University Project: PROJ6002 Schedule Management Discussion Activity

This discussion post analyzes the impact of project scope changes on project schedules, using the vehicle maintenance facility case study as a reference. It examines how scope creep, driven by factors like unclear initial specifications and the addition of new features, leads to delays, resource allocation adjustments, and potential cost increases, especially in fixed-price contracts. The post highlights the importance of change management procedures to minimize scope creep. Furthermore, it discusses the project manager's role in communicating project variances to stakeholders, emphasizing the use of weekly meetings and variance reports to keep stakeholders informed about schedule and cost performance. The discussion underscores the significance of effective communication methods, including visual presentations and written communications, to ensure stakeholders are aware of project progress and motivated toward project goals.

Running head: SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT
Part A – Module 2 Discussion Activity Schedule Management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:

1SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT
Changes to project scope affect project schedule
The scope changes provide impact on project schedule by causing delay in completion
of the project plan. Scope creep occurs due to addition of extra new features and extra
requirements and change in the project goals. It can cause any time and provide impact on
project schedule as it requires additional project resources, time as well as cost accounted for
the project starting. The objective of change management is to make sure that proper
procedures are taken to minimize project scope creep. In vehicle maintenance facility case
study, scope creep is occurred due to lack of clarity as well as depth of the original project
specification documents on fixed price contracts. It allows unmanaged contract among owner
as well as general contractor (Corvello, Javernick-Will, & Ratta, 2017). There is poorly
defined initial requirements of the development plan. Therefore, the manager thinks to make
scope changes in the existing venture management idea.
The project is based on fixed price contract, therefore under this contract, the set price
is not changed unless there is any variations in the project scope. Therefore, based on the
project, there is change in the scope of the project affects schedule as there is change in the
contract price and the price will increase (Sanghera, 2019). At the time of project execution,
the processes of project control as well as record keeping helps to manage the project scope
creep occurred in project plan. There is lack of formal scope documents and unpredictable in
gathering requirements of the product.
Communicate project variances to project stakeholders
The project manager is responsible to efficiently interact with the project stakeholders
about the project scope as well as project purposes. The project manager can interconnect
with the stakeholders through weekly project meetings. When management the venture plan,
it is vital to keep each of the shareholders (internal and external) informed on what is going in

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the project plan. In the project team meetings, the development manager presents the project
variance report to stakeholders for their understanding on schedule and cost variances.
Failure in project communication provides negative impact on project work (Taleb et al.,
2017). Variance analysis is done by differentiating actual as well as planned behaviour of the
project plan.
Based on the case study, the project manager considers the existing project ideas and
then makes changes in some of the areas. Therefore, the manager communicates the
variances by communicating the project progress to the sponsor and executives. The variance
project report provides status of the project and consists project schedule performance index,
cost performance index, schedule besides cost variances. The information planned to
communicate and drive the project activities through vehicle maintenance facility project
work. The project plan includes metrics that are gathered to support the information planned
for communication purpose with the project stakeholders (Muszyńska, 2016).
Communication is important as various stakeholders are being motivated by the project goals
as well as project status on schedule along with budget focused on the project manager and
other participants. The possible communication methods except project meetings are visual
(presentation) and written (email) communications.

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References
Corvello, V., Javernick-Will, A., & Ratta, A. M. L. (2017). Routine project scope
management in small construction enterprises. International Journal of Project
Organisation and Management, 9(1), 18-30.
Muszyńska, K. (2016). Patterns of communication management in project teams.
In Information Technology for Management: New Ideas and Real Solutions (pp. 202-
221). Springer, Cham.
Sanghera, P. (2019). Project Scope Management. In CAPM® in Depth (pp. 135-171). Apress,
Berkeley, CA.
Taleb, H., Ismail, S., Wahab, M. H., Mardiah, W. N., Rani, W. M., & Amat, R. C. (2017). An
overview of project communication management in construction industry
projects. Journal of Management, Economics, and Industrial Organization, 1(1), 1-8.