Project management plan: description, compilation, analysis

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

What is a project management plan can be understood by understanding the term Project management. It is an art and a science at the same time, well-established in a consumer-oriented market economy. It is a structured elaboration of a work plan with the designation of intermediate goals for certain dates. As part of its implementation, a responsible project is appointed, who will perform the work, and regulatory bodies that will monitor compliance with the regulations. Is project management always effective? Who or what influences the final result?

Theoretical aspect

The project management plan is always associated with innovative implementations and consists of elements of the analysis of a new product, market, consumer categories. Its main purpose is to solve the planned task in the shortest possible time with maximum savings in money.resources.

By design, each project has a limited innovative effect. Innovation is manifested in an individual approach to the creation of goods that differ from similar goods or services. This ability allows you to systematically refine and amend the properties of a product or service.

This parameter is an integral part of the project communication management plan, the development of new products, the repair of construction work or the election campaign, the formation of an information system in the company.

The theoretical aspect involves the combined knowledge, skills, ways and means to create a new product and service. To meet the requirements of the market and the expectations of investors, it is necessary to find the optimal balance between costs, deadlines, goals and quality of the project being carried out.

The project plan should logically connect all areas of knowledge with the available resources and the potential of the performers.

Types of systems

Any task, such as creating a new product and then selling it, can be done with or without a project management plan.

The first option will be based on the use of a matrix system, which determines the responsible (manager) of the project. He will report to the director, and his group will consist of employees from various departments who are released from direct work duties for the duration of the project. Such personnel changes require team cohesion and a clear understanding of the project goals and results.

The second option assumes that one of the department heads will be appointed responsible. All project tasks will be performed by employees of this unit. But in general, employees will not have a complete understanding of this task and will perceive it as an additional burden. As a result, timing and results can be unpredictable.

Varieties of projects

Companies use projects at work as a non-traditional method of taking initiatives that cannot be used in day-to-day operations. Their share in the companies is increasing every year.

Projects are always different, but they have something in common. These are the conditions of limited time, the search for competent performers and additional money. The following directions are distinguished:

1. Architectural design. To succeed in business, the participation of engineers, designers, consumers, and investors is necessary. A striking example is the inventor and architect from the USA, B. Fuller, who managed to interest people and develop a model of modular bathrooms. These rooms are an economical option and are still used today in the construction of residential buildings.
2. Conceptual vision. The point is to create conditions conducive to the creation of new ideas. An example of this is a project with telephone companies in the United States looking for a way to protect telephone booths from looters. Of the many options, we settled on a stainless steel construction. Today this element can be observed on the front door.in many buildings.
3. Planning. It is very important to build a sequence of project execution. For example, according to this criterion, the Yellowstone National Park managed to implement the master plan for the interchange and its maintenance.
4. Construction of facilities. The work focuses on compliance with the norms and rules of construction, as well as on the systematic control of each stage. The absence of a controlling body can lead to the destruction of the object with unforeseen damage.

Before deciding on one of the approaches, it is necessary to develop a quality management plan for the project. In the production of medical equipment or medicines, it is better to focus on the quality of planning stages. In the case when the finished product needs to be repurposed from one area to another, for example, the installation of air conditioning and heating systems in multi-storey buildings, the focus is on control.

Success Factor

The project management plan is today an integral part of a successful outcome. In the past, its creation was characteristic of traditional areas of production (defense, energy, construction). Currently, this approach is used by almost every second firm, or rather, 45% of all organizations. These include financial institutions that provide services and goods to the company.

Often, a product-focused firm feels the need to systematically modify it in response to new customer requirements. In this case, creatingproject management plan. Today, most organizations function through this approach.

Tips for creating a plan

In practice, many companies in their endeavors encounter difficulties and go bankrupt. For example, Lockheed, which failed with the L-1011 aircraft, or the Deep Tunnel project, aimed at increasing the sewer infrastructure of the city of Chicago. Companies have incurred great costs, trying to keep what they managed to do and sell to some extent - their product.

The main reason for the failures was that the detailed development of the project management plan was not carried out, and the company's management was completely focused on the end result, and not on successive stages of achieving the goal.

To implement a successful enterprise, it is necessary to develop a concept with a clear sequence of actions, while considering the following tips:

1. View the project from a third party. This technique will allow you to objectively assess what is happening, take a fresh look at situations, solve problems that have arisen, and review costs;
2. Delegate decision making. Such an approach will provide an understanding of the intermediate goals of the project, increase the effectiveness by several times;
3. Make a backup plan. Additional options for solving problems that have arisen will help save time and money. And splitting the concept into several parts will bring it closer to completion.

Responsible for management

Quality Management PlanA project is then effective when its leader meets certain criteria. Selecting the person who is able to carry out the necessary activities and take the company to a new level is a risky undertaking. However, it is better not to delay the solution of the issue.

The main attributes of the candidate should be responsibility, ambition, the ability to manage people and a high level of competence. In practice, this is not enough, because he also needs to know the content of the work. The project scope management plan in most cases consists of stages:

• documentation development;
• distribution of powers and tasks;
• approval of work plan;
• creating scenarios for unexpected situations.

Finally it is better to give preference to motivated and self-nominated applicants. This shows the main feature of a leader - the ability to quickly make serious decisions.

Project risks

The risk management plan is a structured system for identifying factors, assessing them and responding to them. It consists of available and acceptable forecasting norms in terms of the consequences of a scenario.

There are several levels of risk management in business:

• identifying approaches and drawing up an action plan;
• search for risks that can change the result of the project;
• qualitative and quantitative risk assessment;
• development of methods and procedures to reduce possible threats;
• monitoring the execution of the entire cycle of the project.

Resources

You can influence the increase in the final results of the concept, as well as reduce the cost and terms of work, by choosing modern technologies, qualified employees and financial resources to complete the task. The technologies used and the project resource management plan are considered key tools for the company's success.

Along with the key, there are additional tools needed to manage the key. For example, they can be concluded contracts that allow you to attract the necessary resources at the right time. The ships attribute the personnel management system and the concept itself, the formation of information interaction of all participants.

Rating

Analysis of project management plans includes two elements: an assessment of the structure and an examination of the degree of implementation. Analysis is needed to fully understand how effective the concept is in terms of invested resources.

The first element includes an assessment by employees of indicators, tasks, final results of work. Here, adjustments are made to the future work process. All further processes will be related to the performance analysis element, in which the work performed is recorded and forecasts are developed.

Most companies use a concept criteria evaluation system, where they evaluate costs, duration of work and their quality. If any of the criteria is not met, a project change management plan is formed. In this case, there is a revision of the values of indicators, tasksbeing adjusted.

The final stage of the analysis is the comparison of the achieved results with the planned ones.

Unforeseen circumstances

The composure of the director in unforeseen situations and his adequate assessment of the problems that have arisen play an important role in the implementation of the project management plan.

The lack of this quality in a leader and the lack of time to consider the consequences of some decisions are the main causes of problems. Unresolved tasks that appeared at the very beginning of work may never be resolved, which will lead to missed deadlines or unnecessary economic costs. At the same time, fear and uncertainty in the actions of the leadership can quickly spread to the entire working group. This is psychological behavior. That is why it is very important for a leader to have concentration and not lose composure by hiding emotions.

Versatility of the project

Any project management plan requires many tasks to be tackled simultaneously. At the same time, each question must be answered accurately and in detail. Any emerging nuance determines the fate of the project itself. The issue of risk prevention is mainly solved through a competent approach of specialists.

To implement a successful project, you need to observe the speed of completing tasks, show attention to detail, delegate work to colleagues and evaluate its quality at all stages of launching a project.

Attention to detail

Conduct market analysis, SWOT analysis, cash flow calculation andother key indicators provides an increase in the effectiveness of the project. The project management business plan not only defines the type of business to be implemented, but also includes income and expense projections. It includes the following items:

• business description;
• marketing strategy;
• evaluation of competitors;
• operational procedures;
• staff.

Plan as a whole

All project employees act as part of a single whole, because the final result depends on their actions.

Each participant, within his area of responsibility, influences the spirit of the working group and the efficiency of work in general. In management, it is important not to constantly campaign for the implementation of the tasks set in order to achieve the required performance indicators, but to ensure that each participant feels their importance in the common cause.