Project Management System

Project design is arguably the most important part of any major project undertaking. Prior to establishing the project plan, committing resources and devising the implementation schedule, a project must have solid objectives and deliverables. The project design phase is where the stakeholders and solution provider establish the mandate for the project, determine the desired solution, establish criteria for benchmarking performance and agree on the key deliverables of the project. This can involve extensive consultation to work through the range of issues that need to be investigated in order to propose the solution.

Often, stakeholders engage an organization to find a solution to a problem. The service company is responsible for evaluating the problem and determining the most relevant solution. The project design focuses on addressing the issues pertaining to the problem with the end result to produce a set of solutions that satisfies the engaging organization. This can include gathering, synthesizing and analyzing information with the objectivity necessary to detail and support a project decision that uses optimum resources to achieve the desired end result. Often this involves articulating the solution and presenting the proposed benefits in order to get the project go ahead. A clear example of this is high technology based projects where the organization desires to achieve greater productivity and efficiency by aligning existing systems. The company seeking assistance does not know how to go about this but they understand the desired end result. As a solution provider, the project design deals with examining the options and presenting a range of solutions that satisfy the criteria.

The project design specifications are used to conceptualize the solution. This establishes the initial framework for crafting the project plan which will comprise the component parts for delivering the desired solution. From the project design, budgets are established based on resource, material and labor inputs. The proposal put forward to the company that has engaged the services is usually required to sign off on the project plan prior to project commencement.

The project manager is responsible for producing the project schedule, assigning tasks, monitoring progress and meeting key deliverables. Often project design software is used as part of this process. Technology based organizations use programs such as Visio to map out the desired solution. Architects use planning software to draw up the plans for construction purposes. The project design, therefore, is a first and foremost requirement to get the project initiated and before the project built and implementation takes place.

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