Planning vs. Scheduling

Question

Justin Parker · Accepted Answer

The difference between planning and scheduling is that planning refers to the first stage in a project's development when an organization decides how to achieve a specific goal, while scheduling refers to the action of determining which team members will accomplish each step in a project's plan and when they will do it.

To commence proper planning for a project, a manager and their team must understand the vision for the project, break down goals into specific actions and tasks, detail supporting resources, and take advantage of visual formats to increase comprehension amongst necessary parties. This process is often referred to as creating a roadmap for a project.

Scheduling is a specific part of project planning in which the project manager and other key officials arrange and organize important tasks and activities within a project, including determining timelines for deliverables in these tasks.

Specifically, scheduling involves specific dates and times, sequencing of task completion, and allocation of resources.