How do you plan a project schedule with the rolling wave technique?

Imagine you're building a Lego structure, like a tall tower. Instead of trying to plan and build the entire tower all at once, you start by laying the foundation with a few Lego blocks. Then, as you go along, you add more blocks to create each level of the tower. By building one level at a time, you can see how the tower is taking shape and make adjustments if needed. Maybe you realize that the tower needs more support, so you add extra blocks in certain areas. Or perhaps you decide to change the design as you get new ideas. This way, you can adapt and make improvements as you build. Instead of trying to plan and know everything about the project from the beginning, you break it down into smaller parts or phases.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Embrace the flexibility and adaptability inherent in the rolling wave technique. Recognize that the detailed plans may change as the project progresses and more information becomes available. Be prepared to adjust resources, priorities, and schedules based on evolving project needs and stakeholder requirements.

See every planning comes with the experience. And this also changes from type of projects. Cutting the responsibility into pieces is a very good approach but sequencing of that pieces or rearranging the puzzle block is one of the great challenges for project coordinator or leader. For all type of project most important is the flow of documentations with a system with gate check model. If documentation approved no one can stop at execution level. This is based on my 12 years of specialty and agro chemical plant design. Regards Atul Guhe

The rolling wave technique for project scheduling is like building a puzzle. First, you get a general idea of what the puzzle will look like. Then, you focus on putting together the most important pieces first. As you work on those pieces, you start to plan and work on the next set of pieces based on what you've learned so far. You keep doing this, adjusting and improving as you go along. It's like building the puzzle step by step, making changes as you learn more, and making sure everything fits together nicely.

The rolling wave technique is a way to plan projects that focuses on breaking them down into smaller, manageable parts. It's like taking a step-by-step approach. First, you figure out what the project is all about and what you want to achieve. Then, you identify the main things that need to be done. Instead of planning everything in detail from the start, you start with a broad plan and concentrate on the most important tasks first. As you finish each part, you learn more about the project and can plan the next steps in more detail. This method allows you to be flexible and adjust your plans as you go along, making sure you stay on track and get the best results.

To use the rolling wave technique, follow these simple steps. First, clearly understand what needs to be done in the project. Then, break down the work into smaller parts and figure out the most important ones. Create a basic plan with key phases and milestones. Next, focus on the tasks that need to be done right away, and plan them in detail. As you finish each phase, learn from it and adjust the plan for the next phases accordingly. Keep updating the schedule as you learn more and things change. This way, you can be flexible and have a more accurate project schedule.

The rolling wave technique for project scheduling has its challenges. One key difficulty is the need for ongoing adjustments and refinements as the project progresses. This can be time-consuming and requires careful monitoring. Another challenge is the potential for uncertainty and changes in requirements, which may affect later phases. Additionally, accurately predicting resource availability and estimating task durations can be tricky. Balancing flexibility with maintaining a clear project vision is also a challenge. Despite these obstacles, the rolling wave technique offers the advantage of adaptability and better scheduling accuracy in dynamic projects.

Pivoting later in the project typically costs significantly more than pivoting earlier. The bigger the pivot needed, the earlier you want to know about and plan for it. I like to work with all project stakeholders to create a prioritized list of concerns / known-unknowns about the project based on their feedback before the project begins and revisit the list at each wave. This allows me to plan for addressing as many concerns / known-unknowns as early as possible. E.g., My engineers have low confidence about a design that’s part of second wave which also has dependencies in first wave. I’ll plan for engineering research in the first wave so we can learn right away if we need to make changes and also to boost the confidence of the team.

Industry Example: A Glimpse into Automotive Project Phases: Utilising Rolling Wave Planning, automotive project managers systematically segment projects into distinct phases: A, B, C, and D. Phase A emphasises initial design and robust concept validation. Phase B delves deeper into prototype development, marking the start of the Product Verification and Validation (V&V) stage. Depending on the project's complexity, Product V&V may extend into Phase C, which also focuses on design refinements and the onset of Process V&V. As the project moves to Phase D, there's a clear shift to refining manufacturing techniques, finalising Process V&V, and ensuring production meets the highest industry benchmarks.