Is your firm planning to start a project? If the answer is yes, your firm is in grave need of project planning. There are millions of projects in process right now. Some may be visible for us that affects a broader audience, for example, a new football stadium in the city .and some may be very distant to our eyes like the formation of a new drug for COVID-19.In some of these projects, we can see the completion, but some may even not get to the completion phase and drift away. But one thing is for sure that every project needs project planning.
What is project planning, and what is the best way to learn it?
Project planning is a part of project management in which the necessary documentation is finalized for the successful completion of the project. The documentation includes the plans of how the project will be initiated, executed, monitored, controlled, and completed.the documentation can include any change or additional plans.
The key factors to be finalized in project planning are:
- Setting project goals
- Pinpoint the deliverables
- Assemble project schedules
- Creating supporting plans
Project planning initiates with defining the project's scope and eventually working on each stage of the project by scheduling different phases, deciding which resources are required and their limitations, and defining success parameters.
In general, Gantt charts or other types of charts are used to provide an overall view of the
projects for the concerned parties.it is a continuous process that does not end until the project ends too. Project planning depends upon the complexity and the length of the project. The project planning may go back to the initial planning stage many times before getting completed.
Learning project planning is very important before starting a project. Making your project team going through the basics of project planning is considered a part of the project nowadays. Workforce readiness is also an essential factor in effective learning. Having a good enterprise LMS helps in this matter a lot.
Here are some stats to understand the value of learning project planning
Understanding the value of project planning is very important. It's a step forward in ensuring the success of the project. A well-planned project has very good chances of being a successful project. According to Capterra, 94 % of firms agree that project management is very critical for the growth of the business.
Implementing good project management practices is way different than understanding the importance of project planning. In today's business world, managers have realized the importance of project management and have started to implement important project planning steps in their organizations. According to PMI, 34.21% of firms are using standard project management practices, and the project management industry is going to grow by 6.61 trillion dollars worldwide.in the U.S. alone, there is a 17 % increase in the project-based health industry. And that is about just one industry. These are huge numbers that can not be ignored. Project-based industrial work is growing and thriving, and so is the need for project planning learning.
Although project's success is based on a lot of factors, these factors depend upon the project manager. The manager should be competent enough to understand and the objectives and to implement the strategies flawlessly. Only then can he inspire his team to work in the same manner. according to PMI 83% of the top organizations invest in project management training in their firms.one of the popular ones is pmp online training course
The idea of having employees with certifications is gaining importance in the industry. The most certification oriented industry is the IT certification industry. According to Business News Daily, project management is in demand certification in the industry. 90% of the organizations see project management certifications as a vital part of quality performance. A good option would be to make your employees responsible for the project complete pmp online training course. In this way, the person who is already a part of your team can manage the projects you are about to start.
Why is learning project planning important?
There are a ton of reasons why project planning is vital for an organization. Let us discuss some of them here.
Stakeholder Commitment
Stakeholders are the entities that have some kind of stake in the project. They are the concerned parties.there are different stakeholders of projects with different priorities. A good project plan makes sure that the objectives of all the relevant parties get fulfilled in the end. Planning a project makes sure that all the stakeholders are committed to the project . not planning a project makes them disillusioned about the project.
Planning identifies and reduces potential risks
Risk is always a factor in projects whether the project is micro or macro.however small the risk may seem, it can cause more substantial consequences later if not handled wisely. Project planning allows the project management team to anticipate the potential risks and make plans to eliminate them immediately.
Reducing project failure rates
With planning, the execution of the project becomes extremely sloppy. It is a sure thing that without planning, things will fall out of the creaks, and identifying these leaks will become nearly impossible. Planning a project lets the organization avoid these types of misshapes and ultimately results in lower chances of project failure.
Summary
- Project planning is a part of project management in which the necessary documentation is finalized for the successful completion of the project.
- Learning project planning is very important before starting a project
- Although project's success is based on a lot of factors, these factors depend upon the project manager. And the project should be a learned person with formal project management knowledge
- Having project management certification is very important in today's industry.
- Project management is important for increasing stakeholder's commitment to the project, reduction of risks and identification of potential threats, reduction of project failure rate.