Project managers must develop budgets in order to obtain the resources needed to accomplish project objectives (Portney, 2008). Allocating the resources and estimating the costs associated with an ID project is a very important aspect of budgeting that requires investigation and allocation of all resources. In my experience over the past two weeks, there were unexpected challenges dealing with the cost estimating of project activities. I have managed my personal, freelance, and small budget allocations using a cost per unit approach. Never have I managed a multitude of tasks, subtasks, and labor cost for a wide range of professionals. This week I was able to implement the project budget that covers all the necessary project activities using a Gantt Chart (Project Schedule).
The web has a lot of useful resources to help manage the activities for planning, estimating and controlling costs so that the project can be delivered under the approved and allocated budget. Consider this resource to help you accomplish your project goals.
Project Planning Software
Tom’s Planner is Gantt chart software that allows anyone to create, collaborate and share Gantt Charts online with drag and drop simplicity. It is web based, extremely intuitive and easy-to-use. I took the quick tour and interface is very well designed with colorful Gantt charts graphics. You are able to share, collaborate, print, and download your charts at various stages.
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
