Four steps to a successful project

Does the following situation sound familiar to you? You have just finished updating and printing a huge project plan, and – before you can even blink, it is already out of date. Sometimes, a colleague is unable to work, goods that have been ordered are delivered too late, or a process has simply not been planned. In practice, these difficulties are quite common. However, it is possible to minimize the risk with the right planning. 

In the initial phase, each project starts with a project definition, which forms the basis for all further steps. The project definition comprises the project objectives: deadlines, cost targets, and the scope of the project. The actual project planning begins in the second phase, whereby more detailed scheduling and budgeting is undertaken. The structure of individual projects can differ significantly. Therefore, an appropriate project structure plan is the basis of any planning. Using templates provides you with a framework and saves you from having to re-invent the wheel with every project. So every plan is unique in the details – and this is especially true for the production of assemblies or machinery and plant components. BOMs can be especially challenging, because the more complex they get, the more work it takes to organize the project. 

It’s very important to accurately estimate and budget the costs for the machinery, plants or assemblies you're building. Otherwise, there’s no way to know if the project is heading for a cost overrun. If the project planning software has been integrated in the ERP system, accrued costs from project time confirmations and purchasing transactions become available in the integrated costing feature just as soon as they’re posted. So you can make target/actual comparisons, etc. You’re able to access all relevant key figures independent of time and location and on every project level – from the overall view to the lowest planning level. 

In terms of project scheduling, the motto is: “as approximate as possible and as precise as necessary”. Plans that are too detailed can often lead to high administrative burdens if conditions change on a daily basis. This is especially true if the ERP system utilizes integrated resource and capacity planning.  

So plan work packages, not individual jobs. Also, keep in mind that project planning does not involve task management. For this, we recommend special solutions like Microsoft Planner, which is optimally integrated in Microsoft Teams. All the same, planning the work packages does help your co-workers to keep an overview of the work to be done and gives those responsible for teams and departments valuable insight into current capacity utilization. 

Modern project planning for project-based manufacturing is directly integrated into the ERP system. It incorporates the departments involved into the project, such as accounting, engineering, production, the warehouse, purchasing and sales. As a result, project managers get direct access to individual project planning operations and initiate processes based on them. Thanks to our industry software for project-based manufacturing, we can help you plan your projects efficiently and complete them successfully. 

How do you plan your projects? Is it smooth sailing at every stage, or do you still see a need for improvement?
Why not talk to one of our seasoned industry management consultants?