Project Management Plans

Project management plans are prescriptive ways in which projects are guided from start to finish. All project management plans examine the five project constraints: scope, time, cost, quality, and risk. The details of a plan will vary depending on the complexity of the project. For instance, a project to build a set of kitchen cabinets would, in most cases, have a very generalized plan, while a project to put together a product information booth at an international sales convention would have a more in-depth, comprehensive plan.

Project managers typically include their plans in a formal proposal in which the project is reviewed to assure that it is aligned with the program, portfolio, and/or business objectives.

Project Management Plans and Methodologies

Depending on the project management methodologies being used, the format for the project management plans are different. For example, in traditional project management, the plan provides an outline of the anticipated project constraints (schedules, budgets, etc.) through each of the five stages: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and completion. In contrast, agile projects cannot be planned from beginning to end due to the on-demand nature of agile work. Instead, the plans are created and adjusted throughout the project life-cycle as needed. There are many ways in which the range of methodologies are represented in a different project plans (see also, Project Management Methodologies).

Project Management Planning Software

Perhaps the most common approach to making project plans is from within a Gantt chart. This offers a wide range of visibility to each aspect of the project in relation to its scheduled time and scheduled resources. Some project managers also use mind-mapping software as a way of planning the stages of a project (or, at least as a visual addition to their more complex plans). Many other planning tools not provided here can be found throughout the web and are continually growing.

Most project management systems include project planning templates that are built according to the methodologies being used. However, each industry usually requires changes in the prescribed processes, and the ideal software will have customizable templates that allow project managers to optimize their own methodologies and workflows. In this way, businesses can avoid the time-consuming strictness of processes irrelevant to a project’s needs. Overall, the adaptability provided by modern project management software (SaaS in particular) will help companies make the most of their project management plans.