What is Master Schedule vs Milestone Schedule? Project teams create work schedules in order to understand what work will be completed in which period. For that purpose, they create various types of schedules. Project schedule, baseline schedule, integrated master schedule, milestone schedule, integrated master schedule and work schedule are common concepts here.
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Master Schedule vs Milestone
It is obvious that a project cannot be good without a proper work schedule in place. Because scheduling establishes a system to manage the activities, resources, deliverables, milestones and project goals in a timeline.
In project management, integrated master schedule, project schedule and milestone schedule are three different types of schedules. They are for coordinating and tracking various components of a project. Although each type of schedule plays an important role, they are related to different documents.
1. Don’t Get Lost in the Project terminology
A Master Schedule is your detailed itinerary. Because it is listing every single step you need to take. You can think of it like a travel blog that breaks down every activity. It includes how long each activity takes, what you need to do it and how everything connects. This is your best friend for day-to-day planning and keeping your project on track.
Milestone Schedules give you a bird’s-eye view of your adventure. It highlights the major landmarks you absolutely can’t miss. You can imagine it as a picture postcard showcasing those key moments. These ones keep stakeholders and project sponsors informed about the big picture.
2. Project Clarity with these Schedules
A Master one acts like your detailed project recipe. It lists every ingredient (task) you need, how long it takes to cook (duration), and what other ingredients you need to have ready first (dependencies). Imagine a chef meticulously planning every step of a delicious dish. This level of detail empowers project managers and core teams to execute the project flawlessly, day by day.
Milestone Schedule
They focus on the key milestones, those “aha!” moments. Think of a photo album showcasing the highlights of your culinary journey – mastering that soufflé, perfecting that pasta dish. These milestones provide stakeholders and project sponsors with a clear picture of how the overall project “dish” is coming together.
3. Speaking Their Language: Master Schedule vs. Milestone Schedule
Project communication is like speaking different languages. The core team thrives on details, while stakeholders need a bigger picture.
Master Schedule works as your engineer’s blueprint. It details every component (task), its connection to others (dependencies), and the timeline for assembly. This blueprint is essential for project managers and core teams to ensure smooth construction.
Master Schedule vs Milestone
Milestone Schedules, on the other hand, are like those progress reports you send to your client. They highlight key milestones – reaching a certain floor, completing the plumbing, installing the windows. These milestones keep stakeholders informed about the overall building process through the Milestone Schedule.
When you use both you can tailor communication for different audiences, it will be leading to a successful project from start to finish!
Master Schedule, Milestone Schedule, Project Schedule
Before starting, let’s discuss the basic terms used in time management.
Milestone
According to the PMBOK Guide, a milestone is a significant event in the project usually completion of a major deliverable.
Milestones have a fixed date but no duration.
Below are some examples of milestones in a project
- Project Start and End
- Start and Completion of each phase and/or discipline
- Kick of Meeting
- Site Handover
- Sign of Contract
Milestones often highlight important tasks or events for a project.
Schedule
A schedule represents the planned dates for performing activities and for meeting the deliverables. A schedule is a communication tool that is used to discuss what work needs to be done and when it should be done. They are typically created at the beginning of a project and updated and reported on a regular basis.
Project Scheduling Steps
Before discussing the differences between the master schedule and milestone schedule, let’s take a look at the project scheduling steps.
An executable schedule should be created by following the project scheduling steps given below;
- Creating and developing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- Writing a SOW (Scope of Work)
- Defining work packages and major project deliverables
- Creating the tasks list
- Assigning relationships to the tasks
- Determining and assigning resources
- Analyzing the critical path of the project
How it Works Step by Step?
Developing a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a crucial step in scheduling. Because it provides a framework for creating an effective schedule. Within the WBS, work packages represent the lowest detail level with activities grouped under them. Activities have specific start and end dates along with durations. While relationships define the logical sequence of these activities. Resources like materials, labor and machinery are estimated and assigned to each activity. Finally, it is essential to analyze the schedule to ensure it’s realistic.
Integrated Master Schedule
An Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) is like a big picture plan that pulls together all the sub-schedules of a program. This is including important milestones for each sub-project. It is super helpful because it creates a common language for everyone involved. Such as project teams, stakeholders, and vendors. Plus, it provides essential data for Earned Value Management (EVM).
You can think of the IMS as a communication tool for performance reports. It usually comes from the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). In short, the IMS keeps everyone on the same page and helps manage the whole program effectively!
How to guıde Your Project to Success
Project schedules are your roadmap, but choosing the right one can be tricky. Let’s break down the key differences to guide your project to success:
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Master Schedule: Your In-Depth Guide
Think of a detailed travel itinerary. A Master Schedule provides a comprehensive breakdown of every project activity, including:
* **Tasks:** Every step, from initial planning to final delivery. * **Durations:** How long each task takes to complete. * **Dependencies:** How tasks connect (e.g., finishing design is crucial before starting construction). * **Resource Allocation:** Who or what's needed for each task (e.g., software for design, materials for construction).
This detailed view empowers project managers for day-to-day planning and keeps the project on track.
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Milestone Schedule: Highlighting Key Achievements
Imagine a travel postcard showcasing iconic landmarks. A Milestone Schedule focuses on major achievements that mark significant progress, like:
* Project kickoff * Completion of key phases (e.g., design finalization) * Delivery of major deliverables (e.g., software prototype)
These milestones keep stakeholders (like investors) informed of the project’s overall journey.
Choosing the Right Tool
The key is matching the schedule to the audience:
- Master Schedule: It is best for internal communication within the project team for intricate task planning.
- Milestone Schedule: And it is ideal for external communication with stakeholders to showcase progress and achievements.
Synergy for Success
You can use both strategically for optimal communication and project visibility. A Master one keeps the team on track, while a Milestone partner informs stakeholders. Together, they work for your team and stakeholders.
Milestone Schedule
A Milestone Schedule is a summary level schedule, which identifies the major project milestones.
This planning focuses on milestones instead of activities. Also, it includes major deliverables, significant events, contractual obligations and the company’s strategic goals.
They are one of the most important schedules that must be maintained and referred through the project life cycle.
Why is a Master Schedule Important?
The project master schedule is one of the most effective tools that help the project manager to perform his business.
It is a summary-level project schedule that includes the major project deliverables, work breakdown structure components, and key project milestones.
Project Schedule
A Project Schedule represents the planned dates for performing activities and the planned dates for meeting milestones.
The project schedule details what work needs to be done and which resources must be assigned in order to perform the tasks in a given time period. Also, engineering, Procurement, and Execution parts are detailed in Project Schedules.
The project schedule should be updated regularly in order to monitor the project’s performance.
Master Schedule vs Milestone Schedule
- The detail level of a milestone planning is lower than master counterpart.
- A milestone plan includes major project milestones. Also, on the other hand, a master counterpart is a summary-level project schedule. Hence, it is including milestones, major deliverables and work breakdown schedule components.
Summary
In order to keep track of all of the different components of a project, project teams create a number of schedules in different detail levels. They are summary-level schedules prepared for early communication among stakeholders. Also, these schedules demonstrate the main strategy of the project.
On the other hand, a project schedule is a detailed schedule that is prepared to show the detailed tasks. These are for completing the project and updated regularly to monitor the project’s performance.
See Also
Work Breakdown Structure Example
External Reference
Lorelei Anrei is a PMP, & ITIL certified Project Controls Manager. Ms. Anrei has worked in IT Industry for over 15 years. As a guest speaker, Anrei has shared presentations on Efficient and Effective Meetings. She is sales and marketing manager at LB Training Solutions.
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