True friends, Earned Schedule, and the passing of time
Last week (May 2026), Walt Lipke and his wife Dianne visited Ghent for just three days. Short in time, but unforgettable in meaning. We have written about Walt many times before. As the founder of Earned Schedule, his work profoundly influenced the OR&S research journey. After reading his landmark 2003 article "Schedule is Different", we started the OR&S research on project control together with Stephan Vandevoorde. What followed were years of collaboration, research, workshops, conferences and friendships across countries and generations.
Looking back, we now realise how much that single article changed the life of all OR&S members. It contributed to the growth of our OR&S research group at Ghent University, resulting in many publications in project management and control. But beyond the academic achievements, something far more valuable emerged: enduring friendships.
Meeting the Young Generation
When Walt arrived in Belgium, OR&S invited him to meet the current generation of OR&S PhD students. Most of them had cited his work many times, yet none had ever met him in person.
Their reaction was immediate: "It would be great to meet the man behind Earned Schedule."
We organised a lunch at the university where different generations came together around research, ideas, and stories. The younger researchers proudly presented their work and received feedback from the "father of Earned Schedule."
The Not-So-Young Generation
The following evening was different. The older generation met Walt and Dianne again for dinner, this time with the people with whom it had all begun many years ago. Most importantly, Stephan Vandevoorde was there.
In the early 2000s, Stephan and Mario spent countless days together in London, working on research that would later become foundational for much of our work in project control. Seeing everyone together again felt special.
Of course, we spoke about research and Earned Schedule. But mostly, we spoke about friendship, memories, conferences in Ghent, Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, and even about grandchildren. Yes, we have reached that stage of life.
These moments remind us that hard work and dedication do more than build careers. They create stories, friendships, and memories that stay alive long after the papers are published.
And meanwhile, Earned Schedule is still alive and kicking. OR&S continues teaching it to students and professionals around the world. The legacy of Walt lives on, not only in research papers and methodologies, but also in the people and friendships he inspired along the way.
