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Managing a project from start to completion require a great amount of organization and dedicated. Many project managers turn to effective time management tools to budget time, set deadlines, and follow up on specific tasks. The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) has been a vital tool used since the late fifties.

PERT is a well-known method used to analyze all the tasks involved and determine the amount of time it will take to complete each task and then the entire project. Project managers and project coordinators have come to depend on the simple strategy to keep a project on task and completion on time.

There is a language built around the PERT method that consists of many phrases unique to the tool. Float or slack is used to define the amount of time each specific task can be delayed and still reach the original time of completion. Other terms such as critical path, fast tracking, and lead all refer to various strategies within the method. Optimistic (O), Pessimistic (P), Most Likely Time (M), and Expected Time (TE) are used to label the required time to complete a task.

Understand how Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) can help you manage even your most difficult projects.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

Use a project evaluation and review technique to efficiently manage even complex projects

When you plan a project, you need to know exactly what's involved and how much time each component requires; the Program Evaluation and Review Technique, or PERT, can help you minimize the guesswork and manage your projects more efficiently.

PERT was invented in the late 1950s by Booz Allen Hamilton, under contract to the US Navy Special Projects Office, part of the United States Department of Defense. Since then, program evaluation and review techniques have caught on across both the public and private sectors, with many companies developing their own version of the PERT technique. PERT in business includes the following steps:

Start a business PERT analysis by identifying the specific tasks necessary to the project.
Determine the proper sequence of these tasks.
Diagram the tasks, and their relationships to each other.
Estimate the time needed for each task.
Outline the "critical path," by adding the time needed for each task.
Update the PERT chart periodically during the project.

Use PERT training to strengthen your project management skills

If you frequently oversee project management, consider training in PERT or other project management methods. Many materials are web-based or available on CD-ROM, so you can complete the training at your own pace.

Model your PERT charts after online examples

Program evaluation and review techniques must take into account a multitude of factors, and the process can intimidate newcomers. However, several websites offer models and step-by-step examples you can use as a basis for your own PERT charts.

Simplify project management with PERT chart software

For even greater efficiency of project management PERT, consider PERT software. PERT programs automate many of the tasks associated with project management, and allow you to instantly see the potential impact of individual tasks on your schedule.

When determining the "critical path" section of your PERT chart, estimate the shortest length of time required by each task, the most likely length of time needed, and the longest length of time if the task should take longer than expected. This provides a more realistic analysis of the total time needed to complete the entire project, taking into account any setbacks.