Project Management Template

This article will briefly discuss:

• the benefits of using project management templates;
• phases of project management;
• how to use project management templates in the different phases;
• project management software to help projects run smooth; and
• free digital project management templates which you can use from a project’s start to finish

Why use project management templates?

Project management templates have been aiding project leads in every business field manage their projects better. These tools help them avoid pitfalls in project management, such as poor project planning, weak resource management, and ineffective communication, which cause almost two thirds of projects to fail.
Further, project management templates help leads achieve the following for their projects:

Improve communication at every level of management

Communication may sound elementary, but it is arguably the most important project management element that many lack. In fact, 28% of a web survey involving more than 1,000 respondents cited poor communications as the top cause of project failure. Having project management templates allows leads to account for all the communication requirements of a project and plan for a communication strategy that encourages collaboration among all levels of the project team.

Precisely scope projects and allocate the right resources

Poor resource allocation, or the process of assigning and scheduling the best available project resources, is cited to be the second most frequent cause of project failures. With a project management template (e.g. project charter template), it is easier to have a uniformed process of scoping projects across an organization and ensuring that the right resources are identified and allocated before starting a project.

Save time and achieve project milestones on time

The initial project setup can be time-consuming, especially if project managers have to always create project management plan templates for every new venture. The availability of project management templates can significantly help improve efficiency from the get-go by eliminating the extensive amount of time to think about what or what should not be included in the template.

Reduce risk

Project managers know that all projects have risks, (e.g. delays, schedule conflicts, emergencies, fortuitous events, and client reviews), but also recognize that they have to be identified and managed so that their negative impact to the project will be minimized. A project risk management template, for an instance, can help guide leads to know where to immediately look at, assess the level of an identified risk, and assign it to a responsible person who can be accountable for it.

Reinforce the need for documented processes

Utilizing a project management template underpins the need to have a process that is well-documented and archived. Having secured data readily available at any time can be essential for the success of current and future projects. The template can hold all relevant information which interested parties can easily access and refer to to help deliver their projects successfully.

5 Phases of Project Management

The Project Management Institute (PMI) have originally developed five phases of project management:

Project Initiation Phase

A project is formally started, named, and defined at a broad level during this phase. Project sponsors and other important stakeholders due diligently decide whether or not to commit to a project. Depending on the nature of the project, feasibility studies are conducted. Or, as it may require, in an IT project – requirement gathering and analysis are performed in this phase. In the construction industry, a project charter is completed in this phase.

Project Planning Phase

This phase kickstarts the creation of a project management plan, which accounts for the cost, scope, duration, quality, communication, risk and resources necessary for a project. Some processes that are often completed during this stage are the development of Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), definition of deliverables and tasks, milestone charts, and modes of communication.

Project Execution Phase

This is when a project deliverable is developed and completed, adhering to a mapped-out plan. Majority of taks during this phase capture project metrics through tasks like status meetings and project status updates, other status reports, human resource needs, and performance reports.

Project Monitoring and Control Phase

Occurring at the same time as the execution phase, this one mostly deals with measuring the project performance and progression in accordance to the project plan. Scope verification and control occur to check and monitor for scope creep, and change of control to track and manage changes to project requirement. Calculating key performance indicators for cost and time are done to measure the degree of variation, if any, and in which case corrective measures are determined and suggested to keep a project on track.

Project Closure Phase

A project is formally closed. It includes a series of important tasks such as delivering the product, relieving resources, rewarding team members, and formal termination of contractors in case they were employed on the project.

What is iAuditor and how can I use it for efficient project management?

Traditional project management templates printed on paper take up plenty of space, are susceptible to damage and loss, and worse, may be accessed by unauthorized personnel. With iAuditor by SafetyCulture, project managers can easily create, customize, and share digital project management templates to the rest of the project team—all within just a few taps. With the iAuditor project management software, you can:

• Download ready-to-use project management templates, convert your paper template into iAuditor’s digital format via smartscan, or create your own with Smart Forms
• Access your project management templates through your iOS or Android mobile device and desktop and edit data even while offline
• capture, annotate, and attach photos to your project management templates for easy reference
• automatically generate a professional report and digitally share it with key stakeholders to facilitate efficient communication for decision-making; and
• enjoy unlimited cloud storage for data safekeeping and easy access.