What are the Different Methods Used for Monitoring a Project

Methods for Monitoring a Project

          Time sheets

Once project development commences, the management has to track the progress of the project and the expenditure incurred on the project. Progress can be monitored by using the schedule and milestones laid down in the plan.

The earned value method, discussed later, can also be used. How much time different project members are spending on the defending activities in the project. They are used as mechanism for collecting raw data and to obtain information regarding the overall expenditure and making us ready for ambit different tasks and different phases at any given time.

Reviews

Purpose of reviews is to provide information for project control, a definite and clearly defined milestone. It forces the author of product to complete the product before the review. Having this goal gives some impetus and motivation to complete the product.

Cost-Schedule-Milestone Graph

A cost-schedule millstone graph represents the planned cost of different milestones. It also shows the actual cost of achieving the milestones gained so far. By having both the planned cost versus milestones and the actual cost versus milestones on the same graph, the progress of the project can be grasped easily.

Earned Value Method.

The system design usually involves a small group of (senior) people. Having a large number of people at the system design stage is likely to result in not-very cohesive design. After the system design is completed, a large number of programmers whose job is to do the detailed design, coding, and testing may enter the project. During these activities, proper monitoring of people, progress of the different components and progress of the overall project are important.
Unit Development Folder

The project plan produced after the requirements are a macro-level plan. Even if this plan is prepared meticulously and accurately, if proper control is not exercised at the micro level (at the level of each programmer and each module), it will be impossible to implement the project plan.