Plan it Backwards: Scheduling in Reverse

It has happened to everyone – you have a deadline on your calendar, and as it looms closer, you realize that you can’t meet it. You haven’t really thought through all the steps to get the project finished, and it’s taking far longer than you anticipated. You stress out, you rush, you make excuses, and finally turn in something that is neither on time nor as well-done as it should have been. You’re basically useless for the rest of the week, as you nurse your frazzled nerves and worry about what you should have done differently.

As you probably suspect, there is a better way to plan your time. The key is properly sequencing activities and eliminating time estimation problems, especially when you have a hard deadline or an important assignment. The easiest way to do this is to plan your project backwards.

This strategy is sometimes called “Scheduling in Reverse.” It’s actually a fairly common practice in project management because it is so effective. If you aren’t already using this technique, or aren’t using it consistently, we will discuss it in detail. The idea is essentially to determine where you want to end up, and then move backwards, figuring out what steps are necessary to get there and how long it will take.

Scheduling in Reverse

You begin the process of Scheduling in Reverse by analyzing the project. Break the entire task down into short, manageable steps. If the task is something you’ve done before, or similar to something you’ve done, you probably have a good idea of what is involved. If the project is novel, this step may require a lot of thought.

Each activity involved in completing the task should be considered as a discrete goal. Each one will take time to complete. Think about how much time each step or activity will realistically require, and schedule each step or phase in reverse order. Start with the final step and determine how long that will take to accomplish, then the one before that.

When you plot out the time on your calendar for each step, you will discover the latest feasible starting date you can safely use and still meet your deadline for the project. Then you will have a definite idea of when to start and how quickly you must complete each step.

How it Works

Let’s see how this principle works in practice. Imagine that you have to complete a major report for upper management by the end of the month.

• First, you use your past experience and judgment to divide the task into smaller steps. You have created this sort of report before so you have a good idea of what’s involved and how long each step usually takes.

• Next, you start with the deadline date (month end) and allot time for each step, calculating backward from the final activity. For this report, your steps (in reverse order) might include:

Step 6: Formatting, printing and binding report (one day)

Step 5: Final-draft proofreading (one day)

Step 4: Changes and corrections to produce final draft (two days)

Step 3: Rough-draft writing and corrections (three days)

Step 2: Organizing notes, outlining and planning report (three days)

Step 1: Gathering data and doing research (three days)

Adding up the number of days required for each step reveals that you need at least thirteen working days to complete the report. By scheduling in reverse order from the deadline, you find your latest feasible starting date to be thirteen working days before the end of the month. This calculation also provides target starting and ending dates for each step of the project, so you can make sure you’re moving on schedule during the process.

Plan it Backward to Move Forward

If you have taken the time to plot any project’s steps on your calendar, you’re ahead of the game, regardless of whether you plan forward or backward. That’s a step farther than most people get in planning their time. However, scheduling in reverse is often more effective than scheduling forward, because it produces a more effective and accurate picture of how to meet your deadlines. 

If you schedule all your projects in reverse, it can be a very effective tool for organizing your time between multiple tasks. It will help you know where to focus your efforts, and when. You won’t neglect or delay other current work because you are unnecessarily working too much on one project. You won’t rush to finish projects too fast. And hopefully, you won’t ever miss that important deadline again.

---

Re-Print Permission
This article may be reprinted in it's entirety if the following conditions are met:

1. The complete tag with the author's name and contact information is included immediately after the article.
2. A copy of the printed article is mailed to the author at 10101 SW Freeway Suite 630 Houston, Texas 77074 within 30 days of publication.
3. The article is presented in a positive light as part of an appropriate business related publication.