Adaptive management of large development projects

The author discusses the planning, monitoring, and revising of project schedules with reference to a large and complex database development project. A Simple yet effective methodology for managing such projects successfully in an adaptive and flexible manner is presented. A simple computer program developed in house and a standard graphic software package were used on a weakly basis to product summary reports and graphical charts that provided crucial information about and yielded valuable insights into the performance of the project. The fast, low-cost computer program was used also to conduct `what if´ studies both for planning purposes and for comparison of alternatives whenever modification or corrective actions became necessary during the life cycle of the project. Though the analytical tools and computer aids were simple, they provided the essential information needed by managers and supervisors to manage the project effectively