Transcription
[Music] Today we're talking about project planning for beginners. So, in today's whiteboard session, I want to talk about planning and why it's so important, and what it can cost us if we don't. I also want to cover a few basics of a project in planning, and then I want to provide just a simple, high-level process to get started.
So, first of all, many times I've caught myself saying, "Hmm, I should have planned that better." So, this is typically not a good thing. It means that something didn't turn out the way I expected or wanted, and as a result, it cost me time, money, or maybe even my energy. In some cases, it may have cost me credibility, or a business opportunity, or even a relationship. So, when planning a project is a career, the lack of planning can result in a failed project, or a failed company, or a job.
So, let's talk about some of the basics. So, we know from this, planning is important. So, the basics of a project is, for every project, it has a start date and end date with something to deliver by a specific or certain date. Usually, it's a product or service. These days, it could be information. So, it's not to be confused with ongoing operational work.
So, in planning, planning is a process of delivering, you know, why are we doing this project? Ultimately, what, what's the ultimate deliverable? What other deliverables are going to be produced, like what product or service? Who's going to be involved in doing it? And how are we going to do it?
So, if we look at a graphical picture, we've got a start date and we've got an end date. Maybe we have different chunks of time. This specific one is by months. We've got five months highlighted, and then we have different deliverables according to different points in time. We could have three deliverables due here, one deliverable here, and maybe four here. And then there's the process of how we go about doing that.
So, let's look at planning. So, planning again, we're talking about why are we doing this project? What is the big picture? What are we, what are we delivering from a high level? Is it like a building you are delivering, or planning a wedding, something like that? And then what specific are we delivering according to deliverables? And in some places, you may hear that referred to as scope. We also, as a result of the project, will have the expenses, and those are compiled to our project cost. Then we look at when, okay, when is the start date, when is the end date, and that creates our timeline. We also look at who actually does the work to deliver the products or the service. So, those are our people resources. And then how do we get there? What is the process? How do we know on the project, who knows what to do when and where? There's got to be a process.
So, one of the most valuable things I've found in planning is what's called a deliverables diagram. So, ultimately, why the big picture of what we're ultimately delivering, again, I love using the example of a house. So, ultimately, the project, maybe you're building a house. People can visualize that better. People understand what a house is. So, some of the deliverables, again, from the, the diagram you used earlier, there may be three deliverables coupled together in a package. Here's one deliverable, and here's four here. But if we subdivide it, and we're delivering a house, these deliverables may be the foundation. The second one could be the framing of the house. The third one could be the roof. And then later, once that's done and improved and inspected, we could have another deliverable, which is maybe the plumbing and the wiring delivered together as a package and inspected. And then we have the remaining deliverables, which may be like that, the inside workings, the inside of appliances and everything inside. It could be the outside. It could be the landscaping, or maybe even some kind of security system. But when these deliverables are done, you deliver the project.
But from this deliverables diagram, you take this and you determine what work has to be done to do this. If you're building the foundation, what sub-work or tasks have to be done there? If you're framing the house, divide that down into sub-parts. And then also, if you're roofing. And then once you have it divided into tasks, you've got to figure out, well, who's going to do that work? And then how long is it going to take? And then from there, again, you begin coming up with your timeline and specific assignments for your people. You're also going to be able to determine your cost, and then, of course, being able to provide the process for everyone involved so that you know how to work together, when to work together, to produce the project.
So, this is just a simplified version of the basics for planning. So, if you need a tool that can help you plan your project, then sign up for our software now at projectmanager.com.