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Why
Project Plans Are A Must Have
By Dennis Sommer (www.dennissommer.com)
Many project sponsors and executives want to get started
immediately on a project and not take the time to establish
the foundation for success. This article will focus on
the value of the Project Plan, the best time to begin
its development, a practical explanation of the elements
included, as well as how to learn from it after a project
is completed.
A Project Plan creates a solid foundation for the project,
which is as important as the foundation of a building.
Without a solid foundation, the building is not stable,
and can be weakened by unforeseen events. Similarly a
project without a detailed Project Plan will lack stability
and be at risk of an unsuccessful ending.
The Project Plan is a key component of Project Integration
Management, and provides a consolidated resource for all
of the detailed strategies. The Project Plan is a tool
that aids the Project Manager in consideration of all
the processes that are necessary to make the project a
success. It is also a tool that facilitates the buy-in
of all sponsors in the project.
The Project Plan development consists of several stages
and normally begins in the ‘Planning’ phase
of the project.
During this first stage the initial draft of the Project
Plan is developed. This initial draft will be used during
the kickoff meeting. Additionally, this paper explores
the importance of the kickoff meeting in significant detail.
The kickoff meeting allows the Project Manager to present
a professional first appearance to the project team, and
to set expectations as outlined in the initial draft of
the Project Plan. It is important to review each of the
individual elements of the Project Plan in detail during
the kickoff meeting to ensure there is agreement from
all key project participants. The participants in the
kickoff meeting should include the project sponsor(s)
and the project team members.
After the kickoff meeting, the Project Plan is refined
with additional details (though interviews and additional
sub-team meetings) and the first official version is issued
to the project sponsors and the project team.
The Project Plan guides the execution of the project,
and provides the specific processes and procedures to
be used. As the project progresses, and more information
is known, it is important to revise the Project Plan so
that it accurately reflects the most current view of the
project.
At the conclusion of the project, the Project Plan provides
a basis for the post-project review. During the post-project
review, all aspects of the project are considered and
‘lessons learned’ are documented. The Project
Plan can assist the project manager in identifying individual
or organizational process improvements, and provide a
continuous feedback loop.
In summary, to be most effective, the Project Plan must
be developed at the beginning of a project. The Project
Plan allows all aspects of the project to be considered,
the appropriate level of detail to be communicated to
all project stakeholders and team members throughout the
project, and more effective expectation management. The
end result is a project with a strong foundation and a
blueprint for success.
About The Author
- Dennis Sommer
 Dennis
Sommer is the founder and CEO of Executive Business Advisers,
a management consulting firm helping senior executives
maximize both sales and profit growth. Dennis specializes
in strategic planning, sales, marketing and operations
performance improvement.
Dennis is a highly
sought after author, keynote and seminar speaker on
sales, leadership and business best practices.
Contact Dennis at www.executivebusinessadvisers.com
or www.dennissommer.com
.
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