For those who have been given the task of managing projects — regardless of the size — the worry of not completing it properly on time, within budget, and effectively is a very real one.
To make sure that you complete a successful project, the key is in being organized and planning.
And like anything in life, a big task, broken down into a series of smaller tasks suddenly doesn’t seem so big. A successful implementation of project development can be separated into 5 project development phases:
- Initiation
- Planning
- Execution
- Controlling
- Closing
By completing each phase properly, you can be sure that you will turn out a well thought-out and successful project.
1. Initiating
The first part of developing a successful project is to make sure that you are entirely sure of everything that needs to be done and that you have a clear objective and title for your project — after all, how can it be successful if you don’t know exactly what the desired outcome is?
You should try to determine how you can measure your progress, and what milestones you are trying to reach, This will give you an easy way to check on progress and keep your team motivated.
2. Planning
This is probably the most important part of the whole process. Planning includes organizing what will be done, when and by whom. It needs to be detailed and well thought out to ensure that nothing is missed, carrying out risk assessments and making sure that everyone has what they need to be able to do the tasks that are required of them.
It is at this stage when you should look at detailed and realistic costing, timelines, risk analysis, resourcing and communication systems. A detailed plan, such as one which you can make with the templates will help you with this and make the task a great deal easier.
3. Execution
Now you have your project properly planned, you can start executing it. Make sure that you stick to your plan as closely as possible, and have a communication hub where stakeholders can collaborate on progress — like a project management software. But it is also recommended that you continually review its progress and make any changes or adaptations as you go.
4. Control
Control needs to be carried out during the execution stage. This is where you need to try to ensure that the plan is kept to as closely as possible and that you are regularly monitoring it to ensure that the project doesn’t spin out of control.
5. Closing
Once that the project is finished, it is recommended that you write a closing report, giving a summary of the project, how well you managed to keep to the plan, any changes that you had to make and why, and what you would do differently if you were to carry it out again. This is helpful for the future planning of projects and helping to make the next one even more successful.
The key to completing a successful project is all about the planning, and any help that you can get in this process can make all of the difference.
Project management templates help with planning so you don’t end up over budget and late, as well as making your project run as smoothly as possible. And by following this 5-step project development process you can make sure that your project is as successful and effective as it can be.
Do you have any project development tips of your own? Share them in the comments below!
