Project management is not an easy job. Project Smart’s Adam Alami writes that projects are often an offshoot from crisis situations. They often start in situations that inherently prevent success. However, planning can help to avoid many problems. A project plan that everyone can refer to for guidance is the right kind. Your project is at high risk of falling apart if it is not well-designed. Here are some warning signs to watch out for:
Ambiguous business case
A cohesive business case ensures that everyone understands the reasons behind the project. This is essential for motivating your team. This provides clear guidelines for the project’s work. The project is more likely to fail if people don’t understand what is at stake. These are the questions you should ask when planning a project:
Who is the most likely to benefit from this project?
What strategic goal is the project aiming to achieve?
Undefined project scope
It is almost impossible to resolve all issues within an organization in one project. A clearly defined project scope will help you achieve your goals. Scope creep is a risk that a project can fall apart. This happens when expectations and priorities shift, causing a project’s size to balloon. This can cause confusion and strain on resources. Scope creep can negatively impact a project’s chances of success.
Inadequacy in risk identification
A successful project requires risk management. Teams should be thorough when planning their actions. Some risks are unavoidable. The right strategy will outline steps to minimize their impact. Many project teams fail in identifying risk. This could be due to carelessness or over-optimism. This is because they will be blindsided when unexpected events occur. This will cause projects to go berserk.
Poor estimations of budget and resources
2013 saw less than a third (33%) of all projects being completed on-time and within budget. This is in line with the other issues discussed here. Teams that aren’t clear on their goals will allocate resources poorly if they don’t know what they want. Your team will do more with less if projects don’t manage scope creep. Teams that don’t consider possible scenarios in their expenses are guilty of poor risk management. A clear, well-estimated budget helps keep a project on track.
Undefined roles
A plan that is clear and concise is the best kind of plan. People are more productive when they know what their responsibilities are. People will become confused if your project plan does not clearly assign roles. Do you remember the frustration you felt in school when you had to do all the work on a group project? This scenario is made more likely by unclear roles. In a successful project, confusion and frustration are not welcome.
This blog should have shown you how important planning is to project management success. Our e-learning program includes a lot of project planning. Managers can use our PMP and CAPM certifications to create detailed, actionable plans. Managers can be confident in their strategic vision by using a best-practice methodology. Click here to learn more about the PMP online course. Click here to learn more about the CAPM online course.