In project management, it is important to ensure that the efforts of you and your team will not be in vain. Various techniques are used to determine a project’s progress and success through a process known as project forecasting.
An Overview of Project Forecasting
Forecasting in project management is a procedure used by project managers to predict various factors of an ongoing project. Through analyzing important project metrics, project managers determine the success or failure of the project. A project forecast is most beneficial once a project is at least 20% complete. Forecasting would produce no results if done before any part of a project is started, as there would be no predictions possible without data.
Project Forecasting Metrics
The most vital forecasting metrics in project management are the project costs, project duration, and quality of the work done. By evaluating the spending practices of past and present projects, project managers can estimate the costs of a project and plan how to improve cost-effective project budgets. Project managers can also analyze past and current projects to determine how long a task will take to complete and if they will meet deadlines. Knowing the duration of a project is essential so that you can provide adequate resources. Lastly, project managers can assess the quality of a project to ensure that the completed project is successful.
Project Forecasting Techniques
You can use various forecasting techniques in project management individually or together. Standard practices include trend analysis, time series analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and what-if scenario planning. Each method is based on historical data and allows project managers to predict outcomes and compare project aspects or projects to increase their efficiency and success.
Importance of Project Forecasting
Forecasting in project management is an essential process for identifying possible risks and allows teams to adjust accordingly to ensure the success of a project. A project manager is able to use forecasting metrics that provide real-time data to ascertain the progress of a project and highlight any possible challenges not originally anticipated. These factors allow teams to make all necessary changes to their objectives and continue working on successful projects.
Benefits of WorkOtter
There are various project management forecasting tools available to organizations. At WorkOtter, we offer tools and services focused on solving problems related to project forecasting. These tools and services include meeting project deadlines and expectations, comprehensive reporting, improving efficiency, and increasing project success rates.
Regarding forecasting in project management, we use what-if scenario planning. This powerful technique highlights the effects of project aspects on each other to predict possible project outcomes. You can use these predictions to inform management and stakeholders of project successes.
Our flexible and adaptable services allow you to manage projects your way and customize plans to best suit your organization’s requirements. We emphasize the ability to forecast your way by a team, work plan, spreadsheet resource plan, or hybrid methods. No matter how you decide to use our services, we promise to provide you with simple, sensible solutions that enhance your projects and business.
