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VV 08 Project Management (Part 2)

In todays show well be covering words you can use to refer to the different stages, or phases, in a project schedule or timeline. First well hear a short article introducing the topic and then well go through the key language to explain its meaning and provide examples of how you can use it. At the end of the podcast we have a series of challenge questions to help you practice and remember the words we covered in this episode. The field of scientific management has developed several tools for helping large and complex projects succeed. These include the use of a baseline budget and schedule, along with visual aids that show details of the plan. These diagrams, such as the Gantt chart , usually indicate the overall timeframe of a project, as well as lead times, deadlines and milestones for each task and the dependency relationships between different tasks. One key concept is the critical path: the longest sequence of tasks that must be completed in sequence, with no time overlap. The PERT chart provides a visual representation of this constraint, allowing project managers to calculate the minimum time needed to complete a project.

Vocabulary
1. schedule A set of target dates for completing elements of a project. The schedule requires us to complete the first phase by January 1.

To schedule can also be used as a verb, meaning to prepare a schedule or to choose a time for a particular event. Richard has scheduled a meeting for all department heads on Wednesday morning at 10:00.

[Pronunciation note: In general, Americans pronounce schedule as SKED-ule, whilst British tend to say SHED-ule. However, this difference is not as distinct as say the difference in pronouncing tomato some British prefer their schedule with a K, likewise, some Americans pronounce it softly like the British. Even more interesting is that the two examples above were both spoken by Canadians from Toronto, yet they each pronounced schedule a different way. As always when faced with such idiosyncrasies (differences) the simplest solution is to just choose the pronunciation you prefer and stick with it.]
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VV 08 Pr oject Management (Part 2)

Two common collocations are on schedule, which refers to progress that matches the original plan, and behind schedule, which refers to a failure to keep up with the plan. We could face penalties if we dont keep on schedule. The contractors are running several weeks behind schedule due to poor weather conditions.

2. timeframe (time frame) The period of time in which a project or one phase of a project is meant to be completed. This is most commonly written as one word, but can be written as two. The timeframe for this project is quite tight as we only have two months to complete the design phase. 3. to kick off A figurative (idiomatic) expression meaning to start. Can also be used as a noun, kickoff. We kicked off the new project with a meeting for all stakeholders. The kickoff is scheduled for 10 October.

4. to greenlight; to give the green light To give permission for a project to begin. The commission has given the green light for a wind farm development. 5. lead time In general, the time between making a request and receiving the results. This term is often used to refer to the time between placing an order and receiving delivery. We have a large backlog of orders, so our lead time has risen from 15 days to nearly 30 days.

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VV 08 Pr oject Management (Part 2)

6. to execute To perform or accomplish a specific task. We need to execute each phase of this project according to schedule or well be facing series delays. 7. stage [also phase] A specific time period assigned for one element of a project. In most cases, each stage will end with the completion of a deliverable. A stage is also referred to frequently as a phase of a project. In the second phase, marketing will work with our research team to build new features based on customer feedback.

8. milestone A critical event during the life of accomplishment of a project deliverable. a project, usually the

Completing all documentation is a key milestone for most software development projects. 9. constraint A restriction or limitation that influences the project plan. For example, a target date may be a constraint on the scheduling of a project. There are two key constraints on the scope of this project: it needs to be completed in less than six months and within budget.

10. critical path The sequence of activities that must be completed on time for the entire project to finish on schedule. If an activity on the critical path is delayed by one day, the entire project will be delayed by one day. The critical path for this product launch involves market research, followed by product development and testing.

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VV 08 Pr oject Management (Part 2)

11. deadline The latest time or date by which something should be completed. The deadline to apply for these new positions is next Friday.

12. dependency relationship A relationship between two elements of a project, requiring one to be started or finished before another can begin. Theres a clear dependency relationship between planning and budgeting, since the plans have to be finished before we can calculate our materials costs.

13. PERT chart A tool used to schedule, organize and co-ordinate tasks within a project. (PERT stands for Program Evaluation Review Technique, a methodology developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s.) A PERT chart specifies the sequence of tasks in a project, and the time required to execute each one.

14. Gantt chart A bar chart that shows the overlapping timing of activities involved in a project, and sometimes also shows the relationship between them. According to the projects Gantt chart, we should complete our fundraising on or before 15 June.

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VV 08 Pr oject Management (Part 2)

15. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A work breakdown structure is a tree-like structure of tasks that need to be performed to complete a project. The WBS is often used as a project management tool and as a basis for project planning.

This software makes it easy to design and modify a Work Breakdown Structure for new projects.

Practice
Now its your turn to practice some of the words we have studied in this episode. Youll hear a series of sentences with a word blanked out or replaced with a beep. Repeat the whole sentence, but say the missing word. For example, if you hear: Example cue: We <beep> off the new project with a meeting of for all stakeholders. You should say: Example answer: We kicked off the new project with a meeting for all stakeholders Are you ready? Lets begin. 1. Theres no flexibility in the <beep> for completing the site work, since our subcontractors have other commitments this year. Learner: 2. Finishing the market research was the first <beep> in the launch of our new product. Learner: 3. Weve been researching this merger for several months now, but it was only last week that we got the <beep> from our CEO. Learner: 4. The strike has caused us to fall behind <beep> in filling orders for the third quarter. Learner: 5. Were looking at a <beep> of about 18 months to execute the rebranding strategy. Learner:

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VV 08 Pr oject Management (Part 2)

Answers 1. Theres no flexibility in the deadline for completing site work, since our subcontractors have other commitments this year. 2. Finishing the market research was the first milestone in the launch of our new product. 3. Weve been researching this merger for several months now, but it was only last week that we got the green light from our CEO. 4. The strike has caused us to fall behind schedule in filling orders for the third quarter. 5. Were looking at a timeframe of about 18 months to execute the rebranding strategy. The third episode in this series will be an audio podcast featuring collocations and advanced vocabulary for discussing projects in a meeting. In the meantime, you can visit the website at www.BusinessEnglishPod.com to watch and download lots more videos on business English. Thanks for watching and see you soon.

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VV 08 Pr oject Management (Part 2)

Vocabulary Review
Review vocabulary from this episode by filling in the blanks with words from the box. deadline lead PERT light milestone critical stage execute constraint milestone

1. Our regional managers need give the green _____________ to any new marketing initiatives in their area. 2. The weakness of the stock market has been the main _____________ on our plans to sell additional shares. 3. Weve given our primary contractor a _____________ of 1 May to complete stage 1 of the project. 4. Before you _____________ this change order, please check with the project manager to make sure it has been approved. 5. The first _____________ of the project is to determine what our end-users expect from this software. 6. Theres a significant _____________ time involved when we decide to hire and train new employees. 7. The upcoming trade fair in mid-August is a _____________ on any new product launches, since well need to have working prototypes finished by then. 8. The first _____________ in establishing our new office was the choice of a host city. 9. We can shorten the _____________ path if we carry out construction of the new office at the same time were hiring new staff. 10.The longest time sequence through a _____________ chart represents the minimum time needed to complete a project.

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VV 08 Pr oject Management (Part 2)

Word Search
Find the words listed in the table below in the puzzle. You can search horizontally (across), vertically (up/down) and diagonally ( / ). Some words are written backwards, ie. project = tcejorp. Blank spaces have been removed from two-part words.

schedule lead time milestone dependency

timeframe execute constraint Gantt chart

kick off phase critical path PERT

greenlight stage deadline

C C E G L C O C I E E E I

A P

P P I T

H H E L

E L E E L T

R L A C X A I

N L O

T E T

I E P I I I E

G S N I E I P N I L N E E L E I

D S G E L M S A G R E L I

A H N T H R H E A D K E I L

H C N C N N A N N C T S E R E T I C T A T M I H P R F R E M E E I

S S O E

U E E E C I

E A M E D H T

G L S Y I I

R S H C T T I E K I

A M

G C N T R E

A M E

E C U T E E S E

R D Y

R T N E M F

U C E L N P E E U

N D

A M G A C T

P R C E T O C A

E R R T N C T E T T G E N L I T G H R

G A O O O N T I

T M N D

D A A M D M N C G D E I N E T E L A E G E D S L T K I E

L T N H

A K H H D N D T G O T M E H T I G L T P P F S T X T F Y M E

D C T S G A D E D K L T S G M

E N C D P C M F

L H S E

E A P N M A E G A S A F A H U R D R I T E L I K E A S P I T S A I C H N T D A D T E D N

A H A A H R T E P

C C

N N N

U H N A

T A E O E C

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VV 08 Pr oject Management (Part 2)

Answers
1. Our regional managers need to green light any new marketing initiatives in their areas. 2. The weakness of the stock market has been the main constraint on our plans to sell additional shares. 3. Weve given our primary contractor a deadline of 1 May to complete stage 1 of the project. 4. Before you execute this change order, please check with the project manager to make sure it has been approved. 5. The first stage of the project is to determine what our end-users expect from this software. 6. Theres a significant lead time involved when we decide to hire and train new employees. 7. The upcoming trade fair in mid-August is a constraint on any new product launches, since well need to have working prototypes finished by then. 8. The first milestone in establishing our new office was the choice of a host city. 9. We can shorten the critical path if we carry out construction of the new office at the same time were hiring new staff. 10. The longest time sequence through a PERT chart represents the minimum time needed to complete a project.

Word Search Solution

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