This may seem like a rather basic question, perhaps one too basic to warrant asking. But the truth is that there is virtually no agreement among leading experts, let alone the average Project Controls practitioner, as to what is entailed in planning, and how it might differ from scheduling. Here are my thoughts :
Planning - Some have suggested that planning is all about “making decisions with the objective of influencing the future.” Others might take issue with this definition. But almost without exception, authorities agree that the Planning Process routinely answers these three essential questions:
What tasks will be performed?
How will the tasks be performed?
Who will perform the tasks?
By contrast, most authorities are in agreement that, while Planning and Scheduling are allied sub-disciplines, the invisible line that separates them is marked by the process of determining the timing of events or activities in a project. That is, while Planning who will perform the activities, what activities will be performed, and how the activities will be performed … Scheduling deals with when the tasks will be performed. This, in turn, means that we are determining the relative order of activity performance, known as the sequence of activities. Suffice it to say that the Scheduling Process succeeds the Planning Process, and is therefore always a reflection of the preceding Plan.
Another way to think of the difference between Planning and Scheduling is in terms of art or science. Planning is a group endeavour, which thus requires superior people skills, including the ability to communicate, negotiate, and strategize. Planning is more of an art, in this sense. By comparison, Scheduling is much more objective, formula-driven, and black-and-white. It is therefore more of a science than an art.
Hope this explains
Anil Godhawale
Founder, ProjectControlsOnline.com
