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Importance of Project Planning: An Overview

Ready to learn about the Importance of Project Planning? This comprehensive blog includes an overview of project planning, a discussion on why project planning is crucial, an examination of its key components, an in-depth look at the five phases of a project's life cycle, and more in detail. Read more to learn!

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Moreover, it minimises uncertainties, optimises resource allocation, and ensures that teams are aligned with Project objectives. It is impossible to underline the Importance of Project Planning. Learn why effective Project Planning is essential for Project success and business success. 

Table of Contents  

1) Project Planning- an overview 

2) Discussing the Importance of Project Planning 

3) Exploring the key components of Project Planning 

4) Looking at the five phases of a Project’s life cycle 

5) The key tools you need for Project Planning 

6) Steps you can take to create an effective Project Plan 

7) Conclusion 

Project Planning- an overview  

Project Planning is a fundamental process in Project Management, serving as the compass that guides an endeavour from its conceptualisation to successful completion. Project Planning is the systematic and strategic process of defining, organising, and outlining all the essential components and activities required to achieve a specific goal or objective within a predetermined timeframe and budget. 

Furthermore, Project Planners meticulously outline the Project's scope, objectives, tasks, and resources, breaking down complex endeavours into manageable units. They establish a clear roadmap that not only serves as a reference for team members but also helps in managing expectations among stakeholders. 

Project Planning encompasses several key elements: 

a) Scope definition : Clearly delineating the Project's boundaries and what it aims to accomplish, thus preventing scope creep. 

b) Objective setting : Establishing Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals that guide the Project's direction. 

c) Resource allocation : Determining the necessary resources, whether they be human, financial, or material, and allocating them efficiently. 

d) Timelines : Creating detailed schedules, often visualised through Gantt charts or Project Management software, to manage deadlines and dependencies.  

Discussing the Importance of Project Planning  

Project Planning is the cornerstone of effective Project Management, and its importance cannot be overstated in today's dynamic and competitive business landscape. It serves as the essential blueprint that lays the foundation for a Project’s success. Here are key reasons why Project Planning is of Importance:  

Minimising uncertainty  

Project Planning allows teams to identify potential risks, uncertainties, and challenges early in the process. By conducting a thorough risk assessment, Project Managers can develop mitigation strategies and contingency plans, reducing the likelihood of unexpected setbacks during Project execution. 

Resource allocation  

A well-structured Project Plan helps allocate resources efficiently. It ensures that human resources, budgets, and materials are distributed optimally to support Project objectives. Effective resource allocation prevents overburdening team members and minimises wastage, ultimately leading to cost savings. 

Stakeholder alignment   

Clear Project Planning documents, including scope statements, objectives, and timelines, align stakeholders' expectations. This alignment fosters collaboration, reduces misunderstandings, and minimises conflicts among Project participants. When everyone understands the Project's direction, it's easier to work together toward a common goal. 

Time management   

Project Planning establishes realistic timelines and deadlines for each Project phase and task. This helps teams prioritise their activities, set milestones, and monitor progress. Effective time management ensures that Projects stay on track, preventing delays that could impact delivery dates. 

Budget control  

A well-defined Project Plan includes a detailed budget breakdown. This budget provides a financial roadmap for the Project, allowing for the allocation of funds to specific tasks and activities. By closely monitoring budget expenditures throughout the Project's life cycle, organisations can control costs and prevent budget overruns. 

Quality assurance  

Project Planning encompasses quality assurance measures, ensuring that deliverables meet predefined standards and quality criteria. By proactively addressing quality issues in the planning phase, teams can avoid costly rework and enhance the overall Project outcome. 

Client satisfaction  

Effective Project Planning leads to successful Project outcomes. When Projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in line with stakeholders' expectations, client satisfaction increases. Satisfied clients are more likely to become repeat customers and provide positive referrals. 

Continuous improvement  

Post-project evaluations often reveal areas where improvements can be made. A structured Project Plan includes mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating Project performance. These insights can inform future Projects, enabling organisations to refine their processes and achieve even better results. 

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Exploring the key components of Project Planning  

Project Planning is a systematic process that involves several key components, each playing a crucial role in ensuring the success of a Project. These components collectively form the blueprint for Project execution, guiding the Project team from initiation to completion. Here are the key components of Project Planning:  

Project scope  

Defining the Project scope is the first and foremost step in Project Planning. It involves clarifying what the Project will accomplish, its boundaries, and what it will not include. A well-defined scope prevents scope creep, ensuring the Project stays on track and within its intended parameters. 

Project objectives  

Project Planning sets clear, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) objectives. These objectives serve as the Project's goals and help align efforts toward a common purpose. 

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)  

The WBS is a hierarchical breakdown of the Project into smaller, manageable tasks and activities. It provides a detailed view of the Project's components, helping in resource allocation and task assignment. 

Project Planning involves identifying and allocating the necessary resources, including human resources, budgets, materials, and equipment. Efficient resource allocation ensures that the Project has the required support to achieve its goals. 

Project schedule  

Creating a timeline or Project schedule is critical. This component outlines the sequence of tasks, their dependencies, and deadlines. Project Managers often use tools like Gantt charts to visualise and manage schedules effectively. 

Risk assessment and mitigation  

Identifying potential risks and uncertainties is essential. Project Planning includes a risk assessment that outlines the potential challenges and their impacts. Strategies for risk mitigation and contingency plans are developed to address these challenges. 

Quality standards  

Establishing and documenting quality standards ensures that Project deliverables meet the required level of quality. Quality planning outlines the criteria and metrics for measuring quality throughout the Project. 

Communication plan  

Effective communication is vital for Project success. A communication plan defines how Project information will be disseminated, who the stakeholders are, and what channels and frequency will be used for communication. 

Procurement plan  

In Projects involving external suppliers or vendors, a procurement plan is developed. It outlines the procurement strategy, selection criteria for vendors, and the procurement process. 

Change management  

Project Planning includes provisions for change management. It addresses how changes to Project scope, objectives, or requirements will be managed, ensuring that changes are documented, evaluated, and approved before implementation. 

Cost estimate and budget  

Project Planning includes the estimation of Project costs and the creation of a detailed budget. This budget serves as a financial roadmap for the Project, guiding financial decisions throughout the Project lifecycle. 

Stakeholder analysis  

Identifying and analysing stakeholders is crucial for managing expectations and addressing their concerns. A stakeholder analysis helps in tailoring communication and engagement strategies for different stakeholder groups. 

Legal and regulatory considerations  

Depending on the Project's nature and location, there may be legal and regulatory requirements that need to be considered during planning. Compliance with these requirements is crucial to avoid legal issues. 

Monitoring and evaluation  

Project Planning should include mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating Project performance against the defined objectives and milestones. This component ensures that the Project stays on track and allows for adjustments as needed. 

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Looking at the five phases of a Project’s life cycle  

A Project life cycle is a structured framework that defines the phases a Project goes through, from initiation to completion. It typically includes stages like initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closure. Each phase has specific goals and tasks, ensuring organised and efficient Project Management. Here is each phase described in further detail as follows:  

Initiation  

The initiation phase marks the beginning of a Project’s life cycle. It's a critical step where the Project's feasibility, purpose, and objectives are defined. During this phase, key stakeholders identify the Project's scope, its potential benefits, and assess whether it aligns with the organisation's goals.  

Furthermore, a Project charter or initiation document is often created to outline the Project's key details, such as its objectives, scope, budget, and initial timeline. Additionally, the initiation phase involves appointing a Project Manager and assembling a Project team, setting the foundation for comprehensive planning and successful Project execution in subsequent phases. 

Planning  

The planning phase is the pivotal stage in the Project life cycle. This phase comprises of the detailed strategies that are developed to achieve Project objectives. It encompasses defining Project scope, setting clear goals, creating a comprehensive work breakdown structure (WBS), allocating resources, establishing timelines, and formulating Risk Management plans.  

Furthermore, Project Managers and teams collaborate to produce a detailed Project Plan, including tasks, dependencies, and milestones. Budgets, quality standards, and communication plans are refined.  

Moreover, this phase ensures that everyone involved understands their roles and responsibilities, laying a solid foundation for efficient Project execution. Effective planning minimises risks and increases the likelihood of on-time, on-budget Project completion. 

Execution  

The execution phase is where the Project Plan comes to life. It involves putting the meticulously crafted plans into action. Project teams carry out assigned tasks, utilising allocated resources and adhering to the established timelines.  

Additionally, clear communication and collaboration among team members are crucial during this phase to ensure seamless progress. The Project Manager plays a pivotal role in coordinating efforts, monitoring progress, and addressing issues as they arise.  

Furthermore, quality control measures are applied to maintain the Project's integrity, and any necessary changes are managed according to the change control process. Successful execution brings the Project closer to its objectives and delivers tangible results. 

Monitoring and managing  

The monitoring and managing phase is the stage where Project Managers and teams continuously track progress against the Project Plan. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), milestones, and quality standards are rigorously evaluated.  

Moreover, any deviations from the plan are identified, and corrective actions are taken to keep the Project on course. Risk Management remains a focus, with proactive risk mitigation strategies applied as necessary.  

Furthermore, communication with stakeholders is ongoing to provide updates and address concerns. This phase ensures that the Project remains aligned with its objectives, budgets, and timelines, allowing for effective decision-making and the successful delivery of the Project. 

Closure  

The closure phase represents the culmination of the Project life cycle. It involves the systematic and organised closure of all Project activities. This includes verifying that all Project deliverables are met, finalising documentation, conducting a thorough review to ensure that Project objectives are achieved, and obtaining client or stakeholder acceptance.  

Furthermore, financial and administrative closure tasks are executed, including settling outstanding bills, releasing Project resources, and archiving Project-related documents. Additionally, lessons learned are documented to facilitate future improvements.  

Moreover, the closure phase ensures that the Project concludes smoothly, with all loose ends tied up, resources released, and stakeholders satisfied, marking a successful conclusion to the Project. 

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The key tools you need for Project Planning  

Effective Project Planning is crucial for business success, and having the right tools can greatly enhance the process. Here are key tools that businesses need for Project Planning:  

a) Project Management software : This is the cornerstone of Project Planning. Tools like Microsoft Project, Asana, Trello, or Jira help teams create Project schedules, track progress, manage tasks, and collaborate efficiently. They provide a centralised platform for team communication and task management. 

b) Gantt charts : Gantt charts are visual tools that display Project tasks and their timelines in a bar chart format. They help Project Managers and teams visualise task dependencies and the overall Project timeline, aiding in efficient scheduling and resource allocation. 

c) Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) software : WBS software helps in creating and organising a hierarchical breakdown of Project tasks, allowing for a clear understanding of the Project's components and their relationships. 

d) Communication tools : Collaboration and communication tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Basecamp facilitate real-time communication among Project team members. They enable document sharing, instant messaging, and video conferencing, enhancing team collaboration regardless of location. 

e) Risk Management software : Tools such as risk register software help in identifying, assessing, and managing Project risks. They assist in developing mitigation strategies and contingency plans to minimise the impact of potential issues. 

f) Resource management software : These tools assist in allocating and managing Project resources efficiently. They provide insights into resource availability, workload, and allocation, preventing overallocation and ensuring optimal resource utilisation. 

g) Financial and budgeting software : Financial tools help in creating Project budgets, tracking expenses, and managing financial resources. They allow for accurate cost estimation and control throughout the Project. 

h) Document management systems : Systems like SharePoint or Google Workspace facilitate document storage, version control, and collaborative editing, ensuring that Project documentation is organised and accessible to all team members. 

i) Risk analysis software : For complex Projects, specialised risk analysis software can help in modelling and simulating various scenarios to assess potential risks and their impact on the Project. 

j) Reporting and analytics tools : Reporting tools like Tableau or Power BI enable Project managers to create and share performance dashboards and reports. These tools provide insights into Project progress, KPIs, and areas requiring attention. 

k) Time tracking software : Time tracking tools help in monitoring the time spent on Project tasks and activities. This data is valuable for assessing productivity, estimating future Projects, and managing billable hours for client Projects. 

l) Integration platforms : Integration tools like Zapier or Integromat can connect various software applications, automating data transfer and reducing manual data entry between different Project Management tools. 

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Steps you can take to create an effective Project Plan  

Creating an effective Project Plan is vital for achieving Project success. Here are five key steps to guide you through the process:  

a) Define clear objectives and scope : Clearly articulate the project's objectives, goals, and deliverables. Define what the project will achieve and what it won't. 

b) Create a detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) : Develop a hierarchical breakdown of all Project tasks and deliverables using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). This visual roadmap helps organise Project components, making them easier to manage and assign. 

c) Set realistic timelines : Establish a Project schedule with clear timelines for each task and milestone. Use tools like Gantt charts to visualise dependencies and critical paths. Ensure that your timelines are achievable and consider potential constraints. 

d) Allocate resources effectively : Identify the resources required for each task, including personnel, budgets, materials, and equipment. Efficient resource allocation prevents overburdening teams and helps maintain cost control. 

d) Monitor progress and adjust : Regularly track Project progress against your plan. Implement a monitoring and controlling process to identify issues early and take corrective actions. Be prepared to adapt the plan when unforeseen challenges arise, maintaining flexibility and agility throughout the Project's lifecycle. 

Conclusion  

The Importance of Project Planning cannot be overstated. A well-crafted Project Plan serves as the guiding compass, minimising risks, optimising resources, and ensuring successful Project outcomes. By diligently following the steps outlined and utilising the right tools, businesses can navigate the complexities of Project Management and achieve their goals with confidence. 

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What is Project Planning? Steps, Process, Importance, Tools

Home Blog Project Management What is Project Planning? Steps, Process, Importance, Tools

There is a golden adage that says - "you don't plan to fail but you fail to plan"; well, it holds pretty much the same importance in project management as it does in all aspects of life. Project planning is quintessential to the project and projects that are not planned well result in unwanted overheads or at times sunk costs which result in pressures on the execution of the project and often escalate situations out of control for the project manager. 

What is Project Planning in Project Management?   

Project planning or project management planning is the foundation and most important stage of the project management life-cycle. The project planning activity sets the project foundations by base-lining the project scope, schedule, quality standards, objectives, and goals. Planning typically involves creating a document with all project information that comprises the respective tasks, assignee's, and areas of responsibility.

A project plan usually includes management plans for all areas of the project viz - integration, scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, communication, risk, procurement, and stakeholders. Creating a consolidated project plan can be done manually or with the help of automated project management software such as Agile Central, Jira, Asana, Wrike, nTask, etc. Creating a comprehensive project plan and envisioning a concrete project execution strategy can streamline and strengthen the project process and ensure successful project execution and delivery. 

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Why is Project Planning Important?   

In a formal project management life cycle, projects begin with the project charter providing authority to the project manager to utilize organizational resources and assets for the project. A lot of novice professionals may at this point question - what is project planning & why is it important? Here is where the importance of the project planning phase comes into the picture as planning goes a few steps ahead and guides the project manager in strategising: 

• How the project will move ahead i.e. how to plan a project’s activities,
• What kind of resources will be engaged at what duration,
• How unforeseen situations will be handled, and finally,
• What will be the baselines against which progress will be measured and reported 

The planning process in project management forms the basis of the next project phases i.e. execution, monitoring & controlling closure, and also stipulates how the project team will pursue the goals outlined in the business case and project charter. Project planning in project management is also important from a cost-saving perspective as any project can easily run into unknowns, environmental challenges, and scope creep that haunt the completion and delivery of any/all types of projects. It is only effective project planning that provides the required structure and foresight, thereby helping eliminate wasteful tasks and patterns to optimize efficiency and execution. 

Types of Project Planning   

Project planning can be of various types depending on the objective, scope, and purview of the activity in consideration. The 3 broad categories of planning include: 

• Vertical Planning  - involves creating a detailed hourly plan to roll up to the day and is also known as daily planning as it is done on that particular day; 
• Horizontal Planning - involves creating a plan for the day as a whole instead of focusing on every hour and can be done weekly or monthly as well; 
• Joint Planning - as the name suggests, involves both horizontal and vertical planning i.e. planning the tasks for the day as well as the week to have a bird's eye view and also a detailed plan at the same time. Joint planning requires careful consideration of the task duration and order of items, to sequence activities and complete them. 

What are the Components of a Project Plan?   

• Scope - Project scope includes the stakeholder requirements, deliverables, and goals that attribute to the project's success and completion. 
• Budget - Budget allocations define which resources will be aligned to the particular project activities based on their priority and requirements. Budget planning involves the allocation of people, processes, and technology per project needs.
• Timeline - Project planning involves defining timelines to the scope and aligning project tasks and activities, creating schedules with milestones, and tracking progress. 

Together, these 3 components viz, scope, budget, and timeline determine what the project will accomplish, how much will be spent on the project and when will the project be delivered and completed and form the foundation for an effective project planning process. 

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Project Management Planning Techniques   

Project management planning techniques are what put the whole project planning process in project management into real and practical action. They help formulate the roadmap with milestones, deliverables, and task-level action plan to create the project deliverables and complete the project successfully. While there may be many different techniques that project managers may use, each of them has its impact on the project outcomes and may be used at different times during the project. 

1.  SMART Goals 

Goal setting is the first step in the project planning methodology and entails creating an outline of the project outcome to define what steps need to be completed and what activities need to be performed to achieve the desired outcome. In this process, the goals that are defined should have the following attributes: 

• Specific - should be clear and concise to be achieved 
• Measurable - should be quantifiable and not open to interpretation 
• Attainable - should be realistic and feasible 
• Relevant - should align with the overall business objectives 
• Time-bound - should have a deadline or time-limit

2. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) 

WBS is what defines how the overall project goals will be broken down into unit-level tasks/activities that will help create project deliverables to achieve project outcomes. It is essentially a visual representation of project tasks and activities presented in a hierarchical format. Creating a WBS involves breaking up high-level goal statements into doable tasks and activities to their respective unit level and allocating resources to the WBS items to create the outlined deliverables. There is also a WBS dictionary that augments the definition, break-up, and scope of work packages i.e. items in the WBS chart.

3. Cost Breakdown Structure 

This is an extension of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and is a hierarchical representation of costs at various levels of the WBS. CBS represents the cost of components in the WBS. It is a useful tool for structuring project financial management and the application of cost controls to track and manage project costs. 

4. Action Priority Matrix 

This is a prioritization tool that determines the sequence of tasks to balance between time and resources to optimize efficiencies. An action priority matrix is most useful in critical situations or time-crunch scenarios in the project. It has 4 quadrants - resulting in 4 possibilities, that are: 

• Quick Wins/urgent
• Major projects/not urgent 
• Fill-ins/delegate 
• Hard slogs/Postpone or ignore 

5. Milestone Trend Analysis (MTA）  

This is an important project scheduling and control tool which helps project teams determine whether the project is ahead of schedule or behind schedule and applies techniques or corrective actions to avoid variance. MTA involves creating a chart with the planning line vs the implementation line along with the respective milestones to represent trends and analyze the same. With the help of MTA, project managers can easily identify the bottlenecks and any constraints that may derail the project from its planned course of action. Want to get a project management certification? Understand the nitty-gritties of the real world project management life cycle easily in our PRINCE2 course ! 

10 Steps to Successful Project Planning   

Step 1: Define stakeholders  

Identifying and defining stakeholders is the first step to successful project planning as any stakeholder identified late will cause scope-creep or unwarranted changes which may be too expensive for the project. 

Step 2:  Define roles & responsibilities  

Outlining clear roles and responsibilities is an important next step; not all stakeholders will have the same level of interest in the project and hence it is important to establish the responsibility, accountability, and role expectations in the project.

Step 3:  Introduce stakeholders   

Bringing the stakeholders together and introducing them to the project as well as each other in a formal setup helps build trust and alignment with the overall project and organizational goals. This step helps ensure everyone's voices are heard and also secures commitment from stakeholders for the project. 

Step 4:  Set goals  

Goal setting is the key step in planning, without which it will be impossible to assess project success and mark the project closed upon completion i.e. meeting the defined goals. 

Step 5:  Prioritize tasks   

Task prioritization is the key to understanding what kind of resources will be aligned to the project at what durations. Not having a prioritized list of tasks will only confuse overlapping activities and also cost overruns in the project execution. 

Step 6:  Create a schedule   

Once the goals are established and prioritized, creating a roadmap with the project milestones helps understand dependencies, constraints, and sequencing of activities for the project. Project scheduling helps outline which activities will be completed in what order, how and when they will start, what will be their outcomes and how will the project manager track and measure progress. 

Step 7:  Assess risks   

Risks are uncertain events that may affect the project and planning involves understanding the risk and assessing its probability i.e. the chance of occurrence as well as its impact i.e. the effect on the project 

Step 8:  Communicate   

Communication plays a key role in project management and according to the PM role, a project manager spends about 90% of the time communicating. Communication of plans, timely reviews, and change management are all important aspects of the project that need attention at regular intervals. 

Step 9:  Reassess   

Reviewing and adjusting planning activity is as important as planning itself. An outdated plan can be as dangerous as having no plan at all and will give false direction to the project team and stakeholders. 

Step 10:  Final evaluation   

Project plans need to be evaluated and signed off by those accountable; every planning activity must inculcate the practice of inspection and adaptation post which the adjusted planning decisions must go through final evaluation and approval.  

How can Project Planning Software Help to Plan Projects?   

Project planning and implementation of planned activities involve handling a lot of concurrencies and managing a lot of conflicting tasks, priorities, and resources. This activity often entails a thorough understanding of the current state as well as the proposed state/outcome of the project. In such an intense environment, project management software can be a boon if rightly used to align and sequence project activities.

The project planning software essentially creates a structured framework for collaboration and automation of recurring tasks and processes. Planning software also facilitates the centralization of all information making it easy to retrieve and available on a need basis, especially in hybrid and agile setups where communication is the lifestream of business activities and execution. Project management software provides a transparent overview of completed, in progress, and planned projects to avoid bottlenecks and manage dependencies effectively. A short overview of project planning benefits include: 

• Improved schedule management 
• Facilitate cross-team communication and collaboration 
• Provide visibility to better manage and mitigate risks 
• Effective breakdown and allocation of tasks
• Improved team productivity 
• Easy-to-use reports and dashboards 

Best Project Planning Tools and Software in 2023   

1. gantt chart .

Gantt charts are one of the most essential and effective tools project managers use to track project progress and are used throughout the project lifecycle. They facilitate the creation of a visual project schedule/roadmap, point out milestones, and dependencies, and act as an indispensable information radiator for teams and stakeholders. Gantt charts are quite popular with teams of any size/methodology because they project the most realistic project schedule when correctly maintained and can highlight areas of risk or attention to project managers.

2. Critical Path Method (CPM) 

CPM is one of the most undermined project planning and management techniques. It involves envisaging the longest path or sequence of activities in the project by making use of the Gantt chart, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and network diagramming techniques. The activities that fall on this sequence or "critical path" are termed critical activities and assume the highest priority on the project schedule. The other activities which do not fall on this critical path are activities that have a float and this helps determine the other path i.e. the critical path which represents the shortest time needed to complete the project.

3. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) Chart 

PERT is an estimation as well as scheduling technique that uses probabilities and simple statistical calculations to create a visual PERT diagram and identify independent activities. It is represented in the form of nodes and arrows sketched based on the order of activities in the project. Once the activity diagram is created, the earliest time (ET), latest time (TL), and slack time are determined for each activity. 

4. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) 

WBS is a technique that comes in handy to organize and track project tasks sequentially and hierarchically. It is a visual representation of every task in the project and involves the decomposition of work into a smaller and more manageable set of tasks/activities. It is often used by project managers in conjunction with CPM and PERT. 

5. Project Documentation  

Project documentation is the beginning point that provides a glimpse of the project details, status, and open items. Every project should have a knowledge base or repository which aids newcomers to ramp up quickly on the project know-how and also address their concerns effectively.

Tips for Project Planning   

• Always start with the end in mind. 
• Understand project objectives, benefits, success metrics 
• Identify stakeholders and their interests 
• Understand the current state/problem statement 
• Understand the proposed state/solution statement 
• Define roles and responsibilities 
• Review risks and communicate about them 
• Create a unit-level roadmap with milestones
• Ensure to be considerate of environmental challenges 
• Revisit and review the plans drafted frequently along with tracking changes 

Apart from the above tips for project planning professionals, it is very vital to understand when to quit or pull the plug in certain unfortunate circumstances where projects drag and go on the downside - in which case, absorbing the sunk costs and shutting down the projects is only the feasible and economical resort. 

Simple Project Plan Example  

A traditional or simple project plan primarily has the following components: 

• Project purpose 
• Project stakeholders information 
• Executive summary 
• Business Objectives 
• Work Breakdown Structure 
• Deployment and Change Control Process 
• Schedule Management 
• Milestones and Dependencies 
• Project Schedule Representation 
• Cost Management and Budgeting 
• Quality Management 
• Resource Management 
• Communication Management 
• Risk Management 
• Procurement Management 
• Project KPIs and Metrics

Agile Project Plan Example   

An agile project plan follows the same structure as a traditional project plan with the only difference being that the project scheduling and activities are iterative and move in a continuous feedback loop. 

Free Project Planning Templates   

• project plan template - IC-Agile-Project-Plan-Template_Google_Doc  
• Gantt chart template - Gantt Chart Template Google Sheet  
• Multiple project roadmap template - IC-Multiple-Project-Roadmap-Template_Google_Doc  
• PM timeline template - IC-Multiple-Project-Roadmap-Template_Google_Doc  
• Project tracking template - Project tracking  

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How Project Planning Can Improve Your Organization and Career?   

Project planning is a non-negotiable ingredient for the success of any project manager or organization. Its importance in the project lifecycle cannot be overstated. When performed rightly, planning helps every other function and part of the organization perform smoothly. Structured planning not only aids the project manager in daily execution but also frees up the project progress from distractions due to off-track tasks, budgets, and controls. Regular planning and review help the project manager optimize efficiency, align only required resources, and save costs for the project and organization. 

In reality, projects tend to go on and on without a firm end unless planned appropriately and reviewed frequently. It is planning that defines what activities should be sequenced in what order to create project deliverables and complete projects as expected. In short, better project planning results in better project execution and controls as it addresses a lot of key aspects such as: 

• Improve overall business processes
• Provides opportunities to bring in economies of scale 
• Reduces rework and waste 
• Obtaining stakeholder alignment from the start 
• Helps in outlining a clear project scope 
• Creates transparency in roles and responsibilities 
• Provides opportunities to flag risks in advance and chalk out mitigation plans 

Apart from the above benefits, project planning also upholds the integrity of the project manager and organization in meeting their commitments to clients, third parties, and other stakeholders. 

Conclusion  

Project planning is an integral part of any project life cycle especially when projects operate in non-traditional and VUCA environments that have so many components requiring attention. Planning is not just another stage of the project lifecycle but it is the most crucial and defining factor with far-reaching impacts and consequences. Developing a concrete project plan can be simple and easy for any project manager, but also complex and drawn out depending on the nature of the project. Not having a project plan will only lead to failure because there would be no clarity on business objectives or roles and responsibilities which form the crux of any project execution, monitoring, and control. 

Drafting a project plan involves exhaustive mapping and categorization of project objectives, schedules, activities, and resources to ensure things fall in the right place while executing the project. It is also imperative to note that projects have a larger impact on the organization as a whole. When planned thoroughly, projects engage efficiencies, save resources, reduce costs, improve ethos, and contribute to a positive environment. Project management in any organization always commences with project planning - if planning is focused and precise, the organization stands to gain wins with the project's success. Ace your career with world class courses and training from the experts - find out from our catalogue of KnowledgeHut’s courses for Project Managers today. 

Frequently Asked Questions

The project manager is responsible for the project. They are the key personnel who plan the project, gather resources, align and manage activities, resources, and tasks throughout the project lifecycle. 

Project planning in project management helps identify activities, sequence them, create schedules, align milestones and most importantly identify and assess risks thereby helping in flagging items early in the cycle and minimize impact of risks or driving mitigation strategies to address risks. 

Project cost is an important component in the iron triangle of project management and project cost planning involves estimating, allocating and controlling project costs. Budgets planned and approved in project cost planning only can be used during project execution. 

Rohit Arjun Sambhwani

Rohit Arjun Sambhwani is an IT professional having over a decade and half of experience in various roles, domains & organizations, currently playing a leading role with a premier IT services organization. He is a post graduate in Information Technology and enjoys his free time learning new topics, project management, agile coaching, and writing apart from playing with his naughty little one Aryan

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• Project Planning Guide

Why is project planning important?

When a company decides to embark on a project, one of the first things team leaders must do is create a project plan. Sounds simple, right?

Actually, developing a strong project plan can be quick and easy, but it can also be a complex and drawn-out process. It really depends on the nature of the project. Either way, you can’t overstate the importance of project planning.

Project planning isn’t just another stage of project management. It’s one of the most critical stages of the whole process. Let’s see exactly why project planning is so important — not just for the project, but for the entire company and its staff, too.

1. It boosts project performance and success rates

Unfortunately, the project failure rate for most companies is 70 percent . Achieving a project’s objectives is often not as easy as it seems.

There are a number of reasons why projects fail. For example, 38 percent of companies say the main reason for failure is that team members are confused about their individual roles and responsibilities. Thirty-seven percent of projects fail because leaders don’t define project objectives and milestones clearly. When team leads don’t effectively manage requirements, 47 percent of projects fail to hit their targets .

Project planning involves comprehensive mapping and organizing of project goals, tasks, schedules, and resources before anyone assigns roles for the project and the team begins to execute the plan. You can avoid almost all of the problems that lead to project failure with proper project planning.

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2. It saves money

Failed projects are expensive. Even when a company is successful in completing a project, they can still use up a lot of unnecessary, extra budget.

A poorly planned project can easily run into delays, unexpected glitches, and scope creep. Scope creep is when a project gradually grows in size (and cost) due to unforeseen circumstances or changes.

Project planning provides structure and foresight for the execution stage, helping to eliminate wasteful activities and patterns. This is why companies that stick to solid project management practices waste a lot less money than companies that don’t — an impressive 28 times less , in fact.

3. It improves team communication 

Good communication is essential for smooth project execution, and this applies to projects of every size and type. Even two collaborators must communicate well to make sure they complete project tasks on time.

When a project involves multiple employees or teams, outsourced suppliers, and perhaps even staff members in other locations or time zones, then planning how project leads and team members will manage communications becomes vital.

A project plan takes into consideration the team’s communication needs and pinpoints the most effective channels to keep collaborators connected — such as email, chat, virtual meetings, shared documents, and more.

4. It ensures the best use of resources

One of the key components of project planning is resource planning. Every project is based on resource use, including staffing, equipment, budget, office space, and time. Without proper planning, it’s nearly impossible to make sure an organization allocates and uses resources in the most cost-effective and appropriate way.

Different project tasks often compete for limited resources, so project planners must make decisions in advance about how best to assign those resources. This entails a cost-benefit analysis for each project task so that planners don’t simply allocate resources haphazardly but do it with purpose, based on smart forecasts and with the project’s goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) in mind.

5. It makes it easy to track project goals and outcomes

Another key part of the project planning process is defining the project’s goals and objectives. Clearly defined and specific project goals are easier for team leads to translate into quantitative measures of success.

For example, a company is planning the launch of a new product. One of the project objectives is to generate 1,000 sales in the first two months. Team leads monitor this specific, measurable goal over the course of the project, and they can adapt project execution according to the tracking results. So, if sales by the end of the first month are weak, the team can reallocate resources to boost marketing activities during the next month.

When the project planning stage includes detailed mapping of KPIs, it’s much easier to gauge the project’s true performance over time — and decide how to adjust the execution to reach those goals.

6. It helps keep all collaborators aligned

Teamwork is a critical factor in any group activity — especially in project management.

Good teamwork exists only when all collaborators know their roles and responsibilities, how their part fits in with the whole, what impact their actions have on other team members’ productivity, and what expectations project leads have for them as individuals and as a team.

A solid project plan provides an official reference point for all collaborators. That way, everyone is in alignment and up to date about tasks, timelines, expectations, and workflow. When you use project management software to create a project plan, it’s even easier for all collaborators to access and view the entire plan at any time — and even contribute their opinions and expertise to the planning phase.

7. It improves employee retention

Project planning not only benefits the project’s performance and outcome but also plays a role in employee retention. Employees are eight times more likely to remain with their employer if they believe their managers are assisting them with workload management. That helps them feel more connected to their work, and when they feel connected, they are 87 percent less likely to leave their position.

Involving employees in project planning encourages them to contribute their perspective and skill, rather than simply telling them what they need to do. This ensures more effective execution and makes team members feel like a valued part of the company.

The importance of project planning goes way beyond the project itself. It has a direct impact on how employees feel about their workplace — and whether or not they leave or stay.

Planning drives performance

Projects aren’t separate from the daily operations of your company. They have a big impact on the organization as a whole. When done properly, project management saves resources, reduces costs, improves company culture, and improves employee morale. And good project management always starts with project planning. If your project planning phase is focused and precise, you’ll reap the rewards with project success.

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Send Comment :

14 Comments:

208 days ago

It's a good summary on project planning

More than a year ago

I thank for good summary of project planning and it's real

Thanks for article it's so wonderful summarization of project planning

Planning the project, scheduling it properly is very important for any construction project. Thanks for telling us about the importance of project planning. This will surely help a lot of people. Construction scheduling consultant

The content is easy to understand and well summarised

I thank you, keep me in touch

The knowledge have come up with about project planning can help me somewhere,it's so interesting

this is really in project planning. thanks

Well.. I know very well that the failure of a project is not fun. Especially when money is involved. That is why I do believe in planning. For daily routine activities, I tend to use kanbantool.com great tool that helps me to organize all the tasks. Professional and non professional ones :) Not everything can be planned in life, of course, but some of the things yes :)

Am thankful

Actually is now that I understand everything about project planning and it importance

Thank you very much Franks.

10 Reasons Why Planning Is Important in Project Management

If you’ve ever missed a deadline, gone over budget, or faced an unhappy team or client, you know just how tough managing projects can be. It’s not fun to let people down.

That’s why we believe having a plan is the most important thing you can do as a project manager—for your own peace of mind as well as that of your project mates. 

A plan is your best defense against the common pitfalls that cause projects to fail. Let’s take a look at 10 benefits of project planning and why having a plan is so important in project management.

1. Plans minimize stress

Imagine building IKEA cabinets with only a picture of the finished kitchen to go by. You’d start out completely overwhelmed, and every wrong move you make would only amp up your stress and frustration. And anyone else you rope into the build will feel it too.

You’d never bring that kind of pain on yourself, so why do that to your team and projects? 

Think of a project plan as the instruction manual that guides everyone seamlessly through the steps to success—no wild guesses needed. This kind of clarity sends confusion packing and makes way for project peace to settle in.

Learn more about how to reduce project stress.

2. Plans inspire confidence

Good project planning doesn’t just neutralize negative project vibes. It provides a positive boost of confidence to everyone involved in the project.

You don’t have to wonder if progress is keeping pace with the deadline. Your team doesn’t have to guess what they should tackle next. And leaders and clients don’t have to worry about whether you’ve got a strategy for delivering what they need on time and budget. 

It’s all right there in your plan!

3. Plans drive communication

Everyone knows communication is important in project management . And a plan is one of the most effective communication tools you can use to keep everyone informed about your project. That’s because it documents every important detail about your project—even when things change.

With TeamGantt, you don’t have to act as the sole go-between pushing projects forward. Everyone has access to the plan and can check up on progress and collaborate on work in real time. 

Having all your project communication streamlined around a centralized plan leads to better efficiency and fewer mistakes. That’s something everyone can get behind.

4. Plans unite and focus teams

Agile workflows tend to skip the plan in favor of getting down to the tasks at hand. But a plan doesn’t have to get in the way of project work.

In fact, a plan rallies your team around a single project vision so they can power through tasks faster. Priorities are clear, expectations are aligned, and everyone knows exactly what needs to happen to cross the finish line on time. 

With a plan, your team can easily see how their work affects others and impacts the final deadline. This provides an extra boost of motivation to stay on track and keeps confusion from bogging your project down.

5. Plans create accountability

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a lot of plans I never write down or share with anyone. Funny enough, these “plans” never seem to go anywhere.

It’s not a coincidence. Plans that aren't documented don’t hold anyone accountable. 

When your team and stakeholders can be called out on tasks in a plan everyone has access to, it raises the stakes. Clearly outlining roles and responsibilities in your plan will push people to get things done on time and up to standard. It really is that simple.

Lay a clear path to success with a visual plan that’s easy to understand, and keep everyone in sync with flexible workflows and team collaboration.

6. Plans keep deadlines on track

Agile may not run on deadlines, but stakeholders do. If you want to earn goodwill and trust, you need to deliver projects on time.

Here’s the thing: Having one big date to shoot for isn’t enough. You’ve got to ensure you’re making the right progress along the way.

That’s where a plan comes in. 

A plan breaks the project timeline down into measurable steps so you can track progress against the final deadline. If things start running behind, you can intervene early and determine what needs to shift to right the ship.

Bonus: When you assign people to a task or milestone in TeamGantt, they’ll get notified when it’s coming due so you don’t have to send constant reminders to keep them on task.

Get simple tips for meeting and managing your project deadlines.

7. Plans prevent team overload

In the ideal world, your team would only work on one project at a time, making it easy to keep workloads balanced. But that kind of project focus is a luxury at most organizations.

Project planning enables you to map out a schedule that takes your team’s entire workload into account. That way you don’t load anyone up with too many tasks or assign deadlines they can’t possibly make. 

In TeamGantt, you can check team availability across projects right from your gantt chart.

This makes it easy to figure out who has time to do the work when you need it so your project has a better chance of delivering on time without burning people out.

Learn more about resource allocation in project management.

8. Plans take fear out of change

You can’t avoid project change, so you might as well embrace it. Despite common misconceptions, planning gives you the flexibility to adapt to change more easily so you have a better chance of hitting your project goals.  

That’s because a plan holds all the important project details in one place. When something unexpected pops up, you can weigh the potential impact on project scope, timing, and workloads and adjust your plan to forge a new path forward. 

When these updates are documented in your plan, it’s easy to bring your team and stakeholders up to speed on the changes so you can all move forward successfully together.

Learn how to manage project change, and get a free change request template.

9. Plans mitigate risk

Just like change, risk is an inherent part of project work . While you can’t control every possible risk, you can manage it with a project plan. 

Think of your plan as a living document that lets you keep a thumb on the pulse of your project as it progresses. You can look ahead in your project and address issues before they become a major problem. 

For example, a plan lets you monitor the pace of work to ensure you’re not blowing through your budgeted hours faster than expected. That way you can have important scope or budget discussions early and avoid unwelcome surprises (and unhappy stakeholders) down the road.

10. Plans increase profitability

A lot of factors can drain the profit out of projects. Any of these sound familiar?

• Scope changes that sneak in under the radar and draw out your deadline 
• Stakeholders who ghost you when progress depends on their approval 
• Team members who spend more time figuring out what they’re supposed to do than actually doing it

With a plan, you’re more likely to hit your project goals on time and budget. And less time and money wasted means more room for your business to actually grow.

Build a clear and confident plan for free

Ready to put planning at the center of your projects? TeamGantt makes it easy to create, track, and collaborate on all your project plans in minutes.

You’ll have all the features you need to ensure projects finish on time and under budget—from drag and drop simplicity and team collaboration to customizable views and workload management.

Best of all, it’s all wrapped up in a simple and intuitive interface your whole team will love. 😍

Give TeamGantt a free try today!

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• What is project planning? (Plus, 7 ste ...

What is project planning? (Plus, 7 steps to write a successful project plan)

Organize your projects with project plans to keep things on track—before you even start. A project plan houses all the necessary details of your project, such as goals, tasks, scope, deadlines, and deliverables. This shows stakeholders a clear roadmap of your project, ensures you have the resources for it, and holds everyone accountable from the start. In this article, we teach you the seven steps to create your own project plan.

Project plans are essential to keeping your project organized and on track. A great project plan will help you kick off your work with all the necessary pieces—from goals and budgets to milestones and communication plans—in one place. Save yourself time (and a few headaches) by creating a work plan that will make your project a success.

What is project planning?

Project planning is the second stage in the project management process, following project initiation and preceding project execution. During the project planning stage, the project manager creates a project plan, which maps out project requirements. The project planning phase typically includes setting project goals, designating project resources, and mapping out the project schedule.

What is a project plan?

If you're still unsure about what a project plan is, here's how it differs from other project elements:

Project plan vs. work plan: A project plan and a work plan are the same thing. Different teams or departments might prefer one term or another—but they both ultimately describe the same thing: a list of big-picture action steps you need to take to hit your  project objectives .

Project plan vs. project charter: A project charter is an outline of your project. Mostly, you use project charters to get signoff from key stakeholders before you start. Which means your project charter comes before your project plan. A project charter is an outline of a simple project plan—it should only include your project objectives, scope, and responsibilities. Then, once your charter has been approved, you can create a project plan to provide a more in-depth blueprint of the key elements of your project.

Project plan vs. project scope: Your project scope defines the size and boundaries of your project. As part of your project plan, you should outline and share the scope of your project with all project stakeholders. If you’re ever worried about scope creep , you can refer back to your pre-defined scope within your project plan to get back on track.

Project plan vs. agile project: Agile project management is a framework to help teams break work into iterative, collaborative components . Agile frameworks are often run in conjunction with scrum and sprint methodologies. Like any project, an Agile project team can benefit from having a project plan in place before getting started with their work.

Project plan vs. work breakdown structure: Similar to a project plan, your work breakdown structure (WBS) helps you with project execution. While the project plan focuses on every aspect of your project, the WBS is focused on deliverables—breaking them down into sub-deliverables and project tasks. This helps you visualize the whole project in simple steps. Because it’s a visual format, your WBS is best viewed as a Gantt chart (or timeline), Kanban board , or calendar—especially if you’re using project management software .

Why are project plans important?

Project plans set the stage for the entire project. Without one, you’re missing a critical step in the overall project management process . When you launch into a project without defined goals or objectives, it can lead to disorganized work, frustration, and even scope creep. A clear, written project management plan provides a baseline direction to all stakeholders, while also keeping everyone accountable. It confirms that you have the resources you need for the project before it actually begins.

A project plan also allows you, as the person in charge of leading execution, to forecast any potential challenges you could run into while the project is still in the planning stages. That way, you can ensure the project will be achievable—or course-correct if necessary. According to a study conducted by the  Project Management Institute , there is a strong correlation between project planning and project success—the better your plan, the better your outcome. So, conquering the planning phase also makes for better project efficiency and results.

7 steps to write a project plan to keep you on track

To create a clear project management plan, you need a way to track all of your moving parts . No matter what type of project you’re planning, every work plan should have:

Goals and project objectives

Success metrics

Stakeholders and roles

Scope and budget

Milestones , deliverables , and project dependencies

Timeline and schedule

Communication plan.

Not sure what each of these mean or should look like? Let’s dive into the details:

Step 1: Define your goals and objectives

You’re working on this project plan for a reason—likely to get you, your team, or your company to an end goal. But how will you know if you’ve reached that goal if you have no way of measuring success?

Every successful project plan should have a clear, desired outcome. Identifying your goals provides a rationale for your project plan. It also keeps everyone on the same page and focused on the results they want to achieve. Moreover, research shows that employees who know how their work is contributing to company objectives are 2X as motivated . Yet only 26% of employees have that clarity. That’s because most goal-setting happens separate from the actual work. By defining your goals within your work plan, you can connect the work your team is doing directly to the project objectives in real-time.

What's the difference between project goals and project objectives?

In general, your project goals should be higher-level than your project objectives. Your project goals should be SMART goals that help you measure project success and show how your project aligns with business objectives . The purpose of drafting project objectives, on the other hand, is to focus on the actual, specific deliverables you're going to achieve at the end of your project. Your project plan provides the direction your team needs to hit your goals, so you can create a workflow that hits project objectives.

Your project  plan  provides the direction your team needs to hit your goals, by way of your project objectives. By incorporating your goals directly into your planning documentation, you can keep your project’s North Star on hand. When you’re defining your project scope, or outlining your project schedule, check back on your goals to make sure that work is in favor of your main objectives.

Step 2: Set success metrics

Once you’ve defined your goals, make sure they’re measurable by setting key success metrics. While your goal serves as the intended result, you need success metrics to let you know whether or not you’re performing on track to achieve that result. The best way to do that is to set  SMART goals . With SMART goals, you can make sure your success metrics are clear and measurable, so you can look back at the end of your project and easily tell if you hit them or not.

For example, a goal for an event might be to host an annual 3-day conference for SEO professionals on June 22nd. A success metric for that goal might be having at least 1,000 people attend your conference. It’s both clear and measurable.

Step 3: Clarify stakeholders and roles

Running a project usually means getting  collaborators  involved in the execution of it. In your project management plan, outline which team members will be a part of the project and what each person’s role will be. This will help you decide who is responsible for each task (something we’ll get to shortly) and let stakeholders know how you expect them to be involved.

During this process, make sure to define the various roles and responsibilities your stakeholders might have. For example, who is directly responsible for the project’s success? How is your project team structured (i.e. do you have a project manager, a project sponsor , etc.)? Are there any approvers that should be involved before anything is finalized? What cross-functional stakeholders should be included in the project plan? Are there any  risk management factors  you need to include?

Consider using a system, such as a  RACI chart , to help determine who is driving the project forward, who will approve decisions, who will contribute to the project, and who needs to remain informed as the project progresses.

Then, once you’ve outlined all of your roles and stakeholders, make sure to include that documentation in your project plan. Once you finalize your plan, your work plan will become your cross-functional source of truth.

Step 4: Set your budget

Running a project usually costs money. Whether it’s hiring freelancers for content writing or a catering company for an event, you’ll probably be spending some cash.

Since you’ve already defined your goals and stakeholders as part of your project plan, use that information to establish your budget. For example, if this is a cross-functional project involving multiple departments, will the departments be splitting the project cost? If you have a specific goal metric like event attendees or new users, does your proposed budget support that endeavor?

By establishing your project budget during the project planning phase (and before the spending begins), you can get approval, more easily track progress, and make smart, economical decisions during the implementation phase of your project. Knowing your budget beforehand helps you with resource management , ensuring that you stay within the initial financial scope of the project. Planning helps you determine what parts of your project will cost what—leaving no room for surprises later on.

Step 5: Align on milestones, deliverables, and project dependencies

An important part of planning your project is setting milestones, or specific objectives that represent an achievement. Milestones don’t require a start and end date, but hitting one marks a significant accomplishment during your project. They are used to measure progress. For example, let’s say you’re working to develop a  new product for your company . Setting a milestone on your project timeline for when the prototype is finalized will help you measure the progress you’ve made so far.

A project deliverable , on the other hand, is what is actually produced once you meet a milestone. In our product development example, we hit a milestone when we produced the deliverable, which was the prototype. You can also use project dependencies —tasks that you can’t start until others are finished. Dependencies ensure that work only starts once it’s ready. Continuing the example, you can create a project dependency to require approval from the project lead before prototype testing begins.  

If you’re using our free project plan template , you can easily organize your project around deliverables, dependencies, and milestones. That way, everyone on the team has clear visibility into the work within your project scope, and the milestones your team will be working towards.

Step 6: Outline your timeline and schedule

In order to achieve your project goals, you and your stakeholders need clarity on your overall project timeline and schedule. Aligning on the time frame you have can help you better prioritize during strategic planning sessions.

Not all projects will have clear-cut timelines. If you're working on a large project with a few unknown dates, consider creating a  project roadmap  instead of a full-blown project timeline. That way, you can clarify the order of operations of various tasks without necessarily establishing exact dates.

Once you’ve covered the high-level responsibilities, it’s time to focus some energy on the details. In your  work plan template , start by breaking your project into tasks, ensuring no part of the process is skipped. Bigger tasks can even be broken down into smaller subtasks, making them more manageable.

Then, take each task and subtask, and assign it a start date and end date. You’ll begin to visually see everything come together in a  cohesive project timeline . Be sure to add stakeholders, mapping out who is doing what by when.

Step 7: Share your communication plan

We’ve established that most projects include multiple stakeholders. That means communication styles will vary among them. You have an opportunity to set your expectations up front for this particular project in your project plan. Having a communication plan is essential for making sure everyone understands what’s happening, how the project is progressing, and what’s going on next. And in case a roadblock comes up, you’ll already have a clear communication system in place.

As you’re developing your communication plan, consider the following questions:

How many project-related meetings do you need to have? What are their goals?

How will you manage project status updates ? Where will you share them?

What tool will you use to manage the project and communicate progress and updates?

Like the other elements of your project plan, make sure your communication plan is easily accessible within your project plan. Stakeholders and cross-functional collaborators should be able to easily find these guidelines during the planning and execution phases of your project. Using project planning tools or task management software that integrates with apps like Slack and Gmail can ensure all your communication happens in one easily accessible place. 

Example project plan

Next, to help you understand what your project management plan should look like, here are two example plans for marketing and design projects that will guide you during your own project planning.

Project plan example: annual content calendar

Let’s say you’re the Content Lead for your company, and it’s your responsibility to create and deliver on a content marketing calendar for all the content that will be published next year. You know your first step is to build your work plan. Here’s what it might look like:

Goals and success metrics

You establish that your goal for creating and executing against your content calendar is to increase engagement by 10%. Your success metrics are the open rate and click through rate on emails, your company’s social media followers, and how your pieces of content rank on search engines.

Stakeholders and each person’s role

There will be five people involved in this project.

You, Content Lead: Develop and maintain the calendar

Brandon and Jamie, Writers: Provide outlines and copy for each piece of content

Nate, Editor: Edit and give feedback on content

Paula, Producer: Publish the content once it’s written and edited

Your budget for the project plan and a year’s worth of content is $50,000.

Milestones and deliverables

Your first milestone is to finish the content calendar, which shows all topics for the year. The deliverable is a sharable version of the calendar. Both the milestone and the deliverables should be clearly marked on your project schedule.

You’ve determined that your schedule for your content calendar project plan will go as follows:

October 15 - November 1: The research phase to find ideas for topics for content

November 2 - November 30: Establish the topics you’ll write about

December 1 - January 1: Build the calendar

January 1 - December 31: Content will be written by Brandon and Jamie, and edited by Nate, throughout the year

January 16 - December 31: Paula will begin publishing and continue to do so on a rolling basis throughout the year.

You’ll have a kick-off meeting and then monthly update meetings as part of your communication plan. Weekly status updates will be sent on Friday afternoons. All project-related communication will occur within a  project management tool .

How ClassPass manages project plans from start to finish

Kerry Hoffman, Senior Project Manager of Marketing Operations at  ClassPass , oversees all marketing projects undertaken by the creative, growth, and content teams. Here are her top three strategies for managing project plans:

Identify stakeholders up front: No matter the size of the project, it’s critical to know who the stakeholders are and their role in the project so you ensure you involve the right people at each stage. This will also make the review and approval process clear before the team gets to work.

Agree on how you want to communicate about your project: Establish where and when communication should take place for your project to ensure that key information is captured in the right place so everyone stays aligned.

Be adaptable and learn other people’s working styles: Projects don’t always go according to plan, but by implementing proper integration management you can keep projects running smoothly. Also, find out how project members like to work so you take that into account as you create your plan. It will help things run smoother once you begin executing.

Write your next project plan like a pro

Congratulations—you’re officially a work planning pro. With a few steps, a little bit of time, and a whole lot of organization, you’ve successfully written a project plan.

Keep yourself and your team on track, and address challenges early by using project planning software like Asana . Work through each of the steps of your project plan with confidence, and streamline your communications with the team.

Related resources

Cost control: How to monitor project spending to increase profitability

How to use a feasibility study in project management

How to track utilization rate and drive team profitability

How to accomplish big things with long-term goals

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A guide to project planning (with template and examples)

“Hi, Aniket, good to see you again!” My manager greeted me after I came back from my two-month annual vacation to India. Back then, I was working as a product manager at Zalando, one of Europe’s biggest fashion e-commerce companies.

After coming back, I asked my manager if she knew what I would be working on next. We had a one-hour meeting and I learned that I’d be leading one of the most complex products — a completely new version of our in-house content management system. I was elated, to say the least.

At the end of the day, I was assigned the task of coming up with a rough project plan for this product. Even though I had worked on creating multiple project plans back then, I was nervous. This product was complicated and had hundreds of use cases. I didn’t know where to start. This was the first taste of building a project plan for a highly complex product.

In this blog, we’ll cover the importance of project planning and its key elements. We’ll look at a project plan template, walk through a realistic example, and cover tips for efficient project planning in your organization. Let’s get started!

Background information: The project management lifecycle

Before we get into project planning, it’s important to understand the lifecycle of a project:

• Initiation — this is the start of the project. Ideally, this is where the need of the project is identified and the project is defined
• Planning — this includes the end-to-end planning of the project. The main parts of the planning are defining project goals, scope, complexity, effort, timeline, budget, and risk management
• Execution — this phase is where all the relevant teams come together and execute their part of the project
• Continuous monitoring — throughout the project, progress is monitored and controlled. Any deviations or blockers are clarified for a smooth delivery
• Closing — this is the last phase of the project where the work is reviewed and, depending on the feedback, the project closes

Since we are focusing on project planning, we’ll deep-dive into its different elements. However, to do that, we first need to understand why project planning is important.

The importance of project planning

The project that I was given to lead at Zalando was a highly complex one. The estimated timeline for completing the project was one year — this is fairly high in the software development world.

There were three engineering teams involved each with 7–8 team members. When it comes to complex projects, it’s essential to have a strong project plan in place.

Here are a few reasons why project planning is important:

Clarifies goals and objectives at the beginning

As they say “without a goal, you can’t score.”

Every project needs a goal or outcome for the team to understand what they are supposed to do. Project planning helps achieve that.

Helps with timeline and budget

Initial project planning helps to understand how much estimated time the team will take and how much money the project requires. The latter includes salaries of employees, hardware costs, training, etc.

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Identifies risks early on

This is an extremely important part of a project plan. Project planning helps identify potential blockers or risks , thereby enabling the project manager and teams to create a risk mitigation strategy.

Increases collaboration

A strong project plan helps everyone understand their responsibilities. This, in turn, helps the teams collaborate effectively and finish the project within the timeframe.

Key elements of project planning

Next, let’s review the key elements of project planning:

This is pretty self-explanatory, it’s what the project is going to hopefully achieve by the end. It’s important to have SMART goals so they’re as specific and unambiguous as possible.

This is the very first element of a project plan that the team decides on. Scope helps the teams understand what they need to achieve and gives direction to the product. Scope typically includes objectives, goals, expected deliveries, and project limitations.

This helps teams understand when they need to deliver the project and how to divide the project into small, executable milestones that fit into the total timeline. It also includes the allocation of resources, personnel equipment, and necessary training.

The budget details the financial part of the project. Questions like how much total money needs to be spent to finish the project, what are the funding sources, what are the revenue projects, etc. are answered via budgeting. This also includes the salaries of team members, training costs, equipment costs, etc.

Every project comes with its own risks. Risks are factors that could impact the project’s successful completion. These could be the availability of resources, legal and/or regulatory compliance, or technology limitations.

Assessing risks early on helps detail how they can be mitigated to successfully deliver the project. One point to note is that it’s not possible to identify all the risks early on. For example, no companies could predict the magnitude of the outbreak of COVID-19. This proves that some risks are beyond the control of the company and teams.

Communication plan

A project requires effective collaboration between different team members, such as designers, engineers, marketers, sales personnel, etc. To achieve this, a project needs to have a strong communication plan. This includes meeting schedules, modes of communication, and reporting requirements.

Change management plan

As mentioned in the risks section, there are times when the project needs to change because of unidentified or unplanned risks. These changes might affect the scope, timeline, budget, resources, or any other part of a project.

This is why a change management plan needs to be discussed. This plan outlines how a project can be changed, how to communicate changes to stakeholders, and how to address concerns or conflicts.

Stakeholder management plan

Every project has stakeholders. Stakeholders can either play an active role in finishing projects, such as engineering and designers, or simply may just be interested in the status of the project, such as higher management.

Having a stakeholder management plan will keep the stakeholders educated and engaged, thereby removing any blockers or concerns.

Team roles and responsibilities

As mentioned earlier, a project requires active collaboration between different teams and team members. This is why a clear definition of who will work on what is extremely important. It also helps to outline the responsibilities of every team member, project manager, project sponsor, etc.

Project plan template

Here is a free project plan template that I created. Feel free to use it at your convenience. This highlights all the points that are mentioned above in the key elements of the project planning section.

You can make a copy of this template to customize for your projects by going to File > Make a copy .

Project plan example

Let’s go through an example to create a project plan using the above template.

Project goal

We’ll start with the project goal. As mentioned earlier, the first part of a project plan is to understand the needs of the project. The outcome of this is to have a specific goal and outcome. This is the most critical part since it will drive the entire project.

For example, let’s say we work for an established e-commerce company that’s doing well in selling fashion products and we’ve already identified a need of selling second-hand products. In this case, the goal is to “enable sellers to sell second-hand products at their desired price.”

Once the goal is identified, the next step is to define the scope. This helps to deliver results faster. Here’s an example: to enable sellers to sell second-hand products at their desired price on an e-commerce shop, we need to: enable a new categorization “second-hand” on the website for the users to discover; build systems to enable sellers to sell the second product at their desired rates; and define return and exchange policies.

These are just a few of the things that the team will need to work on. And hence, it’s important to scope the project so that it’s easier for the team to deliver. For example, enable sellers to sell second-hand t-shirts at their desired price. This will help the team only focus on one category as compared to tens of other categories, thereby having a clear scope to work on.

Next, we have timeline. As mentioned previously, this helps the team know how soon they need to deliver the project. For our example, we could say that our goal to enable sellers to sell second-hand t-shirts at their desired price should be finished in three months. Every month, there will be a smaller release related to the project goal.

Next up is the budget. This falls in the bucket of the sponsor. Usually, that’s someone from higher management. We need to know what physical resources, human resources, and physical locations are necessary

For example:

• Six sets of hardware for six team members with the associated software
• Six team members: three backend, two frontend, and one project manager
• Office space for seating six

Risks are an extremely critical part of a project that helps identify potential risks early on and create a contingency plan. We can ask ourselves things like, “What if the project is not delivered within the timeline?” “What if the project requires more budget?” or “What if the company doesn’t find sellers to sell second-hand products?”

For the first question, we could de-scope the project depending on what needs to be finished. For the second, evaluate the reasons and find funding opportunities, And for the third question, we could understand the reasoning and iterate the product (or close it, depending on the feedback).

This is the backbone of the project and keeps the project audience together.

Here’s an example of a communication plan:

• A weekly check-in between all the stakeholders
• A bi-weekly newsletter to keep all the stakeholders informed
• A Google chat for the stakeholders to communicate daily

Questions such as “What happens if something goes wrong?” are taken care of in this section.

I nform the primary stakeholders, who, in this case, are higher management (including the CEO, CTO, and CPO) ASAP in case of changes. Also, evaluate the cost of the change and communicate the same.

This part talks about who are the relevant stakeholders, how should they be informed, and how often. In this case, the stakeholders are the higher management, engineering team, operations team, and design team. They should be informed via email once every two weeks.

Lastly, every project requires active collaboration between different teams. And hence why it’s necessary to understand who is involved in the project and what their roles are.

For example, engineering will work to build the software, the design team will design the features and the end-to-end flow, and the project manager will lead the project.

Here is the template with all the filled answers.

5 tips for effective project planning

The following are some lessons learned and advice I’d give for effective project planning:

• Involve all the relevant stakeholders from day one . Sometimes, engineering or design is included later, which impacts not only the timeline but even the scope of the project
• Create a realistic timeline . Include buffers, vacation days of team members, sick leaves, and holidays. Unexpected incidents happen and its best is to consider them in project planning right at the start
• Maintain active communication . It’s better to over-communicate than under-communicate. Also, having active regular communication can help identify the roadblock or risks earlier
• Identify the right stakeholders and prioritize them . Some stakeholders will be the sponsors or participants, and hence will be very active during the entire project. Others will be passive. Classify the stakeholders and communicate with them regularly according to priority
• Be agile . Always prepare for the worst case and keep the team agile. This includes creating a strong change management plan and determining the potential risks early on.

A good project plan can help the team sail the winds smoothly. It forms the backbone of the project. A project plan can give clear visibility to all stakeholders, thereby helping everyone accomplish the desired goal.

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One Reply to "A guide to project planning (with template and examples)"

Thanks a lot for your hard work and great samples! Really appreciate. I think project planning also requires digital tools for planning. Kanbantool.com seems to be a great match here. I bet you have heard about kanban 🙂 Thanks once again and wish you luck, and all smooth i professional life 🙂

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Project Planning: A 7-Step Guide To Creating Effective Plans

Nailing the project planning process is a great way to set your project up for success. Here’s a complete guide to delivering projects effectively.

Table of contents

Project planning is about more than simply meeting deadlines and not going over budget. It provides a roadmap for your team to follow so they can hit essential project milestones , optimize their workloads, and deliver awesome results.

With the right project planning system in place, teams can overcome barriers and optimize their workflows. In this guide, we’re going to break down:

• What project planning is
• The importance of effective project planning

3 project planning methods

How to create a project plan, a project planning example.

Ready to get planning? Let’s begin.

<tip>

Plan your projects with the #1 rated resource management software

Add project phases, link task dependencies, and create accurate project timelines based on your team’s capacity. Float is the #1 rated resource management software on G2 for planning projects and scheduling your team’s time.

<tip-button> Find out more </tip-button>

</tip>

What is project planning?

Project planning is the process of identifying, prioritizing, and delegating the tasks and resources needed to complete a project.

Think of a project plan as a blueprint. It acts as a single source of truth for your team to know when their deadlines are, the milestone dates they should pay close attention to, and what their resource capacity is. Your project plan will guide your team and your decision-making process from the moment a project kicks off until it’s ready to be delivered successfully .

But it doesn’t stop there. As different needs arise, a project-planning blueprint can change or be updated as you go.

The right software makes this process—which can get a bit complex at times—a breeze to manage. You can create tasks, set deliverables, and track budgets without the messiness of old-school methods like Excel spreadsheets or shared Google Docs. With Float , you can allocate tasks onto your team’s schedule, track how much time they’re spending on them, and set budgets to manage your expenses as you make progress.

You can also check out our 15 downloadable project plan templates to help you throughout the project lifecycle.

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<quote> "Every project and scheduled resource of our video production team is managed through Float. We needed a system to manage our growing project workflow and more importantly, our expectations of each other. To put it simply, if it’s not in Float, it’s not getting done!" </quote>

</pull-quote>

Why is project planning important?

Project planning is important because it helps you manage necessary resources and anticipate bottlenecks, increasing chances that the project will be completed on time and within budget.

More specifically, here are five benefits of effective project planning:

1. Enable team collaboration

Hands down, your project doesn’t happen without team collaboration. Project team collaboration can be made easier with resource management software. Unless you’re a team of one, putting methods in place to keep everyone in the loop is essential to executing projects on time, without overspending, and without sacrificing quality.

2. Prevent scope creep

Speaking of overspending, without a proper way to track and document your projects, it’s too easy to become a victim of scope creep. If not tracked and accounted for, any number of tasks or resources can start taking longer than expected and start costing more too.

In the end, scope creep can derail your project and makes you more likely to miss deadlines and let clients down. The right resource planning software can remedy the lack of proper planning that inevitably brings on scope creep (more on that later).

3. Stay on budget

The last thing resource and project managers want is to go over budget when executing a project. Not only does it put a strain on the overall company, but it’s also an easy way to overburden your employees with additional constraints that can lead to burnout.

Effective project planning ensures you don’t go down this route. For instance, Float lets you set project budgets based on either time or fees when managing your project resources.  

It also lets you compare estimated versus actual hours worked with time tracking . This makes it easy to stay on top of overspending in real time—which is invaluable to project execution.

4. Make your team happier and prevent burnout

Burnout happens when you don’t manage your human resources mindfully. It’s one thing to track budgets and schedules , but it’s another to have a clear view of exactly how much any single team member can take on at once.

Big-picture calculations like these are hard to make without a comprehensive method in place that lets you take stock of the resources on hand—in this case, your team members—and where their baseline is in terms of what they can contribute. This becomes increasingly important if you’re multi-project planning.

Why is preventing team burnout paramount to your success? Besides keeping your people happy and fostering a culture of support, you want to avoid the very tangible financial costs that come with burnout.

According to a Gallup study , employees experiencing burnout are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 23% more likely to end up in the emergency room.

5. Keep key stakeholders in the loop

The more informed your stakeholders are on a project, the happier they’ll be. Easy, right? Consider the fact that stakeholders can play a pivotal role in the direction of your project.

Without stakeholder input to help steer the ship, you’re left vulnerable to costly miscommunication and mishaps that could otherwise be prevented.

Thankfully, keeping stakeholders in the loop is easier with the right tools in hand. For instance, resource management software can give them easy access to information on where resources are going, what’s taking up the most resources, and how key tasks are being finalized.

Keep projects on track with Float

Rated the #1 resource management software on G2, Float gives you an accurate view of your team’s capacity and workload to keep projects on track. Add time tracking to monitor actual project costs in real time, and ensure you deliver work on time and on budget.

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There are different ways and methodologies to plan projects . Let's get familiar with three valuable types of project planning methods you can use, according to your needs:

When you think of a waterfall, images of cascading water come to mind. The waterfall planning method follows the same pattern. To move on to the next step, you must complete each preceding step first.

Just as water can’t flow back up a waterfall, each step in the waterfall method is irreversible. Why is this? The waterfall method comes from a time before planning software existed, meaning it served to execute a more linear project planning process (you can’t lay concrete without leveling the area first, etc.).

This is why you need an ironclad method of documenting tasks and responsibilities. This way, you’re able to distribute that information so everyone on your team knows exactly what needs to be done and when.

In essence, the waterfall method makes certain projects easier to manage and can save you money by helping avoid the mishaps that disorder can cause. Pairing waterfall planning with software is when the real magic starts to happen.

Agile planning

Agile planning is iterative and more flexible . When you use agile planning to manage your project, you create detailed yet shuffleable plans on shorter timelines, called sprints.

Sprints can take anywhere from one to three weeks and make for flexible end dates. These sprints are usually made up of repeatable processes that can help support your team as they work through their designated tasks.

Agile planning is used a lot in software, but it can also be useful in many different settings. Instead of strongly prioritizing deadlines, agile planning prioritizes iteration and collaboration to arrive at maximum results.

Kaban project planning takes a less rigid approach to project planning. Instead of setting hard deadlines, it sets project tasks and allocates resources on a flexible timeline, usually within a range of days. It’s also a highly visual way to plan projects, as team members have access to the progress of a project in real time.

Out of the three planning methods, kanban tends to be the most popular method. Why? Because it lends itself to a variety of projects across many different industries. In other words, it’s a lot more accessible than other planning methods.

Kanban is best for a simpler project planning approach because of key features like:

• A template for workflow transparency
• Cards and columns to track progress
• Task prioritization

More than 4,000 of the world’s top teams plan their projects with Float

Rated the #1 resource management software on G2, Float’s powerful project planning features help you to create accurate project timelines and schedule resources with precision.

<tip-button> Try for free </tip-button>

Creating an effective project plan can be broken down into a straightforward process . Here’s a closer look at what it takes to get through each step.

1. Set your project goals and tasks

Before you dive into plotting your project onto a timeline, you need to outline and allocate tasks and goals for your team.

This starts with talking to your project stakeholders (like the client you’ll be delivering the project to), as well as your team and team leaders who’ll be in charge of making it happen. These discussions should hash out the project’s needs, budget, deliverables, deadlines, etc.

When the project’s stakeholders are all on the same page, you can create a list of tasks and milestones your team needs to execute to deliver the project on time and within budget. Here’s a breakdown of tasks in Float for a rebranding project:

As you can see, the design and UX work must be completed before the team can proceed to their marketing tasks.

To prioritize which tasks should be worked on first, you can use the SMART principle to guide you. Which tasks are the most important and urgent to get the project delivered? Can they be measured, and how? Who will be in charge of getting each task done? When do you need each task delivered to make sure the project is completed on time?

Answering these questions will help you create specific deliverables and plot them on a timeline.

2. Create (realistic) project deliverables

The next step in planning a project is to set deliverables and make sure your team can actually get them done!

According to the Wellingtone study , attempting to run too many projects at once is now the main challenge organizations face. Realistic delivery dates ensure that your team's calendars aren't overwhelmed and that your projects are finished on time.

Plot the tasks you outlined in step one onto a project timeline, add a rough delivery date for each task and milestone, and then consult your team (this one is a biggie). Project manager Wes Jones recommends talking to your team in two steps :

👩‍💻 Approach your team individually. If you have a small team, speak with them individually first to see what they’re thinking. This makes everyone feel involved and gives them ownership over the work they’ll be doing. It also gives you a chance to discover any holes in your project plan and consider different perspectives.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Then meet as a team. After you’ve gathered everyone’s input and crafted an initial plan, you need to take it to the full team so they can see how everything is starting to fit together. During these meetings, you can fine-tune things and make any necessary revisions.

3. Set a work breakdown structure

Now you want to break all your project tasks down into manageable pieces, which is basically what setting a work breakdown structure involves. First, you’ll want to start with the end goal in mind. That is, instead of working from a handful of tasks, work from your deliverables.

What will your finished deliverables be? Remember that your deliverables can also be things like a service or an event. What tasks do you need to complete? What subtasks are needed to complete those tasks?

You can get as granular or as general as you need to when setting a work breakdown structure. The important thing is that you account for what needs to be done and how it’ll be taken care of.

Use a resource breakdown structure to match resources to tasks and activities outlined in your WBS.

With Float, it’s easy to visualize your work breakdown structure with a live view of who’s assigned to what tasks. That way, you make sure you aren’t assigning tasks twice, and you’re getting rid of unnecessary steps in the breakdown process.

4. Plan resources

Resource planning is a crucial part of organizing your team. Here’s where a team lead will allocate tasks and deliverables throughout the team. By doing this, project managers can maximize the use of resources and track resource capacity to ensure they don’t spend more than is necessary.

Making resource planning a step in your project planning phase lets you:

• Maximize your budget spends
• Streamline your team workflows through resource forecasts and capacity reporting
• Take a more in-depth look at overspent budgets (and figure out what needs to be done differently for the next project lifecycle)

Let’s say one of your team members works part-time for three 10-hour days a week instead of the usual 9 to 5. Using resource planning, you can set their individual hours without changing the overall capacity of the rest of your team. This (along with setting rates for different team members) makes it easy to see when you can schedule tasks for your team and keep track of a project’s budget.

Resource calendars help ensure that your team is only scheduled when they’re available to do the work—which is why it’s a crucial part of any successful project planning.

Take it from Leah Zeis, an associate director at Buzzfeed: “It’s in Float that we start creating and assigning the editing tasks and resources to get the project delivered. We add information like the project due date and budget so that, at a high level, we can see what our resource capacity and availability are to schedule the right team for the job.”

Want to find out more about how resource planning can help you? Check out our guide to resource planning here . 📝

Plan your project resources with the #1 rated resource management software

Rated #1 on G2 for resource management, Float combines powerful project planning and resource scheduling features that ensure your projects are delivered on time, on scope, and on budget.

5. Define task dependencies and bottlenecks

This is the step in the process where you can stop project mishaps before they happen. It’s important to remember that project tasks aren’t an island. In other words, they don’t exist without depending on each other in some way.

Dependencies are influenced by time, scope, and project cost constraints . Defining task dependencies and bottlenecks requires looking through what you have planned so far and identifying what tasks depend on what resources and the potential stalls or hold-ups they can create that could change project outcomes.

There are several different task dependencies worth spotting—like casual, external, or resource dependencies. Not all of them will always apply to every project.

• Casual dependencies. These are inevitable and will come up throughout your project as your team goes through its workflow. They’re less severe and more manageable and tend to follow a logical workflow. For example, you can’t install sprinklers until the equipment you ordered has arrived.
• External dependencies. As a resource manager, you need to be as ready as possible to deal with external dependencies. These can be things like depending on third parties to submit deliverables on time or procurement managers depending on third parties to have ample inventory of any given resource needed.
• Resource dependencies. Resource-based dependencies revolve around the availability of resources. Do you have enough in-house developers to work on a specific project? Is the agency you partnered with ready to take on the outsourced pieces of your project?

Once you pinpoint your project dependencies, it’s easier to identify and solve bottlenecks. Using project planning methods like Gantt charts make it easier to spot bottlenecks.

But beyond software, here’s where you can’t forget to communicate with your team—they’re the ones on the ground doing the work, so their feedback is invaluable when you’re trying to understand where in the process work starts becoming unmanageable.

6. Run a risk assessment. What happens if something goes wrong?

Manage enough projects, and you’re bound to have something at some level of severity go wrong. Such is life. Yet that doesn’t mean you can simply cross your arms and hope for the best.

Risk management prepares you for when projects don’t go as planned. To do this, it takes running a risk assessment. You can break it down into three steps:

• Risk: Take the time to sit down and make a list of all the things that could go wrong with your project.
• Probability: What are the possible chances each of the risks you’ve listed will go wrong?
• Impact: What outcomes can you expect if any of the identified potential risks go wrong?

A risk assessment helps you mitigate failure. Say you’re planning for a website redesign and you need branded deliverables by a certain date for developers to modify.

How can you plan for the scenario where the deliverables aren’t submitted on time? How will you free up your developer’s time at a later date to be able to complete the task?

A risk assessment safeguards the success of your project by helping you form the right questions and find the best answers to project risks. It’s why it’s so important not to skip this step in your planning process.

Want to reduce risks in your projects? Read our guide to project baselines to learn how to monitor project progress and spot problems early.

7. Plot your project on a final timeline

Finally, you need to take your rough plan back to your team to consult with them on the final details. While it may seem tedious, your team is worth it!

Before you can schedule your team their project objectives, you need to know:

⏱️ The amount of effort (hours or days) required for completing the task within a given timeframe so you can set project schedules

📅 Who has the capacity on their calendar to successfully cover the scope of the project

✈️ If there are any availability issues you need to know about (like a vacation or other time off) that may impact your project plan

📝 If they need any more instructions to help them get started and are aware of the communication plan

Once you've collected that information, you can set a concrete delivery date for each task and schedule it onto the assigned team member’s calendar. Using the right tool—like a Gantt chart—makes everything a lot easier at this part of the project planning process.

With Float , you can schedule tasks and deliverables to team members for entire projects in a snap. As your team members’ rates are tied to their individual profiles, assigning tasks also calculates how much of your budget each person will take up.

Once the project kicks off and tasks are completed, Float automatically tracks how much of the project budget is being used, so you can see how many billable hours you have remaining.

We’ve gone through the steps needed to plan your project—and by this point, you know the importance of effectively planning with the right tools. However, let’s dive into real-life examples of effective project planning in action.

As an architecture firm, Rice Fergus Miller takes full advantage of Float’s project phases feature, which allows it to shift and prioritize tasks easily. The project phases feature also enables it to track individual phase budgets by hours or by fees. “I love how I can drag the phase bar, and all associated bubbles in the schedule shift automatically. It’s a graphic way to shift a timeline,” says architect Jason Ritter.

The co-founder and consulting director of Eshop Guide, Patrick Rosenblatt, always seeks to avoid overbooking and stressing out his team members. With a project planning tool like Float, he’s able to successfully implement a project management plan.

“We use Float’s tabular view of our resources and planned activities to make sure we are never overbooked, but also to know when we have too little load,” Patrick says.

Project planning software can help your business

There’s no doubt project planning software comes with an endless amount of upside. You can track where all your resources are being used and when, keep your team from burnout, stay within budget, and seamlessly tackle multi-project planning.

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Project Planning: How to Make a Project Plan

This guide is brought to you by projectmanager, the project planning software trusted by 35,000+ users worldwide. make a project plan in minutes.

What Is a Project Plan?

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A project plan is a series of formal documents that define the execution and control stages of a project. The plan includes considerations for risk management, resource management and communications, while also addressing scope, cost and schedule baselines. Project planning software is used by project managers to ensure that their plans are thorough and robust.

ProjectManager allows you to make detailed project plans with online Gantt charts that have task dependencies, resource hours, labor costs, milestones, the critical path and more. Plus, your team can execute the plan in any of our five project views, while you track progress along the way with dashboards. Start today for free.

The project plan, also called project management plan, answers the who, what, where, why, how and when of the project—it’s more than a Gantt chart with tasks and due dates. The purpose of a project plan is to guide the execution and control project phases.

As mentioned above, a project plan consists of the following documents:

• Project Charter : Provides a general overview of the project. It describes the project’s reasons, goals, objectives, constraints, stakeholders, among other aspects.
• Statement of Work : A statement of work (SOW) defines the project’s scope, schedule, deliverables, milestones, and tasks.
• Work Breakdown Structure : Breaks down the project scope into the project phases, subprojects, deliverables, and work packages that lead to your final deliverable.
• Project Plan : The project plan document is divided in sections to cover the following: scope management, quality management, risk assessment, resource management, stakeholder management, schedule management and the change management plan.

This guide aims to give you all the information and resources you need to create a project plan and get it approved by your customers and stakeholders. Let’s start with the basics of writing a project plan.

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Project Plan Template

Use this free Project Plan Template for Word to manage your projects better.

Your project plan is essential to the success of any project. Without one, your project may be susceptible to common project management issues such as missed deadlines, scope creep and cost overrun. While writing a project plan is somewhat labor intensive up front, the effort will pay dividends throughout the project life cycle.

The basic outline of any project plan can be summarized in these five steps:

• Define your project’s stakeholders, scope, quality baseline, deliverables, milestones, success criteria and requirements. Create a project charter, work breakdown structure (WBS) and a statement of work (SOW) .
• Identify risks and assign deliverables to your team members, who will perform the tasks required and monitor the risks associated with them.
• Organize your project team (customers, stakeholders, teams, ad hoc members, and so on), and define their roles and responsibilities.
• List the necessary project resources , such as personnel, equipment, salaries, and materials, then estimate their cost.
• Develop change management procedures and forms.
• Create a communication plan , schedule, budget and other guiding documents for the project.

Each of the steps to write a project plan explained above correspond to the 5 project phases, which we will outline in the next section.

What Are the 5 Phases of the Project Life Cycle?

Any project , whether big or small, has the potential to be very complex. It’s much easier to break down all the necessary inclusions for a project plan by viewing your project in terms of phases. The Project Management Institute , within the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK), have identified the following 5 phases of a project:

• Initiation: The start of a project, in which goals and objectives are defined through a business case and the practicality of the project is determined by a feasibility study.
• Planning: During the project planning phase, the scope of the project is defined by a work breakdown structure (WBS) and the project methodology to manage the project is decided on. Costs, quality and resources are estimated, and a project schedule with milestones and task dependencies is identified. The main deliverable of this phase is your project plan.
• Execution: The project deliverables are completed during this phase. Usually, this phase begins with a kick-off meeting and is followed by regular team meetings and status reports while the project is being worked on.
• Monitoring & Controlling: This phase is performed in tandem with the project execution phase. Progress and performance metrics are measured to keep progress on the project aligned with the project plan.
• Closure: The project is completed when the stakeholder receives the final deliverable. Resources are released, contracts are signed off on and, ideally, there will be an evaluation of the successes and failures.

Free Project Plan Template

Address all aspects of your project plan with this free project plan template for Word . This in-depth template will guide you through every phase of the project, as well as all the elements you need to outline for a proper document. Download your template today.

We’ve created also created other project planning templates to help you create all the different documents that make up a project plan, like the project schedule, project budget or resource plan.

Now that we’ve learned how to make a project plan, and identified the stages of the project management life cycle, we need to emphasize on the importance of the project planning phase.

The project planning process is critical for any kind of project because this is where you create all the documents that will guide how you’ll execute your project plan and how you’ll control risks and any issues that might occur. These documents, which are part of the project management plan, cover all the details of your project without exception.

There are project plan templates out there that can help you organize your tasks and begin the project planning process—but we here at ProjectManager recommend the use of project planning software. The feature set is far more robust and integrated with every project phase compared to an Excel project plan template, and is a great way to ensure your actual progress stays aligned with your planned progress.

Once you write a project plan, it’s time for implementation . Watch the video below to see how project planning software helps organize a project’s tasks, resources and costs.

Project planning tools has become an invaluable tool for project managers in recent years, as it provides them the ability to maintain and automate the components we outlined above. Project planning software is a great tool to facilitate project management processes such as schedule development, team management, cost estimation, resource allocation and risk monitoring.

Beyond that, planning software also allows managers to monitor and track their plan as it moves through the execution phase of the project. These features include dashboards, for a high-level view of the project’s progress and performance, and in-depth reports that can be used to communicate with stakeholders.

Project planning software comes in all different sizes and shapes. There are some that focus on a single aspect, and others that offer a suite of planning features that can be used in each one of the project planning steps. What’s right for your project depends on your specific needs, but in general terms, project planning software is a much more powerful tool than project planning templates .

Related: 20 Must-Have Project Management Excel Templates

Online project planning software is highly flexible and adaptable to your team’s style of work. It has features that are designed to assist you throughout your project planning process.

Before the rise of planning software, project managers would typically have to keep up with a disjointed collection of documents, excel spreadsheets and so on. Savvy managers, however, make use of the project management tools available to them to automate what they can, and streamline what they can’t.

Some of the time-saving benefits of project planning software include the following.

• Organize, prioritize and assign tasks
• Plan and schedule milestones and task dependencies
• Monitor progress, costs and resources
• Collaborate with team
• Share project plans with team and stakeholders
• Generate reports on plans

Gantt Charts for Superior Planning

A Gantt chart is the most essential tool for the project planning process. Organize tasks, add their duration and they automatically populate a project timeline . Set milestones to break the larger project into manageable phases, and link task dependencies to avoid bottlenecks later in the project.

Get More Than a To-Do List

When planning a project, you need more than a to-do list. Seek out a planning software with a task list feature that lets you set priority levels, filters and collaborate. It’s a big plus if you can also make personal task lists that are private to manage your own work.

Use Kanban for Workflows

Workflows ensure proper execution of your plan, and no feature does this better than kanban boards. Customize boards to match your workflow and drag and drop cards as teams get their work done. See what work needs to be done and keep the focus on productivity with this feature.

Be Able to Track Progress

A dashboard can keep your project plan on track. Try and find a dashboard that’s synced with your planning tools, so everything updates automatically. It will make reporting easier too.

Get Transparency Into Teams

For a plan to go smoothly, you have to know what your team is working on. Find a way to balance your team’s availability with the project schedule. Workload features that map out resource allocation and holidays can be a big help here.

Be Able to Manage Multiple Projects

Rarely do you need to only focus on one project at a time. Give yourself the flexibility to manage multiple projects at once in the same tool. A roadmap feature that maps all of your projects on one timeline can be a lifesaver.

Before we dive into how to create a project plan, it helps to be familiar with some of the terms that you’ll run across. Here is a list of general terms you’ll encounter in this guide.

• Deliverable: The results of a project, such as a product, service, report, etc.
• Stakeholder: Anyone with a vested interest in the project—project manager, project sponsor, team members, customers, etc.
• Tasks: Small jobs that lead to the final deliverable.
• Milestone: The end of one project phase, and the beginning of the next.
• Resources: Anything you need to complete the project, such as personnel, supplies, materials, tools, people and more.
• Budget: Estimate of total cost related to completing a project.
• Tracking & Monitoring: Collecting project data, and making sure it reflects the results you planned for.

The project planning process is critical for the success of your project, and as a project manager, you have to think about all the elements that make up your project management plan such as work, time, resources and risks.

Now, we’re going to take you through the main project planning steps :

• Outline the business case
• Meet with key stakeholders
• Define project scope
• Assemble a project team
• Determine a project budget
• Set project goals & objectives
• Outline project deliverables
• Create a project schedule
• Assign tasks to your team members
• Do a risk analysis
• Create your project plan
• Report your progress

By following these project planning steps, you’ll clarify what you need to achieve, work out the processes you need to get there and develop an action plan for how you are going to take this project plan outline forward.

1. Outline the Business Case

If you have a project, there’s a reason for it—that’s your business case . The business case outlines reasons why the project is being initiated, its benefits and the return on investment. If there’s a problem that is being solved, then that problem is outlined here. The business case will be presented to those who make decisions at your organization, explaining what has to be done, and how, along with a feasibility study to assess the practicality of the project. If approved, you have a project.

2. Meet with Key Stakeholders

Every project has stakeholders , those who have a vested interest in the project. From the ones who profit from it, to the project team members who are responsible for its success. Therefore, any project manager must identify who these key stakeholders are during the project planning process, from customers to regulators. Meeting with them is crucial to get a better picture of what the project management plan should include and what is expected from the final deliverable.

3. Define Project Scope

It refers to the work required to accomplish the project objectives and generate the required deliverables. The project scope should be defined and organized by a work breakdown structure (WBS). Therefore, the project scope includes what you must do in the project (deliverables, sub deliverables, work packages, action items ), but also what is nonessential. The latter is important for the project plan, because knowing what isn’t high priority helps to avoid scope creep ; that is, using valuable resources for something that isn’t key to your project’s success.

4. Assemble a Project Team

You’ll need a capable project team to help you create your project plan and execute it successfully. It’s advisable to gather a diverse group of experienced professionals to build a multi-disciplinary team that sees your project management plan from different perspectives.

5. Determine a Project Budget

Once you define your project scope, you’ll have a task list that must be completed to deliver your project successfully. To do so, you’ll need resources such as equipment, materials, human capital, and of course, money. Your project budget will pay for all this. The first step to create a project budget is to estimate the costs associated with each task. Once you have those estimated costs, you can establish a cost baseline , which is the base for your project budget.

6. Set Project Goals & Objectives

Goals and objectives are different things when it comes to planning a project. Goals are the results you want to achieve, and are usually broad. Objectives , on the other hand, are more specific; measurable actions that must be taken to reach your goal. When creating a project plan, the goals and objectives naturally spring from the business case, but in this stage, you go into further detail. In a sense, you’re fine-tuning the goals set forth in the business case and creating tasks that are clearly defined. These goals and objectives are collected in a project charter , which you’ll use throughout the project life cycle.

7. Outline Project Deliverables

A project can have numerous deliverables. A deliverable can be a good, service or result that is needed to complete a task, process, phase, subproject or project. For example, the final deliverable is the reason for the project, and once this deliverable is produced, the project is completed. As defined in the project scope, a project consists of subprojects, phases, work packages, activities and tasks, and each of these components can have a deliverable. The first thing to do is determine what the final deliverable is, and how you will know that the quality meets your stakeholder’s expectations. As for the other deliverables in the project, they must also be identified and someone on the team must be accountable for their successful completion.

8. Create a Project Schedule

The project schedule is what everything hangs on. From your tasks to your budget , it’s all defined by time. Schedules are made up by collecting all the tasks needed to reach your final deliverable, and setting them on a project timeline that ends at your deadline. This can make for an unruly job ahead, which is why schedules are broken into phases, indicated by milestones , which mark the end of one project phase and the beginning of the next.

9. Assign Tasks to Your Team Members

The plan is set, but it still exists in the abstract until you take the tasks on your schedule and begin assigning them out to your team members. Their roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined, so they know what to do. Then, when you assign them tasks from your plan, they should be clear, with directions and any related documentation they will need to execute the tasks.

10. Do a Risk Analysis

Every project has some level of risk . There are several types of risk such as scope risk, technical risks and schedule risk, among others. Even if your project plan is thorough, internal and external factors can impact your project’s time, cost and scope (triple constraint). Therefore, you need to regard your planning as flexible. There are many ways to prepare for risk, such as developing a change management plan, but for now, the most important thing to do is to track your progress throughout the execution phase by using project status reports and/or project planning software to monitor risk.

11. Create your Project Plan

As discussed above, a project management plan is a document that’s made of several elements. Before we get into a detailed explanation of each of them, it’s important to understand that you should include them all to have a solid project plan. The components that you’ll need might vary depending on your project, but in general terms, you’ll need these main documents to create your project management plan:

• Project charter
• Project schedule
• Project budget
• Project scope statement
• Risk management plan
• Change management plan
• Cost management plan
• Resource management plan
• Stakeholder management plan

12. Report Your Progress

Your ultimate goal is to ensure a successful project for your stakeholders. They’re invested, and will not be satisfied twiddling their thumbs without looking at project status reports to track progress. By constructing a work breakdown structure (WBS) during the project planning phase you can break down the project for them so that they understand how your project plan will be executed. Keeping stakeholders informed is important to manage their expectations and ensure that they’re satisfied. Having regular planning meetings where you present progress reports are a great way to show them that everything is moving forward as planned and to field any questions or concerns they might have. Your stakeholder management plan will specify how you’ll engage stakeholders in the project.

Project planning software is a tool that helps to plan, organize and manage the schedule and resources needed to complete a project. ProjectManager is an award-winning project management software that organizes projects from planning to completion. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and follow along to build a thorough project plan that covers every detail.

1. List Your Tasks for the Plan

Tasks are the building blocks of any project and the start of any plan is identifying all the tasks that lead to your final deliverable.

Open the tool to add your tasks on the Gantt chart or one of the other multiple project views. You can import a task list from any spreadsheet or use one of our templates to get started.

2. Add Duration and Costs to Tasks

Every task has an estimated duration, which is the time it will take to complete it. They will also require a certain amount of funding, which needs to be collected to formulate your plan.

Add the start and end dates for each task in the Gantt and they populate a project timeline, so you can see the whole project laid out in one place. There’s also a column for task costs.

3. Link Dependent Tasks

Tasks are not always separate from one another. Often one cannot start or stop until another has started or stopped. That’s called a task dependency and needs to be noted in your plan.

Link dependent tasks by dragging one to the other. A dotted line indicates that they’re linked, so you stay aware of the fact and can avoid bottlenecks later in the project.

4. Set Milestones & Baseline

A milestone indicates the end of one phase and the beginning of another, which helps with tracking and morale. The baseline sets your plan so you can compare it to actual progress.

There is a filter on the Gantt that automatically sets the baseline, so you can use it to track your actual progress against the plan. The baseline can also be locked with a click.

5. Onboard Team & Assign

Getting the team and the tool together is how a project plan becomes actualized. The easier and seamless this transition, the faster you’ll get to work on the project.

Invite your team from the software and it generates an email with a link. Once they follow that link, they’re in and have access to the tools they need to manage their tasks.

6. Monitor Progress & Report to Stakeholders

Keeping track of your progress and then updating stakeholders is both how you stay on track and manage your stakeholders’ expectations.

See progress as it happens on our real-time dashboard, which calculates data and displays it over six project metrics. Reports can be filtered and shared for a deep dive into those numbers.

7. Adjust Plan As Needed

No plan remains the same throughout a project. Things happen and changes are demanded. Therefore, being able to edit your plan easily is key to the project planning process.

Edit your plan on the Gantt by a simple drag and drop. Move the old date to the new date and not only is that task fixed, but any impacted tasks are also updated automatically.

ProjectManager is an award-winning software that helps managers plan and helps teams get organized. Gantt charts control all aspects of your project plan from scheduling to assigning tasks and even monitoring progress. Multiple project views provide transparency into workflow and give everyone the tools they need to be at their best.

Ready to make your plan? Try ProjectManager today with this free 30-day trial.

The project manager is responsible for producing the project plan, and while you can’t make up all the content yourself, you’ll be the one banging the keys to type it all out. Use templates where you can to save time. Download our free project plan template and write your plan in double-quick time!

The purpose of a project management plan is to serve as a guide for the execution and control phases. The project plan provides all the information necessary for the execution phase such as the project’s goals, objectives, scope of work, milestones, risks and resources. Then, this information helps project managers monitor and control the progress of the project.

We plan at the beginning to save time later. A good project plan means that you don’t have to worry about whether the project participants are going to be available on the right dates—because you’ve planned for them to be. You don’t have to worry about how to pay those invoices—you’ve planned your financial process. You don’t have to worry about whether everyone agrees on what a quality outcome looks like—you’ve already planned what quality measures you are going to use.

A good project plan sets out the processes that everyone is expected to follow, so it avoids a lot of headaches later. For example, if you specify that estimates are going to be worked out by subject matter experts based on their judgement, and that’s approved, later no one can complain that they wanted you to use a different estimating technique. They’ve known the deal since the start.

Project plans are also really helpful for monitoring progress. You can go back to them and check what you said you were going to do and how, comparing it to what you are actually doing. This gives you a good reality check and enables you to change course if you need to, bringing the project back on track.

Tools like dashboards can help you make sure that your project is proceeding according to plan. ProjectManager has a real-time dashboard that updates automatically whenever tasks are updated.

The project planning process already discussed only scratches the surface of what is a deep well of practices created to control your project. They start with dialogue — speaking to stakeholders, teams, et al.

The deliverable for your planning phase is a document called the project plan. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Fifth Edition says that the project plan is made up of lots of subsidiary plans. These include:

• A project scope statement to define all the tasks and deliverables that are needed to complete the project
• A risk management plan for dealing with project risk including the processes for logging and tracking risks
• A change management plan to manage any changes that will be made to the project plan
• A cost management plan for managing costs and the budgeting elements of the project including any procurements or supplier engagements you might have
• A resource management plan for managing the material resources such as equipment and the human resources on the team both in terms of availability and skills
• A stakeholder management plan setting out who is going to receive messages about the project, when and in what format
• A quality plan that specifies the quality targets for the project

That’s a lot of documentation.

In reality, it’s rare that you’ll produce these as individual documents. What you need is a project plan that talks about the important elements of each of these. There’s no point creating a big document that sets out exactly how your business works anyway. If you already have a structured risk management process , then don’t waste time writing it all down again in your project plan.

Your project management plan needs to include enough information to make sure that you know exactly what processes and procedures need to be followed and who needs to be involved. Get your project plan approved by your stakeholders, your project sponsor and your team so there are no surprises later. As explained above, project planning charts and techniques such as Gantt charts, CPM, WBS or PERT can help you create your project plan.

This is hard to answer. It’s going to take longer to plan the moon landing than a new dating app.

The best way to estimate how long your project planning phase will take is to look at similar projects that have happened before, and see how long it took them to plan. Talk to the project manager as well, if you can, because they’ll have a view on whether that length of time was enough or not!

It’s easy to see how long other projects took if you have a project management tool that archives your old project schedules and makes the data available to everyone who needs it. You can then search for similar projects and study their schedules in detail.

A project plan is all about working out what to do and how to do it, so you need to get a lot of people involved. There are several good tools and project planning techniques for getting information from other people including:

• One-to-one meetings or interviews
• Surveys or customer focus groups to gather and validate requirements.

You should also arm yourself with a task management tool , like a list or a kanban board. They are incredibly useful for noting down important things that should be in your project plan. Kanban board software can help structure your plan by writing down the key headings and then moving them around as required until you have a flow that looks right.

Finally, you’ll need an online project management system to store your project management plan in. Make sure that everyone in the team can access the latest version of the project plan.

Your project plan is not a document written in stone. You should be referring back to it and making changes to it as often as you need to. Parts of it, like your project schedule, will change almost daily. Other parts, like your procurement plans and cost management processes, won’t change at all during the life of your project.

The important thing to remember is that if your project management plan isn’t working for you, think about what you can do to change it. It’s there to guide your project management, not restrict you from doing the right thing. If you need to review how you manage work and project resources, then go back and review it. Make the changes you need, get the plan approved again and share it with the team.

How To Make a Project Plan When You Don’t Have All the Answers

Yes, this happens–most of the time! It’s rare to have all the information at the beginning of a project. Most managers want you to dive in and get started, but you might not have the luxury of knowing all the details.

That’s OK; we have techniques to help deal with uncertainty.

First is the project assumption. You use these to put caveats on your plan and to document the things that you assume to be true at this point in time. For example:

• We assume that the resources will be available.
• We assume that the required funding is available.
• We assume that the colors requested will be in line with the company brand and that Marketing sign off is not required.

You get the picture. Then, if the design team comes back and says that they want the product to be a totally new palette of colors and that Marketing has to approve that, you are justified in saying that you’ll have to change the timescales on the schedule to make that possible.

You planned based on an assumption (that everyone agreed to, because you got the document approved) and that assumption turned out not to be true.

Next Steps for Project Planning

The most important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t rush the project planning process. Done properly, project planning takes time. And it’s worth doing it properly because if you don’t, we guarantee that you will hit problems later on as people won’t understand what they are supposed to do and why.

Great planning sets you up for success. It gives you the confidence of knowing that you’ve got all your processes, tools and systems in place to deliver the perfect result.

Now that you’ve learned all about project planning, it’s time to take action. Sign up for a free 30-day trial of ProjectManager and start planning your project today!

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Project Planning Resources

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• 25 of the Best Planning Quotes
• 3 Best Planner Apps for Mac in 2024
• 3 Best Project Management Charts for Project Planning
• Project Management Trends
• How to Create a Project Roadmap (Example Included)
• What Is Aggregate Planning? Strategies & Tips
• What Is Rolling Wave Planning?
• How to Create a Project Execution Plan (PEP) – Free Template Included
• Sample Project Plan For Your Next Project
• Operational Planning: How to Make an Operations Plan
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• Project Proposal Template
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• Project Timeline Template
• Implementation Plan Template
• Work Plan Template
• Action Plan Template

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What Is Project Planning – Steps, Importance, Examples, & More

Richi Gupta

Lead Product Analyst

Review Board Member

Richi Gupta, a Lead Product Analyst, excels in systems integration and translating complex business needs into actionable tech strategies. Her attention to detail, coupled with exemplary project management skills, drive ... Read more

Richi Gupta, a Lead Product Analyst, excels in systems integration and translating complex business needs into actionable tech strategies. Her attention to detail, coupled with exemplary project management skills, drive her success in product feedback management, competitive analysis, strategic planning, and budget management. As a valued member of the ProProfs Survey Maker Advisory Board, Richi's primary objective is to deliver precise and coherent content, ensuring alignment with the company's strategic vision and objectives. Read less

Project Management Expert

David Miller, a seasoned Senior Project Manager at ProProfs with over two decades of diverse expertise, shares impactful insights on project management, leadership, and personal development through his writing.

As a project manager, the one mistake you should never make is letting the fate of a project lie in the hands of ‘the process.’ In other words, it’s a common misconception that the best way to execute a project is to figure things out as they come along. 

Without a properly defined project plan, your team can end up confused, not knowing what to do, and the project can go haywire. Not exactly an ideal situation, right?

Project planning can help you avoid such situations. 

This is where you promote transparency so that all stakeholders, sponsors, and team members know what’s on the list and how to execute it. Now, I understand that it may seem overwhelming, especially if you’ve just started as a team lead or manager. 

But don’t worry, because by the time you finish reading this blog, you’ll be well prepared to manage projects like a professional.

What Is Project Planning?

Techopedia defines project planning as –

“…a procedural step in project management, where required documentation is created to ensure successful project completion.”

This ‘documentation’ includes all additional steps and actions required to plan the project successfully. The project plan must clearly define how the project should be executed, tracked, and wrapped up.

In fact, it is the second step in the lifecycle of a project , after the ‘project initiation’ phase. 

Having a definite plan before starting a project acts like a treasure map. It ensures that you do not waste time and effort on elements like resource utilization, communication, etc., once the project execution phase kicks off.

How to Create a Project Plan: 8 Simple Steps

Before I share some of the best practices in a step-by-step manner, here’s a rule of thumb – make sure that the project plan is clear and provides clarity to your team.

That is a non-negotiable because, after the planning phase, the project moves to execution. And it’s not ideal to have too many changes/roadblocks as that can hinder deliverability. Let’s not get straight to the steps.

#1 Project Initiation: Securing the Go-Ahead

I know you’d probably be asking –

Hey, didn’t you say this comes in the project lifecycle as the phase before project planning?

Yes, that’s true. The only reason why I added it here is because, without initiating the project, it’s not possible to jump straight into the planning phase. 

So, the initiation phase marks the formal commencement of the project. This typically involves creating a project charter . Think of it as securing buy-in from key decision-makers and officially setting the project in motion.

For a detailed read: Project Initiation: What Is the Right Way to Start a Project in 2024?

#2 Scope Definition: Keeping Your Focus

“What objectives are we trying to achieve?” – should be the first question in your mind when defining the scope and setting project objectives. 

It’s crucial to grasp the scope of a project before you zero into it. This involves meticulously outlining the project’s deliverables (the final products or outcomes) and ensuring everyone is well aware of the boundaries. 

A well-defined scope helps prevent scope creep , where additional features or tasks are introduced mid-project, causing delays and exceeding the budget.

Here are some additional questions I suggest discussing with stakeholders –

• What is the goal of your project?
• What are the main objectives that must be achieved?
• What are the deadlines for each objective?
• How involved would you like to be in the project?
• How would you like to measure the success of the project once completed?

Want to know more? Read this blog: Project Scope: How to Define & Manage It Like a Pro

#3 Develop a Work Breakdown Structure: Breaking Down the Big Tasks

Ever feel overwhelmed by a large project? It’s pretty common when you see big chunks of tasks staring back at you. At this point, the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) comes to the rescue.

So, the third step of project planning and management involves dissecting the big tasks into smaller, more manageable subtasks. 

This could involve tasks, like “designing the website layout” or “conducting market research.” The WBS is often visualized as a branching structure, resembling a tree – where the main project objective forms the trunk and the tasks branch out like limbs.

🔥 Pro Tip: Spreadsheets are good. But if you want to break down tasks into subtasks, set dependencies, assign them, or prioritize important tasks without breaking a sweat, it’s recommended to get a task management tool .

#4 Resource Estimating: Knowing Who Does What

Resources are the fuel for your project engine. They can be people, equipment, technology, or anything else you need. Constraints, on the other hand, are the roadblocks or speed limits. They could be budgetary limits, time constraints, or resource availability.

Estimating resources is about determining the time and effort required for each task within the WBS. This considers the skills and expertise of your team members. It also includes the availability of team members so that no one is overburdened.

Needless to say, to plan resources effectively, you will need a resource management tool . Such a software solution will help you track all resources in one place, plan ahead with time tracking, estimate costs, generate invoices, and so on.

Suggested read: 15 Best Resource Management Software & Tools Of 2024

#5 Set a Realistic Timeline: Putting Time on Your Side

Now that you have tasks and resource estimates, it’s time to chart the course. This involves creating a timeline that reflects the project’s scope, resources, and deadlines.

Think of it as scheduling appointments in your calendar. And remember that it’s not just about setting dates; it’s about understanding task dependencies, critical paths, and milestones. Sometimes, I make things easier by using scheduling tools like Gantt charts to visually represent the project timeline.

Read more: How to Build a Project Timeline in 6 Simple Steps

#6 Cost Budgeting: Counting Every Penny

Every project has associated costs. Budgeting involves creating a detailed financial plan that outlines all the anticipated expenses throughout the project lifecycle.

This goes beyond just salaries – consider costs like software licenses, materials required for tasks (e.g., printing flyers for marketing), and potential travel expenses. 

A realistic budget helps you ensure you have the necessary financial resources to complete the project successfully. It also reduces the chances of having sudden or unexpected budget-related surprises while the project is in the execution phase.

Need some tips to get started? No worries, here are some for you –

• Break down the project into individual tasks and estimate the cost for each, considering labor, materials, and other resources.
• Compile the estimated costs to create a budget, including a detailed account of all expected expenses.
• Set aside a contingency fund to cover unexpected costs or overruns, typically a percentage of the total budget.
• Regularly track actual spending against the budget and adjust as necessary to stay on track.

#7 Risk Management: Preparing for the Unexpected

“I bet nothing can go wrong! We planned it so religiously, after all.”

Does something like this go on your mind before starting a new project? If yes, then chances are you’re going to lose your sanity in the next few weeks (or as soon as the project deadlines appear).

You see, even the most thoroughly planned projects can encounter unforeseen challenges. This could be anything from unexpected technical issues to delays in receiving crucial materials.

What you can do here is reduce the blow by identifying potential risks early on, assessing their impact, and planning mitigation strategies. Here’s how –

• Conduct thorough risk assessments and engage with all stakeholders to understand different perspectives.
• Evaluate the impact of identified risks using tools like SWOT analysis , risk matrices, or Monte Carlo simulations .
• Arrange risks based on their severity and the urgency of addressing them.
• Create strategies for each risk, deciding whether to avoid, mitigate, accept, or transfer them.

Learn more about risk management here: How to Overcome Risks Using a Comprehensive Risk Management Plan

#8 Communication Plan Development: Keeping Everyone Informed

Communication should be seamless among people invested in the project’s outcome – team members, project managers, stakeholders, etc. This includes determining –

• Frequency: How often will updates be communicated? (e.g., Daily, weekly)
• Channels: What communication tools will be used? (e.g., Team meetings, project management software)
• Roles: Who is responsible for providing updates? (e.g., Project manager, team leads)

An effective communication plan ensures everyone knows what’s happening when it’s happening, and what changes might be on the horizon. 

Although there are communication tools like Google Meet, Skype, and so on, I prefer team communication software more. The most obvious reason is that you can communicate and collaborate even when working, and you don’t need to switch platforms for menial stuff like tagging someone, adding comments, sharing files, and so on.

Read more: 10 Surefire Ways to Improve Team Communication

Why Is the Project Planning Phase so Crucial?

If you’re looking for a one-shot answer to this question, it will be – the project planning process is the bedrock upon which the entire project stands.

Here are some of the reasons why this phase in the project lifecycle is so important –

• Reduced Risk of Failure: Meticulous planning helps identify potential roadblocks and challenges before they derail your project. Anticipating risks and formulating mitigation strategies helps in proactively addressing issues and minimizing their impact.
• Clear Direction & Focus: The clarity you get after defining the project’s goals, scope, and deliverables ensures everyone involved is aligned on the project’s objectives and prevents scope creep.
• Improved Resource Allocation: This ensures you have the right people with the appropriate skills assigned to the relevant tasks and that necessary equipment or software is acquired beforehand.
• Enhanced Communication & Collaboration: When you create an effective communication plan, you ensure everyone is on the same page and gets updated whenever needed.
• Realistic Expectations & Timelines: Through effort estimation and task sequencing, project planning helps create a realistic schedule that prevents unrealistic deadlines and ensures project milestones are achievable.
• Cost Control & Budget Management: Budgeting allows you to anticipate and factor in all potential expenses and helps you stay within your financial constraints and avoid cost overruns.
• Increased Stakeholder Confidence: Clear goals, timelines, and resource allocation demonstrate a professional approach and inspire confidence in stakeholders – vital for securing buy-in.

Real-Life Examples of Project Planning

Now that you know almost everything about project planning steps and their importance, let’s check some examples of how a project plan may look in real life.

Example 1: Launching a Personal Website

Project initiation:.

• Website Purpose: Portfolio, blog, personal brand, etc.
• Target Audience: Who are you trying to reach?
• Desired Functionality: Contact form, eCommerce integration, etc.

Scope Definition:

• Content Structure: Static one-pager or dynamic blog with regular updates.
• Technical Features: Basic HTML/CSS or complex functionalities.

Develop the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):

• Domain Registration: Secure a relevant domain name (e.g., yourname.com).
• Website Hosting: Choose a provider based on traffic expectations and features.
• Craft compelling text, images, and media relevant to your goals.
• Consider SEO optimization for better search engine visibility.
• DIY Approach: Utilize website builder platforms.
• Hired Professional: Collaborate with a web developer or designer to achieve a custom-tailored website matching your specific vision.

Activity Sequencing:

• Domain Registration & Hosting: Secure the foundation before proceeding.
• Content Creation: Develop content while the website is under construction.
• Website Design & Development: Implementation based on the chosen approach.
• Content Integration: Populate the website with prepared content.
• Testing & Launch: Rigorous testing across different devices and browsers before going live.

Resource Allocation:

• Technical Expertise: Evaluate your comfort level with website-building platforms.
• Budget: DIY options are generally cost-effective, while professional development incurs additional fees.
• Factor in domain registration fees, website hosting costs, and potential web developer/designer charges.
• Consider additional expenses like stock photos or premium website themes.

Here, in this case, you may think a communication plan is not a must, as you are launching a personal website. But, you may still need to connect with your web developer/designer, which requires communication. Hence, it can’t be ignored.

Example 2: Creating a Landing Page for a New Product

• Generate leads: Capture email addresses for future marketing efforts.
• Drive pre-orders: Encourage early product adoption through pre-purchase options.
• Build brand awareness: Introduce your new product to a wider audience.
• Target Audience: Identify your ideal customer profile. Understanding their demographics, needs, and pain points is crucial for crafting a compelling message.
• Product description and key features.
• Value proposition: How does the product solve customer problems?
• Competitive advantages: What sets your product apart?
• Visuals:   High-quality product images, explainer videos, or interactive elements can significantly enhance user engagement.
• Layout and User Interface (UI): Create a visually appealing and user-friendly interface that aligns with your brand identity.
• Content Creation: Develop compelling copy that highlights the product’s benefits and resonates with your target audience.
• Call to Action (CTA): A clear and concise prompt for visitors to take the desired action (e.g., sign up for email updates, pre-order the product).
• Ensure the landing page is mobile-friendly and optimized for different devices.
• Integrate conversion tracking mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of your campaign.
• Prioritize the development of core content outlining the product’s value proposition and features.
• Design and development can occur simultaneously, with ongoing communication to ensure alignment.
• Testing on various devices is crucial before launch to guarantee a seamless user experience.
• Content Writer: Craft compelling product descriptions and website copy.
• Graphic Designer: Develop visually appealing elements that enhance the landing page.
• Web Developer: Implement the technical aspects of the landing page and ensure functionality.
• Marketing Specialist: Promote the landing page through targeted marketing campaigns.

Timeline Development:

• Establish deadlines for content creation, design completion, and website launch.
• Buffer in time for testing and addressing any technical issues.
• Design and development fees (if outsourced).
• Content creation services (if applicable).
• Paid advertising campaigns to drive traffic to the landing page.

Communication Plan:

• Maintain clear communication amongst team members involved in design, development, and marketing.
• Regular progress updates and collaborative decision-making are essential for a successful launch.

Embrace Systematic Project Planning With ProProfs Project

To pave the way for the next phase, i.e., project execution – you need to ensure that you have a robust plan in place. Following my step-by-step project planning guide is likely to deliver results consistent with the expected project output. But, something that is more likely to increase your chances of success is…

Getting a project planning software like ProProfs Project .

But, why ProProfs Project?

It’s one of the many tools I have tried and tested and found to have the sensitive balance of clean UI, advanced features (resource management, reports, automation, etc.), and an affordable price.Talking about affordability, if you are looking for a free project planning software solution, you can consider it, too – thanks to its freemium plan. In my experience, I think it’s one of the decent platforms available targeted towards startups and SMBs. Test it yourself !

Do you want a free Project Management Software?

About the author

David miller.

David is a Project Management expert. He has been published in elearningindustry.com , simpleprogrammer.com . As a project planning and execution expert at ProProfs, he has offered a unique outlook on improving workflows and team efficiency. Connect with David for more engaging conversations on Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook .

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How to write an effective project plan in 6 simple steps

Contributing writer

If you’re a Type A personality, project planning might sound like music to your ears. Setting deadlines, organizing tasks, and creating order out of chaos — what’s not to love?

The reality is that project planning isn’t for everyone. In one survey by Association for Project Management, 76% of project professionals said their main project was a source of stress . Poor planning, unclear responsibilities, and overallocation are often the culprits behind the stress. 

An effective project plan helps teams stay within budget, scope, and schedule, while delivering quality work. In short, it gets you to the finish line without the stress.  

What is a project plan?

A project plan, also known as a work plan, is a blueprint of your project lifecycle. It’s like a roadmap — it clearly outlines how to get from where you are now (the beginning of the project) to where you want to go (the successful completion of the project). 

“A project plan is an action plan outlining how…[to] accomplish project goals,” says Jami Yazdani , certified Project Management Professional (PMP), project coach, project management consultant, and founder of Yazdani Consulting and Facilitation . 

A comprehensive project plan includes the project schedule, project scope, due dates, and deliverables. Writing a good project plan is key for any new, complex project in the pipeline.

Why Are Project Plans Important?

Project plans allow you to visualize your entire project, from beginning to end—and develop a clear strategy to get from point A to point B. Project plans steer stakeholders in the right direction and keep team members accountable with a common baseline.  

Project plans help you stay agile

Projects are bound by what is traditionally called the “iron triangle” of project management . It means that project managers have to work within the three constraints of scope, resources (project budget and teams), and schedule. You cannot make changes to one without impacting the other two.    

Modern-day project management has shifted to a more agile approach, with a focus on quality. This means that resources and schedules remain unchanged but a fixed number of iterations (flexible scope) helps teams deliver better quality and more value. 

A project plan puts this “agile triangle” in place by mapping out resources, schedules, and the number of iterations — sprints if you’re using a Scrum framework and work in progress (WIP) limits if you’re using the Kanban methodology . 

As Yazdani points out, “Project plans help us strategize a path to project success, allowing us to consider the factors that will impact our project, from stakeholders to budget to schedule delays, and plan how to maximize or mitigate these factors.” 

Project plans provide complete visibility

A project plan, when created with a comprehensive project management software , gives you 360-degree visibility throughout the project lifecycle. 

As a project manager, you need a single source of truth on team members and their project tasks, project scope, project objectives, and project timelines. A detailed project plan gives you this visibility and helps teams stay on track.

Project plans also help to get everyone involved on the same page, setting clear expectations around what needs to be accomplished, when, and by who. 

“Project plans create a framework for measuring project progress and success,” says Yazdani. “Project plans set clear expectations for…stakeholders by outlining exactly what…will [be accomplished] and when it will be delivered.”

Project plans boost engagement and productivity

A well-written project plan clarifies how each individual team member’s contributions play into the larger scope of the project and align with company goals. When employees see how their work directly impacts organizational growth, it generates buy-in and drives engagement , which is critical to a project’s success. 

“Project plans provide…teams with purpose and direction,” says Yazdani. “Transparent project plans show team members how their individual tasks and responsibilities contribute to the overall success of the project, encouraging engagement and collaboration.”

How To Write A Project Plan in 6 Steps

Writing a project plan requires, well, planning. Ideally, the seeds for a project plan need to be sowed before internal project sign-off begins. Before that sign-off, conduct capacity planning to estimate the resources you will need and if they’re available for the duration of the project. After all, you want to set your teams up for success with realistic end dates, buffer time to recharge or catch up in case of unexpected delays, and deliver quality work without experiencing burnout .

Based on organizational capacity, you can lay down project timelines and map out scope as well as success metrics, outline tasks, and build a feedback loop into your project plan. Follow these project planning steps to create a winning plan:      

1. Establish Project Scope And Metrics

Defining your project scope is essential to protecting your iron, or agile, triangle from crumbling. Too often, projects are hit with scope creep , causing delays, budget overruns, and anxiety.

“Clearly define your project’s scope or overall purpose,” says Yazdani. “Confirm any project parameters or constraints, like budget, resource availability, and timeline,” says Yazdani.

A project purpose statement is a high-level brief that defines the what, who, and why of the project along with how and when the goal will be accomplished. But just as important as defining your project scope and purpose is defining what metrics you’re going to use to track progress.

“Establish how you will measure success,” says Yazdani. “Are there metrics, performance criteria, or quality standards you need to meet?”

Clearly defining what your project is, the project’s overall purpose, and how you’re going to measure success lays the foundation for the rest of your project plan—so make sure you take the time to define each of these elements from the get-go.

2. Identify Key Project Stakeholders 

Get clarity on the team members you need to bring the project to life. In other words, identify the key stakeholders of the project. 

“List individuals or groups who will be impacted by the project,” says Yazdani. 

In addition to identifying who needs to be involved in the project, think about how they’ll need to be involved—and at what level. Use a tool like Confluence to run a virtual session to clarify roles and responsibilities, and find gaps that need to be filled. 

Let’s say you’re managing a cross-functional project to launch a new marketing campaign that includes team members from your marketing, design, and sales departments. 

When identifying your key stakeholders, you might create different lists based on the responsibility or level of involvement with the project:

• Decision-makers (who will need to provide input at each step of the project)
• Managers (who will be overseeing employees within their department) 
• Creative talent (who will be actually creating the project deliverables for the campaign) from each department. 

Give your project plan an edge by using a Confluence template like the one below to outline roles and responsibilities.

Define roles, discuss responsibilities, and clarify which tasks fall under each teammate’s purview using this Confluence template. 

Getting clarity on who needs to be involved in the project—and how they’re going to be involved—will help guide the rest of the project plan writing process (particularly when it comes to creating and assigning tasks).

3. Outline Deliverables

Now is the time to get granular.

Each project milestone comprises a series of smaller, tangible tasks that your teams need to produce. While a big-picture view keeps teams aligned, you need signposts along the way to guide them on a day-to-day or weekly basis. Create a list of deliverables that will help you achieve the greater vision of the project. 

“What will you create, build, design, produce, accomplish or deliver?” says Yazdani. “Clearly outline your project’s concrete and tangible deliverables or outcomes.” Centralize these deliverables in a Trello board with designated cards for each one, like in the example below, so you keep work moving forward.

Each card on a board represents tasks and ideas and you can move cards across lists to show progress.

Defining the concrete items you need your project to deliver will help you reverse-engineer the things that need to happen to bring those items to life—which is a must before moving on to the next step.

4. Develop Actionable Tasks

Task management is an important component of any project plan because they help employees see what exactly they need to accomplish. Drill down those deliverables into actionable tasks to assign to your team. 

You can use either Confluence or Jira for different task management needs. If you want to track tasks alongside your work, like action items from a meeting or small team projects, it’s best to use Confluence. But if a project has multiple teams and you need insight into workflows, task history, and reporting, Jira makes it easy.      

“Let your deliverables guide the work of the project,” says Yazdani. “Break down each deliverable into smaller and smaller components until you get to an actionable task.” If a major deliverable is a set of content pieces, the smaller actionable tasks would be to create topic ideas, conduct research, and create outlines for each topic.  

Once you’ve broken down all of your deliverables into manageable, assignable subtasks, analyze how each of those tasks interacts with each other. That way, you can plan, prioritize, assign, and add deadlines accordingly.  

“Highlight any dependencies between tasks, such as tasks that can’t be started until another task is complete,” says Yazdani. “List any resources you will need to accomplish these tasks.”

When a task has multiple assignees, you need to streamline the workflow in your project plan. Say the content pieces you outlined need to be edited or peer-reviewed. A couple of articles may need an interview with a subject matter expert. Lay down a stage-by-stage process of each piece of content and pinpoint when each team member comes into play so you prevent bottlenecks and adjust timeframes.     

5. Assign Tasks And Deadlines

Assign tasks to your team and collaborate with employees to set deadlines for each task. When you involve employees in setting workloads and deadlines , you increase ownership and boost the chances of delivering quality work on time.  

After all, you want to move projects forward at a steady pace, but you also want to make sure your teams stay motivated and engaged. So, when writing your project plan, make sure to “set realistic and achievable deadlines for completing tasks and deliverables,” says Yazdani. “Highlight dates that are inflexible and factor in task dependencies. Add in milestones or checkpoints to monitor progress and celebrate successes .”

Use Jira and Confluence to create tasks that live alongside your project plan or meeting agendas.

Once you map out all of your tasks and deadlines, you should have a clear picture of how and when your project is going to come together—and the initial writing process is just about finished.

But that doesn’t mean your project plan is complete! There’s one more key step to the process.

6. Share, Gather Feedback, And Adjust The Project Plan As Necessary

While steps 1 through 5 may make up your initial writing process, if you want your project plan to be as strong and complete as it can be, it’s important to share it with your team—and get their input on how they think it can be improved.

“Share the plan with your project team and key stakeholders, gathering feedback to make adjustments and improvements,” says Yazdani. 

A tool like Confluence helps knowledge flow freely within teams and departments, leading to better teamwork, higher collaboration, and a shared understanding of priorities. Coworkers can use comments, mentions, notifications, and co-editing capabilities to provide and discuss feedback. 

After you gather your team’s feedback —and make any necessary adjustments based on that feedback—you can consider your project plan complete. Hooray! 

But as your project progresses, things may change or evolve—so it’s important to stay flexible and make changes and adjustments as needed.

“Expect to update your plan as you gather more information, encounter changing requirements and delays, and learn from feedback and mistakes,” says Yazdani. “By using your project plan to guide your activities and measure progress, you’ll be able to refine and improve your plan as you move through the project, tweaking tasks and deadlines as deliverables are developed.”

Download a  template to create your project plan and customize it based on your needs.

Example of a simple project plan 

A project plan doesn’t have to be a complicated spreadsheet with multiple tabs and drop-down menus. It’s best to use a project planning tool like Confluence — or at least a project plan template — to make sure you cover every aspect of the project. A simple project plan includes these elements:

• Project name, brief summary, and objective.
• Project players or team members who will drive the project, along with their roles and responsibilities.
• Key outcomes and due dates.
• Project elements, ideally divided into must-have, nice-to-have and not-in-scope categories.
• Milestones, milestone owners, and a project end date.
• Reference material relevant to the project.

Best Practices For Writing Effective Project Plans

A project planning process can quickly turn into a mishmash of goals and tasks that end up in chaos but these best practices can give you a framework to create a project plan that leads to success.

Use Other Project Plans For Inspiration

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel for every new project! Instead, look to other successful project plans for inspiration—and use them as a guide when writing the plan for your project.

“Review templates and plans for similar projects, or for other projects within your organization or industry, to get ideas for structuring and drafting your own plan,” says Yazdani.

To get started, use a Trello project management template and customize it for your project plan by creating unique lists and adding cards under each list.

Build your team’s ideal workflow and mark each stage of the project plan as a list, with cards for each task. 

Get Your Team Involved In The Process

You may be in charge of spearheading the project. But that doesn’t mean that you have to—or even that you should—write the project plan alone. 

“Collaborate with your project team and key stakeholders on crafting a project plan,” says Yazdani. “Input into the project plan supports buy-in to project goals and encourages continued engagement throughout the project.”

With Confluence , you can organize project details in a centralized space and build a project plan collaboratively.

Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of The Good

You may be tempted to write (and rewrite) your project plan until you’ve got every detail mapped out perfectly. But spending too much time trying to get everything “perfect” can actually hold up the project. So don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good—and instead of getting caught up in getting everything perfect from the get-go, stay willing and flexible to adjust your project plan as you move forward.

“Focus on outcomes, not plan perfection,” says Yazdani. “While it would be awesome for the first draft of our plan to require no changes while also inspiring our team and ensuring project success, our goal shouldn’t be a perfect plan. Our goal is a plan that allows us to successfully deliver on project goals. Responsiveness to changing needs and a shifting environment is more important than plan perfection.”

Use the right tools to succeed with your project plan

Writing a project plan, especially if you’re new to the process, can feel overwhelming. But now that you know the exact steps to write one, make sure you have the tools you need to create a strong, cohesive plan from the ground up—and watch your project thrive as a result. 

Atlassian Together can help with project planning and management with a powerful combination of tools that make work flow across teams.

Guide your team to project success with Atlassian Together’s suite of products.

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Mastering Effective Work Planning with the Right Project Management Tools

Category: Task Management .

What went wrong? Your work planning wasn’t as effective as you thought.

Let’s explore the world of effective work planning and learn how to keep your projects on track, your team happy, and your sanity intact.

The Importance of Effective Work Planning

Before we go into the details, let’s understand why effective work planning is crucial. Think of it as the blueprint for your project.

• When you have a clear plan, your team knows exactly what needs to be done, by whom, and when.
• With a well-defined plan, you can easily monitor progress, identify potential roadblocks, and adjust as needed.
• Properly allocating tasks and resources ensures that your team works efficiently without wasting time or effort.
• When everyone knows their responsibilities, there’s less chaos and more focus.

Now that we’ve established the importance of effective work planning let’s examine the key elements that make or break a plan.

By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail. Benjamin Franklin

Effective work planning isn’t a one-person show. Involve your team in planning, encourage open communication, and foster a collaborative environment.

To learn more about achieving continuous learning for your organization.

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How Project Management Tools Enhance Work Planning?

Effective work planning is crucial for the success of any project, and the right project management tools are key to achieving this. Project management has evolved significantly from Henry Gantt’s development of the Gantt chart, a crucial visual tool for task management and progress tracking. This led to more sophisticated methods like the Critical Path Method (CPM), which identifies the most crucial tasks for project success. Modern online project management software now allows for real-time tracking, seamless communication, and collaboration among team members, ensuring key project elements are always prioritized and on schedule.

Let’s explore how these tools are intricately linked and why they are indispensable for efficient project execution

Structure and Organization

Project management tools provide the necessary structure to implement effective work planning. They help organize tasks, milestones, and deadlines in a clear and manageable way.

Resource Allocation

Effective work planning requires optimal resource allocation, including time, manpower, and budget. Project management tools facilitate this by offering features like resource scheduling, load balancing, and budget tracking.

Communication and Collaboration

Make sure all team members are on the same page is a key aspect of effective work planning. Project management tools enhance this through features like shared calendars, real-time updates, and integrated communication channels.

Monitoring and Reporting

Continuous monitoring and adjustment based on project performance are vital. Project management tools provide dashboards, reporting features, and analytics that help track progress, identify issues early, and make informed decisions quickly.

Scalability and Flexibility

As projects grow and change, work plans need to adapt. Project management tools allow for flexibility and scalability in planning, making it easier to adjust tasks, timelines, and resources as project scopes evolve.

Choosing the Right Tools

The market is flooded with project management and automation tools, all promising to be the next “WorkOS” or the ultimate solution for professional services firms. But with so many options, how do you know which one is right for you? More importantly, are these tools truly the magic bullet for effective work planning?

Project Management Software, Professional Services Automation… it sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, the reality is far more complex. There’s a mind-boggling array of tools available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Here are just a few of the major categories

• Project and Portfolio Management Software: This type of software helps manage a series of projects, ensuring they align with company strategies and goals.
• Work Management Software: These systems provide a framework for managing workflows and projects across an organization, offering tools for task management, scheduling, and more.
• Connected Workspace Platforms: Similar to knowledge bases, these platforms support information sharing and collaboration across an organization.
• Knowledge Base Software: Essential for managing information, these tools help store and retrieve knowledge efficiently.
• Collaboration Platforms: They allow for real-time document creation and editing, crucial for teams that collaborate on documents frequently.
• Workflow Management Software: Focused on optimizing workflows, essential for streamlining operations and improving process efficiency.
• Professional Services Automation Platform: Specifically designed for service-oriented businesses, PSA platforms help manage client engagements from proposal to payment.
• Strategic Planning and Execution Platforms: These tools facilitate the management of an organization’s strategic goals, often integrating OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) and performance metrics.
• Resource and Capacity Management Software: These systems are key in managing resources and planning capacity to ensure that projects are not over or under-resourced.
• Standard Operating Procedures Software: SOP tools help standardize procedures across an organization, ensuring consistency and compliance.

Here are a few additional categories of tools that could complement or expand upon the above list

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software: Essential for managing interactions with clients and customers, helping businesses enhance relationships, streamline processes, and boost profitability.
• Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS): These tools help in managing employee data, recruitment, benefits administration, and performance management.
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems: Integrates various functions across the business, including finance, HR, manufacturing, supply chain, services, procurement, and others into a single system.
• Business Intelligence (BI) and Analytics Platforms: These systems provide comprehensive tools and applications for analyzing business data which helps in making informed business decisions.
• Financial Management Software: Tools that assist with finance operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, ledger management, and financial planning.
• Marketing Automation Software: Helps streamline, automate, and measure marketing tasks and workflows to increase operational efficiency and grow revenue faster.
• IT Service Management (ITSM) Tools: Designed to manage the delivery of IT services to customers, including issue tracking, asset management, and IT support.
• Cybersecurity Platforms: Tools that help protect IT infrastructure, monitor security breaches, and manage other security operations.
• Supply Chain Management (SCM) Software: Manages the flow of goods and services, involving the movement and storage of raw materials, of work-in-process inventory, and of finished goods.
• Project Issue Tracking Software: Specialized tools used to manage a list of issues, recording and following up on issues and bugs that need resolution.

While it might seem straightforward, choosing the right tool can be anything but simple. Many platforms claim to fit into multiple categories, which can be misleading. The key to effective work planning isn’t finding the single, ultimate tool. It’s about understanding your unique business needs and choosing tools that complement each other. Here are some questions to consider before you choose a project management tool

• What is your primary collaboration model? Do you work in a remote team or a centralized office?
• What are your core objectives and KPIs? What are you trying to achieve, and how will you measure success?
• What specific workflows need automation? Are there repetitive tasks that are bogging down your team?
• What tools are you already using? Consider integrations and avoid creating unnecessary silos.
• What are your industry-specific needs? Some tools cater to specific industries like marketing or software development.
• What are your security and data management requirements? Ensure your chosen tools meet your security and compliance standards.
• How will data move within the tool, and how does this impact your operations?

A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing the Right Project Management Tool

Choosing the right project management tool from a sea of options can feel overwhelming. If you’re tasked with making this decision, you’ll wear two hats: finding the ideal fit and securing stakeholder buy-in. Here’s a step-by-step approach to streamline the process:

1. What your company needs

Before diving into features, take a deep dive into your company’s workflow. Identify current processes, pain points, and desired improvements. This will guide your tool selection.

2. What your team needs

What functionalities are essential for your teams? Consider factors like task management, communication, collaboration, resource allocation, and reporting needs. Prioritize the features that will have the biggest impact.

3. Tool Selection Team

Form a team with representatives from different departments who will be using the tool. This ensures diverse perspectives and fosters a sense of ownership.

4. Research and Compare

Start exploring the project management landscape. Look for tools that align with your needs and budget. Pay close attention to customer success stories, available support options, and security features.

5. Test Drive with Free Trials

Take advantage of free trials offered by most platforms. This allows your team to experience the user interface, test functionalities, and identify any potential dealbreakers.

6. Collect Feedback

Once you’ve explored various tools, gather feedback from the buying committee and potential users

7. Secure Buy-in

Use this data to present a clear case to leadership for the chosen platform. Highlight the benefits and address any concerns.

8. Purchase and Implementation

Once you have executive buy-in, proceed with the purchase and implementation of the chosen platform. This might involve data migration, user training, and configuration.

9. Training & Adoption

Training is crucial to ensure all team members are proficient with the new project management tool. Implement comprehensive training sessions to cover all features and best practices, enhancing user adoption and maximizing tool effectiveness.

10. Continuous Improvement

Schedule regular reviews to assess the effectiveness of the tool and identify areas for improvement.

Effective work planning isn’t just about having the right tools; it’s about using them strategically. Focusing on your specific needs and aligning your tools with your goals can transform your work planning from a chaotic mess to a well-oiled machine.

Ready to start your effective planning today?

Book a free demo

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Best 30 Project Planning Software & Tools for 2022

October 19, 2022 - 10 min read

For many, the most important part of a project is getting caught up in the maelstrom of activity once it’s well underway. With a major role in overseeing the day-to-day while adhering to big-picture goals, as a project manager, you strive to build momentum with your team in your quest to keep stakeholders happy and hit your milestones.

But what if this weren’t the case? Imagine a scenario where your team workflows were set up ahead of time, collaboration felt easy, and your attention wasn’t pulled in various directions every day. This is possible with the right kind of project planning .

That’s why the time you spend in the project scheduling process could be the key to stress-free execution. The traditional pen and paper might still be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of planning, but these days, there are a wealth of digital planning tools at your disposal.

Project planning software gives you the tools to take full control of upcoming projects in advance so that you can plan out every step in meticulous detail. It gives you the edge as you can effectively evaluate your resources, establish timelines, and manage the details of complex projects — all before the stress of the project has time to take hold over you. 

Project planning software benefits explained

Online project planning software acts as an all-in-one hub for mapping out upcoming projects and understanding everything from the major details to the minutiae. It provides tools for visualizing key milestones and measuring progress as you go but also gives you an easy way to communicate with your team in a context-specific way.

Here are some of the main reasons to invest in project planning tools:

Manage resources 

If there’s anything that can quickly bring a project to a grinding halt, it’s a lack of foresight regarding resources. If funds dry up before you’ve made substantial progress or there are too few team members to tackle the challenges offered up along the way, then it’s most likely a result of poor resource planning .

To avoid issues that threaten to throw your project off course and become a cause of concern to stakeholders, you can use project planning software to manage your resources. Specifically, you can handle the following:

• Assign workload based on individual capacity
• Allocate funds and set budgets
• Measure resources in real time to make adjustments
• Automate time-consuming processes

A major contributor to lost time during projects can be focusing on trivial tasks. Throughout the lifespan of many projects, there are dozens of recurring tasks that needlessly drain time and energy that could be better used elsewhere.

With project planning tools, you can automate these time-consuming processes and let the software do the heavy lifting. Automating recurring tasks and workflows can free up time to spend on the more cognitively-demanding tasks that do more to move the needle for project progress.

Visualize and analyze data

If you can’t see what’s going on with your projects in real time, it’s incredibly challenging to effectively manage your resources and hit your milestones. The best tools for creating a project plan offer various views to see the data from different perspectives and a centralized dashboard for all the key information at a glance.

Most tools also let you analyze the data by downloading reports, which you can use to check in with stakeholders and make data-driven decisions.

Is free project planning software worth it?

It’s not uncommon for project planning software to offer a free option to users, whether that be a limited version with fewer features or a trial that gives you some time to explore the tools. It’s certainly possible to get to grips with different options without making a financial commitment straight away.

If you run a small team and your resources are limited, you could meet all your project planning needs with a freemium software model. If you have more complex needs, you’ll likely need to make the most of the software’s premium features. In this case, you can sign up for a free trial to make sure it’s a good fit before you invest.

How to choose the best project planning software for your business

Even if you’ve been recommended a project planning tool that has every feature imaginable and receives unanimous praise from its users, it doesn’t mean it will work for your business.

Finding the right software for your business boils down to several factors, which include your budget, the specific needs you have for projects, and ease of use for you and your team members.

If you go by these three criteria, you can’t go too far wrong when you make your choice. 

• Budget: When thinking about budget, it shouldn’t be a simple case of “can we afford it,” but an evaluation of how much you stand to gain from using the software compared with the cost. 
• Specific project needs: If you have to run a lengthy marketing campaign, then you’ll probably want to track several metrics along the way, so a project planning tool without much scope for data visualization and analysis won’t serve you. If you have many requirements, try carrying out an 80/20 analysis to single out the top two or three needs that, if addressed, can significantly improve your planning process.
• Ease of use: Some project planning tools offer incredible attention to detail, which can come at the cost of simplicity. It’s important to determine what you and your team are comfortable with so you don’t end up with software that takes too long to get to grips with. The best way to figure this out is to opt for a free trial, so you can all get hands-on experience.

Which are the most popular project planning tools in 2022?

In this guide, we’ll explore 30 of the most popular project planning software tools in 2022, so you can make an informed decision and choose the best option for your business.

Wrike is a top-rated work management platform that offers a comprehensive range of project management and planning features. The software works just as well for the up-and-coming business as it does for the Agile enterprise.

Wrike project planning software features

Real-time data reporting A lack of visibility can quickly derail a project. It’s impossible to make adjustments and reassign resources if you don’t have current and relevant data at your disposal. With Wrike’s real-time data reporting, you can grab the reins from the get-go and ensure you set up your team for success from the start.

With the click of a button, you can visualize work statuses and progress at a glance, allowing you to make snap decisions based on concrete data. With access to this data whenever you need it, you can start a new project confident in your ability to make on-the-fly tweaks and move resources around to navigate obstacles that arise. 

Timeline visualization Wrike’s Gantt chart timelines give you great insight into the roadmap for upcoming projects, which you can share with stakeholders and team members for full transparency. These dynamic timelines don’t just show you the project at a frozen moment in time but update to reflect your current situation.

With this information at your fingertips, you can identify potential bottlenecks before they threaten to disrupt your progress. The bird’s-eye view gives you full visibility of task dependencies, so you can understand the sequence of dominos that have to fall to make progress towards a particular milestone . Finally, you can manage multiple projects from a single platform, dragging and dropping items to keep your team updated.

Task-specific templates Automation can save you a lot of time for future projects, but so can task-specific templates like the project plan . With Wrike’s practical templates, you can effectively reduce the time spent on upcoming tasks, giving you more time to allocate to more challenging endeavors.

Wrike templates provide a framework for completing various tasks, from drawing up an action plan to managing contracts.

RAID logs RAID (risks, assumptions, issues, decisions) is a valuable acronym in business, and a RAID log can help you map out your project plan accounting for every variable. With Wrike’s RAID logs, you can show your stakeholders that you’ve thoroughly considered all the risks and issues involved with an upcoming project and provide assurance.

With each element in the log, you can go into as much or as little detail as you deem necessary. The end result will be a list of pitfalls to avoid and strategies for making progress with a project.

Task management Arguably the most important feature once a project is underway, task management can also be a vital part of the planning process. With Wrike, you can distill your most complex projects into a series of small tasks, which you can then assign to your team through the software interface.

Wrike offers full transparency, meaning you can share all of your activity with stakeholders, keeping them in the loop without writing up reports. You can also communicate effectively with your team using a single shared space.

Highlights of Wrike project planning software

• Track metrics with real-time data reports and analytics
• Visualize project information with dynamic timelines
• Use templates to reduce time spent on various tasks
• Shift between dashboard views to get various perspectives
• Keep stakeholders in the loop with 360-degree visibility
• Plan for everything with convenient RAID logs

Other features and considerations

Wrike also offers you and your team a centralized space for resources, so you can access them as and when you need them. You’ll be able to quickly see the capacity of all your team members as well as the remaining resources you have to work with, so you should never run the risk of getting caught short.

Time tracking is another feature that can help you track valuable data. Your team will be able to manually enter the time they spend on various tasks, so you can accurately gauge whether or not you’re on track to meet your goals and update your timeline to reflect current progress.

Wrike’s two-week free trial is a great way to get hands-on experience with the software and see if the project planning features fit your business needs.

Pricing plans

• Free - $0 
• Professional - $9.80 per user/month
• Business - $24.80 per user/month
• Enterprise - Custom pricing for large teams

Customer ratings and reviews

Capterra rating: 4.3/5 (1799 customers)

Many customers appreciate how Wrike facilitates quick communication between internal teams. A common thread from the user reviews is how Wrike enables effective collaboration, which makes it easy for teams to be productive.

Runn provides big-picture resource management and comprehensive project planning tools primarily for the IT, engineering, and consultancy industries. The software places a heavy emphasis on resource allocation and capacity management to help project managers assess the cost of every project.

Runn works best for medium-sized businesses and enterprise-level organizations but doesn’t align with small businesses as well as other project planning tools do.

Runn project planning software features 

Resource scheduling : With Runn’s visual resource scheduling feature, you can allocate work to team members so that everyone is clear on what they need to do. If you manage a large team, you can filter by roles, skills, and teams to find the right person for the job.

Capacity management: See at a glance how your project affects your resources and what you can do to stay within budget. Assign custom work hours to each employee based on their capacity and manage their PTO.

Highlights of Runn project planning software

• Accurately identify the capacity of all your team members 
• Make decisions according to the resources available 
• Easily allocate work to the right team members with filters
• Create forecasts to effectively manage your project pipeline

Pricing plans 

• Free - $0 up to 5 users
• Pro - $10 per person managed/month
• Enterprise - Custom

Find more information on Runn’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.9/5 (16 customers)

Customers note that the software is easy to use and managing resources is much easier with the tool’s features. While customers appreciate that the developer team is quick to respond to feedback and add new content, the software still lacks certain features.

Kintone is a workflow management platform that provides tools for automating tasks, sharing data, and collaborating with coworkers. You can use Kintone to set up custom workflows for every member of your team so that everything flows smoothly once projects are underway.

While many teams have enjoyed success with Kintone’s workflow optimization tools, the lack of a calendar can make it hard to visualize upcoming events and project milestones.

Kintone project planning software features 

Drag-and-drop process builder: Kintone provides users with the tools to create their own processes from scratch as if they were putting together a series of puzzle pieces. Once you’ve assembled your process or project, you can see the big picture and how each item feeds into it.

Custom workflow management: Create and manage custom workflows that make sense for your team and industry.

Highlights of Kintone project planning software

• Easy to create and maintain custom workflows
• Visualize projects using the drag-and-drop process builder
• Track activities once you set the project in motion
• $24 per user/month (minimum five users)

Find more information on Kintone’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.7/5 (89 customers)

Customers praise Kintone for its no-code process builder and custom workflow creation tools. For some, the lack of a calendar makes it challenging to plan ahead.

4. Airtable

Airtable offers a unique blend of project management and spreadsheet data storage, which can be useful for plotting out every last detail of your upcoming projects. You can use Airtable to plan out your content pipeline in advance and manage it as you make progress on various projects.

Airtable brings a visual model for planning future projects, even if the display can become cluttered at times with a wealth of information.

Airtable project planning software features 

Real-time data management: From the moment you create a project in Airtable, you can start tracking data and using it to create detailed reports for understanding individual and team performance.

Resource allocation: With a resource allocation chart, you can see whether you’re managing your resources well over time.

Highlights of Airtable project planning software

• Approval requests let you keep in sync with your team
• Status updates and due dates set you up for timely progress
• Allocate resources with a chart to assess efficiency
• Track data in real time and create reports to inform stakeholders
• Plus - $10 per seat/month
• Pro - $20 per seat/month

Find more information on Airtable’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Customer ratings and reviews 

Capterra rating: 4.7/5 (1396 customers)

Customers appreciate how Airtable enables cross-functional collaboration and provides real-time data to inform the decision-making process. Some customers note that finding documents can be challenging at times due to an overcrowded UI.

ClickUp is a project management solution that allows you to follow a project from creation to completion. It offers a straightforward way to manage activities with an intuitive Kanban board and makes task delegation and collaboration simple.

Since ClickUp gives you control of the whole project management process, the notifications and reminders can become overwhelming.

ClickUp project planning software features 

Team communication: Once you start work on your project in ClickUp, it’s relatively easy to stay in touch with your team. With a combination of action items, comments, and real-time chat, you can drive tasks forward with context-specific communication.

Interactive whiteboards: Developing a shell of an idea into a viable project requires creativity and a canvas. With ClickUp’s interactive whiteboards, you can draw out your vision for a project and invite collaboration so that everyone is on the same page.

Highlights of ClickUp project planning software

• Use interactive whiteboards to plan out and visualize projects
• Provide frequent updates on tasks with team communication tools
• Apply checklists to individual tasks for easy-to-follow instructions
• Store useful project reference information in the documents hub 

Pricing plans  

• Free Forever - $0
• Unlimited - $5 per user/month
• Business - $12 per user/month
• Business Plus - $19 per user/month

Find more information on ClickUp’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.7/5 (3111 customers)

Customers note that ClickUp makes it easy to track the details of a project from start to finish for individual clients. A common gripe is the flood of information, as comments, mentions, and the movement of tasks can prompt notifications.

6. Nutcache

Nutcache is an all-in-one project management tool providing a range of features to plan and measure the success of upcoming projects. With profitability graphs, task tracking, and a workload calendar, you can use Nutcache to stay on top of every last detail.

While Nutcache offers a host of useful features, including billing and invoicing, some are more limited, such as the time tracker, which can be challenging to use.

Nutcache project planning software features 

Workload management: Manage your team’s workload based on capacity and priorities. Effectively assign tasks and allocate resources accordingly.

Budget tracking: You can use Nutcache to set project budgets based on hours, amount, or cost. You can also create alerts and use KPIs to evaluate your project spend.

Highlights of Nutcache project planning software

• Create project budgets and use alerts to stay within them
• Manage your team’s workload based on various factors
• Bill and invoice your clients all in one place 
• Use Gantt charts to map out data and measure progress
• Pro - $12.49 per user/month
• Enterprise - $21.49 per user/month (minimum 5 users)

Find more information on Nutcache’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.4/5 (165 customers)

Customers highlight how easy it is to bill and invoice clients using the software. Some users note that it can be time-consuming to filter each project with drop-down menus to see more details.

Hive is a task management solution with built-in time tracking and automation. While it can provide granular detail for data reports, it can succumb to information overload at times.

Hive project planning software features

Intake forms: Quickly jot down important project information and store it in forms your whole team can access.

Multi-project overviews: Use different views to visualize projects from the outset with as much or as little detail as you need.                                             

Highlights of Hive project planning software

• Use intake forms as knowledge hubs for upcoming projects
• View projects from different angles with overviews
• Collaborate effectively with instant messaging
• Teams - $12 per user/month

Find more information on Hive’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (162 customers)

Customers enjoy how Hive lets them bring together all the necessary details for a project in one place. Some say that notifications come thick and fast, and important messages can get buried.

8. Kissflow

Kissflow is a no-code process management solution that allows you to create feature-packed workflows without technical knowledge. The workflows are highly customizable, but it can be tricky to migrate them to other platforms.

Kissflow project planning software features  

Process creator: Create custom forms and workflows with no coding knowledge to drive complex projects forward.

Project dashboards: Project dashboards let you bring forms, datasets, and processes into one place for quick reference.

Highlights of Kissflow project planning software

• Track tasks with regular status updates
• Map out projects using custom dashboards
• Use the process creator to set up detailed workflows
• Small business - $10 per user/month
• Corporate - $20 per user/month

Find more information on Kissflow’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 3.9/5 (30 customers)

Customers appreciate that Kissflow facilitates the digitalization of decision-making for fast project progress. Several customers note that the workflow migration doesn’t work as well as it could.

9. GanttPRO

GanttPRO is a browser-based tool that helps you visualize tasks and projects using Gantt charts. As a browser-based solution, refresh rates can cause issues for some users.

GanttPRO project planning software features 

Resource planning: Check your team’s actions using work logs, invite collaborators, and track workload in the app. 

Custom project metrics: Set up a budget for individual projects and use custom columns to measure progress with your own metrics.

Highlights of GanttPRO project planning software

• Manage resources and workload in real time
• Set up custom project metrics 
• Collaborate with attachments, comments, and notifications
• Basic - $7.99 per user/month
• Pro - $12.99 per user/month
• Business - $19.99 per user/month

Find more information on GanttPRO’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.8/5 (320 customers)

Customers praise GanttPRO’s simple aesthetics, which make it easy to understand project-related data. Sometimes there are performance issues since the software runs in-browser.

10. Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management solution that uses timelines, Gantt charts, and data to help users build projects from the ground up. There’s a lot of data you can include in Zoho Projects, though without a multi-select option, it can prove time-consuming.

Zoho Projects project planning software features  

Create task blueprints: With task blueprints, you can outsource the heavy lifting behind tasks, as the software can handle approval requests, notifications, and more.

Project administration: Inform your team about projects with custom fields, add stakeholders or clients for transparency, and import or export key data.

Highlights of Zoho Projects project planning software

• Set up task blueprints to automate time-consuming processes
• Use project administration to add context and detail to projects
• View real-time data with charts and reports
• Free - $0 up to 3 users
• Premium - $5 per user/month
• Enterprise - $10 per user/month

Find more information on Zoho Project’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.2/5 (259 customers)

Customers highlight the suitability of the software for product development teams. Adding lots of code can be time-consuming with the lack of a multi-select option.

Asana is a classic project management solution with features for organizing and assigning tasks, collaborating, and tracking progress with data. Though there isn’t much you can’t do with Asana, users don’t have many options for creating recurring tasks that cater to different routines.

Asana project planning software features 

Create timelines: Set up project plans with timelines to see at a glance every important detail, from the individual tasks and how they relate to one another to upcoming deadlines.

Manage workload: Keep team members productive by managing their workloads in real time, and view individual tasks to assess progress.

Highlights of Asana project planning software

• Use project timelines to visualize what’s to come
• Manage team member workloads and dig into specifics
• Set strategic goals for your team to follow
• Premium - $10.99 per user/month
• Business - $24.99 per user/month

Find more information on Asana’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (11,394 customers)

Customers mention how easy it is to stay on top of projects with real-time data and easy communication. A common reservation is that the busy UI can make it challenging to see what different team members have access to.

Trello is a streamlined Kanban board management tool for organizing, assigning, and completing tasks within a team. Trello is an excellent solution for simplifying projects and collaborating effectively, though it’s best suited for smaller teams.

Trello project planning software features   

Simplified project management: Use the various views to lay the groundwork for future initiatives. Add custom cards to Trello’s Kanban boards to create and manage new projects in your team.

In-app integrations: Trello Power-Ups expand the functionality of your software with third-party apps, allowing you to add workflow automation, channel-based communication, and more.

Highlights of Trello project planning software

• Simplify your project management with different views and custom Kanban boards
• Use integrations to make Trello your go-to platform for projects
• Add task checklists to accurately measure progress
• Standard - $5 per user/month
• Premium - $10 per user/month
• Enterprise - $17.50 per user/month

Find more information on Trello’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (21,394 customers)

Customers appreciate the simplicity of Trello and how it makes organizing easy, even as part of a team. Some say that having various boards with multiple cards can make it hard to stay on top of responsibilities and notifications.

13. ProWorkflow

ProWorkflow is a workflow customization tool that allows you to streamline internal processes and work with external collaborators. The software lets you templatize tasks to cut down time spent on future projects, though data reporting can be time-consuming.

ProWorkflow project planning software features  

Custom templates: ProWorkflow lets you build custom templates for tasks and projects to speed up recurring processes such as quoting and invoicing.

Complex workflows: Create custom workflows using an interactive timeline, Gantt charts, and a workload analysis tool.

Highlights of ProWorkflow project planning software

• Set up custom templates to minimize time spent on trivial tasks
• Build efficient workflows and track each team member’s progress visually
• In-app and email notifications help keep everyone updated 
• Professional - $20 per user/month
• Advanced - $30 per user/month

Find more information on ProWorkflow’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (248 customers)

Customers appreciate the clarity that prioritized tasks and custom workflows provide to team members. Some customers noted issues with interpreting data reports and exporting them to accounting software.

14. WorkOtter

WorkOtter is a resource and portfolio management platform for planning projects with data-backed dashboards and custom workflows. While WorkOtter allows you to handle resources for multiple client-facing projects at once, the mobile app has limited features, so it’s best suited for desktop-based work.

WorkOtter project planning software features  

Resource forecasting: With or without work plans, you can forecast resources using various methods in WorkOtter. Forecast according to team time spend, allocated resources, and work plans.

Full Microsoft Project integration: WorkOtter is the only PMM (project and portfolio management) platform to provide two-way integration with Microsoft Project.

Highlights of WorkOtter project planning software

• Integrate your Microsoft Project files and quickly send information back and forth
• Forecast resource spend for future projects with different methods
• Use project logs and various planning options to schedule upcoming projects
• Limited Access - $10 per user/month
• Team Member - $20 per user/month
• Managers - $35 per user/month

Find more information on WorkOtter’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 5/5 (163 customers)

Customers highlight the Microsoft integration as a standout feature of WorkOtter, as it allows for seamless two-way data flow. Some customers would like to see a local onsite version since the software is currently only available in the cloud.

15. Teamwork

Teamwork is a project management tool that hosts a range of client-facing project planning features in one place. As a hub for effective team collaboration, Teamwork excels, though the communication options are limited.

Teamwork project planning software features  

Resource management: During the project planning phase, you can manage your team’s resources and create forecasts for future needs with Teamwork.

Scalable templates: Save time with scalable project management templates that you can use as shortcuts for your team.

Highlights of Teamwork project planning software

• Forecast resource availability to avoid issues later down the line
• Build scalable project templates as time-saving shortcuts for your team
• Monitor project profitability with real-time financial performance graphs
• Free Forever - $0 (up to 5 users)
• Deliver - $9.99 per user/month
• Grow - $17.99 per user/month
• Scale - Custom

Find more information on Teamwork’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (728 customers)

Many customers praise Teamwork for the level of detail teams can add to each task. It can take some time to adjust to the software’s UI, according to several users.

16. Confluence

Confluence is a technical project planning tool primarily designed for DevOps teams. With knowledge hubs, teams can easily share information, though the document search feature can be awkward to use.

Confluence project planning software features  

Knowledge base: Your team can use page trees and advanced filters to track down relevant information quickly.

Real-time collaboration: Edit and comment on documents in real time and set up notifications for team members.

Highlights of Confluence project planning software

• Access project-relevant information quickly with the knowledge base
• Make changes on the fly with real-time collaboration
• Create different spaces for teams or projects
• Free - $0 up to 10 users
• Standard - $5.50 per user/month
• Premium - $10.50 per user/month

Find more information on Confluence’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.4/5 (2348 customers)

Customers highlight the knowledge base feature, which allows for easy access to documentation for projects. Several customers raise concerns about the difficulty of importing and exporting documents.

17. Monday.com

Monday.com is a comprehensive Work OS (Operating System) with custom templates and workflows for most use cases. The app provides data for planning projects, though key information can sometimes get lost in chains of events.

Monday.com project planning software features   

Project files: Monday.com lets you consolidate project files in one place, so everything you need, from Google Docs to DropBox files, is easy to access.

Data dashboards: Build custom dashboards to make forecasts, plot out timelines, and track progress.

Highlights of Monday.com project planning software 

• Gather all relevant project files in one place before you get started
• Use data dashboards to manage your resources
• Automate tasks for streamlined workflows
• Individual - $0
• Basic - $8 per seat/month
• Standard - $10 per seat/month
• Pro - $16 per seat/month

Find more information on Monday.com’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.6/5 (2743 customers)

Customers mention how versatile the software is since it caters to custom workflows and can automate recurring tasks. Some users believe task information is hard to digest in its current format.

18. Celoxis

Celoxis is a complete project management solution with everything from time tracking to advanced scheduling. The software offers a simple way to plan and track projects, working best for small businesses.

Celoxis project planning software features 

Project requests: Grab requests from forms and emails and feed them into the Celoxis interface to inform your project plans.

Dynamic project plans: Set up project plans that reflect real-time updates and inter-project dependencies.

Highlights of Celoxis project planning software

• Use requests to create stakeholder-serving project plans
• Create project plans that change in real time
• Track the numbers with revenue forecasting and custom financial KPIs
• Cloud - $22.50 per user/month
• On-Premise - $450 per user billed once

Find more information on Celoxis’ pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.4/5 (268 customers)

Customers praise Celoxis for the progress tracking features. Some users claim that field information entry can be awkward and the results difficult to read.

19. Forecast

Forecast is a resource management solution that makes it easy to create accurate forecasts and track capacity. For scheduling projects, Forecast offers plenty of relevant data, though time entry can cause issues.

Forecast project planning software features   

AI insights: Forecast’s AI provides recommendations based on past projects and insights to mitigate risks and prepare you for project difficulties.

Schedule view: Balance resources and workload with Forecast’s schedule view before embarking on new projects.

Highlights of Forecast project planning software

• AI-powered insights help keep you on track
• Use a holistic schedule view to manage workload effectively 
• Monitor project profitability with access to financial data
• Lite - $29 per user/month
• Pro - $49 per user/month
• Plus - Custom

Find more information on Forecast’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (57 customers)

Customers appreciate the project scheduling and data tracking features of Forecast. Several users mention that updating tasks and time entries can be time-consuming.

20. Smartsheet 

Smartsheet is a project management solution that uses spreadsheets as a canvas for plotting out projects. You can create forms and track data with the platform, though there’s a steep learning curve.

Smartsheet project planning software features   

Process management: Use the Smartsheet Control Center to centralize project intake, standardize your processes, and manage resources.

Content management: With approval requests, alerts, and dashboards, you can stay on top of your content pipeline.

Highlights of Smartsheet project planning software

• Centralize project data and create processes for team members to follow
• Use dashboards to measure project progress
• Visualize project-pertinent data with Gantt charts and reports
• Pro - $6 per user/month
• Business - $22 per user/month

Find more information on Smartsheet’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (2422 customers)

According to many customers, Smartsheet allows for quick data form creation and effective team collaboration. Some customers claim that due to its complexity, it can take a while to adjust to the software.

21. LiquidPlanner

LiquidPlanner is a dynamic predictive scheduling solution that adapts to the way you work and reflects real-time changes in projects. A tool that can meet your specific team and project needs, LiquidPlanner requires an initial learning curve to get the most out of it.

LiquidPlanner project planning software features   

Predictive scheduling: Access real-time forecast data with Monte Carlo simulations for your whole portfolio. 

Resource leveling : Smart scheduling informs you when resources will impact deadlines and delivery, helping you avoid overburdening team members and stretching yourself too thin.

Highlights of LiquidPlanner project planning software

• Use the LiquidPlanner engine to accurately predict future changes to projects
• Get an idea of how capacity and resources will impact your projects
• Assign tasks and priorities with a shared portfolio
• Essentials - $15 per user/month
• Professional - $25 per user/month
• Ultimate - $35 per user/month

Find more information on LiquidPlanner’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.3/5 (640 customers)

Customers appreciate the visibility LiquidPlanner provides, as it’s clear what each team member is working on and where you’re at with resources. Some users suggest that it can be challenging to manage multiple projects at the same time with LiquidPlanner.

22. Easyredmine

Easyredmine is a flexible project planning tool with templates and scheduling features for staying ahead of the curve. You can track time and activities with the Easyredmine solution, though exporting data can be time-consuming.

Easyredmine project planning software features   

Gantt charts: You can use Gantt charts in Easyredmine to visualize cash flow, establish baselines, and map out entire project trees.

Project planner: The quick project planner tool lets you identify key tasks to carry out your action plan effectively.

Highlights of Easyredmine project planning software

• Enterprise-appropriate solution for managing tasks and tracking project activity
• Use the project planner to tackle urgent tasks quickly
• Rely on the Gantt chart visualization for dependable real-time data
• Essentials - $5.90/month
• Business - $11.90/month
• Platform - $23.90/month

Find more information on Easyredmine’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.3/5 (65 customers)

Customers praise Easyredmine as an effective solution for IT companies and software development teams. Some users suggest that it’s difficult to manage the different plugins.

23. Basecamp

Basecamp helps you organize all project details in one place with to-do lists, message boards, and scheduling features. Acting as a digital HQ, Basecamp can help you and your team work from one source, albeit without some of the features of other project management tools .

Basecamp project planning software features   

Calendar schedules: With each project in Basecamp, you can plot out a roadmap by syncing information from your calendar app.

File storage: Centralize your key documents for all of your projects, so team members can access everything they need in one place.

Highlights of Basecamp project planning software

• Create a digital hub for each project with centralized file storage
• Map out upcoming projects with calendar synchronization
• Use real-time group chat to keep in touch with team members
• Basecamp Business - $99/month

Find more information on Basecamp’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.3/5 (13,667 customers)

Customers enjoy the simplicity of Basecamp’s interface and planning projects in a single place. Some customers suggest there’s a lack of core project management features.

Nifty is a project management OS that combines a host of tools in a single interface, from roadmaps to chat tools. The features make it easy to tackle major projects, though the price may be steep for small businesses.

Nifty project planning software features   

Project portfolios: Create portfolios for each project, organizing everything into folders and making it easy for your team to find relevant information.

Project home: Change your project view screen to reflect the most pressing priorities for your team.

Highlights of Nifty project planning software

• Prepare for projects with categorized folders for relevant information
• Change the project home screen to show your priorities
• Use timelines and various views to see what’s ahead and measure progress
• Starter - $5 per member/month
• Pro - $10 per member/month
• Business - $16 per member/month 
• Unlimited - Custom

Find more information on Nifty’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.7/5 (135 customers)

Customers claim that the software makes it easy to manage projects and timeframes. Some customers say that having to refresh to see newly uploaded files can lead to confusion.

Jira is an issue and project tracking tool that can help you stay on top of multiple projects and navigate problems with ease. It serves technical use cases well with bug tracking and other features, though pricing models can be steep for smaller teams.

Jira project planning software features   

Roadmaps: Gain full visibility for you and your team with roadmaps that can display the status of various projects.

3000+ integrations: Make the most of the app’s many integrations to power your project planning the way you prefer.

Highlights of Jira project planning software

• Create visual roadmaps for upcoming projects
• Use integrations to cover more elements with each project
• Draw up Scrum boards to help with task management 
• Free - $0 (up to 10 users)
• Standard - $7.50 per user/month
• Premium - $14.50 per user/month

Find more information on Jira’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.4/5 (12,331 customers)

Customers note that Jira offers many useful project planning features for product development and other technical use cases. Some users claim that the pricing makes the software inaccessible for small teams.

26. Kantata

Kantata (formerly Mavenlink) is a resource management platform that lets you set up forecasts for upcoming projects and analyze relevant data. You can track time with timesheets and gather project information to inform decisions, even if real-time reporting isn’t available.

Kantata project planning software features   

Financial management: Use real-time finance forecasts to budget accordingly for each project and provide stakeholders with accurate predictions.

Real-time resource management: View team member capacity and manage workloads accordingly.

Highlights of Kantata project planning software

• Keep stakeholders informed with accurate financial forecasts
• Manage capacity with real-time graphs
• Use the activity feed to keep tabs on project progress
• Starts at $59 per user/month

Find more information on Kantanta’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.2/5 (572 customers)

Customers enjoy the extensive data reporting features of Kantata. Some users say the software lacks a single consolidated dashboard for seeing all project information at a glance.

27. MeisterTask

MeisterTask provides simple drag-and-drop Kanban board task management for executing project plans quickly and efficiently. You can use the software to manage day-to-day activities in your team, yet reporting features are limited.

MeisterTask project planning software features   

Customizable dashboards: View everything related to your project on a customizable dashboard with time tracking and checklists.

Agenda display: Pin different tasks and projects to your personal agenda for an overview of all your responsibilities.

Highlights of MeisterTask project planning software

• Use Kanban boards to meet due dates with efficient task management
• Set up your dashboard with a personal checklist and time tracking
• Create a custom agenda with everything you need to view in one place 
• Pro - $8.25/month 
• Business - $20.75/month 

Find more information on MeisterTask’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.7/5 (1016 customers)

Customers claim that the software is user-friendly and easy to start using straight away. Due to the lack of advanced reporting features, some users feel that MeisterTask isn’t suitable for some teams.

28. Float 

Float is a project scheduling solution that offers a visual way of managing your team and resources. It’s a tool that’s easy to pick up and provides a simple way to plan upcoming projects, though navigating the interface can be awkward at times.

Float project planning software features 

Resource scheduling: Use budgets and forecasts to assess your resources for future projects.

Project timelines: Map out projects with timelines to ensure you and your meet your milestones on time.

Highlights of Float project planning software

• Create budget estimates to reduce the risk of overspending
• Analyze capacity with accurate resource forecasting
• Visualize progress and milestones with project timelines
• Essential - $59/month
• Premium - $99/month
• Enterprise - $199/month

Find more information on Float’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (1358 customers)

Customers appreciate the software’s modern UI and data visibility. Some users claim that it can be challenging to navigate the interface and find specific project details.

29. Adobe Workfront

Adobe Workfront offers enterprise-level work management features for planning and collaborating on projects. There isn’t much you can’t do with Workfront when it comes to project management, yet this is reflected in the steep pricing plans.

Adobe Workfront project planning software features   

Goal alignment: Use Workfront Goals to align strategy, company vision, and individual objectives so that your projects move your business forward.

Scenario planning: Reduce the risk of uncertainty by running various scenarios in Workfront to make the best move with your projects.

Highlights of Adobe Workfront project planning software

• Apply holistic strategy to your project planning with goal alignment
• Minimize missteps with the scenario planning tool
• Use proofing and approvals to streamline workflows
• Pro - Based on quote
• Business - Based on quote
• Enterprise - Based on quote

Find more information on Workfront’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.3/5 (1080 customers)

Customers enjoy Workfront's powerful analytics tools and project planning features. Some users claim that the pricing plans could alienate smaller businesses.

Scoro provides an end-to-end solution for nurturing leads, planning projects, and moving tasks through the pipeline. The software covers most aspects of business management, though access to so many tools comes at a steep price.

Scoro project planning software features   

Data analytics: View all project data in one place, from time spent and billed to profitability.

Real-time Gantt charts: Check tasks, events, and dependencies in a real-time Gantt chart.

Highlights of Scoro project planning software

• Take control of project planning with a real-time Gantt chart
• Measure profitability and other metrics with detailed data reporting
• Automate routine tasks to speed up progress
• Essential - $26 per user/month (minimum five users)
• Standard - $37 per user/month (minimum five users)
• Pro - $63 per user/month (minimum five users)
• Ultimate - Custom

Find more information on Scoro’s pricing plans and functionalities here .

Capterra rating: 4.6/5 (189 customers)

Customers appreciate the wealth of data and project management features available through Scoro. Some users suggest there’s a steep initial learning curve.

How to get started with Wrike project planning software

Wrike makes it easy to plan for upcoming projects and figure out all the details before your team gets started. With this simple three-step process, you can get your next project up and running with Wrike:

• Create a project folder: Your project folder is where you’ll house all relevant information to centralize your documentation. 
• Set up a project: Next, create a project in your folder and share it with your team so they can keep up with real-time updates.
• Add and assign tasks: Finally, set up tasks you can assign to team members. You can include due dates and other information to guide your team.

Once you’ve set up your project folder, here are some of the things you’ll be able to do to manage your projects:

• Measure progress with issue tracking and resource allocation
• Use real-time data to get insights into team member performance
• Track tasks with status updates, due dates, and milestones
• Plan workload capacity to optimize workflows
• Visualize what’s happening with Gantt charts

When you choose Wrike for project planning, you gain access to a wealth of tools, templates, and collaboration features that make your job much easier. Start today with a two-week free trial . 

Samuel Christopher Dixon

Samuel is a freelance writer who specializes in SaaS and e-commerce.

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10 Benefits of Project Management Software for Business

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Without a proper understanding of the benefits of project management software for your business, you and your team could miss out on 10 tremendous perks.

• Heightened productivity
• Friction-free collaboration
• Orderly task tracking
• Intuitive progress visualization
• Centralized document storage
• Enhanced stakeholder visibility
• Multi-project tracking
• Whole-team accountability
• Easy-to-navigate home base
• Decreased task redundancy

So read on to learn more about the benefits of project management software for business.

Read more: Project Management Guide for Beginners

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1. Heightened Productivity

One of the biggest benefits of implementing project management software is heightened productivity. While project management software can help promote productivity in a variety of ways, it all boils down to providing employees with the resources they need to do the best work possible by having a dedicated space that clearly shows their personal obligations, project resources, and essential information. Project management software cuts the guesswork out of project work so teams can spend more time focusing on productive work and creativity.

2. Friction-Free Collaboration

Project management software is also a great way to unite teams collaboratively anywhere in the world that they clock in from. Commenting options give teams the ability to instantly provide updates and notes about individual tasks and projects. Tagging features help notify specific team members of relevant communications instantly. Some solutions even offer the ability to chat with teammates individually or in a group chat, eliminating the need for lengthy emails or redundant meetings (because let’s be honest we could all use a little time back in our day). 

3. Orderly Task Tracking and Strategic Planning

By all means, task tracking ranks at the top of the list of perks that project management software provides. Upon initiation of a new project, teams can use project management software to keep a log of all required project tasks, with the flexibility to add or change tasks at any time. What’s more, teams can utilize various task views, such as Gantt charts, calendar views, list views, and more to plan deadlines and key project goals down the line visually. 

4. Intuitive Progress Visualization

In project management, one of the most frequently asked questions is “How are things going?” Thankfully, project management software makes it easy to keep tabs on project progress at as detailed a level as you require, whether that’s a 30,000-foot view or progress specific to an individual.

5. Centralized Document Storage

One of the least discussed perks of project management software is the ability to house and store documents, files, and multimedia elements. Project management software is designed to make it as easy as possible to access project tools, and having the added capability of storing and attaching files to specific projects and tasks streamlines work tremendously. Some solutions, like Notion, even have additional features that support Wiki capabilities so teams can embed documentation for operations and training material as well.

6. Enhanced Stakeholder Visibility

When you’re a project manager, you spend as much time managing relationships as you do projects, especially when external stakeholders are involved. Thankfully, project management software can help you keep stakeholders in the loop without any additional work involved. Most solutions offer the ability to email updates directly from the application and share specific project data and updates while maintaining control over the access level and visibility guest users have over the interface.

7. Multi-Project Tracking and Management

Multi-project management can be a headache without the proper tools. When it comes to juggling stats across projects, multi-project dashboard views help provide overviews of more than one project at once, while limiting the data to the most important components.

8. Whole-Team Accountability and Workload Management

Managing workloads and individual contributors in the heat of a challenging project adds unnecessary stress and complication to the project dynamic. Instead, opting for project management software offers an easier and more accurate way to gather insights about individual users’ progress, tasks, and workload. Many solutions even offer time tracking, which can help freelancers in particular keep track of their workload.

9. Easy-to-Navigate Project Home Base

Project management software enables teams to organize tasks, deadlines, correspondences, and project information all in one place, which helps teams optimize their workflows while reducing their need to jump across multiple platforms. Having a dedicated project home base makes it easy to locate resources and information when you need them, instead of shuffling through a stack of paperwork.

10. Decreased Task Redundancy

When’s the last time you heard someone say, “Boy, I sure would love to send a few dozen emails”? Never? Exactly. Project management software helps eliminate task redundancies in three ways: workflow automations, templates, and generative AI features. 

Automations generate automatic commands based on customized triggers that you generate; for example, update the project manager when task 1 is complete. Similarly, template options allow teams to generate preset project settings and layouts based on industry or project-specific needs. Finally, the power of artificial intelligence has recently been implemented in project management software to help teams generate short bits of content and speed up workflows.

Read more: Top 10 Project Management Software Buyer’s Guide

How can I ensure the best-fitting project management solution for my team’s unique needs?

While the needs of each team are unique, there are a few ways to ensure a project management solution is a strong fit:

• Take advantage of free trials to test a few select solutions
• Compare solutions carefully
• Establish your criteria early 
• Consider your long-term team needs

Need extra guidance in selecting a solution?

Read more: How to Choose Project Management Software

How does project management software enhance decision-making processes within businesses?

Aside from the benefits listed above, project management software provides the baseline data for teams to make data-driven decisions. Whether it’s estimating a timeline, evaluating workloads, or deciding the best way to resolve roadblocks in project work, project management software provides a baseline of information to reference from what otherwise would be harder to determine through traditional project management methods.

Read more: Nailing the Decision-Making Process

Can project management software be customized to fit the specific needs of different businesses?

Project management software is designed to be customized and personalized to the precise needs of your team, whether that’s catering to team size, industry, project type, or others. From personalized task tags to project metrics and even color schemes, there are hundreds of project management software solutions available to meet the needs of every type of team.

Read more: 8 Best Free Project Management Software for 2024

How does project management software work in combination with traditional project management?

Just because your team is utilizing the power of project management software doesn’t mean the foundational concepts of traditional project management go out the window. In fact, project management software is designed to accentuate and bolster the same strategies that project teams have relied on for years.

In the same way that there are a variety of project management methodologies to choose from, a wide range of solutions offered to consumers cater to specific project needs and ideologies. For example, kanban-focused solutions, such as Trello, cater to the needs of Agile teams.

Read more: A Complete Guide to Agile Project Management

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How to Write and Develop an Action Plan for Your Small Business

6 min. read

Updated October 29, 2023

Taking action at the appropriate time is critical to turning your visions into a viable reality. However, doing so without a proper strategy can be a recipe for disaster. 

A well-designed and concrete action plan that weighs all the benefits and possible challenges is the key to executing your vision successfully. Furthermore, it makes tracking progress easier, which in turn helps you attain your goals. 

Whether it’s a business, personal, or career goal you are going after, the right action plan can be your roadmap to success. A comprehensive plan details all the information regarding your objectives and projects, such as the resources required, the complexity level of tasks, etc.

Let’s figure out how you can build one to achieve your goals successfully and efficiently.

• What is an action plan and why is it important?

An action plan serves as a trajectory for the tasks or steps you need to accomplish to reach your goals and objectives. It is a crucial part of your strategic process that helps you improve teamwork planning significantly. Also, a proper action plan allows you to manage projects efficiently.

You have all the essential information in a centralized location that your team can access, making it easier for everybody to monitor progress and plan things successfully. As your company grows and circumstances change, you can revisit and make modifications to meet your latest requirements.

Planning of action items helps you prepare for any obstacles ahead. You’re your teams on track while ensuring impactful results. Furthermore, it also boosts your productivity and keeps everybody focused on urgent tasks.  

Here are some of the reasons why an action plan is vital for you:

• It gives you a clear sense of direction by highlighting precisely the steps you need to take when you need to take that and what it will help you accomplish 
• Having your objectives and goals on paper with structured steps keeps the team members motivated and dedicated throughout the project
• You can gauge your and member’s progress and contribution toward the collective goals
• You can turn your visions into reality, increase accountability and efficiency within your organization

How to create an effective action plan 

When it comes to creating an action plan, various practical methods and tools can help you develop a robust action program. Begin by following this straightforward 7-step strategy.

Following these steps for structuring your action plan incidentally also acts as a brilliant roadmap for your idea’s overall presentation and can effectively create a clear goal.

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1. Define your scope

It is essential to define your scope, create a roadmap, and align it with your strategic planning . Make sure your actions guide you toward company goals. Start by gauging how your team members can contribute and help you achieve your objectives.

If you don’t have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, it might be challenging for you to plan a new initiative. Defining your current status and where you see your company helps you analyze the situation, explore potential solutions and implement strategies successfully.

2. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals

S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound) objectives or goals is a method of objective setting that enables employees and managers to set, monitor, and achieve their long-term and short-term goals. This approach brings tractability and structure together.

Once you map out your plan, scope, and aim to accomplish, the next step requires you to set well-defined goals and measurable tools. Create a template to highlight all the tasks that your team needs to perform and deadlines.

It is vital to make sure that your entire team is on the same page, involved in the process, and has access to the document. This way, the projects become manageable while also boosting team productivity.

Furthermore, ensure that the tasks are attainable. If you have more complex tasks, it’s essential to break them down into manageable parts for easy execution. 

3. Visualize your plan

Once you plan on the action items, prioritize tasks, and set milestones, the next step is creating a visual representation of your action plan. This visualization helps you engage your team and allow everyone to follow through to carry out activities.

A graphical presentation also makes it easier to get a bird’s eye view of your project. This way, you can identify your objectives and tasks that you weren’t able to execute or reach, allowing you to prioritize them to accomplish them.

You can elaborate your action plan with the help of a concept map that can help you explicitly communicate all the essential elements and information — task owners, tasks owners, resources, goals, objectives, deadlines, etc. Also, make sure the document is easily accessible to all. 

Additionally, you can also leverage online visual collaboration platforms to help you seamlessly visualize and structure your simple and complex concepts.

4. Prioritize your tasks

It is imperative to align all your activities with specific goals and assign them to relevant team members. When you list and prioritize all your tasks, it helps keep track of your projects’ status, progress, and completion. 

You could also structure your task list by importance. This way, everyone knows what needs to be done first to meet your deadlines effectively while ensuring that your employees can manage those tasks. That way, your team will also know their responsibilities and tasks to get done and engage them with a clear vision.

5. Set milestones 

Milestones are the objectives that your team aims to achieve to keep a specific project progressing at a steady pace. Your work will have a lot smoother flow when everybody is clear with goals.

When you set milestones , it serves as mini-goals that help you achieve your central goal towards the end. Adding milestones to your action plan is crucial to give your team members something to look forward to and encourage them to stay motivated throughout.

6. Identify your resources

Before starting your project, it is imperative to ensure that you have the critical resources to complete the tasks successfully. And if you don’t have adequate resources, devise a strategy to leverage what you have effectively. Include all the essential components such as the number of projects, budget, timelines, etc., to make sure you don’t miss out on vital aspects.

Knowing what you have to work with will ensure that any tasks or projects you set out to accomplish have a better chance of succeeding. If you don’t have enough cash, a large enough team, or even enough time to manage every project, you’ll soon find yourself struggling to meet milestones and deadlines.

7. Monitor, gauge, and update

It is pivotal to allocate time and resources to evaluate your projects’ and teams’ progress. Make sure you conduct frequent follow-ups with team members to see if everybody is on track. 

For this reason, you need to elaborate on the follow-up and assessment of teams in your action plan. This will help you implement the strategies that work well and eradicate the ineffective ones.

• A guide to reaching your goals

An action plan is an indispensable tool that helps you guide your way to realizing your goals. It turns your visualization into actionable steps and milestones. 

From larger departments in an organization to individual employees, an action plan is a defined methodology that helps you outline your activities, tasks, resources, budget, objectives, etc. This, in turn, allows you to achieve desired outcomes.

JT Ripton is a business consultant and a freelance writer out of Tampa. JT has written for companies like T-Mobile and others.

Table of Contents

• How to create an effective action plan 

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