Introduction

When a project plan is completed, it will be reviewed by the sponsor and other project stakeholders. The sponsor may wish to make time adjustments, cost adjustments, or even outcome adjustments. There are always adjustments that can be made. They require a trade-off. Adjustments must be made on a task-by-task basis and with the task leader's approval. The basic Gantt chart provides clues to where these adjustments might be made. Project duration generally can be reduced somewhat but always at an increased cost. Trading longer time durations to reduce cost has limitations. Changing project outcomes means rewriting the specification and replanning the project. These plan adjustments are made for the customer by the project team. After the adjustments are made, a second review may be necessary. When the sponsor signs off on the project plan, execution of the plan begins immediately.