One of the core strengths my customers and I like about BrightWork is the templates that are not only available for different project management maturities but also very configurable to ensure that project management basics are covered.

Get projects under control quickly with a free SharePoint Project Management Template

These project management checks can be built into BrightWork to ensure all projects start on a firm foundation for a successful outcome. A properly defined project will greatly increase the odds for project success.

A major part of successful project management is communication and asking the right questions which BrightWork facilitates both tasks exceedingly well.

Although there is always a natural resistance to prior planning and creating unnecessary or too much documentation for starting a project, it is often observed only in hindsight when projects fail spectacularly, that more prior planning and due diligence would have been more worthwhile.

Project Management 101 – One Page Plan for Project Basics

1. The Right Questions

All these questions can be incorporated into the Project Request Manager template in BrightWork.

• Why is this project being undertaken?
• Is there a clear business case for this project?
• Who is funding this project and are there enough funds?
• Is there a clear picture of the outcome of this project?
• Have the success factors been identified?
• Are the differences between the “AS IS” and “TO BE clearly stated and understood?
• Has the expected change impact on people, processes, and systems been identified and documented?
• Is the project aligned with organizational goals?
• Are success and acceptance criteria established?
• Is there a project sponsor?
• Is there stakeholder agreement on deliverables?
• Has the project clear roles and responsibilities?

2. Project Documentation

With the documentation capability of SharePoint, centralized project document storage is now very easy to achieve.

• Project Mandate
• Project Brief
• Project Initiation Document (PID)
• Business Case
• Project Schedule and budget
• Project Org. Chart
• Resource Plan
• Quality Plan
• Communications Plan
• RAID Log
• Status Reports
• Deliverables Summary.

3. Project Communications

BrightWork is in its forte with its reporting capabilities and dashboards to ensure the following:

• Consistent communications on status and metrics to key stakeholders.
• To manage stakeholder expectations throughout a project.
• Highlighting key issues and risks.
• Highlighting any resource gaps (if using the resource management capability of BrightWork).