Unit 4 - 2 Know how to plan and manage workload

2.1 Describe effective time management skills needed to plan workload

Although I prefer to take a "freestyle" approach to most things I do, it would probably be a better idea to plan out my work, and sometimes it is essential to do so, particularly when tackling a large project or working with several colleges on a mutual task. Time management is essentially the foundation of a plan, especially when you have a deadline to meet, as it ensures that you have a guide as to what you need to get done during what times in order to complete the project. It is useful to have a physical plan on paper or electronically that you can use as reference and to keep track of things you have and haven't done yet, "ticking them off" as you go.

2.2 Describe how to specify and agree timescales, budgets and resources

In order to effectively manage a workload, there are various points to consider, which should form the foundations of your plan:

Timescale - How long do you have to complete certain tasks? Is there a final deadline? I regularly have print work to complete, that is to a strict deadline as it has to be proofed and sent to print in time to be used at an event. I therefore break down my workflow to be able to complete the project in time and without having to rush to get things done last-minute (Mostly...).

Budget - If you are working on a project for a client, or sometimes even if it is in house, how much funds are available? Particularly important if you need to buy any extra software, hire extra personnel, purchase stock images or plugins.

Resources - Who/What will you need to hand in order to complete the workload? For example, which pieces of software will you need to use? Will you need to utilise a specialist (photographer, film director)? What assets do you need? I regularly have to obtain images and copy from various venues for use in our sales support material.

If the project is for a client, agreeing on deadlines and budgets are a necessity and should be carried out before anything else, so that a plan can be made to meet those requirements. As far as resources are concerned, this can be agreed with your manager, or any third parties that may be involved on the project in question.

2.3 Explain how to construct a simple project plan

A project plan can be as basic or in-depth as you require it to be, depending on the project you are undertaking and your own skill with time management. There isn't exactly a strict guide to constructing a project plan, as long as you find a technique that you are comfortable with, and the plan is efficient and actually aids you with completing the project, rather than just being a formality.

The foundation of your plan usually consists of a brief, and getting your head around it should be your primary task. Understanding what is required of you and what the end result needs to be gives you a good starting and end point, and fill in the steps in between, taking into consideration the priorities of each. Then think about the timescale you have to work with and what deadline you have for the overall project, which will make it easier to break down the steps in between into "time slots". Also make note of what resources you will need for each task and how these will take from the overall budget of the project, or whether they will take up some of your allotted time (such as contacting third parties that will be involved). Having a hard copy of your plan, whether on paper or electronically is always useful for reference, and there are pieces of software and apps that can be used to aid you. Even a diary or a Google Calendar can be effective, particularly for time management. There is also software specifically geared toward project management, after a quick Google search, here are some examples: Zoho, Wrike.


2.4 Explain the use of a contingency plan

A contingency plan, or a "Plan B", is a supporting plan which is to be used if your original plan deviates from its intended course.  In other words, if something goes wrong, it's always useful to have a back up plan that will solve all of your issues! (Yeah right). Although it's not essential, it's good practice to have a contingency plan in place whenever you start a project (it could just be for certain points in your workflow), as you never know when life will throw you a curveball.

2.5 Explain the importance of storing work, using version control and observing file naming conventions

Keeping work stored securely is important if you don't want to have to deal with losing a document and having to start all over again! (I'm sure we've all been there before, though.) Not only that, but it is useful to be able to access your work with ease for reference any time you need it. There are certain practices to be aware of when storing your work, and some effective ways of making sure your work is saved securely:

Backups 

Saving your work is one thing, but not having a backup can come back to haunt you if you happen to lose your original document through corruption, accidental deletion or if the system you have saved it on becomes inaccessible.  Having an external hard drive handy so that you can save a copy of your work to it is a good way of keeping a back up. If you don't have one available, there are also Cloud services such as Google Cloud, or Google Docs, which allow you to store documents and files for free, which you can access from any internet connection.


Naming Conventions

Plenty of times I've saved a document, left it for some time and forgotten where I'd saved it. Luckily I have been able to find the document fairly easy with a search, having known what the document was called. In some instances, it is easy to forget what the document was named, making it difficult to track it down if you have saved it somewhere you can't remember. Therefore naming the file something memorable can be useful for tracking it down, even if it is your initials at the beginning or the document name, or the date that you created it, but key words in the title are particularly effective.

Version Control

Version control allows you to essentially "keep track" of your file revisions over time. Lets say you are working on a document that you add to, edit, and update regularly. When saving this document, rather than saving it as one document every time, save it in iterations, adding a date or number to the end of the document each time, for example MySpeech-01/01/13.doc, MySpeech-02/01/13.doc. This means that you can go back to a previous iteration if your latest revision becomes unusable, therefore allowing you to continue from your last version rather than having to start all over again.