How do I keep my project on track? Many project leaders struggle with this question. And that’s not surprising, because the consequences of a delayed project can be disastrous. This is why we provide tips for effectively keeping your project on schedule.

Everyone has experienced it at one time or another: a project task takes a little longer than expected. This seemingly innocent delay often causes bigger problems. The delay of one task can cause other project components to become bogged down, which in its turn delays the speed of the work process. This leads to other components unable to being started, project members that have to wait and lose their focus. The priority shifts to other tasks, causing the project to slow down even more. This must be prevented, but how?

There are four possible solutions:

1. Stay focused on your (critical) project path
   Every task is important, but only a few tasks are critical and directly affect the project completion date. If a task on the critical path is completed late, the entire project is delayed. By keeping the critical path in mind at all times and defining it in your schedule, it is easier to prioritize and shift resources effectively.
2. Be realistic while making your planning
   Allow enough room in the planning: unexpected things happen in every project. This will give you the space to slow down and/or speed up tasks without the rest of the project stagnating or even grinding to a halt. The right planning makes or breaks a project, so make sure it is realistic and that you stick to it.
3. Speed up? Focus on the critical path
   Do you want to speed up the process? Then you need to tackle the tasks on the critical path efficiently. Put more people to work or, if necessary, engage additional parties to complete the tasks on the critical path as quickly as possible. This is the only way to accelerate the delivery of the entire project. Tasks that are not on the critical path cannot speed up the project and will therefore not resolve your delays.
4. Keep analyzing your planning
   Re-evaluate your planning regularly by checking whether the planning is still in line with the activities. Was the original plan correct? Did it really meet all the requirements and are we still on schedule? Ask yourself whether it would be smarter to take action and change the plan with the experience you have gained.

If the above tips have come too late, we have one last resort: discuss (in good time) with your client the extent to which certain project components can be omitted without detracting from the overall project result. It may be possible to take actions that limit the damage in the end.

We would like to ask you: how well do you know your critical path?