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5 tips for successful project planning every time
Project planning
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5 tips for successful project planning every time

Estelle
Content manager
September 24, 2021
5 min

In a start-up, an SME or a large company, the question of project planning arises constantly. Who should be part of the project? Who should manage it? Behind these questions is also that of staffing tools. Especially since it is necessary to take the turn to digitalization and to no longer be satisfied with an Excel table to support your company's performance objectives.

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1. Appoint a project manager (on your team or external depending on the content of the said project)

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Whether internal or external to the company, a project manager must be effective in order to pool skills and follow the schedule and budget to the letter.

Paradoxically, for internal projects, it is better - most often - to call on an external expert. Let's imagine a bank that needs to automate a feature for its customers. She needs IT skills that are not necessarily those of her company. In this case, a firm's consultant can for example act as a project manager.

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2. Estimate the workload and have sufficient leeway for the deadline

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Besides going over budget, the biggest risk in project planning is misestimating the workload for each person. The consequences are then immediate on deadlines that are quickly exceeded, and on the stress that this can cause among employees. To avoid this vicious circle, estimate the workload and capacities of employees in advance according to their available time. An employee who devotes 100% of their working time to other projects is probably not the ideal choice to join the team.

Likewise, to stay within a reasonable amount of time, think about a margin. In other words, give yourself a little less time within the official deadlines and a few more days or weeks if necessary.

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3. Precisely identify the deliverables and the objective on the day of production

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In many companies, especially among employees who are not necessarily used to carrying out projects, misunderstandings can come from a poor explanation of the objective. Ensure that employees have perfectly defined the outlines and the purpose of this action in order to carry it out successfully, by centralizing all information relating to the project. They must be able to consult them at any time and thus remove any doubts. The end of the project or delivery day is also a step to anticipate.

In case of misunderstanding, do not hesitate to collect questions from employees and answer them point by point. For this, in addition to a project manager, the presence of a relay collaborator in each department or group is a good solution.

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4. Get an adequate project planning tool

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To ensure that the right people are integrated into the project team, be sure to use a planning tool that takes into account skills and availability. In this way, you automate your research and create the right foundations for success. To do this, the possibilities of Napta are very numerous:

  • matching profiles for secure skills
  • centralization of all project information (budget, deadlines, description, deliverable details, etc.)
  • taking into account the expectations of employees for a cohesive and motivated project team
  • comparison of different combinations of project teams to ensure that the most relevant system is available in order to respond to the mission

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5. Project planning: follow the evolution of the project

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Here's another feature you'll find at Napta: tracking the overall evolution of the project, in terms of budget, time, and device. In other words, day-to-day management, capable of effectively managing employee changes, adjusting the calendar, and of course monitoring teams in real time. In short: you are eliminating some of the risks inherent in the unexpected.

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Do you want to go deeper into the subject? We have lots of resources at your disposal to help you go further.

In addition to this subject, find our article β€œThe 3 most common mistakes in planning management”.‍

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Also discover our guides, templates and checklists in the Resources tab.

See you soon at Napta!

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Want to know more about the Napta project planning tool? Ask for a demo !

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