Project Manager Task Tracking Techniques

Tracking Schedule

Project Schedule is the most important factor for software project manager.  It is the duty of project Manager to decide the project schedule and track the schedule. 

Tracking the schedule means determine the tasks and milestones in the project as it proceeds.

Following are the various ways by which tracking of the project schedule can be done.

1. Conduct periodic meetings.  In this meeting various problems related to the project get discussed.  The progress of the project is reported to the project manager. 
2. Evaluate results of all the project reviews. 
3. Compare 'actual start date' and 'schedule start date' of each of the project task.
4. Determine if the milestones of the project is achieved on scheduled date.
5. Meet informally the software practioner.  This will help the project manager tosolve many problems.  This meeting will also be helpful for assessing the project progress.
6. Assess the progress of the project quantitatively.

Thus for tracking the schedule of the project the project manager should be an experienced person.  In fact project manager is the only responsible person who is controlling the software project.  When some problems occur in the project then addition resources may be demanded, skilled and experienced staff may be employed or project schedule can be redefined. 

Time Box

For handling the severe deadlines, project manager uses a technique of time boxing.  In this technique each it is understood that the complete product cannot be delivered on given time.  Part by part i.e. in the series of  increments the product can be delivered to the customer. 

Time Box Technique

The project manager uses time box technique means he is associating each task with abox.  That means each task is put in a "time box" and within that time frame each task must be completed.  When the current task reaches to boundary of its time box, then the next task must be started (even if current task is remaining incomplete). 

Counterpart 

Some researchers had argued upon - leaving the task incomplete when current task reaches to the boundary but for this argument the counterpart is that even if the task is remaining incomplete it reaches to almost completion stage and remaining part of it can be completed in the next successive increment.