HISTORY OF PLANNING/SCHEDULING

Steve,



Reading this backlog? Any feed back from your conference?

Would you send it to me?

Cheers

Hi,



I am the person referenced by Steve developing an article on the History of Critical Path Scheduling for the myPrimavera conference (a bit more limited then the history of planning).



The paper will most certainly be available after the conference for Steve to post, as well as on my website at www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Resources.html (we have a whole bunch of past papers available for download).



My hypothesis is that the development of modern project management was driven by the need to do something useful with all this ‘stuff’ the schedulers were producing..... and the profession is fast approaching its 50th anniversary (either in 2006 or 2007)



What would be really appreciated is any hard data on the very early days of CPM, between 1955 and 1960 – the one fact I am seriously missing is the year (or preferably month) Kelly and Walker (and/or the PERT people) actually started developing their systems.



Thanking you for your help.



Pat

Steve



That sounds good.



Dear All,



Should we set up the criterions first??



We plan everything in life some are instantaneous some are well thought

Some in accordance to the plan and some don’t.

Some plan on small projects, some don’t plan on big projects. How to identify the earliest planner??



So in a way, every human being is a planner. Some achieve a bigger project, some achieve in a much smaller scale. Nevertheless we are all planner. Do you all agreed??



In order to draw a line of trace of well planned project, we should start by asking what is the condition / criterions as a qualifier in order to qualified to contest with the time elements (Earliest)



Agreed??



Alex

I will be sure to request that the speaker makes the full paper available and will post a link to download it. The conference is not until April 06, but if I can get access to it any sooner, you will be the first to know.



Steve

Sen Moc, sorry for being delayed to replay. I am saying it was one of the reasons not the only one. I will phrase it in another words. The ancient Egyptian wants the people to be busy all the year. So, they wont have time to fight during the Nile flood. He made the idea of National Project (Pharaoh Eternity Home). The result was, People were busy with sacred mission during the vacancy time.



Oh by the way, Steve, I am joining Sen Moc in the same request.

So we’re back to God again ;-)

Hi andy,



What makes you relate all this to god?

Hi David,

Planning is a mindset, and for practicioners of the game, it is a way of thinking. The earliest reference to planning is in fact to be found in "The Art of War" by Tsun Tsu. And it sums the practice of planning up perfectly.



Regards

David,



Have you considered researching something like Hadrian’s Wall? Hadrian designed this and his own villa at Lucarno, and while you may be sceptical of architects as planners, Hadrian was also a military man noted for the meticulous planning of his campaigns. Might be worth a shot.



In the same area, when on a protracted campaign, the Romans used to carry with them pre-fabricated fortresses, built to a standard design, which could be assembled very quickly. This certainly shows evidence of fairly detailed planning.



I don’t have any more information than this, but it might give you a starting point for planning before Gantt and Taylor.



Chris Oggham

The power of historical slant usually lies with the author.



Archeological evidence may suggest otherwise.



Another basic premise for a good Planner.



Never believe everything you read.

Oh...



and, following an earlier message I researched ’Imhotep’.



One of the articles said:



"Imhotep is comsidered to be the earliest known named architect"



... and we all know what good planners/schedulers architects make :-)



David

Hi



I run a planning and programming course and my introduction includes ‘a brief history of time’ (hmmmm, classy title, maybe I should write the book...). But my extensive researches haven’t been able to find anything formal before Gantt and the rest of the Scientific Management guys.



Or maybe I have got the wrong end of the stick. In this forum when I talk about planning I am thinking about prior documentation of activities, durations, logic and sequences... not merely the decision to construct something. I think ’planning’, as in deciding on the layout, construction, design etc of something is different to the planning I am thinking about.



There is documented evidence of ’quantity surveying’ type activities from Roman times but I have found nothing other than ’there must have been or how did they get built’ type thoughts on pre 20th century stuff.



Any help gratefully received!



Regards



David

I reckon you guys should come to a conference being run in Australia next year. One of the speakers is due to present on "a brief history of scheduling" - check http://www.myprimavera.com.au/06/process.asp.



Judging by the threaded discussion here I would love to see the "lively" post-presentation Q&A session!

I still believe the the Zigurats were the first high rise structures, and was built out of clay and re-inforced with straw, this is evident if you guys are willing to do some research, obviosly somebody was doing the planning for them.

In Egypt we have from 90-100 pyramid from Abo Rowash (Giza) to Hwara (Fayoom)

All of them built on the same line. With different shapes. The three famous pyramids was the result of all these trials to enhance the pyramid shape. The pyramids was not just Built for the Pharaohs, it was a social solution also to a major problem by that time. The majority of people were working in Agriculture, but in the time of Nile flood they were with out something to do. So, the problems increased and also wars between them. Upon that the decision made, all people should share in the construction of pyramid during the flood time to prevent these problems.

Gwen, not sure if settlements would count, as you could debate whether they were planned, or just sort of sprung up and evolved. It was probably a good millenia or so after Skarra Brae (sp?), before people realised they could really bugger things up by planning their towns :o).



I think to qualify, you’d have to say it was some sort of engineering project that had some design behind it (solar tracking, for the henges, or getting something nice and big and waterproof built in time for the rainy season for Noah and his boat)



Just a thought...

Skara Brae, dating back 3100 - 2600BC, was a settlement in the Orkneys, a small group of islands which lie about twenty miles north of the Scottish mainland.



It was discovered in 1850 after a violent storm had struck the island, ripping away the turf and sand dunes. The settlement was exposed to daylight for the first time in nearly four and a half thousand years.

Andy,



Stonehenge?

Good example!

Started 2950 BC continued on and off for 1400 years in three phases, the third phase having three distinct stages. The design was changed a number of times during the building; don’t know what you think, but sometimes history seems to repeat itself.



Chris Oggham

Stonehenge?



Before that there was Strawhenge and Woodhenge but the big, bad wolf............



(now who did I pinch that from??)

In fact you are wrong jihad, the Zigurats was built before that

Nixt!



I think the present day Orcadians would have you on that.

Subterranian structures, tombs, villages, workshops, stone furniture linked in the stone structures to mark the obersation of the sun.

Pre dates even the structures south of Giza. They are relatively recent predating the Saquarra not sure how to spell it Pyramid. The stone one deteriorating badly a days drive south of giza.

The first "human" planning engineer to be known by name and achievement was Imhotep, who planned & built the Step Pyramid at Saqqarah, Egypt, probably in about 2550 BC.

How about Noah??



Didn’t he plan to build a big ship? Isn’t he considered as one of the greatest planner (human)?



Cheers!



Christian

one of my favorite poems goes:



God made the world in 6 days flat

On the seventh, he said "I’ll rest."

So he set the thing in orbit’s swing

to give it a dry run test.



A hundred million years went by

and he checked on the whirling blob

his spirits fell

his shoulders shrugged

and he said "Oh well, it was only a six day job."

Well said Bill