Scenario Planning

Automation

Perform project management what-if (scenario) analysis to simulate risks, delays, and resource changes. Use when planning schedules, assessing uncertainty, or evaluating project impacts in tools like Excel, MS Project, or Primavera.

Install

openclaw skills install scenario-planning

What-if Scenario Planning (WISA)

When to Use

Use this skill when:

A project plan needs risk simulation before execution
The user asks “what if this changes?” in a project context
There is uncertainty in schedule, cost, or resources
The user is working in Excel, MS Project, or similar tools

Core Objective

Simulate alternate project scenarios by modifying key variables (duration, resources, cost) and evaluate their impact on:

Project timeline
Critical path
Total cost
Resource utilization

Execution Steps

Step 1: Establish Baseline Plan

Ensure a complete baseline exists:

Tasks with durations
Dependencies (network/PERT)
Resources assigned
Cost estimates

If missing → ask user to define baseline first.

Step 2: Identify Variables

Extract or ask for uncertain variables:

Resource availability
Task duration variability
Budget constraints
External risks (delays, logistics, approvals)

Focus only on high-impact variables (max 3 per scenario).

Step 3: Define Scenario

Create a structured scenario:

Format:

Scenario Name:
Variable Change:
Duration/Impact Change:
Time Window (if applicable):

Example:

Resource A unavailable for 3 days starting Day 10

Step 4: Modify Project Model

If Excel:

Adjust input cells (duration/resource %)
Use:
- Scenario Manager
- Data Tables

If MS Project / Primavera:

Duplicate baseline
Modify:
- Task duration
- Resource allocation
- Dependencies if needed

Step 5: Simulate Impact

Recalculate project plan and capture:

New project duration
Critical path changes
Cost variation
Delayed milestones

Step 6: Compare with Baseline

Create structured comparison:

Metric	Baseline	Scenario
Duration
Cost
Critical Path

Step 7: Evaluate Acceptability

Decide:

Acceptable → proceed with scenario plan
Not acceptable → propose mitigation:
- Add resources
- Re-sequence tasks
- Increase buffer

Step 8: Recommend Action

Always provide:

Impact summary
Decision recommendation
Optional mitigation strategies

Output Format

Return results in this structure:

Scenario Summary

Scenario:
Key Change:

Impact Analysis

Duration Change:
Cost Impact:
Critical Path Impact:

Recommendation

Decision:
Suggested Actions:

Rules

Do NOT simulate without a baseline
Limit scenarios to avoid combinatorial explosion
Prefer clarity over complexity
Always quantify impact (time/cost)
If data is missing → ask user before proceeding

Notes

This is deterministic scenario analysis (WISA)
For probabilistic analysis, suggest Monte Carlo simulation
Best used during planning and scheduling phase

Validation

Before finalizing:

Ensure dependencies are preserved
Check calculations consistency
Validate assumptions with user context
Confirm outputs are realistic (no negative durations, etc.)