Project Management Orderings

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Overview

Formal project management has developed sophisticated methods for ordering work across teams, managing dependencies, and handling uncertainty. These work for any multi-step project with dependencies and resource constraints.

Ordering Rules

Rule 1: Critical Path Method (CPM)

Map all tasks and dependencies
Find the longest path through the network (critical path)
Critical path tasks have zero slack — any delay delays the project
Non-critical tasks have float — can be delayed without affecting completion
Order: Critical path tasks get priority in scheduling and resources

Rule 2: PERT — Account for Uncertainty

For each task, estimate: optimistic, most likely, pessimistic duration
Expected = (O + 4M + P) / 6
Use expected durations for scheduling
Variance tells you where uncertainty lives
Order: high-variance tasks earlier (reduce uncertainty sooner)

Rule 3: Critical Chain (CCPM)

Remove individual task padding
Add a single project buffer at the end
Add feeding buffers where non-critical paths join critical
Order: schedule aggressively, monitor buffer consumption

Rule 4: Agile/Sprint

Break work into time-boxed iterations (sprints)
Each sprint delivers working increment
Prioritize backlog each sprint by value
Order: highest-value items each sprint, adjust between sprints

Application

Step 1: Map Dependencies

What depends on what?
→ INVOKE: /de [tasks] for dependency extraction if needed

Step 2: Identify Critical Path

Which sequence of tasks is longest?
Those tasks determine the minimum project duration

Step 3: Schedule

Critical path tasks scheduled first with full resources
Non-critical tasks scheduled in float periods
Buffers placed at merge points

When to Use

Multi-person projects with dependencies
Deadline-driven work
Resource-constrained scheduling

Verification

All tasks and dependencies mapped
Critical path identified
Buffers placed (not padded individual tasks)
High-uncertainty tasks addressed early