Before embarking on a new project, it is paramount to gauge and consider certain aspects. These aspects are bound to set the foundation of the project. Moreover, the success of the project is highly dependant on these fundamentals. In this article, we cover the Important things to consider before starting a new project.
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
Scope of the project
One of the important things to consider before starting a new project is the scope of the project. Scope of the project involves a clear understanding of the problem you are trying to solve with the project. It addresses the question “Why?”. The foundation of a project is set by clearly defining the client’s expectations and requirements to fulfil their needs in the project.
Scoping entails clearly agreed upon, defined, communicated and formal goals between the client and the provider. The goals answer the questions of the wants of the client. With a scope there are clear boundaries with what the project will entail and helps to avoid any future unexpected misunderstandings of the client’s expectations.
Scope of the project defines the deliverables and work to be put in to the project as well what the project will not be clearly covering. Scoping contributes to the overall success of the project.
The team
After knowing what is the scope of the project and clearly defining the requirements, expectations and goals, the next factor to consider is the team. A team is a group of people who will be working together to see the project to completion or to a live environment.
Since the objectives are clear, you can now know the team resources that will be required for example, developers, Tester, QA Analyst, Finance personnel, HR & Legal Personnel. You can consider their workloads as well and check with them if they are available and willing to take on new projects.
Depending on the deliverables, you can determine what kind of experience and expertise is expected in the project. This is a helpful factor especially in deciding who you bring on board to the project. Here are some tips on Effective Teamwork.
The timeline
Another Important thing to consider before starting a project is the timeline of the project. Good Timelines are not too lengthy. Very lengthy timelines can kill the moral of the team. It is important to have reasonable timelines for the project. If the project is too huge, you can have different phases. For example, phase 1, 2 & 3.
This ensures that there is focus and clarity on the timeline. The timeline also allows you to consider the personnel to involve wisely. Timeline breeds accountability and better time management skills. The team is able to become conscious and accountable to their time in terms of input to the project.
A well defined timeline is measurable and can be used to estimate the progress of the project.
Cost
The cost or the budget is yet another important factor to be taken into consideration before starting a new project. Cost estimation helps in determining if there are enough resources and their quality and quantity. The cost should be fair enough on both sides. For both the client and the business provider.
Additionally, it is vital to think of overhead costs that may arise in the course of the project implementation. All this costs should be considered from the onset to avoid underestimation or overestimation. Proper cost estimation ensures better planning for the entire project and improved relationships and reputation of the involved parties.
Communication
There are tools you can consider using for project management. Project management tools go a long way in streamlining the communication of between the team and the client. Communication is one of the important things to consider before starting a project.
Proper communication ensures the team is properly aligned to the scope, cost and timeline of the project. You can use the different project management tools to help in communication. Additionally, you can incorporate meetings, emails and phone calls.
