The Planning Stages Of A Software Project: What To Do First

Unfortunately planning a project is not a linear process and it may be necessary to change something as the project progresses. All too often you may need to adjust the timeline of the project, even after you have planned out your resources in order to avoid things like scope creep and burning out your employees. Still, if you want to lay the groundwork for a successful project, you need to follow the correct stages of the project planning process.

Read on as we look at the planning stages that are pivotal to any software project, and how to ensure they are flexible enough.

Define the goals and objectives of the project

Before you can do anything else in planning a project phase of your project, you must determine your goals and objectives.

The objectives and goals of any project allow you to decide whether the project should be prioritised – or even if it should be undertaken at all. They help you to decide what needs to be delivered and also to identify those problems early on that could make completing the project very difficult. This could include, for example, a short deadline.

In other words, the goals that you set out for your project will give you a broad idea of what you should be trying to accomplish within the project and also assist you in the direction that your project needs to take.

The objectives of your project are not dissimilar to your goals; however, they provide a more specific definition to your project and should include factors like time, cost and quality. Once you have listed the objectives of your project it is much easier to determine what the deliverables you might need will be.

Project scope

Once you have all of this information in place then it is very important to determine the scope of the project. All too often, the stakeholders in the project may ask for additional tasks to be added or big changes. This can lead to scope creep, which can make it difficult to complete the project on budget, to timescale or both.

The scope of the project helps to protect you against any expectations that may be unrealistic, any conflicting interests and any demands that are simply not possible, particularly as the project progresses.

Determining the scope of the project

You should look at the goals and objectives of the project to determine the scope. Ask yourself:

• What do you need to achieve them?
• What is not necessary?

It is quite likely that you might be uncertain about all the details of the project, to begin with, and this means you should consider a more flexible approach. It can often be a good idea to begin your planning with vague details. Then, look for feedback and go into greater, more precise detail. A scope document will help to make sure that you have something that you can refer back to if you need it.

What next?

Once you have completed the first couple of steps in your planning process you will be able to continue the work on your project. To do this you need to:

• Build your work breakdown structure (WBS)
• Set your timelines
• Determine and then plan your resources
• Estimate the plans for your project
• Determine any risks and constraints associated with the project
• Plan your communication blueprint
• Make plans for quality assurance and control

Conclusion

Having a good project plan in place can help when it comes to driving your project, but it is important to remember that no project plan is set in stone. Flexibility is important when it comes to completing a project successfully.