Recently, I had followed an online course and I found an interesting brief about how to plan a project. So I decide to put it here just in case someone needs it.
Project planning is one of the most critical stages of software development. It is an important part of commencing any new project. That's because it serves as a roadmap that shows the phases of the project, as well as their start and end dates, and dependencies. By the end of this reading, you should recognize the importance of project planning.
1. Project performance and success rates
Project planning involves comprehensive mapping and organization of project goals, tasks, schedules and resources before anyone assigns project roles and the team starts implementing the plan. With proper planning in place, you can boost the project performance and success rates of a team.
2. Clear objectives
Having a clear idea of what needs to be achieved greatly increases the likelihood that you will do it. But, without a concise objective from the start, the project will be complicated. If the team isn't clear on what they are working on, it’s almost impossible to know when the project is completed. Proper planning helps the team focus on the most important things: the objectives and the end goal.
3. Resource allocation
Planning out a project will tell you how many team members you need to execute the project. The plan also allows project managers to monitor which resources have been allocated and thus avoid excessive allocation.
4. Communication
Planning helps communication. With good communication, every team member knows exactly what is required of them ahead of time. A well-written plan will help you communicate key details, making it seamless for you and your entire team to complete specific tasks. Listening to their input and ideas is also a great way to achieve buy-in and foster the commitment of every team member.
5. Project-specific training
Project planning ensures team members have the required technical know-how to execute the assigned tasks and identifies talent pipelines to provide an adequate supply of trained talents throughout the lifecycle of the project.
And those are the basics of project planning!
