Envelopes as a Vehicle for Improving the Efficiency of Plan Execution

ENVELOPES ARE STRUCTURES WHICH CAPTURE EXPECTATIONS OF THE PROGRESS OF A PLAN. BY COMPARING EXPECTED PROGRESS WITH ACTUAL PROGRESS, ENVELOPES CAN NOTIFY THE PLANNER WHEN THE PLAN VIOLATES THOSE EXPECTATIONS. THE PLANNER THEN HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MODIFY THE PLAN TO INCREASE ITS EFFICIENCY GIVEN THE UNEXPECTED PROGRESS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF AN ENVELOPE, FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION OF THE GENERAL UTILITY OF ENVELOPES FOR IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF PLAN EXECUTION.