Timetables

Understanding

Creating timetables can help the team see how much time they have before moving on to the next stage of the project and/or event. It can also help the team see at each allotted time, who is doing what task. Timetables are also good at showing an overview of how much time is left till the deadline.

A simple way to organize time is to use a table to indicate the time frame, task/activity and the person in charge of that segment. This would ensure that time would not be wasted and the event will not be delayed. During events, a timetable can also help ensure that the flow of events is smooth. Through dry runs, the team can practice using the timetable to anticipate any form of delay during the actual event.

Application

For the actual event of the workshop, my team crafted out a timetable that indicated how much time is allocated to each activity. Each activity is then labelled with the member that is in-charge of the segment. We decided to use a timetable above other methods such as Gantt charts because it was easier for all members to understand. Furthermore, a timetable is simple.

During the actual event, circumstances can get hectic should things go wrong. Since the timetable is simple to understand, should members need a reference point in terms of time, they would understand quickly. This allows time to be saved for other purposes. The timetable helped my team ensure that the one hour allocated to us was used to its full potential as the time is segmented into different parts.

Values and Challenges

Using a timetable is useful when distributing time for a short period of time, such as for an event. This would allow all team members to have an overview of the timeline of events and nobody would be confused about their roles. Furthermore, a timetable is simple to understand which would save time. This ensures that time is used with maximum efficiency and simplifies the planning process for everyone involved.

However, a timetable is good for shorter time periods. If the timetable is meant to last longer (example: several weeks), the table could get really long and confusing for all parties. As the whole point for a timetable is to keep everything simple, I think that it would be disadvantageous to use a timetable if it starts to be confusing.