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Teams frequently perform large-scale projects in stages to finish work in a specified order. As the team’s project manager, you can use the various phases of project management to track and organize your group’s progress toward its objective.
What is a project manager?
It is the responsibility of project managers to meet with customers and stakeholders to determine and monitor the requirements for each area of a project. They communicate with stakeholders who have an interest in the result of a project, including customers, managers, sponsors or board members. As a project manager, you may create plans depending on budgetary constraints, timelines, and available resources. Project managers collaborate with teams to monitor the project’s development and participate in other ways to its completion.
Project management process
A variety of techniques are utilized by project managers to guide a project to completion. You are likely to utilize several of the following processes as a project manager:
- Phase management: Teams, stakeholders, and the project manager check the project initiation document often to ensure that each phase adheres to the objectives stated during the strategy and planning phases. Each team member verifies their comprehension of the project’s objectives and their specific roles throughout each step. Once all deliverables, or anticipated products or outcomes, for the phase have been completed, the teams can proceed to the next phase.
- Planning: At the beginning of each step, you can double-check that the required resources are accessible. By beginning each phase in the planning stage, you may enhance the possibility that your team will meet its budgetary and time constraints.
- Control: By monitoring the project’s KPIs and using reports to assess each step, you may control the budget, scope, timeline, and problems that develop within each phase.
- Team management: As a project manager, you help train and support diverse team members throughout a project. Before a phase begins, this procedure may involve ensuring that you deliver the necessary tools at the appropriate time or providing training on how to utilize those tools.
- Communication: Project managers can delegate communication tasks to an individual or team in order to keep all team members, resources, and stakeholders informed during each phase of a project. The project manager can focus on other planning, procurement, and integration activities when communication is delegated.
- Procurement: To procure resources, you and your team must determine the resources the project requires, solicit bids from contractors, and manage the vendors’ budget and schedule. In order to maintain the project’s workflow, you should also close down finished contracts as soon as they are finalized.
- Integration: As project manager, you are responsible for ensuring the coordination of all processes and teams. Some processes may overlap or compete with one another. For instance, a team may require the outcome of a contractor’s work in order to initiate its own work during the current phase. You can develop coordination tactics and use communication methods such as regular meetings to keep team members apprised of the status of various procedures that impact their work.
Project management phases
To guarantee their teams generate desired deliverables and meet criteria, project managers assess the project’s progression in terms of phases. In some instances, businesses construct their own versions of the following project phases:
Strategy and initiation
At the outset of a project, team members completely develop an idea before submitting it for approval to relevant stakeholders. At this stage, you outline the project’s needs and explain how the team can accomplish the objectives within the allocated budget and timeline.
The stakeholders determine whether the project’s benefits justify its expenses. During the development phase, your team’s project completion processes may alter as they consult with experts and do research on each step. Throughout the duration of the project, you and your team members should examine the goals you establish during this strategy phase to ensure that the final product adheres to the original concept and agreed-upon objectives.
Design and planning
During this stage, stakeholders develop a work breakdown structure, recruit team members, secure resources and agree a project launch document. They define SMART objectives, allocate tasks, establish budgets, and anticipate difficulties and their remedies.
Because they are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-based
During this planning phase, teams, managers, and stakeholders can use additional tools to solve problems or make adjustments as necessary. With each change or new plan, project managers and teams should seek agreement from stakeholders. They can now establish a project schedule.
Execution and testing
Typically, projects transition from the planning phase to the execution phase with a launch meeting to distribute resources and ensure that all participants understand their roles. As they complete their duties, teams execute the components of their projects and test each deliverable. For instance, if your team is developing software or design components, these components can be tested throughout each phase.
If communication systems and regular meeting times are pertinent to the project or phase, project managers arrange them. It is essential for project managers to remain organized, keep an eye out for risks and concerns, and revisit the project’s objectives. Some managers may choose to include a checkpoint in this phase for high-risk projects to ensure that the goals, timeframe, and budget are feasible. Depending on the circumstances, a project manager may decide to restart the planning phase.
Launch and training
After the execution and testing phases are complete, the team can launch the product and make it accessible to users. The teams can provide training if necessary, such as how to use a new system, technology or product. During this phase, project managers frequently utilize key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the performance of teams and make any necessary adjustments to the project’s budget and resources.
Examples of KPIs include:
- Achieving goals
- Meeting quality benchmarks
- Monitoring the budget and schedule timetable
- Being able to determine a finish date
Support and achievement of benefits
Managers and stakeholders determine whether the project’s outcome achieves its objectives. Additional long-term support systems are established by project managers, such as a button to request assistance if the project introduced new software. Metrics and methodologies provide stakeholders and project managers with options for analyzing and maintaining deliverables. Depending on the industry and project objectives, project managers may adopt quality control procedures or customer retention protocols. This step guarantees the ongoing quality of the project’s outcomes.
Project closure
During the closure phase of a project, project managers, teams, and stakeholders can assess and document whether the outputs met the initial objectives. Evaluation and analysis are critical at this stage, and stakeholders might choose to close the project based on the results or revise areas that require improvement.
As a project manager, effective communication and productivity are vital. Understanding and intentionally strategizing about the procedures and phases of a project can assist with organization. You can utilize these approaches with your teams to efficiently execute projects.
