Top 8 Benefits of Planning in Project Management
Nowadays, work seems to be more complicated, and the deadlines are becoming increasingly shorter. The pressure to hit deadlines sometimes results in projects being rushed and kicked off as soon as possible. Some people are considering any time spent on planning ahead as a waste, however, this couldn’t be more wrong.
If a project manager starts a task without the planning phase, it’s almost doomed to fail. Bad planning has been ranked as one of the most common causes of failure. If someone takes a closer look at all the causes that lead to project failure, poor planning is usually there to blame.
Lack of planning also leads to a bad distribution of resources, with no planning, it’s difficult to keep all elements required to complete a task in track, and it’s hard for a project manager to figure out which task a team member is responsible for. Instead, there are a lot of benefits in planning in project management.
Let’s have a look on the top 8 benefits of planning in project management:
A Clear Goal
Understanding what you are planning to achieve will significantly increase the possibility that you may get down to do it. Without a clear goal from the start, the project can be in danger. Especially when the team members are not clear about which direction they are running to, it’s hard for them to realize whether the task is completed. A benefit of planning in project management is it helps the team focus on the targets and complete the goal.
Better Possibility of Hitting Milestones
One of the most efficient approaches to track project progress is to plan milestones into the timetable. Without a clear plan, it’s difficult to set the priorities of your task, and to know which phase you are standing at. A benefit of Planning in project management enables the team to set milestones and determine the timetable to their tasks accordingly.
Risk assessment
A good project planning includes a full assessment of the potential risks. There is no doubt that there will be problems arising during the time when running a task, but if you did plan beforehand, most of the risks can be monitored and taken care of. That is another benefit because these allow you to develop a better plan that may be used to keep away from issues.
A Better Resource Allocation
One of the benefits of planning in project management is it will show to the team which resources are required to finish the task. Moreover, it allows the PM to keep track of the resources that have been allocated, therefore avoiding overly allocation that may cause problems to the job, such as shortage of resources before completion, etc.
Figuring Out Task Dependencies
Planning in project management will show to the project manager which tasks have dependencies and help them to schedule accordingly. Without figuring out task dependencies, a project may end up in the wrong order, and that leads to a failure. A clear planning will permit a PM to know which team member is responsible for which task and in the end benefits the goal.
Discover Employee’s Skills
When a project leader does the prior planning, they will discover which employee or team member has the skill needed to complete the task. Some skills may not appear on the employee’s CV or work history but are still valuable for the team. Without planning for each task, the leader may not have the chance to discover these skills.
Communication
Plan leads to discussion and communication, all that will help your group realize what exactly is needed of them. A written plan will assist you to communicate key information, this way it will be easier for you and your group to complete tasks. Listening to your team members’ ideas is another way for your team to bond and ultimately achieve your goal.
Project Review
Usually when planning, the PM and team will review and evaluate their past projects together, assessing the successes and failures, experiences gained, and lessons learned from old jobs. This is another benefit, it permits the group to do a self-check, keep up with the good strategy and avoid mistakes, it’s all about doing a better job for the current one.