WIX Archives

Probably not much benefit

Posted by bdk on Fri Oct 25, 2002 07:44:34 PM

In reply top Warbird Project Management Techniques posted by Paul McMillan on Fri Oct 25, 2002 04:40:59 AM

I have been involved in a bit of project management myself (professionally). A warbird restoration is a simple enough project that I don't think you will see much if any benefit. Project management works best for large and complicated projects with defined processes, i.e. an assembly line.

You can look at historical data of restoration costs and just do your estimate (both time and cost) empirically. Of course this only works for restorers who have a few like restorations under their belt. A Mustang restoration cost would be way less than an equivalent Thunderbolt or P-38 restoration for example.

Maybe a very large shop with a lot of concurrent projects might be able to use Microsoft Project successfully in their own planning, but it seems to me that a shop with ten employees restoring three airplanes concurrently, for instance, would not see a benefit. I think that the size of the restoration shops are typically too small to find a measurable improvement.

If you were looking to create a new build aircraft business, I could see how that might be a different story. You have an assembly line and need component parts delivered on a predetermined schedule. You will then need to develop staffing levels to meet specific assembly schedule targets.

My guess is that the Me-262 Project might be able to use Microsoft Project, but I doubt that Fighter Rebuilders ever would. That is not to say that you wouldn't use project management TECHNIQUES (i.e. common sense), but I wouldn't put together a project management plan for my T-6.

Brandon
University of California, Irvine
Project Management: Planning, Scheduling, and Control Techniques Management Course Certificate
April 1998
(or so the piece of paper says...)

Follow Ups: