Tools of the Trade
The PM's vocabulary expands
Month 2 Status Report — XR Platform
Pulse Works × Kurosawa Digital — Prepared by Hina · Reviewed by Ren
Overall Status
| Area | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | GREEN | No unapproved changes since scope baseline approval |
| Schedule | AMBER | 2.5-day variance on environment setup; recovery plan active |
| Cost | GREEN | Actual spend 4% below cost baseline; contingency reserve untouched |
| Resources | AMBER | Tetsu at 115% utilization; cross-training in progress |
Key Accomplishments
- Spatial mapping module passed initial work authorization and development began
- Post-crash retrospective completed; 4 action items tracked
- First cross-training session held (Hina shadowing Tetsu on environment configuration)
Performance Measurement
Planned value through Month 2: ¥9.6M. Earned value: ¥8.9M. Actual cost: ¥8.5M. Schedule is slightly behind plan, but cost efficiency is favorable. The control account for the rendering module shows the largest variance — directly tied to the environment crash recovery.
Upcoming Decisions
- AR module scope decision required from Director Kudo by Friday
- Vendor selection for gesture recognition library — evaluation in progress
Hina (陽菜) "Ren, is Saki always that intense? She sent twelve comments on the draft." Ren (蓮) "Yes." A pause. "But she's really good at her job."
Hina raises an eyebrow but says nothing.
Baseline
Definition An approved reference point used for comparison against actual results.
Components Scope baseline (WBS + scope statement); schedule baseline (approved timeline); cost baseline (time-phased budget).
Related scope baseline, cost baseline, planned value
Example The status report compares actual progress against the approved baselines — scope is on track, schedule shows a 2.5-day variance, cost is 4% favorable.
Variance
Definition The difference between planned and actual performance.
Components Schedule variance (timing gaps); cost variance (budget gaps); scope variance (deliverable gaps); trend direction.
Related baseline, cost variance, earned value
Example The 2.5-day schedule variance on environment setup is a measurable gap between where the plan said the team would be and where they actually are.
Performance Measurement
Definition The process of tracking and evaluating project progress.
Components Defining metrics; collecting data; comparing against baselines; reporting results; recommending corrective actions.
Related earned value, planned value, actual cost
Example Hina's report tracks planned value (¥9.6M), earned value (¥8.9M), and actual cost (¥8.5M) — three data points that together reveal both schedule lag and cost efficiency.
Control Account
Definition A management control point for scope, schedule, and cost integration.
Components Assigned to a WBS element; has its own budget and schedule; owned by one person; performance measured independently.
Related WBS, work package, cost baseline
Example The rendering module has its own control account, making it easy to see that the crash recovery is the source of the schedule variance — without that isolation, the problem would be hidden in aggregate numbers.
Work Authorization
Definition A formal approval to begin work on a specific project activity.
Components Identifies the activity or work package; specifies start conditions; assigns resources; links to the schedule and budget.
Related work package, scope baseline, schedule
Example The spatial mapping module received formal work authorization before development began — ensuring the team had approved scope, budget, and schedule before committing resources.