Rolling Wave Planning is a project management technique that emphasizes detailed planning for near-term activities while keeping future phases at a higher, more flexible level. This approach is particularly effective in projects with evolving requirements or where early phases influence later tasks. SAP Project System (PS) supports Rolling Wave Planning by allowing project managers to iteratively refine plans and budgets as the project progresses.
This article explores how SAP PS facilitates Rolling Wave Planning and the benefits it brings to dynamic project environments.
Rolling Wave Planning divides the project timeline into waves or phases:
- Near-term activities are planned in detail.
- Future activities are planned at a higher summary level and elaborated progressively as the project unfolds.
This approach balances planning effort with uncertainty, enabling flexible adjustments while maintaining control over costs and schedules.
- SAP PS allows creation of a detailed WBS structure where initial waves can have fully developed WBS elements with detailed scheduling, costing, and resource planning.
- Future waves can be represented by summary WBS elements or placeholders, which can be expanded as more information becomes available.
¶ b. Progressive Detailing and Planning
- Project planners can create initial budgets and schedules for near-term WBS elements.
- Future phases remain at a high-level until refinement is required.
- As the project evolves, planners can break down summary WBS elements into detailed sub-elements and update planning data accordingly.
¶ c. Versioning and Change Management
- SAP PS supports multiple planning versions, allowing project teams to maintain baseline plans and create updated plans reflecting rolling wave refinements.
- This enables comparison of planned vs. actual progress and adjustment of forecasts.
¶ d. Flexible Budgeting and Cost Control
- Budgets can be allocated initially to high-level WBS elements.
- As more details emerge, budgets can be distributed to detailed WBS elements.
- Cost postings and settlements track actuals at detailed levels, supporting granular financial control.
¶ e. Scheduling and Network Integration
- Detailed scheduling with networks and activities can be applied to near-term work packages.
- Summary scheduling or milestone planning can be maintained for future phases.
- Integration with SAP scheduling tools enables updating plans iteratively without disrupting the overall project timeline.
- Adaptability: Enables flexible planning aligned with changing project conditions.
- Improved Resource Management: Allocates resources efficiently by focusing detailed planning on immediate tasks.
- Risk Reduction: Allows early identification and mitigation of risks through iterative refinement.
- Better Stakeholder Communication: Provides clear visibility into near-term work while managing expectations for future phases.
- Enhanced Financial Control: Supports phased budgeting and tracking, minimizing surprises.
- Start with a clear high-level WBS representing all project phases.
- Define detailed WBS and networks for the initial wave(s) only.
- Use project versions to capture updates after each planning wave.
- Leverage SAP PS reporting tools to monitor progress and costs at both summary and detailed levels.
- Train project managers on change management processes to handle rolling updates efficiently.
Rolling Wave Planning is an effective technique for managing complex projects with uncertain futures. SAP Project System provides the tools to implement rolling wave approaches through flexible WBS structures, progressive detailing, version management, and integrated budgeting. By using SAP PS for Rolling Wave Planning, organizations can improve agility, control, and communication throughout the project lifecycle.