Introduction
Project management leaders are frequently asked, "What is the value of project documentation and how can I be sure I'm doing it correctly?" Project documentation is undeniably important in project management education. It is substantiated by the basic two tasks of documentation: ensuring that project requirements are met and establishing traceability of what has been done, who has done it and when it was done.
For both individual documents and the entire project documentation, documentation must set the groundwork for quality, traceability and history. It's also critical that the documentation is well-organized, simple to read and sufficient.
Uses of Documentation in Project
Project managers with a lot of experience excel at creating and following standard templates for their project documentation.
They repurpose successful project plans, business cases, requirement sheets and project status reports to allow them to concentrate on their core expertise of project management rather than balancing the unmanageable paperwork.
Phases of Project Documentation in Detail
- Feasibility Report - A feasibility report's goal is to look into and highlight task needs in order to see if the project is worthwhile and possible. Five key variables are used to determine feasibility: technology and system, economics, legal, operational and timetable. Market, resource, cultural and financial issues are secondary feasibility criteria.
- Project Charter - The project overview statement is another name for the project charter. A project charter lays the groundwork for a project by containing high-level planning components. It serves as an anchor, keeping you focused on the project's goals and leading you through the milestones as a navigator. It is the project's formal approval.
- Requirement Specification - A requirement specification document contains a detailed description of the system that will be built. It includes both functional and non-functional needs for all interactions users will have with the system.
- Design Document - The design document displays the system's high- and low-level design components. The high-level design document is gradually expanded to contain low-level design details. The architectural strategies of the system are described in this document.
- Work Plan/Estimate - A work plan lays out the phases, activities and tasks that must be completed in order to complete a project. A work plan also shows the timescales for completing a project, as well as resources and milestones. Throughout the project, the work plan is referenced frequently. The most important document for delivering projects successfully is the actual progress report, which is reviewed daily against the stated plan.
- Traceability Matrix - A traceability matrix is a table that links a requirement to the tests that must be performed to ensure that it is met. Backward and forward traceability is provided by a usable traceability matrix: a requirement can be traced to a test and a test can be traced to a requirement.
- Issue Tracker - An issue tracker keeps track of and handles a list of problems. It allows you to create issues, assign them to people and keep track of their progress and present duties. It also contributes to the creation of a knowledge base that contains information on how to solve frequent difficulties.
- Change Management Document - A change management document is used to track progress and keep track of any system modifications. This aids in the identification of unanticipated negative consequences of a change.
- Test Document - A test strategy and test cases are included in a test document. A test case is a step-by-step technique for thoroughly testing a feature or a feature's aspect. A test case specifies how to run a specific test, whereas a test plan describes what to test.
- Technical Document - Product definition and specification, design, manufacturing/development, quality assurance, product/system liability, product presentation, description of features, functions and interfaces, safe and proper use, service and repair of a technical product and safe disposal are all covered in the technical document.
- Functional Document - The inner workings of the proposed system are defined by functional requirements. They are missing the details on how the system function will be accomplished. Instead, the documentation for this project focuses on what other agents (such as people or computers) might see when engaging with the system.
- User Manual - The User Manual is the system's standard operating procedure.
- Rollout or Transition Plan - The rollout plan offers step-by-step directions for implementing the system in a company. It entails the step-by-step and phase-by-phase planning of the deployment. It also explains the system's training regimen.
- The Handover Document - The handover document is a summary of the system with a list of all the system's deliverables.
- Contract Closure - The process of fulfilling all tasks and terms that were listed as deliverable and outstanding at the contract's initial writing is known as contract closure. This only applies to tasks that are outsourced.
What is the significance of documentation in project management?
Many inexperienced project managers are perplexed as to why documentation is so necessary. A new project manager's concern is heightened by documentation. She is expected to complete various assignments while adhering to strict deadlines. However, let me caution you against skipping the documentation section at any cost in order to compensate for your time constraints.
A project manager's ability to manage his or her time is essential. On a similar topic, documentation is crucial if you want to improve your project management skills. In the end, having a competent set of project management papers will pay off. As a project management expert, you'll have a rewarding career if you manage project documentation well.
Consider the following scenarios to learn more about the value of project documentation:
- In project management, a project charter is the first blueprint document. It assists a project manager in comprehending the project's background and objectives. It also aids in the creation of a project plan for achieving deliverables. In fact, this document provides guidance for the project manager and team as they navigate through the project life cycle. There will be no clarity to begin the project without this paper in the first place.
- As a project manager, you may be working on several projects at the same time. Your task is to complete all of the projects at hand according to the agreed-upon deadlines and perks. Measure project deliverables against the project management strategy to make sure you're on track. As a result, throughout the project life cycle, the project management plan is an important part of your documentation. It's a live document that is updated on a frequent basis during a project so that it can accomplish its goal in real-time.
- The project manager and team are responsible for informing important stakeholders about project progress. But who to connect with, when to communicate and how to communicate are all important considerations. A well-thought-out communication plan is an answer to these questions. With this document in place, you and your team will not miss any important aspects of communication.
- Project Scheduling is yet another document that can assist you in navigating a project by keeping track of events. It's critical to keep track of the project's progress at all times. It also aids in making necessary modifications. A project manager's ability to stay on track is a basic necessity.
- The project team's biggest issue is figuring out how to get started on the project. Some of the projects are so complicated that they may necessitate a significant amount of time and effort to finish. Another crucial factor for a project manager is a work plan. It specifies the entire project work organization down to the activity level. Rather than focusing on the entire corpus of work, resources can readily be allotted to smaller activities. The work breakdown structure aids in the division of difficult work into manageable work packages.
- For a project manager and his team, understanding project requirements and tracking deliverables to ensure that requirements are satisfied are equally crucial. To ensure project success, the product/service requirements and objectives must be met. A project manager should go over the requirements plan and make sure everything is clear. The ability to comprehend requirements is critical to project success. A requirement traceability matrix is a crucial document for tracing requirements to deliverables.
- A project manager's goal is to complete the project on time and within budget. What if a project's cost overruns in the middle of the project? It could be due to a lack of expected cost calculations at the activity level or a lack of cost monitoring throughout the project cycle. It will very definitely reject the project. As a result, the cost estimate becomes an important aspect of the paperwork for estimating project costs. If assumptions are established, make sure they're correctly recorded in the Assumption log. In order to stick to a budget, make sure to keep track of and regulate the project's costs according to the cost estimate.
Conclusion
Proper project documentation is obviously a necessary component of project management, but it is also incredibly beneficial in keeping projects going along quickly, ensuring that all stakeholders are kept up to date and assisting the company in making better changes in future projects. We hope you found this information helpful and we wish you luck on your PMP certification path.
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