It is clear that a project is a unique event that has a set of objectives that must be met within the established time, cost and quality limits. A project has a specific beginning and end.
Therefore, we believe that it is truly important that you take the following points into account when planning a project; regardless of its size:
1. Decide clearly on the project's objectives
This may be one of the most important points, as we mentioned in our previous post about Factors that destroy projects: having a project without a clear objective will only confuse and frustrate the people involved in its execution. Only by being clear about the project objectives can we organize the activities that are required to meet these objectives and know if we have reached the goal.
2. Understand the limitations of the project
Typical limitations for most projects are cost, quality, time scale, and internal constraints (such as the capacity of the company's resources) and external constraints (such as interference from other projects towards ours, or activities that depend on others and that affect the progress of our project). There may be other limitations, such as labor or using very specific materials of little manufacture.
Understanding them will allow you to define the actions to be carried out so that your project is a success!
3. Define the activities and calculate their duration
"Delegating responsibilities" is one of the actions that will allow you to manage, not only the activities but their execution time. As the “magazine site mentions, Entrepeneur” group activities or work are more fruitful than individual efforts. Start with general activities, then you can break them down into smaller, more specific activities. The more detailed they are, the more accurate the final project plan will be.
Calculate the duration of each activity. The more accurate the calculation, the more accurate the total project duration. However, do not try to be completely precise, as you can adjust the duration of the activities once the project is underway, especially if significant variations are detected.
4. Identify which activities directly affect other activities
In every project there are activities that affect others. For example, identify the activities that must be completed before another can begin, since the delay of the first activity directly influences the start of the second. Likewise, the activities that can be executed simultaneously must be identified, in order to reduce execution times.
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