Importance of Developing a Project Plan

Project plans keep the project management team on track during the development and implementation phases of a new project.

Benefits

According to the January 1992 issue of Construction Management and Economics, planning is the secret to a successful project, and is a means for the project management team to organize the steps involved to complete the project.

Features

Project plans can be simple or comprehensive, depending on the complexity of the project. The main sections in a project plan are project deliverables and project schedules. There may also be supporting documents, such as quality management or risk management plans.

Function

The project management team has a lot to do, so by developing a project plan the team can prioritize tasks, set goals, establish timeframes for evaluating the project schedule and identify methods for tracking the budgets.

Types

Project plans are oftentimes formatted in a work breakdown structure, which outlines the sequence of tasks that need to be completed. This is a great visual tool that project management teams use to easily identify the order of operations.

Considerations

Some people do not always see the value in project planning. In the January 1992 issue of Construction Management and Economics, it is suggested to remind people that project planning can help projects be completed timely and with minimal setbacks.

References

• Construction Management and Economics: A Micro View of the Project Planning Process; Alexander Laufer; January 1992