Project management is a core skill for any business, large or small. It’s all about planning before you get started and then ensuring that what you’re doing this project to achieve will happen. This complete guide provides everything from designing your projects with an actionable timeline to estimating costs of different activities and managing risks throughout the process so you can avoid costly mistakes!. Project planning and management is a complex process that can be overwhelming. This guide will walk you through the steps of project management planning, from idea to launch. Managing a project without preparation ahead of time is like driving without a GPS or instructions on a road trip. There’s a considerable risk you’ll make several false turns, get lost, and not get to your destination promptly. On the other hand, project management has considerably larger stakes than a road trip. Failure to plan will lengthen your project’s duration, increase your expenditures, and result in a mediocre final output. Therefore, it’s critical to prepare a clear project strategy before the project begins to prevent these frustrations and lost money. In this book, I’ll teach all you need to know about good project planning from someone who has a lot of expertise in this field.
What is Project Management Planning, and How Does It Work?
Initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closing are the five stages of project management. Project planning is, without a doubt, the most crucial of these five processes. A project plan is a formal paperwork that outlines a project’s scope, objectives, budget, timetable, and deliverables. Its purpose is to get project managers and stakeholders together before the actual project execution starts. All project plans should include the tasks and activities necessary to achieve the final objective and resources, finance, risk, contingencies, and other factors.
Techniques for Better Project Management Planning:
Project management software is the best approach to constructing a project plan. Here are a handful of my go-to tools for success in this field.
1. Gantt
TeamGantt is a web-based project management solution. As the name indicates, the program is well recognized for its Gantt chart features. It’s a simple and efficient method for teams of any size to plan and execute projects from beginning to end. With a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, you can organize, design, and manage tasks. With time monitoring and reporting systems, project managers can keep track of expenditures. The program has generated over 1.8 million projects and planned over 65 million activities for over a decade. TeamGantt is used by over a million people. The software is always free for small projects with up to three people. Monthly business plans start at $19.90. With a 30-day trial, you can try all of TeamGantt’s premium features.
2. Wrike
Another of my favorite project management tools is Wrike. 20,000+ companies utilize the software, including major brands like Google, Dell, and Airbnb. Regardless of your technical ability level, it’s economical and straightforward. Wrike is a highly flexible project management tool that may be utilized in various businesses. Wrike’s interactive Gantt charts are fantastic. The charts are ideal for visualizing project planning and establishing task relationships. All of this may be controlled using the user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. Wrike also includes fantastic project templates that are perfect for planning. Project scheduling, product releases, proofing and approvals, product roadmaps, and more are all covered by templates. Although the program is free for personal use, it is not suitable for corporate usage. Wrike’s paid subscriptions start at $9.80 per user per month, and a 14-day trial is available.
3. LiquidPlanner
Compared to some of the other project management solutions on the market today, LiquidPlanner is a little different. Only approximately 1,300 organizations utilize the program, so it isn’t as popular as alternative options. However, LiquidPlanner was created with a particular goal in mind. It’s ideal for bigger teams working on complicated tasks. The tool is intended to assist project managers in moving their plans forward and ensuring their success during implementation. It may be used to plan project-level as well as task-level priorities. LiquidPlanner calculates your expected completion ranges for specific activities and informs you how likely you’ll finish them on time. The program includes several automation and forecasting capabilities that aid in managing large-scale projects. LiquidPlanner is available for a 14-day free trial and begins at $45 per user each month.
The Fundamentals of Project Management Scheduling:
Project planning will differ from one project to the next and from one sector to the next. Every project plan, however, should have the same critical aspects.
1. Define the scope of the project.
Project planning will eventually determine how you will carry out a project from beginning to end. To do so successfully, the project manager must first define the project scope to ensure that all key stakeholders are on the same page. Consider this the plot of your project. What is the ultimate goal? How are you going to get there? What is the project’s monetary worth? When stakeholders brief project managers on what has to be done, specific details might be lost in translation. The stakeholders will be able to approve the plan before you begin if you define the project scope and deliver a plan to them. Project planning should outline all primary outcomes from the start. It should also include how all of the project’s executables will be completed by a specific timeframe. The project team, as well as their responsibilities, should be mentioned in the original project scope. Estimate how and when the team will be able to fulfill the deadlines. Everything from strategy to logistics should be included in project planning.
2. Research.
Most project plans need a substantial study on the part of the project manager. This aids in clarifying facts as they relate to the overall scope. Before submitting a proposal, you must have a thorough understanding of the project’s specifics. Asking yourself some questions about your project and team is an integral part of the research process. Some will be easier to respond to than others.
- What is the project’s objective?
- What will the project’s price tag be?
- Who are the sponsors and stakeholders in the project?
- What are the sponsors’ and stakeholders’ availability?
- What methods will you use to communicate with your stakeholders?
- Who owns the project, and who will sign off on it in the end?
- What factors could have influenced the project’s completion date?
- What project management structure or technique would your team employ to complete the project?
- Has anybody on your team worked on a project like this before?
- Has your team previously collaborated?
- Is there anything about the project that stakeholders don’t understand?
As you can see, a lot of this research extends outside the project’s scope. Any project plan, in principle, may appear excellent on paper. However, things don’t always go as planned when you add in your team’s experience or other stakeholders that wish to be more engaged than others. All of this must be included in the project’s early planning.
3. Structure of Work Breakdown (WBS).
A clear work structure must be described in every project plan. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to expressing your strategy, many project managers utilize a work breakdown structure or WBS.m. This is a list of all the elements and systems in a project’s hierarchy. The top-level symbolizes the complete procedure, whether it’s a product, software, facility, school, or another method. Subsystems and specific components inside each subsystem will make up the future levels. The work breakdown structure serves as a visual representation of what should be created during the project. It also aids in the definition of project linkages between tasks and components.
4. Timelines and Schedules.
It would help if you began estimating your project timetable after having a firm grip on precisely what needs to be done and how it will be done. There are numerous options depending on the complexity of the project and the framework you’re utilizing. Critical path management is a standard solution (CPM). Project managers may use CPM to determine the time it will take to accomplish tasks based on dependencies on the project’s most critical activities. CPM and other project scheduling techniques are available in modern project management software. A straightforward approach to setting project milestones and graphically illustrating how the project will be finished is to use a Gantt chart. Understanding how one activity is reliant on another is critical. If Task C cannot begin until Task B is completed and is behind time, your whole schedule may be jeopardized. As part of the project planning process, contingencies and backup plans should be considered. When calculating the timetable for deliverables, project managers should consider stakeholder expectations.
5. Budgets.
Every project has a significant cost component. As a result, the budget must be considered from the start. On the first day, specific stakeholders will hand over a budget to the project manager. During the planning phase, the project manager is sometimes asked to estimate expenses and submit a budget approval. Whatever the situation, project managers must be able to match resource allocation to the timeline. The budgeting step is critical for project team labor to software, hardware, materials, equipment, contractors, and other project expenditures. Making an accurate budget estimate in the project plan can simplify your life during the project. You should be able to monitor estimates vs. actual expenses using project management software. You may also utilize tools to see whether you’re on track to finish the project on time or if you’re on way to going over budget.
6. Policies and Procedures for Projects.
It should explicitly document all regulations and procedures relevant to the entire scope of project plans. For the course of the project, this will contain communication methods, restrictions, and team expectations. For example, how will team members be held responsible for their duties? On behalf of the project team, who has the power to make specific choices or purchases? Is it necessary for team members or contractors to seek permission before executing particular actions? This framework will be provided by the project management approach you’re utilizing. It may also aid in the definition of stakeholder roles after the project has begun. Of course, unexpected situations will cause some variation in the plan in each project, and choices must be taken in real-time. However, the rules and standards should ideally stay in place for the project’s life.
Planning Techniques for Project Management:
I know what it takes to succeed in this field since I’ve previously gone through the project planning process. These are my three favorite short project planning strategies and best practices.
1. Use project management software.
Attempting to plan a project by hand or on a spreadsheet is inefficient and antiquated. Project planning tools should be included in today’s top project management software. It’s the most effective method for planning schedules, managing teams, estimating expenses, predicting risk, and allocating resources. Some project management software even includes project planning templates that you may use and submit to stakeholders. Once you’ve progressed beyond the planning stage, project management software will assist you in monitoring and tracking your strategy throughout the project’s execution.
2. Make Transparency a Top Priority.
Transparency should be a key component of your project’s strategy. Everyone involved in the project, from the project team to sponsors and stakeholders, should recognize the necessity of transparency. People make errors. Things happen that do not always go according to plan during a project. Rather than attempting to conceal or brush mistakes under the rug, make sure your project team appreciates the importance of being open and honest about their work. Hold people responsible for their behavior without punishing them for making errors. If your staff isn’t open with you, it will be difficult to keep stakeholders informed, reflecting poorly on you. However, if you establish these principles and lead by example, your project plan will go much more smoothly.
3. Defining Quality Standards in the Project Plan.
The word “quality” might be a little unclear with some activities and outputs, as it varies from project to project. A stakeholder for one project may consider a particular outcome to be good, while another may feel the same output is below average. Project sponsors must be explicit about these objectives and standards from the start so that your team understands what’s expected. Another reason why all projects should be split down into milestones rather than having a single large project with a single final deliverable at the end is this. These milestones will assist in determining if the project is on schedule to achieve all quality criteria, as well as the budget and timetable. Establishing a clear quality baseline that critical stakeholders have signed upon. The project will be a success if your deliverables fulfill this standard.
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