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Project controls help keep a project on schedule. They allow us to keep control over the structure, flow, and timing of a project.
When things don’t go according to plan, and a project starts to drift off track, the controls give us a warning sign so that we can make adjustments to get it back on track as soon as possible.
Project controls are useful because they allow us to anticipate and solve all kinds of problems.
What are the problems? Why do projects get off-track? Here are some common reasons why project controls are necessary:
PEOPLE PROBLEMS
Ownership and responsibility
Available
Communication
Priorities or values that conflict
QUALITY PROBLEMS
Things are not working
Items not completed
Expectations not met
COST PROBLEMS
Scope creep
Changes and pivots
Unforeseen expenses
TIME PROBLEMS
Schedule changes and delays
Priority shifts
Conflicts in resource allocation
Are you facing any of these issues in your projects?
Welcome to project control.
This article will cover a few project control templates and checklists that you can use to manage your project and handle these types of problems in a systematic way.
NOTE:
I didn’t say you would be able solve these problems.
You won’t.
Projects rarely go according to plan. Things change all the time, whether it is your team members, client expectations, or unexpected complexities that impact your plans.
It is our job not only to reduce the risk of problems, but also to manage issues professionally when they do occur.
Table of Contents
This article will teach you what you can do after you’re done reading it.
What are the project controls?
Why project controls are so important
9 Project Controls and How to Use Them
A NOTE ABOUT THE TEMPLATES
Project control templates can be downloaded to help you implement these controls immediately. You’ll find them in DPM membership, along with 50+ other templates, documents, ebooks and checklists.
Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in a jumpstart on project controls and a community to mentor you to help you understand how to use them in daily life.
BECOME A MEMBER Project controls basics
What are project controls?
Project controls, in short, are the actions and documentation that we take to ensure that our projects stay on track. They are basically a set of tools that helps us reach the deliverable.
The following definition of project control is from the PMI:
Project control systems aim to reduce the gap between project planning, project execution, and project completion in order to achieve project goals, i.e. cost, time, content.
Project controls are an essential element of any project and can help you to anticipate problems and potential solutions. Project controls are a way to monitor relevant KPIs, such as cost and schedule. This helps you understand the relationship between scope and delivery.
If you are ahead of schedule or below budget, you can spend your budget on extra polish to improve the quality of a project. The information from your project control will help you adjust if the budget is tight.
How do project controls fit in the project lifecycle?
Project controls are an integral part of the Monitoring and Controlling phase, which acts as a high level framework for all projects.
What skills do I need to manage projects?
Project management is a hard skill.
Hard skills
3Rs
Process management
Project Initiation
Project Planning
Scheduling
Documentation Development
Task management
Project Control
Risk Management
PM Tools
Technical skills
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