What is PERT?

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The program evaluation and review technique (PERT) is a project management system that resembles a dynamic flowchart of interrelated processes. It is used to coordinate diverse project elements and their respective influences on cost, time, and each other. This technique provides a more adaptable overview of these dynamic elements than traditional static project charts and timelines. Originally developed for large-scale military-industrial projects, the program’s assessment and review technique is employed in large and small-scale organizations that require coordination of resources, teams, costs, and timelines to achieve specific results.

A PERT chart provides an overview of a project development process. In practice, task execution depends on ongoing project requirements, team decisions, and other external constraints. The main task when developing a PERT plan is to determine the critical activities on which all other activities depend. This is sometimes called the critical path method (CPM).

The graph itself consists of three main elements – nodes, arrows and paths – assembled in various tree formations. Nodes identify major project elements, such as a departmental review, a research and development assessment, or the public launch of a new product. These nodes are connected with arrows and the arrows determine the sequence of stages a project will go through. Some nodes will have multiple arrows depending on their outcome, with/or decisions or possibly concurrent activities. The advantage is that the observer can immediately see which design elements will be directly influenced by the processes of a given node.

A project’s path is not necessarily linear or static, as found in the elegant vertical bars of a Gantt chart. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link; therefore, a chart that utilizes the program evaluation and review technique is only as timely as its longest path. This path represents the minimum deadline for completing a project; as such, it is called a critical path. This path will be the area of ​​greatest concern for a project manager dealing with unforeseen delays and unexpected costs.

In general, the PERT chart displays sequences of processes that may occur concurrently or may depend on the completion of a previous task. By a clear assessment of these nodes, a manager can better recognize potential problem areas and processes that are most likely to introduce “slippage” into even highly complex projects. By comparing minor paths to the critical path, managers can identify not only defined milestones and deadlines, but also “slack” areas that offer more wiggle room.

By forcing project managers to establish a firm understanding of the critical elements in a project and oversee the dependency relationships between nodes, the program assessment and review technique provides a clearer understanding of a complex project. This can result in greater team coordination, more efficient communication activities, and more effective evaluation of processes or objectives. Computers aid in the analysis of more complex plans. Given clear start/end times and objectives, they process known elements using algorithms to generate the most complete forecast possible.

Given the complexity and dynamic nature of PERT planning, the best results can occur with industry-proven methods where processes and expectations are widely understood. However, unforeseen circumstances or difficulties, scope creep, and butterfly effects can sometimes make it difficult for any well-defined plan to work. A well-trained project manager can use the technique of program evaluation and review not only to coordinate a large number of elements, but also to minimize the most likely areas of risk in order to produce a successful project outcome.

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