Project plans must be thorough and systematic, while allowing for flexibility, to ensure that all aspects of the project are carefully considered. However, consistency in project planning is often overlooked, and it can have a huge impact on project success.
7 Reasons Why Consistency in Project Planning is Important
Here are the reasons why consistent planning can be integral to the project’s operations.
1. Keeps all processes aligned among stakeholders
Maintaining the same guidelines and processes for every team within the project, and across all projects undertaken, is extremely important when project planning. The consistency can be seen across any activity, from how the team tracks their tasks, to how you report, through to team management practices.
Consistency makes it easier for improvements to processes to be identified and amended across all project teams. If the guidelines set out in the project planning stage were different across teams, this would not be possible.
2. Efficiency
Consistency in project planning streamlines project workflows, and therefore improves efficiency. By having standardised procedures, team members do not need to figure out new ways of doing things. Instead, they can use their time to carry out their tasks, already knowing how to achieve them and what is coming up next.
You can ensure efficiency throughout your project by creating reusable templates and tools, which can be slightly customised for each team within the project, but will definitely save time in the long run.
This allows teams to achieve project objectives more effectively and with fewer wasted resources.
3. Team members can transfer with ease
It’s common for team members to work on multiple parts of a project, and transfer between teams. Keeping consistency within the project makes it easier to facilitate the transfer of team members when required, because they become familiar with the overall project structure, processes, and workflows.
This familiarity allows them to transition between project teams more seamlessly because they already understand how things are organised and how they are expected to contribute.
When team members transition between project groups, they can continue using the same tools and processes they are already familiar with, reducing the need for additional training or adaptation to new systems.
4. Allows success across teams to be measurable
Sometimes it can be difficult to objectively measure success across different teams within a project because each group is working on different and specific tasks.
Consistency in project planning ensures that success criteria are objective and well-defined. This makes it easier to assess whether teams and team members have achieved their goals and objectives, regardless of the unique tasks they are working on.
5. Keeps stakeholders and sponsors engaged
Consistency in communication among stakeholders and sponsors is fundamental to the project planning process. A communication strategy that is not consistent can lead to stakeholders and sponsors missing out on vital information, and cause potential confusion and disconnect from the project.
When everyone follows consistent terminology, reporting formats, and communication channels, misunderstandings are reduced, resulting in better collaboration and alignment in all aspects of the project.
By having these solid communication foundations, your stakeholders and sponsors will also have more belief in your ability to solve issues when they’re raised, and deliver the project’s outcomes.
Read our ultimate guide to the principles of stakeholder management to bolster your knowledge in this area.
6. Data handling
Data management must be consistent across all levels of the project, to ensure that all relevant information is stored and updated, and does not go missing. It is essential for all data handling to be standardised, as this data will be key when making decisions throughout the project process.
If the data is gathered, stored, and updated in the same way across different segments within the project, it will be much easier to analyse because all data sets can be integrated.
Consistent data collection also relates back to increased efficiency. Having clear guidelines and procedures for capturing relevant information allows project leaders to clearly understand the data being collected from different project teams. Therefore, quicker strategic decisions can be made, that are accurate and reliable.
Read our guide on handling data management challenges to learn more.
7. Effective reporting
The importance of consistency for project planning can also be seen when reporting on progress throughout the project. Reports are integral to a project’s success, as it allows project leaders, stakeholders, and sponsors, to see if the project is on track, meeting appropriate deadlines and reaching its objectives.
When reporting structures are consistent, stakeholders and sponsors receive the information they need in a clear and understandable format. It also means that if improvements are suggested by stakeholders on the reporting delivery, these changes can be made across all reports with ease.
How Verto Can Help with Consistency in Project Planning
Verto is a cloud-based project management solution designed to keep you and your teams on track. It offers a wide range of tools that you can use to ensure consistency in your project planning, including:
- Reporting Software – From a single click, you can effortlessly collate project data into impressive reports ready for presentation to stakeholders.
- Project Dashboards – Gain a birds-eye view of progress to present to stakeholders and sponsors.
- Gantt Charts – Simplify your project timeline, and create a visual map for the whole team to access, so all stakeholders are on the same page.
- Document Management – Store everything behind government-trusted levels of cybersecurity.
If you think these tools can help you with your project, programme and portfolio management, get in touch with the Verto team today, or book a demo to test how Verto can help you.