out of Sequence Activities

Hi Janaka - Welcome to Planning Planet

This happens when someone does something different to what is planned.

It could be that your programme was wrong or there was a better way to work.

Either way you have to change the logic to what is actually happening.

Best regards

Mike Testro

Thanks mike for your comment.

is it ok to delete or re-sequence the activities when we grab out of sequence  accordignly ? . I mean without chaging the baseline , but the updated program .

Hi, Janaka.

I one hundred percent agree with Mike about needing to change the logic to what has actually happened. Without doing that, you can never really tell where the project is.

However, I also believe that someone who changes the logic sequence WITHOUT first checking and getting approval with the Planner/PM should have their wrist slapped (though only gently, because you don't want to discourage them for looking for opportunities where changing the sequence might be very helpful). The trouble is that there may be negative implications, where an individual or subcontractor can't see any reason not to change the logic, but at the program level there is a VERY good reason not to! And that can result in extensive delay and expense as work sometimes has to first be undone, and then redone.

I believe that when OOS work is performed, the Planner ALWAYS needs to talk directly with the person who did it, explain that they shouldn't do this again WITHOUT first running it by the Planner. And the Planner should explain why, and let them know that, if the change is in fact beneficial, the Planner wants to make sure the individual gets full credit for suggesting it!

In my new book Managing Projects as Investments, at one point I write that "Anyone who does work out of sequence without permission should be quartered, drawn and hanged!" The editor sent me an email explaining that the term is usually "hanged, drawn and quartered" and asking me if I wanted them to put it in the right sequence!

I said no.

Fraternally in project management,

Steve the Bajan

Hi Janaka,

In my Opinion just change the schedule option from Retain logic/ early start to progress overide /actual start and then schedule.I Hope this will help u.

Jeelani:
The impact of some out of sequence (OOS) working is well reflected using original logic and Retained Logic option, the impact of some OOS is well refelcted using original logic and Progress Overide option, the impact of all OOS is only well reflected using updated logic.
Just switching to progress overide and assuming everything is fine is a dangerous short cut that I would not recommend.

Janaka:
Normally, you should ammend the logic in the updated programme to suit what has actually happened as my esteemed colleauges say below. However I have worked with clients / contracts that do not allow you to do this, so you need to check first.
I would be more wary of deleting/replacing activities as a result of OOS working, as this will make comparison vs baseline much more difficult and could impact on earned value / weighted progress calculations. In my experience, situations where OOS working makes a particular activity no longer necessary are quite rare, so I doubt you will need to do this.

Cheers,

G

Thanks everyone for your valubale comments . I was really benefitted

To update activity as OOS you only need to go to schedule setting and change to progress override and then come back to update the actuals but dont go to the logic to change from like FS to SS.

Rgds

Yakub

Note: In a well structured environment and baseline signed, you should not change the logic except 

the Planning Engr of your employer (Client) approves it. Even you are changing the from retain logic to override

only to allow the successor activity to complete which is in between the next data date.

So I will advise you send mail to him for approval and this could change request format (but if you notice that 

there will lot of activity that will go out of sequence, then send mail that you want revise the logic unless you

will have lots of Out of Sequece in your work which is bad

Rgds

Yakub