Project Management Tips

Adding Space, Makes An Easier Race

Buffering project timelines to ensure project success

The project was moving along at a rapid pace. Initial designs were right on the mark. Nick, the project manager, was confident, full of happiness and cheer. He knew the holidays were coming quickly, and he had the project ready for delivery before everyone left on vacation. At this point he thought nothing could go wrong. He got into his car and drove home. That evening, as he brushed his teeth, he felt a surge of pride in his management skills.

When Nick awoke the next morning, he had a distinct feeling of uneasiness. He dressed hurriedly, overwhelmed by a sense that something needed to get done, but he couldn't remember what. He arrived at work and checked his email. He was about to get up to walk over to his ten o'clock meeting when Hector his lead designer walked into the office. "I need to go home, I'm not feeling well. I think I may have a fever," said Hector. Nick could see that Hector's face was reddish and sunken. He told Hector to go home. At worst he would lose a day of design, he thought, not a serious problem.

The next morning, Nick's phone rang. He picked it up and heard Hector's tired voice complaining of continued sickness. He could not come in today, Hector explained, and would probably be out for several more days. It was a bad flu or something like it. Nick expressed his concerns to Hector, that without Hector's work, the project would likely not finish before the holidays. Hector said that he understood, but there wasn't much he could do about it, he was too sick to work. "You'll have to handle this one Nick," Hector wheezed, as he suggested that Nick find another designer to take over.

Time was slipping quickly and Nick's easy ride project was heading for disaster. The phone rang again and it was Nick's boss. He wanted to know the status of the project. "Things were going well, but Hector got a flu of some kind and can't work on the project," explained Nick. His boss wanted to know how he was going to handle it, and Nick had not yet come up with a solution. Not wanting to look like a fool, Nick told his boss he was going to look for a backup designer, but in his mind, he wasn't sure there was anyone to ask. The design department had been busy for weeks, and some designers had already started to leave on vacation. His boss reminded him of the project's importance, and how he could not afford any foul-ups.

Nick got up from his desk and walked across the hall to the art director's office. The art director was a strange fellow named Vin, who stood out from everybody else because he dressed as if he was going out to a nightclub every day. "What's up Nick," Vin asked, as Nick noticed his leather pants and excessive piercings. Nick explained the situation, lamenting about Hector's flu and how it was affecting the project. "Yep, I know," Vin said, as he took a breath and continued, "Hector called and gave me the low down, real shame and all." Nick explained that he needed another designer. Vin looked at him for a second then turned his gaze upward, as if in deep thought. Vin tapped his pen on the desk several times, and turned to look back at Nick. "Let me ask you a question Nick," Vin said, "how much time did you buffer out on this project?" Nick went silent. "Well," Vin repeated, "how much time did you buffer for?"

Nick finally spoke up and said, "What exactly do you mean by buffering?" Vin frowned, replying, "I am referring to the padding of hours in order to protect your project timeline. You know, make sure you can handle problems when they occur." Nick hesitated a moment before speaking, "I didn't really think that was necessary. Hector is a pro and has never let me down in the past. So I figured from the work I saw and everything, we were a shoe-in for success." Vin smacked the table hard with his pencil and exclaimed, "Oy!" He paused, and then continued while looking down at his desk, "Nick, I think you really screwed this one up. I don't have anyone to assign to this project till after the holidays. You should have thought about buffering time in case something unexpected made your life difficult."


Continue...


Back to project management tips