Businesses implement projects for a variety of reasons, and they usually want to get the most out of their investment. This is why it’s important to know what approach you should take on your next project implementation.
As a project manager, it is important to know all of the different approaches that are available when implementing projects. The reason for this is because each approach has its own unique set of benefits. So you need to find out which one will work best for your particular situation.
Here, we are going to be discussing 3 different Project Implementation Approaches;
What is project implementation?
This is the process of taking an idea and turning it into reality. It entails a number of steps that you must complete in order to ensure success. This begins with the project’s plan development and continues through its eventual completion.
A project can define by the unique aspects of their respective industries and business models. This means that not all projects will follow the same approach to implement their vision or strategy.
Every industry has its own way of how they do things. But there are still some similarities among them like the change management process. This happens frequently in any kind of company.
Project Implementation Approaches:
There are 3 different approaches for project implementation. These are the parallel, phased, and crash implementations. All of these approaches have their own set of methods and benefits.
Parallel implementation approach:
In this approach, you implement the project in stages. One team will be working on one aspect of that project while another team works on a different aspect simultaneously. This helps to ensure that things are moving forward as smoothly as possible and all areas of the process are working at once.
The parallel approach is the most common project implementation strategy. It occurs when tasks you perform in multiple phases at once to achieve a specific goal or objective. This requires more planning, effort, coordination between teams, and time management skills from your team members to ensure success.
Here are some benefits of the parallel project implementation approach:
- There are fewer risks involved because everything is being worked on at the same time.
- It require less management effort.
- More resources are easily available for this type of project.
- It guarantees that all areas will work on simultaneously.
Phased implementation approach:
This is when tasks or phases of a project take place one after another. Instead of being doing it simultaneously, as it would happen with parallel implementations.
This is the most common strategy used by companies. It divides the project into several sub-projects that you implement in stages, one after another. This allows you to plan your resources more efficiently and effectively without leaving any of them idle for too long.
You can also complete each of these phases independently of one another. This is because they are not dependent on each other to succeed.
The phased approach provides more accurate and realistic schedules, as well as better control over your project’s budget. It also reduces the risk of a delay caused by an external event which you could encounter with parallel implementation processes.
Let’s talk about why companies choose the phased implementation over the other approaches they could use for their project needs?
Well, there are several reasons but some common ones include;
The company wants time to test something before moving forward with any additional aspects associated with whatever the project is. They want to limit their investment in a specific project by completing one phase at a time.
Here are some benefits of phased project implementation;
- Project schedules and budgets can be managed accurately due to the dependencies between phases being clearly defined.
- There is less risk involved as each phase will begin only after all of its prerequisites have been completed successfully first.
Crash implementation approach:
This is yet another method that companies are using but not as much as parallel or phased implementations strategies do. Because it has its own set of challenges.
This happens when a project starts at once with all tasks, activities, and resources immediately allocated to it from day one. This results in an extremely rapid progression which has its benefits but also some risks associated with this strategy as well.
The main benefit here is that you start off on the right foot by having everything up and running from day one. But there may still be issues related to resource allocation or coordination among teams if not planned out correctly prior to starting your project process.
You do not use it unless your company needs a quick turnaround time and doesn’t care about accuracy. Since there will be more risks involved with this implementation approach. As everyone starts their work without waiting until previous steps have been finished successfully first.
Let’s see what makes companies choose the crash implementation over others?
Well, there are a few reasons why companies tend to prefer this approach over others.
The company is in urgent need of starting the project as soon as possible for certain reasons. They have limited time and resources available. So they just want to get it done with no delays or interruptions instead of having parallel or phased implementations. As they will require more time and money spent on them anyway?
Benefits of crash implementation approach:
The benefits of this strategy could be seen only when you compare it to other strategies like phased or parallel ones.
- There will be no delays caused by waiting for some tasks to begin after others have already started.
- All aspects of your project will happen at once.
- You can use all resources that are available at once, instead of just part of them as it would occur in parallel implementations.
Phases of project implementation:
There are five phases for this implementation approach to be successful.
Initiation: This is where you gather all information related to your project and present it in a proposal. You will have to convince your management team of the benefits and return on investment that this project is going to give them.
Planning: This phase includes the work of mapping out what needs to be done when by whom and how long it will take. This can also include creating a schedule or timeline that everyone involved with your project should follow for successful results at the end.
Execution: Once your plan is ready, it’s time to execute it. And everyone needs to follow the schedule or timeline you’ve created for them to ensure accurate results.
Monitoring and Controlling: Once the project is underway, you’ll need to check in on everyone’s progress and make sure that they stay within your plan (schedule or timeline). You should also keep track of any issues that might arise along the way and try to resolve them before it becomes a problem for anyone involved with this implementation approach.
Closing: Project closing is the last phase of project implementation and it’s where you review your entire process. What went well? What didn’t go so well? And what can be improved upon next time around for even more accurate results?
Conclusion:
By looking at this blog post, you can get a better idea of what project implementation approaches are and how they work. You will also learn about the crash approach which is one of three main types used in today’s business world for successful results.
