Planning for Successful Execution
Most organizations are juggling multiple projects at any given time. A critical element for successful project execution is having an understanding of how those projects affect one another in terms of resource requirements and timing. Without that understanding, resource bottlenecks will inadvertently be created.
For more successful project execution, be sure to consider the following during the planning phase:
- Existing projects that are still in progress
- Predictable resource reductions due to major software updates, seasonally busy times, heavy staff vacation times, etc.
- IT’s capacity since IT is required for almost every project
- Spreading projects out – trying to start all projects in January will put pressure on resources as will making all projects due in December
To understand whether resources are over-allocated, start with the big project milestones and assign resources and timeframes. Do this for each project. Viewing milestones for all projects in progress at any given time throughout the year, along with the resources required, will provide a high-level view of resource usage and will make resource over-allocation more visible. Further refinements to the milestones as they evolve into project plans will provide an even clearer picture.
After going through these exercises, teams typically find that project schedules need to be adjusted and some projects may even be postponed indefinitely. Changing the timing can be disappointing, but is far better than putting unnecessary stress on the organization later and/or failing to meet project timelines. Good project planning not only requires planning for individual projects, but also planning how all projects affect each other and available resources.
