BOOK REVIEW:

Book Title: Practical Schedule Risk Analysis
Authors: David Hulett
Publisher: Gower Publishing Limited
List Price: £65.00 - US$
Publication Date: July 2009
Format: Hardcover,
ISBN: 978-0-566-08790-5
Reviewer: David B. Olutusin,
Review Date: April 2010

Introduction to the Book

The book begins with the reasoning, or call it, a strategic objective for Schedule Risk Analysis i.e. looking beyond the Critical Path Method. Any project, large or small, does need to have some sort of schedule, from the simplest to the very complex ones. The Risk Analysis attributable to a Project’s Schedule is a requirement for Good Project Management. The Project Scheduler should view him/herself as a professional; with the roles of producing a realistic schedule for any project assigned. Schedulers have both responsibility and authority to produce realistic, competent schedules that have little or no slippage as well as consideration for managements’ often-unrealistic Project Completion Dates.

Overview of Book’s Structure

First, the book being organized in eleven chapters gives it a broad and in-depth coverage of the subject matter. Project Schedulers and Project Managers alike would find it a systematic approach to the doctrine of analyzing schedule risks to reflect the strategic objectives of projects goals, milestones, and the techniques of doing it in an efficient way. It covers important topics including Monte Carlo Simulation, Critical Path Method, ‘Merge Bias’ and Risk Criticality plus Risk Management in Organizations.

Secondly, the book uses language and wordings that are common place in the Project Management profession and industry, with more emphasis on language among schedulers, risk management professionals and analysts. There are no new terminologies that could complicate or miss-represent applications…

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About the Reviewer: David Olutusin David Olutusin is a Consultant that provides sub-consulting services through Belloy Petroleum Consultants Limited, based in Calgary Canada. His current job is as a Wellsite Geologist, consulting for oil and gas companies operating in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. He oversees geological operations during oil and gas drilling, as the Geologist on location. Mr. Olutusin has experience in Clastics, Carbonates, Vertical, Horizontal, and Deviated wells. Others include Conventional oil, Heavy oil, Tight Gas, Shallow and Deep wells. Previous experience includes Groundwater development, Water borehole construction, Engineering geology, and Geophysical investigations. He is a Project Management Professional, PMP; Certified Petroleum Geologist, CPG-AAPG; and licensed to practice in Alberta, P.Geol, and Saskatchewan, P.Geo; and a Fellow of the Geological Association of Canada, FGAC. Mr. Olutusin holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA, 2009) as well as a Graduate Certificate (2008) in Project Management; both from the University of Texas At Dallas and B.Sc. with honors in Geology (1993) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Email: daveolutusin@gmail.com