Introduction
Managers rely heavily on their preparation for any intervention they are attempting to perform alongside their organizations or groups. However, it is essential to keep track of the progress through various analytical tools that allow managers to visualize vital data regarding their plan’s execution (Cox et al., 2014). Thus, every stakeholder involved must be continuously updated on the process. This notion puts immense pressure on project administrators, who must communicate with their subordinates efficiently and concisely. Gantt charts and balanced scorecards are among the top solutions for this issue, as their accessibility and precision allow leaders and external consultants to set the direction for large teams.
Applications of Gantt Charts and Balanced Scorecards
Gantt Charts
The systems for project management contribute significantly to the work environment and must always be remembered by administrators and employees alike. Managers commonly use Gantt charts during strategic planning to create a clear path forward. They allow people to familiarize themselves with the schedule for each goal and perceive what executives intend to see (Gresakova & Chlebikova, 2019).
This format is also beneficial for an organization because of the clarity of statements. This tool is easy to use and can be translated by leaders for subordinates without additional conversions, enabling people to visualize data (Taghipour et al., 2020). Each worker can see their place in a grander scheme and understand their deadline and the consequences of not meeting it.
Furthermore, it helps execute projects that follow the Agile structure by creating a workflow that combines elements necessary to achieve before other parts of the process occur (Silva et al., 2019). For external consultants, this tool greatly reduces the chances of miscommunication. It provides its users with a comprehension of the interconnectedness of their part of the work to the entirety of an organization’s activities.
Balanced Scorecards
Balanced scorecards are a different form of framework for project management that relies on highlighting the connections between each part of the operation through different perspectives. Mann et al. (2023) state that this system integrates four visions, including “finance, customers, internal processes, and potentials” (p. 203). This approach allows administrators to balance between variables that affect the outcome of a plan. It gives a clear idea of what deficiencies exist or can be expected and what measures taken to eliminate them can impact or stem from other parts of the structure (Mann et al., 2023).
While this format may be less suitable for presentation, it remains an essential part of managerial frameworks. Balanced scorecards are employed by leadership personnel to control vital activities and their position on a larger scale of execution (Taghipour et al., 2020). External consultants can use these structures to instill the limit of activities in each sphere and create a vision focused on the final product, warning if any new elements will ruin the current plan.
Misuse Cases
Gantt Charts
Despite the outlined benefits, there are downsides to Gantt charts and balanced scorecards stemming from managers’ inappropriate application of these visualization tools. For example, Gantt charts may be structured incorrectly and include overlaying objectives that must be performed consequently or vice versa. Suppose a manager fails to understand the goals of each operation. In that case, they may be unable to dedicate the capacity required to fit the projected number of concurrent activities into the timeline (Gresakova & Chlebikova, 2019).
It is also crucial to remember that these charts are also created for employees. In particular cases, workers who do not stay updated with the latest edition of their organization’s workflow may proceed with their tasks in a disruptive way to the entire plan (Taghipour et al., 2020). External consultants may fail to accommodate the needs of numerous departments simultaneously and lead to the loss of revenue, talent, and, in the most extreme cases, bankruptcy.
Balanced Scorecards
Balanced scorecards require meticulously analyzing all involved processes to create a cohesive structure. Without an in-depth understanding of the consequences of each action, managers may allocate resources inefficiently, leading to unnecessary expenditures, bottlenecks, and unmet deadlines (Mann et al., 2023). The execution phase implies that the intended achievements and objectives are hard-set, although there is a possibility for late additions. For such cases, it may be impossible to account for the full extent of even a minuscule change, which leads to the creation of new risks poorly understood by the top personnel (Mann et al., 2023). External consultants can disrupt the system and misinterpret risk warnings without a complete comprehension of the outlined tools.
Conclusion
Strategic planning is a critical step in every initiative’s execution. Yet, it is impossible to perform appropriately without knowledge of visualization techniques that keep entire teams connected and updated. Gantt charts and balanced scorecards give managers and employees an in-depth view of the processes within the organization. They can be applied to understand the underlying connections or simultaneous activities. However, some pitfalls must be avoided at all costs due to their potential harm to the entire system. External consultants can assist businesses with both tools’ usages, although they must be presented with sufficient information to make decisive changes.
References
Cox, G., Plati, A., & Moran, J. (2014). How to effectively track the implementation of your strategic plans. Process Excellence Network. Web.
Gresakova, E., & Chlebikova, D. (2019). Analysis of planning methods in the Slovak enterprises. The European Proceedings of Social and BehaviouralSciences, 71, 381-388. Web.
Mann, C., Siegfried, P., & Michel, A. (2023). Theoretical fundamentals of scaled business agility and project portfolio management at automotive manufacturers. International Journal of Automotive Science AndTechnology, 7(3), 196-206. Web.
Silva, F. B., Bianchi, M. J., & Amaral, D. C. (2019). Evaluating combined project management models: Strategies for agile and plan-driven integration. Product Management & Development, 17(1), 15-30. Web.
Taghipour, M., Shamami, N., Lotfi, A., & Maryan, S. P. (2020). Evaluating project planning and control system in multi-project organizations under fuzzy data approach considering resource constraints (Case study: Wind tunnel construction project). Management, 3, 29-46. Web.
