As a new project is started, it is vital to make a plan. The plan should contain milestones, activities under each milestone with specified dates and the resources assigned. This may be simulated through MS Project.
Down the road, all changes in the project must be reflected in the project schedule and the schedule should be adjusted to incorporate the impact of change on time. This helps at later stages of the project when delay occurs and the sponsor is asked to increase the timelines of the project. Then their primary question arises as when the project will be completed. At this stage both client and the vendor present their plans to complete the project. The vendor has interest to complete it as soon as possible. The client does not show tendency to complete quickly rather take substantial amount of time specially in User Acceptance Testing. The conflicts prevails and at this time the original plan comes into action in which the timelines for UAT and deployment were mentioned with the mutual consent of both parties. So rather to derive a new plan, the original plan can be adjusted to accommodate the change keeping all the later activities remain intact.
In fact, original plan should not be changed rather adjusted to incorporate the change. But generally what happens that the original plan is changed during the execution or a new plan is developed. Then timelines are squeezed to satisfy the sponsor concern to complete the project compromising the or ignoring all the complexities and necessities in UAT and deployment of a software project.
Lesson 1: Original Plan should be well thought and cover all activities to complete the project.
Lesson 2: This plan must remain intact and the changes should be incorporated in the plan to derive the new timeline rather to develop a new plan in the middle of the project.
