Having reached the end of the project, we are now able to present a finished version of the schedule and compare it with previous versions to reflect upon the developments. The diagram below gives a graphical representation of how the scheduling as changed over time. The first line in each data series represents the start/end dates estimated in the original Gantt chart and each subsequent line represents an updated schedule, with the final line representing the actual start/end date of a given task. This examination of the changes in the schedules only considers the 'parent' tasks, rather than every individual task.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our design phase was scheduled for semester 1 and the intention was to complete most of the procurement prior to the Christmas break to allow time for material delivery – especially as our heating elements would be coming from America. At the time of the Interim Assessment, we were not only confident in our ability to accomplish our goals, but also to complete the work to our fixed deadlines.

 

The build phase commenced in earnest upon returning for semester 2. The building went mostly to plan, with only some slight issues leading to subsequent material orders and revisions to the system - all of which took time. This extra time consumed in the build phase was used very effectively however; the team concurrently working on many different tasks. Upon completion of the build we were 12 days behind the original estimate. The start of the experimental stage was therefore delayed, and the experiments were extended by a week to aid in timetabling the desired number of subjective testing participants. Some peripheral activities were also allowed to extend as they did not affect the critical path of the project.

 

Overall, the initial schedule was a reasonable approximation of the time required to complete the different tasks and has been a good tool in keeping us on the right path and monitoring our progress. Our primary deliverable dates were not changed despite various scheduling changes due to the contingency time built into each stage - we recognised that accurately scheduling a task five months in advance would be tricky. A full account of our scheduling reflections can be found in our Final Report located on the home page.