Category: project management

A product launch activity is a complex undertaking that requires careful planning.

The success of a product depends not only on its quality but also on the company’s ability to present it to the market in the right way, at the right time.

In this context, Twproject’s Gantt chart can be a valuable ally for project managers.

A successful launch can lead to increased sales, customer loyalty, and company growth, while a failed launch can result in financial losses and damage to reputation.

In this article, we will explore the different phases of a product launch, the activities essential for a successful launch, and see how the Gantt chart can be a valuable tool in all launch phases.

What is a product launch?

A product launch is when a company launches a new product.

This process involves the planning, execution, and promotion of the product to attract consumer attention and stimulate demand.

During the launch, the company seeks to create awareness, generate interest, and convince potential buyers of the product’s usefulness and value.

The successful launch of a product can lead to a competitive advantage, increased market share, and increased revenue.

But on what does the success of a product depend?

It depends on several key factors.

First and foremost, it is critical that the product offers unique value and addresses customer needs in a way that stands out from the competitors. In addition, careful planning, thorough market research, and a targeted marketing strategy are essential to reach the target audience effectively.

Product quality, clear communication, and a positive customer experience contribute to a successful launch.

What to know before planning a new product launch activity

Market research and product differentiation

Before launching a new product, it is crucial to conduct thorough market research to understand customer needs, the competitive environment, and industry trends.

Market research provides a detailed understanding of potential buyers’ needs, wants, and behaviors.

It allows you to determine your target audience, assess market demand, analyze competition, and evaluate market opportunities.

This information is essential to tailor the product to customer needs, differentiate the product from the competition, define an effective marketing strategy, and position oneself appropriately in the market.

Market research provides valuable data and insights to make informed decisions and increase the likelihood of successful marketing.

The importance of a unique and attractive product for the target audience

A company can identify what additional features or services may be considered unique and attractive to the target audience.

This stage is crucial to creating a product that stands out from competitors and responds more specifically to customers’ needs identified during market research.

One option for product differentiation could be to implement innovative features that solve problems or satisfy needs in new and surprising ways. These innovative features may have emerged during the market research phase, where it is understood what aspects are missing in existing products.

In addition, product design can play a key role in product differentiation. A distinctive and attractive design can arouse the interest and excitement of potential customers, helping to make the product more desirable.

Therefore, it is necessary to create a unique and distinctive value in one’s product that can attract potential customers.

Product differentiation helps position the product uniquely in the market, creating a competitive advantage and increasing the likelihood of success in the launch phase.

3 steps for planning a product launch activity

A product launch activity requires careful planning and a sequence of targeted actions.

1.    Pre-launch phase

Before launching a new product, it is essential to consider several aspects. These include defining the target audience, objectives, designing the strategy, and planning marketing activities.

The latter may include creating content for social platforms, attending trade shows, and sending press releases.

Let us analyze some main actions of this phase:

• Create a roadmap: first, create a detailed roadmap that defines the phases, activities, and timelines of the product launch. This helps keep the project organized and under control.

• Defining the target audience and objectives: The target audience must be precisely defined. Who are the product’s potential customers? What are their needs and expectations? This information is critical to designing an effective marketing strategy.

At this stage, setting clear, measurable goals and monitoring results in real time is important.

With Twproject, you can set specific metrics, such as the number of expected sales, new customer acquisition, or product adoption rate, and track progress through customized reports and dashboards.

• Define strategies: The product launch strategy choice depends on the product type, target market, and business objectives. Evaluate different launch strategies: phased, simultaneous, or with special events.

Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy to make informed decisions based on data and business needs.

• Doing pre-launch marketing: a proper pre-launch marketing strategy is key to creating hype and generating interest around your product.

With project management software like Twproject, you can manage all marketing activities, such as creating promotional materials, planning events, and managing advertising campaigns. You can also track customer interactions and feedback to improve your strategies.

The marketing strategy must be thought out according to the target audience and the product to be launched.

What communication channels are best suited to reach the target audience? What messages can be most effective? These are just some of the questions that need to be considered.

Marketing activities also need to be planned:

When and how will content be disseminated on social platforms? When and where will we participate in trade shows? When will press releases be sent out? These activities must be coordinated with each other and must be planned to maximize market impact.

• Determination of product launch timing: accurate planning of launch timing is essential to ensure the product’s success in the market.

You can create a detailed calendar that displays deadlines and key debut events.

Monitor progress to avoid delays and ensure that everything is ready for launch.

• Defining distribution channels: Choosing distribution channels is critical to reaching your target audience and maximizing sales.

Analyze the distribution channels, such as direct sales, e-commerce, distributors, or trading partners.

You can manage costs, assess the benefits and challenges of each channel, and make strategic decisions based on product and market needs.

• Pre-launch monitoring: To ensure a smooth launch, keeping track of all activities and verifying that they are completed on time is important.

Creating to-do lists in Twproject lets you list all the tasks required for the product release.

You can also assign deadlines, monitor progress, and receive automatic notifications in case of delays or problems. This helps ensure that nothing is missed or forgotten.

2.    Execution phase

A product launch is critical when every detail can make a difference.

A delay in disseminating content on social platforms, for example, can reduce the impact of the marketing campaign. Similarly, a technical problem during a trade show can damage the product’s image and the company.

During the product launch, the Gantt chart in Twproject becomes an actual control center.

• You can monitor the progress of activities in real time, identify any problems early, and take action to solve them.
• It allows you to see on-time or late activities at a glance.
• You can assign specific tasks to team members, track progress, and manage time.
• It allows you to visualize dependencies, making it easier to coordinate activities. For example, the publication of a press release might depend on the completion of marketing materials.
• The ability to share the diagram with the team facilitates communication and collaboration among members, helping to create a more effective and productive work environment.

3.    Post-launch phase

After launching your product, you should never let your guard down. It is essential to carefully monitor market results and feedback from potential customers and be ready to take corrective action if necessary.

Post-launch is a critical phase in which the company must be ready to respond quickly to market needs.

If the product is not received as expected, it may be necessary to revise the marketing strategy or make changes.

 Likewise, if the product is successful, the company must be prepared to handle increased demand.

In this context, the Gantt chart becomes a valuable support for project managers to effectively plan and manage post-launch activities and be in control of the situation.

As you can see from this tutorial, you can view each activity when it starts, when it ends, and how long it lasts.

• Managing dependencies: Some post-launch activities may depend on others. For example, analyzing sales data before you can plan the next marketing campaign. You will be able to visualize these dependencies and manage the activities efficiently.
• Resource planning: You may need to assign more staff to customer support if you expect increased demand after the product launch.
• Time management: If a particular activity takes longer than expected, adjustments can be made to ensure that other activities are not delayed.
• Communication with the team: The Gantt can help everyone understand what activities are in progress, what is next, and how they are related.

Planning a new product launch activity is a complex undertaking, but it can become a successful opportunity with the right tools.

As we have seen, Twproject‘s Gantt chart is ideal for tracking all phases. It is easy to use, versatile, and powerful, which can make all the difference in launching your project.

The project work performance domain is one of the eight performance domains introduced in  PMBOK’s seventh edition, constituting an integrated system to ensure the successful delivery of a project.

Let’s see what it is all about in this article.

What is the project work performance domain?

The Project Work Performance Domain focuses on the actual project work that will be carried out, and all that is involved in the execution of that work.

More specifically, this domain covers the activities and functions of creating project processes, managing physical resources, and fostering a learning environment.

Project work includes process definition and execution, communication, engagement, physical resource management, procurement, and other key elements to run smoothly.

Among the necessary functions that are part of this domain is the need for continuous process evaluation.

Customization is a major element as copy and paste hardly works in projects. 

According to the latest edition of the Project Management Book of Knowledge, project work includes:

• Managing existing workflow as well as any new work and changes;
• Keeping project team motivation and concentration high;
• Setting up efficient project systems and processes
• Communicating with interested parties;
• Managing physical resources, such as materials, equipment, and supplies;
• Working with suppliers to plan and manage procurements and contracts;
• Monitoring changes that may affect the project;
• Enabling learning and knowledge transfer.

Let’s take a look at these aspects in more detail:

Managing existing workflow

The project manager and project team periodically define and review the processes that the team is pursuing.

Process customization can be used to optimize work according to the project’s needs.

Besides being efficient, processes should be effective. This means they should adhere to quality requirements, regulations, standards, and organizational policies and produce the desired result.

Keeping project team motivation and concentration high

This includes short- and long-term evaluation of progress toward delivery goals.

This involves ensuring workload balance and employee satisfaction and motivation.

Communicating with interested parties

Communication can be formal and informal, verbal and written. Different channels of communication and involvement may be used depending on the stakeholders.

Information can be shared in meetings, conversations, electronic archives, etc., as needed.

Managing physical resources

The goals from the physical resources point of view are:

• Reducing or eliminating on-site material handling and storage;
• Eliminating waiting time for materials;
• Minimizing waste and wastage;
• Ensuring a safe working environment.

Working with suppliers

Many projects involve some sort of collaboration with external suppliers. Procurement can include everything, from materials to tools, labor to specific services.

Organizations typically have rigorous policies and procedures regarding procurement and collaborations with suppliers. These define who has the authority to enter into a contract, the limits of that authority, and the processes and procedures that should be followed.

Monitoring modifications

Any project will inevitably face changes, either more or less important. The appropriate adjustments in staffing, resources, budget, timelines, etc, must support these changes.

The project manager is the one who has to deal with change management to properly drive the change.

Enable learning during and after project

Regularly and at the end of the project, the team and stakeholders can meet to discuss what worked and what can be improved in the future.

These retrospective meetings result in so-called “lessons learned” useful for future projects.

Interaction of the project work performance domain with other performance domains

All performance domains are closely related to each other.

The Project Work Performance Domain enables and supports efficient and effective planning, delivery, and measurement.

Furthermore, this domain supports navigating through uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity and balances their impacts through integration with the other domains.

Interfacing Project Work Performance Domain with Twproject

Twproject can provide outstanding support for implementing all the activities detailed in the Project Work Performance Domain.

It enables customizing work processes, monitoring activities, and making changes efficiently.

Through the use of dashboards and reports, it helps keep team motivation high by balancing workload and monitoring team performance. 

This software also offers an embedded communication system that streamlines information sharing among team members and with other relevant parties.

Regarding physical resources, Twproject helps track resource use, minimize waste, and optimize the use of materials. It also enables effective supplier relationship management, contract and delivery tracking.

It also provides useful tools for swiftly finding and implementing necessary project changes.

Lastly, it makes learning within the organization easier, allowing lessons learned to be easily documented and shared.  

Twproject, in combination with the Project Work Performance Domain, can yield more effective and efficient project management.

Using modern tools and recognized project management principles, managers can streamline their work processes, improve communication, effectively manage resources, and collaborate more efficiently with suppliers.

From planning to implementation, project management is arguably the most multifaceted challenge for any project manager.

Among planning, coordinating resources, and monitoring progress, the project manager often must navigate a sea of intricacies, trying to balance a myriad of tasks and responsibilities.

In this article, we will discuss project managers’ most common problems in designing and implementing projects and potential solutions.

From design to project implementation: 5 key stages

Project management, from the design stage to implementation, can be broken down into 5 key phases:

• Initiation: this is the stage where the project is defined.

The problem or opportunity is identified, project objectives are determined, stakeholders are identified, and the cost and time required to complete the project are estimated. This stage often terminates with the creation of a project initiation document.

• Planning: during the planning stage, a detailed project plan is developed.

This includes determining the specific tasks to be carried out, resource allocation, setting timelines, and planning for risks. The result is a project plan to direct the team during project execution.

• Execution: This is the stage where the project work is actually executed. The project team carries out the activities outlined in the project plan, employing the assigned resources. During this stage, the project manager monitors the project’s progress and manages any problems or changes that may arise.

• Monitoring and control: During this phase, the project manager monitors the project’s progress in relation to the project plan. This includes tracking time, cost, and project quality, as well as managing any issues or changes that may arise. If necessary, the project plan can be updated to reflect these changes.

• Closing: This is the last stage of the project, where the project gets formally wrapped up. This involves reviewing the project, documenting results and lessons learned, and communicating the success of the project to stakeholders.

3 common problems in project management

Project managers often come across many problems.

Let’s examine the most common ones:

1. Lack of effective planning

One of project managers’ most common problems is ineffective planning.

A solid project plan is critical to ensure all activities are coordinated and the project is completed on time.

Without a proper plan, projects can easily get derailed.

For example, if delays or unforeseen contingencies are not factored in, they can eventually lead to underestimating the time needed to complete the project, leading to delays and additional costs.

Also, it can be difficult to prioritize and allocate resources effectively without proper planning.

2. Resource coordination

Another common problem is resource coordination.

Lack of effective coordination of resources can cause communication problems and misunderstandings within the team.

With no clear vision of who is doing what, resources can be wasted or misused.

For example, two team members might be working on the same task without knowing this, causing double work and wasted resources.

Likewise, resources could be exhausted without proper planning and monitoring before the project is completed, causing delays and higher costs.

3. Lack of transparency in project management

Lack of transparency is a major issue in project management and can have several implications:

• Incomprehension about project status: with no clear and up-to-date view of project status, team members and stakeholders may fail to fully understand where the project stands or the next steps. This can lead to confusion, delays, and decisions based on incomplete or obsolete information.
• Delays in detecting problems: If the project status is not transparent, problems may remain unnoticed until they become critical. For example, if a project is running behind schedule or over budget, it may not be apparent until it is too late to take effective action.
• Lack of responsibility: lack of transparency can also lead to a lack of responsibility. If it is unclear who is responsible for what, it can be tough to hold people responsible for their tasks and ensure that work is done promptly and effectively.
• Low trust: Lastly, it can undermine trust within and between the team and stakeholders. If people feel that information is being kept from them or that they do not have a full view of what is happening, they may question the project’s management and its chances of success.

From design to project implementation with Twproject

Twproject is project management software that helps prevent these issues and effectively manages all of these stages.

It provides the tools to effectively plan, execute, monitor and close projects.

Among these are:

1. Effective planning: Twproject offers project planning tools that help create detailed and realistic project plans. These tools can help prevent problems such as underestimating the amount of time and resources needed, ensuring that the project is thoroughly planned from the get-go.
2. Resource management: allows resources to be allocated and monitored effectively. This can help prevent problems such as ineffective resource allocation and utilization. It also provides a clear overview of available resources and how they are being used, facilitating planning and decision-making.
3. Transparency: Twproject provides a one-stop shop with a dashboard that gives a clear and up-to-date view of project status. This can help prevent problems such as lack of understanding of project status, delays in detecting issues, and lack of accountability.
4. Reporting: reporting features are crucial to collecting and presenting project data effectively. These reports can be used to communicate project status to stakeholders, to make informed decisions, and to constantly improve project management processes.

Benefits of using unique software such as Twproject

Complete Traceability: Twproject provides a comprehensive project view, facilitating monitoring and management.

Efficiency: Automates many manual processes, thus saving time and reducing errors.

Better Collaboration: It makes collaboration easier for team members, improving efficiency and work quality.

Customization: It can be customized to fit the specific needs of your project and organization.

As seen in this article, the bottom line is that project management in the manufacturing industry can be tricky and full of challenges.

Using integrated software such as Twproject, project managers can tackle these challenges more effectively, ensuring that projects are completed successfully, on time, and within budget.

The key, and we will never stress it enough, is to fully understand the software’s functionality and how it can be leveraged for the project’s specific needs.

Because, with Twproject, it is not the company that adapts to the software but the software that supports the company!

In the vast world of enterprise software, there is one specific area that should never be overlooked, and that is project cost management.

Project cost tracking is indeed an essential activity in project management and if done wisely can reduce waste, increase awareness but also improve collaboration and personal satisfaction.

But what exactly is “Project cost management”? It is a process that deals with estimating and reporting the costs of company projects by relating them to the budget.

In other words, it allows us to create budgets for income and expenditure in projects and activities of all kinds, and consequently to make adjustments and accurate forecasts.

A software tool to manage this complexity can be the key. Filling in spreadsheets is not only time-consuming but can also be confusing: you risk scattering information, having to repeat the same data several times, thereby making mistakes and in any case generating chaos.

In this post we will look at the best project cost management software.

Objectives

Let’s go more in depth and see what the typical functions of a cost management software are:

1. Budget setting: this is useful to have a spending limit. The budget can either be the expected revenue or the spending intention. Read here for a comprehensive overview of the various approaches to budgeting. The budget can be allocated to the project as a whole but can also be broken down into the various project phases.

2. Cost allocation: the hourly costs of employees must be recorded in the system, but at the same time flexibility in their deployment must be ensured.

3. Distinction between estimated and actual costs: for each item of expenditure, a comparison between the estimated and actual value is useful to make adjustments to the budget and revise the timetable.

4. Multiple cost items: any project is made up of ordinary and ancillary costs. Good software must allow everything to be recorded accurately and flexibly.

5. Timeline: it is important to have a graph with the development of costs, to see the evolution of the financial situation over time and to make up-to-date statistics.

6. Document management: an additional advantage of using a good tool is the possibility of creating and archiving project expenditure documentation (tenders, invoices, etc.) in one convenient location.
   

All of this must be present in good project cost management software and contributes to higher financial performance and optimal project management results, reducing the time previously spent implementing tedious and repetitive lists of cost items, personnel costs, payments and so on.

Here are the best project cost management software tools

So if we have persuaded you to adopt software that will greatly improve the quality of your work (and your life) for financial management, here is our personal selection of the 7 best cost management software on the market:

1. Twproject

Twproject is the perfect synthesis of classic project management and cost control.

It aims to reduce the tools used in the company by providing one that covers 100% of the needs of each project manager.

The special feature of this solution is that, within a project management software, you find all the functionalities for accurate project cost management. It is therefore not necessary to use an ad hoc tool to keep costs and budgets under control.

Would you like an example of the advantages of Twproject’s integrated management? The project manager can build his or her project Gantt by defining timeframes and dependencies, assigning resources to manage their activities and at the same time define a budget at each level of the tree, enter expense and billing forecasts and actual expenses as the project progresses. Twproject also includes resource costs and reporting for complete financial management.

To sum it up, here are its main features:

• Budget/cost management integrated into the project structure
• Resource cost management
• Comparison of estimated and actual costs
• Overrun reporting
• Input of receipts and invoices, even from mobile devices
• Filters allowing costs to be exported for different items
• Summary graphs

Pricing: from 4.89 € per user/month.

Pros: Twproject manages project costs, revenues and resource costs in a single environment, correlating them together. The tool is easy to use, but at the same time very adaptable to individual needs, both personal and corporate.

Cons: No cons were detected.

Twproject is a system that is always up to date, and among project management software it has a very advanced and accurate cost management.

2. Scoro

Scoro is also an inclusive platform that combines budget, CRM and project management functionalities.

The system allows time tracking to be integrated with financial data, so that the company has an accurate view of profits. A great deal of importance is placed on working time, in order to maximise internal efficiency.

The main features of Scoro are:

• Integrated billing system
• Income and expense reporting
• Time tracking on tasks, projects or clients

Pricing: from 26 $ per user/month.

Pros: good usability, the workflow is linear and allows several aspects to be kept under control.

Cons: project phases do not have an independent budget; prices are more expensive than in other systems.

Scoro helps companies maximise employee efficiency by putting the value of working time at the centre.

3. Centage

Centage is a cloud application that aims to support in business processes of budgeting, forecasting and reporting.

The system can be integrated with different data sources, thus allowing companies to keep the systems they currently use and ease the transition.

It provides pre-built templates for operations such as revenue planning and allocation of budgets to resources.

Its functions may be summarised as follows:

• Forecast feature with different scenarios
• Integrated reporting of income statement, balance sheet and cash flow
• Collaboration tools
• Simple import/export
• Wizards

Pricing: customised quotation.

Pros: a specialised tool offering various analysis tools, including ‘what-if’ scenarios.

Cons: it is not suitable for those looking for an all-in-one solution because it requires integration with other systems.

Centage is a powerful budgeting tool for small and large companies, although it is somewhat lacking in versatility.

4. Prophix

Prophix is a useful tool for those who want to do good financial planning. It offers various profit optimisation models and makes it possible to predict the profitability of projects.

It proves to be a robust solution for companies of various sizes, with an easy-to-use interface and a good amount of graphs and tables, which are however not customisable.

Functions include:

• Budget forecasting and planning
• Analysis of historical data
• Use of formulas
• Exporting models

Pricing: customised quotation.

Pros: highly specialised product offering sophisticated analysis and forecasting tools.

Cons: the learning curve can sometimes be a bit tricky for those who are not very technologically literate.

Budgeting, forecasting and reporting are useful and efficient once you understand the models: this can take some time

5. Anaplan

Anaplan is a particularly specialised software for financial planning that offers dynamic solutions and relies heavily on internal team collaboration.

It also offers very refined future planning tools, but like many complex systems, its use is not straightforward. Every piece of data must be fully planned from the first implementation in order to build a system that is scalable over the long term and remains flexible to business changes.

What Anaplan offers:

• Customisation and integration
• Planning and forecasting tools
• Data analysis and reporting
• Access and security controls

Pricing: customised quotation.

Pros: fully customisable; offers the company good self-analysis tools; real-time collaboration; good calculation functions.

Cons: lack of certain visualisation types; lack of flexibility in reports; inefficient with fragmented data.

A powerful tool but one that can present some pitfalls for those just starting out.

6. Vena

Vena stands out for having the objective of not disorienting those fond of the old Excel spreadsheets. Its interface is therefore specifically designed to draw continuity with the old systems used in companies.

At the same time, however, it wants to encourage sharing and collaboration within the work team and therefore relies heavily on sharing tools, role security and so on.

It offers the possibility to start from pre-built templates or to customise your own budget management statements based on existing structures.

Vena’s main features are:

• Importing data and models
• Calculation formulas
• Forecasting tools with different types of analysis
• Customisable objects

Pricing: customised quotation.

Pros: streamlining of workflows; user-friendly interface; possibility of combining data across company departments.

Cons: complexity of the initial setting; slowness in loading data.

The familiarity of the Excel interface combined with a good calculation engine.

7. Budgyt

For those accustomed to an agile approach, Budgyt may be a good solution. In fact, this cost management tool has functions suitable for analysing small data, without necessarily having to enter the entire company business plan.

In addition to promoting collaboration by providing tools for shared management, Budgyt values speed and efficiency in data presentation.

It is a tool appreciated by those who value ease of use, speed of data entry and a clean, simple interface.

Some of its main functions include:

• Dashboard for presentations
• Single data access point
• Flexible and customisable data visualisation
• Division of roles at each level of the system
• Granular approach

Pricing: customised quotation.

Pros: easy to use and short learning curve; readability of data even for laymen, useful for data sharing.

Cons: a little mobile-unfriendly; not always immediate updates.

A partially successful attempt to apply the agile philosophy to budget management.

Conclusions

We hope that this overview of the best project cost management software will help you in choosing a cost management software for your company.

Ultimately, thanks to the research we did to write this short article, we came to some conclusions that we can genuinely give you for when you will make your evaluations.

The features you will need to look for within your software are:

1. intuitiveness: if a piece of software is easy to use and quick to learn, its implementation can be rapid, and in this way there can be a real advantage over the compilation of classic spreadsheets.

2. Process automation: as a consequence of the previous point, the reduction of manual work must be the focal point, especially with regard to repetitive and routine processes.

3. Budget planning must be able to be linked to different targets, not only to the project but also to its individual phases or to the client. In short, target flexibility must be guaranteed.

Twproject possesses all these qualities and is an excellent blend of efficiency and versatility. A company, whether small or large, can exploit Twproject as a single solution for managing a multitude of functions, including cost management.

Have you ever tried using the support of a financial management software?

Take a 15-day free trial and let us know your opinion!

Work management software for project optimization: this is the key to effective work management in an era when digitization is changing how companies operate.

Efficient project management has become a key element in the success of any business.

Work management software can be a precious partner in this sense, offering tools to organize, track, and efficiently optimize projects.

Here in this article, we will explore the experience of Cepi Silos, which dropped Excel and revolutionized project management with Twproject.

How important it is to have work management software

Work management is a crucial component of any business. It is about organizing and coordinating activities to ensure that projects are completed efficiently and on time. This may include planning activities, allocating resources, monitoring progress, and analyzing results.

An effective work management system can yield numerous benefits: it can improve productivity, reduce costs, improve work quality, and increase customer satisfaction.

Still, work management can be challenging, especially for large companies with numerous projects and team members.

Project management software can be beneficial for large companies. It can help manage multiple projects and team members, providing a comprehensive overview of the work and streamlining communication and collaboration. It can also help identify and solve problems promptly, improving efficiency and work quality.

Let’s take a look at the case of the company Cepi Silos.

Cepi Silos’ experience in project management

Cepi Silos is a company specializing in the design, construction, and installation of complete industrial plants for the storage, transportation, and dosing of raw materials, featuring an automated system and advanced technologies to optimize the entire production process in the food industry.

Before adopting Twproject, Cepi Silos used Excel to manage their projects. This came with limitations and challenges:

–  Trouble optimizing workload on current and future orders: resource allocation and work hours were not planned efficiently, making it challenging to coordinate and organize resources appropriately.

–  Reporting of hours worked: recording hours worked on tasks was tedious and unpunctual. The system they used previously did not allow for easy and accurate hour input, leading to problems with data completeness and accuracy.

–  Information loss between departments: communication between various departments within the company was inefficient, and often critical information was lost between departments. This often resulted in delays in operations and the failure of subsequent departments to consider considerations or requests in the design and production process.

This meant not having an overall picture among project managers and technical managers. This fragmentation of information and lack of a centralized platform made it difficult to collaborate and monitor projects effectively.

Twproject: a revolutionary work management software

Adopting Twproject by Cepi Silos has brought many benefits, including:

• Improved project management: always up-to-date view of project progress, making sharing deadlines among team members easier without wasting effort.

• Workload optimization: organizing resources by departments or departments and getting a detailed view of the workload. This allowed optimal load management of resource groups.

• Customized planning: creating a customized schedule for allocating human resources and work hours during the project. This helped the company further optimize the utilization of available resources.

• Improved collaboration: Twproject is a work management software and a powerful tool for collaborative work. It allowed team members to share information, coordinate activities and communicate effectively, improving collaboration between departments and preventing information loss.

• Effective time management: precise tracking of work hours, enabling the company to optimize processes and improve operational efficiency.

Cepi Silos’ experience with Twproject shows how work management software can revolutionize project management.

Whether coordinating your team members, keeping track of hours worked, or monitoring progress in real-time, Twproject is the project management tool that provides all the features you need to efficiently manage your work. 

Preparing a project with Gantt is critical in ensuring efficient planning and optimal management of activities.

Using this visual tool, you can organize, assign and monitor activities, enabling precise control and better resource allocation.

In this article, we will explore how to prepare a project using Gantt and how to make the most of its potential.

6 steps to prepare a project

1.Analysis

The first step in preparing a project is to understand the context in which it fits.

During this preliminary stage, conducting a thorough analysis of the context in which the project fits is essential.

This involves carefully analyzing the environment, including customer requirements, available resources, time conditions, and technical constraints. Furthermore, it is critical to identify and anticipate potential risks.

The main objective of context analysis is to understand project stakeholders’ needs and expectations clearly.

This involves active dialogue with the client, project team, and other relevant stakeholders.

During discussions and interviews, it is crucial to ask targeted questions to gather critical information about project needs, wants, and restrictions.

In addition to understanding project needs, context analysis helps identify and assess potential risks.

This makes it possible to anticipate the challenges and potential complications that might occur during project execution. For example, financial constraints, technological limitations, or human resource issues could exist.

Early identification of such risks enables the project manager to plan mitigation actions and avoid unforeseen contingencies adequately.

During the context analysis, it is also important to gather detailed information on the availability of resources needed for the project.

This includes assessing the skills and capabilities of the project team and identifying the material and financial resources needed to achieve the established goals.

This information will be helpful in the next phase of activity definition and time planning.

2.Project type identification

For any project, clarity is the key to success.

There are different types of projects, each with its peculiarities and needs.

For project implementation, it is crucial to identify the type of project you are working on correctly.

For example, it could be a software development project, construction building, or marketing project.

Understanding the type of project helps define the activities and resources needed for its success.

The first thing to do is, therefore, to present the project clearly.

This implies accurately describing the project objectives, activities, and resources needed.

A good presentation of the project helps gain stakeholders’ support and approval and creates a solid foundation for its implementation.

3.Project objectives definition

 Once the context is understood and the type of project identified, the next step is to define the objectives. These must be clear, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, following the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) criterion.

The project manager must work closely with stakeholders to ensure that goals are aligned with everyone’s expectations and needs. Once goals are set, they become the compass that directs all future decisions and actions.

4.Project planning

Project planning is a crucial phase that includes defining specific tasks, allocating resources and determining delivery schedules.

A good project management tool, such as Twproject, can facilitate this step by providing features that help create and manage the project plan.

During planning, the project manager must consider various factors, including budget, deadlines, team skills, potential risks, and client expectations.

Planning must be flexible and adaptable, as circumstances may change during the project life cycle.

5.Project monitoring and control

Monitoring the progress of the project and controlling its variables are essential to ensure that everything is proceeding according to plan.

Project management software such as Twproject, with its reporting and tracking capabilities, can significantly simplify this step.

The project manager can use these tools to monitor project progress, identify problems before they become critical, and make necessary changes in time.

6.Project closure

Finally, a good design must have a well-defined closure. This includes analyzing the results achieved, comparing them with the initial goals, and identifying strengths and areas for improvement. At this stage, it is also essential to recognize the contributions of all team members and celebrate the success achieved.

How to prepare a project: the Gantt chart with Twproject

After defining the project goals and the activities involved, you can proceed to create the Gantt chart. 

The diagram displays project activities along a time axis, giving the project manager a clear view of dependencies between activities, expected durations, and deadlines.

This can be created using specially designed project management software, such as Twproject, which simplifies the creation and management of these diagrams.

Creating the Gantt chart with Twproject is indeed simple and intuitive.

The latter provides a clear and detailed view of the activities, with respective horizontal bars representing the expected duration of each activity. In addition, you can customize the Gantt to suit your needs, including additional information such as resources assigned to each activity, milestones, or time constraints.

If changes occur in the planning or progress of activities, the necessary changes can be made directly in the diagram.

Dependencies between activities are automatically managed by Twproject, which adjusts the Gantt chart accordingly. This makes change and update management more efficient and faster.

In addition, the software allows sharing of work with the project team or stakeholders.

It is possible to export the diagram in different formats to facilitate communication and information sharing.

This way, all team members can have a clear and shared view of the project’s activities and execution time.

Analyze dependencies between activities with the Gantt Chart

Don’t limit yourself to sequential dependencies; also explore start-to-start, end-to-end, and other dependencies to represent complex relationships among activities

There are different types of relationships between activities in a project.

• The so-called classical Finish to Start (FS) stipulates that activity A must finish before activity B starts, or in other words, activity B cannot begin before A is finished.

• The Finish to Finish (FF) relationship implies that activity B cannot finish before activity A is also finished. This relationship is typical in scenarios where activity B depends on the completion of activity A, such as in the case of writing a book, where activity B represents the completion of the entire book and activity A is the writing of the last chapter.

• Start to start (SS), in which an activity cannot begin before another activity begins. For example, the project management activity of a project cannot start before the project begins.

• Finally, there is the type of relationship called Start to Finish (SF), in which activity A must start before B finishes. This relationship can be complex to understand and applies only in specific contexts. For example, in a manufacturing plant with shifts, the next shift (B) cannot finish until the initial shift (A) has started to ensure continuous machinery monitoring.

In Twproject, after creating the dependency between two phases, it is possible to change the default value represented by the FS dependency and select another relationship type. This expands the possibilities of dependency management and allows project managers to better adapt to the specific needs of their project.

Works on the elasticity of dependencies and flexibility in project planning

The elasticity of dependencies is a crucial factor to consider when developing a project with Gantt.

In many software, assigning a dependency involves a linear succession of activities without overlapping or empty time.

However, in the real world, the phases of a project do not always follow one another rigidly.

Twproject has introduced the ability to freely manage this elasticity.

When you insert a dependency, it is initially saved with the default FS hard type. However, converting this “hard” dependency to an “elastic” dependency with any relationship type is possible.

This means that two interdependent activities may not be chronologically consecutive, leaving gaps between them or overlapping for some time, as long as the logic of chosen dependence is respected.

This elasticity provides more flexibility in acting on the end dates of project phases without necessarily resulting in slippage of subsequent phases.

For example, consider a project tree in which a project manager (PM) is assigned for the entire project and a specific PM for each phase, such as analysis (PMA), design (PMG), and production (PMD).

Using elastic dependencies, the PM can define a total project duration and assign phases to a specific period. This allows PMs of individual phases more freedom of action in managing their phases’ start and end dates without interfering with the overall project dates.

Implements some time flexibility in the project Gantt

• Time Buffers: insert time buffers between key phases to absorb any delays without affecting overall deadlines.
• Periodic Review: schedule regular reviews of the Gantt to ensure that it always reflects the reality of the project.

Create selective access a project’s Gantt

Working with Gantt is great, but sometimes team members can get lost in the charts. To help the entire team focus on what is relevant, use Twproject’s features to grant selective access to the Gantt so that each team member can see only what is relevant to their role.

Create custom views and play with colors

– Customized Views: create customized views of the Gantt for different stakeholders, highlighting the most relevant information for each.

– Use of symbols and colors: use symbols and colors to make the Gantt more readable and to highlight key information.

Identifies Risks and prepares contingency plans

– Risk identification: uses the Gantt to identify potential risks, such as overlapping or conflicting resources.

– Contingency plans: prepare contingency plans for critical events and represent them in the Gantt so that you can act quickly if necessary.

Documents and archives project and Gantt evolutions

– Decision reporting: document key decisions and changes in the Gantt so that you have a historical record.

– Version archiving: save and archive key versions of the Gantt for future reference or post-project analysis.

Do you see how many things you can do with a Gantt in preparing a project?

Indeed, preparing a project with the Gantt is a process that requires key setting of elements, good planning, a clear definition of objectives, and proper identification of activities and dependencies.

Using tools like Twproject and the Gantt chart, project managers can effectively manage projects, achieve successful results, and keep on schedule.

The life cycle and development approach are strategic in the Performance Domain.

As detailed in PMBOK 7, the goal is to establish the appropriate pace at which to carry out a project’s activities to generate value.

It is based on a key concept: each project is unique – no single development approach can be applicable to every planning.

In this article, we chose to delve into this topic and fully understand its development in our business projects.

What do we mean by development approach and life cycle performance domain?

The Development Approach & Life Cycle Performance Domain, detailed in the latest edition of the PMBOK, refers to managing all phases of a project’s life cycle from start to finish.

Thanks to this approach, the value of a project can be fully maximized by including:

• goal setting;
• activity planning;
• resource management;
• progress monitoring.

Making sure the project meets quality, time, and cost standards-this is the ultimate goal of this Performance Domain.

Development approach and life cycle performance domain: the components

For this domain to be effectively executed strategically and to yield concrete results, it is crucial to cross three key components:

• Project deliverables and their delivery frequency. 
• Project development choice with relevant approaches
• Product life cycle definition.

Starting with the project deliverable and delivery schedule, you determine the approach and steps to follow.

Deliverable & project deliverables

Deliverables depend on the project’s nature, end-user preferences, and scope requirements.

These are divided into:

• Single delivery: The product or service distribution on a single instance, usually at the end of the project. A typical example is the sale of a product to the end customer.
• Multiple deliveries: a project might feature various components that will be delivered at different points in time, not necessarily in regular periods – typical in software projects.
• Periodic deliveries: these are similar to multiple deliveries but follow a fixed and regular delivery schedule. For example, a newspaper that is published weekly or a monthly newsletter.

Development approaches: the most common for PMBok 7

Approaches to project development can differ based on the nature of the project, its needs, and challenges.

Here are some of the most common approaches, also outlined by PMBok 7 as being among the most popular:

1. Predictive approach: this approach, also known as the waterfall approach, involves detailed planning at the beginning of the project. It is used when scope, costs, resources, and risks can be clearly defined at the earliest stages of a project. In this case, the uncertainty level is minimal since the life cycle is stable. Therefore, planning also remains approximately the same throughout the project’s lifespan.

2. Adaptive approach: this approach is flexible and allows for adaptation to project life cycle changes. It is used when project requirements are subject to high uncertainty and volatility. Feedback from users and stakeholders is collected repeatedly over the project life cycle to adapt and fine-tune the development strategy.

3. Hybrid approach: this approach combines some of the predictive and adaptive elements discussed earlier. This approach is used where levels of uncertainty around design requirements are manifest. The combination of both developments-iterative or incremental-is great where different options need to be studied and evaluated.

Table: Types of Development Approaches and Primary Plus

Approach	Description
Predictive	Detailed planning at the beginning of the project
Adaptive	Flexibility and adaptation to change
Hybrid	Combination of predictive and adaptive elements

Stages of the project life cycle: a few examples

The project life cycle describes the stages a project goes from inception to completion. The type and number of project phases depend on several variables, including the pace of delivery and the approach to development.

Here are some examples of phases in a project life cycle:

• Feasibility: This stage determines whether the business case is sound and whether the organization can deliver the expected outcome.

• Design: planning and analysis lead to the creation of the project outcome that will be developed.

• Construction: outcome building is carried out with integrated quality assurance activities.

• Test: final quality review and result check are carried out before transition, activation, or customer acceptance.

• Implementation: project results are brought into use, and transition activities necessary for sustainability, benefit realization, and organizational change management are completed.

• Closure: the project is closed, knowledge and artifacts are archived, project team members are discharged, and contracts are terminated.

The performance domain in PMBOK7 and the development and project life cycle approach are key concepts in project management.

Choosing the right approach can have a significant impact on project success. For this purpose, we have compiled a table to analyze how different approaches behave concerning the stages of the project life cycle. 

Development Approach and Project Life Cycle: potential interactions

Which approach should be chosen for development? The potential interactions are different.

Considering the strong correlation between the project life cycle and approaches, we thought we would create a table that could highlight how the execution of different approaches changes according to the stages of the project life cycle.

Comparison Table of Development Approaches and Project Life Cycle

Development Approach & Life Cycle Performance Domain: interactions with other domains

All Performance Domains described in PmBOK 7 are interconnected intrinsically with each other.

Planning is strongly influenced by the type of approach chosen and the resultant project life cycle.

This domain plays a part in setting clear objectives, planning activities, and integrating the different phases of the project.

It also involves constant monitoring of performance and any necessary corrections or adjustments.

Derivable releases, planning, teams, stakeholders, measurements, and uncertainties are all part of the development approach and lifecycle performance domain.

The approach will be adjusted differently depending on what happens in each domain, and vice-versa.

The Development Approach & Life Cycle Performance Domain is key to project success.

This domain also helps to fully maximize the value of the project and achieve its goals by:

• thoughtful planning,
• effective resource management,
• performance monitoring
• and active involvement of stakeholders.

Furthermore, it promotes an integrated and consistent approach to project management, providing a better understanding of desired performance and allowing for rapid problem identification and resolution.

However, it should be made clear that this approach requires the project manager to have a mix of technical, management, and interpersonal skills. Implementation is more complex, but it is worth it to achieve successful results.

Auditing project management is a complex challenge for companies and public organizations.

Monitoring and controlling internal processes, ensuring regulatory compliance, and creating accurate reports requires effective tools and methodologies.

This article will demonstrate how Twproject completely transforms project management and showcase how Argea, a public agency, has effectively implemented it to enhance its internal auditing procedures.

Types of project management audits, benefits, and challenges

A project management audit is a formal review of a project’s progress and compliance to its plan.

The aim of a project management audit is to identify any areas in which the project is at risk of failure and to recommend corrective action.

Project management audits can be conducted at any point in the life cycle of a project but are most commonly conducted during the planning phase, the execution phase, and the closure phase.

There are three main types of project management audits:

1. In-process quality assurance reviews: these reviews are conducted during the execution phase of a project to ensure that the project is on track to meet its objectives.
2. Gateway reviews: these are performed at crucial milestones in a project to assess its progress and approve its continuation.
3. Post-implementation audits: are conducted after a project has been completed to evaluate its overall success and identify any lessons that can be learned for future projects.

The benefits of project management audits

Project management audits can provide many benefits, including:

• Higher confidence in the success of the project
• Early identification of potential risks and problems
• Identification of areas where the project can be improved
• Improved transparency and accountability
• Better communication between the project team and the project sponsor

The challenges of audits in project management

Project management audits can also pose many challenges, including:

• The need for independent auditors
• The time and resources required to conduct an audit
• The potential for resistance from the project team.
• The difficulty of identifying all potential risks and problems

Auditing project management with Twproject

Twproject is a comprehensive project management solution.

This software offers a wide range of tools and features that enable project managers to plan, monitor and control every aspect of auditing projects.

It allows the creation of specific templates and standardized tasks for each audit project, ensuring that each process step is executed within the defined time and resources.

One of the critical features of Twproject is the ability to manage projects in real-time, even in remote work situations.

Indeed, Argea’s auditors work on complex auditing projects, distributed among several team members, using Twproject as a central platform to keep all project information and progress up-to-date.

Now, let’s have a look at their experience with Twproject.

Argea’s experience with Twproject

Argea is a public agency that is key in financing the Community Agricultural Policy for the Region of Sardinia.

As agency activities have grown and responsibilities in the disbursement of European Union funds have increased, auditing project management has become increasingly complex and critical to ensuring regulatory compliance and proper use of funding.

In the past, Argea’s activities were mainly carried out using specialized niche grant-making tools and the standard tools available on a workstation, such as Microsoft’s Office suite.

However, as responsibilities increased and processes became more complex, it became apparent that it was necessary to create an internal auditing department to analyze processes, solve problems and create reports to be submitted to the Union’s auditing bodies.

Argea’s internal auditing area lacked a specific tool for managing audit activities. Therefore, extensive research of software tools available on the market, both locally and internationally, was conducted to find the best solution that combined robustness, flexibility, convenience, and adaptability to Argea’s internal auditing processes.

After analyzing a dozen tools, Twproject proved to be the ideal choice for Argea.

The company was particularly impressed with the flexibility, comprehensiveness, and convenience the project management software offers.

Argea implemented Twproject to standardize and streamline internal auditing processes. The software enabled the agency to create a project management environment and internal auditing processes that streamlined community regulatory procedures. Auditing projects and processes were standardized through the use of specific templates and standardized tasks in Twproject.

This ensured that each process step was executed within the defined time and resources, providing accurate control and efficient management of auditing projects.

With over 30 internal auditors working on dozens of auditing projects simultaneously, Twproject has provided a central platform to keep all project information and progress up-to-date.

Auditors can collaborate in real time, keeping track of auditing activities, tasks, and reports.

All this has also resulted in significant savings to Argea’s software budget.

The solution offered by Twproject beat domestic and international competitive offerings, providing exceptional value for money.

This has enabled Argea to save significantly on internal operating costs while maintaining high functionality and support.

In addition, Twproject offers continuous improvements by regularly releasing new features. This means that the agency can immediately benefit from these new features without needing specific customizations, ensuring that the software is always state-of-the-art and can meet the specific needs of auditing project management.

Auditing project management is a critical challenge for organizations to ensure regulatory compliance and control of internal activities.

Argea’s experience with Twproject showed the many benefits of this solution.

Twproject has enabled the agency to standardize auditing processes, simplify internal project management and save significantly on the software budget.

The flexibility and reliability of the project management software have enabled it to effectively manage auditing projects, enabling Argea to respond to the increasing responsibilities and complexity of auditing activities.

In the seventh edition of the PMBOK, the stakeholder performance domain is crucial in ensuring that stakeholders’ needs, expectations, and influences are appropriately understood and managed.

Understanding the needs, expectations, and dynamics of stakeholders has become crucial to project success, and the stakeholder performance domain offers a structured and focused approach to addressing this challenge.

This performance domain is central to developing appropriate management strategies to involve stakeholders in decision-making and project implementation effectively.

In this article, we will provide a detailed description of the Stakeholder Performance Domain, listing current challenges and some strategies to increase stakeholder engagement.

Stakeholder Performance Domain: why stakeholder engagement is important

The stakeholder performance domain is about the processes needed to acknowledge and collaborate with stakeholders and establish positive relationships while respecting their expectations.

A project without effective stakeholder involvement is doomed to failure.

Stakeholder engagement may look easy on paper, but it comes with several challenges for a project manager, including:

• Unrealistic or conflicting expectations
• Stakeholders unwilling or reluctant to participate
• Divergent or conflicting interests
• Different communication strategies depending on the type of stakeholder
• No formal authority over stakeholders.

To meet these challenges, a project manager must have good communication, negotiation, conflict management, and leadership skills.

The crucial element a project manager must pay attention to is avoiding the dissatisfaction of even one stakeholder.

To prevent this situation and ensure stakeholder involvement, there are several tools that you can use:

• Identification
• Analysis
• Priority setting
• Involvement
• Stakeholder monitoring throughout the project.

Let’s have a look at these points in detail.

1. Identify stakeholders

Stakeholder identification should be done at the beginning of the work and should happen regularly throughout the project life cycle.

Stakeholders come and go and can change over time, especially during more extended and complex projects.

Some stakeholders, such as the client, sponsor, project team, etc., are easy to identify, while others are not immediately visible.

Therefore, it is important to compare with other people to make sure to involve everyone who will be affected by the project.

2. Analyze stakeholders

This step is necessary to understand each stakeholder’s interests, expectations, and power within the project.

Not all stakeholders are the same, which is why it is necessary to classify the various needs:

• Attitude
• Beliefs
• Expectations
• Concerns
• Degree of influence
• Proximity to the project
• Interest in the project
• Any other aspects related to stakeholder interaction with the project

This information helps the project manager and the team to respond correctly to different expectations.

In addition to individual analysis, one should also consider how stakeholders interact with each other, as they may form alliances that can help or hinder project goals.

3. Prioritize stakeholders

After stakeholder analysis, those with the most power, influence, and interest can be selected and filtered.

There are so many stakeholders in many projects, and it is impossible for the team to focus effectively on everyone.

Therefore, investing more time with the stakeholders with the most power and interest in the project is natural.

4. Involve stakeholders

Involving stakeholders means collaborating to achieve success.

This includes: managing expectations, solving problems, negotiating, prioritizing, etc.

Engaging stakeholders requires soft skills, such as active listening, conflict management, and critical thinking.

Involvement must be interactive and involve exchanging information from both sides through conversations, phone calls, meetings, and brainstorming.

5. Monitor stakeholders

Stakeholders will change over time: some will be less involved, while others will be more engaged.

In addition, new stakeholders will arise, and expectations will change.

Therefore, it is necessary to regularly evaluate whether the stakeholder engagement strategy is effective or needs to be adjusted.

To gauge stakeholder satisfaction, it’s important to regularly gather feedback either through one-on-one conversations or by conducting surveys for larger groups.

If the results show dissatisfaction, it will be necessary to rethink and improve the stakeholder engagement strategy.

5 strategies for increasing stakeholder engagement

When stakeholders feel actively involved in decision-making and goal achievement, it generates an environment of trust and collaboration that fosters the optimization of overall business performance.

In this section, we will explore some key strategies for increasing stakeholder engagement:

1. Effective communication: open, clear, and prompt communication is critical to engage stakeholders.

Uses various communication channels, such as personal meetings, e-mails, newsletters, or online collaboration platforms, to regularly inform stakeholders about key project or company developments, progress, and decisions.

Ensure that information is easily accessible and understandable, tailoring it to different types of stakeholders and their communication preferences.

2. Active involvement: to increase stakeholder engagement, making them feel part of the decision-making process is important: schedule workshops, brainstorming meetings, or feedback sessions to gather their opinions, ideas, and suggestions.

Take their perspectives seriously and consider their requests, showing you value their input.

This will promote a sense of participation and value for stakeholders, increasing their overall involvement.

3. Building strong relationships: Invest in building solid and lasting relationships with stakeholders.

Spend time getting to know them individually, understanding their needs, expectations, and challenges.

Develop a network of regular contact with them, offering support, answers to questions, and solutions to problems they may experience.

Show genuine interest in their goals and demonstrate empathy. A relationship of trust and mutual understanding will foster deeper, ongoing involvement.

4. Personalization of interactions: Each stakeholder has different needs, interests, and preferences.

Tailor your interactions to respond to these specifics. For example, some prefer face-to-face meetings, while others prefer written communication. Tailor your message’s tone to each stakeholder’s personality and context.

Show interest in the aspects that engage them most, such as their goals or challenges. This way, you will show your commitment to them and stimulate more active involvement.

5. Recognition and gratification: Recognize and publicly appreciate the significant contributions of stakeholders. Whether it is a customer who has provided valuable feedback or an employee who has exceeded expectations, show your recognition for their efforts.

You can do this through internal communications, awards, or personal thank you.

Doing so will strengthen stakeholders’ sense of ownership and motivation, encouraging them to remain active and involved.

By implementing these strategies to increase stakeholder engagement, you can develop deeper and more meaningful relationships with those interested in your company’s business.

Active stakeholder engagement can lead to increased trust, collaboration, and the achievement of shared goals, thereby optimizing the overall performance of your business.

Project planning often proves to be a complex and challenging task for businesses.

Yet with the help of modern project management tools, you can streamline this process and improve overall efficiency.

This article will examine how the Advance company successfully employed Twproject to improve its awareness, reduce overhead in project management, and improve compliance with timesheets.

The importance of project planning

Project planning is a pivotal step for the success of any business effort.

Thoughtful planning helps set clear objectives, establish required activities, and adequately allocate available resources.

Well-structured planning also helps identify potential risks and take preventive actions. Still, without a proper framework, this step can become a maze of information, making it difficult to manage your project effectively.

7 tips to streamline project planning

Project managers can embrace some strategies to streamline project planning. Here are some successful best practices:

• Set clear objectives: before starting any planning, you must have clear and well-defined goals for your project. This helps to set a direction and focus on relevant tasks.

• Break down your project into phases and activities: Breaking it down into smaller phases and specific activities makes managing and monitoring progress easier. This helps pinpoint dependencies between tasks and set a logical sequence of execution.

• Use project management tools: specific project management software or tools can significantly streamline planning. These tools help you create  Gantt charts, allocate resources, track progress, and collaborate with your team on a single platform.

• Allocate resources efficiently: Proper resource allocation, including necessary team members and materials, is paramount to avoid overloading or underuse. Project managers must consider the skills and availability of resources to ensure optimal utilization.

• Assess and mitigate risks: Identifying potential risks and establishing mitigation strategies is crucial to planning. This helps foresee potential obstacles and develop contingency plans to address them promptly and effectively.

• Promote communication and collaboration: Project planning requires proper communication and collaboration among team members. Use practical communication tools and set regular project meetings to ensure everyone is aligned and information is shared promptly.

• Track and adapt: During project execution, it is essential to constantly monitor progress, comparing it with what was originally planned. This allows you to catch any deviations and implement the necessary changes to keep your project on track.

Simplifying project planning: the Advance case

Advance is a niche strategy consulting leader providing advanced technology solutions to its clients for over 25 years.

For years, This business struggled to find a project management tool suitable for its specific needs.

Their old solution, which focused on ticketing and problem management, was not suitable for planning complex projects related to software development and implementation.

The main challenge was to streamline the project planning process and cut down on administrative overhead.

Advance’s team spent a lot of time reorganizing tasks on a Kanban board, which slowed down the project management process and required significant time and effort.

The company switched to Twproject, choosing an out-of-the-box configuration with some custom fields.

The team found Twproject’s implementation process straightforward and user-friendly. Advance has been able to plan projects in detail, using Gantt charts or Kanban views as needed by individual project managers.

• 

Twproject proved flexible, allowing teams to manage projects according to the best methodologies.

It has also given the company greater awareness of its projects, enabling more accurate tracking of client objectives.

Full-text search and the use of tags have streamlined task tracking and information classification. Project managers and software developers can quickly find critical activities and focus on tasks that deliver concrete results.

Twproject’s project management solution also cut overhead costs. The Advance team noticed significantly reduced time spent managing the tool due to its out-of-the-box functionality.

The team gained greater insight into project status and was able to pinpoint any critical issues or problems early on (Learn more).

Creating a detailed plan with Twproject

Twproject helps you create detailed schedules, including tasks, milestones, dependencies, resources, and timeframes.

The software provides flexible tools to define start and end times and  dependencies between activities.

You can assign the resources needed for each task and track progress in real-time. It also allows you to view schedules as a  Gantt chart, making it easier to understand activity sequence and execution times.

Effective collaboration and communication

Twproject fosters effective collaboration and communication within your project team.

It allows sharing of information, documents, and comments directly within your framework, avoiding scattering important information through separate channels.

Team members can also keep up-to-date on schedule and task amendments, receive notifications, and synchronize their activities with individual calendars.

Ultimately, streamlining project planning requires a mix of methodologies, tools, and management skills.

The approach varies depending on specific project and organizational needs, yet project managers can simplify the process and increase the chance of achieving project success by adopting these practices.

Project data analysis has become a core practice in the increasingly competitive world of project management.

The data-driven approach is crucial to improving efficiency, identifying emerging problems, and predicting future trends.

Why data analysis is critical in project management

Before diving into details, it would be important to understand why data analysis is crucial in project management.

Project data can provide valuable insights regarding team performance, project progression, and potential obstacles that may arise.

Data analysis allows you to spot problems in advance, improve planning and resource management, and make more informed decisions.

Examples of project data analysis

1. Identify delays

A real-world example of how data analysis can be used in project management would be to identify delays.

Let’s say you are managing a software development project. Using Twproject, you can monitor the time spent completing each task.

If you see that specific tasks require much more time than expected, you might look into them further. The data might show, for example, that some team members are facing technical difficulties or that the workload has not been distributed equally.

2. Forecast necessary resources

Another hands-on example of data analysis is forecasting the resources needed.

For example, let’s say you are managing a project that recurs periodically, such as publishing a quarterly report.

By analyzing data from previous projects, you can predict how many labor hours will be needed to complete the project and how many resources (such as personnel, equipment, or software) must be devoted to it.

This will allow you to plan and ensure you have everything you need to complete your project within schedule.

3. Monitor budget use

And finally, data analysis can help you monitor the use of your project budget. For example, you could use Twproject to track how much of the budget has already been spent and on what.

Consider revising your spending strategy if you notice a particular department burning a disproportionate budget share.

Likewise, if you notice that you are heading toward overspending, you might use the data to identify areas where you can save money.

How to use Twproject for project data analysis

Twproject is a full-fledged project management software that helps teams easily manage and monitor their projects. It offers many features, such as project planning, resource management, task management, risk management, and data analysis.

Let’s take a look at some hands-on examples of how to analyze data with Twproject.

1. Project reports

Twproject offers the option of generating project reports in real-time.

These reports can include information regarding budget, time spent, resources used, risks, and issues.

For example, if you manage a project with a tight budget, you can generate a report showing how much of the budget has been used up to date, so you can forecast if you are likely to go over budget.

2. Workload analysis

Twproject can be used to analyze and balance team workload.

It can show how many hours each team member worked on a particular project, allowing you to identify any disparities in work distribution.

This software provides a comprehensive breakdown of each team member’s activities and assignments, thus helping you see who is overburdened and who can take on more work.

This feature is especially convenient when planning new projects or tasks, allowing you to distribute work fairly and efficiently.

3. Risk management

Risk management is a key element in project management, and Twproject offers a robust system for managing this key element.

It allows for project risk to be identified, tracked, and ranked according to various factors.

With this software, you can assign each risk a probability of occurrence (low to high) and a potential impact on your project (low to high).

This provides a risk matrix that helps project managers focus on the most critical risks.

For example, a risk with high probability and high impact should be closely monitored and addressed with preventive strategies.

On the contrary, a risk that is unlikely to happen and has low probability and low impact may require less immediate attention.

This classification allows risks to be managed more efficiently, saving time and resources and helping to ensure project success.

4. Progress monitoring

Tracking a project’s progress is important to ensure everything goes according to plan.

Twproject offers a range of tools to track and visualize a project’s progress.

For example, the percentage of completion of a specific project or task can be visualized, allowing project managers to understand the project’s progress clearly.

The “Gantt” feature can be used to view the project timeline and monitor the completion of various tasks.

Each task can be tracked regarding completion, time spent, and resources used, providing a comprehensive overview of the project status.

Ultimately, project data analysis is a powerful tool every project manager should use.

Whether trying to identify delays, forecast resource needs, or monitor budget usage, data analysis can provide the information you need to make informed decisions and drive your project to success.

In the project management sphere, the Planning Performance Domain, as outlined in Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) 7, is central to determining a project’s success.

This new edition emphasizes how to be successful in a project. It is imperative to plan activities and functions around changing conditions efficiently.

Let’s learn more about it in this article.

What is Planning Performance Domain?

PMBOK’s seventh edition has introduced a new model based on performance domains.

A performance domain is a set of related activities that constitute a core element in project management. Each one is an essential component that contributes to the overall success of a project.

The Planning Performance Domain focuses on efficient and strategic project planning.

It includes all the knowledge needed to create and maintain a plan to ensure the successful delivery of a project.

Planning is more than just “knowing your deadlines.”

In this new edition, the emphasis shifted from using planning to control project outcomes to planning as a means of delivering maximum value.

It used to be that the project plan was set in stone, and any change request was subject to debate and even not accepted outright.

This method has worked over the years, but a static type of planning is no longer viable in today’s extremely volatile and ever-changing market.

Project progress is constantly monitored by comparing progress metrics with plans, and changes are made as necessary.

This is at the core of the new approach: every change must trigger an adaptation process for the plan.

This means being agile toward change.

Project variables and their importance within Planning Performance Domain

Each project has its unique characteristics and requirements; as a result, certain variables can affect when and to what extent to plan the project.

The most common are:

• Development approach: this factor can influence how, how much, and when planning is done. For example, when a large part of the planning is done in advance. During the project life cycle, initial plans are often progressively developed with more detail, yet they are similar to their original intent.

• Project results: project output often involves specific planning. Construction projects are a great example in this case. On the contrary, in the case of high-tech product development, a continuous and adaptive type of planning can be applied to allow for evolution and changes based on technological advances.

• Organizational requirements: organizational governance, procedures, processes, and corporate culture may require project managers to follow certain types of planning.

• Market conditions: projects can take place in a highly competitive environment. In such a situation, planning may be kept to a minimum as the focus is on market speed.

• Legal or regulatory restrictions: specific documents may be required by law before granting a permit or approval to begin work.

Other variables in planning a project

• Delivery: what the project needs to deliver. Planning begins with understanding the business case, stakeholder requirements, and project and product scope.

• Estimates: that is, estimating the required work effort, duration, cost, and resources.

• Schedules: A model for the execution of project activities.

• Budget: Evolving from the agreed-upon estimates.

• Project Team: its composition and structure. This begins with identifying the skills needed to get the job done.

• Communication: there could be different levels of information – internal, external, sensitive, and public. These categories provide the basis for establishing communication processes and the project plan.

• Physical resources: any resource that is not a person. These include materials, machinery, software, licenses, etc.

• Procurement: especially when there is a need to contract external consultants or suppliers.

• Changes: there will always be major or minor changes in any project. Therefore, project teams should always be open to adjusting plans at any time.

• Metrics: setting metrics allows thresholds to be established to indicate whether job performance is as expected, trending positive or negative, or far from expected results.

• Alignment: this means that planning must stay in line with delivery commitments, allocated funds, resource availability, and stakeholder needs.

Planning Performance Domain expected results

PMBOK 7 wraps up by outlining six desired outcomes of the Planning Performance Domain.

These should prove that the project team has executed the work effectively:

1. The project moves forward organized and coordinatedly: planning metrics provide control.
2. A holistic approach is in place to deliver project results: all plan elements are duly coordinated to prevent gaps, overlaps, duplications, or misalignments.
3. Evolving information is processed to achieve established objectives.
4. Time devoted to planning is appropriate to the situation.
5. Information is adequate to meet stakeholder expectations, thus implying that the plan for communicating with stakeholders has worked.
6. There is a process for adapting plans throughout the project life cycle based on emerging and changing needs or conditions.

Improving project planning with Twproject

Twproject provides a reliable solution to improve project planning and achieve the desired results in Planning Performance Domain.

It offers many features to help you define your project planning:

• Project scope management: Twproject enables you to define your project scope by creating a WBS (Work Breakdown Structure). WBS is a hierarchical breakdown of project work into smaller, more manageable tasks.

• Stakeholder management: you can determine and manage project stakeholders. By determining and managing stakeholders, project managers can ensure that the project meets the needs of all stakeholders.

• Project planning management: with Twproject, you can create a project schedule by laying out tasks, their dependencies, and expected durations. Project planning is a key tool for ensuring that the project will be completed on time.

• Project budget management: defining costs, their sources, and allocation.

• Project risk management: by identifying and managing risks, project managers can reduce the chance and impact of project risks.

• Project procurement management: with Twproject, you can plan project procurement by defining your needs, process, and procurement contracts.

A project procurement plan is key to ensuring the project gets the necessary resources.

The bottom line, the planning performance domain is essential to the success of any project. Through diligent planning, project managers can increase the chances of delivering the project on time, on budget, and to the required quality standards.

For those of you used to managing projects with Excel, lovers of fancy colored cells and concatenated formulas, enjoy an exciting journey through the Excel barren land.

A place where control, planning, and structure get lost between a VLOOKUP and a circular reference error.

Get ready to dive into the fantastic world of organized chaos, where uncertainty is the only certainty.

Managing projects with Excel: a combo you should avoid

Who has never opened Excel to lay out a plan, a budget, or just to jot down our thoughts?

It’s always there, ready, with its empty cells waiting to be filled in. And yet, despite its apparent straightforwardness, managing projects with Excel can quickly become a recurring nightmare. A nightmare where files multiply like rabbits and formulas become as intricate as the plot of a Christopher Nolan movie.

Excel is a fantastic tool for many purposes. However, when it comes to project management, it turns out to be a bit like trying to cut a fillet with a spoon: although technically possible, it is incredibly frustrating and inefficient.

Tasks get lost between sheets, due dates become a puzzle worthy of Sherlock Holmes, and collaboration among team members turns into a table tennis match of emailed files. And what happens when a file gets overwritten or lost? Hopefully, you’ll enjoy doing it all over again.

No worries, though. There is an alternative to this chaos: Twproject. This project management software is like a beacon shining in the night, an oasis in the desert, a… well, you got the gist.

Twproject offers a one-stop solution for project management, featuring planning tools, tracking, resource management, and much more. Say goodbye to loose Excel sheets, and welcome to a single platform where everything is organized and accessible.

Twproject vs Excel: the final battle

Imagine that you have to manage a complex project with Excel. You have several tasks, each with its deadlines and assignments. You need to track progress, monitor costs and communicate with your team. Are you already having headaches?

Now imagine doing the same with Twproject. All your information is in one place, easily accessible with one click. Tasks can be easily viewed and edited, deadlines are clear, and communication with your team is streamlined and integrated. What about that headache? Gone.

From spreadsheet to project management software: a much-needed transition  

In this day and age, project management is no longer a matter of files and folders, but rather of integrated tools and processes.

With Twproject, you can say goodbye to long hours spent trying to figure out which version of an Excel file is the most up-to-date or sending interminable emails asking for task updates.

Twproject turns chaotic work into a structured and manageable process, allowing you and your team to focus on what truly matters: completing your project successfully. And nothing is more rewarding than seeing all the project parts fit together like puzzle pieces.

Letting go of Excel: a step toward efficiency

We do understand that letting go of Excel can be hard. It is like saying goodbye to an old friend. Yet sometimes, we must make hard choices to grow and improve. Choosing Twproject for project management is one of those choices.

It is not just a matter of changing tools but a shift in mindset. It is about taking a broader, more integrated view of project management that puts collaboration, transparency, and efficiency at the forefront.

Oh, and don’t worry. Excel won’t be mad about it.

Managing projects with Excel: every task has its tool

Managing projects with Excel is like trying to travel through time in a DeLorean without a flux capacitor: it may sound intriguing, but it is bound to end in disaster.

Twproject, on the other hand, is your personal TARDIS: a time and space machine that allows you to manage projects accurately and under control, no matter how complex they are.

Please don’t take our word for it. Experience the difference firsthand. Say goodbye to complex formulas and endless sheets. Stop trying to fit a spreadsheet into a task it was not designed for.

Ultimately, project management should not be an art of creating chaos. It should be about creating order, efficiency, and success. And with Twproject, this art is within your reach.

For those who are still hesitant, here is a piece of thought we want to share with you: they say that a well-managed project is like a symphony, with all its parts working together in harmony. So why settle for a harmonica when you can have a whole orchestra?

The choice is up to you: to keep navigating in the troubled waters of Excel or set sail to the island of efficiency that is Twproject. We know which we would prefer.

And remember: in the project management world, the key is organization. And there’s nothing more organized than software explicitly designed for that purpose. So, the next time you think about launching Excel, take a step back and try Twproject. You won’t regret it.

Not only will it make your life easier, but it will also take your projects to a whole new level.

Because every project manager deserves more than Excel.

Is it possible to reduce environmental impact in project management?

Sustainable project management is becoming more important in this age of growing environmental awareness and the need to cut our carbon footprint.

This article will examine projects’ environmental impact and how project managers can reduce their carbon footprint using effective techniques and tools, including project management software Twproject.

Carbon footprint in project management

Carbon footprint refers to a measure of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced directly or indirectly by a particular operation, product, or organization.

Within project management, carbon footprint can be generated in many ways, including resource use, energy consumption, transportation, and waste disposal.

Reducing carbon footprint through planning and design

Planning and design are one of the main challenges in reducing the environmental impact of projects.

Project managers can implement different strategies to reduce their carbon footprint to a minimum, including:

• Using sustainable project management methodologies, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost analysis;
• Integrating sustainability into project specifications, such as using low-impact materials and energy-efficient construction techniques;
• Involving stakeholders in setting sustainability goals and monitoring progress
• Adopting a holistic approach to design, taking into account the environmental impact throughout the  project life cycle.

Communication and training as sustainability tools

To ensure that all team members awareness of projects’ environmental impact and the actions needed to reduce their carbon footprint, it is key to promote effective communication and provide adequate training.

Project managers can:

• Hold workshops and training sessions on sustainable project management best practices
• Provide regular information on sustainability efforts and progress achieved
• Involve stakeholders in sharing ideas and solutions to improve project sustainability
• Use digital communication tools to reduce the need for travel and in-person meetings

How Twproject can help reduce projects’ carbon footprint

Twproject is a full-fledged project management software that allows project managers plan, monitor, and supervise their tasks efficiently and effectively.

Thanks to its advanced features and flexibility, Twproject can support project managers’ efforts in reducing their projects’ carbon footprint.

• Resource planning and control: Twproject helps optimize the use of resources, reducing waste and related CO2 emissions. For example, you can plan and monitor low-impact materials and sustainable construction techniques.

• Activity and process management: Twproject helps to pinpoint and monitor key activities for achieving sustainability goals, enabling project managers to intervene promptly in case of deviations or problems.

• Communication and collaboration: thanks to its built-in communication features, Twproject makes it easier for team members and stakeholders to collaborate, reducing the need for travel and in-person meetings. In addition, the platform makes it easy to share documents, reports, and information related to project sustainability.

• Monitoring and reporting: Twproject offers advanced monitoring and reporting tools that help project managers gauge and communicate their projects’ environmental impact and identify improvement areas.

Real-world examples of carbon footprint reduction in project management

• Construction project: a construction company can use Twproject to plan and monitor low-impact materials and sustainable construction techniques, such as employing low-carbon concrete or installing efficient thermal insulation systems. Moreover, this software can help coordinate transportation and logistics, reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions.

• Software development project: a software development company can use Twproject to schedule and monitor remote work activities, reducing the need for employee travel and associated carbon emissions. Also, this platform can provide easier communication and collaboration among team members, reducing the need for in-person meetings and business travel.

• Event project: an event management organization can use Twproject to plan and coordinate implementing low-carbon events, such as virtual conferences or sustainable trade shows. This software can help monitor eco-friendly resources and services, such as organic catering and waste recycling, and communicate carbon footprint reduction results to stakeholders.

Conclusion

Reducing projects’ carbon footprint is a key goal for project managers who seek to help counter climate change and promote environmental sustainability.

Through careful planning and design, effective communication and training, and the use of advanced tools and methodologies such as Twproject, it is possible to significantly reduce the environmental impact of projects and ensure a more sustainable future for everyone.

Project management in fashion is crucial to fashion companies’ success, helping them to meet challenges effectively and achieve their goals.

In this article, we will discuss how vital project management is in the fashion industry and how using Twproject can improve the efficiency and productivity of companies by analyzing the success case of  Oberalp Group.

The fashion industry is an ever-evolving industry characterized by rapid change and fierce competition. Unlike other industries, fashion typically involves shorter production cycles and continuous awareness of trends and public taste.

Project management in fashion: why is it important?

Project management in fashion involves processes and activities geared toward planning, organizing, monitoring, and controlling projects in the industry. Some of the most common tasks of a project manager in the fashion industry include:

• Collection planning and goal setting;
• Coordination among different departments, such as design, production, marketing, and sales;
• Budget and resource management;
• Progress monitoring and risk detection;
• Evaluation and quality control of final products.

To succeed in the fashion industry, it is paramount that companies can effectively manage resources and time, as well as react quickly to rising trends and consumer needs.

Project management challenges in fashion and TWPROJECT’s benefits.

The fashion industry comes with some unique challenges for project managers, including:

• Shorter production cycles: unlike other industries, fashion involves much shorter production cycles, and collections often change. This requires project managers to plan and adapt quickly to new trends and changes in the market.

• Everchanging market dynamics: fashion is a highly competitive and constantly evolving industry. Project managers need to be capable of anticipating and responding to changes in the market, as well as managing customer expectations and needs.

• Limited resources: often, fashion companies operate with limited resources, both in terms of staff and budget. Project managers must maximize the efficiency of available resources and find creative solutions to solve problems.

Twproject is project management software that helps companies improve efficiency and productivity through project planning, collaboration, and tracking. This software can be a powerful ally for fashion companies seeking to address the industry’s unique challenges. Below are some of the benefits of using TWPROJECT in the fashion industry:

• Efficient collection planning: Twproject offers advanced planning tools that help project managers define goals, timelines, and resources needed for each collection. This helps ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and that projects are completed on time.

• Collaboration among departments: Communication and collaboration between different departments are critical to the success of fashion companies. Twproject allows designers, manufacturers, marketers, and vendors to share information and collaborate, ensuring everyone works together efficiently.

• Progress monitoring and risk detection: con Twproject, project managers can easily monitor the progress of each project and detect potential risks or problems that might hinder success. This allows them to address challenges and adapt quickly to new situations proactively.

• Budget and resource management: Thanks to Twproject’s resource management tools, project managers can keep track of expenses and budgets, ensuring that projects remain within set limits. In addition, the ability to allocate resources efficiently helps maximize productivity and reduce waste.

• Quality control and assessment: using Twproject, project managers can set quality control criteria and assess the conformity of end products to established standards. This ensures that fashion companies manufacture high-quality clothing that meets customer expectations.

Oberalp Group’s success with TWPROJECT

To exemplify the benefits of using Twproject in the fashion industry, let’s look at the success case of the  Oberalp Group, a leading sportswear and apparel company.

The Oberalp Group, which provides mountain and outdoor clothing, has used seven different project management tools.

The company wanted an integrated project management platform to have a single dashboard to monitor development across each brand, category, and product while empowering teams to work autonomously. 

Twproject’s implementation allowed Oberalp to reduce the number of project management tools from seven to one, thereby increasing transparency across cross-divisional projects and improving cost control.

Moreover, regardless of the methodology used in each functional area, the company could meet its seasonal deadlines. Twproject facilitated time recording and data collection for research projects, reducing the related overhead and speeding up information delivery to project-sponsoring organizations.

In short, Twproject implementation has enabled the Oberalp Group to streamline project management, increase team transparency, and reduce IT costs. It has boosted employee collaboration, positively impacting the company and helping the team achieve better goals.

Conclusions

Meeting fashion industry challenges requires adequate tools for efficient planning, effective collaboration between departments, and real progress and risk monitoring.

By offering advanced planning, collaboration, and monitoring functionalities, Twproject helps project managers successfully manage projects in the fashion industry and address challenges throughout the process.

The Oberalp Group’s success case shows how implementing Twproject can lead to significant improvements in fashion project management and internal communication, as well as improved results when it comes to product quality and customer satisfaction.