We live in a fascinating historical moment, surrounded by innovative business ideas that radically change our lives. It is incredible how in just a few years services like Glovo or BlaBlaCar have changed the habits of thousands of people. These examples show that a good idea, however unconventional, can become a great online business . But not all ideas end up becoming a reality. Many times what determines whether an idea is successful or not is good project management .
Talking about groundbreaking ideas is all well and good, but for large companies, order is the basis for success . It is essential not to waste resources on unviable ideas or projects that drag on without producing results. That is why companies tend to stick to reliable models to organize the creation and management of projects. Models that divide the life cycle of each project into well-defined phases.
Phases in project management.
Although not all projects are the same, project management is generally divided into 5 phases :
1st Preliminary Study, project feasibility:
In project management, the first step is to determine whether the project you want to undertake is worth the effort . What are the chances of success? Can you afford it? Is it compatible with your other projects? All of these questions need to be clarified before you invest any more effort into an idea.
The objective of this phase is to eliminate unviable or unsuitable projects as quickly as possible . This phase should therefore not last too long and should not require the intervention of too many personnel.
2nd Time and economic planning:
Projects that pass the first phase scrutiny move on to the planning phase . In this phase, a more detailed analysis of promising projects is carried out in order to:
Describe the project objectives .
Determine the expected scope of the project.
Calculate all the resources that the project would need: Money, time, personnel…
Write the project plan .
person planning the phases in project management
At this stage, investment is still low and it is still being decided whether the project is viable or not. However, if the prospects are positive, the project will move on to the next phase.
3rd Execution:
In this phase, the plan drawn up in the previous phase is carried out. But to paraphrase Helmuth von Moltke: No battle plan survives contact with the enemy. The same applies to project management. Unforeseen events are likely to arise or conditions may change, making the plan no longer adequate.
In situations like this, there are skills that become especially valuable, such as leadership and team management skills . Knowing how to maintain control of the situation during unforeseen events provides time to review the plan and resume the project.
4th Project monitoring and control:
Although we have divided project management into “phases”, the control and execution phases occur at the same time. In this phase, the execution of the project is monitored using different systems.
For example, during the planning phase, control points can be defined . During execution, when these control points are reached, reports will be drawn up on how the project is developing. These reports will record the various unforeseen events in order to readjust the planning . Or, if the results obtained are irreconcilable with those expected, the project will be closed .
The more integrated the different phases are with each other, the better the project management will be.
5th Evaluation and closure of the project:
This is the last phase, which concludes the project . However, it is not a simple end point, its objective is to reach conclusions about the project. In this phase, the initial plans are compared with the execution and the data kuwait whatsapp number list obtained from the control. An attempt is made to establish the cause of the discrepancies, what has been particularly good and what could be improved.
Closing the management phases of a project
The ultimate goal of the closing phase is to learn from mistakes to improve project management.
Duration of the different phases of project management.
Chart showing how project management phases overlap
As we have already said, not all projects are the same, and not all need the same resources. Therefore, the duration of the different phases is not set in stone. Let's say that a company periodically carries out very similar projects. Each time, it will need fewer resources at the start and during planning. On the other hand, if a company is planning to launch into unknown territory, these initial phases will take on special importance.
There are, however, some constants in the length of the various phases. The initiation phase should be short. It only provides superficial information, and planning will clarify the details. As for the other phases, it is advisable that they overlap. However, the amount of resources allocated to each one does not remain constant throughout its duration. For example, adjustments can be made to the planning once execution has begun, but not as many resources will be allocated to it as at the beginning of the project.
Ultimately, project management is a balance between planning and adaptability. Knowing the keys to designing a good management plan is a good start, but experience makes all the difference.