Understanding Project Planning Essentials

Introduction

A project plan also known as a work plan is simply a formal approved document that generally guides a given project, and enhances communication among the project participants. Therefore project planning is one of the processes that make up project management (Kerzner and Kerzner, 2017). Processes comprising project management include: initiation, planning executing, monitoring, controlling and closing. While planning is just one of the many phases in project management, it is also an amalgam of various activities (Alias et al., 2014). Best practices in project planning flow from standards provided by specific international guidelines. For instance The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) is a project toolkit designed by the American organization known as Project Management Institute (Burke, 2013). In the United Kingdom, the Projects. In Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) have been in use since 1989 (Bentley, 2012). The International Project Management Association (IPMA) has set the European organization, guidelines, and standards for project management.

Professionalism

It is important to present your case to potential stakeholders, in a formal and written document. Such a format for a business case forms the foundation of a professional manner of persuading potential stakeholders to see the project your way (Blomquist et al., 2010). Again, professionalism goes in hand with business ethics that ensure there is integrity, transparency and accountability in a project.

Anticipating risks

Risk assessment is key in the project planning process. It is a way of gauging the level and types of risks involved in pursuit of the project. Assessing and identifying risks provides the opportunity for caution to be employed in appreciation of such hazards (Hwang and Ng, 2013). To assume the possibility of there being no risks would amount to project suicide in certain circumstances where projects entail tasks that are high level hazards.

Prioritize risky tasks

It is always advisable to first rank the nature of risk involved in execution of the project. After that, one can begin working on the high level risk tasks first since they pose the biggest challenge to successful completion of the project as a whole. Beginning with such task will enable the project team to adequately deal with and mitigate the risk so that there is adequate time to deal with matters that may go awry (Meredith and Mantel, 2011; cited in Tam, 2010).

Controlling change

In almost every project, there is bound to be instances of change either in the team or in the manner of running of the project (Amade et al., 2015). This could be out external reasons that the project team have control over or sometimes occurrence of certain events directly or indirectly affecting the project. The project team should therefore have a change control process just in case such changes occur. Change control process is useful in preventing sudden changes from changing the course of a project (Meredith and Mantel, 2011). Essentially, it should consist of certain steps laid down to be adhered to when change becomes inevitable.

Choosing the right team

Success of a project is directly dependent on the productivity of the team concerned. It is therefore crucial to be aware of the availability of the individual team members throughout the period of the project. In case a member or a section of the team is likely to be away for specified period of time, it is crucial to have back up plans to avoid interference with project timelines. Additionally, training and support of a project team enhances loyalty and efficiency (Bahia et al., 2010).

Plan Accessibility

The plan should be readily accessible by all the team members so that there is clarity in the objectives. This will help in contribution of members especially in a scenario where there are errors to be corrected or clarification to be made (Bentley, 2012; cited in Srimathi et al., 2017). In addition to this, the use of cloud based management solution is suitable for projects.

Benefits of good practice in Project planning

Accountability

In the course of planning for the project, a project manager and their team can assign specific tasks to select individuals. Such individuals will therefore be obligated to complete their task and can be held accountable for that which they do (Burke, 2013). This will create a high sense of responsibility in the project team since individual members would want to work harder to accomplish a designated task.

Adequacy of resources

Planning for the project ensures that the project utilizes the available resources to completion. Where a project does not adequately plan for usage of resources, chances are that there could be wastage of labour and financial resources in surplus or shortage of the same. The latter scenario is not desirable because it can lead to a stall in progress of a project (Blomquist et al., 2010).

Skill discovery

In the course of carrying out delegated task, various skills of individuals will be realized as the project is completed. Therefore employees who are found to possess certain desirable skills will be identified. It goes without saying that without project planning, such talents, skills, or expertise may never be realized hence the essence (Chiocchio & Essiembre, 2009; cited in Silvius & Schipper, 2014).

Good practice in forming and maintaining effective conventional project teams

Definition of clear project scope

A project leader ought to know the details before they commence the project. Stakeholders in the project such as the project leader, investors, clients, partners and any other interested party need know certain basic things (Els et al., 2012). The project goal should be clear so that the outcome of project can easily be deduced. To measure the success of a project, it is important to refer to the objectives. Project stages will provide for the various phases involved in achieving set goal in a chronological order (Burke, 2013). The leader should adequately consider the budget in terms of the average cost of the whole project both on the upper side and lower side. Additionally, it is crucial to estimate at this level the amount of resources required in form of supplies, manpower and equipment. Further, timelines for the various project phases is key as it wraps up the description of the project space.

Agreement on the Scope

Having brought out a clear picture of the plan, all the stakeholders should now be in agreement as to the project scope. Investors being the lifeline to the project should be involved as much as possible to obtain approval to proceed. Such approval is vital because that is where the financial resources lie (Frefer et al., 2018; cited in Silvius & Schipper, 2016). It should thus be the first step since without it, the project will not move forward. Each stakeholder should have their roles clearly set out as to what exactly they are to deliver in completion of the project. Further, all agreements with the various stakeholders regarding their deliverables should be reduced to writing for future reference in case of disputes (Kerzner & Kerzner, 2017).

Work breakdown

Project leaders have a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that they use to break down tasks into convenient portions. As a standard tool, WBS is used to define task whether in short term or long term projects. Therefore, the structure can be task-based, product-based or time-based. The chosen structure will depend on the project emphasis such that a project measured solely on the basis of time will be arranged in phases depicting periods such as months or years (Chiocchio and Essiembre, 2009). Nevertheless, any structure adopted should be capable of breaking down various parts of a project to smaller divisions including: goals into objectives; tasks into subtasks; projects into subprojects; departments into teams and budgets into capex and opex.

Creating a Timeline

Timeline is a critical path in any project and is to be considered once project scope has been determined. Deliverables and tasks are to be scheduled accordingly in a sequential manner of performance. Details obtained from knowledge of a project scope is instrumental in arranging the various activities to be taken during the lifetime of a project (Burke 2013). Visual timelines are preferable since they outline the relevant steps and tasks involved against set deadlines. These timelines have a record of previous, current and future actions involved to ensure successful completion of the project.

How good practice in forming and maintaining virtual or geographically dispersed teams differs from that for conventional project teams

How good practice in forming and maintaining virtual or geographically dispersed teams differs from that for conventional project teams

The competences which a project manager of a virtual or geographically dispersed project team will need to address such differences.

Cultivate community and respect

The virtual team even though transcends physical boundaries, can be made to feel like they are in one place. This can be done by making the team feel like they are one community that is part of something larger (Lee, 2009). Project manager or leader should therefore put more effort into creating relationships and motivating the individual team members so as to perform even better, through use of desirable incentives.

Communicate

A virtual team is only as good as the frequency and quality of communication between the project leader and the team. The most preferable mode of communication is video chatting since it allows for one to read both verbal and non-verbal cues (Lee, 2009). It is also important to set ground rules on when and how to communicate so that there is order and understanding between parties.

Spotting cultural differences

In order to collaborate effectively, it is vital to be aware of the cultural differences of team members from different areas. A project manager can thus employ the use of tools like Hofsted’s cultural dimensions to make cross-cultural comparisons. This will help in balance of elements such as those of informal and informal communication so as not to offend cultural norms of team members (Khosravi & Afshari, 2011: cited in Rusman et al., 2010).

Building a twenty-four hour work cycle

Given that virtual teams may be from varying time zones, project managers must be flexible to ensure that work is ongoing around the clock. Attention to details is an element of ensuring the right instructions and delegation are implemented efficiently (Lee, 2009). If possible a project manager can come up with a charter setting out the rules of operation so that there is a standard way of operation and transfer of work without discrepancies.

Benefits of a process-based approach for an organisation concerned to improve its quality

Process based improvement entails the task of identifying, analyzing, and improving, where applicable, businesses or organizational processes in order to achieve the prevailing standards of quality (Kylindri et al., 2012). It is a systematic approach, which applies the use of different techniques to accomplish best results. Approaches like benchmarking, business process reengineering, process mapping and lean manufacturing are used to achieve product quality among other results (Radnor, 2010). Quality improvement through process techniques have certain positive effects in an organizations as shall be elaborated going forward.

Productivity

In almost every organization, there are certain tasks that frustrate employees. Tasks like filling out forms can be a source of frustration because it involves repetitive actions that will end up creating disinterest. It even becomes more tedious when an organization is relying on machines or systems with limited capabilities. Process improvements like the elimination of the stumbling blocks through automation of repetitive elements will make such processes smoother and efficient (Radnor, 2010). Organizations are able to work more efficiently and minimize wastage of resources as a result of process improvements. Take for instance, a company that has been using manual systems of operation are likely to be faced with challenges of mistakes that can be costly in the long run. However, process improvement in the form of automation will result in reduced human error, less time to completer tasks and benefit of additional security (Radnor, 2010). This will eventually minimize the risks inherent in mistakes resulting from employees’ use of manual processes. A tool like process maps are useful in in identification and pointing out places where risk has been spotted so as to initiate controls in mitigation of the same.

Compliance and Transparency

Regardless of jurisdiction in which an organization operates, there are industry regulations that must be complied with (Meredith & Mantel Jr, 2011). These regulations can be imposed by the hosting government or other state agencies. Failure to adhere to any of the regulatory and legal requirements can lead to heavy penalties on the organization in breach of the same (Rashid and Ahmad, 2013). In fact in some circumstances, the regulatory bodies are so strict that an organization can altogether lose their operating licenses. Process improvements can be applied by integration of compliance into the process life cycle so that organizational processes are transparent and visible to all employees.

Agility

New trends in business, market demands and new regulations may force a company to change its manner of operation or doing business. With process improvements techniques, an organization can from time to time improve its processes to cope with shifting business needs (Rashid and Ahmad, 2013). The end result is a simplified process that is nimble to change and with trifling costs involved. Techniques like process mapping supports continuous improvements since organizations are in an unending quest for perfection.

Technology integration and customer satisfaction

Generally, consumers will prefer to take their business to companies which they think are technologically advanced in their operations. It is therefore important to integrate up to date technology in relevant operation of an organization (Radnor, 2010). This will enhance improved customer satisfaction and reduced costs and time spent dealing with customer issues. Employees will have time to focus on other matters central to the success of organization hence increased customer satisfaction. By using benchmarking, an organization can easily learn about new technologies like robotics and import the same into the business with necessary customizations (Rashid and Ahmad, 2013). This will drastically reduce labour costs and improve its competitive advantage in the market.

Employee satisfaction

Business process improvements play a major role in streamlining operations hence providing opportunity for employees to focus entirely on their roles. It helps in motivating employees or team members who are proponents of lean systems in the workplace. Smoother processes results into a generally delighted team members who will in turn be productive (Rashid and Ahmad, 2013). Process maps provide a suitable avenue for induction and training hence improving the value of employees in an organization.

Improving product quality

Using other competitors, a company can get new ideas on how to make their products better. Research and development department of a company can decide to buy a superior product in the market, dismantle it and learn about its unique features with an aim of coming up with a better product. Then they can compare the various element of the competitor’s products with their own to gauge what makes the former superior (Radnor, 2010). Thereafter, enhancements can made to product quality with reliance on information obtained from a benchmarking process.

Distinction between project success criteria and project success factors

Success criteria are the standards by which a project is gauged. They are the criteria which, if a project is achieved, the project is regarded as having been successful (Rashid & Ahmad, 2013). A project success is normally defined other parties like the project promoter and other stakeholders. A project can therefore be judged based on the following criteria: whether the project is finished on time; whether the project has been concluded within the allocated budget and whether the end product meets the required quality (Frefer et al., 2018). Consequently emphasis is placed on the project being completed within the constraints of time, cost and quality (PMI, 2013). While there is the traditional approach to criteria (quality, cost, and time), there is a new school of thought that puts more emphasis on cost, time and scope. Moreover, there are researchers that contend that such criterion are not adequate so that it will differ from project to project. Project success factors are the factors that can culminate to a project success or certain factors that influence the results of a project. Studies have further grouped success factors into five distinct groups. A project manager should possess communication, technological, process, business, responsive, results, realism and operational skills to deliver success (Srimathi, Dinesh and Sethuraman, 2017). A good project team should have relevant competencies and core skills as well. Third, the project itself can exhibit factors affecting its success. Fourth, support from within the organization is also important. Fifth, the external environment will affect success of the project.

Project success criteria across different groups

The success of a project is only as good as the judgment of concerned stakeholders the organization’s board customers and executives among others. A project manager has to deliver on certain set commitments agreed upon before commencement of the project (Frefer et al., 2018). There should also be a way of measuring the success of the projects. However, the criteria is not cast in stone and changes depending on which stakeholder and sector is involved as demonstrated below.

1. In an investment portfolio the success criterion is pegged on targets of planned investments, capital costs and expenses. The success of such a project is measured by the targets set.

2. In financial planning and management, success criterion is judged by identification of high and low performing investments, and comparison of real time actual forecasts and operational and financial planning.

3. In monitoring a health project, success criterion is based on project status across portfolio, monitoring of risks and reports with real time data.

4. For process improvements access to the project, monitoring of project cycle time and work flow optimization are the measurement yardsticks.

5. For resource and capacity demand, the criteria is based whether the resources are working on the right projects, priority projects are staffed appropriately and anticipation of needs for future planning (Marcelino-Sádaba et al., 2015).

References

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