't exist at all?

--

Fun fact: Cervantes and Shakespeare died on the same date (23 April 1616), but different days.

Is that because they died in different countries where different calendars applied?

Yes. England and Protestant countries took a while before getting the new calendar, which was a papist invention apparently.

This may also explains why Isaac Newton is not so widely known to be born on 25 December: according to the new calendar he is born on 4 January, which is less memorable.

Whoops - I realised after I posted that I'm sending you down the wrong train of thought entirely with that posting. Of course I can follow a plan and, if nothing goes wrong, meet that date. Please ignore post 25 - sorry.

What I meant to say is:

***
Let's say I'm asked to plan something. It contains hundreds of activities. I use Microsoft Project (or some other method) to plan it. Why can't I be sure that I'll be able to deliver it as quickly as possible.
***

The project might be cancelled?

No, I'm not looking for anything which could happen during the project phase itself, but something which is a problem with the way it's planned.

If it gets finished for handover on 1 June 2012 (a Friday), there might be no-one around to receive it if the client knocks off early for the weekend.

I'm finding it difficult to clue this one without giving it away.

It's a problem inherent in planning.

Running out of biros?

Well, if I asked you to plan a (non-trivial) project so that it delivered the end result as soon as possible, how would you do it?

Delegate?

Very wise

Start from the end task and work backwards to determine the critical path and the start date.

So I should have started yesterday.